Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters. I would like you please to open your Bibles and turn with me to the letter that the Apostle Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 in the ministry for this day. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I would like to read the first 13 verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Please follow me as I am reading. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried about with these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus, Yeshua, is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administration, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. 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 gift of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, To another prophecy, to another discerning of spirit, to another diverse kind of tongues, languages, to another the interpretation of tongues, of languages.

But all these works that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that body are one, being many are one body, so also is Christ, the Mashiach. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bonds or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. I will stop here, beloved brothers and sisters, in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1 to 13, because this is exactly where it is suitable to break as we enter into this most important chapter that is found written in 1 Corinthians.

Beloved brothers and sisters, these three chapters that we are entering in our study right now, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, chapter 13 and chapter 14 are very important chapters to remind us, beloved brothers and sisters, that the Apostle Paul writes these verses, of course, to teach, to instruct and to minister to the Corinthians. But he's writing these three chapters, in fact, the whole book of 1 Corinthians, as a corrective ministry to a local assembly of believers who were in disarray. Though saints, according to chapter 1, yet saints who did not live out in a practical way that which they were brought into. To remind you again, beloved brothers and sisters, that according to 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2, we read, unto the assembly of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified, set apart, in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, or more correct, called saints with all, that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is writing this letter to an assembly to whom he ministered. He have formed with the help of the Spirit of God. He was used by the Lord according to Acts chapter 18 to minister to them and to lead many of these people who were first not know that Yeshua, that Jesus is the Messiah. They came to know Him as their Lord and Savior, became part of the local assembly at Corinth, and they did not live out in a practical way to the special, the unique place that they have been brought into. Sad to say, many times we can see that in our own life, in our own local churches, congregations.

In fact, we have to realize that we live in the last days of the church age and the scene that's existing today in the professing church in the Laodicean days only prove that I'm not speaking about unbelievers, that those believers, when we act in the flesh and we don't allow the Spirit of God to lead us, that we are no different than others. Because the flesh in us all is just the same as the flesh the old nature in the unbelieving world therefore God had given to those that trusted in Yeshua Jesus the Messiah God had given new birth new life new nature 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 those that are in Christ Jesus are new creation new creation all things that pass away all become new but once we have this new nature new creation because we are not subject to the Spirit of God many times in our lives we only show that the flesh in us is very active and that's why we can read such a letter about Saints, believers, born again, a company of people that belong to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who died for them and wash their sins away.

And yet the behavior is incredible, incredible that the whole letter is written as a corrective ministry to a local assembly in the city of Corinth. Mind you, there were other assemblies to whom the Apostle Shaul Paul wrote, such as the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and so on. And every local assembly has its issue. And that's why Paul is writing to minister to them, to bless his brothers and sisters, to minister to the believers, but to correct them so they can mature and grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus the Messiah and live their life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

But, beloved brothers and sisters, Corinth was the top, we might say, in the way that the Word of God presenting condition in that local assembly in comparison to others. There was error with regard to their way by which they have treated each other because there were divisions, there were immorality, there were divorces, there were lack of understanding liberty of the believers, there were all sort of problems with respect to the Lord's table. And hear even spiritual gifts that is mentioned here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and 13 and 14, which we began our study in this message today. So notice, beloved brothers and sisters, just by way of introduction, as we are introducing this 12th chapter, I would like to remind you that in God's Word, God's people are presented or looked upon by the Lord in more than one way.

In other words, God's people are a family. The family of God. Even though we are all coming from a different background. Jewish and Gentile. This nation and that nation. But really God's people, biblically speaking, are the family of God. They are the family of God. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. 1 John chapter 4 and verse 7. In other words, every believer is born by the Holy Spirit of God, and like children are born to their parents by nature, every one of you and me and all of us, Jewish and Gentiles, true believers in Yeshua the Messiah are born of the Spirit of God they are children of God part of the family of God but not only this beloved brothers and sisters because every one that is born to become a child of God he or she also becoming a part of what we would call it the army that belonged to the Lord because when we began our journey we began with walking in a world that filled with enemies who oppose the children of God we have the old sin nature is our enemy we have the world around us that is our enemy we have Satan who is our enemy every believer have these three enemies the flesh Satan and the world in second Corinthians chapter 10 and verses.

3 4 and 5 we read for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of stronghold casting down imagination and every high thing that exaltes itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Mashiach of Christ so we have entered into we might say we are part of the family but the family is walking here in this world that is filled with enemies so we have this conflict that existing every day in the life of the believers in the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah in fact we read in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10 finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind put on the whole army of God that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil so there is a conflict here in this.

