The pagan and highly philosophical culture of Greece was in its DNA. The multicultural, hedonistic, commercial port of Corinth (estimated population of c600,000) was its womb.
Eugene Peterson (in his introduction to 1 Corinthians in The Message) describes the city: “The people of Corinth had a reputation in the ancient world as an unruly, hard-drinking, sexually promiscuous bunch of people.” Others described Corinth as being intellectually alert, materially prosperous and morally corrupt.
Amongst its plethora of gods were Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Jupiter and Hera. One of the most prominent being Aphrodite—the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation.
This city became the birthing suite of a new Christian congregation!
Just maybe the very nature of the place was reason that Paul, reflecting on his upcoming mission to Corinth, expressed in his letter, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). REALLY!? This is totally out of character for the man who, after being stoned almost to death outside Lystra, got up and went back into the city (Acts 14:19,20). The same Paul who could produce an impressive list (2 Corinthians 11:22-27 ff) of things willingly endured for the name of Christ. He showed no fear of physical danger. Could his “weakness and fear, and with much trembling” be an expression of apprehension that his presentation (from a Jewish monotheistic perspective) of both God and Christ to the Greeks, might not be sufficient to break through their pagan philosophical mindset (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)?
The new Corinthian church, yet a baby, was largely comprised of people who brought with them huge chunks of who they were. “They brought their reputations with them right into the church” (Eugene Peterson, The Message). Being “born again” was yet to be experienced.
From 1 Corinthians 3, note some of Paul’s comments: “I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly”; “I gave you milk, not solid food . . . you are still not ready”; “since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you”.
Is this a friendly, loving and caring, Spirit-led group to which one would want to belong? I must have come to the wrong address!
And if one reads through the letter of 1 Corinthians one will find Paul’s list of grievous and disruptive practices which accompanied the people into this new “body” of believers: brought from, and influenced by, their pagan life experience. A brief summary here will suffice: division, fornication, taking each other to court, unwholesome attitudes towards marriage, divisive conflict over food sacrificed to idols, headship/leadership, the place of women in such a community, corruption of the Lord’s supper, rejection of bodily resurrection from death, and spiritual gifts. This had to be the church which gave Paul some of his greatest challenges!
It is appropriate, even imperative, that this social dynamic of the new church body be foundational to an understanding of the matter of “spiritual gifts”. In Paul’s own words, the members by and large, were still “worldly” in attitude, and in no way tuned to the Holy Spirit for His guidance and influence. They were in no state to be empowered by the Spirit (by way of contrast, consider Acts 1 and 2) or recognise His leadership.
What then can we make of the matter of “spiritual gifts”?
The philosophical propositions of influential men such as Plato (424/23BC-348/47BC), Aristotle (384BC-322BC) and others, were heavily humanistic. Within this framework of intellectualism, mind and reasoning were of far greater value and pre-eminence than the physical body. Within this arena, every talent, ability, life “gift”, was understood to be one’s own by right, having been bestowed by one of their gods. Hence the boasting about their own abilities, and the demeaning of the abilities of others was rife. Dog fights dog as it were.
Into this hodge-podge of pagan, humanistic self-importance, Paul confidently and brazenly introduces not just another god, but the God.
He calls for not just a revamping of life values, but introduces a radical religion—a belief system wherein the worshipped God sacrificed Himself for His followers, “. . . a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). He taught a new perspective that portrayed a man (or woman) to be both a physical and spiritual being—both parts of great and equal value (Romans 12:1 for example).
Interestingly, Paul makes no reference to natural talents or abilities as differing from spiritual gifts. We do that irrespective of him. Paul’s emphasis is that each and every life gift is from the Spirit (the One he has just introduced to them)—no-matter when received or perceived. For the follower of Christ there are no natural talents or abilities—all are God-bestowed.*
Thus the Spirit brought into the new church varied and different gifts and talents in and with each individual. These gifts were not bestowed subsequently in some mystical or conversion experience. They were Spirit-given gifts, not to be gloried in, or boasted about, but rather used for the building up of the whole body (1 Corinthians 12).
In essence Paul could well be saying:
“Stop bragging about yourself—who you are or what you have. In this body we brag about God, The One great Originator of life.”
“Stop big-noting yourself, and what you can do. In this body we big-note Jesus and what He has done.”
“Stop putting yourself first—here our focus is on building up others.”
“In you, by you, and with you, God has brought together a mix of beautiful gifts and abilities to bless and nurture all.” And every gift/talent is needed.
1 Corinthians (once you move past the negatives), particularly chapters 12 and 13, presents a beautiful, simple, yet concentrated focus on the dynamics of an accepting, caring, inclusive and loving Christian community.
The same applies today—the formula has not changed.
Accepting and practising that, both personally and corporately, has potential to pack a powerful punch for God in the world in which we live!
Better that we not spend time searching for a supposed gift which the Spirit may have given us at our conversion or baptism, but rather we praise and thank God for the gifts/abilities with which He blessed us from birth. Abilities given well before we were able to recognise they were from Him. May we dedicate our use of every gift/ability to His praise and glory.
That alone acknowledges, and truly declares, them to be spiritual gifts.
*The writer acknowledges that in Paul’s list of bestowed gifts there are some of specific evangelistic nature, given by God at His chosen moment to His in-the-moment person, to accomplish His specific purpose. These may well be of a short-term nature rather than a life-long, nurturing spiritual ministry.
Frank Dyson is a retired pastor living in Hervey Bay, Queensland.
