Jesus Is Lord
God be with you as we move into a new section of 1 Corinthians! May the Spirit Himself guide us as we learn of Him.
As we move into this section of Paul’s epistle, we embark on a study of that which is most often misunderstood. This is one of the largest sections in the letter—beginning in Chapter 12 and going all the way to the end of Chapter 14. It deals with a very important subject—and that is, how the ‘spiritual gifts’ that the Lord Jesus gives to individual believers are to be used for the good of the church family.
Paul begins this section with very direct words. The Christians in Corinth had been misunderstanding and misusing the spiritual gifts that the Lord had given them; and so, the apostle begins his treatment of this subject—and his correction of their misuse of the ‘gifts’—with these words.
Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
When Jesus was teaching the disciples about the Holy Spirit and what He would do when the day came that Jesus would send Him into the world, this is what Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me” John 15:26. The Holy Spirit has come into this world for one purpose, and that is to make Jesus known. Everything the Spirit does is about Jesus. Everything Jesus does is about the Father. If we can understand and remember these two great truths, we will properly interpret the scriptures.
At one point Jesus led his disciples north of the Sea of Galilee. It was a place called Caesarea Philippi, and it was in that place Jesus asked the disciples a very important question. The place in which He asked this question was very significant. Caesarea Philippi was at the borders of the Gentile world; and it was known for paganism and the worship of false gods. Archaeologists have found evidence of many idols in the region. Jesus took His disciples to that place, turned to them, and asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:13. This was a very pointed question to ask in such a place.
The disciples replied that some say He was John the Baptist. Others say that He was Elijah. Still others say that He was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. And then, the Lord Jesus asked them, “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15. Right there, in Caesarea Philippi, at the doorway to the Gentile world, Peter boldly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” Matthew 16:16.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” Matthew 16:17.
This was the most important question that can ever be asked: Who do you say that Jesus is? It was asked at a very important place: at the very gates of the pagan world. And Peter gave the most important answer anyone could give – Jesus is the Christ—the Anointed One—the promised Messiah—who is the Son of the living God. He is God in human flesh—very God of very God.
Jesus went on to tell Peter that it would be upon that very testimony of Himself that He would build His church; and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Peter’s answer was not something Peter himself came up with. It was a true testimony of Jesus that had been given to him by God. It was an authoritative testimony that must characterize everything about the life and ministry of our Lords’ Church. It is this testimony from God that helps us to understand Paul’s words in our text today.
Paul’s opening words in 1 Corinthians 12 are about identifying something that is genuine and true. How do we recognize a true work of the Holy Spirit in our midst as a church family? How do we know that a spiritual gift is being used in a way that is truly blessed and used by the Holy Spirit? How do we know whether or not someone who presents themselves as an instrument of the Holy Spirit is genuinely ‘spiritual’? It’s not just by the outward manifestation of things that we would know this. It isn’t just by whether or not someone ‘says’ that they are ‘spiritual’. Rather, it is by what they say about Jesus. Does the testimony of their words and their works conform with what Peter said? Does it all come together to affirm that Jesus is the Christ—the Son of the living God? In other words, do they end up saying “Jesus is accursed”, or do they end up affirming “Jesus is Lord?”
It was crucial that the recipients of Paul’s letter to keep this in mind. As we read on through Chapters 12-14 of Paul’s letter, we find that they were misunderstanding and misusing the ‘spiritual gifts’ that the Lord Jesus had given them. Instead of serving each other with them, they were seeking to exalt and elevate themselves over one another through them. They were exercising their spiritual gifts in an unloving way. And they were even elevating a couple of the more ‘showy’ gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues above all the other gifts. Ultimately they were making these particular gifts into ‘proofs’ of whether or not someone was truly being used by the Holy Spirit.
This is a problem that sounds awfully familiar to us today! Paul dealt with this problem by setting the doctrinal issues straight (which he does in Chapter 12), and then by establishing the principle of love (which he does in Chapter 13), and finally by stating clearly how things were to look in actual practice (which he does in Chapter 14).
In these first three verses, Paul is setting a general principle down for us. It’s a principle that applies not only to spiritual gifts, but also to all things related to the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, be it the understanding of an individual as a spiritual person, or spiritual teaching, or spiritual movements. All such ‘spiritual’ things are to be tested by this key question: What is being said about Jesus? Is the truth about Him being faithfully declared? Does it all end up affirming, “Jesus is Lord?” That’s the proof of something truly being the work of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, is Jesus is being faithfully declared to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, and is He being set forth as Lord of all.
What an important understanding the spiritual gifts and their purpose! If we keep this truth always before us, we’ll stay on track.
