Varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:1-26 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

¹² For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now there are many members, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³ and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

In today’s text Paul continues with the importance of unity in the church, the body of Christ. He compares the parts of the human body working together, hands, feet, ears and eyes to the way the church should function, each member doing its own part for the good of the body. Within the church this is much more than simply getting along and cooperating with one another. Paul ties the unity of believers with the gifts of the Spirit. He says:   Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;  to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.   

Unfortunately the very gifts given to individuals within the church, for the purpose of strengthening the church, are the very things which divide us rather than unify us. Human nature causes us to do one of two things with this variety of gifts. We either tend to esteem certain gifts more than others, which can lead to jealousy and envy of those who do not have what are considered the “more desirable, more important gifts.” It can also lead to pride in those who do. Gifts of the Spirit are also no different than most other things that make people different and distinct. The problem is that with human nature we tend to fear or separate ourselves from things that are different, particularly from things we don’t fully understand, things we have not ourselves experienced. This separation can lead to fear of what is different. It is a form of prejudice, and is as destructive to the church as prejudice is to society.  Along with the ministry gifts Paul mentions in today’s text, there are also the Spiritual gifting and callings referred to in Ephesians 4:11, where it says:    He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.     The purpose of these differing gifts is also as it says in verse 12-13:     for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.      These different gifts and callings are given for the good of the body, to help it become all that it is supposed to be.

Again though because of our natural human tendency to prefer certain gifts, to feel more comfortable with the gifts we have experienced or those which fit best into our own perceptions and traditions, there is a tendency for individual church bodies to form around one or two of these spiritual gifts. People with the gift of evangelism feel more comfortable in a church which is focused on evangelism. Those who operate in the gift of prophecy, in a body which operates and acknowledges that gift, the same is true of all of the gifts; wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, effecting of miracles, the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.       Here is the truth:  None of us are big enough to contain all of the Holy Spirit.  Not even the greatest, most successful leaders in the Christian community. We need each other and a healthy church body needs all of the gifts present and working together to be all that it is called to be in Christ. Paul says:  If they were all one member, where would the body be?

One of the greatest challenges for truly great leaders is to have their people know, grow and operate in the gifts they have been given. It is critical to a healthy body that each one know and grow in their gifts.  Another human nature tendency which can be destructive to the life of the body is the tendency to become territorial. Individuals holding on tightly to the ministry they perceive as theirs, fearing others being raised up might displace them. Again Paul says the gifts are:    for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.      Today’s text says:  God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,  so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.         As I said before: None of us are big enough to contain all of the Holy Spirit.  But one of the greatest things about the Holy Spirit is that we are not given a measure of the Holy Spirit. Rather, we are vessels of the Holy Spirit, the more we give of the Spirit that is given to us the more we will be filled. When we try to hold on to what we have, we ourselves limit what the Spirit can and will accomplish, through us and in the body.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.        Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, forgive me and forgive Your church where we have esteemed certain gifts over others; where I or we may have feared or rejected Your gifts which were different.  May I and may we truly rise up into all that You desire by esteeming and walking in all that You have given. May I give out all that You have filled me with, so that You can fill me again, that I like the psalmist, can say:  my cup runneth over.   Amen