Romans shows us that Christ as the Spirit of life comes into us for the purpose of sonship in holiness that we may be completely transformed and conformed to His image to be the sons of God in full. However, God’s intention is that we all would be built up together. Therefore, after Romans, 1 Corinthians shows us how we can be built up together. Since 1 Corinthians is a book of building, the Spirit mentioned in this book is the Spirit of building.
We can see this in at least three chapters of 1 Corinthians—chapters three, six, and twelve. Verses 9 to 16 of chapter three show us that the Spirit indwells us for the purpose of building. Then 6:15, 17, and 19 tell us that the Holy Spirit dwells in us to make us the members of Christ. The Spirit dwells not only in our spirit but also within our body to make it His temple. This corresponds with Romans 12:1, which tells us to present our bodies for the purpose of the Body of Christ. By His indwelling, He is making our bodies fit for Christ’s Body. In both chapters three and six we can see that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is the Spirit of building, dwelling both in our spirit and within our body for the purpose of building us together as the Body of Christ.
Apparently 1 Corinthians 12 deals with the gifts. If we look carefully, though, we will see that all the gifts are for Christ the Lord. Verse 3 gives us this general subject: “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.” The work of the Holy Spirit through all the gifts is to bring people to realize that Jesus is the Lord. In other words, all the gifts are for Christ.
In this chapter the Spirit is the Spirit of the operation of the gifts. As the Spirit of the operation of the gifts, He gives gifts to the many different members to help people to realize Christ as the Lord for the purpose of the building up of the Body of Christ. Verse 12 says, “For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.” So also is the Christ indicates that in this chapter Christ is not only the Head but also the Body. Then verse 13 tells us that in this one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body. The gifts and all the operations of the Spirit are for the building.
Many people consider that the primary gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 are speaking in tongues and healing. However, verse 28 says, “And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.” Here we have eight items: apostles, prophets, teachers, works of power, healing, helps, administrations, and tongues. In the list of gifts in verses 8 through 10, helps and administrations are not mentioned. However, at the end of this chapter the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle to add these two items. In the list of gifts in verse 28, speaking in tongues ranks last. Speaking in tongues is the last gift, but too many today make it the first and primary gift. Moreover, verses 29 and 30 indicate very clearly that just as not all the members are apostles and prophets, neither should all the members speak in tongues.
Although the church has been degraded, still throughout all the generations there have been, and even today are, all these gifts. No doubt, at certain times there have been apostles, even after the original apostles in the first century. Likewise, there have been prophets, teachers, works of power, healings, helps, administrations, and tongues. Among all these gifts, some are miraculous, and some are not. Works of power, divine healing, and speaking in tongues are miraculous, but helps are not.
Administrations in verse 28 refers to the eldership in the church. Helps refers to the services of the deacons and deaconesses (1 Tim. 3:8-13). This kind of help is not only in the business of the church. It may also include the help in life, helping the brothers and sisters to grow in life. A sister who moves to this country from abroad may not know how to apply to school or how to get a job or a home. In the spirit some members can render help to her in these practical matters. By helping the sister in this way, they minister life to her. A certain brother may be sick and may not be able to care for himself. Those who give help can visit him and do things for him. By helping the brother in this way they minister life to him. This will help him to love the Lord more, to fellowship with the Lord, and to realize something more of Christ. This is the meaning of the helps mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.
Similarly, brothers and sisters often come from out of town and call from the airport or bus station. Then a certain brother is needed to pick them up and bring them to the meeting. By doing this, life is ministered to them. Even this practical giving of help is a gift given by the Holy Spirit to certain members in the Body. All the gifts come from the gift-giving Spirit. The Spirit of building is the Spirit of the operation of the gifts, giving different gifts to different members. The members have operations, and all the different operations are for the unique purpose of the building up of the Body of Christ.
We do not emphasize the exercise of the miraculous gifts, because this matter has confused the believers very much. Seeking the miraculous gifts has frustrated the saints from seeking the growth of life. However, we do not oppose the practice of any gift, including the miraculous ones. We simply do not like to have the miraculous things exaggerated or even emphasized, frustrating people from the true knowledge of life and the growth of life. As long as the miraculous gifts are practiced in a proper way to help people to realize Christ and know life, we appreciate them. A certain elderly sister close to Brother Watchman Nee was an example of the proper use of the miraculous gifts. This sister had a genuine gift of healing, but the exercise of her gift was never a frustration to life, and it never distracted the brothers and sisters from life. That elderly sister never emphasized her gift; therefore, we respected the exercise of her gift.
We appreciate all the gifts, but we appreciate them in their proper order. The apostles are the first, and tongues are the last. Tongues are not the first or even the second, and they certainly are not the sum total. According to the context of 1 Corinthians 12, all the gifts and operations of the Spirit are for people to realize Christ as the Lord, so that the Body of Christ may be built up. Therefore, the Spirit of the operation of the gifts is the Spirit of building for the building up of the Body of Christ.