"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."
In today's quote Paul defined the various and individual gifts that can be given to each of the children of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul made it very clear that each individual member plays unique part in making up the whole body of Christ, the "body of Christ" being today, His Church.
We as individual members of the body can do nothing on our own in our service to the Church. We must have the guidance and clarity of the Holy Spirit to unite us in our purpose, and through that same Holy Spirit, all praise, honor and glory, is to be given to God.
There is another very important point that is made in today's quote that demands our attention because so many, so called, Christian denominations wrongfully contend that water baptism is a required step in the process of salvation and establishes membership into the Church.
Paul said; "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body". This statement very clearly demonstrates that it is the "SPITIT" only that establishes membership in the Church. We are baptized into the body of Christ by "the spirit", NOT water.
The term "Spirit", as it is applied in today's quote, is defined by Strong"s bible dictionary as: "the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son ". This definition of the term leaves no room for the contention that water is implemental or is is somehow implied by the use of the term "spirit".
Faith alone assures our membership into Christ's Church, No act of a man/woman has anything at all to do with it. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Water baptism is a work of man, not the "spirit".~
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