Friday, November 19, 2021

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 - Various Kinds of Gifts, But One Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:4 - Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:5 - There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:6 - There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. -- World English Bible version
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The above verses are sometimes referenced as claiming to present all three persons of the triune Godhead. Evidently, what is being imagined and assumed is that the word "spirit" in verse 4 is in reference to the third person of the triune Godhead, and the "Lord" in verse 5 is in reference to the second person of the alleged triune Godhead, and that "God" in verse 6 refers to the first person of the alleged triune Godhead. Of course, in reality, "God" in these verses refers to only one person. There is nothing in these verses that presents "God" as being more than one person, or as being three persons.

Paul is here explaining that although there are a diversity of gifts of the spirit, we should not think that each gift of the spirit is a separate spirit. They are all of the one spirit, from the one God and Father of Jesus, through the one person whom Jehovah has anointed and made to be the "Lord" through whom are all. -- Psalm 2:26; 45:7; Isaiah 61:1; Ezekiel 34:23,24; John 10:29; 17:1,3; Acts 2:23,36; 4:27; 10:38; Hebrews 1:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6.

While the verses do demonstrate how God, His Holy Spirit, and His Son, all work together in agreement, we find nothing in the verse that says these three are all the "one God" of whom are all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Only Jehovah, the God and Father of Jesus (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3), is being identified here as "God."

If one drops the meaning of "three persons in one God," the word "trinity" could be used of all three as being one in agreement, purpose, but the idea of "three persons in one God" is not expressed in these verses, or anywhere else in the Bible.

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