The Sovereign Spirit's Unmerited Gifts

The Spirit Sovereignly Gifts Individual Members of the Body with a Diversity of Gifts for the Common Good.

Tonight we will seek to read and understand the nature and purpose of the Spiritual gifts.

Reminder: 11-14 Concerns Corrections for Corporate Worship Practice

Reminder of Themes: Division, Worldliness, Arrogance, Participation with Christ not Demons

Now, we move into a new section w/in corporate worship

Chapters 12-14 deal specifically with divisions over the spiritual gifts and the practice of using them in corporate worship.

Now, imagine with me an orchestra and how it is arranged.

How many have ever been to an orchestra or wind band concert?

sections arranged

Disorder and chaos

That kind of chaos serves as a parallel to what was apparently taking place at Corinth in their worship services.

We will hear more about this in ch. 14, but there were all kinds of abuses of the so-called spiritual gifts.

In fact, as we will see—counterfeit gifts

The passage that we will study for the next several weeks—one of the most controversial and important sections in all of Scripture

We already addresses some of the controversy last week

General Overview for 12-14

12:1-11—The Diversity of Gifts given by the One Holy Spirit

12:12-31—The Body as an Illustration for the Unity and Diversity

13—The Centrality of Love at the Heart of Unity

14:1-25—Right Understanding of the Spiritual Gifts (Edification of the Body)

14:26-40—Orderly Worship (Right Application of the Gifts)

And so, tonight we are introduced—12:1-11

False Religion and Pagan worship from the surrounding culture and the Corinthians’ pre-conversion experiences continue to manifest in the assembly.

In this passage we witness “counterfeit spiritual manifestations” that had infiltrated the very practice of corporate worship.

READ—1

I. Genuine Spiritual Gifts are Manifestations of the Spirit Who Testifies to the Truth (1-3)

A. Right Understanding of the Gifts of the Spirit is Crucial (1-2)

i. Do Not Be Ignorant or Uninformed

READ vv. 1-2

“Now concerning”

Address right understanding, come back to spiritual gifts

Right Understanding:

In order for us to live holy and righteously as Christians we must think rightly!

Theology and right doctrine are critical to the life of every Christian.

"This is how I think about Jesus” or “I think God is like”

Even worse, what kinds of images do we hold in our minds that we assume without even giving second thought to them?

How we conceive of God in our minds plays a decisive role in how we live.

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

"Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.  We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silences is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God." (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

Right theology matters!

Here Paul wants to be sure that the Corinthians theology of the spiritual gifts is right.

Spiritual Gifts

The original Greek—no “gifts”

Literally means— “pertaining to the Spirit.”

From context—we understand reference to gifts, so most translations add it

How do we understand the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts?

MacArthur:

“Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure to all believers and that are to be completely under His control and used for the building of the church to Christ’s glory. These had to be distinguished from the mystical experiences called “ecstacy” (supernatural, sensuous communion with a deity) and “enthusiasm” (divination, dreams, revelations, visions) that were found in the pagan religions of Corinth.”

Important—in light of last week’s discussion—

What we will find out about the nature of these gifts will, I think, further support the cessationist position.

Pentecostal/Charismatic mvt. consists of ecstatic and enthusiastic experiences as the highest good and the truest expression of devotion to God.

How does this affect our own view of worship?

When we come to worship are we expecting to experience feelings of ecstacy and enthusiasm in order that we may validate our worship?

We often see this in modern Evangelical Christianity— “worship experience”

Correct Understanding—Spiritual gifts not natural talents

natural talents—physical birth

spiritual gifts—spiritual rebirth

Given at the moment of conversion—spend the rest of our Christian lives discovering and developing these gifts

Gifts given to us supernaturally through the Holy Spirit for ministry that we might serve others.

All believers are gifted with various spiritual gifts!

Thus, in this opening statement Paul is addressing the critical nature of the Spiritual gifts and a right understanding of these Spiritual gifts.

So, we all must be aware of the presence, importance, and necessity of the spiritual gifts with a right understanding of their nature and purpose.

ii. Being deceived in our former lives (2).

Paul does not only address right understanding from a general sense—he reminds the Corinthians that they were previously led astray by “mute idols” when they were pagans, worshipping false gods.

“mute idols”—cannot talk, implying no interaction, no personal relationship

Obviously, led astray by idols—manifested in the practice of their supposed Christian worship

By introducing this portion of the letter with this statement, Paul is essentially telling the Corinthians, “you are no longer pagans, worshipping mute idols, yet here you are worshipping like pagans and calling it Christian worship!”

What is characteristic of pagans is that they are “led astray by idols.”

They are fooled

They are blinded by the prince of darkness

With this construction—Paul makes a clear juxtaposition between knowing the one true and living God, who has made himself clearly known through his Word and the foolish ignorance of mindlessly following mute idols who cannot be known or even answer their worshippers.