World and we are all as believers are called to realize that we are to fight with the Lord's strength confessing our weakness and letting him by the power of the Spirit of God to lead us here in this conflict because we wrestle not against flesh and blood so we are a family the people of God all believers are family of God all believers are part of the army of God but thirdly beloved brothers and sisters all believers are also a temple that belong to God individually but also collectively in first Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16 we have already read know ye not that ye are the temple of God, notice the word ye, plural, are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you, notice that, this is a collective aspect, that the family of God and army of God are also the temple, in Hebrew, mikdash, a place where God resides in each individual by the Spirit of God but also collectively among and in the people of God.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19 it's not only that the Spirit of God indwelling among the people of God collectively as the body of Christ, the body of Messiah but also according to verse 19 and 20 of 1 Corinthians chapter 6 we read what knowing not that your body is the temple of the holy Spirit which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own for ye have been bought with a price in other words individually our body is the temple of the holy Spirit but collectively first Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16 all those who belong to the Lord are together making the temple of the Spirit of God the temple of God in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 19 we do read now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but of fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God notice the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together grow.

Unto an holy temple in the Lord and therefore beloved brothers and sisters verse 22 say in whom ye also So, God's people are looked upon as the family of God. God's people are looked upon as the army of God. God's people are looked upon in Scripture as the temple of the living God. In Hebrew, Beit HaMikdash. Family, Mishpacha. Army, Tzavah. Temple, Mikdash, Beit Mikdash. But there is also, beloved brothers and sisters, another way whereby God presenting the people of God, according to Ephesians chapter 5, God's people, this is the believers of this present age, are seen in God's word as the bride. The bride of Christ, the bride of the Messiah.

Where it says in verse 25 of Ephesians chapter 5, husband, love your wife even as Christ loved the church, the assembly, and gave himself for it. Then it also emphasizes the fact that Christ, the Messiah, loved the church, and the church becomes the bride of Christ. As you read a little bit further on in Ephesians chapter 5, you will notice where he says in verse 32, this is a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ, the Mashiach, the Messiah, and the assembly, the ecclesia, the kehila, the church. Well, this is wonderful to realize this because God's people are not only the family of God, not only the army of God, not only the temple of God, but also the bride of Christ.

In Revelation chapter 19, beloved brothers and sisters, we read in verse 6, And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Well, this wife, who is the bride, made herself ready for the marriage of the Lamb, according to Revelation chapter 19 and these verses, verses 6 and 7. Later on in chapter 21, we do read in Revelation 21 in verse 1 and 2, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there were no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Beloved brothers and sisters, God's people are the family of God, the army of God, the temple of God, the bride. The wife of God, the bride of Christ. In Scripture, we also know that Israel, the people of Israel, are called the wife of Jehovah. The church is called the bride of Christ. Both have unique relationship with the living God. And here we are entering now into 1 Corinthians chapter 12. And I would like to suggest, beloved brothers and sisters, that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the apostle emphasized the truth that God's people are also the body of Christ. In Hebrew we say, He is using this expression, the body, looking at the human body.

And just the same as you and I have a human body and the body has many members. We have hands, we have feet, we have toes, we have ears, we have eyes, we have mouth, we have nose. And we have internal members, heart, liver, kidneys. We have an outward members and every member together is important and together they're making the one single body of every person. Well, the Apostle Paul, with the wisdom and the divine inspiration that God has given unto him, he is writing to the believers in Corinth concerning the fact that all believers in their assembly in Corinth, but universal, all true believers of all the ages since the beginning of the assembly in the city of Jerusalem, Jerusalem all true believers are part of this one single body that have a head and the head is Christ the Mashiach and notice that he will deal with this as we enter here into this 12th chapter I wanted to just emphasize these truths as we began to deal with the spiritual truths and the spiritual gifts that were given to the people of God to the body of Christ to the members of the body of Messiah in order that they will use these gifts and every member will use the gift in order to benefit the whole body you notice the expression body is mentioned many times in these 12 chapters.

Just to read in verse 12 and 13 and so on for as the body is one and as many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is the Christ you notice the the word here so also is Christ but really should be the Christ in Hebrew it is ha Mashiach whenever you see God along with his own people are united it's over the Christ ha Mashiach the christos meaning the Messiah and his own people in Israel's day in past days and in future day we will see the Mashiach the Messiah in a special unique relationship with the nation of Israel as the Messiah Christ the Christ is in special relationship with the believers of this present day of the church age and so you will notice how many times the word the body is one there are many members all the members are of that one body there is only one body of the assembly that belong to the Lord even though the church is divided practically even though the church have gone in many ways.

