Fellowship With the Holy Spirit – Now Concerning Spiritual Gifts
- Why study spiritual gifts?
- First, I want us to be educated about spiritual gifts. (Verse 1 – “I do not want you to be uninformed”)
- Second, I also want us to be equipped to use the gifts God gives. (verse 7: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”)
- Lastly, I want us to be expectant about what God can do for you and for those He’s called you to help with His power. (“But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” 1 Corinthians 12:31 ESV)
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
- Verse 4 – Charisma (gifts) refers to a gracious work of God or something God’s grace has given, a free gift.
- Verse 5 – Diakonia (service) often translated “service” or “ministries”, points us to the purpose of the gifts.
- Verse 6 – Energema (activities), translated “activities” (ESV) or “effects” (NASB) or “workings” (NIV) or operations (KJV). It points to Paul’s emphasis on gifts as the effect or fruit or product of divine power.
- Spiritual gifts are divinely-empowered or spiritually energized potential to minister to the body of Christ by communicating the knowledge, power, and love of Jesus.
Verse 7: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Each
- Who are the “each” who are given the manifestation of the Spirit?
- Are you included? That’s what verses 2 and 3 are talking about.
- The “each” in verse 7 are people who live under the Lordship of Jesus; those who are so changed by the Holy Spirit that they say it and mean it and live it: Jesus is Lord.
The Spirit
- “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV
- This verse emphasizes two things.
- One is that there is one and the same Spirit behind all the varieties of gifts. (Verse 8-11)
- The other thing verse 11 emphasizes is that the Spirit is the one who decides who will have what gift and ministry and effectiveness. (who apportions to each one individually as he wills.)
Manifestation
- God is manifested in your life. God, the Spirit, becomes visible through you. You are to show the Spirit.
- The reason the Spirit gives the gifts and the ministries and the effectiveness that He does is so that He will be manifested in the church.
- A manifestation is a showing. When you manifest something you bring it to light. You put it forward for people to see.
- They are meant to show the Spirit. They are meant to make the Spirit visible. They are meant to make us admire and love and submit to the Spirit.
- Whatever you do, do it in the power of the Spirit that the Spirit might be seen among us more and more.
Common Good
- It is good for people to see God.
- It is good for us to see the manifestations of God’s Spirit in each other’s lives.
- The Spirit is manifest for this purpose: the common good.
- He gives gifts and ministries for two reasons: to manifest Himself and to help us do good to each other in the church.
- Gifts are for the glory of God and the good of the church.
- The pursuit of God’s glory (the manifestation of God) and the pursuit of what is good for us are not two separate pursuits.
- If you want to do good for people, you manifest God to them.
- If you want to manifest God and make him known, you do good to others.
Living Hope Ministries 