新约 - 哥林多前书(1 Corinthians)第12章

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Ye 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 accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
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.
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:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now are they many members, yet but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
哥林多前书第十二章   林前 12:1-11> 各人所做的既有不同,我想恩赐也有分别,更有高下,不是吗?某某比某某就更好…… 

  12:1-11 “恩赐”是圣灵赐给每一个信徒的一些特别能力,用来建立教会的工作,本章未列出所有的恩赐(参罗 12 章;弗 4 章;彼前 4:10-11 )。各人都有不同的恩赐,有些人会拥有超过一种的恩赐,但没有一种恩赐是比别的恩赐更高级的。所有恩赐都来自圣灵,为了建立基督的教会。但在哥林多教会,恩赐不但没有使教会建立和合一,反倒令教会分裂。因为它变成了属灵能力的象征,引起竞争,有恩赐的人,被视为是更属灵的人。这是严重地误用了恩赐!恩赐的原意是用来帮助教会能更有效地发展,而不是要用来分裂她。如果我们坚持按自己的方法来运用恩赐,而忽略了别人,或者藉恩赐来辖制别人,寻求个人的益处,教会就会分裂。 

  林前 12:3> 假教师,说话动听人吸引,人心已向他,又如何可知其真假? 

  12:3 任何人都可以声称他代表神说话,这个世界充斥着假教师。保罗给了一个检验方法,使我们能识别那人是否真是来自神的使者:这个人承认基督是主吗?不要幼稚地接纳那自称来自神的人所说的话,要从他所说有关基督的言论,察验他是否可靠。 

  林前 12:10-11> 明明是有分别的,保罗却说恩赐各不同,高下也不分──真的?人的想法却是…… 

  12:10-11 “作先知”不单是预告未来的事,也要大力地传讲神的话语。“辨别诸灵”是指有能力分辨某人是否真正传讲神的话,或是传讲邪灵的信息(保罗在 14 章会详细解释方言和翻译方言的事)。无论那人拥有什么恩赐,每一个恩赐都是圣灵所赐的,圣灵按着自己的意思去分配。我们有责任去运用及操练自己的恩赐,但却没有可夸之处。 

  林前 12:12> 身体部分多,手巧灵活人称赞,皮毛似乎没大用──那我要作手──你不同意这看法? 

  12:12 保罗以人的身体来比作基督的身体。身体的每一部分都有它独特的功能,而这功能对于整个身体而言又都是必须的。每部分的作用皆不一样,因此必须配搭运作。基督徒要避免下列两个常犯的错误:( 1 )过于为自己的能力而骄傲;( 2 )自以为没有什么可以贡献给教会的。不要与别人比较,却应该与别人共同合作,发挥自己的恩赐,将救恩的福音传扬出去。 

  林前 12:13> 每个人都不同,性情喜好各有独特之处,却都挤在基督的教会里,不怕冲突吗? 

  12:13 教会中包含了各样不同背景、不同种类的人,他们各有不同的恩赐和能力。这些差异很容易便分裂了整个群体,哥林多教会便是这样。但是,不管信徒间的差异如何大,总有一样是共同的:就是对基督的信仰。这就是教会合一的重要基础。所有信徒都受同一位圣灵的洗,加入教会,成为信仰团体的一部分。我们没有失去个人的独特身分,但有一个更重要的目的,就是在基督里合一。当一个人成了基督徒以后,圣灵便会住在他心里,使他成为神家中的成员。同“饮于一位圣灵”,是指这位圣灵完全占据了我们的每一部分。作为这家庭的一分子,我们可能拥有不同的兴趣和恩赐,却有共同的目标。 

  林前 12:14-24> 如果只有我有恩赐就好了,那我岂不是最好的──有错啊,在哪里?给你答…… 

  12:14-24 保罗以身体作为比喻,强调教会每一个会友的重要性(参 12:12 注释)。倘若有一个似乎不那么重要的肢体被拿走,整个身体便会有缺陷;若以为自己的恩赐比别人重要,便是属灵的骄傲。我们切不可轻视那些似乎不重要的肢体;也不可嫉妒那些拥有特别恩赐的人。我们要尽量运用神赐给我们的恩赐,也鼓励别人运用他们的恩赐,否则,教会就不能那么有效地运作。 

  林前 12:25-26> 有人得荣耀,我心酸溜溜;有人受苦,问句是吗不再顾,我不喜欢自己是如此呀…… 

  12:25-26 当身边有基督徒得荣耀时,你的反应如何?当有基督徒受苦时,你的反应又如何?我们要与喜乐的人同乐,与哀伤的人同哭(参罗 12:15 )。但不幸地,我们却很容易嫉妒喜乐的人,又冷漠对待哀伤的人。基督徒是同在这世上的──没有私人或个体的基督教。我们不应单享受自己与神的关系,却需要进入他人的生活中。 

  林前 12:31> 我的恩赐是我的,我得称赞理当的,不是吗? 

  12:31 对基督的身体有更多好处的恩赐,就是更大的恩赐。保罗已清楚地指出没有一种恩赐比其他恩赐更重要的,但他现在鼓励信徒善用神所赐的恩赐。你的恩赐不是你个人的成就;它们是为了服事神,促进教会的属灵成长而赐下的。