Hays on 1 Corinthians 12

“Not everything that presents itself as “spiritual” is consonant with the gospel. As “spirituality” becomes a buzzword in shopping –mall bookstores, Christians would do well to question which voices are really inspired by the Spirit of God and which seek to lead us astray to idols (v. 2). The simple criterion set forth by Paul in verse 3 is a good place to begin the discernment process. Those who confess that Jesus is Lord are speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit; those who deny his lordship are not speaking by the Spirit of God. Of course, this simple criterion will not resolve all questions, but it may at least awaken our congregations to the need for critical discernment.”

. . .

“The danger in the church today, on the other hand, is that we will slide imperceptibly into a generic, self-indulgent religiosity in which anything that comes to us under the guise of “religion” will be uncritically embraced. The simple confession “Jesus is Lord” remains the Spirit-inspired watchword that separates the work of the Holy Spirit from the work of deceiving spirits. At the same time, this confession unites the church at the most basic level. In the midst of serious disagreements within the church, we must recognize that all those who share the confession of Jesus’ lordship are our brothers and sisters to whom we are bound by the one Spirit.”

Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians, Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox, 1997), 218.