GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes GUIDE: Direct the group to look at the picture (PSG, p. 54). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 54): What was your best subject in school? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 55). Note the author s comments about gifted kids in school. Acknowledge that we often use the word gifted to describe a person who can perform a task easily, whereas the rest of us have to work hard to do the same thing. Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 55): God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. SAY: The gifts God gives us aren t meant to glorify the gifted person. Our gifts are to be used in service to others to build up the body of Christ. SESSION 5 EQUIPPED WITH GOD S GIFTS The Point God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. The Bible Meets Life The world gravitates to people who are talented or highly skilled with unique abilities. The more talented a person, the more popular that person is. But a multi-talented person does not necessary make the world a better place. God has a different focus. His desire is for us to serve and support others, and He equips us for that very purpose. First Corinthians 12 shows us that God gives each of us gifts for ministry. The Passage 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 The Setting Paul wrote First Corinthians to a church troubled by factions and divisions. One divisive issue was spiritual gifts. Apparently some in the church were taking pride in their gifts and belittling those who possessed what they considered to be lesser gifts. Paul wrote that all believers served the same Lord and all spiritual gifts were distributed by the same Holy Spirit of God as He deemed fit for the accomplishment of God s purposes. 60 Session 5
1 First-century Corinth, located not far from Athens, was known as an extremely immoral city, even by the standards of ancient Greek society. Located on an important trade route, the city was a major center of commerce and trade, and was the third largest city of the time, after Rome and Alexandria. Paul first went to Corinth on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1 18). As was his custom, Paul began reaching out to Jews with the gospel. When they rejected his message, he turned to the Gentiles. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized (v. 8). Paul continued to minister there for a year and six months (v. 11). During that time, Paul apparently established one or more local churches. While preaching in Ephesus, Paul wrote the Corinthian believers to warn them about allowing those in the church to continue to practice sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:9 13). He followed that letter with another letter we know as 1 Corinthians. Paul wrote this letter to correct the Corinthians misunderstandings of his previous letter, to respond to issues raised in a letter the Corinthians had sent to Paul (7:1), and to deal with several issues that were causing division within the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. God gives spiritual gifts to believers. Verses 4-6. After dealing with the inappropriate manner in which the Corinthians were observing the Lord s Supper (11:17-34), Paul turned to matters of the Spirit (12:1). He was especially concerned about how worship was being conducted. His emphasis was that everything must be done decently and in order (14:40). From what Paul wrote in chapters 12 and 14, clearly that was not happening in the Corinthian church. False teachings were being presented, and uncontrolled behavior was occurring. Those involved claimed they were being led by the Holy Spirit. Paul began chapter 12 by stressing that those under the influence of the Holy Spirit would proclaim that Jesus is Lord (12:3) and act STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 10 minutes SUMMARIZE: Briefly summarize the introductory paragraph in the Bible commentary 1 to help set the stage for the focal passage. READ: Invite a volunteer to read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. GUIDE: Bring in a man s suit or a woman s dress. Hold up the clothing and announce that to promote unity among us we are all going to wear this. Acknowledge that is ridiculous. One size does not fit all. We are all different. Call attention to the word different in the passage. When God gifts His people, He does not use a one-sizefits-all strategy. He gives gifts that are a perfect fit for each individual and each church. (ENHANCEMENT: Pack Item 4: A Perfect Fit. Note the care a tailor takes in making clothing fit just right.) SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF JANUARY 3 61
