Spiritual Gifts, Service and the Body of Christ: Part 3 1 Corinthians 12-13 & Romans 12 Dr. Larry Lucas February 4, 2018
1 Corinthians 12 12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don t want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were unbelievers, you were enticed and led astray to worship idols that couldn t even speak. 3 For this reason I want you to be aware that no one who is speaking by God s Spirit can say, Jesus is cursed, 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, but the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of results, but it is the same God who produces all the results in everyone. 7 To each person has been given the ability to manifest the Spirit for the common good.
8 To one has been given a message of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the ability to speak with knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit; 10 to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits;
to another various kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all these results and gives what he wants to each person. 12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, form a single body, so it is with the Messiah.
13 For by one Spirit all of us Jews and Greeks, slaves and free were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of only one part, but of many. 15 If the foot says, Since I m not a hand, I m not part of the body, that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it?
16 And if the ear says, Since I m not an eye, I m not part of the body, that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, every one of them, in the body according to his plan.
19 Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn t be a body, would there? 20 So there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, I don t need you, or the head to the feet, I don t need you. 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable, 23 and the parts of the body that we think are less honorable are treated with special
honor, and we make our less attractive parts more attractive. 24 However, our attractive parts don t need this. But God has put the body together and has given special honor to the parts that lack it, 25 so that there might be no disharmony in the body, but that its parts should have the same concern for each other.
26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is praised, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the Messiah s body and individual parts of it. 28 God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who help others, administrators, and those who
speak various kinds of languages. 29 Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? 30 Not all have the gift of healing, do they? Not all speak in foreign languages, do they? Not all interpret, do they? 31 Keep on desiring the better gifts. And now I will show you the best way of all.
13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Romans 12:10ff 10 Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. Excel at showing respect for each other. 11 Never be lazy in showing such devotion. Be on fire with the Spirit. Serve the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer. 13 Supply the needs of the saints. Extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Keep on blessing them, and never curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Cry with those who are crying. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.
17 Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. 19 Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God s wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.
20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.