Astray from the Lord even though within the professing church there are true and false those that are really true born again of the Spirit of God and those that are known there is only one body and this body is a composition of only true believers born of the Spirit saved individuals who repented of their sins and acknowledge that Yeshua, Jesus, is the only answer for their sin, they would enter into that body and become part of that one single body. So here, as we are entering into 1 Corinthians chapter 12, it is important for all of us to understand that God's people are presented in the Word of God as a family, as an army, as a temple, as a bride, and as a body.

The body is a spiritual body it is a mystical body we don't see all the members of that body though it is a composition of all true believers just like we don't see all the members of the human body but every member of their own human body is part of that body and we cannot do with one or with the other. And there are many other passages that we can refer to concerning the body of the Messiah, the body of Christ, in Romans 12, verses 4 and 5. In Ephesians, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5. In Colossians, chapter 1, Colossians, chapter 2, and Colossians, chapter 3. That expression, body, is mentioned in these portions of Scripture.

Just to read Colossians chapter 1 and verses 17 and 18. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. This is by Yeshua, by Jesus, the Messiah. And He is the head of the body, the church, the ecclesia, the assembly, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. So, beloved brothers and sisters, as we're studying 1 Corinthians chapter 12, bear in mind that Paul correcting the divided assembly at Corinth concerning their practical manner whereby they were using the gifts that the Lord had given to them and instead of using these gifts for the benefit of all the believers and all the assembly sadly they were using the gift of the Spirit of God that caused divisions among the local assembly in the city of Kohen and so you notice this in these 13 verses that I have read beloved brothers and sisters we are learning concerning the gifts of the spirit that were given for the unity of the body of Christ for the unity of the body of the Messiah and Paul now pointing to four important bonds of the spiritual unity that ought to be manifested among the people of God in these first 13 verses of first corinthian chapter 12.

You notice that we begin in verse 1, 2, and 3, where Paul is emphasizing here. That all believers really came to a relationship with God by confessing the same Lord, the same master the same adon notice i'm reading verses 1 2 and 3 now concerning spiritual gifts the word gifts is not it's in italic it's not there in the original so what he's saying concerning spiritual brethren i would not have you ignorant you know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols even as ye were led wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus, calleth Yeshua accursed and that no man can say that Jesus, that Yeshua is Lord but by the Holy Spirit but by Ruach HaKodesh in other words no one Paul is mentioning here in these first three verses of first Corinthians chapter 12 that he's leading them now as to the gifts that the Spirit of God had given to members of the body of Christ to every member so he's reminding them that gifts of the spirit.

Were given for the purpose of unity in order to help us to help the people of God to benefit not to divide God's people but to unite the body of Christ the body of Messiah and so he began in this 12th chapter by saying to them look he's saying to the Corinthian I don't want you to be ignorant this is an important expression I would not have you ignorant he used this expression more than once in his writing very interesting in chapter 10 in verse 1 he said more of a brethren i would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea he's looking back to the history of the of the fathers of the nation of Israel and he's reminding the Corinthians that all the fathers all those people that came out of the land of Egypt the Jewish people who came from the land of Egypt to they were all came under the cloud when Moses led them in the wilderness and they passed through the sea God have delivered.

Israel by blood and he delivered Israel by power God deliver you and i and the corinthian believers by the blood of the Lord Jesus and they came to know him and they call him Lord they recognize him as their Lord so he said i don't want you to be ignorant in other words you must inform yourself don't be misinformed but be informed remember be informed more and more in your own heart and mind of these truths that happened historically in your own life as it happened in the history of the life of others of course in our chapter first Corinthians chapter 12 now concerning spiritual brethren i would not have you ignorant in other words i want you to understand brethren that in connection with spiritual things i don't want you to be misinformed and he will mention that in the next verse that you know that you were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb idols even as ye were led wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaketh by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed.

And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord or the Lord but by the Holy Spirit you see here he's emphasizing the fact that the Corinthians needed to remember where they came from they lived in Corinth they were worshipping dumb idols. Dumb simply means idols that cannot say anything. Cannot speak. Cannot move. Cannot handle. Cannot help. You will end. You are living in this kind of lifestyle. You were part of the nations of the world. From the the nations of the world. You were not part of the nation of Israel who had the privilege of knowing the true and living God. So that was your past you were led away by these dumb idols you were led by you were going in a wrong direction you were worshiping idols gods made of men and i want you even more to understand Paul is saying to the Corinthians in verse 3 i give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can say that Yeshua is the Lord but by the holy Spirit in other words apparently there was something that was going on in the local assembly there and the very fact that he says that no man can speak by the Spirit of God and calling Jesus a curse, in other words, to curse Yeshua HaMashiach, to curse the Messiah, to curse Jesus, to curse Yeshua, that cannot be of God.