This manifests itself in the kind of mindless, frenzied, ecstatic, and enthusiastic worship of the pagan gods. We contrast this with genuine Christian worship which always centers on spirit and truth (John 4:24)—always holistic response to revealed truth (our minds are always engaged).

B. The Spirit of God Testifies that Jesus is Lord! (3)

Having established the critical nature of a right understanding, Paul now gives the Corinthians the first and perhaps the most important way of identifying genuine manifestations of the Spirit through the Spiritual gifts. READ v. 3

i. First, the Negative(3a)

No one who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit can say that Jesus is accursed (anathema)

Paul evidently responds to something taking place— “Jesus is accursed!”

anathema—set up for destruction; cursed; damned

Connect this to being led astray by mute idols.

Again, frenzied, ecstatic worship was falsely seen as supernatural and genuine Christian worship

The false practice was apparently leading church members to elevate their expenses at the very expense of truth

Causing some to testify that Jesus is accursed, believing this to be an actual revelation from God!

Antithesis to “Jesus is Lord!”

ii. Second, the Positive (3b)

To truly testify that “Jesus is Lord” is to truly be indwelt by the Spirit.

The Spirit of God always testifies to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This is why elsewhere Paul and Peter both refer to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Christ.” (Phil. 1:19; 1 Peter 1:11)

The ministry of the Spirit is to apply all the benefits of Christ to Christians and the church as a whole.

The Holy Spirit Union with Christ

The central role of the Spirit is to reveal Christ and to unite us to him and to all those who participate in his body.

John 15:26; Matt. 16:13-17

1 John 4:2-3

These verses tell us—more than what a believer or non-believer simply say

They tell us what characterizes the life of one who walks by the Spirit and one who is controlled by the flesh.

As Paul puts it in Romans 8:5-8

Or as we have read earlier in this book: 1 Cor. 2:12-13

We possess no ability to please God or know God without the indwelling Spirit of God.

Furthermore, what we will learn in the coming verses—there is one Spirit who gives a diversity of gifts, but despite this diversity of gifts, what characterizes all believers who walk by the Spirit and attest that Jesus is Lord is the fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit and the Spiritual gifts are not the same.

All believers possess the fruit of the Spirit—gives evidence of the genuineness of their faith

Galatians 5:22-24

Thus, to rightly manifest the gifts of the Spirit one will always evidence the fruit of the Spirit.

Apparently, the very opposite is taking place in the context of Corinthian church life—Chaos; ecstatic, uncontrolled, disordered worship

And in these first three verses, Paul exhorts the Corinthians that the very first way that you can know that the Spirit is truly working among you through the genuine Spiritual gifts is that He will testify to the truth—the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan desires to counterfeit spiritual gifts.

How do we avoid the counterfeiting of spiritual gifts?

Truth, Doctrine, Right Theology

Not Experience!

lex orandi, lex credendi

Furthermore, you can identify the work of the Spirit through the proper functioning of the Spiritual gifts because the individual gifts will be used to build up rather than divide

This is exactly where Paul goes next:

II. The Diversity of the Gifts Unifies the Church (4-11)

READ vv. 4-6

A. The Gifts and the Trinity (4-6)

Notice: Trintarian construction:

Varieties of Gifts—Same Spirit (Spirit)

Varieties of Service—Same Lord (Son)

Varieties of Activities—Same God (Father)

Why does Paul emphasize the Trinity here?

Unity and Diversity of the Trinity

This is the same gift that God has given the church

The Point—When the gifts are manifested and functioning properly within the body there will be a unity just like that of the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit

In keep with one of the dominant themes of this letter, Paul is addressing the purpose of the varieties of gifts.

Although the Spirit gives varieties of gifts, each is given for the good of the unified body.

Again, the Corinthians have gotten it all wrong

Boasting with pride about their individual gifts—which clearly were counterfeit gifts—or at least used in a counterfeit manner

Therefore, grossly malfunctioning

Paul says, “No! You are boasting as if you have done something to earn these gifts and your using counterfeit gifts to serve your selfish ambitions rather than to build up the body!”

Again—Paul corrects

Varieties of gifts—SAME Spirit

Varieties of services—SAME Lord

Varieties of activities—SAME God who empowers them all in everyone.

v. 4—with gifts here we have the Greek word for gift—χαρισμάτων

charis—grace

Freely, and graciously given without condition or merit

v. 5—διακονιῶν— “services” — Deacon

v. 6—ἐνεργημάτων— “activities,” “operations”

Paul is essentially using these words as synonyms to refer to gifts—highlighting different aspects

gifts—emphasizes their free, unmerited nature

services—emphasizes their purpose, how they are to be used, their proper goal—serving the body

activities—emphasizes the power working in them that comes only from God

Steve Lawson adds that in emphasizing each member of the Trinity here Paul is drawing our attention to:

Spirit as giver and applier of gifts

Lord Jesus as the purchaser

God the Father as sovereign designer and empower

So, in verses 4-6 Paul communicates the Trinitarian source of the gifts and the Trinitarian source and model of our unity.

