So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
To come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord means to be enriched by Christ in all utterance and knowledge, with His testimony confirmed within, so that nothing needed for life and work is lacking while living in expectation of His return and in fellowship with Him. What was spoken to Corinth belongs not to Corinth only but to all in every place who call on Christ, even to God's people now until the end of time. The waiting church is therefore to lack no spiritual gift, for the gifts placed for edification continue to the end as a special outpouring of the Spirit, bringing the testimony of Jesus as the spirit of prophecy to the remnant who keep God's commandments while waiting for Christ. God is faithful to sustain and confirm His people blameless to the day of Christ, calling them into the fellowship of His Son where they speak the same thing with no divisions and advance toward His purity and holiness. That waiting is a life of faith and comfort amid increasing trouble, marking truly converted souls who put truth into practice, labor unitedly, reshape character after the divine model, and stand prepared with sins put away.
Words and Corinthian Setting
The verse describes believers enriched by Christ in all utterance or speech and in knowledge through the grace given by Jesus Christ. That enrichment comes as the testimony of Christ is confirmed or made firm in them. To come behind in no gift is to lack no spiritual gift, no good gift, and no grace needed for life and work. It includes lacking nothing needed to do the God-given work of reshaping character after the divine model in cooperation with heavenly intelligences.
Waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is living in expectation of His return while remaining in fellowship with Him. The gifts belong to that life of expectation. At Corinth this described people who had received the truth under Paul's ministry and taught it to others, who had been brought into near and dear relation to Christ, and who had received spiritual gifts.
What was said to Corinth belongs not to Corinth only but to all in every place who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. It applies to Christians until the end of time, since every Christian may share the enrichment, the confirmed testimony, and the lacking of no gift while waiting. It belongs to God's people now, who come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gifts Continue Until Coming
The church that waits for the second coming of Christ is to come behind in no spiritual gift, for the gifts placed in the church for its edification and instruction continue to the end of time. They enrich in knowledge and utterance and unite and prepare believers for His coming while they look for Him and put these truths into practice. The waiting and the coming and the end spoken of around this promise point to the future end of the age, not to things finished within the lifetime of the Corinthian believers, so the promise belongs to Christians waiting for His return.
The verse is a clear prophecy of a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, so that the church at the time of Christ's appearing has the testimony of Jesus during its closing experience. That testimony of Christ by which believers are enriched is the spirit of prophecy and includes all the gifts of the one Spirit.
What took place at Corinth is the pattern for the last generation of the church on earth, the remnant who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. When that remnant is fully confirmed in the testimony, with Christ's testimony confirmed in them, they will lack no spiritual gift while waiting for Christ's coming. This fullness will be theirs even while war is made against them because of their obedience and their testimony.
Christ Confirms and Unites
God is faithful to sustain His people and confirm them to the end, so that they may stand blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those enriched in all speech and knowledge by grace given through Jesus Christ, with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them, come behind in no gift while waiting for His coming. That waiting is looking forward to Christ's return while remaining in fellowship with Him, and it belongs to a life of faith that brings comfort amid increasing trouble. When the Holy Spirit molds and fashions mind and heart, believers give heartfelt thanksgiving for this enrichment and confirmation. He sends grace and peace from God the Father and from Himself, and is willing and even anxious to bless believers so that they may be a blessing to others, for He died for the ungodly while they were still sinners.
Believers are called by God into the fellowship of His Son, and that calling places wonderful possibilities and probabilities within reach of all who believe. For those united with Christ those possibilities become real experience. That fellowship means obeying the will of God to speak the same thing with no divisions among them, but being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. God entrusts different gifts to different servants to be blended together in His work without contentions and divisions. This expectant waiting belongs in the churches to be read and carried into practice in fellowship with Christ and in abounding love toward one another.
The gifts belong with being sanctified in Christ Jesus and with a fruitful Christian life. The church that received gifts of the Holy Spirit was called to keep advancing in the Christian life toward the purity and holiness of Christ. What was true at Corinth in enrichment in Christ in every respect, in speech and knowledge and in lacking no gift, applies not to Corinth only but to all of God's people until the end of time. Every Christian may enjoy this sanctification.
God supplies believers with every gift they need while they wait for the coming of the Lord, and heavenly intelligences wait to cooperate with each human agent in reshaping character after the divine model, leaving each person to choose whether to do this God-given work or to shape character after the worldly pattern. Those gifts include physical, mental, and moral powers, together with the advantages Christ provides through His way of life, the light of truth, and the Holy Spirit, given to fit believers for service and to overcome the powers of darkness, yet they must improve their abilities and cooperate with God rather than neglect opportunity. He has made ample provision for His people to stand perfect in His grace, lacking no spiritual gift and wanting in nothing while waiting for the appearing of the Lord, and to be complete in His grace in readiness for that day by putting away sin while probation lingers and living in the light of God's standard. That provision is through Christ, whom God spared not but delivered to death for offenses and raised again for justification, so that through Him the unworthy may present petitions at the throne of grace, obtain all spiritual blessings, and have life.
