Church conflicts happen for pretty unusual reasons. In the 1890s there was a small Baptist church in Mayfield County, Kentucky. The church had just two deacons, and those two men seemed to be constantly arguing and bickering with each other. On a particular Sunday, one deacon put up a small wooden peg in the back wall so the pastor could hang up his hat. When the other deacon discovered the peg, he was outraged. "How dare someone put a peg in the wall without first consulting me!" The people in the church took sides and the congregation eventually split. Over a hundred years later, residents of Mayfield County still refer to the two churches as Peg Baptist and Anti-Peg Baptist.
Another strange conflict, far more widespread and really much more destructive, has been the controversy over spiritual gifts. During the 1970s, when I was in high school and college, that was the big issue. Discussions about 1 Corinthians 12 or 14 always ended up in some type of argument. Well, things have calmed down a bit in recent years, and I think people on both sides of the debate now realize some things they said may have been a little silly. It seems strange that spiritual gifts, a marvelous blessing from the Lord, should be the cause of bitter conflict. Yet, there continues to be a lot of confusion about this subject. Maybe because this topic has been so divisive, we tend to ignore this very important part of Scripture. Well, today we take a look at spiritual gifts. Our text is 1 Corinthians 12, and we will be exploring Verses 1-13 and 27-31. God has great encouragement for us in these words, and let’s pray that we would receive that today.
As we often do, I want to begin by just walking through our text. We will explore what Paul teaches about spiritual gifts. I think a great deal of controversy could have been avoided on this topic if people would have simply studied this a little more closely. The first three verses are kind of an introduction. 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. We should not ignore this topic. We need to remember that these gifts flow out of God’s marvelous love and kindness toward us. He bestows them for our good. 12:2,3 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you 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. These verses spell out an important truth. The most important role of the Holy Spirit is not to grant an ability, but to enable us to believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him as our Lord and Savior. Of course, Paul has more in mind than just saying the words. As the Living Bible puts it, "No one can say Jesus is Lord and really mean it except by the Holy Spirit." Here Paul affirms something which he says over and over again in his letters: Genuine faith, saving faith, is a Holy Spirit-generated faith. If it were not for the gracious work of God’s Spirit, there would be no one, not one single person, none of us here, who would call Jesus Lord. All the other gifts He gives, put together, don’t begin to compare with His gracious work of opening our spiritual eyes and enabling us to believe in Jesus and embrace Him as Lord and Savior.
Paul then describes the purpose of spiritual gifts. 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. I don’t think Paul intends to make any distinctions as he mentions different kinds of gifts, service, and working. These are all closely related in ministry. It is interesting, though, how each member of the Trinity has a unique role in empowering the church. The Spirit bestows gifts so that we can serve the Lord Jesus through the power of God the Father. The focus now turns to what the Holy Spirit does. 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. The term "manifestation of the Spirit" is not distinct from spiritual gift. This is simply what these gifts are. The phrase "to each one" seems to support the idea that every single Christian has at least one spiritual gift. Even if this verse does not teach this, that is a clear implication of the rest of this chapter as Paul talks about how essential each member is to the body of Christ. I have a feeling a lot of conflict could have been averted over the years if people would have kept in mind Paul’s statement that the purpose of these gifts is for the common good. This doesn’t preclude the possibility that a gift may bring a lot of edification and benefit to the one who possesses it, but Paul makes it clear the primary purpose of these gifts is for the common good, and any time a gift is used in a way which undermines that, it is being misused.