And the reason that he says it here, it must have happened things there that were going on in the local assembly at Corinth that it made it necessary for him, for Paul to say to them, hey, what's going on? No one can call Jesus accursed anathema and do it by the power of the Spirit of God. It's not possible. On the other hand, he reversed it, beloved brothers and sisters, and he said that no one can say that Yeshua, Jesus, is Adon, Lord, only by the Spirit of God. If it's not by the flesh in the human nature, with our sin nature, we cannot call Jesus Yeshua our Lord.

And you know, it is important that the word for Lord is K-Y-R-I-O-S, Kyrios in the Greek. And in Hebrew it is Adon. And it comes from the verses in the Hebrew Scriptures, in the history of Israel, that God promised that he will make this Messiah, Lord. You remember David says, Jehovah said unto my Lord, Adonai, or Jehovah, Diber Neum Adonai Le Adonai, my master, my Lord. And that is applying to the person of Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah. In the early days of the book of Acts, When Peter was preaching to his Jewish brethren in Acts chapter 2, remember what Shimon Peter said? Being in the right hand of God.

He says in Acts chapter 2, I'll read verse 32. This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. And he continued, beloved brothers and sisters, to say in verse 34, 35, and 36, For David is not ascended into heaven. But he saith of him, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Yeshua, whom ye have crucified both Lord, Mashiach, and Christ. Lord, Adon, and Mashiach, Lord, and Christ, and anointed. The word Christ comes from the Hebrew word Mashiach, comes from the Greek word Christos, it is Mashiach, Messiah.

And it's applied to the person of the Lord Jesus who became Lord. God had made him Lord. As we read in Psalm 110 and verse 1. And so, no one can call the Lord Jesus Adon, Lord, Kyrios, unless he is led or she is led by the Holy Spirit of God. And therefore, Paul said to the believers at Corinth, I do not want you to be misinformed. This expression I do not want you to be ignorant is mentioned 1st Corinthians 10 1 1st Corinthians 12 1 and then in the book of Romans it is mentioned again in Romans 11 25 that the believers at Rome are to not be ignorant concerning the mystery of God's dealing with his earthly people Israel that he will restore them in a future day and establish a kingdom when the Messiah will reign and rule and Israel will acknowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah and Israel will be a light to the nations of the world.

He also mentioned the same expression, I do not want you to be ignorant, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13 concerning the assembly being raptured before the beginning of the tribulation. The rapture, the assembly, the catching up of the church. He wants God's people to be informed concerning all the truths that are found in God's Word. Spiritual lesson that we learn from the Word of God. But let's move along, beloved brothers and sisters. As we continue, now that he's mentioned to them that all believers confess the same Lord, So, each one of the Corinthians, of all believers, wherever you are, my dear friend, today, all of us who truly are forgiven, who truly came to know Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, we are all the ones that confess the same Lord.

It's not that you have one Lord, the Corinthians have another Lord, I have another Lord, and another one have another Lord. No, there's only one Lord. There's only one Adon. There's only one Kilius. There's only one Mashiach, one Messiah. And this is the person of our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. So this is an amazing truth. No man can call him Lord in a true sense of the word. And calling him Lord means much more than just saying, Lord, Lord. No, calling him Lord means that a person recognizes that he or she are sinners. They receive the forgiveness of the Lord. They receive the fact that he died for their sins.

And he become their Savior and also their Lord, their Adon. You remember what Yeshua said in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 21. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God. But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out demons and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquities. In other words, Jesus the Messiah, when he was here on earth among the people of Israel, he said publicly to all.

No one that merely say Lord Lord not everyone that just verbally out of his mouth say the words and don't have it in his or her heart because many will say to me that day this is the day of judgment Lord Lord we prophesied in your name your name we cast out demons and in your name we have done many wonderful works but notice how the Lord said I know your heart I know if you truly belong to me why because there are many many works that man does that are really not from God Satan does many miracles and therefore one must be truly born of the Spirit of God because no one of us beloved friend can ever trick God to enter into a relationship with God, one must accept that Yeshua is Savior and Lord.

