Paul’s statement to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12:3) that no one speaking by the Spirit of God can say, ‘Jesus is cursed,’ and no can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit, is radical stuff. True, in most situations today anyone can say what they will, but that’s not the point here. These early Christians, some who came out of pagan contexts, would have been politically cautious about calling anyone other than the Emperor, “Lord,” as may be the case in some political environments in the present. The apostle wants to re-enforce that Spirit activities are not pagan communicative acts, but are to result in the proclamation that ‘Jesus is Lord’ in spite of Roman or Jewish claims otherwise. Furthermore, Paul is aiming to shift the focus onto the Lordship of Jesus and away from the Corinthian fascination with the manifestations of gifts. Even legitimate expressions of gifts may inadvertently direct attention away from their true aim or goal - proclaiming Jesus as Lord, and the building up of others.
READ THE BOOK - FIND THE RHYTHM
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