But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
(1Co 12:7-18 NKJV)
2 comments:
So this morning I am thinking about Mary and Martha. Mary wants to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship and Martha wants Mary to get up and help serve. It's an interesting scenario. Christ has to tell Martha that Mary has chosen the better part and that it will not be taken away from her but Christ never tells Martha that she should be worshipping also.
At a later meal we find Mary once again at the feet of Jesus and Martha is once again serving. But this time Martha is content with the arrangement. Her part is to serve and Mary's part is to worship.
And I am wondering if Mary ever gets up and helps serve or if she just always sits at the feet of Jesus.
And I am wondering if Mary loves Jesus more than Martha or vise versa.
And the Lord seems to be applying it to this portion of 1 Corinthians.
The foot is not a hand nor should it try to be. The foot should be what the foot is naturally. It's made to bear the weight of the body not pick things up.
The hand has been very intricately designed to be able to pick things up and is able to do very fine and delicate work. It would be greatly disadvantaged and ill suited for bearing the body's weight all day long. Imagine climbing a mountain on your hands.
It's not that it is impossible but it is impractical and a very poor use of resources. So then let the hand do the hand's job to the glory of God. Let the foot do the foot's job to the glory of God. Let Mary worship the Lord to the glory of God. Let Martha serve to the glory of God.
Only let all things be done to His glory just as He purposed when He created us with our individual gifts and abilities.
Praise God!
In verse 7 we are told that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. This tells me that God has gifted all true believers and that He plans to work through them to accomplish His will. In verses 8 through 10 we have several of the gifts listed. They are as follows:
1. "the word of Wisdom", a supernatural manifestation of wisdom from God. Not merely a wise man but a man who receives "extra" wisdom from God in the sense of exceeding man's wisdom. In his commentary on 1 Corinthians John Courson points to Jesus exercising this when he answers the men who brought the women caught in the act of adultery in John chapter 8. In verse 9 they were unable to answer Him. My wife has told me of times when she was counseling another sister and as the words were coming out of her mouth she marveled at them. It wasn't what she had planned to say but was obviously from the Lord. I have experienced the same thing when teaching at times. It is very much a blessing but something for which we can not take credit. It is from the Lord.
2. "the word of Knowledge", a knowledge of something which you can not otherwise know without God's imparting knowledge. When Peter knew that Ananias was lying about the sale of the property, it was a word of knowledge.
3. "Faith", the faith we exercised when we received Christ, "for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast".
4. "gifts of Healing", this one is self explanatory. It is also one of the most abused. I hear folks speak of "developing a healing ministry" as if it is something we can conger up. God miraculously heals when He chooses to and allows sickness to continue to its natural conclusion when He chooses to. God is sovereign as much as we would like it to be otherwise at times. God be glorified!
5. "the working of Miracles", I have a friend who believes that there have been times when God allowed him to accomplish many hours of work in half the time it would normally take because God is sovereign over time. I can't think of any good reason why that would not be so. I am sure that we often miss the exercise of this gift because we are not looking for it.
6. "Prophecy", not just telling of things before they happen but also "forth telling". The proclamation of God's truth in a way that God is doing the work. Sometimes I come away from a Bible study I was teaching and I know without a doubt that God was speaking through me and that He was giving an understanding of what was said to those who were listening. Praise God!
7. "discerning of spirits", a supernatural knowledge of something going on behind the scenes. Again something that probably goes on behind the scenes a lot more often than we look for it.
8. "Different kinds of tongues", another of the often abused gifts. This one is often used to convince someone that they have not received the Holy Spirit because they don't speak with tongues or is exercised in confusion and in a way that others are not edified. Paul says "I word rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue." 1 cor 14:19, in fact half of chapter 14 will be devoted to correcting the error in the way this single gift was being exercised.
9. "the interpretation of tongues", what a blessing when there is an interpretation of a message in an unknown tongue. This is the one pre-requisite for exercising the gift of tongues in public.
This is not an exhaustive list. The point is made in verse 11 that the "same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one as He wills". The main point is that "He", "the Holy Spirit" is responsible for providing the gift and also for exercising it through the saints "as He will"!
Praise God!
Praise God!
Praise God!
May each one of us be open to the operating of the Spirit through us to accomplish His will!
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