Pastor Russ
As we move into this section of Paul’s epistle, we embark on a study of that which is most often misunderstood. This is one of the largest sections in the letter—beginning in Chapter 12 and going all the way to the end of Chapter 14. It deals with a very important subject—and that is, how the ‘spiritual gifts’ that the Lord Jesus gives to individual believers are to be used for the good of the church family.
Paul begins this section with very direct words. The Christians in Corinth had been misunderstanding and misusing the spiritual gifts that the Lord had given them; and so, the apostle begins his treatment of this subject—and his correction of their misuse of the ‘gifts’—with these words.
Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
When Jesus was teaching the disciples about the Holy Spirit and what He would do when the day came that Jesus would send Him into the world, this is what Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me” John 15:26. The Holy Spirit has come into this world for one purpose, and that is to make Jesus known. Everything the Spirit does is about Jesus. Everything Jesus does is about the Father. If we can understand and remember these two great truths, we will properly interpret the scriptures.
At one point Jesus led his disciples north of the Sea of Galilee. It was a place called Caesarea Philippi, and it was in that place Jesus asked the disciples a very important question. The place in which He asked this question was very significant. Caesarea Philippi was at the borders of the Gentile world; and it was known for paganism and the worship of false gods. Archaeologists have found evidence of many idols in the region. Jesus took His disciples to that place, turned to them, and asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:13. This was a very pointed question to ask in such a place.
The disciples replied that some say He was John the Baptist. Others say that He was Elijah. Still others say that He was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. And then, the Lord Jesus asked them, “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15. Right there, in Caesarea Philippi, at the doorway to the Gentile world, Peter boldly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” Matthew 16:16.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” Matthew 16:17.
This was the most important question that can ever be asked: Who do you say that Jesus is? It was asked at a very important place: at the very gates of the pagan world. And Peter gave the most important answer anyone could give – Jesus is the Christ—the Anointed One—the promised Messiah—who is the Son of the living God. He is God in human flesh—very God of very God.
Jesus went on to tell Peter that it would be upon that very testimony of Himself that He would build His church; and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Peter’s answer was not something Peter himself came up with. It was a true testimony of Jesus that had been given to him by God. It was an authoritative testimony that must characterize everything about the life and ministry of our Lords’ Church. It is this testimony from God that helps us to understand Paul’s words in our text today.
Paul’s opening words in 1 Corinthians 12 are about identifying something that is genuine and true. How do we recognize a true work of the Holy Spirit in our midst as a church family? How do we know that a spiritual gift is being used in a way that is truly blessed and used by the Holy Spirit? How do we know whether or not someone who presents themselves as an instrument of the Holy Spirit is genuinely ‘spiritual’? It’s not just by the outward manifestation of things that we would know this. It isn’t just by whether or not someone ‘says’ that they are ‘spiritual’. Rather, it is by what they say about Jesus. Does the testimony of their words and their works conform with what Peter said? Does it all come together to affirm that Jesus is the Christ—the Son of the living God? In other words, do they end up saying “Jesus is accursed”, or do they end up affirming “Jesus is Lord?”
It was crucial that the recipients of Paul’s letter to keep this in mind. As we read on through Chapters 12-14 of Paul’s letter, we find that they were misunderstanding and misusing the ‘spiritual gifts’ that the Lord Jesus had given them. Instead of serving each other with them, they were seeking to exalt and elevate themselves over one another through them. They were exercising their spiritual gifts in an unloving way. And they were even elevating a couple of the more ‘showy’ gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues above all the other gifts. Ultimately they were making these particular gifts into ‘proofs’ of whether or not someone was truly being used by the Holy Spirit.
This is a problem that sounds awfully familiar to us today! Paul dealt with this problem by setting the doctrinal issues straight (which he does in Chapter 12), and then by establishing the principle of love (which he does in Chapter 13), and finally by stating clearly how things were to look in actual practice (which he does in Chapter 14).
In these first three verses, Paul is setting a general principle down for us. It’s a principle that applies not only to spiritual gifts, but also to all things related to the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, be it the understanding of an individual as a spiritual person, or spiritual teaching, or spiritual movements. All such ‘spiritual’ things are to be tested by this key question: What is being said about Jesus? Is the truth about Him being faithfully declared? Does it all end up affirming, “Jesus is Lord?” That’s the proof of something truly being the work of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, is Jesus is being faithfully declared to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, and is He being set forth as Lord of all.
What an important understanding the spiritual gifts and their purpose! If we keep this truth always before us, we’ll stay on track.
Pastor Russ
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