THE POINT God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. SUMMARIZE: At the moment we each received Christ, the Holy Spirit indwelled each of us permanently. God gives spiritual gifts to us when we experience the new birth. God gifts every believer without exception with at least one spiritual gift, and perhaps more, which He expects to be used in building up and serving the body of Christ. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 57): What have you heard right or wrong about the definition and importance of spiritual gifts? (Alternate: What can we learn from these verses about God s intention for His church?) 62 Session 5 accordingly. Later he would write that the prophets spirits are under the control of the prophets, since God is not a God of disorder but of peace (14:32-33a). With chapter 12, he introduced a long section dealing with worship in general and spiritual gifts in particular (12:4 14:40). This section in 1 Corinthians has been interpreted in various ways. While some have hesitated to explore the work of the Holy Spirit, others have focused almost exclusively on the Spirit. What we need is a healthy balance in order to understand who the Spirit is and how He wants to work in us and through us to extend God s kingdom. The study of spiritual gifts has resulted in significantly different views. One view holds that some of the gifts (often referred to as the sign gifts ) which were present in the early church ceased at the end of that period, while the remaining gifts are still present today. Another view is that all of the gifts mentioned in the New Testament are still being given by the Spirit. As with any study of Scripture, when looking at this passage we should use all the biblical tools and sound exegetical principles available to us along with much prayer and great humility. Paul started this section of his letter by acknowledging the reality and diversity of spiritual gifts. At the same time, he stressed the commonality among the gifts. In other places in his writings Paul used the singular form of the Greek word translated gifts to refer to the whole of God s work of salvation (Rom. 5:15; 6:23; 1 Cor. 1:7). In this chapter and in Romans 12:6, he used this word to focus on one part of God s work of salvation the giving of special abilities by the Holy Spirit to believers for use in strengthening and extending the kingdom of God. Peter also used this word with the same meaning (1 Pet. 4:10). In terms of the diversity of spiritual gifts, Paul wrote that there are different gifts (1 Cor. 12:4); different ministries (v. 5), and different activities (v. 6). By stating that there were different gifts, he was setting the stage for his later emphasis that though there are many different gifts, all are essential for the work of God s kingdom (vv. 12 31). By referring to different ministries, he was perhaps indicating that the same gifts could be used in different ways according to the will of the Holy Spirit and in light of what service was most needed at a certain time and place. The different activities might refer to the different results in the way the Holy Spirit worked through different believers with the same gift.
To emphasize the commonality of spiritual gifts Paul referred to the same Spirit (v. 4), the same Lord (v. 5), and the same God (v. 6). Here is a strong picture of the divine Trinity, the revelation of God as Father (God), as Jesus Christ the Son (Lord), and as the Holy Spirit (Spirit). Paul did not mean that only the Holy Spirit is responsible for the variety of gifts or that only Jesus is responsible for the different ways they are used or that only the Father is responsible for the different results. God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always perfectly united even though Scripture usually speaks of them working in individual ways. A good example is Paul s description in Titus 3:4-7. There Paul used broad strokes to explain how God has provided our salvation. In that passage Paul wrote that God saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior. In this passage Paul described a specific role for each person of the Trinity. In 1 Corinthians 12:4 6, Paul stressed the common work of all three Persons in giving, guiding, and empowering of spiritual gifts to each person in the lives of all of Jesus disciples. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages. SUMMARIZE: The same Spirit gives different gifts (v. 4). The gifts can be used in different ministries (v. 5). God can use believers who have the same spiritual gift to serve in a variety of ministry settings and opportunities. The result is different activities (v. 6). The Greek term translated activities carries the idea of working and getting something accomplished. In other words, it is effective. It accomplishes the fruitful work that God desires. People can be busy in the church but not be truly effective. The only activities that will be truly effective will be those accomplished by God s people serving by means of the gifts and ministries God has provided. TRANSITION: We ve learned that the Spirit gives different gifts. Now let s dive a little deeper into the details. 63
