One Spirit, One Body, Many Gifts

Alba 9-21-2025

ONE SPIRIT, ONE BODY, MANY GIFTS

I Corinthians 12:1-31

Bonnie Brechill tells a story about her five year old daughter Crystal, who recently met an Amish girl her age. Within minutes they were off, hand-in-hand, to play. “I caught glimpses of them chattering and giggling,” Bonnie says. “Even though Sylvia, the Amish girl, spoke a Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, she and Crystal got along well. Later I asked Crystal, ‘Could you understand anything Sylvia said to you?’

‘No,’ she replied. ‘But you played so nicely together. How?’

‘Oh, Mommy. We understood each other’s giggles.’”

We have to remember that in the church at Corinth, they indeed were quite different. They came from different backgrounds, they had worshiped many different false gods. Some of them even worshiped more than one god. In spite of these differences, the apostle Paul called on these believers to have no divisions among them. So in I Corinthians 1:10 the apostle Paul called on the congregation to, “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”

Paul could see their problems. Such things as: divisiveness, disorder, abuse at the Lord’s Supper, factions, disrespect for apostolic authority, disregard for weaker brothers or sisters, marital problems, lawsuits among believers, immorality ... just to name a few. In simple terms they needed some help to live out the Christian life in a better way than what they were doing.

Apparently they had questions for Paul that he answered in this letter of First Corinthians. In chapter twelve it is obvious that they didn't fully understand the use and purpose of spiritual gifts. Because in I Corinthians 12:1-3 Paul writes, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

In this chapter we are told that there is one body and many gifts. But a main thing Paul wants us to know is that there is...

One Spirit

Verse 13 says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” That corresponds to Acts 2:38 which tells us, “Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”

In becoming a Christian we are immersed in water and filled with the Spirit to be empowered to live in this world. Back in chapter six we are told that God lives in us through His Spirit, and that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In Christ we become members of God's family. And we are given the task to pursue a common goal of oneness and deep unity in Christ. When people have different backgrounds they can be tempted to blend their beliefs from the past with the new found truth. But verse two says that doesn't work. It refers to “dumb” idols (NKJV). That is a pretty good description, but it actually means “mute”, unable to speak. The false gods could not give anything back, even though the people had given them much and worshiped them. Our Lord God is indeed, different than any other god in this world because He is a living, giving, forgiving God. So isn't it amazing to think that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us?

So again in verse three, Paul says, “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed.' And no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.' Now it does not say, “You can’t physically do this.” It is saying that the Holy Spirit doesn’t send mixed messages. And be aware of this, the Holy Spirit’s message will never go against the Word of God. And He will never tell you sin is OK (no matter how you “feel” about it).

So no longer can we say “Jesus be cursed”, because that would stick in our throats as believers. Nor should we who claim to be Christians take God’s name in vain. The “OMG” that is so common in today's language is not connected with the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, we can say, and should say, that Jesus is Lord. And we can say, and should say, Jesus is blessed. We do so by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The same Holy Spirit that guided and mentored the early church is the same Holy Spirit we have today. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and among us. In spite of whatever differences that were in existence then, or now, we need to remember that verse 13 says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” There is one Spirit and...