1Cor12a1
“SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND MINISTRY”
(1 Corinthians 12:1-26)
The Corinthian church faced a number of critical issues that threatened its unity and spiritual health and vitality, so the apostle writes the letter in an attempt to answer particular questions posed by the members of the church at Corinth and to deal with some of the divisions that threaten the church. One of the issues that divided the church at Corinth was the spokesmen for Christ. Some in the church preferred Paul, some Apollos, and others Peter. The matter of the use and function of spiritual gifts also threatened the unity of the church at Corinth. A third problem the Corinthians faced was that of diversity. The church at Corinth was a diverse group, some having been saved from paganism, others from a Jewish background. Within those two large groups, there were subsets of people; each with different backgrounds, interests and priorities.
Paul asks an important question in 1 Corinthians 4:7. The Corinthians themselves were highly gifted people and there was a certain rivalry and ambition within that congregation itself. And so in 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul raises this question: “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” The question is answered here in 1 Corinthians 12.
In the first four verses, the apostle points out the pagan backgrounds of the Corinthians. Let’s read these verses together: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3Wherefore 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.4”
At one time the Corinthians were being led by their own impulses and by the influences of pagan idolatry. The word “Gentiles” translates ethneµ, and was commonly used to represent all non–Jews, that is, Gentiles in general. But in the New Testament the term also is sometimes used, as here, to refer specifically to non–Christians (cf. 1 Thess. 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:12). Tragically, many of the Corinthian Christians had fallen back into some of their old idolatrous beliefs and practices. They could no longer distinguish the work of God’s Spirit from that of demonic spirits, God’s true spiritual gifts from Satan’s counterfeits, or true worship of God from the perverted worship of idols. They forfeited God’s blessing and received none from their dumb gods.
Paul gives a two-fold test for authenticity of true spiritual activity. First, a negative test: “no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed.” When a man or a woman is truly saved, they will speak honorably and reverentially of the Lord Jesus. A truly saved person believes Christ to be God and cannot call Him accursed by God.
The second test was positive in nature: no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” A person who is truly saved believes that Jesus is Lord; that he is God; that God raised Him from the dead. So the positive test for authentic Christian belief and expression si to honor Jesus as Lord, to trust Him as Savior, and to believe that He is god in the flesh.
In verse 4, Paul begins an extended discussion in the subject of spiritual gifts. Remember that the apostle is dealing with several different issues. He is dealing with disunity in the church of Corinth, division concerning church leaders, and the misuse of spiritual gifts. He will address the issue of disunity.
What is being referred to here is what is typically called spiritual gifts. What are spiritual gifts?
I. THE DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
The definition of spiritual gifts may be likened to standing at a fork in the road. Definitions may vary slightly at the beginning of the fork, but the way that gifts are applied and used will ultimately lead them far apart. Therefore, it is best that we establish a Scriptural definition of “spiritual gifts” so that our application and administration of these gifts will not depart from a biblical baseline. The word “gifts” is used in a number of ways by believers, ranging from “a gifted athlete,” to a person who is gifted with a particular ability or talent. What is spiritual giftedness?
Turn to 1 Corinthians 12. The most extended discussion of spiritual gifts as a whole is given in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. In these chapters, there are key different terms that refer to spiritual gifts. We will take two of them and extract from them principles that will guide us in our understanding of spiritual gifts.
A. Spirituals
The first of these terms is given to us in verse 1, where Paul writes, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” Notice that the word “gifts” is in italics. If you leave it out, the verse would read this way: “Now concerning “spirituals.” The word is in the plural. This is the word “pneumatikos.” The root of this word would be the word that is translated “spirit” or “pneuma.” What are “spirituals?” Let’s notice together verses 4-6: “4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” This is the same point that Paul is making in Ephesians 4:7-10. There is a diversity of giftedness. Now notice verse 7: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8For to one is given by the Spirit.” and now he is going to list nine spiritual gifts, and each one of them according to verse 7 is manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Every believer is given a gift and each one a manifestation of the Spirit of God.
That expression then, fills out what a pneumatikos is. What is a “pneumatikos,” or a “spiritual” as Paul states in verse 1? It is a manifestation of the Spirit. It is a manifestation of the Spirit in the sense that when that ministry is employed, the Holy Spirit makes Himself apparent through it. That is what marks it off as a spiritual gift. The Spirit of God employs that person in His ministry to manifest Himself in wisdom, in power, in extraordinary skill, in the moving in the hearts of God’s people with conviction, with enlightenment of their spiritual understanding. The Spirit of God is the one who is doing it all, but He is employing these ministry people and He is manifesting Himself through these people.
Let’s look at three Biblical illustrations of this fact. There is a man named Bezaleel mentioned in Exodus 31 who was employed in the construction of the tabernacle. We read in verses 1-2: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in (here are the manifestations of the Spirit of God) wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” In other words, when Bezaleel was involved in that construction, when he worked it was a manifestation of the Spirit of God in him. It was a manifestation of the Spirit of God’s wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of workmanship.
Notice Judges 14:6: “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily.” When the Spirit of God came upon Samson, the Holy Spirit manifested unusual physical strength. The might of this physical body could not be resisted because of the manifestation of the Spirit (notice 15:14). He took out 1,000 people with the jawbone of a donkey. This great power was not a manifestation of his won strength, but of a manifestation of the Spirit of God working through Him.
Notice Acts 6, verse 10, speaking of Stephen’s detractors: “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” It would not be incorrect to capitalize “Spirit.” What made his speech irrefutable, irresistible? It was the fact that the Spirit of God employed Stephan. The sermon that Stephan preached was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and of His might and power.
What is a spiritual gift? Based on verse 1, it is a ministry ability through which the Spirit of God manifested Himself. There is not a great deal of room in this definition for self-exaltation or self-aggrandizement.
If will notice in verse 4, you will the second term that the Spirit of God employs in describing spiritual gifts: “Now there are diversities of gifts.” The word used here is “charisma,” the root word “charis,” which is translated “grace.” Now there are diversities of grace. When the spirit of God refers to your gifts as “charisma,” does He mean that spiritual gifts are a manifestation of God’s grace to you, or does the term have the emphasis upon the fact that you are going to be a channel upon through which God manifests His grace to others? Is it that you have received grace or it is that you are a channel of grace?
The emphasis in 1 Peter 4:11 is upon the latter. Notice, please this passage: “11If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.” This passage tells us that gifted people are stewards of the grace of God.
What then is a spiritual gift? A short definition would be that it is ministry ability. It is supernatural ministry ability. A more complete definition would be that it is a ministry ability through which God’s spirit demonstrates or manifests Himself in the ministration of (ministering) God’s grace unto the edification of the body but ultimately unto the glorification of God. When a person ministers to another utilizing his or her spiritual gift, the Spirit of God was manifesting Himself through that individual through or by His grace. When your need was met, or when you were spoken to, or ministered to, you were a recipient of God’s grace channeled through that person.
If this is a proper biblical definition, who has such ministry abilities?
II. THE DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS
Look again at verse 7 (1 Corinthians 12): “7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” Look at verse 11: “All these (the nine verses that he just mentioned): “all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” And again in Ephesians 4:7: “7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
A. God gives spiritual gifts to every believer
Based on these verses, who in the body of Christ has ministry abilities, through which the Spirit of God want to manifest Himself in the ministration of God’s grace unto the edification of the whole body. The answer: every believer.
A very common question at this point would be, “Why doesn’t it seem like I do?” As soon as these Scriptures are called to our attention, all over this congregation, people will begin to ask themselves, “What are my spiritual gifts and why is it that I do not seem to be able to manifest my gifts in the way that you are describing?” Why do I have such difficulty in discovering what my spiritual gifts (ministry abilities) are? Why does it seem that I lack those ministry abilities? I can see what the Bible says about this, but I cannot see what my abilities are.
The answer is found in verse 15: If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” People who are feet are saying, “Well, I am not the hand, so I must not be of the body.” Others will say, “I am not an eye, I do not have the functions or the abilities that so and so seems to have, and so I must not have these spiritual gifts. It is not a matter of not being saved that is the point in question here, but of contributing to the body. Many here this evening are not sure what it is that the Lord would have you to do in terms of contributing to the body of Christ, to this local assembly. And because you do not have an understanding of the nature of the diversity of spiritual gifts, you may likely think that you are not gifted or that you do not have an important function in this local assembly.
B. Not all gifts are the same
The reason that many struggle with spiritual gifts, with ministry abilities is that we tend to compare ourselves with another gifted person who has gifts in areas in which we do not have gifts. And so we conclude that because we are not an eye, we have nothing to contribute. By comparison, it seems as if we do not have function. But the function by which the person compares himself is hand function or eye function. And when compared with hand function or eye function, it may seem that you do not have a place of ministry in the body of Christ. It is comparisons like this that make people tend to minimize their own special contribution to the body. People do not understanding characterization of gifts.
C. Gifts are used to edify and evangelize
Look for a minute at I Corinthians chapter 14:
I Corinthians 14 was written to correct the abuses of spiritual gifts in the church at Corinth. In verse 1, Paul deals with the gift of prophecy and points out the three objectives of the gift:
1. Edification (promotion of spiritual growth);
2. Exhortation (pointing out specific needs and sins);
3. Comfort (the consolation of God's people)
Most people think of prophecy in the narrowest sense, primarily in terms of forthtelling, of predicting the future. However, there is a broader sense of the use of the gift of prophecy, and that has to do with communicating the word of God. For some clarification and Biblical support of this claim, consider an Old Testament passage, I Chronicles 25, verses 1- 3.
This passage describes the appointment of the sons of Asaph to the music ministry, "who should prophesy with harps, psalteries, cymbals...." Verse 3 tells us the purpose of this type of prophecy: "to give thanks and to praise the Lord."
Bear in mind that the gift of prophecy is to edify, and those who use it are to speak as the oracles of God. We must be careful that the music we use in the worship service honors God, that it is consistent with His standards, and that we exercise our gifts for the good of others and for the glory of God.
Now let's go back to I Corinthians 14, and notice verse 26 and answer the question, "How do we use our spiritual gifts so that we can reach the lost?"
Verse 26 states, "How is then, brethren, when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath revelation. Believers are to exercise the gift of prophecy through psalms, doctrines, inter- pretations. They can use the verbal gifts through testimonies, Scripture reading, hymn histories, or lead the congregation in memorizing Scripture.
What happens when those who God has enabled practice and utilize their particular spiritual verbal gift? Notice verse 24 (READ).
When a multiplicity of believers use their spiritual gifts, there is a two-fold effect: 1.) The unbeliever is convicted; 2.) He is "judged;" his own thoughts and ideas come under cross examination, and begins to think about his relationship with God.
Getting involved in the church and using whatever gifts you might have makes a great impact upon the lost. When an unsaved man comes into the service, and he sees all these guys who are working in the church, using their gifts, using their abilities, doing what they can to make the service effective and beneficial. Involvement through the utilization of gifts and abilities makes a great difference in the life of the unsaved, and may eventually lead to his salvation.
III. CHARACTERIZATION OF GIFTS
Let’s return again to 1 Peter 4:11, the last passage that deals with the subject of spiritual gifts. It is in this passage that we have a major category division of spiritual gifts. You may see immediately which side of these gifts that you fit into, and it may be that you fit into both. Notice please, verse 10: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Notice “as every man.” It is the same thing that Paul said in both Ephesians and Corinthians. Who has ministry abilities? Every man. “As every man hath (paste tense) received the gift (the word is charisma), even so minister the same one another, as good stewards of the manifolds of the grace of God.
