Pentecost (year A)

(1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13)

1 Corinthians 12:3 ...no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit;

1 Corinthians 12:5 there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord;

1 Corinthians 12:6 there are different kinds of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

1 Corinthians 12:7 And to each is given a special manifestation of the Spirit for the common good:

All those who are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can do nothing but allow themselves to be moved and carried away by their impulses. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, leads to the true confession of who Jesus is. Whoever is in the Spirit sees everything according to the truth. If they do not see according to the truth, they are not in the Spirit. Therefore, whoever is in the Holy Spirit cannot speak a lie about Christ. Likewise, no one can speak the truth about Christ unless under the working of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, any spirit that does not lead us to love Jesus is not a good spirit, whatever manifestation it may have. If it does not lead us to love Jesus, it is from the devil. Any spirit that does not lead to loving Christ leads to perdition.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who works all things in all” (vv. 4–6). There is mention three times of diversity and three times of unity. Unity is attributed to the Spirit, who is the Holy Spirit; to the Lord, who is Jesus; and to God, who is the Father. In essence, the Trinity forms the backdrop to our diversity and unity, for the Trinity is the primary source of diversity and unity. Diversity is necessary for relationship, for love. In love, diversity becomes unity. Since God is love, then love requires diversity; and diversity is the very place of union, whereas for us, generally, diversity is the place of conflict, because we do not accept diversity. Today, people seek to abolish diversity. There is unity in non-identity, in the destruction of the person.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.” Here we have the word charismatōn. It derives from the same root as the term “grace” – charis – meaning “manifestations of grace” and therefore “gifts”. The charism itself is a particular grace through which we can manifest God’s riches to the world. A charism is grace because it is given freely to man. No one can take personal pride in it, precisely because it is a charism, that is, a grace bestowed.

Having established this first truth, Paul immediately affirms another. Whilst there are many charisms, there is only one Author: the Holy Spirit of God. Why does Paul feel the need to emphasise this truth? The pagans believed that a person’s various gifts were to be attributed to different gods, one of whom gave wisdom, another strength, and so on. Lest the Christians should think that something similar applied to the various gifts bestowed upon them, the Apostle warns them that, although the gifts are diverse, there is but one Spirit from whom they proceed. Furthermore, by saying that the Spirit is the sole source of the grace within us, he wishes to invite the Corinthians to recognise the Lordship of God in every work He accomplishes through us.

“There are different kinds of ministry.” Ministry, diakoniōn, means: diaconies, services. Thus he introduces another concept: every charism, every gift we have, is a service to others.

“There is but one Lord.” All these services are established and governed by the supreme will of the one Head of the Church: the Lord Jesus. Thus, all our service finds its origin in Jesus, who made himself a servant to all; and every gift finds its model in Jesus.

“And there are various kinds of working.” The term “works” translates the term energēmātōn, which derives from the word normally used to denote “work”. Even the works we perform in the service of the Kingdom of God must be traced back to God the Almighty Father, who from on high strengthens our will and infuses energy and vigour into the body so that we may act in accordance with God. It is God who stirs up both the will and the action.

“But there is but one God.” For the third time, Paul asserts that there can be no divisions among men based on “gifts”, for it is the same God who bestows the gifts in all their diversity. And precisely because all gifts proceed from God, they can be directed only towards a purpose worthy of God. Every person is an instrument in God’s hands. If God uses one instrument for one thing and another instrument for another, can the instrument perhaps become jealous, act with envy, or ask the Lord why He uses me and not the other, or why He uses the other and not me?

If God has ordained that one person should exercise a ministry with a particular charism and another should act according to a different ministry and with an equally distinct charism, who is man to say to God: ‘Why have you made me this way and why have you made me different from others?’ If it is God who works in us, then it is right to pray to the Lord that he may act in us according to the gift with which he has enriched us, but also that he may strengthen the gift with which he has enriched others.

In these verses we find the profound framework of the structure of community life and also of married life, namely diversity and unity. These are not a threat to one another, but are necessary for one another; otherwise, it is impossible to live. This is a vast subject because it applies both on a strictly personal level and on a social level. These are fundamental values in which the destiny of humanity is at stake, that is, how we live out who we are.

“Now to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (v. 7). Any gift that does not lead to the common good is no longer a gift; it would be a gift, but we are using it in the opposite way. Everything I have and am serves to love God and my neighbour, and whatever does not lead in this direction we are misappropriating, and therefore using it in a diabolical way. All gifts are gifts from God, but we can make right or wrong use of them.

A ministry, a gift, a charism, a grace is not for the person who receives it; it is for the common good. Everyone must feel enriched by the charism of another. From this principle set out by Paul arises a serious problem of conscience for every Christian. If the charism of another is for my benefit, can I neglect it, can I refuse to make use of it if it is necessary for me?

To ignore another’s charism, to make no use of it, to refuse to allow this charism to bear abundant fruit is a sin that turns against me. If another’s charism is for me, by depriving myself of it, I deprive myself of the nourishment I need. Rejecting another’s charism—and above all, rejecting it out of a guilty conscience—places me in serious danger of failing in my Christian life, because I deprive myself of the support and nourishment that the Lord has placed at my side.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation – an exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the mystery of the Trinity

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24–25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9–11

(Available on Amazon)