All Are Gifted for The Good of All

JANUARY 4, 2023 STUDY NOTES “SPIRITUAL GIFTS” 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-8 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES ALL ARE GIFTED FOR THE GOOD OF ALL INTRODUCTION (And a Review) Paul has been sharing with us the things that belong to the realm of the Holy Spirit Which is called “Spirituality” and concerns the spiritual life of the Christian Spiritual gifts are a most important part of Spirituality, the Christian life, and life of the church Spiritual gifts enable us to serve God, all believers are capable-of serving God Our spiritual gift is our special service or our personal means of ministry Every believer is gifted with at least one spiritual gift All believers are gifted but all believers are not gifted alike Even believers with the same spiritual gift are not exactly alike In the previous verses we found that: The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gift Jesus works out the ministry of that gift God the Father is in control of the entire operation Verse 7 seems to repeat the truths of verses 4-6, this repetition is for the purpose of emphasis ONE PURPOSE--1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Paul makes four major points in verse 7: 1. Gifts reveal the Spirit of God, they are the manifestation of the Spirit within the believer 2. Gifts are a gift, we do not gain them by personal effort, we do not earn them by good works 3. Gifts are given to each Christian, no believer is without a God-given ability to serve God 4. There are different gifts, but all gifts are for the same purpose, the same goal, the profit of all Having a particular gift does not make one Christian more spiritual than another Spiritual gifts are never given for the sole purpose of personal exaltation of the believer There should be no jealousy among Christians because we are all serving God to Glorify God There should be no competition among churches because we are to serve God and glorify God Our purpose and goals should all be the same, “To God be the Glory” In verse 7 we have the definition of a spiritual gift, it is “the manifestation of the Spirit” Spiritual gifts are not normal or natural talents, they are a supernatural ability That is why every spiritual gift is known as “charisma,” which means a “gift of grace” “A gift of grace,” a gift as the result of “Amazing Grace,” meaning it is undeserved and unearned They are called “gifts” because they are given to us They are called “grace gifts” because they are given to us by the “Amazing Grace” of God “Charisma,” a gift of grace, is that which can only come from God God is the giver of all spiritual gifts that are given only to believers These gifts are known as “Spiritual Gifts” because they are a “manifestation of the Spirit” A spiritual gift is a God given ability to serve God, given to us through the Holy Spirit Which is an ability to do something that we would not normally do An ability to serve God in a way that normally we would not be able to do Nothing in scripture indicates that only certain gifts are “charisma” gifts, as some teach today Nothing in scripture indicates that only certain Christians are “charismatic,” as some claim today In the true sense of the word, all Christians are charismatic, all Christians have a spiritual gift Page 1 of 6 All gifts are identified as “Grace Gifts,” all gifts are of the “Same Spirit” All spiritual gifts are the “manifestation of the Spirit” “Manifestation” means to make known, to make open to sight, to make something clear Every spiritual gift reveals the ministry of the “Spirit of God” within the Christian It is not just certain gifts that reveal the Spirit of God, all gifts make known the Spirit Spiritual gifts are the evidence that the Spirit is present in a person’s life To exercise your spiritual gift is to make visible the ministry of the Holy Spirit within you A spiritual gift is a special illumination of the Spirit’s presence, that which all can see But the purpose of a spiritual gift is not for man to see man and then praise man Spiritual gifts are for believers to see the Spirit of God at work in the life of a Christian Spiritual gifts are for others to see the Spirit of God at work in the life of the church Spiritual gifts are for the Spirit to be made known in the Christian, the church, and in the world So, a Spiritual Gift is a revelation of the presence of God within the Christian and the Church Revealing that God is doing something special and in a special way in the life of a Christian Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come to reveal the Person and Work of Jesus, Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. The Holy Spirit reveals Christ through the Bible, the Word of God The Holy Spirit also reveals Christ through “Spiritual Gifts” To see the Spirit at work in the Christian life is to see what Christ is doing in that life Which also indicates that what is seen must be beyond the normal or natural abilities of man It is not a manifestation of what man is able to do on his own, it is beyond the power of man Spiritual gifts show the wisdom and power of God at work in the life of the Christian Spiritual Gifts are not natural abilities or talents that a person is physically born with Spiritual Gifts are received through the “Spiritual Birth” and manifest the truth of spiritual life The opposite meaning of manifestation is “to be hidden” or private Gifts are not to be hidden or used privately, which some claim to do, such as tongue speaking Spiritual Gifts are to make known the ministry of the Holy Spirit and are “given to every man” Spiritual gifts are “given,” they are a gift from God, spiritual gifts are a “grace gift” from God They are not personally acquired or personally developed through personal effort You do not practice for or work for a spiritual gift as some are teaching today They are bestowed upon believers by the Holy Spirit, we have received them by “grace” “Everyman” refers to every believer, 1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Every believer has the Person of the Holy Spirit indwelling them, Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: If the Holy Spirit does not dwell within you, you are not a child of God, Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Every believer is spiritually united into the “Body of