Paul then goes on to list some of the gifts that the Lord has given to the church. Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 also identify various spiritual gifts and it is obvious that the list here in 1 Corinthians is not meant to be exhaustive. These are not all of the gifts that the Lord has given to His people. 12:8-10 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 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. Now, at this point a lot of pastors give definitions and descriptions of each of the gifts Paul has listed. I am not going to do that, because I think it is maybe a little more complicated than most people admit. For example, what is the "message of knowledge"? Literally, this is "word of knowledge." A lot of folks claim that this is basically the gift of being smart. Someone with a lot of knowledge, especially about spiritual matters, has this gift. In fact, the first edition of the New International Version translated it as "the ability to speak with knowledge" -- in other words, someone who knows what he is talking about. Some folks, however, claim that a word of knowledge is a special revelation that a person receives from God totally outside of the normal cognitive channels. An example of this is what happens frequently on certain Christian television shows. The host will say, "I have received a word of knowledge that there is a man watching the program today who just found out he has a malignant tumor on the right side of his lung. We want to pray for him today."
So the gift of knowledge is defined anywhere from being smart, probably after years of study, to having supernatural thoughts implanted in your brain by the Holy Spirit. Which is correct? Well, my guess is that the truth is somewhere in the middle. My point, however, is that I doubt there is really any way of knowing what exactly the word of knowledge was or is. Verse 8 is the only place in the Bible where the phrase is used. To define the gift with the precision and certainty that so many do requires either a lot of speculation, or a special revelation from the Lord. Now, obviously, some of the gifts are easier to define than others. When we read "miraculous powers" that seems pretty clear. But there are disagreements between evangelical Bible scholars on the definition of every gift that Paul lists in these verses. In a few weeks we will look at different views of what constitutes the gifts of tongues and prophecy. Now, I am not trying to confuse you or to suggest that you don’t have a spiritual gift that you may think you do. If you tell me, "Pastor Dan, I believe I have the gift of knowledge," I’m not going to argue with you. You probably do have a gift of knowledge, though it might be something a little different from what Paul is talking about in Verse 8. My plea is for Christians to exercise a little more humility when defining spiritual gifts.
However we define the various gifts, Paul makes a couple of things clear in the next verse. 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. The source of each gift is the Holy Spirit, and it is His job to distribute them to each Christian. Paul then says, 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. This is his focus through Verse 26 and what we talked about last week. Though there is great diversity within the church when it comes to gifts and lots of the other things, the church is a unity, one body, through Jesus Christ. How foolish it is for spiritual gifts to become the occasion for conflict and division within the church. Now, we want to jump down to 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. So true. 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. It is interesting to compare this list with what Paul wrote in Verses 8-10. The prophets, those working miracles, those having gifts of healing, and those speaking in various tongues would seem to be the people who have been given those gifts which Paul described earlier. Apostles, teachers, and those with gifts of administration apparently possess gifts other than what Paul previously listed. Teachers, administrators, and apparently apostles have gifts from the Lord which enable them to do what the Lord calls them to do.
In the final verse of the chapter, Paul highlights the diversity of gifts. 12:29a Are all apostles? The clearly implied answer to this question and each of the following is "No. Not everyone has this gift." 12:29b,30 Are all prophets? No! Are all teachers? No! Do all work miracles? No! Do all have gifts of healing? No! Do all speak in tongues? No! Do all interpret? No! It would be foolish to think that any one of these is something that all Christians should have, or should expect to have. 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. If you have an NIV Bible, you will see an alternative translation of the verse is "But you are eagerly desiring the greater gifts." The big question, though, is this: What does Paul consider the greater gifts? Some say, based on Chapter 14:5, that he is talking about how prophecy is better than tongues. Others say that the greater gifts are the ones which are most edifying, helpful to others, rather than those which are most spectacular. Many folks argue that it is simply love, and acts of love, that are the greater gifts of which Paul speaks. I would add there is nothing wrong with desiring whatever we think are the best gifts for us to have, just as long as we keep in mind what Paul says in Verse 11 -- that it is the Holy Spirit who distributes the gifts as He wills, not as we wish.
OK, that is a summary of what Paul has said in these verses. So what does it mean for us? There are probably two dozen different directions we could go this morning, but I will focus on trying to answer some questions which people frequently ask about spiritual gifts.