Comfort While Waiting
Those who wait for the coming of the Lord are enriched in Christ and lack no gift as they wait. That waiting belongs to a life of faith, and it is a source of comfort amid increasing trouble. It is an assurance and comfort for God's people in trouble, giving comfort and encouragement to God's children. Christ will confirm His people to the end, so that their faith is confirmed as they look toward His return and they may stand blameless in the day of the Lord.
The verse stands among the precious assurances of the first two chapters of Corinthians. Those chapters comfort God's children during trouble, and their faith is to be confirmed as they look toward Christ's return.
Readiness in Life and Service
To come behind in no gift marks the condition of truly converted souls waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those sanctified in Christ Jesus and enriched in all utterance and knowledge are to study the first two chapters of the letter and carry their truths into practice in fellowship with Christ. That expectant waiting belongs in the churches in abounding love toward one another and in speaking the same thing with no divisions but perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment, as part of earnestly proclaiming the second coming and being constantly prepared for it.
The verse belongs to the instruction that brings workers back into right lines while God is leading out a people and preparing them for translation. Those acting a part in this work are to stand as sentinels for God, to labor unitedly, to be willing servants of all, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as the great Exemplar. God entrusts different gifts to different servants to be blended together in His work without contentions and divisions, with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them so they may be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers enriched in Christ in speech and knowledge are to use gifts and knowledge to nourish spiritual life through faithful teaching from God's Word, to cherish love for one another and maintain harmony, thereby strengthening the church and giving the world a good impression of faith. Workers waiting for Christ's appearing are to strive for maturity and develop harmonious character while faithfully using their varied gifts in the work given them.
Coming behind in no gift means God supplies every gift needed while heavenly intelligences wait to cooperate with each human agent in reshaping character according to the divine model. Each person must choose whether to do this God-given work or to shape character after the worldly pattern. For medical missionary work this means being in all its bearings what its name signifies, and for those connected with the sanitarium it means carrying correct principles into action. It means avoiding careless cheap education and unqualified practice, and living with much prayer and sobriety joined with cheerfulness and the sunshine of Christ, watching and constantly praying and guarding every movement of the physician in word and action, with teachers, physicians, and students each realizing individual responsibility on test and trial so God can work with them.
What was spoken to the church of God at Corinth belongs to God's people now waiting in the last days. In that time allowing a wife to occupy second place in the affections and receiving or giving affection outside marriage marks the part the wicked are to act. Those who love and honor God will have Christ take charge of their affections and center them upon proper objects, guarding mind and heart from impurity and standing true as steel to marriage vows in thought, word, and deed. The gifts in which God continually provides so believers do not lack include physical, mental, and moral powers, as well as the advantages Christ provides through the way of life, the light of truth, and the Holy Spirit, given so believers can become fit for service and overcome the powers of darkness. They must improve their abilities and cooperate with God rather than neglect opportunity, cultivating intellect and securing the graces of the Spirit through diligent effort, for connection with God expands and transforms the soul, helps people recognize abilities and responsibilities, and enables wise use of God-given faculties.
Lacking in no gift is the result of the Lord in mercy correcting errors and fitting a person up for His cause. The correction calls for making improvements, and it makes the person a more successful worker, an able workman prepared to take a position and to bear grave responsibilities. Ministers are to be complete in Christ, lacking in no gift and in no grace, so they can present others perfect in Christ. They should press on in seeking greater light and power from God and gaining a thorough knowledge of Scripture, with courage, hope, and perseverance as long as anyone can benefit from their work for souls. That standing perfect in Christ and wanting in nothing requires not seeking supremacy but regarding fellow laborers as workers for God, seeing one's own deficiencies and weakness and seeing errors as far as possible, not to discourage effort but to bring reform and thorough reformation.
Readiness to lack no good gift while waiting for Christ's coming is applied to cheerful giving. Church members are to practice self-denial and economy so they can support the ministry and give to God what is not needed for necessities. God has made ample provision for His people to stand perfect in His grace, lacking no spiritual gift and wanting in nothing, through Christ whom He delivered to death for offenses and raised again for justification, so that through Him the unworthy may present petitions at the throne of grace, obtain all spiritual blessings, and have life. This waiting means being prepared to stand in the day of God by putting away sins now while probation lingers and mercy's voice is still heard and by living in the light of God's standard. It means letting light shine more brightly while moral darkness covers the earth, showing the contrast between Heaven's light and Satan's darkness, and being ready with the wedding garment on, a garment that never covers deceit, impurity, corruption or hypocrisy, because the eye of God is upon all as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and nothing can be hidden from Him.
