Sermon Tone Analysis

A Study in Spiritual Gifts

Consider using Ps.

98 as opening passage.

Last week we opened up 1 Cor 12 and considered the analogy of the Church being like a symphony - Many Instruments working together to play One Song.

Today we’re going to take a deeper dive in this teaching entitled...

A Study in Spiritual Gifts

Last week we noted that...

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (CSB)

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different ministries, but the same Lord.

And there are different activities, but the same God works [empowers ESV] all of them in each person.

The Greek term for gifts (charismatōn) comes from the root word charis as grace is one you might have heard in ‘church world’ as charisma from which we get charismatic.

D.A. Carson notes that this Greek term could be translated as “grace gifts”, not earned, but a FREE GIFT from the Spirit of God.

We also noted that the PURPOSE of the different gifts/ministries/activities - for the common good (1 Cor 12:7) - meaning for the benefit of all [NET], or how the NLT translates: “so we can help each other”.

MacArthur writes, “Spiritual gifts...are not natural [like a natural ability or skill], but rather are supernaturally given by the Holy Spirit only and always to believers in Jesus Christ, without exception (v. 7).

Spiritual gifts are special capacities bestowed on believers to equip them to minister supernaturally to others, especially to each other.”

John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 290.

Spiritual gifts aren't to elevate the individual but to encourage the Church.

Last week we also noted that these gifts are determined by the Holy Spirit, not by US (1 Cor 12:11).

Thank God for the gifts He has graced to others and thank God for the gifting He has graced to you.

Several important Considerations before we dig deeper:

It’s possible that there are more than 16 spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Cor 12 and Rom 12.

There are a few mentioned in each writing that are different than one another.

Some believe Paul’s list is NOT exhaustive.

We differentiate between SPIRITUAL GIFTS and NATURAL ABILITIES.

Those will be addressed when we talk about your SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, & Experiences) in the near future.

The Scriptures don’t clarify if all these gifts are life-time giftings and some could even be given for a specific time & place.

Since the Scriptures don’t precise clarity on this, we cannot be rigid about it either.

We are taking a CONTINUATION view versus a CESSATION view - that all the gifts CONTINUE versus some of the gifts CEASING.

And now Paul begins to give examples of gifts that God has given for the good of God’s people.

1 Corinthians 12:8–10 (CSB)

to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues.

WISDOM (1 Cor.

12:8): Do you know a believer who speaks with the wisdom of God?

This person is gifted to help others with clear, biblical advice, even when confronted with complicated problems.

KNOWLEDGE (1 Cor.

12:8): Have you ever known a Christian who is given insight into a situation that only God could give?

This person is gifted to understand truth that is unknown by normal means.

It’s possible that knowledge is also related to teaching (Rom 12:7) as this is knowledge intended to be shared to help others.

This person might be enabled to bring a word from God to another person.

FAITH (1 Cor.

12:9): Have you ever met someone who just trusts God, in a way that you wish you could?

This person is enabled to trust God even when circumstances make it difficult to believe, expecting God to handle the obstacles and trust Him for what cannot yet be seen.

HEALING & MIRACLES : Have you ever met someone who prays and God heals OR someone who is enabled to cast out a demon?

Those with the gift of healing are empowered to bring physical healing through prayer or touch.

Last week I mentioned how my friend Chris had a growth on his hand.

A Christian brother he had just met asked to pray for him as he touched his hand, and the next day it was gone.

Those gifted with miracles are used by God to make the impossible, possible - to do what is super-natural, like casting out a demon.

I think this gifting is very limited to only a few people.

Every one of the televangelists I know who make claims to do this are FALSE TEACHERS who manipulate people with false claims.

BUT…I can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I believe God can still use people this way today, and I don’t see any evidence for this gift having ceased (more on that when we get to 1 Cor 13 next week.

PROPHECY : Have you ever been around someone who was able to speak God’s truth with boldness, even when it wasn’t popular?

That’s what Old Testament prophets did.

Sometimes they predicted the future, but they more often gave a word or warning to those disobedient to God OR a word of encouragement to God’s people.

