The Purpose of Receiving Spiritual Gifts

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Start with Application Testimony

[Give people an opportunity to share a testimony from last week’s exhortation]

Last week’s exhortation: Do the work of reconciliation that God has given you, within your circles of relationship and influence. If you don’t know what to do, ask the Holy Spirit for insight and direction.

INTRO

We are going verse-by-verse, in a topical study through I & II Corinthians

Current Topic: Living by the Spirit - Exploring how to live as a Christian

So far on this topic, we have talked about how the Holy Spirit works in the life of a Christian inwardly to connect us to God and reshape us from the inside out.

In these next lessons, we will be exploring the supernatural, spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit empowers within us so we can do the work God has called us to do.

READ

1 Corinthians 12 CSB

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. 23 And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, 24 which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

EXAMINE

#1 | The Holy Spirit empowers believers with supernatural gifts

God is the initiator, not us.

1 Cor 12:2-3 “...you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols... no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

Unlike false religions, our God is living and speaking and acting. We don’t define Him. He defines Himself and reveals Himself to us and through us.

The Holy Spirit decides what gifts each person receives.

1 Cor 12:7,11 “A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good… One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.”

Therefore the first step of receiving and acting in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is to submit to God. We don’t use Him. He uses us.

#2 | The Spiritual Gifts are designed to help us work together

The distribution of gifts prevents one person from doing everything.

1 Cor 12:14,18-19 “Indeed, the body is not one part but many… as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be?”

God intentionally limits us by giving us some gifts and not others. This encourages collaboration and protects us from burnout, if we embrace it.

The distribution of gifts prevents anyone from doing nothing.

1 Cor 12:15,22 “If the foot should say, ‘Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,’ it is not for that reason any less a part of the body… On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable.”

No gift is inferior to another gift. No one has a gift that doesn’t need to be used. Every gift God has given to each person is necessary for the church to function.

Ephesians 4:16 “From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.”

#3 | Spiritual gifts are designed to promote equality and unity

The Gifts cause us to rely on one another.

1 Cor 12:21 “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!'”

There is no one gift that everyone receives (verses 29-30). We have to collaborate for all the gifts to function in the church.

Because the gifts are collaborative in nature, they push us to build relationship and work through our differences.

The gifts teach us to honor one another.

1 Cor 12:24-25 "...God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.”

As we learn to rely on one another, we see the value of each person’s gifts and the beauty of their role in the church.

No one is seen as lesser or greater. Each one is simply doing what God has gifted them to do.

REFLECT

Let’s take a moment to pray

Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight and draw our attention to what He wants us to see and understand today

APPLY

Process the passage together with these questions:

[Allow the conversation to go where people take it - we want people to feel the liberty to explore the topics of the passage that stand out to them. Select the questions from below that you think are right for the conversation, or add your own. Questions should be focused, yet open-ended. Wherever the conversation goes, help your group “land the plane” on the core idea of the lesson when you wrap up.]

How does Paul’s analogy of the human body, help you understand God’s design for the church?

Read verse 26 again. How does it challenge the way our culture values individuality?

Some people want to take everything on themselves. Some people are happy doing nothing. How are both attitudes unhealthy and destructive in the church?

Where we want to “land the plane”

God has given each one of us unique gifts for the good of the whole church. The Holy Spirit distributes these gifts intentionally, ensuring that no one can do everything and no one is left without purpose. God designed this diversity so that we would rely on one another, honor one another, and work together in unity. Therefore we must approach the Gifts of the Spirit with both urgency and humility.

Exhortation for the Week

Ask the Lord to empower you with the gifts He has for you and to give you an appreciation for the gifts He has given to others.

FOOTNOTES

The Analogy of the “Less Honorable” and “Weaker Parts.” In the diversity of the bodily parts there was a corresponding mutual dependence. A person with a seemingly greater gift should not imagine that he could function alone since a bodily member cut off from the natural body would cease to exist. More importantly, one thought to possess a lesser gift should in fact be accorded greater attention by the other members of the body (cf. 14:1–5) just as in the natural body special deference in attention to dress is paid to those parts of the body deemed less presentable (12:22–24). Possibly Paul was reaching back in thought beyond the immediate discussion of gifts when he referred to weaker members (v. 22; cf. 8:7–13) and less honorable ones (12:23; cf. 11:22) who also required special care and consideration. This too was part of God’s plan (God … combined the members), that members of the spiritual body would demonstrate a mutual concern for the well-being of others (12:25b–26; 10:24, 33) so that rivalry would cease (so that there should be no division in the body; 1:10; 11:18) and genuine unity would exist (12:26). David K. Lowery, “1 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 534.