Note 10 at 1Co 12:6: The word "operations" was translated from the Greek word "ENERGEMA," and this Greek word means "an effect" (Strong's Concordance). Fritz Rienecker's "Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament" says this Greek word means "performance.... These are the results or effects of the working through energy" (p. 428). Some different translations of this word are "varieties of things accomplished" (The Berkeley Version), "results differ" (Twentieth Century New Testament), and "there are varieties of effects" (New American Standard Bible). All of these renderings point to the meaning that the same gift operating through different people can get different results.

People who fail to understand this simple truth have criticized others who claimed to have the same gift as them yet didn't use it the same way, or got different results. They made the mistake of thinking that if someone else had the same gift that they had, then it would work exactly the same way. That thinking is wrong. The same Lord can administer the same gift through different people and get different results.

Note 11 at 1Co 12:6: The Trinity is clearly referred to in these verses. 1Co 12:4 says these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:5 says Jesus administers the gifts. 1Co 12:6 says God the Father is the one who is at work through the gifts.

Note 12 at 1Co 12:6: Paul was saying that God is the one working all these gifts in all people ("The same God works all of them in all men," New International Version). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are directly in control of all the gifts of the Spirit, so people are not free to do "their own thing" with these gifts. The use of the gifts has to conform to the instructions the Lord was giving through Paul (see note 3 at 1Co 12:2 and note 6 at 1Co 12:4).