1 Cor 13

The Greatest Gift of All

Sunday 2/18/07 p.m.

1 Corinthians 13

I.          The List of Gifts: 12:8-10, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11

The list here includes 9 gifts. Add another 7 from other scriptures, and subtract the temporary gifts (asterisk *), your final total is 12.

(1) Wisdom refers to insight into doctrinal truth.

(2) Knowledge refers to the ability to apply doctrinal truth to life.

(3) Faith as a spiritual gift is probably an unusual measure of trust in God beyond that exercised by most Christians (e.g., 13:2).

*(4) Healing is the ability to restore health (e.g., Acts 3:7; 19:12) and also to hold off death itself temporarily (Acts 9:40; 20:9-10).

*(5) Miracles empowers me with the ability to exorcise demons (Acts 19:11-12) or inducing physical disability (Acts 13:11) or even death (Acts 5:5, 9).

(6) Prophecy is the ability, like that of the Old Testament prophets, to declare a message of God for His people (1 Cor. 14:3).

(7) Ability to distinguish between spirits is the gift to differentiate the Word of God proclaimed by a true prophet from that of a satanic deceiver (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14-15; 1 John 4:1). If the Corinthians possessed this gift (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7), it was not being put to good use (cf. 12:1-3). The discernment gifts are also given to those with the ability to give wise counsel.

*(8) Tongues refers to the ability to speak an unlearned, living language

(see Acts 2:11).

*(9) Interpretation of tongues was the ability to translate an unlearned, known language expressed in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:27).

Ephesians 4:11 adds three more;

(10) Evangelist is the ability to see salvations, either individually or in mass;

(11) Pastor is the ability to shepherd and lead God’s people;

(12) Teacher is the ability to impart knowledge.

Romans 12:6-8 adds 4 more

(13) Exhortation is the ability to build up and encourage someone;

(14) Giving is the ability and means to meet needs;

(15) Ruling or Administration is the ability to lead, guide, direct and administrate God’s people;

(16) Mercy is the ability to show mercy where others struggle to naturally.

II.        Categories of Gifts, 12:27-31

            A.        Temporary Gift categories:

1.         Apostles

2.         Miracles

3.         Healings

4.         Tongues

            B.        Contemporary Gift Categories:

1.         Prophets or proclaimers of truth (preachers, pastors, evangelists)

2.         Teachers

3.         Helps - Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Discernment or discernment of Spirits, Exhortation, Giving, Mercy

                        4.         Governments, Ruling or Administration

It’s All About Love

Sunday 2/18/07 p.m.

1 Corinthians 13

I.          Love Is Greater than Any or All of the Spiritual Gifts, 1Cor. 13:1-2

II.        Love Is the Greatest Work of Any Christian, 1 Cor. 13:3

III.       What is Love? (Self-Control) 1 Cor. 13:4-7

Whatever it is, IT:

1. Suffers long
2. Is Kind
3. Does not envy
4. Does not exalt self
5. Is void of pride
6. Is not perverted or immoral
7. Does not seek its own
8. Is not easily provoked
9. Does not think evil thoughts
10. Does not rejoice in or about sin
11. Does rejoice in the truth
12. Bears the weight of life
13. Believes in humnaity
14. Offers hope in hopeless situations
15. And endures the hardness of life.

IV.       Love Is the Evidence of Being Grown Up, 1 Cor. 13:8-11

When Love Becomes the Greatest Thing we Seek or Practice as Christian Then We Have Truly Reached Maturity!

V.        Is Love Alone Enough? 1 Cor. 13:12

.

1.      The contrast between the imperfect time in which he then wrote and the perfect time which awaited him and the church when the partial reflection of the present would give way to the splendor of perfect vision.

2.      Then Paul would see God (cf. 15:28; 1 John 3:2) as God now saw Paul.

3.      Then partial knowledge (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1-3) would be displaced by the perfect knowledge of God.

VI.       Are Faith and Hope as Eternal as Love? 1 Cor. 13:13

1. Faith is an expression of love (the word “trusts,” pisteuei, v. 7, is the verb form of the noun “faith,” pistis), as is hope (cf. Gal. 5:5-6).
2. Faith and hope, as manifestations of love, will endure eternally.
3. So too everyone who follows the way of love (1 Cor. 14:1) finds “the most            excellent way” (12:31b), because every individual characterized by love carries          that mark eternally.
4. The spiritual gifts will one day cease to exist, but love will   endure forever.