P1 - An outline 1 Corinthians 12-14, God's Supernatural Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware."

Introduction
In previous posts we have considered how the spiritual gifts function as a means of demonstrating the activity of the true and living God in the world and in the local church. God, by the Person of the Holy Spirit, exercises Agency in the distribution of the gifts. The Person of the Holy Spirit divinely and Sovereignly disperses the gifts as He so chooses (1 Corinthians 12:8). The Person of the Son administrates the ministries in which the gifts will operate (1 Corinthians 12:4). The in conjunction with the Spirit and the Son, the Person of the Father affects the ways in which each gift, working through each Christian, will accomplish the counsel and shared will of God that is expressed through Him and the Son and the Spirit. 

We have also considered as well how every Christian is gifted by God to do His will. Thus far we have attempted to establish Paul's stated intentions for writing 1 Corinthians 12 (as well as 13 & 14) when it comes to this vital subject of the gifts. Today, we want to consider a possible way of outlining these three key chapters of 1 Corinthians. Today's post will focus on outlining part of 1 Corinthians 12. It is hoped that the proposed outline below will aid readers in the study of these chapters.

1. Every Christian is Supernaturally Gifted by God. 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

a. The gifts are given at salvation. 12:1-3

b. The gifts are given to show forth God 12:4-6

c. The gifts are given to serve one another 12:7

So we see that every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God. How then do we define and categorize the gifts of the Spirit. Theologian Wayne Grudem has defined a spiritual gift as a supernatural ability given by God to do a specific ministry or task. Other writers, such as the late Dr. John Walvood, Dr. Charles Ryrie and Dr. Charles Stanley have identified the various lists of spiritual gifts found in the New Testament, along with a method of categorization. Below, I list four categories of spiritual gifts that in one way or another are drawn from observations of several major Christian thinkers. 

2. Defining the Supernatural gifts of God. 1 Corinthians 12:8-12; 28-31

a. Motivational Gifts (Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
Note: These include evangelist, prophecy, teaching, exhortation, leading, speaking. In many situations, we will find these motivational gifts combined with the leadership gifts (see below). For example, pastors can preach with a prophetic gifting that exhorts a church or the church at large to be reignited to seek after God in a specific way. These gifts can also partner up with the service gifts (see below). Hence, a pastor can be an effective mercy shower to those in the community that are in need.  

b. Leadership gifts (1 Cor 12:28-30; Ephesians 4:11
Note: These include pastor, teacher, administrator, leadership. Much like the motivational gifts, we find the leadership gifts often in combination with the service and motivational gifts.

c. Service gifts (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Peter 4:11)
Note: These include the gifts of service, mercy, giving, helps. As we have noted in the prior to categories of gifts, service gifts can also work in concert with leadership and motivational gifts. 

d. Sign gifts (occasional gifts) (1 Cor. 12:8-10, 29-30, 4:11)
Note: These include Apostle, Prophet, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. It can be also noted that not all are in agreement concerning the operations of these gifts with respect to their continuance today. Whereas most would classify the first three categories of the gifts above as "normative" or "regular" occurring gifts, the sign gifts occur infrequently, are for specific occasions and, in some cases, may cease all together for the sake of the other three categories of gifts. 

The last two gifts in the list are most fully treated in 1 Corinthians 14: namely "tongues" and its associated gift of "interpretation of tongues".  The gift of tongues in particular is considered the least of the sign gifts and must be approached with great caution, attention to scripture and precise definitions.1 



3. Spiritual gifts: the finger prints of God's activity. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Note: When I say that spiritual gifts are likened to fingerprints, I mean the way in which the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts in various mixes and clusters among individual Christians and churches. The first thought regarding "spiritual gift fingerprints" has to do with how God so-gifts individual Christians, hence...

a. Spiritual gift finger prints apply to individual Christians. 1 Corinthians 12:12-23a

This idea can then be expanded to include God's spiritual-gift finger print for local churches, hence...

b. Spiritual gift finger prints apply to churches. 1 Corinthians 12:23b-26
It would seem that if a church-body can identify the make-up of spiritual gifts in the church body, then the "spiritual gift finger-print" for that church has been identified. Such information can go a long way in seeing how to structure the church around the needs and gifts of the membership and more importantly, to understand how God has gifted that local church to fulfill a particular God-preferred future (i.e vision) for that area. 

thus, in apply these thoughts, we can note...

c. Spiritual-gift fingerprints define God's vision for the believer and the church. 1 Corinthians 12:27

which entails...

i. God has given the right mixture of gifts to result in uniquely gifted Christians. 

ii. God has given the right mixture of gifts to result in different looking churches.

note: When we consider the six places in the New Testament where the gifts are mentioned, it seems that each church was gifted by God to achieve whatever vision God wanted for that area. Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 12:28; 12:29-30; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10-11. 