Christ,” the True Church, 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. The “one body” is the “Body of Christ,” Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. His body is “the church,” Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: All believers are united into the “True Church” by the “Baptism of the Spirit” All believers are gifted by the Spirit to minister within the “Body of Christ” No believer is exempt, no believer is left out, no believer is without at least one Spiritual Gift Page 2 of 6 Spiritual Gifts are not reserved for the “spiritual elite” according to man’s evaluation Spiritual Gifts are given to everyone who is saved and given only to those who are saved They are given to everyone who is saved for a purpose They are given to “all Christian” so that all Christian will have a personal ministry To minister is to work for God, your personal ministry is putting your spiritual gift to work Spiritual gifts are not for the private use of the believer or to promote self They are not for selfish use or self-glory, they are not for the glory of the individual believer The gifts of all believers are for all believers, all believers are gifted “to profit withal” A believer will profit from his own spiritual gift, but the purpose is for all to profit Spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church, to edify others, 1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Spiritual gifts are given to us so that we can minister to one another, 1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. They are not for you to stand in front of the mirror and say, “look at me,” look at “spiritual me” They are not for you to stand before others and say, “look at me,” look at how spiritual I am There are those, who in their work for God, continually tell you what they are doing And they are continually saying to you in different ways, “look at me,” seeking self-glory The true purpose of a spiritual gift is to serve others, to edify others, to “Glorify God” As you minister your spiritual gift to others you will need others to minister to you Spiritual gifts are for the common good and the spiritual growth of others Spiritual Gifts are for the common good of the Church To bring all together, to help one another, to be an advantage to all, for others to learn Christians are encouraged as they witness the gifts of others to grow and mature spiritually As we witness the ministry of a spiritual gift we should be encouraged to minister to others The thought should be, “I need to do that,” some examples are: The gift of helps encourages us to be more helpful when we have an opportunity The gift of encouragement encourages us to be more mindful of others who are serving God The gift of teaching encourages us to study God’s Word and live according to God’s Word Individual Christians are blessed through individual Christians exercising their individual gift The church becomes powerful and effective in their ministry as we witness the gifts in others When spiritual gifts are exercised within the church body, the church has an effective ministry The world cannot help but see the love, unity, fellowship, and spiritual strength in the church The Christian who fails to minister through their gift hinders the church in ministering to others Human effort, human ability, human planning, man organizing cannot accomplish spiritual results Man using his own ability may get something done, but it will not stand the test of “Spirituality” The best commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:7 is found in Ephesians 4:11-16 God gives those who are spiritually gifted to the church, Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Why are spiritually gifted believers given to the church? Eph 4:12 “For” the perfecting of the saints, “for” the work of the ministry, “for” the edifying of the body of Christ: Gifted believers are given to the church “for the perfecting of the saints” The perfecting of the saints is “for the work of the ministry” The work of the ministry is the work of every spiritually gifted believer Every believer has been given a gift of grace that allows them to serve God The ministry of every Christian is “for the edifying of the body of Christ” “Edifying” means building up, it is the act of building one another spiritually When Christians are ministering, they are in the act of building up the church Every believer is gifted to be a part of the building process, every believer must do their part Page 3 of 6 God has a goal for every believer, something for each one of us to attain Every Christian must be growing spiritually, maturing in-order to be a faithful servant, Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: “We all” are to come to the point of experiencing the 4 things listed in this verse “The unity of the faith,” bonded together and walking together toward the same goal “Unity” is bonding together, that which bonds us together is the “faith” Our “faith” is more than what we say we believe about Christ and the Bible Biblical faith is more than a “say-so faith,” Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (The “say-so” faith does not save) True Biblical faith is a “do-so faith,” Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Saving “faith” is the life we have and live, because we believed, and because of what we believe We learn to live the life Christ has given us and gifted us to live through the Spirit and Scripture “And of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13) The knowledge of Jesus is more than a learning experience, it is a living experience Knowing Jesus is a powerful influence upon our daily life Nothing will influence our faith in Jesus like the knowledge of who Jesus is To know “Him” is to trust Him, to know Him is to follow Him, to follow Him is to obey Him To minister through our spiritual gift is a learning experience, Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; God has gifted us in-order for us to experience a glorious life, 2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: To know our spiritual gift, to exercise our spiritual gift, is to acknowledge that we are “In-Christ” Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Ministering to others in the likeness of Christ is the purpose of our spiritual gifts Which Satan seeks to deceive and defeat, Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; As