Can you comment on baptism by the Holy Ghost, and what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 12:31 by the ‘greater gifts’ of the Spirit?
This text is from a letter written by David Gooding in 2000.
You ask first about the baptism by the Holy Ghost. I think myself it is very helpful to notice the exact wording of Scripture. When it comes to baptism in the Holy Spirit, Scripture makes it clear that it is the Lord Jesus who does the baptizing (see John 1:33). In that verse, John the Baptist remarks that he (John) baptized people in water, that is to say, John took people and he baptized them in the River Jordan.
Then John contrasts Christ with himself: the Lord Jesus baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. That is, the Lord Jesus puts people in the Holy Spirit, so that every believer in Christ is in the Holy Spirit. Moreover, 1 Corinthians 12:13 reminds us that Christ not only puts believers in the Holy Spirit, but he makes them drink of the Holy Spirit; that is, he puts the Holy Spirit in them so that it is gloriously true that a believer in Christ is in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in him or her. See also Romans 8:9: 'you are . . . in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you'.
Secondly, when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit, then I think it is important for us to study very carefully what is said in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14. At 1 Corinthians 12:31 the Holy Spirit, through Paul, tells us that we are to seek the greater gifts. In chapter 13 he tells us why we must seek the greater gifts. The reason is that the only acceptable motive for seeking or using spiritual gifts is love; and love, by definition, must mean love of other people. I must not seek or use spiritual gifts simply for myself and my own profit and enjoyment. The basic Christian virtue of love is always to be my motive. If, then, I am motivated by love, I shall seek the greater gifts.
The question then arises: what are the greater gifts? Paul answers that in 1 Corinthians 14:1–6, where he points out that prophesying is greater than tongues, and therefore we should seek not tongues but prophesying.
Moreover, in the rest of that chapter he points out that, in church, if somebody speaks in tongues it must be translated, so that the whole congregation shall understand what is being said. If, therefore, there is no translator present, then Paul forbids us speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:28). In other words, the gracious Holy Spirit is intent on bringing to his people the greatest possible spiritual benefit, and for that purpose he lays it down that everything said in the church must be capable of being understood by everybody in the church. It is in that context he tells us to be grown up in intellect.
It is wonderful to see how Christ, through his word, unites people of different nations and different languages in deep fellowship and enjoyment of all the riches that Christ has obtained for us. It is true, however, that some Christians seem to be afraid of getting to know the word of God too much, and prefer to concentrate on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But we should never forget that the Holy Spirit, who gives spiritual gifts to the people of God, is the same Holy Spirit who inspired both the Old and the New Testament; and, of course, it cannot be unspiritual to listen to the words of Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Apostle Paul points out to us that we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God (see 1 Cor 2:12).
In his discussion of this issue, Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:20 says that, when it comes to malice, we are to be as innocent as babes, but in our intellects we are to be grown up adults. Indeed, it is the first and the greatest command of the Law that we are to love the Lord our God, not only with our hearts, but also with our intellects (see Luke 10:27). And in Psalm 119, the longest Psalm in the Old Testament, the psalmist tells us at great length the joy that he experiences in the study of God's word.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
