The Mis-Use of Spiritual Gifts

The Book of Acts marks the beginning if the growth of the church.  The Growth was empowered by the coming of the Holy Spirit in .  This was spoken about by Jesus in .  The coming of the Holy Spirit empowered the church in such a great way that everyone took notice.  People were being healed.  Demons were being cast out.  Even the dead were being raised to life again.  

In fact in when a person known for using sorcery witnessed the working of the Holy Spirit he asked the disciples of Jesus if he could purchase the power of the Holy Spirit.

So many miraculous things accompany the early church growth so quickly, is it any wonder the letters of Paul are so full of instructive/corrective information.  1 Corinthians offers both corrective instruction and informational instruction.

Today we begin a discussion regarding the largest part of Paul’s teaching to this letter to the Corinthians.  It is a discussion regarding spiritual gifts in .  And can I say, this argument is still going strong within the theological community and the way the church worships today.

Depending upon who you speak with or what church you attend, you can see the wide array of confusion regarding this issue.  on one end of the spectrum you have those who believe in total cessation of all spiritual gifts, to cessation of only some Spiritual gifts, to only certain lists of spiritual gifts, to allowing many more spiritual gifts than what the Bible even mentions.  

As you can tell, there is still much confusion…even condemnation.  One church, in our area, recently  stated that the reason many churches don't practice spiritual gifts as they do in their church is it because they have not yet matured in their faith.  Their comment was specifically related to speaking in tongues.

This actually begs me to ask the question,

What are Spiritual gifts?

For Paul’s original audience, Spiritual gifts were relatively unknown.

In fact, I think that’s why Paul address the Corinthian church the way he does in

-  Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

The Word ignorant here means - to not know, to be lacking in knowledge or information.

Spiritual gifts were not something that was present in the Old Testament.

Sampson was gifted with great strength

Solomon was gifted with great knowledge

The Prophet Joel () speaks of Spiritual gifts which Peter says was fulfilled in .

So this spiritual gifting was really new to the church.

I think this kind of gets to the roots of the misuse of Spiritual gifts.

Let me see if I can illustrate this.

I think the problem with spiritual gifts is that we call them spiritual “gifts".

Let me illustrate this.  This was a gift from my CT Parents.  But now it’s mine.  I do with it what I want.  It no longer belongs to them, and it no longer belongs to the store where they bought it.  It is mine.

Do you see where I am going with this?  

When we treat the Spirit of God as mine, then I am at the very least ignorant, but at the most I am highly arrogant.

This really gets at the heart of our discussion this morning and it really gets to the heart of the misuse of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church.

The Misuse of Spiritual gifts is when we use spiritual gifts to seek personal glory. 

What is the Spiritual gift?  It is the Spirit himself.  It is God's presence within me.

So Spiritual gifts are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. 

They do not belong to you.  They are not of yours.

Spiritual gifts are the manifestation of the Spirit of God through you.

Spirit gifts or manifestations do not refer to abilities that believers are given but two ministries of the spirit, manifestations of Gods many-faceted, many-colored, diversified grace ().  Alan F. Johnson, First Corinthians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 218

That is what we need to know, that is what most people are ignorant of when it comes to the gifting of the Spirit.  

And that is why Paul spent so much time discussing this matter with the Corinthian Church.

The Problems at Corinth

Remember the book of 1 Corinthians is a series of letters.  And the piece of information that we do not have are the specific question the church at Corinth was asking Paul, nor do we have the specific details regarding their questions.

However, Paul does give us enough information in the letter to give us a pretty good idea of what was going on.

One Scholar says this.

"From the content of the chapters themselves we may gather that the Corinthians had concerns about manifestations of the Spirit, especially to experiences of tongues (the whole of chapter 14), in their worship experience.

"…there were problems of status discrimination, lack of unity and disrespect, especially those whose contribution to the church was considered of less value, the ‘less presentable’ parts of the body (12:23).

It’s seems clear from that the church was fraught with divisions and arguments relating to Spiritual gifts.  

They viewed some gifts as more important and other a less meaningful.

This Cause some to assume a spirit of arrogance and even spiritual superiority over others in the church.  in essence they were using spiritual gifts as a means to seek their own glory.

Mis-use of Spiritual Gifts - When we us our spiritual gifts to seek personal glory.

This action brought disunity and dysfunction into the church of God and kept it from it’s true purpose

Paul "is seeking to bring the disorderly and self centered worship practices of the Corinthian's under control so that the church as a whole maybe built up (14:5, 12, 26)”  Alan F. Johnson, First Corinthians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 216

4 Truths about Spiritual Gifts:

Spiritual gifts are not self-centered, but rather Christ-centered

-  3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Paul says them main focus of Spiritual gifts is to reveal Jesus Christ.  One scholar calls this the Christocentric test.  Basically its saying si Christ at the Center.  

The Question here is whether or not Christ is the focus of worship experience.

This seemed to be a struggle in the Corinthian church, and sometimes today as well.  

If the gifts itself, ie speaking is tongues, or healing, or prophecying, is celebrated more than the gift giver. That’s a problem.

If the person who exhibited the gift is celebrated more than the gift giver, then that a problem.

Remember Mis-use of Spiritual Gifts - When we us our spiritual gifts to seek personal glory.

Spiritual gifts are not self-promoting, but rather Church-promoting

-  2 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 

- For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man eunderstandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

-  12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Self-affirmation

Self-fullfillment

Individual status

Individual value

Mis-use of Spiritual Gifts - When we us our spiritual gifts to seek personal glory.

Spiritual gifts were given so that the church may be edified.

Here how Paul says it in - "to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."

-  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might ffill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, hprophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Spiritual gifts are not self-controlled, but rather Spirit-controlled

-  11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

God is the giver of Spiritual gifts, and he gives as it please him.

 - 28 And God hath set some in the church, first qapostles, secondarily qprophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 

God is the activator of Spiritual gifts

Not only does God give spiritual gifts, but God choose when to use those gifts and when not to.

-31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

There should be an earnest desire in each and every one of us be used of God in the greatest way possible.

We Mis-use of Spiritual Gifts When we us our spiritual gifts to seek personal glory.

Spiritual gifts are not self-contained, but rather Spirit-prompted

What I mean by this is that I am not in control of my spiritual gifts that I can turn them on and turn them off.

Self Contained when referring to a person means - "quiet and independent; not depending on or influenced by others."

This marks a deviation from most schools of thought regarding spiritual gifts and spiritual gifts testings.

And I think what happens sometimes is that we confuse our uniqueness in creation with our spiritual gifting.  

We all have natural propensities, and we all have particular skills whether trained of natural.  

But spiritual gifts are different.

In the Bile Spiritual gifts are when God supernaturally empowers/supernaturally changes our efforts and elevates them by a exponential spiritual power to accomplish his designed plan.  

Spiritual gifts are not designed to prove the Spirits presence in the believer, however, without the Spirit's presence in the life of the believer there are no Spiritual gifts.

Let me conclude by giving a quick reminder.  

Mis-use of Spiritual Gifts - When we us our spiritual gifts to seek personal glory.

-  12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Let’s look at some next steps that may be beneficial to help this idea stick in out minds this week.

NEXT STEPS

Read: ;

Memorize:

I need to be ready to be used by the Holy Spirit to reveal God to those around me.

Further Reading Notes:

The Corinthians had failed to perceive the nature of their salvation through the self-giving cross of Christ and to nurture love that cares for others without discrimination.  Their distorted understanding of the spirits concrete manifestations or showings led them to value some of these ministries above others because of the status they brought.

Tongues are legitimate expressions of the Spirit, but they are mainly to be kept for private, personal edification, since they are on intelligible speech(unless interpreted).  Alan F. Johnson, First Corinthians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 217

Perhaps we should not think of gifts as a permanent ability or capacity but of specific, public acts of worship, which may be either spontaneous or prepared with previous reflection and which are energized by the spirit on particular occasion.  Alan F. Johnson, First Corinthians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 220

The showings of the spirit are not to bring personal benefit or status to the individual but advantage to the whole community (the context indicates this, not the nearest sense of the Greek word, which simply means “ enefit" or “advantage”; 6:12, 14:3-4, 17).  Alan F. Johnson, First Corinthians: The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, p. 220

Foxman helpfully suggested that two basic principles crucial to the harmonious functioning of the body are set forth in verses 15 through 27.   First, there is no room for a inferiority complexes (vv.15-20).  Second, there is no room for superiority complexes (vv. 21-26).

Prolific, simultaneous,uninterperated tongues speech and prophetic speech (vv. 26-31) produced a disordered, unintelligible worship service that virtually prevented the growth of the congregation into Christian maturity and the evangelistic witness of the gathered group (vv. 12, 20, 22-25)

Paul sees what is happening as counter to the true nature of God and the Christian church.

Up building the whole congregationIs to be the benchmark goal of all that is done in the worship service (vv. 4, 12, 17, 19, 26, 33, 40).  For Paul everything is tested by the single purpose.  Edification or building up is further defined as to instruct others vv. 17, 31) to promote peace (wholeness, harmony, well-being, v.33) and to strengthen, encourage and comfort others (vv. 3, 31).

The goal of controlled worship is that everyone may be instructed and encouraged (v. 31)

Here Paul appeals to the ultimate ground for an order of service of worship: order and peace are part of the very nature of God. Paul's word for disorder means disturbance, tumult, unruliness, and disorder.

Paul's concern is not to disempower women But to (1) reflect in life and worship a dialectic between creativity and in keeping with God's own nature; (2) just keep the missionary vision in view, considering how outsiders will view what is done (cf. 9:19-23; 14:23-25); and (3) to avoid local wireless, autocratic, arrogant self-sufficiency in relation to other churches (Thiselton 2000:1158-58).

The Spirit shows no gender discrimination in the giving of his gifts to the people of God.