1 Corinthians 12:1-13
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, 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.
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.
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.
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.
The truth about spiritual gifts…
They are easily misunderstood and misappropriated.
(1 Corinthians 12:1)
They often cause disunity and division in the church.
(1 Corinthians 12:1)
They should be desired, discovered, and developed. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 31; cf. 1 Corinthians 14:1, 12, 39;
1 Peter 4:10)
The theology of spiritual gifts…
Believers are immersed in and indwelt by God’s Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 12:13)
God’s Spirit joins believers together to form Jesus’ body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
Believers receive grace from God’s Spirit to make Jesus’ body work right. (1 Corinthians 12:2-31)
Spiritual gifts are the supernatural ways God’s Spirit works through God’s children to make God’s Son look right.
The test for spiritual gifts…
God’s Spirit works through believers to proclaim Jesus’ glory. (1 Corinthians 12:3; cf. John 16:14; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
God’s Spirit works through all believers in many different ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
God’s Spirit works primarily to benefit the body, not the believer. (1 Corinthians 12:7-10; cf. Romans 1:11-12;
1 Corinthians 14:4-5, 12, 17, 26; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:10)
God’s Spirit works through believers according to His sovereign plan.
(1 Corinthians 12:11; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:18, 28; Romans 12:3-8;
Ephesians 4:7)
Thanks pastor Jim!
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