4. God's love coursing through the gifts.  Corinthians 13

a. Problem of exercising the gifts without His love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

b. Power for the gifts is associated with His love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

c. Purpose of the gifts is found in God's love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

5. Gaining a right perspective on the gifts. 1 Corinthians 14
Note: It is in this chapter that Paul devotes space to the issue of tongues, interpretation of tongues and having the right perspective on the gifts. The latter emphasis ought to be focused upon more so than the gift of tongues. Paul's point in this entire chapter is to issue forth a need to not emphasize the gifts too much nor avoid them all together. If anything, Paul is ending his section on the gifts of the Spirit by correcting the excesses and abuses of gifts in 1 Corinthians 14 whilst beginning his discussion by raising awareness of them in 1 Corinthians 12. The middle chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 serves to maintain the proper perspective by emphasizing God's love manifested and ministered by the gifts. 

Endnotes

1. For now, further elaboration on this point will be reserved for future posts. A definition of the gift of tongues, as so understood from studying passages such as Acts 2; 8; 10; 19 and 1 Corinthians 12 & 14, refers to a supernatural ability to speak a previously unlearned language in instances of evangelization of unreached people groups. It appears that this particular gift's use ranges from extreme infrequency (for who is anyone to limit God) to total disuse as one goes further away from the apostolic era. 1 Corinthians 13:8 hints at this general pattern with respect to Biblical defined tongues.  

As a general pattern, once the Gospel has sufficiently saturated a given people group, more typical methods are employed by God: such as Bible translation and missionaries that are trained to go to such areas. The so-called "gift of tongues" practiced in both Pentecostal and Charismatic church bodies is a different sort of phenomena all-together. Pentecostal believers associate tongues as a form of prayer language; whilst Charismatic believers view "tongues" as an initiatory experience into the full-range of the miraculous gifts. 

These trends and interpretations of tongues is different from the tongues we see in the scripture, and thus, for this author at least, would suggest that whatever we may call the phenomenon it is not strictly speaking the Biblical gift of tongues. In other words, it would seem far less probable to see a genuine exercise of true Biblical tongues and its attendant gift of interpretation in today's world, given that God employs either more ordinary methods of propagating the Gospel or other spiritual gifts to achieve the Great Commission. 

P1 - An outline 1 Corinthians 12-14, God's Supernatural Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware."

Introduction
In previous posts we have considered how the spiritual gifts function as a means of demonstrating the activity of the true and living God in the world and in the local church. God, by the Person of the Holy Spirit, exercises Agency in the distribution of the gifts. The Person of the Holy Spirit divinely and Sovereignly disperses the gifts as He so chooses (1 Corinthians 12:8). The Person of the Son administrates the ministries in which the gifts will operate (1 Corinthians 12:4). The in conjunction with the Spirit and the Son, the Person of the Father affects the ways in which each gift, working through each Christian, will accomplish the counsel and shared will of God that is expressed through Him and the Son and the Spirit. 

We have also considered as well how every Christian is gifted by God to do His will. Thus far we have attempted to establish Paul's stated intentions for writing 1 Corinthians 12 (as well as 13 & 14) when it comes to this vital subject of the gifts. Today, we want to consider a possible way of outlining these three key chapters of 1 Corinthians. Today's post will focus on outlining part of 1 Corinthians 12. It is hoped that the proposed outline below will aid readers in the study of these chapters.

1. Every Christian is Supernaturally Gifted by God. 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

a. The gifts are given at salvation. 12:1-3

b. The gifts are given to show forth God 12:4-6

c. The gifts are given to serve one another 12:7

So we see that every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God. How then do we define and categorize the gifts of the Spirit. Theologian Wayne Grudem has defined a spiritual gift as a supernatural ability given by God to do a specific ministry or task. Other writers, such as the late Dr. John Walvood, Dr. Charles Ryrie and Dr. Charles Stanley have identified the various lists of spiritual gifts found in the New Testament, along with a method of categorization. Below, I list four categories of spiritual gifts that in one way or another are drawn from observations of several major Christian thinkers. 

