Today I find myself studying 1 Corinthians 12, which is by far the most explicit bit of scripture concerning Spiritual gifts but I am postulating that we are missing the big picture in this text all together if that is our focus, that being gifts! From talking with many people on both the charismatic and the evangelical side of things I have seen that in 9/10 cases the focus of this chapter becomes these supernatural gifts and the question then becomes "How do I obtain this power?"
Id like to turn the focus from you (the reader) and center in on what truly are the important factors to look at when reading this bit of scripture ... maybe, even all of scripture. Often times we read scripture with the wrong motives. Sometimes, we spend time with God's word in order to have the right and wrong answers about such and such, or we hold this mindset that if we would simply spend time reading a chapter or so a day that God will bless us, as if we are bartering with God. But, really God's word is exactly that, his words! In scripture lays the heart of God and His desire for His people. That may be a phrase you hear thrown around quite a bit and have become numb to but I implore you to open your heart and let that reality sink in! The purpose of reading scripture is to know God, and to see Him for who He says He is ... not what we would like Him to be.
Main focus of 1 Corinthians 12 ...
1. Trinity:
"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 12:4-6
In this bit of scripture we see that we are powerless without the power of the triune God who is actively co-laboring along side us to advance His kingdom. Evangelism is after all one of the 2 reasons for these gifts, the other being the edification of the body. In verses 4-6 Paul is eager to list the Trinity as the source of this power and these gifts. It is important that we realize that we are NOT powerful, and we can do nothing apart from our faith in Christ.
People tend to seek the gifts rather than the Father. This, to me, seems to have become a form of self righteous idolatry. I have seen individuals who have been burdened by this pursuit of power ... it almost becomes a sort of "spiritual totem pole". But, Paul tells us the reasoning behind these gifts in verse 7: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
2. Unity:
"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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews of Greeks, slave or free-and all were made to drink of one Spirit."-1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Paul knows that there will be ethnical differences within the body(Jew/Greek/free/slave) and he is urging the church not to consider those things as cause for division, or to entertain their superiority complexes. In fact, there is a warning in this text for those within the body who seek to compare themselves to those around themselves: "If the foot should say, "because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body." And if the ear should say, "because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of the, as He chose.(refer back to verse 7) If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."-1 Corinthians 12:14-19
This whole bit of hands talking to feet and eyes talking to ears is obviously figurative but Paul is hammering home a great point. He is urging the body to seek God first! What use would there be in a hand telling a foot how to walk? It was God who "arranged the members in the body" ... shouldn't he have the first and last say so? I have seen this problem fairly often in my recent life. People are constantly seeking pastors and individuals who have made a name in the ministry as a "big swinger" to become to backdrop for their ministry. But, inevitably, these people often swing away to no avail. The body has to learn to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"(matthew 6:33)
And, as if this whole talk of unity hasn't been made quite clear unto this point in Paul's letter, we see that he in fact keeps pushing the issue! I guess to Paul this is not a matter than you can exhaust. Read on: "The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be NO DIVISION in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
-Show no partiality (Romans 2:11; James 2:1) It is a sin (James 2:9)
-Do not consider your task of any greater or lesser significance, these parts are indispensable!
-Bear each others burdens.(Galatians 6:2)
Verse 28 puts these gifts in a sort of order. Maybe, we should give an eager ear and an open heart to what he is saying. "And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues."-1 Corinthians 12:28
1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Miracles
5. Healing
6. Helping
7. Administration
8. Tongues
"Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"-1 Corinthians 12:29 (see verse 7, 18, 24-25) But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."
What is this more excellent way? You'll have to keep on reading in the text to find that answer. All of 1 Corinthians 13 is about love. Paul says: "If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic power, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I GAIN NOTHING!"-1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I end this blog with a thought for you to think on, and a bit of encouragement! 1 Corinthians 14:1 says "Pursue love, AND earnestly desire spiritual gifts" Why? Because they are are 1 in the same! "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."-1 Corinthians 13:13 Remember that Paul says that even if you do speak in tongues, prophecy, exhibit understanding and knowledge, and it is not in love you gain nothing. This opens a whole new can of questions for me that I want to answer but for now this will have to suffice.
Hope this finds you all well.
"If you cant do it in love, don't do it"-Greg Boyd
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