Title Page
Lesson Ten
I Corinthians 12:1-4
I Corinthians 12:1-4
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I
would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away
unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no
man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus
accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is
the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit.
I Corinthians 12:5-9
I Corinthians 12:5-9
5 And there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is
the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by
the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another
the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
I Corinthians 12:10-12
I Corinthians 12:10-12
10 To another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many
members, and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Focus Verse
I Corinthians 12:31
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I
unto you a more excellent way.
Focus Thought
God gave spiritual gifts to the body
of Christ to edify, and they should
be active today.
Introduction
Introduction
God’s church is a vibrant body, composed of lively,
Holy Ghost filled members. (See I Peter 2.)
Different cultures, personalities, ages, and
traditions find common ground in the gospel of
Jesus Christ. The rich and the poor, the educated
and the illiterate—all stand side by side in the
kingdom of God. Through the centuries, this
unlikely collection of human beings has held at bay
the power of kings, stopped the spread of deadly
diseases, rebuked evil forces, triumphed over
imposing armies, and conquered the spirits of
darkness on every continent on this planet.
This diverse group is so powerful because the
people are empowered and appointed by God.
Jesus described the empowering when He told the
crowd, “But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Paul explained the
appointing when he wrote, “But now hath God set
the members every one of them in the body, as it
hath pleased him” (I Corinthians 12:18). The
strength of the church resides in its members
individually submitting to the Holy Ghost for
power and position within the body.
Introduction
Introduction
It is natural for people to avoid being used in the
gifts of the Spirit. What could be more foreign to
our carnal natures than an invisible force
compelling us to attempt impossible things? To
submit to the Spirit is to ignore the natural senses
that warn of rejection, failure, and ridicule.
Introduction
When a person is taught the purpose of the gifts
and realizes that they are essential to God’s plan,
the higher purpose becomes obvious and obeying
the Spirit comes more easily. When the members of
the church are walking in the Spirit, the body of
Christ is at work in the world.
Understanding
I. Understanding Spiritual
Spiritual
Gifts
Gifts (A)
A. There Are Different Gifts
“Now there are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit” (I
Corinthians 12:4).
I. Understanding Spiritual
God’s great power and creative mind are
displayed
in the(A)
things He has made. Not only
Gifts
did He design a variety of plant and animal life,
but He made them to flourish under different
circumstances and during different seasons.
Some species display their glory in the heat of
summer, while others thrive in winter’s cold.
I. Understanding Spiritual
The forest by day is a different world than it is at
night.Gifts
After dark,
a new set of wildlife with its
(A)
unique sounds and habits owns the woods. The
stars and planets testify of things He has done
and planned that we have yet to comprehend.
When observing God’s handiwork, one must
agree with the words penned by Mark in his
Gospel: “And were beyond measure astonished,
saying, He hath done all things well” (Mark
7:37).
I. Understanding Spiritual
Nothing that God created is within itself more
diverse
than the(A)
human race. Made in the
Gifts
likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26-27),
men and women come in all shapes, sizes, colors,
and personalities. Moreover, each one is uniquely
equipped by his peculiar culture and
environment. To minister to the needs generated
by this ever-growing population requires many
ministers with differing natural abilities who are
empowered by God with different spiritual gifts.
I. Understanding Spiritual
One of Paul’s main concerns as he wrote to the
believers
in Corinth
was that the church understand
Gifts
(A)
this important concept. He introduced the subject
of spiritual gifts by first explaining the many
differences, but equal value, of each member of the
body. Comparing God’s church to the human body,
Paul wrote that while one member may possess a
gift that brings public recognition, he is no more
important than the one whose gift operates quietly
in the background. The source of every gift is God;
therefore, no person has any right to boast if his or
her gift is used in spectacular ways.
I. Understanding Spiritual
Contrary to our way of thinking, God’s greatest
honor is
often given
quietly and without fanfare,
Gifts
(A)
and those members we seldom consider are often
the ones most needed (I Corinthians 12:22-23).
Just as a person values every part of his or her own
body, every person and every gift in God’s church
must be given the utmost respect by every member.
None is useless and none is without specific
purpose.
I.
B. There Are Differences
Understanding
Spiritual
in Administration
Gifts (B)
“And there are differences of
administrations, but the same
Lord” (I Corinthians 12:5).
I. Understanding Spiritual
While the spiritual gifts are not dependant on
(B)may conclude from Paul’s
naturalGifts
abilities, one
instructions that the nature of the gifted person is
involved in the process. (See I Corinthians 13:1-3;
I Corinthians 14:28-32.) Because their natures are
different, people will operate, or administer, the
same spiritual gift in different ways, reflecting their
uniqueness.