2. Defining the Supernatural gifts of God. 1 Corinthians 12:8-12; 28-31

a. Motivational Gifts (Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
Note: These include evangelist, prophecy, teaching, exhortation, leading, speaking. In many situations, we will find these motivational gifts combined with the leadership gifts (see below). For example, pastors can preach with a prophetic gifting that exhorts a church or the church at large to be reignited to seek after God in a specific way. These gifts can also partner up with the service gifts (see below). Hence, a pastor can be an effective mercy shower to those in the community that are in need.  

b. Leadership gifts (1 Cor 12:28-30; Ephesians 4:11
Note: These include pastor, teacher, administrator, leadership. Much like the motivational gifts, we find the leadership gifts often in combination with the service and motivational gifts.

c. Service gifts (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Peter 4:11)
Note: These include the gifts of service, mercy, giving, helps. As we have noted in the prior to categories of gifts, service gifts can also work in concert with leadership and motivational gifts. 

d. Sign gifts (occasional gifts) (1 Cor. 12:8-10, 29-30, 4:11)
Note: These include Apostle, Prophet, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. It can be also noted that not all are in agreement concerning the operations of these gifts with respect to their continuance today. Whereas most would classify the first three categories of the gifts above as "normative" or "regular" occurring gifts, the sign gifts occur infrequently, are for specific occasions and, in some cases, may cease all together for the sake of the other three categories of gifts. 

The last two gifts in the list are most fully treated in 1 Corinthians 14: namely "tongues" and its associated gift of "interpretation of tongues".  The gift of tongues in particular is considered the least of the sign gifts and must be approached with great caution, attention to scripture and precise definitions.1 



3. Spiritual gifts: the finger prints of God's activity. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Note: When I say that spiritual gifts are likened to fingerprints, I mean the way in which the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts in various mixes and clusters among individual Christians and churches. The first thought regarding "spiritual gift fingerprints" has to do with how God so-gifts individual Christians, hence...

a. Spiritual gift finger prints apply to individual Christians. 1 Corinthians 12:12-23a

This idea can then be expanded to include God's spiritual-gift finger print for local churches, hence...

b. Spiritual gift finger prints apply to churches. 1 Corinthians 12:23b-26
It would seem that if a church-body can identify the make-up of spiritual gifts in the church body, then the "spiritual gift finger-print" for that church has been identified. Such information can go a long way in seeing how to structure the church around the needs and gifts of the membership and more importantly, to understand how God has gifted that local church to fulfill a particular God-preferred future (i.e vision) for that area. 

thus, in apply these thoughts, we can note...

c. Spiritual-gift fingerprints define God's vision for the believer and the church. 1 Corinthians 12:27

which entails...

i. God has given the right mixture of gifts to result in uniquely gifted Christians. 

ii. God has given the right mixture of gifts to result in different looking churches.

note: When we consider the six places in the New Testament where the gifts are mentioned, it seems that each church was gifted by God to achieve whatever vision God wanted for that area. Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 12:28; 12:29-30; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10-11. 

4. God's love coursing through the gifts.  Corinthians 13

a. Problem of exercising the gifts without His love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

b. Power for the gifts is associated with His love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

c. Purpose of the gifts is found in God's love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

5. Gaining a right perspective on the gifts. 1 Corinthians 14
Note: It is in this chapter that Paul devotes space to the issue of tongues, interpretation of tongues and having the right perspective on the gifts. The latter emphasis ought to be focused upon more so than the gift of tongues. Paul's point in this entire chapter is to issue forth a need to not emphasize the gifts too much nor avoid them all together. If anything, Paul is ending his section on the gifts of the Spirit by correcting the excesses and abuses of gifts in 1 Corinthians 14 whilst beginning his discussion by raising awareness of them in 1 Corinthians 12. The middle chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 serves to maintain the proper perspective by emphasizing God's love manifested and ministered by the gifts. 

Endnotes

1. For now, further elaboration on this point will be reserved for future posts. A definition of the gift of tongues, as so understood from studying passages such as Acts 2; 8; 10; 19 and 1 Corinthians 12 & 14, refers to a supernatural ability to speak a previously unlearned language in instances of evangelization of unreached people groups. It appears that this particular gift's use ranges from extreme infrequency (for who is anyone to limit God) to total disuse as one goes further away from the apostolic era. 1 Corinthians 13:8 hints at this general pattern with respect to Biblical defined tongues.  