He is the Redeemer, the one who died for your sins and for mine. And believing on Him and the work that you have accomplished bring one into a relationship with the living God. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, these are the first three verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 but he continues as he's seeking to minister to the corinthian believers that were really in disarray and he's saying to them now realize not only that all believers confess the same Lord verses 1 2 and 3 but all believers depend on the same God all believers are dependent on the same God and you notice what he does here in these next verses 1st Corinthians 12 verses 4, 5 and 6 he presents the triunity of the Godhead again to remind you that while the Godhead was ever existing as a triune God Elohim in Hebrew three persons within the Godhead Ha'aba, Ha'ben, Ha'Ruach the Father, the Son, the Spirit yet we get a lot more this truth is being unfolded before us in a full sense of the word to reveal this to believers once the Messiah Jesus came died, was buried and rose again that's why you have much more information concerning the triunity of the Godhead in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant.

Much more clear than in the Tanakh, in the Hebrew Scriptures. Why? Because this Revelation, in the full sense of the word, was provided for the people of God after the Son of God came to this world and took union humanity with His divine nature in order that He will die for the sin of this world. So listen to this. Verses 4, 5, and 6 of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Now, there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. You notice that? The Holy Spirit is mentioned in verse 4, the Son as Lord in verse 5, and the Father, God, in verse 6.

What Paul is communicating with the Corinthians is the truth that we have in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4, where God said to Israel Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad the word Echad means compound unity here O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one there is only one God but that one God the word Echad in Hebrew is a compound unity more than one person within the Godhead the Father, the Son, the Spirit one God reveals himself existing and consisting in three persons and all believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah who are part of the church, the assembly today not only confess the same Lord, namely the same Lord Jesus Lord Yeshua who became the one who is our master, our Lord But also, all believers depend upon the same triune God, all the persons of the Godhead.

That's why he said in verse 4, there are diversities or distribution of gifts that was given by the same Holy Spirit of God to every believer who is part of the body of Christ. Now, there are diversities or difference or varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, the same Holy Spirit of God. God, the Holy Spirit, is the very same one that while there are diversities of gifts that were given to the people of God, But it is given off the same Holy Spirit because that same person of God, the Holy Spirit, is the one that is using the members of the body of the Messiah, of Christ, to function, to use these gifts, spiritual gifts that were given to the believers of the church age.

Secondly, in verse 5, he continues, notice that he says that there are differences of administration by the same Lord. In other words, the differences of administration, it is to administrate simply means to work around, provide this, to be used. It is the very same law that is using by the Holy Spirit of God the people of God in the ministering and using of the gifts that God had given to the people of God. So, the same Holy Spirit that gave the gifts, and the word for gift here is charisma in the Greek, in Hebrew it is matana or matanot, these are spiritual gifts that were given to the believers.

We distinguish between natural ability and spiritual gifts. All of us were born into this world with natural ability, but all of us who are believers, in addition to our natural ability, all true believers receive spiritual gifts for the purpose of using among the people of God in the work of the Lord, in the work of God here upon the face of this earth. Now, I just want to mention that the thought of gifts, notice it says there are diversities, differences, there are variety of gifts that the Spirit of God is using God's people to operate these gifts. And there is the same Lord, And the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is the giver of this gift.

And he is the one that gives God's people the gift for a certain purpose in the work of the Lord here on earth. In Ephesians chapter 4, I just want to read this verse, beloved brothers and sisters. In verse 7, we read, But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, the gift of the Messiah. In other words, the Messiah with the Lord, Christ with the Lord, He gave gifts to His own people, to His own body, to the body of Christ, because He's the head of the body. And the body of Christ, the believers that belong to this body are called to use these gifts in the power of the Spirit of God for the benefit of God's people.

This is very, very important to understand, beloved brothers and sisters. And then thirdly, of course, notice that there are diversities of operation. There are diversities of operation. Verse 6, there are diversities of operation. The word for operation is working it out. Working out so the Lord Jesus the Messiah gave the gifts the gifts have been used in the power of the holy Spirit of God and it is God the father who is the one that is assisting in the working out of these gifts among the people of God that's why it says there are diversities of operation diversity of operation, of working out. But it is the same God which worketh all in all.

