The Spirituals, part 2

Laying the Foundation of Corinthians

Introduction

Please join me in 1 Corinthians 12 as we continue our study on The Spirituals.

Remember that this is a deeper dive into understanding 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

There is no way to understand the Spiritual Gifts without directly tying it to what it means to be a Diakonos in the local church. Last week we established that there is a direct correlation between serving as a Diakonos and using your Spiritual Gifts. So, everything that we study from here on out will be viewed through the lens of the section of Scripture that we are calling “The Standard of Church Membership.” Today, we will continue into the study by looking at the specific obstacles that the Apostle Paul was dealing with regarding this church in Corinth.

In other words, we are going to look at the historical and cultural issues in Corinth which will help us in studying the content of this letter.

Understanding the Issue at Hand

1 Corinthians 12:1-7

“1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!' and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”