Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12v1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
1 Corinthians 14v1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy
Firstly we see here that God does not want us to be ignorant concerning spiritual Gifts. It's Gods desire that we all have a working knowledge about spiritual gifts. He wants every person to operate in the gifts. So every Christian should know what the various gifts are. We should understand their importance to the body, and there relevance to meetings.
But we also see that God wants us to desire them. He wants us to want them. In these chapters we will discover why He wants us to have them. What is the benefit? Who benefits? And we will discover the "launch pad" for the gifts.
Chapter 12v1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore 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. 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 12The 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. 13For 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. 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If 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. 16And 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. 17If 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? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while 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, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And 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. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Chapter 13v1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Chapter 14v1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
As we already said, God wants us to know about and operate in the gifts.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
We see that there is only one gift giver. God Himself gives gifts through the Holy Spirit. They all come from God. They serve the body, which we will look at a bit more.
Look at this important verse : . 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
We see here that the gifts are given to each one. That means that everyone has gifts. This is good news. Every one of us can experience the manifestation of God, and every one of us should, can and will have spiritual gifts.
8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to 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.
What are the gifts?
There are 9 gifts listed here. Were going to mention them, but not go into too much detail about what they are. This is an overview of the gifts. Well look at each one in more detail later.
Can you spot them?
message of wisdom
message of knowledge
another faith
to another gifts of healing
10to 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.
This is not all the gifts there are others, but 9 are listed here.
Verses 12-29 talk about the body, and how every part of the body is indispensable. In order for a body to be well and healthy, it's needs all it's parts to be in working order, and to be working well. Imagine you had six arms and no legs? So we need all the gifts in operation. Generally speaking were unbalanced in gifts, having more of some that others. We need to be well balanced, which means a greater degree of some that we lack…Where are we strong? Where are we weak?
The truth of the matter, and God designed it this way…in order to be a healthy Christian, and a healthy body, we need each other. I need your gifts, and you need mine. The body needs your gifts and the body needs mine.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 14v26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
Chapter 13 is the launch pad for the gifts…what is it? It's love. We love eachother, and desire all of Gods best for eachother. We desire encounters with God for eachother. We desire God to speak to eachother. We desire health for eachother. We desire guidance for eachother. We desire wellness and healing and all good things for eachother. Why? We love each other.
We don't want or use gifts for ourselves, it's for the strengthening of eachother, and ultimately for His bride. It's a service to Jesus born out of love for one another. This is important. We don't want power, and knowledge, so we look good, no…it's all for eachother, and for His glory, and His church. It's important to keep the heart straight here.
It's also very important to note that this passage also talks about gifts reaching out to the unbeliever. These gifts are also tools for salvation. They are not just for the church.
Chapter 14v1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts
Lets follow the way of love. In other words, lets desire the gifts that build one another up. Build the church up. Gifts that reach out to a dying hurting world.
To summarize:
We are not to be ignorant about the gifts.
We are to desire the gifts.
We are to have and use the gifts.
They are given by the Holy Spirit.
They strengthen the church.
They are a tool for salvations
They are used because we love.
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