For the Common Good Pt. 9

I. Context Review

Good afternoon, church. As many of you know, For several months, we had been walking steadily through Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, However during the month of December we intentionally stepped away from our study in order to focus on Advent and reflect on the coming of Christ.

During that time, we were encouraged as we looked at hope promised, hope announced, and hope revealed in Jesus Christ. Then, as we closed 2025, we turned our attention to the book of Lamentations, calling to mind God’s faithfulness in the past so that the Holy Spirit might heal us, ground us, and prepare us for what lies ahead—by anchoring us in the character of God: His goodness, His mercy, and His provision.

Last Sunday, we began the new year by looking at the account of Mary and Martha, seeking to enter this year with the right posture—a posture of worship, surrender, and discipleship and Tito led us well in that reminder.

However, today, we return to First Corinthians.

Our desire as a church is to press forward and finish this book faithfully. We are currently ten verses into chapter 12, and this afternoon our plan is to pick up in verse 11. But before we go to our text, it’s important that we pause and refresh our memory—to remember where we’ve been and why Paul is saying what he’s saying.

What we’ve seen thus far in First Corinthians is that the church at Corinth was an extremely gifted church, yet it was also a deeply troubled church. It was complicated. It was sinful. And yet—according to the Apostle Paul it was still a church.

One of the clearest conclusions we’ve drawn throughout this letter is the following:

1. Spiritual gifting does not equal spiritual maturity.

And the evidence of the immaturity of the Corinthians was everywhere.

They were divided over leaders. They were taking one another to court. Sexual immorality among them was not only tolerated, but celebrated. They abused Christian freedom. They were divided at the Lord’s Table—along lines of social class. There was drunkenness during worship. And the poor were marginalized while the wealthy were favored. Among many other things.

In short, this church was a mess—it was marked by sin, pride, and a lack of repentance.

It’s also important to remember that First Corinthians is not actually Paul’s first letter to this church. It is a response—written after receiving both a letter from the church with theological questions, and a report from a woman named Chloe, who had informed Paul of the divisions and disorder taking place among them.

When Paul reaches chapter 12, he begins by responding directly to one of these questions—specifically as it relates to spiritual gifts. And that’s where we’ve been spending our time.

However as Paul addresses this issue what becomes clear is that he is doing far more than answering questions about gifts. By the time he reaches chapter 12, Paul is correcting their entire understanding of spirituality.

The Corinthians were asking about gifts—but Paul responds by reframing what it means to be a spiritual people. And this leads us to the question we will seek to answer today: How does God form a spiritual people?

Now, Paul’s answer is not, “By giving impressive gifts.” Because having spiritual gifts doesn’t make us spiritual, just like eating at MacDonalds doesn’t make you a hamburger. His answer is deeper.

In this passage, Paul shows us how God forms a spiritual people in three ways.

First, God forms a spiritual people by revealing who He is—by pointing us to His nature. Here in CH12 Paul shows us a Trinitarian God: Father, Son, and Spirit, distinct in their work, yet perfectly united in purpose.

Second, God forms a spiritual people by empowering us through His Spirit. The Spirit sovereignly distributes gifts to each believer—not based on merit or status, but according to God’s will.

And third, God forms a spiritual people by uniting us as one body. The gifts of the Spirit are not given for personal elevation, but for the building up of the church—for fellowship, interdependence, and unity.

In other words, Paul is teaching us that spirituality is not measured by what we possess, but by how God is forming us together as His people. God is the source. The Spirit is the giver. And unity is the goal.

Today our plan is to unpack 1 Corinthians 12:11-14 However, before moving forward into today’s text, I want us to pause and step back just for a moment. Because before Paul explains the work of the Spirit and the unity of the body, he first anchors the Corinthians in something deeper—the nature of God Himself.

The Corinthians were confused about spirituality. Many of them were boasting as though they had earned their gifts, as though certain gifts made them more spiritual than others. Some believed that possessing particular manifestations of the Spirit elevated their status within the church. And Paul wants to correct that not by starting with the gifts—but by starting with God. With that framework in mind, let’s go to the text and begin by looking at the first way God forms a spiritual people—by revealing His nature.

I. The Nature of God

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 NASB 2020

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. (V6-7) There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

When I married my wife, I married into a family of musicians. In her family, music runs deep. Now, these aren’t just people who sing at church (like me)—these are trained, professional musicians, producers, engineers and vocalists. And my wife’s grandfather, in particular, is known in Puerto Rico as the director of a well-known quartet called Los Hispanos.