As a general pattern, once the Gospel has sufficiently saturated a given people group, more typical methods are employed by God: such as Bible translation and missionaries that are trained to go to such areas. The so-called "gift of tongues" practiced in both Pentecostal and Charismatic church bodies is a different sort of phenomena all-together. Pentecostal believers associate tongues as a form of prayer language; whilst Charismatic believers view "tongues" as an initiatory experience into the full-range of the miraculous gifts. 

These trends and interpretations of tongues is different from the tongues we see in the scripture, and thus, for this author at least, would suggest that whatever we may call the phenomenon it is not strictly speaking the Biblical gift of tongues. In other words, it would seem far less probable to see a genuine exercise of true Biblical tongues and its attendant gift of interpretation in today's world, given that God employs either more ordinary methods of propagating the Gospel or other spiritual gifts to achieve the Great Commission. 

P2 Every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God

1 Corinthians 12:1-7 "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.

Introduction
In the church of the living God there is no such thing as the "haves" and "have- nots". Paul's concern is to inform and illumine his readers on the subject of spiritual gifts. At Corinth, the problem that the Christian believers had was the excess of focusing more on the gifts than the Giver - God. In a cultural center of the ancient Graeco-Roman world like Corinth, more was considered to be, well, "more". The Corinthians took a cultural assumption and attempted to apply it to the arena of the supernatural things of God. They though of the gifts as a means to self-promotion, or an avenue by which to display one's power or one's so-called "spirituality". 

Paul's exposition on the gifts of the Spirit is designed to inform and illumine the Christian's understanding. We saw in yesterday's post that when we speak of every Christian being supernaturally gifted by God, we first of all refer to how the gifts of the Spirit are given to every believer at salvation. We then saw a second point, namely, that the gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to show forth God. In today's post, we will conclude our look at 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 by noting a third important truth: The gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to serve others. 

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to serve others. 1 Corinthians 12:7
In showing forth God, Paul is setting up what ought to be a cycle that proceeds from showing forth God to serving others. As God's people exercise their gifts with this God-centered focus, they will serve one another. 1 Corinthians 12:7 states - "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Spiritual gifts are not given to primarily bless the recipient. They are given to bless others. In the local church, the church membership is given the task of regulating the atmosphere of that assembly. 

Whenever God's people are genuinely serving one another and showing forth God as they ought, the giftings of the Spirit will operate in fullness and power so as to perpetuate this cycle of showing forth God and serving others. 

The great commentator Alexander MacClaren notes: "Now, that involves two plain things. There have been people in the Christian Church who have said, ‘We have all the Spirit, and therefore we do not need one another.’ There may be isolation, and self-sufficiency, and a host of other evils coming in, if we only grasp the thought, ‘The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man,’ but they are all corrected if we go on and say, ‘to profit withal.’ For every one of us has something, and no one of us has everything; so, on the one hand, we want each other, and, on the other hand, we are responsible for the use of what we have.

You get the life, not in order that you may plume yourself on its possession, nor in order that you may ostentatiously display it, still less in order that you may shut it up and do nothing with it; but you get the life in order that it may spread through you to others.

‘The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,

And share its dew-drop with another near.’

We each have the life that God’s grace may fructify through us to all. Power is duty; endowment is obligation; capacity prescribes work. ‘The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.’"

I have seen churches where the atmosphere is constricted. The people in the church become judgmental, self-serving or entitled - resulting in the grieving of the Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30-31). As a result, the gifts will be constricted, God will not be shown and the church becomes a temporary casualty of Satan's war to mute the testimony of that assembly. The cycle of serving others --> showing God --> serving others --> showing God is broken. 

But now I have also seen churches where the atmosphere is free and the people of God want to serve one another and thus, God's power and presence are clearly manifested in the giftings. People will come forward with the attitude of "here I am, use me, O God". They sense needs, they help out one another. Will it mean that the attacks of the enemy will lessen. Hardly. 

As the great commentator Matthew Henry notes: "If we have any knowledge of the truth, or any power to make it known, we must give all the glory of God. The greater the gifts are, the more the possessor is exposed to temptations, and the larger is the measure of grace needed to keep him humble and spiritual; and he will meet with more painful experiences and humbling dispensations. We have little cause to glory in any gifts bestowed on us, or to despise those who have them not."

For those who desire to use their God-given gifts to show forth God and serve others, that will be the persons who witness God's presence and power moving in their midst. Churches that regularly stress these points can be expected to be used greatly of God. 

