FRIDAY
It would be a terrible dereliction of duty on my part if I were to not include the biblical teaching on the gifts of the Spirit within this topic of empowerment for ministry. Before we dive into spiritual gifts, I’ve noticed a trend in my own thinking and among my generation—we tend not to talk about spiritual gifts as much. I think there are a couple of reasons for that.
- The topic of spiritual gifts was a common topic in the church of my youth. That being the case, I tend to assume that everyone knows about them or I tend towards viewing them as less interesting because they were so commonly discussed.
- With the emergence of Christian psychology (a good thing, no doubt) we tend to put more of our focus on that as the shiny new toy and talk more about personalities and skills.
That said, the spiritual gifts are an essential part of the ministry of the church that we cannot afford to overlook. In fact, it is primarily through these gifts that we are to engage in the ministry of the local church.
For today we are going to read through all of 1 Corinthians 12.
As we read there are a few things to notice:
- No one person has all the gifts; no one gift is given to all believers. The point is that we need each other in the church. (v. 29-30)
- The Spirit distributes them as He wills. We can’t pick which gift we receive. (v. 11)
- The gifts are to be employed for the edification of the church, not for personal exaltation. (v. 7)
- No recipient is intrinsically “less than” any other recipient. We all need each other. (v. 21-26)
- We should desire the gifts that edify the church the most. Paul is writing this in the context of the church over-valuing the gift of tongues. Tongues don’t really edify the church very much, so they should desire the greater gifts, he says. (v. 31)
I’m not applying this too much today because we will discuss it in our “Holy Spirit 101” course. In that course, we will take an inventory on the spiritual gifts and help you discern your gifts.
1 Corinthians 12 1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.