From 1 Corinthians 12-14
God has given his people many varied gifts with the intention that they use them to serve him and one another. Sadly gifts can be used to glorify oneself or put down others. The next three chapters are all about spiritual gifts, which ones to want the most and in what spirit God’s people should use them.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Today’s passage is an introduction to these chapters.
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts [persons], brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12.1-3)
‘Spiritual gifts’. The term could also mean ‘spiritual people’ inferring the person is the gift just as the gift or skill God has given them. Paul feels they need to learn more about them. To apply them in a godly way.
Do you have a spiritual gift? Do you consider yourself a gift for others?
‘Pagans’. Paul reminds them of their former lives and pursuits. They worshiped idols. This is mean’t to humble them.
‘Jesus is Lord’. It is also to remind them of their common gift of the Spirit who led them to believe and confess who Jesus is.
In this way Paul unites his audience in memory of where they came from and their common bond in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Cor 12.4-6)
‘Varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit’. Among them they have a variety of different gifts, service and activities. Sadly this may cause division and conflict. But Paul reminds them they all share the same Spirit, who enables them to know and confess Jesus is Lord and the same God who empowers all their gifts.
Paul’s understanding of the church consists of unity and diversity.
Do you think this is a good thing? Is it easy to embrace diversity in the church?
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
- 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
- 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits,
- to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Cor 12.7-11)
‘Manifestation of the Spirit’. Paul gives a big long list of gifts (cf. 1 Cor 12.28-30; Rom 12.6-8; Eph 4.11-13). The length of the list suggests there is wondrous variety.
God gives these gifts for the common good. Not for ourselves.
The first group are mentioned in chapters 1-4. The second two groups are mentioned in the next couple chapters. These gifts are particularly prized by the Corinthians.
‘Empowered’. Paul wants them to know they are all given by God. They cannot claim to have them through their own piety or wisdom or desire. They are also empowered by God. They cannot claim they use them in their own strength.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor 12.12-13)
‘One body’, ‘many members’. Again Paul focuses on the unity and diversity in the church. He wants the Corinthians to appreciate it.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Cor 12.14-20)
‘Many parts, yet one body’. Paul aware of the varieties of the gifts in the Corinthian church urges them to consider the value of their own gifts and not to disqualify themselves from membership in the church because they do not have another.
Do you ever feel you do not belong because you don’t have a certain gift? Were not meant to be all the same.
‘God arranged the members’. They need one another to perform different functions. This is how God intended it to be.
Paul reminds us about our common bond in the Spirit. No one can believe and confess Jesus is Lord without the gift of the Spirit.
God gives his church a variety of wondrous gifts in order that we may serve him and one another. These gifts are not from ourselves or even powered under our own strength. We should be humble because they are not intrinsic to ourselves. We should depend on his empowerment, because they cannot continue under our own strength.
Some may feel they do not fit in because they do not have a gift others have. No Christian should be made to feel inadequate because they lack a certain gift.
Rather we need to develop a keen appreciation for the unity we have in Christ and the diversity of people and gifts he has drawn together into his kingdom.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2016. All Rights Reserved.
