The Spirit and the Gifts 1 Corinthians 12. 1-11
Corinth was a city known for its wild, self-centered and pleasure-seeking lifestyle. Against that background, the letters Paul wrote tell us that the Corinthian Church found the "Gifts of the Spirit" exciting: the idea of speaking in new languages, loud, sensual worship, maybe some miracles, appealed to their sense of individualism, their taste for the spectacular. You would think, if Paul had any sense, he would advise these immature Christians to leave these supernatural things alone: "Just focus on Jesus and don't bother with the Holy Spirit." But he didn't. Far from it. He couldn't and wouldn't, because the work of the Spirit is central to the Good News. The only Christianity Paul and the early Church knew, was supernatural, Spirit-empowered Christianity. He wants the Corinthians, despite the mistakes they have been making, to appreciate the amazing things God wants to be doing in their lives. The principle remains true today, that the answer to abuse of the gifts is not disuse, but correct use. The gifts came with the package.
But What are they?
Paul doesn't actually use the word "Gifts": he uses 5 different words for the so-called gifts of the Spirit in the first seven verses of this chapter. We look now at the words Paul uses, to get some handle on how God wants the gifts to operate in our lives. It's a bit of a Greek lesson, but Paul says "I don't want you to be ignoranit" about this area so it will help us to get a handle on the facts...
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| Dandelion seeds. Picture by Alex Valavanis |
That is what the Corinthians were seeing and hearing around them in their worship: Something that had the immediacy and authority of being a "God-breath", a word or touch from heaven. If we want to use our gifts we need to begin with "god-breaths". What is God wanting to breath through my life?
2. Gifts are "Charismata"; they are "gracelets" (v4)
The next word Paul uses is related to the word for "Thanks" and the word for "Grace". Theses gifts are little graces, little freely give, freely received favours from God. They are an outworking of the amazing grace God has shown us in sending Jesus to save us from our sin. If we want to use our gifts, we need to remember they're gracelets: they come by grace, and they should show God's grace to others, bring his joy to the lives they touch.
3. Gifts are "diakonia"; they are services (v5)
They lead us not just to feeling good. They're intended not to take us to ministry. They're not just for leaders. They're for servants. They're for those who are willing to "serve at table".
4. Gifts are "energemata"; they are abilities or activities (v6)
They go at least a little beyond the natural. They are energies: energy is something working inside us. I don't know how the Spirit works inside people to produce his gifts. But I know that is what he does. Sometimes he takes what we naturally have; sometimes he enables us to see what we naturally couldn't. And the amazing mixture of the abilities we started with, and the power of God, produces real gifts of the Spirit.
5. Gifts are "Phanerosis". They are visible evidence. (v7) This is the word from which we get "phenomenon" - which simply means something that we can see or hear or touch. So gifts are a manifestation or exhibition of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts make the spirit's presence noticeable. When people use their gifts, the presence of the Spirit is evident in worship. When you use your gifts, the presence of the Spirit is evident in your workplace.
Who is given them?
To each. Spirituals, gracelets, services, abilities, exhibitions of the Spirit are given to each one. Nobody is excluded. Nobody is too old or too young. Nobody is not clever enough, or not spiritual enough. The evidence of the spirit being at work is given to everyone. God has placed, is placing and will place within your life, breaths of his Spirit, graces, services, energies that are evidence of his Spirit being at work. Find out what they are and use them.
What are they for?
The common good. So everyone can profit from them. Not just for you to enjoy. Not to build you up but to build other people up. It's that simple, I have very little to add to hat Paul has already said here.
How do they come?
They operate by the spirit. (1 Cor 12. 8f). Paul uses three different words for our English word by. Now these three words all point to the origin of all these gifts being the Holy Spirit. But they are different and their differences point to or suggest something of the breadth of how the Spirit works.
1. Through, by means of the Spirit. The Spirit therefore is the original source, for the gifts. And whether your gift is wholly supernatural, or whether your gift is a musical one that grew as you did Grade exams, its ultimate source is the Holy Spirit. It will only touch the lives of other people, if the Holy Spirit is using it. We need to think outside the box as we recognise the Spirit.
2. According to (the Rules of) the Spirit. He determines who gets what! (verse 11) And he will not contradict himself. He will not inspire someone to curse the Name of Jesus. He will always want to say, "Jesus is Lord!" He will always desire to operate his gifts within character that is like Jesus. We need to respect the Rules of the Spirit;
4. Finally, ... Paul says (1 Cor 14. 1) "earnestly desire/Be eager to have/Set your hearts on spiritual gifts. Zealously desire them." Desire the gifts. Request. Ask.
As we do, the Spirit will show himself. His work will be seen.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2011
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