THE POINT God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 15 minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. SUMMARIZE: Paul listed some spiritual gifts not an exhaustive list. He named other spiritual gifts in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:27-30; and Ephesians 4:11. Peter briefly discussed spiritual gifts in 1 Peter 4:9-11. Some spiritual gifts have equivalents on two or more lists, but others only appear on one list. People have attempted to group the gifts in various ways, but perhaps the simplest way is to put them in four broad categories: (Call attention to the bullet list on PSG page 59.) 64 Session 5 KEY WORDS: A demonstration of the Spirit (v. 7) As believers allow the Holy Spirit to guide and empower them, they reveal the working of the Spirit through their service to God and others. Implied is that the use of a spiritual gift is never to bring attention to the believer but only to God. Distinguishing between spirits (v. 10) The Holy Spirit gives some believers the ability to determine if teachers, leaders, and other individuals are being led by God or by Satan. Satan works through false teachers to lead people away from God and His truth and to disrupt the unity of the church. Those with this gift can warn others to avoid a person who is under Satan s control. God gives a variety of spiritual gifts. Verse 7. Before Paul mentioned several specific examples of spiritual gifts, he used an interesting term to describe all the gifts a demonstration of the Spirit. As each believer allows the Spirit to guide and empower him or her, the believer reveals the working of the Spirit through his or her service to God and others. Implied is that the use of a spiritual gift is never to bring attention to the believer but rather to God. Having already stressed one trait of all spiritual gifts (vv. 4 6), Paul noted two other common attributes. First, he said that each person, that is, each of Jesus followers, has a spiritual gift. In his teaching about spiritual gifts in Romans 12:3 8, Paul stressed that no one should become prideful over the spiritual gift that he or she has received. Instead, we should all keep in mind that God has distributed a measure of faith to each one (Rom. 12:3). When Peter discussed how believers should use their spiritual gifts to serve others, he spoke in terms of the gift each one has received (1 Pet. 4:10 11). Every one of Jesus disciples has received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9), and the Holy Spirit gives each disciple one or more spiritual gifts. Another common trait is that all the gifts are given to produce what is beneficial. Beneficial for whom? Not for the one with the particular gift but for the church, the body of Christ (Eph. 4:16). This was a central problem for the church in Corinth. Instead of using their gifts to serve God and the members of the church, they were using their gifts to try and bring glory to themselves. In light of Paul s concern in his letter to the Romans and Peter s note about serving
others in his first letter, we can assume that this problem was more widespread than only in the church at Corinth. All believers of all times and places need to stay on guard against the temptation to use what God has given them for their own glory instead of for His. We should always keep in mind Paul s encouragement to the Corinthians: since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church (1 Cor. 14:12). Verse 8. At this point, Paul began to list some of the gifts of the Spirit. Besides the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, other lists are found in Romans 12:6 8; Ephesians 4:11; and in 1 Peter 4:11. None of the lists are identical. Some of the gifts are found in more than one passage. Prophecy or prophets are found in Romans 12:6; Ephesians 4:11; and 1 Corinthians 12:29. Some of the gifts are mentioned in only one place, for example, evangelists (Eph. 4:11). Apparently, Paul and Peter were not concerned with providing a comprehensive listing of all the gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit. They wanted to encourage the believers to participate fully in the Spirit s work and to warn them about misuse of the Spirit s gifts. Since none of us have complete knowledge of the Spirit, we should be careful to focus on the clear teaching of Scripture about the Spirit and His work. We should learn from our experiences but should always evaluate them in light of Scripture. In verse 8, Paul mentioned two gifts: a message of wisdom and a message of knowledge. We often think of knowledge as an awareness and understanding of certain facts and wisdom as the ability to organize and apply those facts. However, in the Greek culture wisdom was highly valued as the ability to know the truth. Paul referred to this kind of wisdom several times in the first part of his letter (1 Cor. 1:18 2:16). He contrasted the wisdom of the world with God s wisdom (1:21). He described how God chose to reveal His wisdom, His truth, through the Holy Spirit (2:10). We can never reach up to God; He has to reach down to us. We can only know God and His wisdom as the Spirit reveals the truth to us (v. 12). A person with the gift of wisdom has been given greater insight into God s truth, particularly in relation to salvation through Jesus Christ. A person with the gift of knowledge has been given the ability to help (teach) other believers see how to apply God s truth to everyday living. > > Gifts that support. Gifts such as helping and managing guide the work of the church and help get it done. > > Gifts that share. Gifts such as showing mercy and hospitality are tangible ways of communicating God s love both inside and outside the church family. > > Gifts that speak. Gifts such as teaching and prophecy ground the church in God s Word. > > Gifts that supplement. Gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, and faith support the other gifts. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 59): When have you benefited personally from the spiritual gift of another church member? Verse 9. Over and over the Bible shows us that faith is necessary for salvation (John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9 10). Since we do not have an English verb for faith, scholars 65
