Sermon Tone Analysis

*“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.