Paul continues this letter from ‘chapter 11’ teaching the Corinthian holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God) who they are in Christ and how they should behave themselves.
I Corinthians 12:1:
12:1But concerning the spiritual-things, brothers, I do not intend you to not-know.
I do not intend you to be unknowing (I do not will, with active volition and desire, that you are ignorant, unaware) concerning the spiritual-things. Paul did not wait until he physically arrived in Corinth to tell them – he wanted them to know this information about the spiritual-things (those matters belonging-to, determined-by, influenced-by and proceeding-from spirit). Spiritual things include God Who is Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ who has his spiritual body, and the gift of holy spirit which every holy-person has graciously received from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians chapters 12-14 include many details about spiritual things and how we holy-people should behave ourselves. Chapter 12 emphasizes from where and in connection with whom holy-people receive spiritual things. Chapter 13 emphasizes our attitude, motivation, and enthusiasm when manifesting spiritual things. Chapter 14 emphasizes our objective, goal, and focus when we assemble together in a group.
And again, Paul addresses the Corinthian holy-people as "brothers" thus reminding them that they all, including himself, had the same holy spirit-life within them which they received when they first believed what God has given mankind to believe regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:8-10). They were all children of God.
Verses 2 and 3:
.2You knew2 that when (you were) Gentiles you used-to-be being led-away towards the idols, the soundless (idols), as ever you used-to-be led; .3on-which-account I make-known to you that not-one-person uttering-forth in (the) spirit of God says, "Cursed-offering Jesus," and not-one-person is able to say, "Lord Jesus" except in holy spirit.
You Corinthian holy-people knew and you still know (perceive, see) that when you were Gentiles (belonging to people of nations other-than Israel before you believed what God says and therefore before you received the gift of holy spirit) you were continually being led (directed, conducted, conveyed) away towards the idols (for the purpose of approaching and being with the idols), emphatically the idols which are soundless, in whatever way you were continually being led.
No matter what manner or under what pretext you were being led (in all different directions), from God's viewpoint all of you were being led-away from where God wanted you to be towards idols which were without sound, no voice to communicate with you. The idols could not communicate to/with you on the level of communication which all holy-people have available to them to/with God and the Lord Jesus Christ! An attempt was being made spiritually by satan (the devil) to usurp the place of the only true God in your minds and bodies and in your everyday lives and you just followed them, but these dumb idols did not give you or lead you to God's Word.
[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
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