What's this about Gifts- Unity Within the Spiritual Gifts (part 2)
1 Corinthians Series • Sermon • Submitted
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I was addicted to the hokey pokey…but I turned myself around.
I don't trust stairs. They are always up to something.
Dad: Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? Son: No. What happened? Dad: The teacher woke him up.
One that my Dad just told me… had me really good...
I too was once a man trapped in a woman’s body...... but then I was born.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
I. Unity Within the Spiritual Gifts
I. Unity Within the Spiritual Gifts
I(A). We Confess the Same Lord (v.1-3)
I(A). We Confess the Same Lord (v.1-3)
I(B). We Depend on the Same God (v.4-6)
I(B). We Depend on the Same God (v.4-6)
I(C). We Minister to the Same Body (v.7-11)
I(C). We Minister to the Same Body (v.7-11)
Before we get too far into the text, let’s review first what we have learned so far about the purposes of the Spiritual gifts ....
Purposes of Spiritual Gifts
Purposes of Spiritual Gifts
Bring us Together
verses 4-6 show that the spiritual gifts bring us together. How? By realizing that everything good that we do is not of our own power or goodness, but it is of God. It is a reminder similiar to that of the marriage triangle that you’ve perhaps seen. As we grow closer to God, we grow closer to each other, recognizing that the real source of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control,… etc… all the things that draw us to each other all come from God. So when we admire someone’s ability to teach, or appreciate someone’s encouragement, or thank some one’s service in helping them in a need… we aren’t recognizing the person so much as we are being drawn to the image of God that is being reflected in their life. Recognzing it all comes from God, ceases rivalries and jealousies.... for where and what would you be without God. Verses 1-2 tell us.... pagans, led astray… lost, bound, blind, and without hope. It brings us together to worship the SAME SPIRIT, SAME LORD, and SAME GOD, who empowers them all as we read in verses 4-6. He is the central figure of our lives and it keeps us focus on Him.
But there is another purpose of the Spiritual gifts as we read in the next verse.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Manifests the Spirit
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit!!!! What does it mean that we have been given the manifestation of the Spirit!!!! Two words we will look at...
Strong’s defines the word manifestation or phanérōsis: as exhibition, expression, a bestowment.
Paul used this word again in 2 Corinthians 4:2
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
Which the translators translated it to open statement. That gives us an idea of what we have been given. By using our gifts, we are an open statement that God is in our life. Meaning that the Spiritual gifts act as vindication that God is in us.
1. Vindication
1. Vindication
We know that it was difficult for the disciples to identify true followers of Christ from false ones. What was Jesus’ criteria for recognizing true believers.
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Not written specifically about spiritual gifts, but spiritual gifts along with the maturity of walking in the spirit which produces fruit, spiritual fruit. Both of these are actions that show a change in life and vindicate a true follower.
Jesus’ was vindicated by his miracles. That is why in the Gospel of John, the writer John, calls these miracles signs because they vindicated that Jesus truly was who He said He was.
If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
The sign gifts were given to the church also for vindication.
Acts 2, the disciples spoke in many tongues so that all could hear, they thought the men drunk but they were not but in the power of God addressed all and many many believed. In Acts 8, Philip did many signs and wonders for the Samaritans so they might know his message truly came from God.
Again, when Peter was sent to Cornelius, a Gentile, God gave a miraculous sign to confirm His work. “And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God” (Acts 10:45-46). When Peter was questioned by the other apostles, he gave this as evidence of God’s leading, and the others “glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (Acts 11:18).
It wasn’t just evidence to Cornelius and the Gentiles that Peter’s message was true but the Gentiles also spoke in tongues confirming to the believers in Jerusalem that God had truly changed their hearts and they were truly a child of God. It vindicated their belief.
This is what Paul even says the purpose of these sign gifts was… 1 Corinthians 14:22
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
In every instance, the sign gifts were a confirmation of God’s message and messenger, in order that people might hear and believe.
Will get to the sign gifts more in detail in coming weeks and why we at this church believe that the sign gifts have ceased. Chapter 14 will have much to say on that so stayed tuned for that good time of learning. But know that the sign gifts vindicated the message of the believer as do the spiritual gifts vindicate a true heart of repentance and belief.
Not only do the gifts vindicate but they also represent.
