Discovering and Using What’s Mine
October 20, 2024
1 Corinthians 12:1-31
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-6
1. How familiar are you with the phrase ‘gifts of the Spirit’? When you hear that phrase in the Bible, what do you think of?
2. It is interesting that Paul presents only two options: ‘Jesus is cursed’ or else ‘Jesus is Lord.’ How do you imagine those two phrases are related to what Paul is talking about regarding the gifts of the Spirit?
3. Paul says essentially the same thing three different ways in verses 4-6. Put this idea into your own words.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
1. According to verse 7, what is the purpose of the spiritual gifts?
2. Do you picture the spiritual gifts as gifts to the individual or as gifts to the whole church? How do you support your answer from this passage?
3. As a group, discuss the list of gifts, describing how each one might play out in the life of the church.
4. Who determines which gifts flow through which people? Why is this important?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20
1. How do these verses provide the antidote to:
a. Unhealthy comparisons in the church
b. Unhealthy independence and isolation in the church
c. Unhealthy focus on some gifts to the exclusion of others in the church
d. Unhealth lack of unity in the church
e. Unhealthy desire to determine my own giftedness (v.18)
Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
1. Why has God assembled the body of Christ as he has? Why has the Spirit of God distributed the gifts of the Spirit as he has? Verses 25 and 26 provide four specific answers.
2. In your experience at MVCC, are those four objectives being accomplished? Where have you seen evidence of those four objectives being demonstrated?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
1. What do you consider to be areas of your own giftedness?
2. After everything Paul has said to this point, are you surprised that he refers to some gifts as ‘the greater gifts’? Why or why not?
3. What do you imagine is ‘the most excellent way’ that Paul will show them?