Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
Does First Corinthians 12 Mean the Universal Church
or a Local New Testament Church?
http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/pink.local.church.html
By Arthur W. Pink
"For almost ten years after his regeneration the writer never doubted that the "body" spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12 had reference to "the Church Universal." This was taught him by those known as "Plymouth Brethren," which is found in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, and is widely accepted by evangelicals and prophetic students.
"Not until God brought him among Southern Baptists (a high privilege for which he will ever be deeply thankful) did he first hear the above view challenged. But it was difficult for him to weigh impartially an exposition which meant the refutation of a teaching received from men highly respected, to say nothing of confessing he had held an altogether erroneous concept so long, and had allowed himself to read 1 Corinthians 12 (and similar passages) through other men's spectacles.
"However, of late, the writer has been led to make a prayerful and independent study of the subject for himself, with the result that he is obliged to renounce his former view as utterly untenable and unscriptural.
"The Authorized Version of 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads as follows: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into the body" - concerning this we shall have more to say later on. On 1 Corinthians 12 Dr. Scofield, in his Reference Bible, has this to say: "Chapter 12 concerns the Spirit in relation to the body of Christ. This relation is twofold:
"(1) The baptism with the Spirit forms the Body by uniting believers to Christ, the risen and glorified Head, and to each other (verses 12, 13). The symbol of the Body thus formed is the natural, human body (v. 12), and all the analogies are freely used (vs. 14-26).
(2) To each believer is given a spiritual enablement and capacity for specific service," etc., etc. In capitalizing the word "body" Dr. Scofield unquestionably has in mind "the Church Universal." Should there be any doubt upon this point it is at once dispelled by a reference to the notes of Dr. Scofield on Hebrews 12:23 - "The true church, composed of the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the First Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52,) united together and to Christ by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13), is the Body of which He is the Head." It is to be noted that in both places the Doctor speaks of "the baptism with the Spirit," but in 1 Corinthians 12:13 there is no mention made at all of any baptism "with" the Holy Spirit, either in the English or in the Greek; such is merely a figment of the Doctor's imagination.
"The Revised Version of 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads thus: "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body." We believe this is much better and a more accurate translation of the Greek than the Authorized Version rendering. But we have one fault to find with the Revised Version rendering too. The capitalizing of the word "spirit" (pneumatic) is utterly misleading, and while it is well nigh impossible to get the real meaning of the verse.
"For the benefit of those who do not read the New Testament in the Greek, we may say that in the language in which the New Testament was originally written there are no capital letters used, except at the beginning of a book or paragraph. Pneuma is always written in the Greek with a small "s," and it is a question of exposition and interpretation, not of translation in any wise, whether a small "s" or a capital "S" is to be used each instance where the word for spirit is used. In many instances it is translated with a small "s" - spirit (Matthew 5:3; Romans 1:4; 1:9; 1 Corinthians 2:11; 5:3; etc.).
"In others, where the Holy Spirit of God is referred to, a capital is rightly employed. Furthermore, the Greek word pneuma is used not only to denote sometimes the Holy Spirit of God, and at others the spirit of man (as contra-distinguished from his soul and body), but it is also employed psychologically; we read of "the spirit (neuma) of meekness" (1 Corinthians 4:21), and of "the spirit (neuma) of cowardice" (2 Timothy 1:7), etc. Again, in Philippians 1:27 we read "stand fast in one spirit." Here "spirit" has the force of oneness of thought, accord, object.
"Note that in Philippians 1:27 the Greek for "in one spirit" is precisely the same in every respect, as the Greek at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12:13, and in Philippians 1:27 even the translators of the Authorized Version have used only a small "s" for "spirit" - as they most certainly ought to have done in 1 Corinthians 12:13.
"One other point concerning the Greek: The preposition translated "by" in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is "en,"
which is translated in the New Testament "among" 114 times, "by" 142, "with" 139, "in" 1,863 times.
"Comment is needless. "In one spirit were we all baptized" should be the rendering of 1 Corinthians 12:13.
"The "baptism" here is not Holy Spirit baptism at all, but water baptism.
