But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1

But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:13b-14

I continue with my study of 1 and 2 Timothy, using DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video series for these books. Today, I look at 1 Timothy 1:12-16, Part 1.  Excerpts from the video entitled Was Paul Found Faithful or Made Faithful?: 

• Paul picks up where he left off in v11 by referring to himself as someone entrusted to spread the gospel
  
• In v12 Paul deems himself trustworthy in his service to Christ Jesus and Paul describes and thanks Christ as giving Paul both grace and strength to be trustworthy to perform this service; the same Greek word used in Acts 9:22 where Christ is described as giving believers power to perform their appointed mission and to live the Christian life; see also Philippians 4:12-13 for another reference to the power for believers.
• Piper also describes v12 where Paul is judged faithful through the appointment in Christ's service; God counted Paul as more significant (faithful) than he was, see also Philippians 2:3, 1 Timothy 6:1, James 1:2 where the same word count (or similar) is used.
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - thank You for giving me the same power You gave Paul to life his life and to perform his appointed mission.  It is You who count me trustworthy and faithful even though I know I am undeserving.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am not deserving.  My sin is great - anger, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Every believer has spiritual gifts that are to be exercised, not for personal gratification, but for corporate edification in the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "Anyone preparing commentary on this passage must do so with care and humility."
• "there is neither a guarantee nor an expectation that there will be unanimity of agreement on the interpretation given on some of the gifts that are listed and their relevance and application today. But the truth remains: we are to give ourselves not only to studying these gifts and trying to understand them but just as importantly to using them for the glory of God and the good of the church." 
• "One of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthians in such detail, in fact, was because of their ignorance of spiritual gifts."
• "Unfortunately, when it comes to the church there are many spiritual agnostics. They know very little about spiritual gifts, and those who do are not even sure what their spiritual gifts might be. I have learned by personal experience there is a great cost involved in being educated, but there is a greater cost if you are not."
• "Exercising a spiritual gift is no guarantee of spiritual maturity, nor is it a guarantee that one belongs to a great church."
• "Spiritual gifts, unfortunately, were not uniting the church in Corinth; they were dividing the church. It was obvious that some of the Corinthians were placing such an inordinate emphasis on showy displays of spirituality, particularly speaking in tongues, that it was disrupting the church’s worship, dividing the church’s fellowship, and demeaning the witness of the gospel[.]"
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. "How the Gifts Are Described (12:1,4,7): Gifts are actually Trinitarian in nature. God the Father has given us the gift of God the Son for our salvation. God the Son has given us God the Holy Spirit for our sanctification, but God the Holy Spirit has given us spiritual gifts for our service. The point is, these are not material gifts. These are spiritual gifts. They are gifts of and from the Holy Spirit.....Spiritual gifts are supernatural gifts granted by the grace of God. They are not just glorified natural abilities. They are not something you gain by going to school or practicing or inheriting. They are literally charismatic gifts, which means if you are a Christian in the truest sense of the term, you are a charismatic Christian by default. Spiritual gifts, simply put, are supernatural endowments that enable us to carry out God’s work in God’s way....These gifts are not to be stored; they are to be shared for the “good” of others....35). Spiritual gifts are given to every believer to bless the church, build up the body of Christ, and edify believers. But if a spiritual gift does not in some way edify the church, it is no longer a used gift; it is an abused gift.....To be sure, this does not mean there would not be any private benefit to the one exercising the gift. But this verse would certainly rule out using any gift strictly or merely for personal gain or self-satisfaction. It certainly does not rule out any and all benefits for an individual[.]"
2. "How the Gifts Are Distributed (12:5-7,11): Every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift. Unfortunately, I have pastored some people who assumed they had the spiritual gift of criticism, which is not a thing! No one Christian has every gift, but every Christian has at least one....You may not have graduated first in your class. You may not be very athletic. You may not be one of the world’s most talented people, but if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a gifted child! You have a gift that God wants you to use in his church in service and ministry that might not get done unless you do it....Every Christian is a minister, and every Christian has a ministry. The ministries of the church are to be carried out as followers of Jesus exercise their spiritual gifts in ministering to one another. Again, they are distributed independently....This should remind us that no believer should ever be jealous of another believer who may have a different gift. All of us have been gifted differently, but all of us have been gifted perfectly. The Holy Spirit, in his divine wisdom and sovereignty, has given to each of us precisely the gift, or gifts, that will enable us to function most effectively in the body of Christ....When we exercise our gifts within a local context, we find that we fit together perfectly and create a beautiful representation of God’s greater family. Although what we perceive God to be doing sometimes doesn’t make sense to us, there is always a method to his seeming madness, and he knows what he is about and what he is doing. As we think about spiritual gifts, we should rejoice knowing that we are each gifted, that we can be used, that God has a purpose and a plan for us and a work for us to do, and that with his gifts and by his power we can do things in a way that brings glory and honor to him and serves to bless others."  
   
3. "How the Gifts Are Distinguished (12:4-6): Gifts show up in different ways in different ministries. Even though two Christians may have the same basic gift, that gift may be manifested and applied in different ways....We exercise these gifts not only by the grace of God but through the power of God. It is his power that fires engines and leads us to exercise these gifts effectively.  the first category represents the essence of the gifts (they are grace gifts). The second category represents the expression of the gifts (they are to be used for service). The third category represents the effects of the gifts. They result is a display of the power of God through his people."
   

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My Prayer:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:5-6

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to a unassisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Here, Paul helps us understand how God and the Holy Spirit distribute and move in believers' lives with spiritual gifts. 

• Vv 1-3: Paul seeks for us to be "informed" about spiritual gifts; some in the Corinthian church were led astray about this topic - perhaps on the topic of teaching or prophesying.  He reinforces how God alone and the Holy Spirit distribute and work in believers' hearts and lives to both give and direct spiritual gifts.  
  
• Vv4-6: Paul is explicit and states emphatically that all spiritual gifts are from God who "empowers them all in everyone."
• V7: In constructing his case, Paul starts with foundational doctrine - that the Holy Spirit is present in the lives of all believers ("to each is given...") who call Christ their Lord and Savior.  Galatians 5:22-23 help us understand how we see "fruits of the Spirit."  This is given for the "common good" which is for the healthy functioning of the church and its members working together as a body.
  
• Vv8-10: Examples of spiritual gifts are described, including "wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc."
• V11: The Holy Spirit both "apportions to each one" and "empowers" each one to use these gifts.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me spiritual gifts and equipping me so that I can work for the common good both inside the church and in the world. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving how You work in my heart and life.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.