Closing thoughts
As we have explored Paul's introduction to the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-7, we have pursued this main thought: "Every Christian is Supernaturally Gifted by God". The question is, how is it that this the case? Over the last two posts we have discovered three main thoughts:

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every believer at salvation. 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to show forth God. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to serve others. 1 Corinthians 12:7

P1 Every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God

1 Corinthians 12:1-7 "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.

Introduction
In the church of the living God there is no such thing as the "haves" and "have- nots". Paul's concern is to inform and illumine his readers on the subject of spiritual gifts. At Corinth, the problem that the Christian believers had was the excess of focusing more on the gifts than the Giver - God. In a cultural center of the ancient Graeco-Roman world like Corinth, more was considered to be, well, "more". The Corinthians took a cultural assumption and attempted to apply it to the arena of the supernatural things of God. They though of the gifts as a means to self-promotion, or an avenue by which to display one's power or one's so-called "spirituality". 

Indeed, the ditch of excess was the chief sin of Corinth with respect to the gifts. I'm certain that another ditch is to be avoided - lack of emphasis on the spiritual gifts, or at least the hinderance thereof. Oftentimes in our church-world, we conceive of certain Christians as endowed by God with certain giftings. Tragically, many a Christian assumes that they were left out of God's line-up when He was distributing the gifts. I have talked to Christians over the years who took the view that they were a simple, "plain-vanilla" Christian. Such a set of assumptions can greatly constrict how one understands their full-identity in Jesus Christ. 

It appears to be one of the devices of the kingdom of darkness to coerce Christians into either the ditch of excess or lack when it comes to the gifts. Both ditches result in a misunderstanding of God or lack of focus on Him. Paul's exposition on the gifts of the Spirit is designed to inform and illumine the Christian's understanding. In today's post, I want to briefly unpack what Paul writes in his introductory remarks to 1 Corinthians 12:1-7. The underlying assumption will be that: "Every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God". So, when we lay forth this key idea, in what way can we grasp the fact that every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God?

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every believer at salvation. 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
This is Paul's first point in expounding on the giving of the gifts of the Spirit. Theologian Wayne Grudem defines a spiritual gift as follows in his Systematic Theology, page 1016: "A spiritual gift is any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and is used in any ministry in the church." At conversion the gifts are granted. Now certainly, every Christian has the responsibility to discover what has been given to them by God. The process of maturing in the faith includes understanding the way in which God has gifted us. The Apostle Peter spells out this particular point in 1 Peter 4:7-10 "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 

Paul makes it clear that since the gifts are granted at salvation, then by definition, every Christian is gifted. There is no such things as "haves" and "have-nots". We read clearly in 1 Corinthians 12:7 "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." So the gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian at salvation. Lets consider a second thought related to this notion that every Christian is supernaturally gifted by God....

The gifts of the Spirit are given to every Christian to show forth God. 
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
God in the Three Persons of the Trinity is the One that dispenses the gifts. As we noted in prior posts, the spiritual gifts function as a demonstration of the reality of the living God in His church and to the world. 

With respect to the distribution of the gifts, we discover that the Spirit is the Agent of the gifts. Notice 1 Corinthians 12:4 "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit." We find this same thought again in 1 Corinthians 12:11 "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills." 

Then secondly, we find that the Person of the Son Assigns the ministries for the gifts. Note if you will 1 Corinthians 12:5 "And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord." Throughout 1 Corinthians, we find this title "Lord" used in reference to the Son, Jesus Christ, when He is mentioned along with the Father in the same passage (see 1 Corinthians 8:6-7). Throughout Paul's letters, we will see this same pattern of "Lord" used as a title to distinguish the Son from the Father (see Philippians 2:5-11). The Son operates in the Executive capacity of assigning ministries and contexts wherein the gifts of the Spirit can operate. For example, we know that the Holy Spirit gifts some Christians to preach and teach God's Word, as seen for instance in 1 Peter 4:7-11. In Ephesians 4:11-12, we discover that those gifts operate in offices such as "pastor" and "teacher" as so assigned by the Son. So, the Spirit is the Agent of the Gifts and the Son is the Assigner of the ministries in which the gifts operate. 

We then discover that the Person of the Father affects the operation of the gifts. Notice 1 Corinthians 12:6 "There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons." All three Person of the Trinity exercise together as One God, with One will, as Agent, Assigner and Affector of the gifts. The pattern of distribution of the gifts aims to manifest the Giver. God is One and yet Diverse. He is One in Being and Three in Person. The church of the living God is designed to reflect this wonderful two-fold truth. In showing forth God, Paul is setting up what ought to be a cycle that proceeds from showing forth God to serving others. 