"Note: whenever we read of "baptism" in the New Testament
without anything in the verse or context which expressly describes it (as in Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:5, etc.),
it is always water baptism which is in view.
or a Local New Testament Church?
http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/pink.local.church.html
By Arthur W. Pink
"For almost ten years after his regeneration the writer never doubted that the "body" spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12 had reference to "the Church Universal." This was taught him by those known as "Plymouth Brethren," which is found in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, and is widely accepted by evangelicals and prophetic students.
"Not until God brought him among Southern Baptists (a high privilege for which he will ever be deeply thankful) did he first hear the above view challenged. But it was difficult for him to weigh impartially an exposition which meant the refutation of a teaching received from men highly respected, to say nothing of confessing he had held an altogether erroneous concept so long, and had allowed himself to read 1 Corinthians 12 (and similar passages) through other men's spectacles.
"However, of late, the writer has been led to make a prayerful and independent study of the subject for himself, with the result that he is obliged to renounce his former view as utterly untenable and unscriptural.
"The Authorized Version of 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads as follows: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into the body" - concerning this we shall have more to say later on. On 1 Corinthians 12 Dr. Scofield, in his Reference Bible, has this to say: "Chapter 12 concerns the Spirit in relation to the body of Christ. This relation is twofold:
"(1) The baptism with the Spirit forms the Body by uniting believers to Christ, the risen and glorified Head, and to each other (verses 12, 13). The symbol of the Body thus formed is the natural, human body (v. 12), and all the analogies are freely used (vs. 14-26).
(2) To each believer is given a spiritual enablement and capacity for specific service," etc., etc. In capitalizing the word "body" Dr. Scofield unquestionably has in mind "the Church Universal." Should there be any doubt upon this point it is at once dispelled by a reference to the notes of Dr. Scofield on Hebrews 12:23 - "The true church, composed of the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the First Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52,) united together and to Christ by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13), is the Body of which He is the Head." It is to be noted that in both places the Doctor speaks of "the baptism with the Spirit," but in 1 Corinthians 12:13 there is no mention made at all of any baptism "with" the Holy Spirit, either in the English or in the Greek; such is merely a figment of the Doctor's imagination.
"The Revised Version of 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads thus: "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body." We believe this is much better and a more accurate translation of the Greek than the Authorized Version rendering. But we have one fault to find with the Revised Version rendering too. The capitalizing of the word "spirit" (pneumatic) is utterly misleading, and while it is well nigh impossible to get the real meaning of the verse.
"For the benefit of those who do not read the New Testament in the Greek, we may say that in the language in which the New Testament was originally written there are no capital letters used, except at the beginning of a book or paragraph. Pneuma is always written in the Greek with a small "s," and it is a question of exposition and interpretation, not of translation in any wise, whether a small "s" or a capital "S" is to be used each instance where the word for spirit is used. In many instances it is translated with a small "s" - spirit (Matthew 5:3; Romans 1:4; 1:9; 1 Corinthians 2:11; 5:3; etc.).
"In others, where the Holy Spirit of God is referred to, a capital is rightly employed. Furthermore, the Greek word pneuma is used not only to denote sometimes the Holy Spirit of God, and at others the spirit of man (as contra-distinguished from his soul and body), but it is also employed psychologically; we read of "the spirit (neuma) of meekness" (1 Corinthians 4:21), and of "the spirit (neuma) of cowardice" (2 Timothy 1:7), etc. Again, in Philippians 1:27 we read "stand fast in one spirit." Here "spirit" has the force of oneness of thought, accord, object.
"Note that in Philippians 1:27 the Greek for "in one spirit" is precisely the same in every respect, as the Greek at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12:13, and in Philippians 1:27 even the translators of the Authorized Version have used only a small "s" for "spirit" - as they most certainly ought to have done in 1 Corinthians 12:13.
"One other point concerning the Greek: The preposition translated "by" in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is "en,"
which is translated in the New Testament "among" 114 times, "by" 142, "with" 139, "in" 1,863 times.
"Comment is needless. "In one spirit were we all baptized" should be the rendering of 1 Corinthians 12:13.
"The "baptism" here is not Holy Spirit baptism at all, but water baptism.
"Note: whenever we read of "baptism" in the New Testament
without anything in the verse or context which expressly describes it (as in Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:5, etc.),
it is always water baptism which is in view.
