Understanding Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-31

1 Corinthians 12:1–31 (NLT)

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles?

30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

INTRODUCTION:

A- Common Negative reactions to the subject of spiritual gifts:

1- Ignore the subject of Spiritual Gifts

2- Relegate Spiritual Gifts to a bygone era.

3- Consider Spiritual Gifts to be demonic.

B- Definition of the term “Spiritual Gifts.”

1- Spiritual Gifts are supernatural abilities that are given to born-again believers. These abilities are imparted by, enabled and empowered by God, the Holy Spirit. They are for the benefit of the whole body of Christ and for the purpose of making the church effective in doing kingdom work in the world.

I- The Impartation of gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1–11)

1 Corinthians 12:1–11 (NLT)

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

A- The assignment of the gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1–6)

1 Corinthians 12:1–6 (NLT)

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

1- God wants us to understand spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1-3)

2- Spiritual gifts are key to fulfilling God’s ministry. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

B- The allotment of the gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:7–10)

1 Corinthians 12:7–10 (NLT)

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

1- There is a positive purpose to spiritual Gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

a- To help each other (for the common good).

b- Not for the building up of self nor for the furtherance of personal agendas.

2- Different gifts are given to different people.

a- All gifts are given by the Holy Spirit (God)

b- Different gifts are given to different people.

“λόγος σοφίας”= “Word of wisdom”

“λόγος γνώσεως” = “Word of knowledge”

“πίστις” = “faith”

“χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων” = “gift of healing”

“ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων” = “the ability to perform miracles”

“προφητεία” = prophecy”

“διακρίσεις πνευμάτων” = “supernatural spiritual judgment”

“γένη γλωσσῶν” = unknown types of languages”

“ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν” = “translation of languages”

C- The administration of the gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:11)

1 Corinthians 12:11 (NLT)

11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

“11 πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται.”

1- The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts.

2- The Holy Spirit decides who receives which gift.

a- This is another biblical indication that He is a person, not simply a “force.”

b- καθὼς βούλεται. = καθὼς (he alone- note masculine ending) βούλεται (plans, decides, wills)

II- The Interconnectivity in the body. (1 Corinthians 12:12–31)

A- The indivisibility of the members in the body. (1 Corinthians 12:12–19)

1 Corinthians 12:12–19 (NLT)

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

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B- The interdependence of the members in the body. (1 Corinthians 12:20–26)

1 Corinthians 12:20–26 (NLT)

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

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C- The induction of the members into the body. (1 Corinthians 12:27–31)

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 (NLT)

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles?

30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

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CONCLUSION: