Smooth Operator

Introduction

The same Spirit uses our gifts (, ).

:4-6

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

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Paul lays the foundation for the operation of the gifts and an understanding that while there are many different gifts, they are given by the same Holy Spirit. This means that no matter what our gifts may be or what gift is in use, it is directed by the Holy Spirit for his purpose.

all given by the same Holy Spirit.

Paul also describes along with the Trinity’s work through the believer to encourage and exhort his people, for their edification, three different types of manifestation of the Holy Spirit:

This means that no matter what our gifts may be or what gift is in use, it is directed by the Holy Spirit for his purpose.

the Charismatic gifts –Demonstrated openly in the service and listed several places throughout Scripture (, ; ; :11).

Service – Things we do for others when guided by the spirit.

Working – the effect of cuts power working in us for the benefit of others.

While Paul talks a lot about the different gifts he may be stressing the fact that God through the Trinity apportions or hands out the gifts that are different with multiple uses. That would be the emphasis is on God-given rather than the gifts he gives. We must make sure to remember and worship God to give her rather than elevating the gifts he gives over him and our relationship with him.

We should think of the gifts of the Holy Spirit more as spontaneous in most cases. There are some gift that seem to be more permanent and regular, like teachers, the fivefold ministry and the like.

He decides what gift is in use at each moment and who is using it. He decides what gifts are needed for whatever occasion.

Most importantly, it not only chooses what gift is in use and who he is using in that gift, but he leads each of us individually and by his prompting we play our part.

Paul stresses the three persons of the Trinity when he talks about the gifts that are distributed,The varieties of services and The variety of activities.

Paul begins his teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit by explaining that no matter how diverse they are they have one source. The Holy Spirit to distributes and uses the gifts in each of us is that source and the one who is ordering the service.

1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

The Holy Spirit directs the body ().

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The gifts bring unity to the church.

The gifts bring diversity to the church.

God uses your gifts for his church.

You are needed as a friend from everyone else. Your gifts are unique.

You complete the whole. You and your special gifts are needed for the body to be complete.

We are tied together with our service and special gifts to one another. When one member of the body suffers all suffer and when one is honored all are honored.

We must guard against thinking that one gift is more important than another. Prophecy seems to be the most important gift to Paul only because it edifice the body more readily than the others. No one person for a gift is more important than another when all are needed for the body to properly function.

The fact that Paul lists different gifts but before shows that none of the lists in the New Testament contain a complete catalog. There are numerous gaps that Paul may not have even mentioned that were in operation in the church and are still in operation today.

The seven questions about the gifts in general all expect a negative answer. It is important to understand that Paul is not referring to personal gifts but rather gifts that are used publicly to edify the body. Thus, no one has all of these gifts. Each one exercises their gift. The negative answer clarifies what Paul has been teaching that the body has many members that have individual gifts. Not one person utilizes all of the gifts. At most a person may have two or three gifts.

What does it mean to seek the gifts or to eagerly desire certain ones?

Describe how the Holy Spirit leads us in the gifts, gives us the ones he wants us to have and prompts has had to use them and when.

The gifts are exercised in love ().

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Our gifts are worthless if we do not use them lovingly toward the members of the body.

Chapter 13 is between the other two chapters because it is the first role in the manual of how to use the gifts. It is the prime directive with the gifts filling in ways in which our love can be felt by others.

God gives us these ways to help others but without love they can only hurt others.

1 Corinthians 13:8–10 ESV

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

Paul points out that love supersedes and is above the gifts. While they will one day and when the “perfect” comes, for which several scholars have several ideas including the Bible and Jesus himself in the end times, love will always be here even when the gifts are no longer here.

This of course does not need that the gifts do not exist now because they are useful for the church today. And as the gifts are in use today, so also love must be their master. When Jesus comes again he will bring the perfect and complete to us ().

Principles for operating in the gifts ().

Understanding becomes much easier when one realizes that Paul is distinguishing between a private prayer language and speaking in tongues and the public gift of speaking in tongues that benefits and edifies the congregation when interpreted. These two uses refer to the same gift in different contexts. In most cases, the gift will sound the same in both contexts.

Once this understanding is in our minds, it is important to realize that the public use of the gift of tongues must edify the congregation for it is improperly used. In private, understanding and interpretation of tongues does not have to be reached for it to edify personal times of prayer. When other people are involved must be interpreted to edify others ().

These two uses refer to the same gift in different contexts. In most cases, the gift will sound the same in both contexts.

Because the one spirit gives out the gifts as he wishes, don’t be surprised if uses you in a newer way that you are less familiar with. Many of’s get used too using the gifts that we have regularly been used in. But there is no rule that says the Holy Spirit will not you in a different camp that he has used human for. This is why we must be aware of how he prompts us. The other reason for knowing is prompting it as is so that we are orderly when being used in our gifts. The best way to not speak out of turn or improperly use our gifts and public is to know that the Holy Spirit is prompting us instead of simply speaking out.

Seek to intelligibly build up the body (,).

Seek to intelligibly build up the body (,).

Use your gifts as a witness of the Holy Spirit ().

Use your gift in concerts with the order of the Spirit (, ).

Speaking in tongues must be interpreted for the congregation and limited to 2 or 3 speakers (). The Holy Spirit will direct his activities. He will allow for one to speak and then the interpretation, followed by another speak and then the interpretation. This allows for the God of order to be glorified as he edifies his people. No one speaks out of turn when following the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is the one in charge. When there is someone who does speak out of turn, God is placed godly leaders in the service to our also sensing the prompting of the Holy Spirit and are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. They are called to lead in such a manner that they lovingly addressed such a situation. It is important not to score and those who may have misused their gifts. We are all growing and learning how to follow the spirits prompting and properly discharge the gifts he has graciously given to us. When we get it wrong, it must be a teachable moment rather than a time quench the gifts that people have.

The prophetic ministry follows much the same rules (). Once again the number of profits that speak in one service is limited for the benefit of all ministries to have their turn. A very important verse explains that the spirits of profits are subject to those prophets (1 Corinthians 12:32). This means that every person can control their gift in such a way as to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and wait to use their gift in the congregation when necessary. This is how order is maintained by the Holy Spirit.

This means that every person can control their gift in such a way as to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and wait to use their gift in the congregation when necessary. This is how order is maintained by the Holy Spirit.

). Once again the number of profits that speak in one service is limited for the benefit of all ministries to have their turn. A very important verse explains that the spirits of profits are subject to those profits (1 Corinthians 12:32). This means that every person can control their gift in such a way as to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and wait to use their gift in the congregation when necessary. This is how order is maintained by the Holy Spirit.

). This means that every person can control their gift in such a way as to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and wait to use their gift in the congregation when necessary. This is how order is maintained by the Holy Spirit.

Be good to use your gift but careful not to quench the Holy Spirit (). We must all be careful to exercise our gift to edify one another when we meet. But it is also imperative that we do not stop following the Holy Spirit’s lead and using our gift when he calls on us. Don’t stop one another from following the Holy Spirit’s lead and using their gift to edify you.

We must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It is true that the gifts can easily be missed used when one or more of us do not follow the prompting and leadership of the Holy Spirit. But just because this is possible, we must not give up on allowing the Holy Spirit full rein in our churches and services. The benefits far outweigh the dangerous when it comes to spirit led use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit among us.

Conclusion