THE POINT God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. GUIDE: Direct attention to the list on PSG page 60. Note that God has given us gifts to accomplish the following: 1. Build up, strengthen, and encourage the church; 2. Reveal Christ; 3. Glorify God. Explain that properly using one s gift(s) accomplishes all three. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 60): How has God gifted people in our group in different ways? (Alternate: How do we identify our spiritual gifts?) DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity, Use Your Gift (PSG, p. 60). TRANSITION: We don t get to order the gift we want. God gives as He sees best. 66 Session 5 usually translate the Greek word as believe. Of course, biblical faith is much more than merely believing certain facts are true (Jas. 2:14-26). Biblical faith is the ability to see reality from God s point of view and having the courage to respond wisely to what He reveals to us. When we respond wisely to the good news about Jesus Christ, we are saved. Such a response involves acknowledging and turning away from our sins (repentance) and believing in the provision God has made for our salvation through the work of Christ. True faith leads to a transformed life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every true believer has that kind of faith. However, the spiritual gift of faith is something more. This kind of faith enables a person to see what God plans to do and to believe in and proclaim this reality with great passion. For example, a church may sense that God wants them to begin a new ministry, but they are not sure if they will have the necessary resources. The Spirit might give one member the gift of faith to see that God will provide everything that is needed. That member then encourages and challenges the others to trust God s provision and to go forward. Gifts of healing refers to the supernatural ability to heal people of physical illnesses. Peter and John exercised this gift as they told a lame man to get up and walk (Acts 3:6). Paul exercised this gift as he healed Publius father (28:8). The Book of Acts has many other examples of the apostles exercising this gift. Verse 10. A more literal translation of the performing of miracles is the workings of powers. Paul may have been indicating a broader type of power than miracles of physical healing. For example, after Peter accused Ananias and his wife Sapphira of lying to the Spirit and they suddenly died (5:1-11), the Book of Acts notes, many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles (v. 12). Most of us tend to think of prophecy as the ability to reveal God s plans for the future. However, the Bible shows that the main use of this gift was to speak God s truth with a special degree of clarity and boldness. Note Peter s sermon on the Day of Pentecost (2:14-36) and Paul s address in the Areopagus (17:22 31). Distinguishing between spirits refers to the Holy Spirit giving some believers the ability to determine if the teachers and leaders are being led by God or by Satan. Satan works through false teachers to lead people away from God and His
truth and to disrupt the unity of the church. If the person is under Satan s control, those with this gift can warn others to avoid such people. John warned the early church, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God (1 John 4:1). The last two gifts in Paul s list, different kinds of languages and interpretation of languages, are the most difficult to understand. While the exact nature of these languages is debated, a careful study of 1 Corinthians 14 provides additional insight. Apparently in the Corinthian church, individual members would jump up randomly during worship meetings and begin making sounds that no one could understand. The scene was like a classroom of preschoolers, all trying to get attention by speaking as loudly as possible. No one was concerned about teaching or encouraging the body of believers, only about bringing attention to themselves. In chapter 14, Paul showed the superiority of prophetic messages and gave clear guidelines for worship that builds up the body. 1 Corinthians 12:11 11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. God gives spiritual gifts as He sees best. Verse 11. Paul concluded this section with a strong statement about the right attitude toward spiritual gifts. He reminded his readers that all the gifts he mentioned come from the Holy Spirit. They are gifts of power to be used according to the Spirit s direction and for the Spirit s work of strengthening and extending God s kingdom. The Spirit gives these special abilities to each believer as He wills. While Paul admonished, desire the greater gifts (1 Cor. 12:31), we should beware of falling into the trap of asking for a particular gift for ourselves because of a desire to use it for our own glory instead of for God s. We should trust the Spirit s perfect wisdom and His sovereign authority to distribute the gifts as He sees fit. Our response should simply be humility, gratitude, and awe that we have been equipped in these ways to join together in the building of God s kingdom. STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Corinthians 12:11 READ: Invite a volunteer to read verse 11. 