Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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(Today’s Book Installment)
The One True Church
Chapter 39 – Mark 3 of 10: Spirit-Led Gatherings
Healings were not the only supernatural phenomena occurring almost routinely in the 1st-century church. Consider the variety of effects that the Holy Spirit had on the one true church, especially as described below.
1 Corinthians 12:1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
1 Corinthians 12:2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
1 Corinthians 12:7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
1 Corinthians 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
1 Corinthians 12:10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
Although multiple New Testament epistles make reference to these various manifestations of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians gives us the fullest description of what took place in church services in that unique generation – with chapters 12 and 14 given wholly to that purpose. I’m only showing you one excerpt from each of those chapters.
In the passage from 1 Corinthians 14 below, I want you to notice that the Holy Spirit was not just present in the congregational gatherings, but actually leading the meeting as well.
(By the way, though “tongues” is an unusual expression for us today, it simply means “languages.” We first saw this phenomenon on the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2, when one person would speak in a language that he didn’t understand while another person would understand what the first one was saying. The passage below shows that this kind of thing was not restricted to Pentecost, but occurred throughout the New Testament age.)
1 Corinthians 14:26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
1 Corinthians 14:27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret;
1 Corinthians 14:28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
1 Corinthians 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.
1 Corinthians 14:30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
1 Corinthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;
1 Corinthians 14:32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Church gatherings in the 1st century were not ritualistic. Neither were they choreographed by the human leaders present – other than to make room for the Holy Spirit to govern the gathering.
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