Spiritual Gifts Part 1

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

 

What to make of 1 Corinthians 12? And all this talk about spiritual gifts? These Gentile Corinthians experienced manifestations of the Holy Spirit in ways that are completely foreign to many in our Christian world today.

 

The word “manifestation” here means “exhibition. “ So these “gifts” were meant to be proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit in this body of believers.

Exhibit A: “the word of wisdom” (v8)

Exhibit B: “the word of knowledge” (v8)

Exhibit C: “faith.” (v9)

Exhibit D: “Gifts of healing” (v9)

Exhibit E: “the works of miracles.” (v10)

Exhibit F: “prophecy” (v10)

Exhibit G: “discerning of spirits” (v10)

Exhibit H: “different kinds of tongues.” (v10)

Exhibit I: “ the interpretation of tongues.” (v10)

 

What is this all about?

 

 A couple of things to make note of, before we move on here. First of all, these “manifestations” were meant to profit all in the Corinthian church. (v7)

 

These would be extraordinary displays of exhibits A through I that would “profit “or increase the conviction of this body of believers that the living God of the Apostles was in their midst, so they would cease to be “carried away by their dumb idols.” (v2)

 

Secondly, these gifts were all distributed by the Holy Spirit Himself, “distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (v11) These Corinthians didn’t have the option of “choosing” their gift.

 

Neither do we.

 

More on this topic next time.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.