We are now entering another one of those texts that has causes so much controversy.

Here it is ironical. No one has much controversy about the first four verses. Apart from people like me, who have to deal with those unfortunates who have obsessions that involve cursing out Lord. And I can safely say to them that is not of the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Mission and Ministry — GAMC.

The Westminster Confession Faith puts it this way…

All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.

Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

Now, the problem is the gifts. I really don’t think this is a problem for the orthodox and Catholic. They have never denied the miraculous. But some (not all) Protestants have argued that the gifts ended at the end of the apostolic age. This dispensationalist position — in my experience — has fruits. These include:

• A very firm interpretation of Revelation.
• An over emphasis on prophecy (while denying it as a gift for the church today)
• An very pro Isreal political stance, because of their interpretation of Revelations. (I’m pro Israel — in my view they have justification at almost any time to invade on basically any of their borders because there is a clear and present danger there. The exception has been that they have been at peace with Egypt, and the Arab Spring mucked that up nicely. But this is exactly what I would say about Georgia if Czechnya was invading).
• As a result, they do not consider the stewardship of the people of God and this world as important.  They think very abstractly, about wars, and the end. They may not think as much about keeping land productive, and widows fed.

My main argument with the dispensationalists is that they limit God. God can choose to restore Isreal. He can choose to bring prophets into these last days. He can choose when nations rise and fall. And… I fear that the dispensationalists, like the Pharisees, will not see the work of God because it does not fit into a model that they have made.