Paul later writes that “the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.”

(1 Cor 14:3).

So, those gifted with prophecy are empowered to speak truth FOR God in a persuasive & often “in your face” way to strengthen, encourage, comfort, & confront wrongs.

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN SPIRITS: With so many who make false claims on behalf of God, God has given some the supernatural ability to distinguish between spirits (aka discernment)- the God-given ability to discern what is truth from what is false, able to discern true teaching from false teaching, what is from God and what is counterfeit.

TONGUES is the gift of being able to 1) communicate the Gospel in a real language, previously unknown to you OR the ability to encourage the church in a foreign language when linked with someone who has the ability to INTERPRET what was said to the Church.

The need for these gifts are likely that this is much less necessary today as in Paul’s day since they had very little of the New Testament and we have it all.

Most scholars believe 1 Corinthians to be one of the first written letters of all the New Testament.

The Corinthians likely didn’t have copies of all the Gospels & letters written by Paul, Peter, Jude, James, the author of Hebrews, and Revelation.

So, the Lord could reveal His will that we read in the Scriptures, but that they did not yet have access to.

Paul mentions 3 more gifts in the same passage…Before we focus on those 3, let’s mention a couple of positions Paul mentions.

1 Corinthians 12:27–28 (CSB)

Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues.

Theses 2 groups of people played a prominent role in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Paul writes about just how significant these men had been:

Ephesians 2:19–20 (CSB)

So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

The position of apostle was very specific.

Although some think the “gift of apostle” is pointing to missionaries - who like the apostles - take the gospel to new places, this is NOT what Paul referred to.

The apostles were those who personally knew and were trained by Jesus, having seen Him raised from the dead (Acts 1:21-22).

* Paul was an exception as the Lord called Paul AFTER His death, burial, resurrection, & ascension.

Paul called himself “the least amon the apostles” because he was not around during the ministry of Jesus and because he had previously persecuted many followers of Jesus (1 Cor 15:8-9).

Prophets had foretold about the coming of the Messiah before Jesus showed up.

Further, there were prophets in the New Testament (see 1 Cor 14:29-32; Eph 3:5, 4:11) who boldly spoke by the Spirit to build upon what the apostles had first communicated.

And then there were the teachers.

TEACHING, HELPING & LEADING (1 Cor 12:27-28)

TEACHING (1 Cor 12:27; Rom 12:7): As mentioned earlier, it’s possible that 1 Cor 12:8’s use of knowledge is parallel to Paul’s use here of TEACHING.

Those who are gifted with TEACHING are enabled to clearly explain, train, & challenge others with real life applications from the Bible in a way that they can understand.

HELPS/SERVICE (1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:7): Do you know Christians who LOVE to serve and help behind the scenes but don’t want to be in the spotlight?

The person with the gift of helps/service, serves with a smile without needing applause from people, the worker ant who does the basic, important tasks (e.g.

cooking, cleaning, preparing environments for events, taking care of the Church grounds, or serving other people’s basic needs).

LEADING/ADMINISTRATION (1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:8): Do you know of anyone who is just a gifted leader - able to inspire others and lead others to get some stuff done?

A leader is the person who attracts & motivates others to work together for a common purpose with a clear purpose and direction.

Further, 1 Cor 12:28 can be translated as administrating (ESV, NAS).

The Greek term comes from a word referring to steering a ship or to guide.

Leaders who get others to move forward need someone administrate by thinking through the details to organize people, resources, & time.

Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 465.

And then we see the similarities and a few differences in Romans 12.

Romans 12:6–8 (CSB)

According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

The gifts in BLUE have previously been mentioned in 1 Cor 12, but the gifts in YELLOW have not - with the possible parallel of teaching/knowledge.

ENCOURAGING (Rom 12:8): The term used in the CSB is “exhorting” - basically meaning to encourage or to console.

The Greek term (parakaleo) refers to calling to one’s side in order to help him/her.

Those gifted at ENCOURAGING are driven to build others up with words, letters, or physical touch.

GIVING (Rom 12:8): Have you ever known someone who loves to give from their own resources to help others?