To come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord means to be enriched by Christ in all utterance and knowledge, with His testimony confirmed within, so that nothing needed for life and work is lacking while living in expectation of His return and in fellowship with Him. What was spoken to Corinth belongs not to Corinth only but to all in every place who call on Christ, even to God's people now until the end of time. The waiting church is therefore to lack no spiritual gift, for the gifts placed for edification continue to the end as a special outpouring of the Spirit, bringing the testimony of Jesus as the spirit of prophecy to the remnant who keep God's commandments while waiting for Christ. God is faithful to sustain and confirm His people blameless to the day of Christ, calling them into the fellowship of His Son where they speak the same thing with no divisions and advance toward His purity and holiness. That waiting is a life of faith and comfort amid increasing trouble, marking truly converted souls who put truth into practice, labor unitedly, reshape character after the divine model, and stand prepared with sins put away.
Words and Corinthian Setting
The verse describes believers enriched by Christ in all utterance or speech and in knowledge through the grace given by Jesus Christ. That enrichment comes as the testimony of Christ is confirmed or made firm in them. To come behind in no gift is to lack no spiritual gift, no good gift, and no grace needed for life and work. It includes lacking nothing needed to do the God-given work of reshaping character after the divine model in cooperation with heavenly intelligences.
Waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is living in expectation of His return while remaining in fellowship with Him. The gifts belong to that life of expectation. At Corinth this described people who had received the truth under Paul's ministry and taught it to others, who had been brought into near and dear relation to Christ, and who had received spiritual gifts.
What was said to Corinth belongs not to Corinth only but to all in every place who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. It applies to Christians until the end of time, since every Christian may share the enrichment, the confirmed testimony, and the lacking of no gift while waiting. It belongs to God's people now, who come behind in no gift while waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gifts Continue Until Coming
The church that waits for the second coming of Christ is to come behind in no spiritual gift, for the gifts placed in the church for its edification and instruction continue to the end of time. They enrich in knowledge and utterance and unite and prepare believers for His coming while they look for Him and put these truths into practice. The waiting and the coming and the end spoken of around this promise point to the future end of the age, not to things finished within the lifetime of the Corinthian believers, so the promise belongs to Christians waiting for His return.
The verse is a clear prophecy of a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, so that the church at the time of Christ's appearing has the testimony of Jesus during its closing experience. That testimony of Christ by which believers are enriched is the spirit of prophecy and includes all the gifts of the one Spirit.
What took place at Corinth is the pattern for the last generation of the church on earth, the remnant who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. When that remnant is fully confirmed in the testimony, with Christ's testimony confirmed in them, they will lack no spiritual gift while waiting for Christ's coming. This fullness will be theirs even while war is made against them because of their obedience and their testimony.
Christ Confirms and Unites
God is faithful to sustain His people and confirm them to the end, so that they may stand blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those enriched in all speech and knowledge by grace given through Jesus Christ, with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them, come behind in no gift while waiting for His coming. That waiting is looking forward to Christ's return while remaining in fellowship with Him, and it belongs to a life of faith that brings comfort amid increasing trouble. When the Holy Spirit molds and fashions mind and heart, believers give heartfelt thanksgiving for this enrichment and confirmation. He sends grace and peace from God the Father and from Himself, and is willing and even anxious to bless believers so that they may be a blessing to others, for He died for the ungodly while they were still sinners.
Believers are called by God into the fellowship of His Son, and that calling places wonderful possibilities and probabilities within reach of all who believe. For those united with Christ those possibilities become real experience. That fellowship means obeying the will of God to speak the same thing with no divisions among them, but being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. God entrusts different gifts to different servants to be blended together in His work without contentions and divisions. This expectant waiting belongs in the churches to be read and carried into practice in fellowship with Christ and in abounding love toward one another.
The gifts belong with being sanctified in Christ Jesus and with a fruitful Christian life. The church that received gifts of the Holy Spirit was called to keep advancing in the Christian life toward the purity and holiness of Christ. What was true at Corinth in enrichment in Christ in every respect, in speech and knowledge and in lacking no gift, applies not to Corinth only but to all of God's people until the end of time. Every Christian may enjoy this sanctification.
God supplies believers with every gift they need while they wait for the coming of the Lord, and heavenly intelligences wait to cooperate with each human agent in reshaping character after the divine model, leaving each person to choose whether to do this God-given work or to shape character after the worldly pattern. Those gifts include physical, mental, and moral powers, together with the advantages Christ provides through His way of life, the light of truth, and the Holy Spirit, given to fit believers for service and to overcome the powers of darkness, yet they must improve their abilities and cooperate with God rather than neglect opportunity. He has made ample provision for His people to stand perfect in His grace, lacking no spiritual gift and wanting in nothing while waiting for the appearing of the Lord, and to be complete in His grace in readiness for that day by putting away sin while probation lingers and living in the light of God's standard. That provision is through Christ, whom God spared not but delivered to death for offenses and raised again for justification, so that through Him the unworthy may present petitions at the throne of grace, obtain all spiritual blessings, and have life.
