Sermon Central
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Spiritual Gifts
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Mar 28, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: For a third time, Paul stresses the fact that God, not man, assigned the gifts (vv. 18, 24, 28). God gives to each person and each congregation just the gifts it needs when they are needed. No individual believer possesses all the spiritual gifts. Each be
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE:
This story was related by Donald Grey Barnhouse. Several years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their graduation, they planned to practice law together. No believer is complete by himself, we are to minister to one another, as a family. (Source unknown).
For a third time, Paul stresses the fact that God, not man, assigned the gifts (vv. 18, 24, 28). God gives to each person and each congregation just the gifts it needs when they are needed. No individual believer possesses all the spiritual gifts. Each believer has the gift (or gifts) assigned to him. The stress is on quality and quantity. In verse 28 Paul gives a further listing of the gifts with some additions to those included in verses 4-11. It seems that the list is arranged in order of the most important first and the least important last. In this arrangement apostles, prophets and teachers are the first three listed and tongues are last. These first three gifts may have been greater because of their extensive value to the whole body of Christ.
The gift of tongues, on the other hand, tended to bring pride and self-centeredness to the people involved. This self-centeredness also manifested itself in other areas such as eating sacrificial foods, women in worship, celebration of the Lord’s Supper, etc. Love for others was an essential need in the Corinthian church. He commanded that love should prevail among the members (I John 15:12). This was the ingredient which would maintain unity within the diversity.
APPLICATION:
My spiritual gifts are not for my own self-advancement. They were given to me for the purpose of serving God and enhancing the spiritual growth of other believers.