1) What about the gift of tongues? Now, a few of you may be moving to the edge of your seats wondering, "What is Pastor Dan going to say about this very controversial subject?" The answer is, "Not a whole lot," because in a few weeks, when we get to Chapter 14, the sermon will focus on tongues and prophecy. However, there are two points made rather clearly in our text today. The ability to speak in tongues is clearly a gift that God gives to people. We read that in Verse 10. Some folks, including some of my very good friends, will say, "Well, yes, God gave that gift in the 1st Century, but He doesn’t do so today." We will probably talk more about that in a few weeks, but my initial reply is, "You show me in the Bible where it says that." The view that the gift of tongues ceased to exist after the 1st Century has very little biblical support.
The second point that Paul makes clear is that not every Christian is supposed to have the gift of tongues. We read that in Verse 30. In this chapter I think Paul clearly refutes the traditional Pentecostal teaching that someone who has not spoken in tongues has never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Even many charismatic Bible teachers agree with me, and it is because they can’t deny what Paul teaches in this passage. 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free -- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Paul’s point is that the church is one body, united, because every single believer has been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Since, in Verse 30, he makes it clear that only some Christians speak in tongues, it just doesn’t make sense to claim that speaking in tongues is the sign that someone has received the baptism of the Spirit. Sure, there are occasions in the Book of Acts where people speak in tongues when they receive the Spirit, but this chapter, as well as 2000 years of church history, makes it clear that is not the norm. So, I can see no reason to believe the gift of tongues cannot be for today, and no reason to believe that it is a gift every Christian should have. Will people on both sides of that debate be mad at me? I hope not. I am simply trying to be consistent with what God teaches us through His Word. I encourage you to do the same, and we will talk about it again in a few weeks.
2) How many spiritual gifts can someone have? The answer: I don’t know. Verse 7 clearly implies that every genuine Christian has at least one. I see no reason, however, to think that we each have only one spiritual gift. Some folks think so, but I don’t believe that is what the Bible says. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why someone could not have three, four, five, or even more spiritual gifts. The main point, though, is that everybody has at least one. Now, I am convinced that there are a lot more spiritual gifts than what Paul lists in this chapter, and even a lot more than the nineteen gifts of the Spirit that people come up with when they add up those mentioned in the New Testament. For example, there is no reference in this chapter to musical abilities. Some would say that Crys Lowry’s ability to play the piano is a natural talent, not a spiritual gift. I would note, however, that in Exodus 31, the Spirit of God filled a man named Bezaleel with artistic abilities so that he could construct and furnish the tabernacle. It certainly would not surprise me if one of Crys’ spiritual gifts had something to do with music.
Now, since all Christians have a spiritual gift, it means that at least one gift is bestowed at conversion, when someone becomes a Christian. That doesn’t mean the Lord can’t give someone additional gifts as time goes on. Maybe someone starts off with one gift, and then ten years later has three. Nor do I think that spiritual gifts are necessarily permanent, that once you have a gift, you will always have it. I don’t believe the Bible speaks either way on this question, but if there is a special need of some type, I see no reason why the Holy Spirit cannot give a gift to someone for a period of time and then remove it. Thus, I think it is at least possible that someone could not only have more gifts, but could have different ones than he or she did ten years ago. Remember, it is His job to distribute the gifts as He wills. Again this is my opinion, not something I want to fight over.
3) What is the difference between a spiritual gift and a natural talent? That is not an easy question to answer. I think it would be a mistake to say either that there is no distinction, or to see the two as totally disconnected. Spiritual gifts are possessed only by those who are believers in Christ and are indwelt by God’s Spirit. Before someone becomes a Christian, I don’t think they can have a spiritual gift. For example, the vice president of a local bank may have some very obvious abilities as an administrator, but if he is not a Christian, I don’t think he possesses the gifts of administration that Paul refers to in Verse 28. Or, take a student with a straight-A average and an IQ of 150. Her intelligence is certainly God-given, talent on loan from God as someone might say, but if she is not a believer in Jesus, it is not a spiritual gift.
