INTRODUCTION: The story of The Little Prince!
Our over-systematizing and over-organizing can tend to rob us of wonder, curiosity, adventure and those truly rich experiences that only come with a bit of chaos and uncertainty!
Q: What are the gifts of the Spirit and how do they work?
WE TEND TO OVER-SYSTEMATIZE SPIRITUAL GIFTS…
…in regards to ‘gift-lists’ and ‘how many gifts there are’
…in regards to ‘gift-categories’…
…in regards to ‘spiritual gifts discovery tests’!
A DEEPER-DIVE INTO 1 CORINTHIANS 12…
Context of Corinth and Paul’s letter:
Some of the problems in the Corinthian church:
- disunity and leader favouritism
- rampant immorality
- in-fighting and take one another to court
- fights over food rules
- drunkenness at communion gatherings
- fights about ecstatic worship and what it looks like to be filled with the Spirit
Outside and cultural influences:
“It is through
“No one in possession of his ‘nous’ (
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. 2 I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
DIVING DEEPER…
1 Corinthians 12:1 ’Now, concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I would not have you ignorant’…
’Spiritual’ = pneumatikos (gk) =
‘Gifts’ = (left blank)
1 Corinthians 12:7 ‘A spiritual gift is given to each of us so that we can help each other.’
’Spiritual’ = pneumatikos (gk) = wind, blow, breath
‘Gift’ = (left blank) instead, preceded by the word ‘
1 Corinthians 14:12 ‘Even so you, forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church.’
’Spiritual’ = pneumatikos (gk) = wind, blow, breath
‘Gift’ = (left blank)
Every place we read ‘spiritual gifts’ in English should literally be translated ‘the spirituals’ or ‘
John Mark Comer: “The word pneumatikos (translated ’spiritual’) is used 23 times in the New Testament! The word ‘charisma’ (translated ‘gifts’) is used 54 times in the New Testament… however, they are never put together, side-by-side in the Bible…except once (in Romans 1:11).”
EXPLORING THE WORD ‘GIFTS’:
- charisma (gk)
- diakonia (gk)
- energema (gk)
- phanerosis (gk)
CHARISMA - ‘to
DIAKONIA - literally, ‘through the
ENERGEMA - ‘divine energy and activity that makes stuff
PHANEROSIS - from ‘light’ / to make shine / ‘to make the invisible
So, what is Paul teaching the Corinthians about ’the spirituals’?
- (V1-3) Not every ecstatic
3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
- (V4-6) The variety of gifts aren’t meant for
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
(V7)
(V7) The ’spirituals’ aren’t meant for
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
- (V8-11) There are many different kinds of ’spiritual-stuff’ God drops into our lives meant to be used to help
REALITY FOR MOST CHRISTIANS…
They know nothing about spiritual gifts and have no understanding, familiarity or experience with them!
They took a ‘spiritual gifts discovery test’ sometime in the past (have forgotten the results) and seldom think about how the Holy Spirit want to use them to impact the world!
…but what if…
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS IF WE’RE RIGHT ABOUT THIS?
1.
about the Spiritual Gift Discovery Test!
2. Begin asking God, ‘How do you want to
me
’?
3. Regularly put yourself in places and
where God can use you and you
Him!
4. Be open! Create
! and listen!