All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1
Corinthians 12:11
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:
- "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[.]"
- "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."
- "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."
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer:
