Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12
In modern times one of the great divisions of
the church has been over spiritual gifts. Lines in the sand tend
to harden over time; there are church groups today who claim
that you must be able to speak in tongues, or you’re not
a real Christian. This is a gross misinterpretation of the
Scripture.
Likewise, there are those who hold that no
spiritual gifts exist today, as they could only be given by the
Apostles. This too is incorrect; they are gifts – of the Spirit.
Which, by the way, explains why they are so
inconsistent in church history. God gives them as He pleases,
not as we demand them.
The situation in the early church was
somewhat different, which accounts for Paul’s introduction to
the subject.
The unity of the church
(1 Cor 12:1-11 NIV) Now about spiritual
gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. {2} You know
that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced
and led astray to mute idols. {3} Therefore I tell you 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. {5} There are different kinds of service, but the same
Lord. {6} There are different kinds of working, but the same God
works all of them in all men. {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 the message of wisdom, to
another the 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 gives them to each one,
just as he determines.
You need to place yourself in their time. In
those days people were very familiar with those who were demon
possessed. (Speak to a third world missionary about this
subject; it can be very enlightening). Their common experience
was that someone who was demon possessed would give off oracular
advice – which people paid for, quite liberally. This was the
technique used to keep the idol worshipers coming back to the
temples.
Paul, like Christ, rebukes these demons and
tells them to be quiet. He would not have the word of God rely
on the testimony of demons. This tells us something about them:
they lie a lot. So how do we tell the difference between a true
Christian, speaking with the gift of the Spirit, and someone who
is demon possessed? After all, the demons testified to Christ –
in terror.
The answer Paul gives is found in the formula
above. In short, you’re either with Christ or against him, and
the difference will soon be plain.
Different, but equal
Paul is still discoursing on his prime theme,
the unity of the church. He shows us this in three ways:
·
He says they are different
gifts – not something we earned, gifts. If you
get a different gift from God, why are you jealous?
·
Perhaps you think it’s
because God loves the other fellow more than he loves
you. So Paul tells us there are different kinds of
service. The implication is clear: it’s not just a gift,
it’s a service – which implies hard work. Are you
jealous of the other man’s workload?
·
He then tells us there are
different kinds of working. The word used is the one
from which we get our word “energy.” In short, different
gifts, different service because we each have our own
differing capacity to work.
But all three are from the same source: the
Holy Spirit.
Classification
In this section he lists both miraculous and
non-miraculous gifts, without distinguishing importance. The
non-miraculous gifts – see if these were what you had in mind
when you heard the phrase “spiritual gifts”:
·
The “message of wisdom” –
the ability to proclaim wisdom to the people.
·
The “message of knowledge” –
the ability to proclaim knowledge to the people.
·
Faith – which most of us
think is worked at and earned, is here described as a
gift.
The miraculous gifts are here too:
·
Healing – for the body
·
Prophecy – for the soul
·
Distinguishing between
spirits – somebody has to tell the true from the false.
·
Tongues – not the exclusive
meaning of “spiritual gifts.”
·
“Miraculous powers” – just
in case we forgot anything.
Again, all of these are from the Spirit. Why
does Paul point this out to us?
·
First, that the church
should be united
·
Second, that no one should
be jealous of the gifts of another.
Do you not see it? To be jealous of the gifts
of another – that is to challenge the decision God made in
giving those gifts. Perhaps this is why he does not choose to
give them so freely in our time.
The Great Analogy – the body
We now come to Paul’s superb illustration:
the body as the model of the church.
(1 Cor 12:12-26 NIV) The body is a unit,
though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are
many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. {13} For we were
all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or
Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to
drink. {14} Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
{15} If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not
belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be
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 cease to be 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 arranged 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
combined the members of the body and has given 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.
Fundamental equality
Nothing so confuses American Christians as
the phrase, “equality.” It does not mean “interchangeable.” See
how Paul justifies it here:
·
We all have the same Spirit
– therefore we are equal before God.