Vindication and Representation
2. Representation
2. Representation
Going back to our definition of Spiritual gifts from John MacArthur:
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Importance of Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry, characteristics of Jesus Christ that are to be manifested through the body corporate just as they were manifested through the body incarnate
Characteristics of Jesus Christ that are to be manifested through the body corporate
-Called to be little Christs… we are called to represent Him, show others through our actions what Christ looks like.
- Like Ambassadors- who represent a different land and different king
God supernaturally gifted individuals to look like Him. If you are gifted the Spiritual Gift of Giving… then giving is going to come to you naturally and in great amounts. A person gifted with the gift of giving will give large sums of money because it is what God has empowered them to do naturally. And why would God do so, is it truly because the church needs their money… yes… and no… God does use the physical means to accomplish His goals… He’s just not inhibited by them. But I belief God supernaturally gifts people so as to give a human representation of what that looks like.
Throughout all of human history and as you explore the Bible. People have had a hard time understanding what things God is teaching them unless they see it with their eyes. I don’t have time to go through all of the examples, but do your research and see how often they needed to see. Jesus’ own disciples are quite the study on that.
So God is His goodness gave us examples right within our own church body of what His characteristics look like and that brings conviction and change in others lives. For instance, I see a man give readily $10,000 to a person in need or to the church. He doesn’t do it flashy or to get others attention but does it to be a blessing. This isn’t a one time case, but has been characteristically been said of him often. When I see him do so, Im either thinking, boy that guy is loaded, hahah,,,, or I’ll be saying why I am not giving like that.
You could put that same thought of any of the Spiritual gifts.... faith, hospitality, teaching, mercy, discernment, etc.... God supernaturally gifts those in the to give us a human representation of what that Christ like characteristic truly looks like in order that those who have don’t have that gift may work on it in their life so that they too can look like Christ in every way.
But we also see another purpose of Spiritual gifts right in the same verse....
For the Common Good
In another passage, written by Paul, Paul shares some of the spiritual gifts and what their use is for.... describing what this common good is...
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.
It’s important again to note who gave the gifts. It says, “He gave...” God gave. As the walk discipleship book points out, Spiritual gifts are not yours to use; they are on loan from God!
Specifically the spiritual gifts of apostles, prophecy, evangelism, preaching, and teaching were used primarily for 1) equipping saints for the work of the ministry and 2) building up body of Christ. … but you could well say that all spiritual gifts do such as well.
The exercise of spiritual gifts is a primary way God equips believers to do the work of the ministry, and as we see in verses 13… what are the results of people using their spiritual gifts… Unity of the faith, maturity and to what level of maturity… to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And we’ve already talked about how they plays out. If everyone uses their gifts in the church properly, and God gives the gifts out as He wills for the growth of the body, you can believe that everyone of Christ’s characteristics can be displayed in the body through each member giving us through different people but collectively a perfect picture of Christ. So when I need to know what it looks like to model discernment like Christ… I look to Brad who God has given the gift of discernment, when I need to know what it looks like to give like Christ, I look to someone like Jason who has the gift of giving, when I need to know what it looks like to have knowledge like Christ I look to Lanny who possesses the gift of knowledge.
Furthermore, in the passage in Ephesians Paul gives us another look at a benefit of spiritual gift and how it is for the common good. Verse 14 in Ephesians 4 says so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and from by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. Exercising our spiritual gift actually helps protect other believers in the church. Whether you are teaching a Sunday school class, comforting a saint who is hurting, giving to support the ministry, or cleaning and maintaining the church building, this passage says using your gift helps less mature believers grow in their walk with Christ and protects them from deception.
How? We understand how teaching and exhortation could but how could gifts like hospitality be used to protect believers from deception. Let me ask you a question, where did the first century believers meet to pray for one another, share intense struggles and pain, find encouragement, share laughs, and be part of the body of Christ daily like we see in the book of Acts. It says they broke bread from house to house. Well, who has having them in their homes and making this possible. Wasn’t it those that had the gift of hospitality, making those in the church feel welcomed and loved. And this community like living kept the church together. Why would they go elsewhere when they have a church like brings them in and cares for them. The person says that well I can’t protect the body cause my gift isn’t teaching is wrong. All our gifts are for the protection, care, growing up and maturing, and for the equipping of all the saints!!!!!