Christians we must become spiritually mature, we must become Christ-like, Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: A Church ministering in a Christ-like way requires every spiritual gift given to the church, Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. That is why it is important for us to learn of spiritual gifts and exercise spiritual gifts The various gifts are named in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 28-30; Eph 4:11; 1 Peter 4:9-11 The different gifts listed does not mean that these are the only spiritual gifts given by God God is not limited to the number of gifts identified in these verses The list that we have been given is adequate to give us the meaning and purpose of spiritual gifts God can give any gift that He desires and can also combine gifts within the life of one Christian Each Christian is a unique individual and a unique part in the body of Christ Many Bible scholars divide and study spiritual gifts according to categories Speaking Gifts or Verbal gifts: Prophecy, Knowledge, Wisdom, Teaching, Exhortation Serving Gifts or Nonverbal gifts: Leadership, Helps, Giving, Mercy, Faith, Discernment Sign Gifts: Miracles, Healings, Tongues, Interpretation of tongues Many teach that the “sign gifts” are no longer necessary and no longer given to Christians Page 4 of 6 To back up their opinion they are forced to divide the gifts into categories Without the divisions being made they cannot eliminate certain gifts today I do not think that it is necessary to divide the gifts into categories or eliminate gifts today God is the giver of the gifts, God knows when the gifts are needed, accept God’s decision We need to look at each spiritual gift listed and determine its purpose Remember 1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. Every believer is given a spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit Individual believers are not given every gift, but every believer is given at least one gift The Spirit gives one gift to one believer and another gift to another believer There can be more than one gift given or there can be a combination of gifts given There are nine specific gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 TWO SPIRITUAL GIFTS--1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; “For to one,” to each one, spiritual gifts are individually given, not one believer is left out Every believer is given a spiritual gift “by the Spirit,” that is why they are called spiritual gifts Ministering to others through our spiritual gift is “by the Spirit” Paul begins to describe the gifts given by the Spirit two spiritual gifts are identified in verse 8 The “word of wisdom” and the “word of knowledge” These two gifts are not mentioned in any of the other lists of spiritual gifts In no other verse of scripture do we find the wording “word of wisdom” or “word of knowledge” Our understanding of these two gifts must come from the context of this verse Understanding what other scripture says about “wisdom” and “knowledge” will be helpful “Wisdom” and “knowledge” are common words found in scripture Words expressing the idea of “wisdom” are found over 300 times in the OT Words expressing “wisdom” are found 73 times in the NT Of those 73 times Paul uses “wise” 11 times and wisdom 17 times in 1 Corinthians “Wisdom” is a key word in 1 Corinthians because it is a book dealing with spiritual problems “Wisdom” is an understanding, but it is more than the ability to understand something normal “Wisdom” is the ability to act according to understanding and the ability to deal with problems Knowledge is also an understanding, but “wisdom” is knowledge in action, knowledge at work The example of Moses, Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. (The actions of Moses revealed his wisdom) Scripture describes worldly wisdom and compares it with God’s wisdom Human wisdom attempts to approach God and have a personal relationship with God Paul speaks of human wisdom’s religious approach to God, Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (“Will worship” is a man made religious effort) Which Paul describes as only “an appearance of wisdom” which is a mockery and hypocritical Worldly wisdom cannot reveal to us the truths of God or the Person and Work of Jesus Paul compared worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom, 1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (“Not with wisdom of words” refers to man-made philosophy) Worldly wisdom has no understanding of the cross of Jesus, 1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. That is why Paul did not come to Corinth proclaiming the words of man’s wisdom The wisdom which is of this world is doomed to destruction, 1Co 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Compared to the wisdom of God, worldly wisdom is nothing but foolishness, 1Co 1:20 Where is the Page 5 of 6 wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Salvation could never be accomplished through the wisdom of man, 1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The foolishness of human wisdom is explained, 1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: Which will never result in the spiritual wisdom of God Paul knew that he could not present the gospel of salvation through worldly wisdom, 1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. Salvation through the cross is not of man’s wisdom, it is the wisdom of God, 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Spirituality is a manifestation of God’s Wisdom “To another the word of knowledge” Biblical knowledge is an understanding of the purpose and plan of God for all of creation Especially an understanding of God’s will for mankind, including salvation and eternal life Every Christian should share with others their personal knowledge of salvation Every Christian should share with others their personal testimony of the Christian life Sharing with others the truth of salvation and the daily Christian life Those gifted with the “word of knowledge” have a special ability to do that All spiritual gifts are given and exercised “by the same Spirit” The Holy Spirit gives, guides, and directs the ministry of Spiritual Gifts within the Church That is why we must allow the Holy Spirit to influence and control us, Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Page 6 of 6