·
We all went through the same
baptism - the same entrance ritual – so therefore we
must all have been admitted to the same status.
·
We all have one Spirit “to
drink” – a clear reference to the streams of living
water our Lord said would flow out of him. We are of the
same Lord.
Mutually dependent
Not only are we equal, we are mutually
dependent. We are not a gaggle of interchangeable parts; we need
each other.
·
If we did not have each
other, the church could not survive. None of us can do
all the things the church is tasked to do.
·
In the process, we cover
each others failings. If I’m not good at one task,
someone else will be appointed to take care of it.
·
We not only cover each
others failings, we depend upon each others strengths.
As you cover my weakness you can profit from my
strength.
The absurdity of disharmony
To make the point absolutely clear, Paul now
shows the absurdity of doing the opposite. It’s a great word
picture; it also shows us some of our failings.
·
First, you cannot be all
things in the church – and you will look foolish if you
try.
·
If you step outside your
assigned task, you make things worse. (Stick to your
work).
·
If you want it to go well,
then work together.
·
Depend upon the Spirit for
your proper reward, for God will reward all according to
their opportunity.
Get the point?
Paul has been at pains in this section to be
both clear – and inoffensive.
·
He has tried his best to
exalt “the feet” – the humble – so that they will know
they’re on the team too, rewarded for their tasks as
well.
·
He has also tried to humble
“the eye” – the proud – so that pride will not interfere
with the work of the church.
The objective of all this: as ever, the unity
of the church.
The body of Christ
Paul now makes it explicit: the church is not
just “a body” – it’s the body of Christ.
(1 Cor 12:27-31 NIV) Now you are the body of
Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. {28} And in the
church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having
gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of
administration, and those speaking in 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} But
eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the
most excellent way.
Paul explicitly tells them: you are the body
of Christ. Why?
·
First, to bring home the
power of the analogy he has just drawn – to complete the
application. (The teacher appreciates technique).
·
Second, so you will
understand that you are members in the old sense of the
word – functioning parts, equal but different.
·
Finally, so that you will
understand that the church is not a hierarchy or
building, but the people of God.
The order of the gifts
God has appointed these gifts. Paul has
enumerated them; the order is therefore significant.
First, there are the spiritual gifts – those
that deal with spiritual leadership.
·
At the top, as is proper, is
the office of the Apostle. This is the one to whom is
entrusted the writing of much of the Scripture.
·
Next we find the prophet –
either the one who foretells the future or the one who
“forthtells” righteousness.
·
Last – in the first group –
are the teachers. These are with us yet today.
Next are the gifts which assist others. You
will see the same pattern here; the miraculous, transient gifts
come first, as they bring glory to God.
·
Miracle workers are first –
it is a generic category.
·
Specifically, those who heal
are next
·
But – for those who don’t
have miraculous gifts – there is the gift of helping
others.
Interesting, isn’t it? Not an Apostle or a
prophet? The gift of teaching stands. Not one who can work
miracles, or heal miraculously? The gift of helping still
stands.
Finally – almost as an afterthought – Paul
lists two more gifts.
·
Administration – the gift of
running the church.
·
Tongues.
It seems almost curious that of all the gifts
listed, in a list in which the order is specified by number,
tongues comes last – though many today would make it first.
What shall we do?
It seems that no lesson should go by without
answering that question. Just what’s the point of all this? The
point has to do with your desires.
That which you desire is a measure of who you
are. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So
what, then, should you desire? What should you treasure?
Paul tells you: the “greater gifts.” What are
these?
·
First among them are the
gifts which lift the body of Christ spiritually – the
gift of Apostle, of prophet (we might say today
preacher) and of teacher.
·
Next – if those are not
within your desires – are the gifts which aid others –
working miracles, healing and the simple gift of helping
others.
·
Finally, tongues and
administration – tongues, which tempt one so much to
showing off, and administration, which tends to
self-importance.
But beyond all these is a greater gift: love.
And that we must take up in the next lesson.