What do you suppose would happen if some members of the body did not use their gifts? ........
They couldn’t grow to maturity.
Don’t believe me… look at Ephesians 4:16
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.
So is it important we use our gifts.... absolutely… and it makes it even more important that we start learning our spiritual gifts because every believer has a gift if not more than one.... but at least one.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
List of Spiritual Gifts
List of Spiritual Gifts
There are four passages in scriptures that are directly tied with listing of the spiritual gifts. It’s easy to remember since 2 of those passages come from chapter 12.... 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12… the other two are smaller listings and come from chapter 4… Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. It is interesting to note that not one of this lists are identical to the other. The listing of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 is missing gifts that Paul would later include in his list of gifts in his letter to the church in Rome. Romans 12. Both of these books as well as Ephesians were written by Paul yet God guided him to include different gifts in the different letters.
Warren Wiersbe, a respected theologian writes this about the list passages...
“Since the listing in Romans is not identical with the listing in 1 Corinthians, we may assume that Paul was not attempting to exhaust the subject in either passage.”
A well written thought.
He actually goes onto say… “ While the gifts named are adequate for the ministry of the church, God is not limited to these lists. He may give other gifts as He pleases.” I don’t know to what extent I agree with this statement or not. It is an interesting thought that I will certainly be thinking more on… regardless… the gifts that we do have listed are essential for church ministry and function, so these for sure should be noted and understood.
There are a total of 19 spiritual gifts listed in these four passages....
1 Corinthians 12:4–11: word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28: includes apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Romans 12: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy.
Ephesians 4: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers
Now looking at this list, it is beneficial to note that some will not include apostles, evangelists, and some other gifts. And so not all commentators agree on how many actual gifts there are.
Here’s a full list, all 19 and I put a star next to some to indicate that perhaps not all agree on these being a spiritual gift but would either be an office held or simply a christian conduct to follow.
1 Peter 4 seems to split the list of gifts into 2 sets. The Speaking Gifts and the Serving Gifts!
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Speaking Gifts
The Speaking Gifts
The Apostolic Gift ***
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Evangelism***
The Gift of Shepherding***
The Gift of Teaching
The Gift of Exhortation
The Gifts of Knowledge and Wisdom
The Serving Gifts
The Serving Gifts
The Gift of Helps
The Gift of Hospitality ***
The Gift of Giving
The Gift of Government/Leadership
The Gift of Showing Mercy
The Gift of Faith
The Gift of Discernment
The Signifying Gifts
The Signifying Gifts
The Gift of Miracles
The Gift of Healing
The Gift of Tongues and Interpretation
As our song goes...
There are many gifts but the same Spirit
There are many hands but the same Lord
There are many works but the same God
Who empowers them all
Even though there are several gifts and classifications of gifts… its all given from the same God for the purpose of edifying the same body. Our spiritual gifts make us all about one another relationships. Our gifts are to be used to grow up each other. So again, in that sense, spiritual gifts bring unity.
With that, we have endeavored to see the four bonds of spiritual unity found within the spiritual gifts passage. These four bonds are an answer to the the divisional problems within the church of Corinthians.
So far, we have seen...
A. We Confess the Same Lord (v.1-3)
B. We Depend on the Same God (v.4-6)
C. We Minister to the Same Body (v.7-11)
I(D). We Experienced the Same Baptism (v. 12-13)
I(D). We Experienced the Same Baptism (v. 12-13)
With this last bond, we will also be answering the question of when we get our spiritual gifts. Let’s first begin by reading our verses.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
What is this baptism? Is it something that we should seek? Is it the same thing as believer’s baptism, being dunked in a river…
Let’s first start with this important thought....
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
At Jesus’ own baptism John the Baptist tells us that it is Jesus Christ, “He who is coming after me [and] is mightier than I,” who would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt. 3:11; cf. Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). As explained in the following verse, the baptism of fire is the judgment of hell, the burning of “the chaff with unquenchable fire.” As Savior, Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit; as Judge, He baptizes with fire. All believers receive baptism with the Holy Spirit; all unbelievers will receive baptism with fire. Therefore every living soul will be baptized by Christ.
Paul in these verses in Corinthians is not speaking about Water Baptism.
