Now let us go on to see more verses in this book regarding the human spirit. In chapter seven, verse 34, we read, “The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit.” We need to have a holy, human spirit. Then in chapter eight, verse 12, we read, “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” We know that the conscience is the main part of the spirit. By this verse we see how careful the Apostle Paul was in dealing with others’ conscience. He did this in order to maintain their spirit. Now notice chapter ten, verses 28 and 29: “But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” These two verses prove again that in order to take care of others’ spirit we must take care of their conscience. We must not only maintain a strong spirit in ourselves, but see that others also have a strong spirit. When we are weak in our conscience, we are weak in our spirit. If we have a hole in our conscience, our spirit is broken.
Now go back to chapter nine, verse 11: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things...” This word “spiritual things” is the same word used in 12:1 and 14:1 for spiritual gifts. The Apostle Paul is saying that he has sown something spiritual. What was it? Spiritual gifts? Spiritual knowledge? We must realize that the spiritual thing sown by the Apostle Paul was Christ. Why? Because according to chapter two, verse 2, the Apostle said that he determined not to know anything among them but Christ. This proves that what the Apostle sowed was none other than Christ.
Now let us look at the verses in chapter eleven relating to the matter of meeting. Verse 17 says, “Ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.” Verse 18: “When ye come together in the church...” Verse 20: “When ye come together therefore into one place...” Then verses 33 and 34: “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together...that ye come not together unto condemnation.” Five times in this one chapter meeting together has been mentioned.
Finally let us read chapter sixteen, verse 14, “Let all your things be done in love.” And then verse 18, “For they have refreshed my spirit and yours.”
By picking up all these verses we get a full scope of the thought of the writer in this book. We cannot just take a few verses from chapter twelve or fourteen and isolate them from the context of the whole book. As I have already indicated, 1 Corinthians tells us clearly that God’s intention is to put us into Christ and make Christ everything to us. We have seen in chapter one that Christ to us is the power and wisdom of God (v. 24); and of God are we in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom—righteousness, sanctification and redemption (v. 30). Then he goes on to tell us that this Christ who is the last Adam has been made a life-giving Spirit (15:45). Now all that He is to us must be realized, must be experienced not by any other organ of our being but the spirit. Thus, chapter two tells us what kind of person can apprehend Christ. It is not a soulish person, but a spiritual one (vv. 14, 15)—one who lives and acts in the human spirit. Following chapter two, the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, “You are not spiritual. Though you have many gifts, I cannot say that you are spiritual. You are still in the flesh, even worse than in the soul” (3:1-4). In chapter four he asks if they want him to come to them with a rod or with love and a meek spirit (v. 21). By this he tells the Corinthians that although they are not spiritual, yet he is spiritual. They are not acting in the spirit, yet he must act in the spirit. In chapter five he tells them, “Do not think that I am away from you; I am still with you. To be absent in my body means nothing. I am present with you in my spirit” (vv. 3, 4).
If we would be a right person and meet together in the right way, we must be this kind of person, like the Apostle Paul. If we are people like the Corinthians, whatever way we meet will be wrong. If we are carnal, if we are fleshly, regardless of how we meet, we are utterly wrong. To meet in the right way, we must be the right person, and the right person is one who lives, walks, and has his being in the spirit.
In chapter six we are told that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us (v. 19) and that he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit (v. 17). Then we have chapter seven, which as we have seen, is so wonderful. Do not think that one who is walking, living, moving and having his being in the spirit is so sure that he is spiritual. In chapter eight, we have these verses: verse 1 tells us that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Then another verse tells us that we must take care of others’ conscience. We should not spoil, damage, or weaken the spirit of others. Chapter nine tells us that what he has sown as a spiritual thing is Christ (v. 11). And chapter ten tells us that Christ is the spiritual rock, not only following us, but also within us. He is also the spiritual meat and the spiritual drink (vv. 3, 4)—praise the Lord! In chapter eleven we see that when we are not meeting in the spirit, we are meeting not for a profit but for a loss (v. 17). Then from chapters twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, we have seen that the two main things we need are love and prophecy. Love is the life, and prophecy is the function. Finally in chapter fifteen we are told that this Christ who is our love and our life, our prophecy and our function, is the life-giving Spirit (v. 45). And in chapter sixteen Paul said that the brothers have refreshed his spirit and the spirit of others (v. 18). He said, “Let all your things be done in love,” and, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus” (vv. 14, 24).