So, God the Father is the one that works all in all in the operation of building this body. God the Son, as Lord, is the one who gave the gifts to the believers who are part of this body. And God the Holy Spirit is the one that in His power these gifts are being operated among the people of God here upon the face of this earth and that's what we learn from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 4, 5 and 6 so beloved brothers and sisters so far Paul presented these truths verses 1, 2 and 3 all believers confess the same Lord verses 4, 5 and 6 all believers depend upon the same triune God but 9 verses 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 Paul is saying that all believers minister to the same body all God's people who are part of that one body are using their gift to minister to serve in the very body that they belong to of whom the head is the Lord Jesus the Messiah in heaven so in verses 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 we read these interesting remarks verse 7 for the gift of the Spirit is given to believers to profit God's people not to destroy, not to harm not to cause division but the gifts were given to the.

Members of the body in order that the members of the body will use the gift for the benefit of the very same body for the profit, the growth of the people of God and so we read in verse 7 but the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man or to every person, brother or sister, male or female to profit with all it is given in order that the believers will profit beloved brothers and sisters gifts are not given to exalt oneself gifts have not been given to get something for self this is so natural to us because of our sin nature because at times we are not walking in the power of the Spirit of God that we are walking in the flesh and that's why the gifts cannot benefit others and gifted brothers and sisters in their own sphere cannot benefit others because we at times do not use the gift that we receive for the profit of the people of God in chapter 14 and verse 6 we do read concerning the brethren if i come unto you.

In with tongues what shall i profit you except i shall speak to you either by Revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine in other words there was an abuse of the gift of languages in the assembly at Coral so Paul needed to remind them that the gifts were for the given for the prophet among the people of God and he says what's the point of you using any gift and you only profit yourself and you exalt yourself and you don't recognize that you need to profit the people of God. And so we read in verses 8 and 9 and 10 that there are various gifts that were given to the body of Messiah, the body of Christ for the benefit of the people of God.

They are not all the same gifts. There are various gifts and all these gifts were given for the benefit of the body of Christ. Notice that in actuality you have the gifts that were given to the assembly taught really in four chapters in the New Testament, New Covenant. In Romans 12, in 1 Corinthians 12, and also in Ephesians chapter 4, and in 1 Peter chapter 4. These four chapters, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4 are really presenting before us that there are some, according to these passages, 19 gifts in total that were given by the Lord for the benefit of edifying the people of God. Now, I'm confident that there are other gifts that are not mentioned beside these 19 gifts that are mentioned in these four chapters.

But nevertheless, beloved brothers and sisters, gifts were given for the prophet of God's people. So in verses 8, 9, and 10, we are taught that there are various gifts that were given to the people of God. Here there are some of them mentioned and notice that we do read to the one given by the spirit the word of wisdom to another the knowledge by the same spirit to another faith by the same spirit to another the gift of healing by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another diverse kind of tongue to another the interpretation of tongues now notice this brothers and sisters I know that when we speak about these gifts that were given to the church to the body of Christ there are various views that various brothers and sisters take various positions concerning these gifts now the important thing to learn here for all of us is that gifts were given for the benefit of the people of God and here he's listing before us in this particular passage beloved brothers and sisters first corinthian this chapter 12 he's listing before us some of the gifts that were given to the local assembly in Corinth but he's of course applying this to all believers i believe.

Here, you can see nine of these gifts. The gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of a word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of working of miracles, the gift of prophecy, the gift of discerning of spirits, the gift of diverse kind of tongues or glossas or in Hebrew, leshonot, languages. And then there's another gift, the ninth one, the gift of interpretation of the languages and you can see that these ninefold spiritual gifts that are mentioned here and there are more mentioned elsewhere but the point is that Paul is addressing the problem that existed in the local assembly at Corinth the abuse that was going on the divided condition that was existing and the problem that they had here concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit of God.

So you have here these nine spiritual gifts that were given as we have already mentioned to profit with all. Verse 7 in order that the people of God will benefit notice what we read the word of wisdom this is the wisely discerning and providing advice and solution to many problems it's not merely giving some kind of a word that is not applicable to the life today it's giving is having wisdom to know how to speak a word and do season to provide advice and discernment for the people of God the word of knowledge another gift to enable a spirit-led believer to know the mind of God and to relate these truths of God to God's people.

To have the knowledge of the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom and knowledge. To have knowledge to know things and to communicate this with their brethren. The gift of faith. This is a gift that enables a spirit-led believer to trust God in difficult situations for the impossibility without to doubt God it's not so much here the faith of salvation because. Every person must come to the Lord Jesus the Messiah by faith by grace are you saved through faith and even that is a gift of God but every believer has faith to salvation otherwise he or you are not saved but here it says to another faith by the same spirit in other words it is over and above the faith unto salvation but it is a faith it is a gift that enable a spirit-led believer to trust God in difficult situation for the impossibility and to be an encouragement without doubting God to the others then you have the gift of healing notice that in verse 9 by the same spirit the gift of healing by the same spirit so the healing there was a gift that was given to a spirit-led believer to heal in the power of God of course supernaturally sicknesses of some who were sick physically sick in these days when the spirit used those gifts specifically beloved brothers and sisters in the early days now we don't limit God God can heal today and he does heal today.

