1 Corinthians 12:1-11
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. – 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT
Spiritual gifts. There is probably no other topic more misunderstood, abused or simply ignored in the Bible. And it would appear that, among the believers in the city of Corinth, there were some serious issues involving the importance and use of spiritual gifts. So, once again, Paul was forced to provide them with insights and instruction. Like so much else involving the Christian life, the spiritual gifts were given by God in order to bring about unity in the body of Christ. Yet the Corinthian believers were actually using their God-given spiritual gifts to cause division and disunity. There was jealousy over who had which spiritual gift. Pride had crept in as they compared and contrasted each other's gifts and determined which ones were of greater value. In the midst of it all, they had lost sight of the true purpose behind the gifts in the first place. So Paul clarified it for them. "A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other" (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).
Later on in this chapter, Paul is going to use the analogy of the human body in order to get the Corinthians to understand the true nature of the church of Jesus Christ. It was not to be viewed as a collective of independent individuals, like rocks in a box, but a well-designed organism made up of various parts, each with its own function and purpose, but completely dependent upon one another for survival and health. The body of Christ is NOT about equality. We are not all the same. There is diversity and different degrees of giftedness. Each individual brings his or her unique personality and spiritual giftedness to the body in order to serve and contribute to the greater good. But there is no place for pride, comparison, jealousy, envy, or any other self-centered outlook that inevitably destroys unity and robs the body of its health and vitality.
It is the Spirit of God who distributes the gifts within the body of Christ. He gives to one the gift of wisdom, to another the ability to heal, and to another faith. And then there is the one who is given the gift of tongues, while someone else gets the gift of the interpretation of tongues. It doesn't take a genius to understand that the sheer variety and distinctiveness of the gifts could easily lead to competition and unhealthy comparison. Some of the gifts are more visible and flamboyant than others. Some would appear to be more "spiritual" than others. But Paul emphasizes that it is the same Spirit who distributes these gifts – as He sees fit. And He hands them out with one purpose in mind: the well-being of the body of Christ. They are not badges of honor and they have nothing to do with the merit or deservedness of the recipient. "It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have" (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT). But it is so easy for us to decide that one gift is more important than another and, therefore, to conclude that one person is more important than another. But nothing could be further from the truth. The gifts are given for the common good of the body, not to elevate the worth or significance of the individual. We have nothing to do with our spiritual gift. It is given by God through the Holy Spirit. And it is not given to US, but to the church. We are simply stewards of our gifts and are to use them to minister to one another, selflessly and sacrificially. Our gifts do not belong to us. They are not badges of honor or symbols of spiritual worth. Spiritual gifts are not given based on merit or as rewards for righteousness. They are God-given, Spirit-empowered abilities that God has ordained and distributed among His people in order to create unity and increase the vitality of the body of Christ – His church.
Father, it is amazing how easily and quickly we can turn something you intended for unity into something that causes division and disunity. Pride is always waiting in the wings to cause us to make everything about us. We can even turn the spiritual gifts into measurements of self-worth and value. We compare and contrast. We measure one another by the degree of our giftedness and then wrongfully conclude that some of us have more value than others. We lose sight of the common good and the call to selfless, sacrificial love. Open our eyes to the pride that lurks in our hearts. Give us a passion for the body of Christ – the Church. Amen.