One of the most beautiful things about a great quartet is harmony. You have different voices—soprano, alto, tenor, bass—each distinct, each carrying a different part. And yet, when harmony is done well, you almost stop noticing the individual voices. What you hear is one unified sound. Different parts, different roles, but one beautiful expression.

That’s harmony. And that’s precisely what Paul is describing here.

Notice the language he uses when he says:

The Spirit gives the gifts.

The Lord Jesus establishes the ministries.

God the Father produces the effects.

All present. All active. All distinct in role. Perfectly united in purpose. Harmony!

This is a snapshot—a kind of theological selfie—of the Trinity at work. The word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, but the reality of it is unmistakable clear in this text: one God, working through the Spirit, the Son, and the Father, for the good of His people. (We see this also in Jesus’ baptism) (Father speaks, Son is baptized, Spirit descends)

What we see here in verses 4–7 is the harmonious work of the Triune God—working together, without competition, without confusion, without division. But beloved what we see here is not three gods in cooperation. What we see here is one God existing eternally in perfect unity and diversity.

And this matters deeply for us.

2. Because before we can understand how the church is called to function as one body with many members, we must first understand that this is how our God exists.

Unity is not something humanity invented. Unity is something we were created to reflect.

3. We were made in the image of God and this means that community, cooperation, and mutual dependence are woven into who we are—because they are woven into who God is.

However, we know this unity was fractured in the garden. Sin distorted our relationship with God and with one another. What was once harmonious became broken. But Christ has come to restore what sin destroyed.

And Jesus tells us this plainly in His prayer in John 17. He says:

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word (Disciples / Us) — (What was Jesus’ petition before the Father?) that they may all be one; (What is the source of this unity?) just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Beloved notice where our unity comes from. It doesn’t come from our shared experiences or from a national tragedy. It doesn’t come through political alignment or party affiliation. It doesn’t come through our nationality or our native language. These things may bring people together temporarily, but they never produce lasting unity.

Our unity comes from the very life of God Himself. “As You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us.”

In other words:

4. Christian unity flows out of the nature of God and is sustained by Him.

And this unity is not just relational—it is missional. “So that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

5. When we as the church live in Spirit-produced unity, we will reflect God’s nature to the world, and the gospel will becomes visible.

Our unity is missional.

And our unity reflects God to the world.

So, we’ve just seen that God forms a spiritual people first by revealing who He is—by pointing us to His nature. Because church, we can never walk into what God has for us, and we can never live in the unity we’re called to, if we don’t first understand who God is.

But Paul doesn’t stop there.

The same God who reveals Himself also empowers His people though His Spirit. And this leads us to the second way God forms a spiritual people (Empowering us through the Spirit) We now go to V11:

II. The Work of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:11 NASB 2020

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Beloved, before we unpack this verse, I want us to pause and think for a moment about what a gift actually is. And the reason for that is simple—this whole chapter is about spiritual gifts. The very question Paul is answering is about gifts. And we just came out of the Christmas season.

There’s a familiar song many of us know—“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” It says, “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.” And the message is clear: if you want a gift, you need to behave. If you’re good, you get one. If you’re bad, you don’t.

But Paul makes it very clear—the Spirit of God is not like Santa Claus.

That is not how spiritual gifts work. Because the moment something is earned, it stops being a gift. By definition, a gift is something freely given. It is not achieved. It is not a reward. It is not a wage. It is not a mark of superiority. It is an expression of grace.

And that is exactly how Paul wants the Corinthians—and us—to understand spiritual gifts.

So, Paul writes in verse 11: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually, just as He wills.”

6. The source of the gifts is not human effort. It is not maturity, personality or spirituality on display. The source is the Spirit of God.

They are called spiritual gifts because they come from the Spirit—not from us. They are the byproduct of His work in us, not our work for Him.

Which means spiritual gifts are not trophies to showcase; they are means of grace God gives for His purposes.

Then Paul says the Spirit is “distributing to each one individually.” That phrase matters.

Each one means no believer is excluded. Every believer is gifted. There is no such thing as a Christian without a gift.

7. If you have been redeemed, regenerated, and indwelt by the Spirit, then the Spirit has imparted gifts to you.

Not all the same gifts, but gifts nonetheless.

