May 31, 2016
The manifestation of the spirit 5
1 Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues”
In continuation of what we have been saying about the manifestation. Let us examine what exactly is in this manifestation. We have mentioned nine gifts or spirit faculties. They are as follows.
Revelation gifts
1. The word of wisdom
2. The word of knowledge
3. Discerning of spirit
Power gifts.
1. The gift of faith
2. The gifts of healing
3. Miracles
Utterance
1. Tongues
2. Interpretation
3. Prophecy.
Now all these 9 gifts are in that one Manifestation of the spirit. The main thing isn’t the gifts per se but the one spirit in which they are all received.
Hence, Paul says
1 Corinthians 12:11 “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The spirit works all the gifts. So any man who has the spirit has the gifts .
It is one thing to have something and it is another thing to walk in the demonstration or manifestation of that thing .
Now let us look at verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 12.
It says “…….dividing to every man severally as he will”
First he divides to “every man”. In the epistles that phrase refers to the man in Christ.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Every man here refers to the man in Christ.
Also here
1 Corinthians 3:5 “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”
Now there is this question. Whose “will” is referred to when he says “……as he will”
To understand and arrive at the right conclusion we must study two words.
They are “dividing” and “severally”.
The word dividing is from the Greek “diadidomi”. It means to give through. It actually means distribution or to distribute. So imagine a crowd of people who gathered for food and one person with food distributing. The person distributing is dividing to them portions of food. This is what diadidomi means. The question now is who determines the portion of food the distributor gives to the recipients?
We have to look at two examples where distribution was made in scriptures.
Acts 4:35 “And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
Here we see the exact same picture.
Distribution was made to every man according to the mans need!
So the portion distributed was determined by what the man needed !it wasn’t determined by the distributor!
Another example
Matthew 14:17 “And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.”
The Lord multiplied the Bread.
The disciples distributed it and men ate until they wanted no more.
When God distributes he distributes freely and willingly because he never runs out of what to give. It is always as we are zealous and desirous to receive!
Severally just means “of his own”.
So the spirit distributes of his own self to every man as he will!
Glory to God!
No wonder tells us to covet the best gifts.
If I can covet the gifts I want and walk in it because of desire, it then means that it is up to me because the spirit is a constant. A constant who always is willing to distribute!
1 Corinthians 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”
So you may now ask how do I move from here?
How do I now begin to walk in the things I covet?
That’s next!
CONFESSION: I desire and walk in the gift of the spirit. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to distribute and i receive what i consider to be the best gift for a particular period. Amen!
BIBLE READING: Ezekiel 28, Joel 2
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