More tomorrow....

P2 - How spiritual gifts demonstrate the reality of the true and living God

1 Corinthians 12:1-3 "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."

Introduction:

In yesterday's post, we considered how spiritual gifts function as a demonstration of the reality of the true and living God operating through His people in the local church. When I think about the place of the spiritual gifts in the local church, I'm reminded of the last stanza of Martin Luther's famous hymn: "A Mighty Fortress":

"That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!"

We first considered how God revealed such in the Old Testament by His gifting of various people among the Hebrews, and how such a notion was absent from ancient pagan belief systems. In such systems, the pagan worshiper would bring his or her gifts to the given deity, and attempt to appease such or make themselves worthy by a system of works and ritual. The New Testament expands upon what God first revealed in the Old Testament about the gifts and reveals that at salvation, the Person of the Spirit unconditionally bestows multitudes of gifts upon every believer. Anywhere we begin to see conditions and good works lumped into the reception of the gifts, or where we see the gifts restricted or non-existent, the sign of paganism mixed into the worldview is surely present. In today's post, we want to continue our discussion by noting a modern day example.

How the spiritual gifts distinguish true Biblical Christianity from other would-be-contenders

So we have seen how the manifestation of the spiritual gifts are expressed by Paul as demonstrating the reality of the living God in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Such an apologetic (that is, a defensive strategy for explaining the truth of Christianity to non-Christians) of using spiritual gifts to demonstrate the reality of Christianity is valid in today's culture. The James-Fausest-Brown commentary notes: "these dumb idols—Greek, "the idols which are dumb"; contrasted with the living God who "speaks" in the believer by His Spirit (1Co 12:3, &c.). This gives the reason why the Corinthians needed instruction as to spiritual gifts, namely, their past heathen state, wherein they had no experience of intelligent spiritual powers. When blind, ye went to the dumb."

Paganism as a worldview (known by its older name "New Age" but known more widely today under the headings of loosely organized movements such as "neo-paganism" and "wicca") is associated with the following underlying beliefs:

1). All of reality is a unified whole, with no distinction made between "God" and "the creation". The idea of a Supreme, all-powerful God is denied by this worldview. Reality is likened unto a one-story house, with the "spiritual" and "material" realms collapsed into one.

2). There are varying levels of "spiritual beings" that human beings can allegedly learn to control and harness for the purpose of gaining power, wealth or influence. 

3). Nature is elevated to the point of worship, and human beings becoming subjects of unseen forces to which they must either attempt to satisfy through ritual or can learn to control by way of ritual and incantations.

We could say more, but these three features tend to generally characterize a pagan worldview. Paganism by its very essence has devotees bringing "gifts" or trying to merit enough good works so as to placate their myriad of deities. Christianity is the only worldview that claims that God has unconditionally given gifts by the Person of the Holy Spirit to every Christian at salvation. Wherever paganism tries to stick its nose, one will find either a great restriction or non-existence of the gifts or some sort of additional conditions added for their reception.

Oftentimes we will see attempts to marry together paganism with more established worldviews (chiefly Christianity) to produce a hybrid that results in a form of paganism baptized into Christian terminology. An example of this is Mormonism. We find for example what all must take place for a Mormon to receive what they would classify as their version of the gifts, as cited in a Mormon reference work: "Encyclopedia of Mormonism", Volume 2, page 544: "As prerequisites to obtaining such gifts, a person must receive the ordinances of baptism and bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost from an authorized priesthood holder, must earnestly seek to obtain the gift or gifts, and must make sincere efforts to keep the Lord's commandments." 

Notice how access to the gifts has added "prerequisites", as well as emphasis upon what the devotee must do. Contrast this to Biblical Christianity, in 1 Corinthians 12:1-4, where such gifts are conferred upon the person in saving faith. Moreover, Mormons generally affirm six general gifts, whereas Biblical Christianity affirms at least 18. The point is this: the true and living God gives gifts for the sake of empowering His people to do His will, whereas all other systems require some measure of good works in order to hopefully make oneself worthy enough to receive anything. 

When we think about what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:1-3, we are reminded of how Christians are delivered from such a way of life. Whether it its pure unmitigated form or in its mixed format, all forms of paganism cut-off access to the true and living God, putting a surrogate deity (mainly an impersonal force) or series of deities in the place that God, and God alone ought to occupy. Moreover, the idea of God granting graces or gifts to His people in an unconditional fashion is unheard of in any other religion, creed or worldview.  