Then, he highlights one of the central purposes both of these 11 verses and the entirety of chapters 12-14 here in verse 7:

B. The Gifts Are Given for the Common Good (7)

READ v. 7

This verse really serves as the thesis for the entire chapter (Taylor and Fee).

This verse is the central point Paul is driving home to the Corinthian Christians in Chapter 12 especially.

By saying, “manifestations of the Spirit” here Paul is further clarifying what the gifts are.

“manifestations of the Spirit” is really a synonymous term for spiritual gifts.

The proper use of the gifts manifests the Spirit’s presence among the church

“To each” clarifies that spiritual gifts are not unique to only a chosen few Christians.

Rather, All Believers have different gifts as the Spirit freely bestows them

This squarely confronts the wrong-headed beliefs that have led to the disordered, counterfeit gifts that are causing division in the Corinthian church.

Paul will further clarify this in verses that are ahead.

Finally, despite the varying kinds of gifts—same purpose—the common good.

This verse begs the question— “manifestations of the Spirit’s presence”

Is this how we view the presence of the Holy Spirit so often in modern Christianity?

The gifts that are freely distributed among the body, operating for the common good of upbuilding the Body.

So, the Trinity sources and empowers the various gifts within the church for the common good of upbuilding the church in unity that is grounded in the very unity of the Trinity.

This reminds of Jesus’s prayer in John 17:19-23 (the High Priestly Prayer)

John 17:19–23 ESV

And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Through the blood of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit we have been given the unfathomable gift of unity that flows from the very unity that has existed from eternity past in the Godhead.

In these next verses Paul further explains the diversity of the gifts that is rooted in this very unity:

C. The Diversity of the Gifts Explained (8-10)

READ vv. 8-10

Paul now expands further on the nature of the gifts giving specific explanations while continuing to emphasize unity.

First—list is not comprehensive

Paul often creates lists like this without intending to be comprehensive, but to illustrate with a general sense

Example—Gal. 5:19-21 (a negative list—works of the flesh)

We also know—not comprehensive—Later in Chapters 12 and 14, Rom. 12 and Eph. 4

Therefore—he clearly has a different purpose than creating a comprehensive list of all the spiritual gifts.

Paul illustrates the first part of v.7— “to each is given”

Furthermore, notice how Paul continues to emphasize the the unity of the gifts given through the one Spirit

Paul highlights the gifts freely given by the Spirit to individuals members of the body for the common good.

Also—difficulty pinpointing the exact nature of each gift (some ambiguity)

Nevertheless, a few words about each—

Utterance of Wisdom (8a)—the ability to discern and communicate wisdom; understanding God’s Word and Will and skillful application

Utterance=logos (word); indicating this as a speaking gift

Utterance of Knowledge (8b)—possibly a revelatory gift in the infancy of the church, but today—the ability to understand and speak God’s truth

MacArthur: “Knowledge majors on grasping meaning of the truth; wisdom emphasizes the practical conviction and conduct that applies it.”

These first two gifts—another opportunity for Paul to differentiate between worldly wisdom and knowledge, which have run throughout the letter

Faith (9a)—obviously, faith is a gift to all believers

Paul clearly has a certain gift in mind here

Perhaps—supernatural gift to lead through particularly trying times of persecution

Maybe connection to next two gifts

Gifts of Healing(9b)—plural in Gr.

Working of Miracles (10a)—Gr. lit. “workings of power” (another 1 Cor. theme)

It is unclear exactly what these gifts were or how they worked out, but the were clearly for the common good of the body

The final four gifts—main theme of ch. 14

Prophecy (10b)—direct revelation from God; in line with the OT prophets

Distinguish between the Spirits (10c)—probably the gift of discerning the true and false nature of prophecy based on insights from God’s previous revelation

Various Kinds of Tongues (10d)—known; earthly languages

Interpretation of Tongues (10e)—interpretation of those languages

Again, Paul’s primary point—emphasize unity that leads to diversity of gifts for the upbuilding/edification of the body

Paul restates and reemphasizes the unmerited gifting narture of the gifts from the same Spirit:

D. Summary and Restatement of Unity and Diversity of Gifts

READ v. 11

Just like in vv. 4-6—Paul restates—All these (varieties) and One and the same Spirit

The Spirit of God sovereignly, freely, and without bias gives and empowers every believer in Christ’s holy church with Spiritual gifts for the service and upbuilding of the church.

And, once again, “who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

Do you think Paul is trying to get something across here??

III. Application

We must realize that every believer has been gifted with the gifts of the Spirit, that have been uniquely given to us by the Spirit.

Closing:

The Spirit of God sovereignly gifts individual members of His body (the church) with a diversity of gifts whose sole purpose is to build up the church for the common good that they might maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.

Eph. 4:11-16:

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.