Many Gifts But One Spirit

There are many gifts but one Spirit; many operations but one Operator!

This teaching is self-evident. There is a perfect Unit behind everything. This original One is the cause of all that follows. The outer is the result of the inner. The inner is One, the outer is many, -- in order that the One may be expressed.

The problem of philosophy is to reconcile the necessary unit to its multiplied effects. We live in a world of things, time, happenings and passing events. All this takes place within the One.

Let us consider the element of time. Time is the

(page 164)

measure of an event: it is a sequence of events in that which is a unitary whole. God is timeless, that is, He exists from eternity to eternity. Things come and go. God, the Timeless, enters time in order that He may be expressed. Without time there could be no expression of the Timeless, therefore, time is as necessary to God as to man.

We will now consider matter. All material forms come from one original substance which is the stuff of every diversified form. One substance but many forms. Unless this one substance were broken into many forms, the formless could not be expressed; and as it is the nature of Being to be expressed, there must be different forms; many operations but one Operator.

There are many spirits, but only one Spirit; many personalities but only one universal Person. Many men but one God. No one man completely expresses the Infinite; each expresses some gift of the higher life; all, together, comprise generic man, which is Christ. All are members of Christ as branches; all belong to one trunk. And Christ is God's.

"All made to drink into one Spirit."

All derive life from the one source of life. All drink from one fountain and since this is the fountain of life Itself there is enough and to spare. Each takes what he can hold. He cannot take more.

We are all of one body. The entire creation is the body of the Infinite. Each is an individual member of this one body, "by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body."

(page 165)

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;

And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child;

But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face:

Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I CORINTHIANS -- Thirteen.

(page 166)