Closing thoughts

The point of these last couple of posts have been to explore how Paul uses spiritual gifts as an apologetic to demonstrate the reality of the living and true God in the face of other would-be contenders. May God grant every Christian understanding into the significance of this point, and may those who are non-Christian see how the living and true God is demonstrated by way of the gifts. 

P1 - How spiritual gifts demonstrate the reality of the true and living God

1 Corinthians 12:1-3 "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."

Introduction

As the Apostle Paul begins his grand exposition on the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14, the first area he addresses deals with how the gifts are given to believers at salvation. Particularly, Paul contrasts a gift-enriched, Spirit-empowered group of believers to the lifeless, dead paganism from whence they were saved. After introducing his subject, he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:2 "You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led." 

As I was reading these verses, the thought dawned on me how the spiritual gifts are God's demonstration of His reality among believers in the world. In contrast to other so-called non-existent deities and false-gods worshiped in antiquity and today, Christianity alone proclaims that God in the Person of the Holy Spirit has given graces and giftings to every devotee of Jesus. 

How the truly and living God uniquely gifted His people in the Old Testament

Throughout the Bible we find contrasts between the lifeless idolatry and pagan practices of the ancients vs the genuine article that is God's revelation of Himself to His people (Psalm 115:5; 135:15; Habakkuk 2:18-19). Isaiah goes so far as to mock the practice of idolatry and paganism in Isaiah 41:21-24 “Present your case,” the Lord says.“Bring forward your strong arguments,” The King of Jacob says. 22 Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; 23 Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. 24 Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination." 

Whenever you read the first mention of God gifting His people in Exodus 35, you find that all sorts of people among the Hebrews were gifted by God to do what was needed to construct the tabernacle. God gave Moses the pattern for his worship center, and then gave various people differing abilities to complete the task. Moreover, he gifted Moses with wisdom to lead the people and called forth the priests, like Aaron, to represent the people before him. Eventually, God would gift and call forth prophets and kings in Israel's history to lead the people, while gifting certain individuals within the nation to do certain tasks or encourage others along the way. In contrast to the pagan systems of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia (the four principle empires that operated throughout the Old Testament), which had their devotees bringing gifts to them in an attempt to appease, the God of Old Testament revelation graced His people with the abilities they needed to do His will. Paganism had not concept of their deities giving to their people anything that didn't have some type of strings attached to it. Moreover, God had declared His loving intentions towards His people and conceived of them in father-to-child terms (Deuteronomy 32:6; Hosea 11:1). This was patently unprecedented in any other pagan culture.

How the truly and living God uniquely gifted His people in the New Testament

The Apostle Paul too contrasts the lifeless Graeco-Roman paganism of his day with the reality of Christianity. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-7 "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."

By the time we arrive at the New Testament, especially in lieu of the Holy Spirit's arrival at Pentecost in Acts 2, we find that every Christian is endued with gifts and abilities from the Holy Spirit. Again, no other religion in the world can claim that its devotees are gifted in such a manner. The able commentator Matthew Henry notes on this score:  

"(1) That their idols never could have uttered the oracles which were ascribed to them, and consequently that they had been deluded.

(2) that these idols could never have endowed them with such spiritual privileges as they now had, and consequently that their present state was far preferable to their former condition.

Even as ye were led - Were led by the priests in the temples of the idols. They were under strong delusions and the arts of cunning and unprincipled people. The idea is, that they had been under a strong infatuation, and were entirely at the control of their spiritual leaders - a description remarkably applicable now to all forms of imposture in the world, No system of paganism consults the freedom and independence of the mind of man; but it is everywhere characterized as a system of "power," and not of "thought;" and all its arrangements are made to secure that power without an intelligent assent of the understanding and the heart."

In tomorrow's post we will consider how more recent examples of paganism contrast with Biblical Christianity in their treatment of the gifts. The spiritual gifts serve as one of the evidences for the reality of the One True and Living God, operating through His people by ways of the Person of the Holy Spirit. The unconditional giving of such gifts at salvation and their God-given empowerment of believers to perform the will of God is without parallel when compared to other worldviews, whether they be in antiquity or in modern times. 

More tomorrow........

The importance of being fruitful for God

Genesis 1:11-14 "Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation,plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day."

