“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”

Breaking into a new topic, after dealing with things “concerning” (a telltale marker in this letter of problematic issues) divisions, sexual relationships, and food offered to idols, Paul now addresses spiritual gifts. He begins by setting the context and connecting with what he has said earlier. Their former life was involved with idols that don’t really exist despite their physical representations, and he emphasizes that they are mute, cannot speak. Whatever else he has to say, the point is that idols simply are not real. Paul was a realist, not given over to emotionalism, which was a big part of idol worship. People have a tendency to substitute emotion for reality, because emotions can be immediately experienced, whereas reality is often muted or misunderstood.

Paul quickly asserts two things that seem at first glance out of context. Every Christian would be able to say, as a basic confession of faith, that “Jesus is Lord”—no problem. The word “Lord” was the usual word used in the Greek version of the OT (called the LXX) for Jehovah. So Christians could routinely say, “Jesus is Lord” as an assertion of His deity. In fact, Paul goes on in verses 4–6 to refer to the Trinity (Father, Lord, and Spirit, all on an equal plane). But could not an unbeliever or even a pagan worshipper of multiple gods also say that? Yes, anyone, believer or not, could intone those words, but Paul is writing at a conceptual level. No one can say that, meaning it and believing it to be true, except genuine believers in Jesus Christ. This is foundational to all Christian experiences. Indeed, people can be caught up in the emotion of religious activity that has nothing to do with Christ Jesus as Lord and Him crucified! We would take it, then, that all expressions and exercise of spiritual gifts must be grounded in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conversely, no one speaking by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit could ever say, “Jesus is accursed” (literally “anathema”). Theologians debate the meaning of this, but we agree it is unimaginable that the Corinthians (or any Christian) would ever make such a statement (apart from simply intoning the words). Paul uses these two polar opposites to press home the point that not all spiritual expressions are of God. And that is important when addressing all the purposes and practices of spiritual gifts.

Lord, help me discern that which is of the Spirit of God and that which is not.