An Exegetical Glimpse into the Pauline Usage of Charismata and Oikodomen in 1 Corinthians 12:1-7: A solution for Ecclesiastical Disunity in 21st Century
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led.
It was not uncommon in many religions of antiquity that some adherents had special experience in trances, ecstatic speech and so forth. Such phenomena were not unique to Christianity. Here the root cause of Corinthians problems is a set forth- syncretism. The people were barely removed from paganism and yet were spiritually proud. They were used to religions that manifested some elite, ecstatic supernatural experience. S.J Hafemann’s [19] view that the Corinthians were characterized by spirituality influenced by Greco-Roman philosophies is plausible. What is our point? What is Paul’s point? The first point that Paul is making is this, not all ecstasies, not all spiritual manifestations are of the Holy Spirit! Many are cheap imitations! The mystery religions all have their false and counterfeit religious experiences, their trances, their visions, and their ecstasies. The Corinthians lived in a world that was full of spiritual manifestations. They knew that behind those speechless idols of wood and stone were real demons, real spiritual forces that had led them off (as a victor would lead his captives) toward their doom.
Usually in the NT the word pagans means non Jews, but sometimes it may mean all who are not christian(cf. 1 Thes. 4:5). The characteristic feature of paganism is that the pagans are easily carried away to idol. The pagan are men who are not freely following the gods they are intellects have fully approved but as under compulsion and as helpless man who knows no better. ἄφωνος, means silent (Ac 8:32), incapable of speech 1 Cor 12:2; 2 Pt 2:16; incapable of conveying meaning (1 Cor 14:10). It is used here as an adjective that tells us the nature of the idols and image that were prevalent in pre-christian Corinthians’ religion. They were worshiping idols that were incapable of conveying meaningful messages therefore disorderliness could have its place since there was no any meaningful message to be conveyed. Here Paul was using the Pre-christian experience of his audience to show them the difference between spiritual experience in their formal religion and in the new religion.
ἄν an adverb incapable of translation by a single English word, denoting that the action of the verb is dependent on some circumstance or condition; its effect upon the meaning of its clause varies with the construction. Here the adverb ἄν modifies the verb ἀπαγόμενοι (to lead away). This is used here to portray the plight of the heathens or idol worshippers.
Verse 3- Διὸ γνωρίζω ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει Ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦν· καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν, Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.
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.
Here Paul is affirming the fundamental issue which is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Christ. Paul is christologising his response to the Corinthians. According to Paul here the initial gift of the Holy Spirit is the awareness of belonging to Christ and becoming part of divine family of faith.[20] Their old experience of heathenism had not prepared them to understand the concept of charismata. Paul therefore supplies that loyalty to Jesus Christ is the true test of validity of any spiritual gift. The sentence “Jesus is Lord” marks out the genuine charismata. The term Ἀνάθεμα is Hebraic in biblical use denoting that which is vowed to God for destruction as under his curse. Furthermore, the difference between λαλῶν and λέγει is well stated here. The former is to speak under the influence of the Holy Spirit while the latter is to speak ordinarily. It thus means that it is through the Holy Spirit that man can only speak of the Lordship of Christ. Does this mean that an unbeliever cannot say “Jesus is Lord,” no, he can say this in mockery.[21] It is under the influence of the Holy Spirit that one can confess the Lordship of Christ appropriately. This is in line with the promise that Jesus made to His disciples in his priestly prayer. (John 16-17).
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