Neville Goddard on 1 Corinthians 12:28 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Corinthians 12 in context

Scripture Focus

28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28

Biblical Context

Paul states that God places various gifts in the church in a specific order: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governance, and tongues. These gifts signify inner abilities and dispositions you can cultivate, not merely external offices.

Neville's Inner Vision

Within the 'church' you read of, see an inner architecture—an arrangement of your own consciousness. The 'first apostles' are not men in robes but states of faith that place you on a path; the 'secondarily prophets' are the inner visions that reveal what is possible; the 'thirdly teachers' is the mind that explains truth to itself; 'after that miracles' is the alignment of your inner will with possibility; 'gifts of healings' are the power to restore harmony by changing the vibration you accept as real in body and life; 'helps' are the supporting faculties that cooperate with your aim; 'governments' is the discipline you exercise over thoughts and desires; and 'diversities of tongues' are the unique expressions of your inner life voiced into form. These are not external jobs but interchangeable states of consciousness you may occupy. God is the I AM behind every act; imagination is the instrument by which you order your life. When you dwell in, and feel as if you already are, one of these states, the outer world follows suit, transforming to reflect the inner pattern you assume.

Practice This Now

Imaginative_act: Choose one gift and assume you already possess it; feel it fully as your present reality. Maintain that state for a few minutes and notice how your outer circumstances begin to align with the inner pattern.