Niels Prip – Blog

The verse in 1 Corinthians 14:1 is almost always translated as “Earnestly desire Spiritual gifts”. The funny thing is that the word “gift or gifts” is not used at all in 1 Corinthians 14 according to the original Greek. The translators added it to give their understanding of what they thought the text was trying say. Many translators translated it that way. But Greek is precise language and there is a difference between the Greek words “pneumatika” (of the Spirit or things of the Spirit) and the word “charismata” (gift). Paul uses the word “pneumatika” in 1 Corinthians 14:1 for a reason. In fact, in all of 1 Corinthians “charisma (gift or gifts)” is only used 7 times, while “pneumatica (things of the Spirit)” is used 15 times. Again, Greek is a precise language and Paul was trying to make a point. That point being made in 1 Corinthians 13. If you don’t have the “things of the Spirit” such as “faith, hope and love”, your gifts mean nothing.

There are some translations that do say “Earnestly desire the things of the Spirit.” Things of the Spirit vs Spiritual gifts, the difference between the two is important. “Earnestly desire the things of the Spirit’ is a better translation. It is more encompassing. It goes beyond just the “gifts” of the Spirit, yet it does include them. The Literal Standard Version says “Pursue love, and earnestly seek the spiritual things, and rather that you may prophesy”. Young’s Literal Translation says “Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy”. The Literal Emphasis Translation says “Pursue love, and be zealously earnest of the spiritual things, especially that you may prophesy”.

The same is true of 1 Corinthians 12:1, most translations say “Now concerning Spiritual gifts brethren”. But the word “gifts” is not in the Greek. Again it is the word “pneumatika” (things of the Spirit). The first 3 verses of 1 Corinthians 12 don’t really make any sense with the use of the word “gifts”. But Young’s Literal Translation makes more sense, 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 “And concerning the spiritual things, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant; ye have known that ye were nations, unto the dumb idols — as ye were led — being carried away; wherefore, I give you to understand that no one, in the Spirit of God speaking, saith Jesus [is] anathema, and no one is able to say Jesus [is] Lord, except in the Holy Spirit”.

When I was first saved in the Jesus Movement/Charismatic Movement in the early 1970’s, a central part of the focus was on “gifts”. You had to get the gift of tongues or prophecy. The books on the gifts were endless. We wrongly put too much emphasis on the gifts and not enough about all things of the Spirit. It is still the case today. There were many who supposedly have a gift but do not have any fruit of the Spirit. I think Paul addressed that problem in 1 Corinthians 13 when he said, “without love we are nothing”.

“Earnestly desire the things of the Spirit” encompasses all things pertaining to our walk in the Spirit. We are to desire that! We are to be Spiritually minded. Which means becoming holy, like Jesus and the Father. They are so different from us, but the Spirit will help us to become more like Them-compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in faithfulness and truth, forgiving wrongdoing and sin against us. As we desire the things of the Spirit, God changes us and the Spirit helps us as we grow “to a mature man, to the measure of stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ”.  Ephesians 4:13. That is the goal of Paul’s teaching, to bring us from “babes in Christ” to “full maturity”.