1 Corinthians, chapter 12:
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
The Use of Spiritual Gifts
1"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols,
however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking
by the Spirit[a] of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say,
"Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit[a]"
The cross reference [a] given twice for speaking by the Holy Spirit is, Acts
2:4:
"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
The topic Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 12:3 is, the Holy Spirit gift
of tongues (speaking in other languages).
There was a problem in Corinth where people were speaking in tongues, in the
manner of their former paganism, instead of speaking in tongues by the Holy
Spirit.
This is why when it comes to speaking in tongues before others, Paul
instructs:
"27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three,
and each in turn, and one must interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter,
he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God"
(1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
So, what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12:3 is, that no one speaking *in
tongues* by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one *while
speaking in tongues* can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit"
(emphasis mine).
That's all Paul is addressing. The discerning of whether the speaking of
tongues in public by a person or group of people in unison, is actually the
gift tongues being spoken by way of the Holy Spirit or not.
I've heard this story from several sources over the years: A man invited an
exchange student from China to a service being held at his church, where
there was a lot of unchecked speaking in tongues going on. During the
service when several people in the congregation started speaking in tongues,
the exchange student got up, ran down the corridor and bolted out the door.
The man followed after the exchange student and found her in the parking lot
shaking and crying. When he asked her what was wrong, she told him that the
people speaking in tongues were cursing Jesus in her language.
In other words, they were not speaking in tongues by way of the Holy Spirit.
So once again, this is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:3, "no one speaking
*in tongues* by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one
*while speaking in tongues*, "Jesus is Lord," can say except by the Holy
Spirit" (emphasis mine).
That's all this verse is about: Spiritual gifts; the Spiritual gift of
speaking in other languages.
False premise regarding 1 Corinthians 12:3 debunked:
A crackpot physician wrote:
"Behold in wide-eyed wonder and amazement:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/c99eb041e49dd5e1
Non-christian: "Show me LORD Almighty GOD."
Crackpot: "Jesus is LORD."
Non-christian: "So what?"
Crackpot: "Would not have been able to say that without GOD's help."
Non-christian: "Anyone can say that."
Crackpot: "Ok, go ahead and do it for me."
Non-christian/atheist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeN7oF78Xkg
A crackpot wrote:
>
> This study does exclude those of us who are the LORD's
> who simply **prove** we are born again (John 3:3 & 5) by saying "Jesus
> is LORD" with our mouth (Romans 10:9) unto salvation
Why being able to say "Jesus is Lord" is not proof of being born again, by
an atheist saying it over and over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWnl6ucHnSE
Even a parrot can say "Jesus is Lord".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqI1J4hNu3E
Only Satan would try to lull people into a false assurance of
Salvation in Jesus Christ, by claiming it's summed up in someone's
ability to parrot the second half of a Bible verse.
Crackpot responds:
> Only those who work for satan would claim they know what satan would
> do.
Nice try. However, "In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not
unaware of his schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11)
In an interview at 11Alive's studio in Atlanta, GA, a crackpot physician
said...
"The ones who disagree with me the most... who are against me
the most, are actual Christians"
'nuff said by the crackpot himself regarding his lone false and misleading
Biblical gobbledygook interpretations.