The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

KEY VERSE: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” —I Corinthians 12:7

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: I Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-31; 13:1-7

PAUL had been discussing various gifts which came through the Holy Spirit to different members of the classes which constituted the Early Church. He observed how, in this unique arrangement for their instruction, there was a need for much mutual cooperation in the use of these gifts if they were to be profitable for the entire congregation. For instance: in order for the activity of one who could speak in a tongue to be useful, it required someone else with the ability to interpret, etc. This situation being true with most of the miraculous gifts, a close unity was forced upon them if they were to be spiritually benefited by their function.

But Paul was quick to point out, however, that this need alone was not sufficient to sustain a strong and meaningful unity in “The body of Christ.” (I Cor. 12:27) Using this same illustration, Paul wrote to the Ephesian brethren, that our real unity in Christ is based upon a more solid foundation of a united belief in the ‘one Lord’, and the ‘one faith’.—Eph. 4:5

Those enlightened by present truth have learned there are not many Lords, but only one, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. In him is centered all the great fundamentals of our “most holy faith.” (Jude 20) He is our Redeemer, who gave himself a random for all. (I Tim. 2:3-5) He is our “good shepherd” who leads and cares for us as we walk in the narrow way. (John 10:14) He is our Head, through which the will of our Heavenly Father is expressed as the guide of our lives.—Eph. 1:22,23

And what a harmonious group of doctrines is clustered around Jesus to make up the one faith to which we are gathered! The creation and fall of man; the Abrahamic promise of deliverance from sin and death; the coming of Christ at his first advent to redeem mankind from death; the high calling of this Gospel Age; the return and second presence of Christ; the establishment of his kingdom for the blessing of all the families of the earth, are some of these soul-satisfying teachings.

Our unity of the Spirit is based upon the fundamental doctrines of the divine plan. The question might be raised as to how we are to determine what are the fundamental doctrines. We suggest that the fundamental teachings of our most holy faith are those which can be firmly established by a “thus saith the Lord.”

It would not be true to say that the fundamental truths of our faith are the non-controversial doctrines of the Bible, for actually none of these doctrines are universally accepted. The statement that the wages of sin is death is the end of all controversy to us as to what constitutes the divine penalty for sin. But to many, death does not mean the same thing that it means to us.

Here enters the matter of interpretation. The Scriptures can be misinterpreted and distorted. But those who are enlightened by present truth, and know the divine plan of the ages, have learned that the basic teachings embraced in this plan are based upon plain statements of the Word of God, which are not subject to interpretation. And it is these teachings, the plan of God as a whole, that constitute the one faith which is the basis of our unity in the Spirit.

Paul mentions the unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith. (Eph. 4:3,13) Some have thought what he means by the unity of the Spirit is simply a tolerant, kindly attitude toward others, regardless of what they believe. While this should be possible, they say, unity of the faith is an ideal for which we should strive, but will probably never attain. This does not seem to be Paul’s viewpoint. When he speaks of the unity of the Spirit, his reference is to the Holy Spirit, that holy influence of God which reaches us through his written Word.

Paul informs us the written Word is communicated to us by servants whom the Lord has provided—prophets, apostles, teachers, evangelists, pastors—and that the work of these is “for the perfecting of the saints, … for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature [Margin, age] of the fullness of Christ,” who is the Head.—Eph. 4:11-16

Yes, indeed, from the Early Church until now, the “manifestation of the Spirit [the truth of the Bible],” is given to every man for the profit of all [the body of Christ].”

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