And we don't say that no gift is healed today but we still need to realize that miracles were used by God in the beginning of a new era to point to a new beginning but as the canon of Scripture was completed less and less external gifts were evident and more and more there was the need to be conformed to the written word of God. But we do not limit God. God is able to heal and one can pray for another for healing and the gift of healing was given to individuals, not to all, to some individuals in the early days of the assembly now we have to be very careful today when someone claimed to be a healer goes around from place to place to claim to be a healer well if that was today in the same manner well none of us would have been sick and we all would have been today healed and those that were healed they would have been all walking right and so on but we all.

Getting older and weaker and ultimately we all pass out of this scene they were not given here to to be a show it was for a certain time a certain need of a certain situation we continue here the gift of working miracles the gift of signs enabling a believer that is led by the Spirit of God to work miracles in order to present the truth of God to show that God is is real and the miracles that the apostles specifically in early days performed show that the gift of prophecy of speaking forth the word of God but even prophesying speaking about the future of course remember beloved brothers and sisters these early believers especially even in the time when the Corinthians received this letter they didn't have the canon of Scripture completed that's why the Spirit of God enable to perform miracles as a token as an evident that God is there to speak to the hearts of individuals in fact when a preacher used to go to a certain place in a.

Certain city to preach the gospel he was accompanied by signs and wonders that the Lord have allowed him to have as he gifted certain individuals with that again beloved brothers and sisters it does say in Mark chapter 16 and they went forth and they preached everywhere and the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following Amen in other words the early apostles went about and they performed miracles and the Lord worked in them but the miracle was was not for entertainment it was for ministering to people and leading people to the Lord Jesus the Messiah and it was not done just for a show it was done for a need of the moment now beloved brothers and sisters the greatest miracle that we have today is the miracle of salvation to see a person come to confess that Yeshua is the Messiah and so we have the gift of a discerning of spirit and the gift of tongues and the discerning or the interpretation of the tongues it's mentioned in verses 7 and 8 these next verses in verse.

8, 9 and 10 and 11 these gifts that were given to the body of Christ. Now again, I think of the discerning of spirits. In other words, a brother might have the discernment. A brother or a sister will discern, is that from the Lord or is that not from the Lord, from the flesh? Is that from the Spirit of God or is that from Satan? That is a gift that was given to a believer who is led by the Spirit of God to discern the plan of God, the purposes of God, that the Spirit of God is seeking to guide himself and others and using this discernment to help the people of God.

And of course, the final, the eighth and the ninth gift that I mentioned here in verse 10, they are the gift of tongues and the gift of the interpretation of tongues. The word for tongue in the Greek is glossa. The word for tongues in the Hebrew is lashon. And that is another way of saying another language. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, we realize, of course, that there are many views on that. Some believe that it is a supernatural language that one has with the Lord and he or she can pray with this supernatural language with the Lord. Now, do you think that the Lord does not know your own language or your own heart, even if you cannot speak anything?

We often are groaning within our hearts. We are groaning, but the Spirit of God knows what we feel inside. And that specifically gift of tongues or languages, as far as I understand and present it, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, is that it is a gift to be able to speak in a language without to go to school. It is a gift that was used by the Spirit of God to be given to believers, specifically in the early days, to be able to preach the message of the gospel to people that needed to hear the wonderful works of God in their own mother's tongue.

And therefore that gift is the gift of tongue it is a gift of speaking the work of God in a language that one may never never learn will be a supernatural ability to speak another language to benefit someone who cannot understand your own language and so the speaker he is the one that is able to minister the word of God for the benefit of others with a language that he never learned before beloved brothers and sisters of course the reference is oftentimes given us to the book of Acts and to chapter 2 and verses 4 to 11 where Jewish people who came to the land of Israel to celebrate the feast of pentacles shavuot and the 120 believers who were in the upper room there when the Spirit of God came and formed the body of Christ the body of Messiah they began to speak in other leshonot other glossas the wonderful works of God and everyone there that came according to Acts chapter 2 Parthenians and Medes these were Jewish people who came from all over the nations of the world.

