We are going to start 2020 by looking at the topic of spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12-14.
Confusion
Few topics have generated as much debate and division in the western church over the last 50 years than the topic of spiritual gifts. What are they? How should we practice them today? Should we continue to pursue the miraculous gifts of prophecy, tongues and healing or did they cease with the early church?
And for individual believers there can be confusion as different churches operate in different ways. This can lead us to question our Christian experience – either doubting whether what we experienced was valid; or on the other side, doubting whether we have experienced God at all. It can sometimes feel easier to ignore the issue all together and ‘play it safe’.
When Paul address the Corinthian church on the topic of spiritual gifts he starts by saying – “Now about Spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1) – so it is important to educate our minds from scripture and hear what the Spirit wants to say to us today; and whilst our God is not a God of disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33), he is also not safe, and following him will mean coming out of our comfort zones.
The Holy Spirit
As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure he said he would send ‘another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth’ (John 14:16-17), and when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church in Pentecost (Acts 2) there was an explosion of power, joy, love and endurance in the early Christians that spread like wildfire.
Later, when Paul and Peter wrote letters to those early Christians, they urged them to remember that the Christian life was a life full of the Holy Spirit and power (Galatians 3:1-5, 2 Peter 1:3), and that each of us have received gifts from God for serving the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:3-9, 1 Peter 4:10-11).
As we read through the pages of the New Testament there is an expectation that ‘ordinary’ believers would have both a spiritual experience and receive spiritual gifts. The same Spirit at work in the book of Acts is the same Spirit at work in Christ City Church Dublin. Hence we are urged to ‘be filled’ with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and ‘eagerly desire’ spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 14:12). In other words the experience and gifts of the Holy Spirit are both initiatory and ongoing – it’s by the Holy Spirit that we are converted and given new life (John 3:5-8, Titus 3:4-6) but also the Holy Spirit sustains and empowers us day-by-day (Galatians 5:16 & 26).
One Body, Many Parts
One of Paul’s favourite ways of helping us understanding our spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit is to talk about the church as one body with many parts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4). Four truths come out of this analogy.
(1) Jesus is the head of the church (Ephesians 4:15-16) – he is in charge, it’s his church, we must take our orders from him and grow to be more like him. He is to receive all the glory as we use our gifts.
(2) Unity & Diversity (1 Corinthians 12:14) – the church is neither to be about uniformity (everyone looks and acts the same) nor anarchy (everyone does what they want regardless of the others) but rather about many different units working together and recognising their part in one body. This gives room for individual expression and gifts but that individuality is channeled for the good of the whole rather than for self-glory.
(3) Equality (1 Corinthians 12:13 & 24-26) – since we have “all been baptised by one Spirit into one body”, we all have an equal standing in our salvation and in the church. So no-one is more valuable and more important than the next person – there should be “equal concern” for all members of the body. A mark that the Holy Spirit is at work amongst us as a church is that we care for one another.
(4) Interdependence (1 Corinthians 12:14-26) – God has created us in his image and therefore he has created us for community. We cannot do it by ourselves, we cannot survive – let alone represent Christ – without other brothers and sisters. When it comes to Spiritual gifts we are to both give and receive.
Warming Up or Cooling Down?
When Paul addressed the church in Corinth he seems to be having to ‘warm up’ certain groups in the church who were ‘forbidding‘ the use of speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39) – he urges them to “eagerly desire” prophecy” (1 Corinthians 14:1) and to “excel in the gifts that build up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12).
When Paul addressed the church in Corinth he seems to be having to ‘warm up’ certain groups in the church who were ‘forbidding‘ the use of speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39) – he urges them to “eagerly desire” prophecy” (1 Corinthians 14:1) and to “excel in the gifts that build up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12).
On the other hand, the whole tone of the passage is that many in the church who are full of pride and are using their ‘spectacular’ gifts to show-off need to ‘cool down’, respect all types of gifts and care for all people in the church (1 Corinthians 12). They need to learn to love others through their gifts (1 Corinthians 13), and learn to control and bring order to their use of gifts (1 Corinthians 14).
So very much like the church today, the Corinthians were divided over the area of spiritual gifts, and Paul seems to be telling some that they need to ‘warm up’ and others that they need to ‘cool down’ – what great pastoral advice!
For us at Christ City Church, I sense God is urging us to ‘warm up’. It’s one thing to be ‘open but cautious’ when it comes to spiritual gifts, but if we’re not careful the danger is that reduced expectation of what the Holy Spirit might do can end up with no expectation at all.
Series & Resources
Here is how we will break up our series:
- 5th Jan – Unity in diversity part 1 (1 Cor 12:1-11)
- 12th Jan – Unity in diversity part 2 (1 Cor 12:12-31)
- 19th Jan – Learning to love (1 Corinthians 13)
- 26th Jan – Encountering God Together part 1 (1 Cor 14:25)
- 2nd Feb – Encountering God Together part 2 (1 Cor 12:26-39)
City Groups will be a good place to discuss the topics in more depth, and put into practice what we’re learning.
If you are wanting to learn more about Spiritual Gifts here are some good resources for you (in increasing depth)
- Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts – a short blog and easy test to help you discern your gifts and get going. I encourage everyone to take the test.
- Re-evaluating tongues and prophecy today – a paper (Tongues Prophecy Today) I wrote in 2007 for my Bible course, in what was the precursor to Crosslands Training
- Spirit and Sacrament – short book by Andrew Wilson – very easy to read, bring together the charismatic and liturgical traditions. Inspiring, biblical and helpful.
- Wayne Grudem – Biblical scholar Wayne Grudem has written a lot about Spiritual gifts, chapter 52-53 from his systematic theology, or his chapter in the ‘4 views’ book on miraculous gifts or his book on prophesy
- Don Carson – Showing the Spirit – a theological exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14
- Gordon Fee – Commentary of 1 Corinthians