The Holy Spirit Is for Every Believer

Paul speaks about how there are different expressions of the Holy Spirit but that it is about one single Spirit, not like in the occult world in which the Ephesians and Corinthians moved, with different spirits, deities specializing so to speak in different operations, but rather it is a single Spirit expressing Himself in the life of the believer in different ways.

And Paul speaks of different gifts, charismaton, different ministries, diaconium, and he also says there is a diversity of operations, energematon, that is to say from where the word energy comes; there are different potentialities or activities of the Holy Spirit but God, who does all things in everyone, is the same. For Paul, it was very important that the believers recognize that fact that it was about the one and only Spirit. He wanted to dissolve that pagan doctrine that there were many different spirits, because the Corinthians were a culture, a Greek, Greco-Roman city and their tendency was going to be to try to paganize Christianity and Paul says: no, this is something very different. This is a single Spirit moving through different manifestations.

It is interesting, this as a side note, that this is the doctrine of the Trinity as well. There is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, but the doctrine of the Christian Church has always been that those three persons are actually one single one. They are not three different spirits: a spirit called God the Father, a spirit called God the Son, a spirit called the Holy Spirit, no. It is one single God expressed mysteriously in three different persons and three manifestations. We will never be able to understand exactly how that happens but it is the only option that what we have here expounded in the Word of God leaves us to believe what the Trinity is. But that idea is important, that there is diversity but there is a unity within the diversity.

So he says that yes, there are different operations, energematon, but the one who does all these things in everyone is the same, only one. But he says: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." Note here that Paul is saying that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each believer. Each child of God can enjoy this power and this manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not given to some "privileged ones" of the Christian life, to the evangelists or the apostles; the Holy Spirit is for every believer. Every believer has the right and access to the Power and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and that manifestation of the Holy Spirit is given to him for profit.

What does profit mean? It means for the benefit of both his own life, and, very importantly, for the profit of the Kingdom of God, for the benefit of God's purposes on Earth. We believers receive the anointing and the filling of the Holy Spirit so that it may be of profit for God's purposes on Earth. What are those purposes of God? Evangelism, teaching, the sustaining of the Church of Jesus Christ, the conquering of the world through the power of God. We become instruments for the profit of the Kingdom of God and God gives His Holy Spirit for the profit of His purposes here on Earth, and also for our personal profit.

In verse 8 Paul says: "for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit," sophia, "to another the word of knowledge," gnoseos in the original Greek, through the same Spirit, "to another faith," pistis by the same Spirit, "and to another gifts of healings," charismata yamaton, he says, gifts of healings by the same Spirit, "and to another the working of miracles." This doing of miracles, energemata dunameon, gifts of healings, doing miracles, "to another prophecy," propeteia, to another discerning of spirits, Paul speaks here of diacreseis, neumaton, "and to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues." Paul says: "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."

Here in this passage we have a list of spiritual gifts. Notice that I do not say the spiritual gifts because I believe that, there has been an error among many Christians who teach that there are nine gifts and that is all, as if this were an exhaustive list. The Apostle Paul was not interested in giving an exhaustive list, he was giving examples of the many gifts that Christians can receive.

There are many other lists of gifts in the New Testament. For example in Romans chapter 12 Paul speaks of other gifts. He says in Romans chapter 12 verse 6: "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith." Yes, Paul had mentioned prophecy in the list he gives us in First Corinthians 12, but he also says: "or ministry, let us use it in our ministering" that one was not mentioned, of serving, "he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

Do you see here a list of gifts that Paul does not point out in First Corinthians chapter 12? Here he mentions serving, exhorting, giving, leading, having mercy and acts of mercy as gifts as well. In other words, the Holy Spirit dwells in the life of the children of God and manifests Himself in different ways.

There are people who have a gift of serving and they love to serve in the Church. There are others who have the gift of generosity and they like to give, and distribute things, and share what they have. Others perhaps may have perhaps even the gift of hospitality, that they like to invite people to their home, others have the gift of Evangelism.

The fact is that the Holy Spirit, when He dwells in the believer, manifests His richness in different ways, there are no limits regarding the possible gifts and the ways in which the Spirit of God can manifest Himself in the life of a believer. The important thing is that we manifest that life of the Spirit of God, and then God will take charge of expressing Himself in a specific way. But potentially there can be thousands of different gifts and thousands of different ways in which the richness of the Holy Spirit can be expressed in our life.

The important thing is that it be for profit and that it be in a humble and simple form. That it be in a way in which we say: well, if God called me to do this I am going to move in that manifestation, not that we are desiring so-and-so's gift or the gift that that other one has, no. Where God endowed you, move there, and if God wants in the future, He will manifest His endowment in your life in another way. But what Paul is saying is that, according to the gift that was received, move in that gift, what we see here in Romans chapter 12.

But it is important; this list of gifts that Paul points out in First Corinthians chapter 12 is not exhaustive. And unfortunately I do not have all the time, because it would take us a lot of time to be able to analyze each one of these gifts and what they mean: prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, healings. Each one of these gifts is complex and I do not believe that anyone knows with total certainty and clarity what some of these gifts refer to because we do not have sufficient criteria to really, with all certainty and all specificity, determine what he was referring to.

For example, the gift of knowledge or of science. Many people think that the gift of science means like: a very specific revelation about something that normally one would not know; it is possible, but there are many ways of viewing this that are more encompassing, and later we will have the opportunity to touch on some of these interesting topics. May the Lord bless you and we will continue in our next meditation.