I. Understanding Spiritual
God did not set specific rules for the application of
Gifts
(B)
each gift;
rather, He
chose to work through the
peculiarities of each person’s personality and
nature. Spiritual gifts are time and place specific.
God chooses who will work the gifts at what time
and place, His own design and reasoning unfettered
by human logic. Administrations and applications
may differ, but they all originate with the same
Lord.
I. Understanding Spiritual
The work of the Spirit cannot always be neatly
Gifts
categorized
under(B)
a specific spiritual gift.
According to M. D. Treece in his book The Literal
Word (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image
Publishers, 1995, 284), I Corinthians 12:5 intends
to “include other workings of the Spirit through the
saints which are not listed in the present categories.
The moving of the Spirit of God upon the
worshipper may perform a service in a spiritual
capacity which would be difficult to describe in the
course of normal reason.”
I. Understanding Spiritual
All the works of the Spirit, whether easily defined
(B)
as one Gifts
of the listed
spiritual gifts or not, are
ordained by the same Lord. Some works of the
Spirit do not fit neatly inside a defined category.
I.
C. There Are Different
Understanding
Workings Spiritual
Gifts (C)
“And there are diversities of
operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all”
(I Corinthians 12:6).
I. Understanding Spiritual
The diversity of needs requires the diversity of
Gifts
(C) That God alone is the
operations
(or workings).
mastermind behind the work of the Spirit is
emphasized even more strongly in I Corinthians
12:6. The gift is from God and the gift is the work
of God. It is God working through the gift, but it is
also God working in the believer.
I. Understanding Spiritual
Some gifts of the Spirit involve communicating
(C) gifts demonstrate God’s
God’sGifts
message. Other
power. God uses some gifts to reveal things that
are hidden from man. While God may choose to
have someone operate the same gift repeatedly, the
spiritual gifts are not permanent endowments
inside the believer, which he is able to use at will.
God chooses the time, the place, and the person.
Together, these gifts provide God a comprehensive
set of tools that He uses to minister to and through
His church.
Gifts of Revelation
II. Gifts
of Revelation
A. Word
of Wisdom (A)
Delivering a specific declaration of advice or
direction for a specific situation is the purpose of
the word of wisdom, which is one of the spiritual
gifts. This word does not originate inside the
educated mind of a person well-schooled in the
matters being discussed, but it comes directly from
the mind of the Spirit as the believer expresses
what the Spirit impresses. The fact that this
utterance is a gift from God indicates that a person
could not acquire this wisdom on his own.
II. Gifts
of
Revelation
(A)
Paul experienced this gift while on one of his
missionary journeys when he told the sailors; “Sirs,
I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and
much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but
also of our lives” (Acts 27:10). This message from
a tentmaker advised the seasoned seamen to delay
their departure. Not being spiritually minded, they
ignored Paul’s warning and lost both vessel and
cargo. (See Acts 27:11-24.)
II. Gifts
of
Revelation
(A)
Instructions are usually valued based on the
teacher’s experience, knowledge, and training.
Such requirements cannot be used to appraise the
correctness of a word of wisdom, however, because
God does not use our standards to decide whom He
will use. Every member must be spiritual so that
both the one speaking and the one obeying are in
one accord. (See Acts 2:1; I Corinthians 14:29.)
B. Word of Knowledge
II. When
Gifts
of Revelation (B)
God revealed to Peter that Ananias and
Sapphira had conspired against the Holy Ghost, He
did so by the gift of the word of knowledge. (See
Acts 5:1-10.) God told Peter the things Ananias
and Sapphira had plotted in private, and the
punishment that was theirs for lying to the Holy
Ghost.
This gift operates when God passes knowledge of a
specific nature to an individual who does not know
it by natural means.
C. Discerning of Spirits
II. Gifts of Revelation (C)
Strong’s Concordance includes the words “judicial
estimation” as part of the definition of the word
discerning, which creates the image of a judge
presiding over matters displayed before him. God,
as judge, uses the gift of discerning of spirits to
expose evil spirits and improper intentions.
II. Gifts of Revelation (C)
The discerning of spirits is a gift that Paul also
experienced firsthand. A woman followed him to
prayer daily, shouting that he was sent from God to
bring salvation. Paul discerned that she was
possessed by an evil spirit and rebuked it. From
that moment, the woman was free. Paul’s action,
however, displeased those who were carnal and
who profited from the woman’s evil spirit, and they
imprisoned him. (See Acts 16:16-24.)