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
Water baptism is an outward, physical ordinance believers submit to themselves and which is performed by other believers, in obedience to Christ’s command (Matt. 28:19; cf. Acts 2:38). Water baptism plays no part in conversion, but is a testimony to the church and to the world of conversion that has already taken place inwardly. Spirit baptism, on the other hand, is entirely the work of God and is virtually synonymous with salvation
The term baptizō (“to baptize”) literally means to immerse. As one can be immersed in water, so to will a believer be immersed spiritually into the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
It should also be noted that the phrase “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is not a correct translation of any passage in the New Testament, including this one. En heni pneumati (by one Spirit) can mean “by or with one Spirit.” Because believers are baptized by Christ, it is therefore best to translate this phrase as “with one Spirit.”
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
It is not the Holy Spirit’s baptism but Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit that gives us new life and places us into the Body when we trust in Christ
The Holy Spirit is the agent of baptism but Christ is the baptizer.
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
It is not possible to be a Christian and not be baptized by Christ with the Holy Spirit. Nor is it possible to have more than one baptism with the Spirit. There is only one Spirit baptism, the baptism of Christ with the Spirit that all believers receive when they are born again. By this the Son places all believers into the sphere of the Spirit’s power and Person, into a new environment, a new atmosphere, a new relationship with others, and a new union with Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Forming of the Body
Paul’s central point in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is that baptism with the one Spirit makes the church one Body. If there were more than one Spirit baptism, there would be more than one church, and Paul’s whole point here would be destroyed. He is using the doctrine of baptism with the Spirit to show the unity of all believers in the Body. Many erring teachers today have used a wrong interpretation of the baptism with the Spirit to divide off from the Body an imagined spiritual elite who have what the rest do not. That idea violates the whole teaching here.
This is perhaps the greatest argument on why there must be unity within the church because Christ has immersed us in one body with the Power and Seal of the Holy Spirit!
When do we Receive Spiritual Gifts?
Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit not only shows that we are all united into one body but this verse has been used also to show when these spiritual gifts came to be in our lives. It is believed that when we have been immersed into the Body through the Holy Spirit that it is at this moment, the moment of our salvation, that spiritual gifts were given to us. Some, many, but to everyone at least one.
Every passage you will see in scripture shares that every believer has a gift. It’s not coming, or they don’t have to wait for the gift to show up. All believers at every moment of their new life in Christ has a gift that they are commanded to use for the edifying of the body of Christ.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Some would argue that you receive all your spiritual gifts at the moment of salvation… not all will be present and seen at the very beginning but given time will cultivate and grow… I tend to disagree with this line of thinking. I believe it is very likely that God gifts us more gifts perhaps throughout our lifetime. I have 2 evidences in scripture that lead my thinking this way....
Evidence #1
Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Now, why would Paul tell them to strongly desire the “greater” gifts if they already had been given all they would be given, and there was no further opportunity of gaining these greater gifts? It may lead one to believe that even as Solomon sought wisdom from God in order to be a good ruler over God’s people, so God will grant to us those gifts we need in order to be of greater benefit to His church.
Evidence #2
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
these verses refer to a gift that Timothy had received at the time of his ordination and “by prophecy.” This likely indicates that one of the elders at Timothy’s ordination spoke about a spiritual gift that Timothy would have to enable his future ministry.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, we have looked intensely at 2 spiritual concepts. Spiritual Gifts and Unity on the Body. These two terms are so vital and so connected that we cannot miss the significance. Without proper knowledge and use of our spiritual gifts there cannot be unity, and if there is not unity, then there is ultimately no glorifying God and living Christ-like. The church, our church, must be a house united. It must stand up together and face the world and the schemes of the devil. This church must recognize and serve the body otherwise we will all be unequipped to handle the storms and the temptations that the world will throw at us, and we will be crushed. When Christ returns, will He find His bride ready for Him, clothed in white, anxiously waiting for His return, prepared for that day by the many hundreds of days spent in service for Him, living sacrificially with a mind on others like Christ rather than a mind on self. Will we be the church the bride that Christ hoped for, prayed for, longs for, thankful for, & joyful for. Would He if we was sitting in our midst today see a united people acting and serving as one. I pray that we do our part and take seriously the gift given to us to serve Him!