Comfort While Waiting
Those who wait for the coming of the Lord are enriched in Christ and lack no gift as they wait. That waiting belongs to a life of faith, and it is a source of comfort amid increasing trouble. It is an assurance and comfort for God's people in trouble, giving comfort and encouragement to God's children. Christ will confirm His people to the end, so that their faith is confirmed as they look toward His return and they may stand blameless in the day of the Lord.
The verse stands among the precious assurances of the first two chapters of Corinthians. Those chapters comfort God's children during trouble, and their faith is to be confirmed as they look toward Christ's return.
Readiness in Life and Service
To come behind in no gift marks the condition of truly converted souls waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those sanctified in Christ Jesus and enriched in all utterance and knowledge are to study the first two chapters of the letter and carry their truths into practice in fellowship with Christ. That expectant waiting belongs in the churches in abounding love toward one another and in speaking the same thing with no divisions but perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment, as part of earnestly proclaiming the second coming and being constantly prepared for it.
The verse belongs to the instruction that brings workers back into right lines while God is leading out a people and preparing them for translation. Those acting a part in this work are to stand as sentinels for God, to labor unitedly, to be willing servants of all, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as the great Exemplar. God entrusts different gifts to different servants to be blended together in His work without contentions and divisions, with the testimony of Christ confirmed in them so they may be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers enriched in Christ in speech and knowledge are to use gifts and knowledge to nourish spiritual life through faithful teaching from God's Word, to cherish love for one another and maintain harmony, thereby strengthening the church and giving the world a good impression of faith. Workers waiting for Christ's appearing are to strive for maturity and develop harmonious character while faithfully using their varied gifts in the work given them.
Coming behind in no gift means God supplies every gift needed while heavenly intelligences wait to cooperate with each human agent in reshaping character according to the divine model. Each person must choose whether to do this God-given work or to shape character after the worldly pattern. For medical missionary work this means being in all its bearings what its name signifies, and for those connected with the sanitarium it means carrying correct principles into action. It means avoiding careless cheap education and unqualified practice, and living with much prayer and sobriety joined with cheerfulness and the sunshine of Christ, watching and constantly praying and guarding every movement of the physician in word and action, with teachers, physicians, and students each realizing individual responsibility on test and trial so God can work with them.
What was spoken to the church of God at Corinth belongs to God's people now waiting in the last days. In that time allowing a wife to occupy second place in the affections and receiving or giving affection outside marriage marks the part the wicked are to act. Those who love and honor God will have Christ take charge of their affections and center them upon proper objects, guarding mind and heart from impurity and standing true as steel to marriage vows in thought, word, and deed. The gifts in which God continually provides so believers do not lack include physical, mental, and moral powers, as well as the advantages Christ provides through the way of life, the light of truth, and the Holy Spirit, given so believers can become fit for service and overcome the powers of darkness. They must improve their abilities and cooperate with God rather than neglect opportunity, cultivating intellect and securing the graces of the Spirit through diligent effort, for connection with God expands and transforms the soul, helps people recognize abilities and responsibilities, and enables wise use of God-given faculties.
Lacking in no gift is the result of the Lord in mercy correcting errors and fitting a person up for His cause. The correction calls for making improvements, and it makes the person a more successful worker, an able workman prepared to take a position and to bear grave responsibilities. Ministers are to be complete in Christ, lacking in no gift and in no grace, so they can present others perfect in Christ. They should press on in seeking greater light and power from God and gaining a thorough knowledge of Scripture, with courage, hope, and perseverance as long as anyone can benefit from their work for souls. That standing perfect in Christ and wanting in nothing requires not seeking supremacy but regarding fellow laborers as workers for God, seeing one's own deficiencies and weakness and seeing errors as far as possible, not to discourage effort but to bring reform and thorough reformation.
Readiness to lack no good gift while waiting for Christ's coming is applied to cheerful giving. Church members are to practice self-denial and economy so they can support the ministry and give to God what is not needed for necessities. God has made ample provision for His people to stand perfect in His grace, lacking no spiritual gift and wanting in nothing, through Christ whom He delivered to death for offenses and raised again for justification, so that through Him the unworthy may present petitions at the throne of grace, obtain all spiritual blessings, and have life. This waiting means being prepared to stand in the day of God by putting away sins now while probation lingers and mercy's voice is still heard and by living in the light of God's standard. It means letting light shine more brightly while moral darkness covers the earth, showing the contrast between Heaven's light and Satan's darkness, and being ready with the wedding garment on, a garment that never covers deceit, impurity, corruption or hypocrisy, because the eye of God is upon all as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and nothing can be hidden from Him.