{"id":1595,"date":"2022-01-30T13:57:40","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T12:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=1595"},"modified":"2022-01-30T13:57:42","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T12:57:42","slug":"what-are-the-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit-1-corinthians-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=1595","title":{"rendered":"What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? 1 Corinthians 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have been looking recently at the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:15-16
\n15 \u2026 speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
\nPaul describes the church as the Body of Christ. God has given every Christian a part to play in the body of Christ. Each and every Christian needs to see himself or herself as part of that body, and play the part God has given us in the universal church and particularly in our own fellowship, North Springfield Baptist Church. Each of us have a vital part to play.
\nPaul says much more about the church being the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. He starts off by saying that it is the Holy Spirit who brings each one of us to put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us new birth and new life when we acknowledge Jesus Christ to be Lord of all.
\n3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, \u2018Jesus be cursed,\u2019 and no one can say, \u2018Jesus is Lord,\u2019 except by the Holy Spirit.
\nAnd then it is the Holy Spirit who brings us all together and makes us into the one Body of Christ, the church.
\n12 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 baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body\u2014whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free\u2014and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 And so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
\nThe Holy Spirit brings Christians together and makes us into the Body of Christ, the Church. But then the Holy Spirit also equips each and every Christian so that we can each play our part and carry out the different tasks God calls us to do.
\n4 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.
\nPaul is talking here about what we can call spiritual gifts, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He goes on to list some of the ways the Holy Spirit works in Christians to equip us to serve God in the church and in the world.
\n7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
\nTo each one \u2013 the Holy Spirit is at work in every Christian, with no exceptions. The Holy Spirit will equip every Christian with ways of serving God so that the whole body of Christ is built up and enriched.
\nEach Christian belongs to the Body of Christ and we all have our part to play. The Christian life is a team game \u2013 not an individual sport! Claiming to be a Christian without being properly committed to a church is like claiming to play football but never joining a team or playing in a real match. God has work for all of us to do. We ALL have a part to play and spiritual gifts to use to build up the Body of Christ. NONE of US is useless. That is the difference between the Body of Christ and the human body \u2013 the body of Christ doesn\u2019t have an appendix.NO part of Body of Christ is redundant. NO part of Body of Christ is useless!
\nPaul goes on to give a list of a number of ways that God can work through Christians, which we usually refer to as spiritual gifts. Let me explain what each of these gifts of the Holy Spirit mean.
\n8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
\nSometimes the Holy Spirit gives to Christians supernatural knowledge to help them to serve God and direct the church. These gifts are very similar to another Paul mentions,
\nto another prophecy,
\nSometimes God speaks to Christians in dreams or visions or with messages to pass on to other Christians or to the church. God the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets in the Old Testament and is still speaking to the church today. Next week we are going to talk much more about the spiritual gift of prophecy, messages of knowledge and messages of wisdom.
\nThe Holy Spirit also enables some Christians to sense the presence of demonic activity \u2013 that is what Paul means by,
\nto another distinguishing between spirits,
\nThen Paul says,
\nto another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues
\nThe Holy Spirit enables many Christians to exercise the spiritual gift called \u201cspeaking in tongues\u201d. This is a special language which they can use when praying which the speaker has not learned. Sometimes words spoken in tongues carry a message, and that is what Paul means by the interpretation of tongues. Don\u2019t worry if you feel you don\u2019t understand these gifts at the moment. In two weeks time I will be saying much more about the gift of speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues.
\nThen there are some Christians who show an exceptional level of faith in God. 9 to another faith by the same Spirit,
\nThen sometimes even today God continues to work in acts of supernatural power, in healing and deliverance and even in miracles
\nto another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,
\nReferring to all these gifts of the Holy Spirit, Paul says
\n11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
\nTo each one \u2013 spiritual gifts are not just for special Christians but for every Christian. Let me repeat myself. As we just read,
\n7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
\nTo each one. Every Christian should expect to exercise one or more of the spiritual gifts. God can give different spiritual gifts to an individual at different times depending on the needs of the church. Many Christians find that the way the Holy Spirit chooses to work through them is often the same. But the gifts are not static or fixed. On every occasion they are due to the Holy Spirit working \u201cfor the common good\u201d. Each time the Holy Spirit works in a person in any way that is a \u201cspiritual gift\u201d. At any time or place God can work through a Christian in any way he chooses and give them whichever spiritual gifts they need so that they are able to serve him. I will explain what I mean more fully in this evening\u2019s sermon.
\nThis list of gifts of the Holy Spirit towards the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12 is not exhaustive. Paul gives an overlapping list at the end of the chapter.
\n1 Corinthians 12 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.
\nSo here Paul adds the spiritual gifts of being an apostle and being a teacher. Then there is the gift of helping or giving assistance. And the gift of leadership, of steering the ship, or some translations say administration.
\nChristians all have different spiritual gifts. We all have different parts to play. Paul continues,
\n29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? (Actually the best translation there is \u201csurely all are not apostles, surely all are not prophets, surely all are not teachers,\u201d and so on.) 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.
\nWe don\u2019t all have the same gifts. Just as different parts of the human body have different functions, in the Body of Christ God works through Christians in different ways. But he tells every Christian that we should eagerly desire God\u2019s gifts. In the same way he says in
\n1 Corinthians 14:1 eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.
\nAll of us should be welcoming God the Holy Spirit to work in our lives in any ways he chooses.
\nPaul offers a different set of spiritual gifts in Romans 12.
\nRomans 12 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
\nWe all have different gifts. Serving, encouragement, giving generously and showing mercy and being compassionate are also spiritual gifts. Every Christian will exercise spiritual gifts to build up the church. In our sermons last summer from the first letter of Peter we read about two broad categories of gifts.
\n1 Peter 4 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God\u2019s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
\nAs we exercise our spiritual gifts we are faithfully administering God\u2019s grace in its various forms.
\nIf this involves teaching or speaking God\u2019s messages in prophecy Peter says, 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
\nEqually on some occasions our gift may simply be serving God in the church or in the community. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ
\nWhatever God calls us to do for him, and whatever spiritual gifts we are exercising, we should always do it with the strength God provides and do it for God\u2019s glory so that God will be praised. We may not feel we have anything to offer to God. But God can use any of us, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We can serve God with artistic ability and musical talent.
\nSo here are the lists of spiritual gifts which Paul and Peter give us in their letters. A message of wisdom. A message of knowledge. Faith. Gifts of healing. Miraculous powers. Prophecy. Distinguishing between spirits. Speaking in different kinds of tongues. Being an apostle. Being a teacher. Helping. Leadership. Serving. Encouraging. Giving. Being compassionate. The body of Christ is only built up in love when Christians are exercising these spiritual gifts.
\nWhich of those spiritual gifts have been part of your experience? Which would you like God to give you? 1 Corinthians 14 begins, \u201cEagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.\u201d
\nThe Good News Translation says, \u201cSet your hearts on spiritual gifts.\u201d The Voice translation says, \u201cPassionately seek the gifts of the spirit.\u201d
\nThe body of Christ, the church, is only built up when everyone plays the part God has given us. 1 Peter 4 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God\u2019s grace in its various forms.
\nSpiritual gifts are for every Christian. 1 Corinthians 12 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
\nSo all of us should,\u201cSet your hearts on spiritual gifts.\u201d \u201cPassionately seek the gifts of the spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have been looking recently at the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:15-16 15 \u2026 speaking the truth in love, we will…<\/span><\/p>\n

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