14 day plan

The Purpose of Pentecost

Day 10 of 14

CSB

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

Reflection: The gifts of the Holy Spirit

Here, in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul takes a considerable amount of time to talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit – an area of our faith that he knew could easily be misunderstood, and so he encourages us to not be uninformed.

One of the most important things we need to understand about these gifts is that they are an expression of God’s love to the world. They are tools that God has given us to help live out the Lord’s Prayer, “on earth as it is in heaven”.

God wants us to eagerly desire these gifts, but not from a place of self-service, rather for service to others. It’s interesting to me that there are nine specific gifts listed in this passage, which complement the nine fruits of the Spirit we read yesterday. A dove, the common picture used to represent the Holy Spirit, has nine primary feathers in each of its wings, and as the body of Christ, we need both wings of the dove operating, the fruits and gifts of the Spirit to be balanced and effective. These gifts are available to us and are to be expressed with wisdom and from the basis of love.

Question: How can you take the time to understand and cultivate the gifts God has made available to us?

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the incredible power you have made available to us. I ask you to give us the wisdom and love to know how best to use your gifts to edify the body of Christ and display your love to the world. Amen.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

Days

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1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

1Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 2You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. 3Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

Unity Yet Diversity in the Body

12For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. 19And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. 23And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, 24which our respectable parts do not need.

Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. 28And 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. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers