1 Corinthians 12 (WEB)
Dr. House explains the ecstatic worship at the Oracle of Delphi and religion of Apollo at the Greek site of Delphi.
Well, what you see in the background of where I am is the Temple of Apollo here at Delphi in the mountains of Greece.
And this is a very famous site that goes back more than 3,000 years.
And the famous Oracle of Delphi was here.
Now, the Oracle was not obviously that old.
There was a different Oracle from time to time as the person aged and they moved off the scene.
But the Oracle of Delphi is famous not only in the Greek world, but all the way over into the ancient Near Eastern area, and even over toward the west in places like Italy and Spain.
What is significant about Delphi is that this is the place where the god Apollo was viewed to have an individual who had special insight.
Now you may remember that Apollo was the god of wisdom, the god of prophecy, and so when individuals wanted insight into their future or some kind of insight into the world itself,
they sought Apollo.
This is similar to what you have with Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who is the patron deity of the city of Athens named after her.
But Apollo, he is famous also for being down in Corinth, where you had an emphasis upon prophecy and tongue speaking and visions and ecstasy, and his major shrine being here in the mountains of Greece at Delphi.
What has been found out over the years is information about what went on here.
We know in looking below at the temple, there was a, geologically had been found, a reservoir of gases that were there.
And you had the oracle, no doubt affected by the gaseous vapors, sent her into a sense of ecstasy.
Oftentimes people would come here for information about their future or what to do in some kind of situation, either family or more likely political in nature.
You would have the oracle consulted through a prophet who would convey the question, and the oracle then, based on basically the high that she had, would then give an ecstatic kind of utterance, say speaking in tongues as it were,
that then would be interpreted by the prophet of the oracle, and the individual then would have the wisdom as to what to do.
As the oracle, sometimes called the Python or Python, the snake, the eye, the symbol in the Greek world for wisdom.
I don't have any idea whether that actually is traced some way back to the scriptures, in the garden, in which the serpent is presented as someone offering wisdom to Adam and Eve, whether that's the beginnings of it all or how it formed.
But nonetheless, that was the view here in Greece.
And so this location, which has temples, has a stadium where you had… athletic competitions of one of the four different ones they had in Greece, a major one being Olympia, then of course you have the one at the Isthmian, and down in here at Delphi too.
On the other side of this theater here is in fact the stadium, which is somewhat high in the mountains here.
There's concern about rockfall up there now, so they don't really open that up to the public anymore for fear of some kind of injury.
But this is a beautiful area of Greece.
Certainly lots of things occurred here down below.
They had a treasury.
They collected money for the religion of Apollo by various places, even as far away as France.
People bringing money to this area.
And then various other temples of different deities are here.
And today there's a great museum that you can go see, and you can find many things important to archaeological and Graeco-Roman studies, also a little biblical.
Because you have a statue in the museum here of, not a statue but I should say an inscription of, the Roman provincial governor Gallio, who is mentioned in the book of Acts in Acts chapter 18 as being the person in charge of the Achaea area of Greece.
1Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6There are various kinds of workings, but the same God who works all things in all. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. 11But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
12For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. 16If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? 18But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. 19If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20But now they are many members, but one body. 21The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” 22No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty, 24while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, 25that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.