Biblogic Series: 1 Corinthians 12:8-11
Did you read the verses and the context carefully?
Subtitle: The Holy Spirit: Intelligent, Volitional, Selective
Do you think having the same gift as the crowd makes you special? If you belong to Christ, you may underestimate just how unique and special you are.
Charismata: Spiritual Gifts
Verses 8-10 form a pattern. To one is given one gift. To another is given another gift. To another is given another gift. To another is given another gift. Et cetera. Based on these verses in isolation, nobody receives every gift.
Look again at the pattern in verses 8-10. None of the clauses indicate that any gift is given to everybody. Just the opposite. Based on these statements in isolation, each person receives a different gift. If there were ten million gifts and ten million members of the body of Christ, each member would receive a different gift.
Based on a study of all the spiritual gifts, we know that there is a limited number of spiritual gifts. If everybody receives at least one spiritual gift (verses 4-7), then the Holy Spirit may consign a particular gift to multiple members of the body. This is confirmed by, for example, many people speaking in foreign languages at Pentecost and the existence of multiple prophets in apostolic times.
Comparing verses 8-10 to Romans 12, we know that this passage contains a partial list of spiritual gifts. They include:
- A message of wisdom
- A message of knowledge
- Faith
- Gifts of healing
- Energizings of power (miracles)
- Prophecy
- Distinguishing between spirits
- Kinds of tongues
- Interpretation of tongues.
Verses 8-11 indicate that the Holy Spirit is the source of all spiritual gifts.
In verses 4-6, notice the parallelism between “same Spirit,” “same Lord,” and “same God [the Father). The repetition of “same Spirit” and “one Spirit” in chapter 12 implies a need, in Corinth’s pagan, polytheistic culture, to prevent or correct a belief that different spirits would give different spiritual gifts. This stresses two conclusions:
- The same, singular Holy Spirit gives all spiritual gifts.
- There is exactly one Holy Spirit.
Verse 11 summarizes the idea, exemplified in verses 8-10, of diversity in how the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts. The verb ‘diairoun’, “dividing” or “apportioning,” is a word picture that depicts dividing something and distributing the pieces.
The adjective ‘idia’ in verse 11 is the root word of ‘idiot.’ According to George E. Gardiner, author of The Corinthian Catastrophe (Kregel Press, 1985), to be ‘idia’ was originally complimentary. It meant you didn’t follow the herd; you were your own, unique individual. It was later that, in English, ‘idiot’ came to mean uniquely lacking in intelligence or wisdom. In verse 11, the adjective is usually translated as an adverb, “uniquely.” It means “uniquely one’s own.” Since, in the Greek, it modifies the noun translated “to each,” the phrase contrasts against a conformist, one-size-fits-all mentality. It stresses that each member’s gifts are specially selected for that member. This reinforces the message in verses 8-10 that no gift is given to all, and no member has all gifts.
Verse 11 ends with the verb ‘boulomai,’ “as He [the Holy Spirit] wills.” HELPS Word-studies says the word “is a strong term that underlines the predetermined (and determined) intention driving the planning....” It contrasts against another verb that focuses on desiring or wishing for a given outcome. In other words, the Holy Spirit plans and resolutely determines which gifts He divides among the members of the body.
If the Holy Spirit wills, resolutely determines, my gifting, does asking for different gifting indicate rebellion against God’s will and authority?
- If the Holy Spirit divides the spiritual gifts among the members of the body in accordance with a plan that He resolutely determines, then could asking for a gift that the Holy Spirit has not consigned to you imply that the Holy Spirit failed to plan for the gifts you would need?
- Would that, in turn, imply a defect in God’s church architecture, which was the roadmap that the Holy Spirit used to choose your gifts?
- Wouldn’t such errors imply a misalignment between the service that Christ performs through the members of the body and the determinations of the Father and the Spirit?
- What would that then imply a failure of omniscience and a division between the Son and the Father and Spirit?
- If the Father has designed the body and assigned your role, and the Spirit has determined what gifts to give you in accordance with the Father’s design, does asking for an additional gift imply ingratitude and rejection of God’s plan?
- Does it imply that you think you see inadequacy in God’s planning and the Holy Spirit’s provision?
- Since you think you see a defect in the Father’s design and the Holy Spirit’s determination, have you not elevated your wisdom above God’s?
Pneumatology: The Study of the Holy Spirit
Since the Holy Spirit determines the distribution of spiritual gifts in accordance with God's design of the body and assignment of its members to roles in the body, the Holy Spirit exercises intelligence.
Since the Holy Spirit determines to distribute spiritual gifts as He wills, He is volitional.
If the Holy Spirit is intelligent and volitional, the Holy Spirit must be a Person. An impersonal force would distribute gifts indiscriminately.
Since there's no evidence that God delegates planning and decision-making to angels, the Holy Spirit must be divine.
Copyright 2021, Richard Wheeler. Permission granted for non-remunerated use, provided that this notice and standard bibliographic citation accompany the article.
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