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Introduction:

What does it mean to be fruitful for God?  Dr. Charles Stanley's book: "The Wonderful Spirit-filled life", page 63, offers what is perhaps one of the clearest answers: "Our faith is known to others through the good deeds that overflow from our character (see Matthew 5:16), or the fruit we bear." As a Christian, God did not call me to be a mediocre, religious, morally good person that scrapes by and whittles away the time until Jesus comes. There is that kind of life that God desires of His people whereby they are partaking of the spiritual blessings He offers and thus are able to visibly live the otherwise invisible faith that is inside them. Bearing fruit for Jesus' sake is not a call to trouble-free, material prosperity. Such a life is not devoid of challenges, hardships and disappointments. If for anything, it is oftentimes in the face of these alleged liabilities that we find out how much we are truly shining forth the overcoming Christian life that depends upon the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Today's post is aimed to introduce the reader to this concept of "spiritual fruitfulness". For today at least, we want to better understand how much God desires for His people to live spiritually fruitful lives for Him. I find it interesting how much stock God places on fruitfulness in the created realm and the spiritual realm. Oftentimes we will find the created realm illustrative of what ought to be the case in our Christian lives. 

In the opening passages above, we find God engineering into His creation the property of fruitfulness in Genesis 1. We then see Paul's marvelous exposition on bearing forth the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5. The one text I can think of that brings together the physical realm of creation and the spiritual realm of the redeemed life is Jesus' teaching in John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."

Now we won't go into extended exposition on John 15. Rather, by reflecting upon its contents, as well as Galatians 5 and Genesis 1, we can offer the following thoughts concerning God's desire for spiritual fruitfulness in the Christian life:

1. God gives all we need to be fruitful. 

Just as He designed the ground to sprout forth plants, and just as the Spirit is the source of the spiritual fruit of Galatians 5 and Jesus is the source of life in the vine of His incarnate life - we find that the provision of grace is there for being fruitful. 

2. We must partake of the fruit in order to be fruitful

God makes the first move in this supernatural exchange between Himself and the human heart. However, lest we take the fruit, we will never be fruitful. Unless we "abide" in Jesus Christ and find in Him our contentment, our satisfaction - we will be puny in our Christianity. The "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5 does indeed derive from Him, and yet is expressed through the Christian whose character and human will is yielding to the Spirit's leading (see Galatians 5:16, 24-25). In the natural realm we see this illustrated for us in Hebrews 6:7 "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God."

So spiritual fruitfulness entails that God gives everything we need to be fruitful and the responsibility we have to receive such fruit. Now notice thirdly...

3. There will be weeds trying to get in the way of fruitfulness

Did you ever notice with the exception of Genesis 1, in most places in the Bible where we see reference to physical fruitfulness or its spiritual counterpart, there is some sort of opposition? When Adam and Eve had sinned, the earth was cursed and put forth thorns. Jesus' exposition in John 15 warns about being "unfruitful". Vines in Israel were the sort that would crawl along the ground and had to be propped up to prevent everything from pests damaging the fruit to little animals stealing it to avoiding blight from destroying it. Fruitfulness involves hardwork and hardship. God ultimately is credited with the overall process of our spiritual fruitfulness, however we are responsible for tapping into His provision. 

Nonetheless, we will have those "weeds" of the world, flesh and Satan working against our efforts to be fruitful. In Galatians 5, we see a list of the "fruit of the flesh". 14 different spiritual and moral liabilities that mitigate against our efforts to partake of the fruit of the Spirit. Thankfully, God teaches the willing soul to thrive in such hostile environs (see 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; James 1:3-4; 1 Peter 1:7). 

Now lets consider one final observation...

4. Fruitfulness for God is worth it

So we know that God grants what we need to be fruitful and that we must respond to it. We also know there will be weeds trying to get in the way of fruitfulness. So the question is: is it worth it. In those same texts we have looked at today, we find in each instance, whether spiritual or physical, the fruitful object or person is brought into closer proximity with God. In Genesis 1, the earth is enabled to begin fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. In John 15, we find that we get to partake of the life of Jesus, and with us. In Galatians 5, we discover that we get to walk with God and He with us. 

Closing thoughts
The benefits of spiritual fruitfulness far outweigh any liabilities. We learned four important principles when it comes to being fruitful for God:

1. God gives all we need to be fruitful.

2. We must partake of the fruit in order to be fruitful

3. There will be weeds trying to get in the way of fruitfulness

4. Fruitfulness for God is worth it

Let us therefore be fruitful for God.