The Holy Spirit is for every believer

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

And Paul speaks of different gifts, charismaton, different ministries, diaconium, and also says that there are a diversity of operations, energematon, that is, where the word energy comes from; There are different potentialities or activities of the Holy Spirit but God, who does all things in everyone, is the same. It was very important to Paul that the believers recognize that fact that it was the only Spirit. He wanted to dissolve that pagan doctrine that there were many different spirits, because the Corinthians was a culture, a Greek, Greco-Roman city and their tendency was 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 point aside, that that is the doctrine of the Trinity as well. There is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, but always the doctrine of the Christian Church has been that these three people are actually one. There are three different spirits: a spirit called God the Father, a spirit called God the Son, a spirit called the Holy Spirit, no. It is a single God mysteriously expressed in three different persons and three manifestations. We can never understand exactly how that happens but it is the only option that leaves us what we have here expanded in the Word of God to believe what the Trinity is. But the idea that there is diversity but there is a unity within diversity is important.

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

The Holy Spirit is not given to some so privileged of the Christian life, to the evangelists or to 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 his benefit.

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

In verse 8 Paul says: "For to him the word of wisdom is given by the Spirit" sophia, "to others the word of science" gnoseos in the original Greek, according to the same Spirit, "to other faiths" pistis by the same Spirit , "and to other gifts of healings" charismata yamaton, says, gifts of healings by the same Spirit, "and to others to perform miracles." This work of miracles, energemata dunameon, gifts of healings, perform miracles, "to other prophecies", prophetia, to another discernment of spirit, Paul speaks here of diacreseis, neumaton, "and to other different kinds of tongues, and to other interpretations of tongues. . " Paul says: "But all these things are done by one, and the same Spirit distributing to each one in particular as He wants."

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 this is it, 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 in the New Testament of gifts. For example in Romans chapter 12 Paul talks about other gifts. It says in Romans chapter 12 verse 6: "Therefore, having different gifts, according to the grace that is given to us, if that of prophecy, be used according to the measure of faith." Yes, Paul had mentioned prophecy in the list that he gives us in First Corinthians 12, but he also says: "or if of service" that was not mentioned, of serving, "or the one who teaches in the teaching, the one who exhorts in the exhortation, the one who distributes liberally, the one who presides with solicitude, the one who shows mercy with joy. "

Do you see a list of gifts here that Paul did not point out in First Corinthians chapter 12? Here he mentions serving, exhorting, dispensing, presiding, having mercy, and acts of mercy as gifts as well. In other words, the Holy Spirit indwells the lives of God's children and manifests himself in different ways.

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

The point is that the Holy Spirit when indwelling the believer manifests His wealth in different ways, there are no limits about the possible gifts and the ways in which the Spirit of God can be manifested 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 there can potentially be thousands of different gifts and thousands of different ways that the richness of the Holy Spirit can be expressed in our lives.

The important thing is that it is of benefit and that it is in a humble and simple way. Let 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 the gift of so and so or the gift that someone else has, no. Where God endowed you there move, 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, in that gift move, what we see here in Romans chapter 12.

But it is important; This list of where Paul points out in First Corinthians chapter 12 is not exhaustive. And unfortunately I don't have all the time, because it would take us a long time to be able to analyze each of these gifts and what it means: prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, healings. Each of these gifts is complicated and I do not think that anyone knows with total certainty and clarity what some of these gifts refer to because we do not have enough criteria to be able to really, with all certainty and all specificity, determine what he was referring to.

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