5 minutes GUIDE: Ask members how many of them remember the TV show, Father Knows Best. Remark that the same principle applies for spiritual gifts. God knows us better than we know ourselves. The gift you have is the gift you need, and it is the gift your church needs. God created us to live in relationship; therefore, through God s distribution of the gifts, we are interdependent on one another even as we depend on Christ. Life in Christ requires cooperation and partnership among fellow believers within the church body. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 62): How can our group best use our gifts to serve Christ and His church? (Alternate: Why is it significant that God distributes the spiritual gifts according to His will?) 67
THE POINT God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: God has uniquely gifted us to serve Him. Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 63; see text to the right). Invite group members to think about which application speaks most to their needs. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Stress the importance of continuing to use the gifts God provides even if we may not be able to do everything we used to be able to do. Remind the group that God can use our gifts in different ways. Encourage members to humbly submit themselves to God and seek how He wants to use them at this stage of their lives. LIVE IT OUT Whether or not you made the gifted class in school, if you are a follower of Jesus, God has uniquely gifted you to serve Him through your church. What will you do with the gift or gifts God has given? Consider which of these applications God has laid on your heart to complete this week. > > Discover your gift(s). Invite a couple of trusted Christian friends over for coffee to help you discover your giftedness and opportunities to make use of your gift. Share with them what moves your heart and gives you enjoyment in the body of Christ. Ask them to share with you how they see God at work in your life. > > Begin again. Do you have a gift you haven t used in a while but aren t sure how to apply it at this stage of your life? Maybe the ministry you were involved in has changed or you are not physically able to perform the same duties as before. God knows this. Review your response in Use Your Gift (p. 60 [PSG]). Ask a friend to start praying with you this week about how God wants to use your gift going forward. > > Build up the body. Find at least one person in your church who has a gift like yours. Meet for coffee or lunch to learn from each other how God is using your gifts and how each of you can develop your gifts further. Consider inviting others with this gift to join your continuing conversations. PRAY: Father, thank you for the gifts you supply that enable us to serve you and others effectively. Strengthen us to use our gifts according to Your will. Amen. 68 Session 5
ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/BOB SCHATZ Ruins at the Roman Forum. The following excerpt is from the article Paul s Spiritual Gifts Lists, revealed. When asked to identify the gifts of the Spirit, 21 percent of respondents included such items as a sense of humor, health, happiness, a job, and a house. Notes Barna: In total, one-fifth of all the gifts cited do not fit the biblical lists, revealing that many in the pew see the gifts as selfserving, failing to understand their true purpose. Characterized generally as charismata, Paul saw all gifts as extensions of divine grace (charis) experienced in a variety of ways. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS God desires to use us and do great things through us. We must begin, though, by letting Him do something great in us: forgive us and save us from our sin. Jesus Christ has made this possible and we are to place our trust in Him. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more A Comparison (Sum. 2010), which relates to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/ biblicalillustrator. Just how many gifts a person is likely to receive over a lifetime is anyone s guess. One thing is sure; Christians can count on at least one more for God is a lavish gift-giver. Nevertheless, many Previous articles The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Fall 1991) and Symbols of the Church (Sum. 1975) relate to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/ biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator, or call 1-800-458-2772. about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers Christians may be confusing which to consider using this article gift or gifts come from God, as a as they have opportunities to February, 2009 Barna Group study lead others to Christ. > > Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesFor Life). >Grow > with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry). > > Additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesFor Life.com/blog. 69