And notice this—the Spirit distributes them individually. God knows His people. He knows His church. He knows exactly what is needed for the common good, which is the purpose of the gifts.

Then Paul says something that completely levels the room especially for our culture today: “just as He wills.”

And this runs directly against the world we live in today.

We live in a culture of on demand. If you want a coffee at Starbucks you no longer have to order it and wait, you order on your phone and once you get there is already waiting for you. We don’t even watch television the way we used. We don’t wait week after week for the next episode—we binge-watch. We stream movies on demand. (No more blockbuster) We watch them on our phones, our laptops, our tablets, our TVs—even on airplanes, connected to the internet at 30,000 feet.

We live in a culture shaped by preference, speed, and control. But Paul tells us this is not how the Spirit works. Spiritual gifts are not given on demand. They are not given according to our preferences. They are given according to God’s wisdom and God’s purpose—just as He wills.

And church, this is great news.

Because this type of working should have an effect on the church.

This type of working should destroy pride - If I have a gift, I cannot say, “I earned this.” It was given by grace.

This type of working should destroy envy - When I see my brother or sister gifted, I don’t say, “I deserve that.”

I rejoice, because I know they didn’t earn it either. It was given by grace. If it is a gift, it cannot be earned. And if it is grace, it cannot be demanded.

This is the work of the Spirit Paul is revealing to us. And when the Spirit works this way—when gifts are freely given, sovereignly and purposefully distributed—it should prepare us to manifest what the work of God produces: Unity.

III. One Body With Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12 NASB 2020

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

The word “for” at the beginning of V12 matters. Paul is telling us, “What I am about to illustrate is grounded in everything I have just established.” He is not changing topics here. He is illustrating what he has already taught us.

Up to this point, Paul has been carefully laying down a theological foundation. He has shown us how the gifts of the Spirit are meant to function — not for personal status, not for competition, but for the common good of the church. He has reminded us that the Spirit distributes a variety of gifts, intentionally spreading them throughout the church according to God’s purpose.

Then Paul lifted our eyes higher and showed us the nature of God Himself. The Spirit gives the gifts. The Lord Jesus establishes the ministries. God the Father produces the effects. Different roles, different operations — yet perfect unity. The triune God working in perfect harmony.

Now Paul says, “For…

In other words: “If this is who God is, and if this is how God works, then this is how the church must function.” This is what God seeks to produce in the church.

The word “for” signals that Paul is moving from theology to embodiment, from divine reality to human expression. He wants us to see how the unity and diversity we observe in God’s nature and character are meant to be lived out visibly in the church.

And in order to do so he gives us an illustration we can all understand.

1 Corinthians 12:12 NASB 2020

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Paul is saying, “Let me help you see this. Let me give you something concrete to look at.” And so he uses something universally understood: the human body.

To help us visualize this, I want us to think about Mr. Potato Head.

At its most basic level, Mr. Potato Head is just a potato—one shape, one base. But no one looks at a plain potato and says, “There’s Mr. Potato Head.” Mr Potato Head only becomes what he is when the parts are added: eyes, ears, mouth, arms, legs. And here’s the key—the parts by themselves are not Mr. Potato Head, and the potato alone by itself is not Mr. Potato Head either.

We need all of it together. That’s exactly Paul’s point.

8. Paul says the body is one with many parts and each part has a different function, however they all share the same life, the same identity, the same person.

You are not your arm. You are not your leg. You are one person, expressed through many members.

However Paul adds a detail to his illustration, in order to bring his main point home:

1 Corinthians 12:12 NASB 2020

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

That phrase should stop us. What does he mean by that? What is Paul saying through this illustration?

He explains it clearly in verse 27:

1 Corinthians 12:27 NASB 2020

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

And this is a stunning truth—especially when we remember who Paul is writing to.

He is writing to a church divided by preferences. A church divided by lawsuits against one another. A church divided by social class, spiritual pride, favoritism, and misuse of gifts. A church fractured along relational, cultural, and spiritual lines.

And Paul looks at them and essentially says, “Don’t you see it?”

All of you—together—are the body of Christ. (Mr Potato)

9. Which means that when the church lives divided, it is not simply a relational problem. It is a theological contradiction.