This is why the emphasis is primarily upon God manifesting His grace through those who utilize their gifts, rather than the gifts given by grace to the man (even though that is true). I am to be a steward of God’s grace for others. As recipients of charisma¸ be good stewards of the manifold grace of God. What does it mean by manifold? The various ways that it shows itself. God’s grace manifests itself in one case by giving, and in another case through being the recipient of mercy, or in another case through seeing skillful administration in a local assembly or in another case through gifted communication of God’s truth. The Holy Spirit is manifesting Himself through the various gifts that are sovereignly given to believers. It manifests itself in different ways. Be good stewards of this manifold grace of God.
A. Verbal category (“If any man speak”)
Verse 11 gives us two “if statements.” Notice: “If any man speaks; if that is the nature of his gift, if that is the category in which God has gifted him, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” If the category is verbal, then let him speak as the oracles of God. On the other hand, if any man minister—notice that the term is being used in distinction from verbal gifts—here the category is manual, or service type gifts, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. The word ability speaks of strength, and that is what is necessary in the utilization of the manual or the service gifts, when your ministry is more physical in nature. The additional strength from God at the end of the day—you have already put in 10 hours; but somehow God gives you the strength to labor for His glory to do the manual labor, the service to the Lord or to the church that He has gifted and called you to do.
If any man’s category is manual or service-oriented in nature, let him do it out of the strength that God gives. Let him draw upon God’s strength. Why? So that God in all things may be glorified.
You can see that these verses give us two categories of gifts. On the one hand, there are the verbal gifts, and on the other hand, there are the manual or the service gifts. All of the gifts tend to divide that way. One gift that is plainly verbal is the gift of teaching; another verbal gift is the gift of prophecy, or of exhortation. There are 11 gifts that involve speech—apostleship, prophet, evangelist, pastor teacher, exhorter, teacher, person who dispenses wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. There are more categories of gifts that are verbal than there are of manual or service gifts, because most things that are done in the church according the direction of the Head begins with the communication of His mind—on every level.
B. Manual (service gifts)
The manual or service gifts—gifts that do not primarily involve speech, but involve other things—include giving, ruling (administration), showing mercy, faith, healing, wisdom (according to the Old Testament), helping, miracles, pastor-teacher. There are at least 10 service or manual gifts. A person who has these gifts does not go around silent, but rather exercises his gifts in a way that is not primarily verbal. It expresses itself in other ways.
Very often, people seem to feel that they have no giftedness to offer because manual people are comparing themselves to verbal people who tend to be up in front. That is a great mistake. The body cannot do without every member. A body cannot function as a body if the members do cooperate and contribute.
There is a diversity of giftedness that falls into these categories.
IV. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIFTS AND TALENTS
Let’s consider for a few moments the difference between gifts and talents. We all recognize that even lost people have certain abilities that we tend to refer to as talents. What differentiates that from ministry ability?
Have you ever noticed that there are people who are musical, even in some cases Christian people who have musical ability, but when they play their instrument, they do not minister—and what they did was flawless! And it was beautiful. But nobody was moved towards God. Even though what they played was a hymn. Have you ever noticed that there are people who can administrate or rule in the secular life, but when they do it in the church, it does not edify; it does not move people towards God? Why is that? And they may even have gotten the task done, but it did not build up people. Have you notice that there are people who can teach in secular areas, but when they teach spiritual truth, it does not minister; it does not edify or move people towards God? It is not necessarily that they do damage, but there is no the same manifestation of the power of the spirit as there is with a person who has the gift of teaching.
There are people who can make money and give large amounts of money to the Lord’s work, but they do not have the gift of giving. Let’s consider this matter of giving. People who have the gift of giving do not necessarily have a lot of money with which to do it. It isn’t the amount of money that is the issue here. The issue is, does it manifest the Spirit of God in way that manifests God’s grace and ministers and really edifies people? People who have the gift of giving seem to have a special ability for sensing needs that others overlook. It is an uncanny ability of knowing what people need in that situation and they just love doing that. It is as natural to them as breathing. And often it doesn’t involve money gifts at all. It something for that person who is confined in a hospital bed for three days or it is something for that woman who cannot take care of her children for the next week, or it is something for that man whose car is in the shop; it is a way of fitting those things together so that something that ministers to the one in need. They seem to scout those out like a hound on a trail.
We often measure the matter of spiritual giftedness in the wrong terms. The issue is “Does it manifest God’s spirit so that it demonstrates God’s grace so that when the whole thing is over, people were built up spiritually and they glorified God for it.
Four ways that talents and gifts differ. One way they differ is in the way that they are given.
1. Talents are given mediately; spiritual gifts through heredity or instruction
Talents are given mediately. They are given through mediators, through parents, through heredity, through instruction, or through training or development and mentoring. You can teach people to do certain things; but gifts are given immediately and supernaturally; they are not given or developed through people. The Spirit of God gives them, and there is no medium in between.
2. Talents are given at spiritual birth; spiritual gifts at spiritual birth
Another difference between talents and gifts is when they are given. Talents are often given from natural birth; they are part of a person’s DNA. Not always, sometimes they are developed later, but often talents are given at physical birth. Spiritual gifts are given from supernatural birth; maybe later, but the Scriptures are not clear. It is clear that they are given at salvation; this is part of the baptism into the Holy Spirit into His body, when the Lord places a person into the body of believers. When the Lord positions a person into the body as a hand, he gives the person the ability that a hand is supposed to have.
3. Talents are given to all people; spiritual gifts are only given to saved people
The third way that spiritual gifts and talents differ is to whom they are given. Talents are given to unregenerated people; spiritual gifts are given to regenerated people, to those who are in Christ. Even talents come from God mediately and often come from Him at birth, and are given for the purpose of doing good on a natural level. Unsaved artist, musicians, it is God’s intentions that what they have is to be used for good on natural level. But gifts are given for the edification of the body on a supernatural level. The supernatural level being, the church growing up into the full level of the stature of the manhood of Christ. A gift for a person who is newly saved may actually be an extension of their talent or natural ability. The two are not mutually exclusive necessarily. But remember, there are cases where you have believers who have an ability that is merely a talent or an ability that they have been trained into. But when they use the talent, it lacks the usefulness that the Spirit of God utilizes in edifying believers and in glorifying God. Sometimes people insist that the body of Christ allow them to do a certain thing because of a talent or an ability, but not because of a spiritual gift or enablement. The lack is not necessarily a lack of spirituality, but a lack of giftedness.
Two equally trained believers can stand up and teach a lesson and one can edify and another does not. It is not a matter of being unspiritual; it is not a matter of one of them lacking Bible knowledge; it is not a matter of their accuracy with the passage. It is merely that when one teachers, there is something extra there is not merely human. It is a manifestation of the Spirit. And that is of the Spirit’s choice. You cannot say, “Well the other guy better get right with God and filled with the spirit.” It has nothing to do with whether or not he is right with God and filled with the Spirit. Rather it has to do that he has not been gifted by God to reach on a spiritual level.
God has established this church as a body, and has equipped every believer with spiritual gifts. Some have verbal gifts, and you are greatly visible. People with verbal gifts tend not to question their importance in the body. Their gifts make them highly visible. But others have what we might call the manual or service type gifts, and there are times when you might feel that you are not as important as a teacher or someone with verbal gifts. You might feel that your contribution is minimal. But the truth is, without your gifts, the verbal gifts could not be manifested. There are times when various ones in this church will work with his or her hands and the result has as great a ministry impact as a sermon or a special ministry in music. But the nursery worker’s gifts are not seen. Or the one who takes care of the building, in cleaning, repair, or in decoration. But when your use your gifts, the Holy Spirit speaks and manifests Himself.
Our Lord said in Luke 9:48 that “he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.” He said also in Mark 9:35 that “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” We will discover some interesting things at the Judgment Seat, or the final rewards. One of the greatest surprises will be the way that the Holy Spirit used certain people profoundly as they simply and without fanfare exercised their gifts. There will be accounts of people who were saved, lives strengthened and ministry occurring that we never before considered, because of yielded people who exercised their spiritual gifts. God wants to use you in a profound way, and He can and will as your surrender yourself to Him for use through the gifts that He has given you.