"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ."
- 1 Peter 2:5
Paul told the church of Corinth, "And I brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ" (1 Cor. 3:1). Later on in chapter twelve, he says: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant" (1 Cor. 12:1). Here we find the word "gifts" italicized, which according to various scholars means it was added by the translators and was not a part of the original Greek. If we were to read it like it should read it would say: "Now concerning spiritual, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." This ties us right back to Paul words in chapter two and chapter three where he first mentions this word "spiritual."
According to the Greek concordance the word for "spiritual" is PNEUMATIKOS. It is actually a word that is completely distinctive of this period, what we call the church age. It was never used in the gospels. In fact, it is a post-Pentecost word. It has to do with the intricate workings of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has always worked among men, but he was never really addressed as the person that he is. Men thought of him as an emanation of God, an invisible force behind his power and presence. Not only was he never addressed as a person, he was never characterized as possessing his own mind, will, and emotions. That is not discovered unto we come over into the New Testament (Rom. 8:27, 1 Cor. 12:11, and Eph. 4:30).
When Jesus informed his disciples about the Holy Spirit coming to be their PARACLETE he introduced him with a proper pronoun. He said, "When he is come..." (John 16:13). This introduction enabled them to see the Holy Spirit in a whole new light. What Jesus was doing was not only giving him the recognition he deserved as being a significance part of the Godhead, but he was identifying him as the new facilitator and administrator of the work of God in the earth, someone they could build a personal relationship with to help them carry out the mission he was about to hand over to them. That's why he told them, "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit was obviously in their midst, but he hadn't come to function in the capacity that he was about to.
Many fail to realize that the church age could actually be called, the age of PNEUMATIKOS. In other words, the entire age is to be marked by the administration of the Holy Spirit, and it is to be detailed by our involvement with him. "Spiritual" is the sacred work wrought between our spirit and the Holy Spirit. Before this administration came into existence we were destitute of life, shut out from a place of intimacy with the Father. The Holy Spirit came to work among men as God's silent partner, but now that we have come into this dispensation God has purposefully turned over all earthly affairs to him. It is not in the interest of heaven nor should it be in our interest to leave the PARACLETE to remain working behind the scenes. He is to take center stage and function with full executive and administrative power within the church.
All the tools and equipment for us to function with supernatural abilities come under his jurisdiction. If we don't recognize the full administrative role he holds then how are we to successful carry out our duties? It is up to us to make the connection with the Holy Spirit so that we can get back to the business of operating the economy of heaven on earth just like the disciples did in the Book of Acts!
Ignorance to what is "spiritual" has been the diminishing factor of the power within the church. That is the reason why it is so important that we learn how to flow under the Holy Spirit's administrative orders. He knows what it takes to bring us into the supernatural!
Acts chapter four tells us that when the disciples were being threatened that they gathered together and prayed until the place where they were assembled shook under the power of heaven. All those who were present were filled with the Holy Spirit. What is so amazing with what occurred is that by allowing the Holy Spirit to fully possess them they came into a new level of grace. The scripture actually reads: "And great grace came upon them all!" (Acts 4:31-33). There are levels of grace available to us to work in if we will come to honor what is spiritual, if we will recognize the full administrative power given to the Holy Spirit. If we want to see an increase in grace then we must do as Jesus did, "waxing strong in Spirit...and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40).