10. A divided church does not reflect the God it claims to serve.

The church is not an individual. I am not the church by myself. You are not the church by yourself. Together, we are the church of Jesus Christ. And more than that, (And this is Paul’s main point in his illustration) We together are the body of Christ.

That means Christ has chosen to make His presence known in the world through a people who are united in Him, dependent on one another, and shaped by His Spirit. To reject one another is to misunderstand Christ Himself.

Paul is not giving them a suggestion. He is calling them back to reality. You are the body of Christ. Individually members of it.

And think of the implications behind this statement. Christ so closely identifies with His people that the church is called His body on earth. Which means that to speak of the church is to speak of Christ’s presence in the world. (We are never separated from our members - Where you go the members of your body go)

We see this clearly in Acts. When Paul is persecuting the believers, Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus and says, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Not “my followers.” Not “my church.” “Me.”

Because to persecute the church is to persecute Christ Himself.

11. Christ is never divided from His body.

Now the question becomes: How do we become part of this body?

Paul answers that in verse 13:

1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB 2020

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

This right here is not a reference to water baptism. This is a reference to regeneration. This is the work of the Spirit bringing us from death to life, from darkness to light, from hostility towards God to repentance and faith. This is conversion, union with Christ, incorporation into His body. This is the seal of the Holy Spirit!

And notice what Paul adds:

“Whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free.”

Ethnic, social, and economic distinctions are not erased—but this should no longer divide us if we belong to Christ.

12. As Christians our primary identity is no longer culture, nationality, status, or background or our race, our primary identity is Christ.

This is the same truth Paul teaches in Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:13–15 NASB 2020

But now in Christ Jesus you (Gentiles) who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (V15) by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, (so that in Himself He might make the two one new person), in this way establishing peace;

Ephesians 2:19 NASB 2020

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

The wall of hostility has been torn down. Out of the many, God has made one person. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham—that through his offspring (Christ), all the nations of the world would be blessed.

Galatians 3:27–29 NASB 2020

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (V29) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Then Paul says something so beautiful:

“And we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

This phrase speaks of source. To drink means to receive life. It means nourishment. It means dependence. It means that all of us—without exception—draw from the same well.

We are unified because we drink from the same fountain.

We are sustained by the same Spirit.

We are dependent on the same life.

The Spirit is not only how we entered the body of Christ—the Spirit is how the body lives.

13. We don’t merely belong to Christ by the Spirit, we now live by the Spirit.

And not as isolated individuals, but as one body, moving together, depending on one another, brought to life by the same divine life.

This is unity.

And then Paul adds the necessary reminder in verse 14:

“For the body is not one part, but many.”

This mattered deeply for Corinth—because they were acting as though some parts mattered more than others, as though some gifts were unnecessary or insignificant. And in doing so, they weren’t just rejecting one another—they were rejecting the work of the Spirit Himself, the One who sovereignly distributes the gifts.

14. Diversity is not optional in God’s design. It is essential.

A body with one part is not unified—it is dysfunctional and it is limited. So God’s design demands interdependence, mutual need, and diversity.

We can see this in Jesus’ words to His disciples in:

John 10:16 NASB 2020

I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.

One flock. How many shepherds? One Shepherd!

God has always been forming a people from many places, many backgrounds, many stories—so that together, we might display His glory. And this brings us full circle.

Think again about Mr. Potato Head. You can hold the arms in one hand, the eyes in another, the mouth somewhere else—but none of those pieces, on their own, communicate what Mr. Potato Head is. Even the potato by itself falls short. It is only when everything comes together that you see the whole picture.

That’s the church.

I am not the church by myself. You are not the church by yourself. Together, we are the church of Jesus Christ. And more than that—we are the body of Christ.

This is how God forms a spiritual people.

First, He reveals who He is—one God in three persons, perfectly united, working in harmony.

Second, He empowers us people by His Spirit, distributing gifts—not for personal recognition or elevation, but for His purpose.

And third, He unites us as one body, not divided by difference, but strengthened by it.

The gifts were never meant to make us stand out from one another. They were meant to bind us together. This is the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17—that we would be one, just as He and the Father are one, so that the world may believe.

So the call for us is clear:

Let us not live as disconnected parts.

Let us not treat unity as optional.

Let us live as the body of Christ—dependent on one another and submitted to one Shepherd.

One flock.

One Shepherd.

One body.

And may our life together make Christ visible to the world.