One Spirit

1Corinthians 12:12-17 For as the body is one, and has 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?

‘So also is Christ’ – Here the congregation is called “Christ” and is compared to a human body with its many members (12:12-28).

‘By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.’ This shows how the body of Christ is constituted. The Spirit is the agent that brings one into the body of Christ by the new birth. This is not a baptism into the Spirit, but into the body of Christ. The body here is the element one is baptized into. The Spirit is the agent that does the baptizing into the body. The believer is the candidate. If it were the Spirit baptism, Christ would be the agent and the Holy Spirit would be the element baptized into.

‘Jews or Gentiles’ Jews and Gentiles are in the same body, the congregation (Eph. 2:11-18; 3:1-6; Col. 1:18, 24).

‘Drink into one Spirit’ – Drinking of the Spirit is the same as partaking of His power. One can partake of Him in sonship without being baptized in the Spirit (Rom. 8:15). Different measures of the Spirit: The Mosaic portion (Num. 11:17, 25); the Mosaic portion divided into 71 portions (Num. 11:16-17, 25-29); Elijah’s portion (2Kin. 2:9); double portion (2Kin. 2:9-10); Elijah’s portion on John the Baptist (Luke 1:15-17); earnest of the Spirit (2Cor. 1:22; 5:5; 1Jn. 4:13; Php. 1:19) and the Spirit “without measure” (John 3:34; Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 10:38); Spirit baptism or baptismal measure (Matt. 3:11; 20:22-23; Luke 3:16; John 1:31-34; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-21; 8:15-24; 10:44-48; 11:14-18; 15:7-11; 19:1-7; Gal. 3:14); the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19; Rom. 15:29); the rivers of living water (John 7:37-39); and the full anointing of the Spirit and enduement of power from on high (Luke 24:49; John 14:12-15)

‘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? … And if they were all one member, where were the body?’ ‘ All these questions are self-answered. All of 1Corinthians 12:14-26 illustrates the fact that as the human body is one and has many members who have been born again and who live godly consecrated lives (12:27-28; Rom. 12:3-5; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:1-6; 4:1-13; Col. 1:18, 24). Our lives must be living doctrines that produce life upon obedience to the Word.

1Corinthians 6:17-20 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

‘But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.’ This is the true doctrine of interpenetration and not persons entering physical into each other. The Bible does speak of the Corinthians and Philippians being in Paul’s heart (2Cor. 7:3; Php. 1:7); God being in Christ (2Cor. 5:19); Christ being in God (John 14:20); God and Christ being in each other (John 14:10-11); men being in both the Father and the Son (1Jn. 2:24); men being in Christ (2Cor. 5:17); men and the Spirit being in each other (Rom. 8:9); Christ being in men (Col. 1:27; Rom. 8:10); man and Christ being in each other (John 14:20); all creation being in God (Acts 17:28); and satan entering into men (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). However, these passages refer to being in union with, being consecrated to the same end – one in mind, purpose, and life. They do not teach the physical entrance of one being into another. It may be best understood by a man and woman becoming one in life together, being in each other’s plans, life, etc.

‘Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that committed fornication sinned against his own body.’ All sins destroy, but he who commits fornication sins against his entire constitution, even his body, soul and spirit.

‘What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?’ Believers are the temple of God for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit thus we cannot do harm physically or spiritually to it through a sinful life or lose the presence and unity of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1Thes. 5:19). People are now to bring themselves to God instead of sacrifices to the altar as of old. They are now to be wholly the Lord’s as were the former sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2). Righteousness cannot mix with lawlessness; light can have no communion with darkness; Christ and Belial cannot be of one accord; a believer cannot have part with an infidel, and there can be no agreement of the temple of God with idols (2Cor. 6:14-7:1).

‘For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ As the slave is the sole property of his master, so we, having been bought by the precious blood of Christ, are not our own (6:19-20; 7:23; 1Pet. 1:18-23).

Tag: One Spirit

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