At the same time, I tend to think many spiritual gifts enhance a natural talent or ability. Consider what I do up here every Sunday morning. Some folks claim I have the gift of prophecy that Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12; others call it a gift of preaching, and I tend to think it might be very close to the gift of teaching which Paul refers to in Verse 28. Whatever label is used, I think I have some God-given, natural talent in this area. I started giving speeches when I was twelve years old in 4-H Club. In high school I always did very well in forensics. My specialty was extemporary speaking, where you are given a topic and then an hour later give an eight-minute speech on that issue. Yet, I know there is something different about what I now do on Sunday mornings. I believe the Holy Spirit has enhanced my abilities to communicate and connect with people’s minds and hearts, and that it is the spiritual gift of teaching which enables me to be an effective teacher. Spiritual gifts are more than natural talents, but it would be silly to assume the two are not connected, since God is the source of both.
4) OK, another question people ask is: What am I supposed to do? First, identify your gifts; figure out what you think they are. A good place to start is by examining your own life, talking to friends and others who know you, and determining what abilities and aptitudes you have which can be used in serving the Lord. Pray that God would help you correctly identify what your gifts are. Use the New Testament lists of gifts to stimulate your thinking as to what they might be, but again I don’t think you have to limit your gifts to that. Different groups have come up with diagnostic tools and tests designed to help people figure out what their gifts are. If you think that would be helpful, let me know and we will try to find that for you. When someone asks, "What are your spiritual gifts?" I think we should have an answer of some type. We may not be able to rattle off three or four things, but we should be able to at least identify what our gifts might be.
Then, use your gifts. Whatever they happen to be, don’t just keep them on the shelf. Use them as God intends for His honor and the good of others. Friends, in this church, like every other, there are some jobs that need to be done. You may not have spiritual gifts that equip you for serving in the kitchen or working in the nursery, but it is wonderful if you are able and willing to do those things. Make sure, however, that you focus your energy in ministry where you are able to utilize the gifts the Lord has given you. Last week we talked about how every Christian is to take part in the church’s ministry. It only makes sense that the Holy Spirit would provide us with gifts to do the things He is calling us to do. Now, to be honest, it is not always easy to match up gifts we might have with various ministries in the church. Sometimes we need to be a little creative. There may be new things that the Lord is calling our church to do, and you may have gifts to contribute to that ministry but, for some reason, we are not doing it yet. If that is the case, please give me a call and let’s talk about how you think the gifts God has given you can be used. But don’t just sit there. If God has given you a gift, I suspect He wants you to use it. Oh, it may not be in the particular way you want to use it. Maybe you have the gift of teaching and want to teach an adult Sunday School class, but God may be calling you to teach 4th-graders. Yet, I believe that every spiritual gift you have received from the Lord is supposed to be used in some way.
Friends, at Christmas time Nancy and I will buy gifts for each of our three boys and for Melanie, our foreign exchange student, as well. Nancy and I may disagree (will probably disagree) on whether we are giving them too much or not enough, but we will buy gifts. Our desire is that they will appreciate and enjoy each gift they receive. We certainly don’t want them to compare the presents and say, "My gift is better than yours" or "Why didn’t I get what he got?" We also will feel a little badly if the gift we give ends up in the closet the next day and doesn’t come out until a garage sale a few years down the road. We want to see the gifts used. In the same way our heavenly Father gives us gifts, spiritual gifts. He wants us to appreciate and enjoy them. He wants us to express gratitude for what we have received. He certainly doesn’t want us comparing gifts and saying, "Mine is better than yours" or "Why can’t I have what she has?" Spiritual gifts are not meant to be something that Christians argue and fight over. They are intended to be things which Christians use for God’s glory and the good of each other. May the Lord help us use our spiritual gifts in that way today and in all the days ahead.
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