II. Gifts of Revelation (C)
A believer used in this gift will display keen
supernatural insight with regard to spirits.
Gifts
of
Power
III. Gifts of Power and
and
Action
Action (A)
A. Healing
The gifts of healing are the various ways that a
human body is miraculously cured of disease,
injury, illness, or other imperfections through the
direct prayers or actions of a believer.
III. Gifts of Power and
The healing of the cripple at the Gate Beautiful is
Action
an example
of this (A)
gift in action. (See Acts 3:1-8.)
Since this man was carried to this spot every day, it
is possible that Jesus passed him when He visited
the Temple. Many disciples, including the apostles,
probably had walked past him on their way to
worship, but apparently none had stopped to pray
for him. This time, however, the Spirit compelled
Peter to speak words of faith and healing to this
man who had never walked.
III. Gifts of Power and
What was different about this particular visit to the
Action
Temple?
Why had (A)
Jesus earlier chosen not to heal
the beggar? The text does not reveal the answers to
these questions, but everyone who was at the
Temple that day witnessed the miracle and heard
the message of salvation preached. The Holy Spirit
orchestrated the entire event and the impact rippled
beyond the Temple walls. (See Acts 4:1-23.) The
Scriptures may not answer all our questions about
the matter, but we can be confident that God
achieved His divine purpose.
An individual
healingand
in various ways;
III.
Gifts can
ofreceive
Power
thus the Scriptures identify this gift in the plural
(A)
form:Action
gifts of healing.
James called for the elders to
anoint the sick with oil and pray for them (James
5:14). Jesus put clay on a blind man’s eyes and sent
him to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7).
James taught that healing can be connected to
confession of sins and errors (James 5:16). Peter
simply spoke in faith to the lame man in Acts 3.
Since God is the source of both the gift and the
healing, He chooses the method by which the gifts
operate and healing is given. An obedient response
to the Spirit will complete the work.
B. Faith
III. Gifts of Power and
The gift
of faith is obviously
Action
(B) more than the
fundamental faith required for conversion, or the
faith a Christian daily displays as he lives his life
for Jesus Christ. Every Christian has faith (Romans
12:3), but the gift of faith is a supernatural gift that
empowers a person to “trust in God for a particular
need or circumstance” (David K. Bernard, Spiritual
Gifts [Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 1997],
124).
III.
Gifts
ofas Power
Paul serves
again
our example.and
Displaying
unusual confidence as a severe storm battered the
(B)
ship inAction
which he was
being transported, Paul rested
on God’s word to him. “Wherefore, sirs, be of good
cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me” (Acts 27:25). His supernatural faith
told him all was well while his eyes were warning
him that his life was in danger. His faith calmed his
mind while the wind was fanning his fears. Beyond
his trust in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, God
enlarged Paul’s faith to see Him at work in the
midst of tragedy.
C. Working of Miracles
III. Gifts of Power and
While the use of and most of the results of the
Action
(C)
spiritual gifts could be considered miraculous, the
gift of the working of miracles occurs when God,
operating through a human being, transcends the
laws of nature in a particular situation. Luke wrote
of such an occasion when Paul’s missionary team
was ministering in Asia. People possessed of evil
spirits or sick with diseases were healed when
handkerchiefs and other cloths that Paul had
touched were given to them. (See Acts 19:11-12.)
III. Gifts of Power and
God has always used miraculous events to lead or
Action
(C)
deliver His people. He parted the Red Sea for the
people of Israel (Exodus 14:21-22), closed the
mouths of the hungry lions for Daniel (Daniel 6:1617, 22), and made the footsteps of four frail lepers
sound like an advancing army (II Kings 7:3-6).
III. Gifts of Power and
The stories described in the Bible catalog the
Action
(C)
supernatural events that God orchestrated on behalf
of His people. At times, such as when God sent the
plagues to trouble Pharaoh, His miracles were
widespread and affected many. (See Exodus 7:17–
12:30.) On other occasions, such as when the
widow’s meal and oil were replenished, only a few
knew and benefited (I Kings 17:16). These accounts
assure us that God observes the needs of every
individual as well as the corporate needs of the
whole body, and He is prepared to suspend the laws
of nature to meet every challenge.
III. Gifts of Power and
The supernatural works of the Old Testament were
Action
(C)
continued in the New Testament. Miracles were a
regular part of the ministry of Jesus Christ, and the
Book of Acts records many miracles done through
the faith of His disciples. Miracles occurred so
regularly that they became part of the culture of the
early church.
III. Gifts of Power and
By the gifts of the Spirit, God continues to work
Action
(C)
through His church. By the gift of the working of
miracles, God’s supernatural power provides for
His people and reminds the world of His ability and
desire to save them.
Mark 16:17-18
“And these signs shall follow
them that believe; In my name
shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; they shall
take up serpents; and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt
them; they shall lay hands on the sick,
and they shall recover.
Mark 16:19-20
“So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into
heaven, and sat on the right hand of
God. And they went forth, and
preached every where, the Lord
working with them, and confirming
the word with signs following. Amen”
(Mark 16:17-20).
Gifts
of
IV. Gifts of Communication
Communication
(A)
A. Prophecy
Because of the ministry of Old Testament prophets,
we usually associate prophecy with inspired
foretelling or prediction. While prophecy may
include foretelling certain outcomes, a more
complete definition would be “a supernatural
utterance directly from God in the language of the
speaker and hearers” (Bernard, Spiritual Gifts, 204).
As is often observed, prophecy includes both
foretelling and forthtelling.
IV. Gifts of Communication
It is this gift that
(A)Paul considered most valuable in
public worship because of its ability to edify the
whole church (I Corinthians 14:4). While other gifts
are to be desired, a person wishing to benefit the
entire congregation should pray to be used in the gift
of prophecy (I Corinthians 14:1).
IV. Gifts of Communication
Prophecy was(A)
common in the early days of the
church. Acts 11 tells of a group of men who were
recognized as prophets (Acts 11:27). God also chose
to use Philip’s four daughters to prophesy (Acts
21:9).
B. Divers Kinds of Tongues
IV. Gifts of Communication
A lack of understanding has caused much
(B)
confusion over
the use of tongues in the church.
Speaking in tongues (speaking in a language that
the one who is speaking does not know and cannot
understand) is a work of the Spirit designed to get
the attention of unbelievers. “Wherefore tongues
are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them
that believe not” (I Corinthians 14:22).
IV. Gifts of Communication
To understand the use of tongues in the church, one
(B)properly between the three
must distinguish
distinct uses that the Bible identifies:
(1) the initial evidence of receiving the Holy
Ghost,
(2) personal edification, and
(3) a special message from the Lord requiring
interpretation.
IV. Gifts of Communication
Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence that a
(B) the Holy Ghost. This is a
person has received
spontaneous act of the Spirit and no interpretation
is needed, even though it is possible that some
observers might understand the words being
spoken. (See Acts 2:4-8.) Throughout the Book of
Acts, which is the only book that records
conversions, speaking in tongues is the common
sign given as the initial evidence that a person has
received the Holy Ghost. (See Acts 10:44-46.)
IV. Gifts of Communication
The criteria by which the apostles recognized and
(B)
acknowledged
the conversion experience of others
was by comparison to their own experience when
the Holy Spirit was initially given in Acts 2. (See
Acts 11:1-18.) They saw that other believers were
speaking with other tongues just as they had
spoken with tongues; they recognized that tongues
are the initial evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.
IV. Gifts of Communication
The apostle Paul described the second use of
tongues as a(B)
man speaking directly to God (I
Corinthians 14:2, 14). This kind of prayer
strengthens the person who is speaking in tongues
(I Corinthians 14:4), and it is something everyone
should do (I Corinthians 14:5).
IV. Gifts of Communication
This personal prayer is apparently what Paul
described to(B)
the Roman church, and it requires no
interpretation (Romans 8:26).
IV. Gifts of Communication
The third use of tongues is the spiritual gift of
divers kinds(B)
of tongues. Paul was referring to this
use in I Corinthians 14:5 when he said, “I would
that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye
prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than
he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret,
that the church may receive edifying.”
IV. Gifts of Communication
The gift of tongues is intended to benefit the body
of believers (B)
and requires that the message be
interpreted into a language that those present
understand. However, the interpreting is done by
someone who does not know or understand the
language in which the message is spoken. Through
the combination of these two gifts, the church
realizes that the message is supernatural and that it
comes from God.
C. Interpretation of Tongues
IV. Gifts of Communication
This gift, while
(C)not secondary in importance, is
dependent on the gift of tongues being exercised.
God’s Spirit then gives the interpretation of what
was said through a person who does not know or
understand the language in which the message was
given. This gift, then, is the “supernatural ability to
translate or explain the meaning of a public
utterance in tongues” (Bernard, Spiritual Gifts,
196). These two gifts of the Spirit work in tandem
to minister to and edify the body of Christ, which
also is the ultimate purpose of all the spiritual gifts.
Gifts
for
Edification
V. Gifts for Edification of the
of
the
Body
Body (A)
A. One Spirit—Several Gifts
to Numerous Individuals
When Jesus commissioned His disciples to take the
gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:19-20), He
was transferring His role of ministry to His church.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto my
Father” (John 14:12).
V. Gifts for Edification of the
Holy Ghost filled believers are the Lord’s hands
and feet,
reaching(A)
and touching each person with
Body
the good news of Jesus Christ and declaring the
Word of God at the Spirit’s urging. “Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead,
be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20).
Since the church is now the body of Jesus Christ, it
must function with the same motivation and
direction that guided Jesus, who made it plain that
He did not act on human whim or intuition.
John 8:28-29
“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye
have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am he, and that I
do nothing of myself; but as my
Father hath taught me, I speak these
things. And he that sent me is with
me: the Father hath not left me alone;
for I do always those things that
please him” (John 8:28-29).
V. Gifts for Edification of the
The members of the body of Christ are filled with
the Holy
Ghost, so
as they operate in the Spirit,
Body
(A)
God is directing His own work on earth through
them just as He did through the life of Jesus Christ.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”
(John 14:26). As each believer submits to the
leadership of the Holy Spirit, the whole body
functions properly, and the great commission is
accomplished.
V. Gifts for Edification of the
Every person operating in the Spirit must
constantly
be aware
of the purpose for the gifts.
Body
(A)
They are not to be used to express personal
opinions or to showcase a particular talent, but they
are to edify the church. Paul explained,
“Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts,
seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the
church” (I Corinthians 14:12).
V.
B. One Body—Many
Gifts Members
for Edification
Workingof
Body
(B)
Together
the
While the gifts of the Spirit originate from one
source, they are divided among the whole church.
The Spirit assigns to every believer the particular
gift that God desires for that person to use at a
particular moment. “But all these worketh that one
and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will” (I Corinthians 12:11).
V. Gifts for Edification of the
If the spiritual gifts are lacking, then the church is
limited Body
spiritually, (B)
and it may function primarily
within the human abilities of the people. Many
critical issues have spiritual roots and can be
conquered only in the Spirit. The Spirit is the life of
the body, and without it, the body grows cold,
limited, and predictable. (See John 6:63.)
V. Gifts for Edification of the
Paul said that New Testament ministers would
ministerBody
life by the(B)
Spirit (II Corinthians 3:6). The
success of each congregation rests upon its
members’ willingness to be used and to be sensitive
to God, always ready to operate in the gifts of the
Spirit.
V. Gifts for Edification of the
Because the gifts operate contrary to human
Body
(B)examples of spiritual abuse
reasoning,
and because
abound, some Christians are reluctant to participate.
The church at Corinth struggled with sin and
carnality more than many, yet Paul encouraged them
to operate in the spiritual gifts. The New
International Version translates Paul’s instruction in
I Corinthians 14:1: “Eagerly desire spiritual gifts.”
V. Gifts for Edification of the
When the gifts are operating properly, the attention
Body
(B)
and honor
is focused
on God and not the people
exercising the gifts. God has purposely designed His
plan so that no person has a right to glory or to
accept credit for any beneficial results. Paul’s
instructions indicate that God chose to spread His
gifts among many individuals rather than bestowing
several gifts upon a single individual. (See I
Corinthians 14:27-30.) It is vital that each member
allow the Spirit to use him so that the body of Christ
is complete and functioning according to the Lord’s
perfect plan.
Reflections
God is building His church (Matthew 16:18).
Because His is a spiritual house, it is built by
spiritual means and is not constructed carnally. As a
result, those observers who are outside the church
do not understand its purpose and function. “But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).
Reflections
The church can function as God’s body only when
the members are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and
they willingly allow the gifts of the Spirit to operate
freely as the Lord directs. Each member must allow
God to use him as He chooses so that the body is
complete and capable of supernatural ministry.
Reflections
Our carnal natures often oppose the Holy Spirit.
Pride, bashfulness, and fear frequently overpower
our desire to be publicly used by God. But if we
sincerely want to function properly within the body
of Christ upon this earth, then we must be ready to
allow God’s Spirit to use us as He wills. The gifts
of the Spirit should operate freely whenever and
however God chooses.