To keep the feast of Shavuot the feast of weeks they have heard the believers speaking about the wonderful works of God, we do hear them speak in our own language, our own tongues, our own language, our own glossa, the wonderful works of God. They were praising God, but they were presenting before the hearers who God is and who Yeshua is and the wonderful works that God has done through the person of Jesus the Messiah. And these people, Perthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamian, Judean, Cappadocian, Pontius, Phrygia, Pampylia, from Egypt, from Libya, from Cyrene, from Rome, Jews, and those who were proselytes, who were converted, became Jewish people, Crete and Arabian, they all did hear them, the believers speak in their own language.

The wonderful works of God. In other words, God had been able, Some from among the people that were in the upper room. These 120 who were there in the upper room waiting for the Spirit of God to come. They were speaking forth and telling the others concerning the Mashiach Yeshua. Concerning the wonderful works of God. So these are the nine gifts that I mention here in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, so all believers confess the same Lord, verses 1, 2, and 3. All believers depend upon the same God, verses 4, 5, and 6. And all believers minister to the same body of believers. And God gave these gifts to minister to the same body.

We are in the same body. Yeshua, Jesus Christ is the head. We are the body and we are united to Him and we are to minister to one another for the benefit of God's people. Now finally, and I would like to close with these verses 12 and 13. All believers experience the same spirit baptism, spirit immersion, which put us into the same body. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, we read in verses 12 and 13 of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. For as the body is one, and as many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is the Christ, Hamashiach, the Messiah. Then he says, verse 13, for by one spirit are we all baptized or put into or immersed into one body, whether we be Jewish or Gentile, whether we be slave or bond or free, and have been all made to drink into the one spirit.

Here, beloved brothers and sisters, we learn that all believers experience the same spirit baptism. In other words, no one enters into that one body of believers to become part of the family of God, of the army of God, of the temple of God, of the bride of Christ, of the body of Christ. All of us enter in in the same way. It is in the same power of the Holy Spirit of God. Whether one is Jewish or whether one is Gentile. Whether one is slave or whether one is free. Everyone enter in in the same way. The Gentile does not become a Jew and the Jew does not become a Gentile.

The free does not become slave and the slave does not become free. One thing we learn from this passage, that we have all entered in, in the same way, in the same power of the Holy Spirit of God, because that's the only way to enter into the body of Christ. According to Galatians 3, in verse 28, there we read, listen to this, beloved brothers and sisters, what we read there. It says, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, There is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. What does he mean here? That, in other words, there is no priorities.

It doesn't mean that the Jews stop to be a Greek, and that the Greeks stop to be a Jew, and that the slaves stop to be a slave, and that the bonds stop to be a bond, and that the males stop to be a male, and the females stop to be a female, as sadly many say today that a person can change from a male to a female, a female to a male and so on no beloved brothers and sisters what we learn from Galatians chapter 3 and verse 28 that the only ground upon which any one of us become part of this body is the ground of faith in Christ and in the power of the holy Spirit of God both a woman and a man A slave and a free, Jewish and Gentile, they all are part of this one body because there is only one body.

And the Holy Spirit of God placed us into this body and we all are experiencing the same manner whereby we enter into that one body. This is very, very important, beloved brothers and sisters, to understand as we read this passage together. One more verse we need to read in Colossians chapter 3, and we are going to stop with it. In Colossians chapter 3, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 11, we do read, again, the same thought that we have. And in Colossians 3, in verse 11, Paul said in verse 11, Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, Barned or free, but Christ is all in all.

In other words, within the body of Christ, the body of Messiah, the head of all is the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. He is the head. In other words, whether one is Greek or Jewish, whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised, Whether one is barbarian or citizen, or whether one is slave or free, all of us have to realize that the Messiah, that Christ, is the head and he's all in all. There is no exemption. All of us need to recognize that Christ, the Messiah, is all. And so in 1 Corinthians 12, verses 12 to 13, Paul is saying to the Corinthians that all believers experience the same spirit baptism. This is the Holy Spirit of God.

He is the one that put us, once we confessed our sins and accepted the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Holy Spirit of God, we might say, immersed us, placed us into the one single body of all believers. All believers into that one body. Greek and Jews circumcised uncircumcised barbarian sithinian free or bond male or female all of us have entered into and experienced the same holy Spirit who placed us who baptized us in the Greek put us into that one body and that's why i would like to read these two verses once again and we will end for as the body is one and as many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is the Christ for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bound or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit praise God for what the Lord Jesus the Messiah has done for everyone that have accepted him as his Messiah Lord and Savior well beloved friend until the next time may God bless you and we will say to you shalom shalom