The Holy Spirit in the Epistles
Day 39 — Spiritual Gifts III: The Lord Has Made Each Different, Yet One
Ephesians 4
7 We are all different
a. I Corinthians 12
12:4 “varieties of gifts”
12:5 “varieties of ministries”
12:6 “varieties of effects
12:8-10 “for to one is given [this gift]…and to another is given [that gift]…”
12:11 “the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each on as He wills.”
12:14 “the body is not one part but many”
12:17 “if the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?”
b. Romans 12
12:4 “we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the
same function.”
12:6 “since we have gifts that differ…”
8 Yet… we are all one body
a. Romans 12
12:5 “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of
one another.”
12:10 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging in diligence…”
b. Ephesians 4:12 “He gave [the gifts] 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.”
c. 1 Corinthians 12
12:7 “for the common good.”
12:14. “for the body is not one part, but many.”
12:18. “But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just
as He desired.”
12:20 “there are many parts, but one body.”
12:25. “…so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may
have the same care for one another.
12:27. “You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
9 Attitude toward the lesser gifts
I Corinthians 12:26 “If one part of the body suffers [pinky toe], all the parts suffer
with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.”
God is glorified in the unity of the body of Christ. [See John 17:21]
10 The manifestation of the Spirit for the common good comes with: 1 Corinthians 12: 7
a. varities of gifts 1 Corinthians 12:4
“gifts that differ…each of us is to exercise them…” Romans 12:6
Romans 12:6-8 Ephesians 4:11-12
1. Prophecy 1. Apostles
2. Service 2. Prophets
3. Teaching 3. Evangelists
4. Exhortation 4. Pastors
5. Giving 5. Teachers
6. Leading 6. Works of service
7. Mercy
b. varities of ministries 1 Corinthians 12:5
1. Word of wisdom
2. Word of knowledge
3. Faith
4. Gifts of Healing
5. Effecting of Miracles
6. Prophecy
7. Distinguishing of spirits
8. Various kinds of tongues
9. Interpretation of tongues
c. varities of effects. 1 Corinthians 12:6
Romans 12:9-21
1. Love
a. without hypocrisy
b. devoted to each other brotherly
c. preferring one another diligently and fervently
2. Serving the Lord
3. Rejoicing in Hope
4. Persevering in tribulation
5. Devoted to prayer
6. Contributing to the needs of the saints
7. Hospitality
8. Enduring hurt
a. blessing persecutors and not cursing
b. not paying back evil for evil.
c. no revenge
9. Compassion—weeping with weepers, rejoicing with rejoicers
10. Unity of thinking, one mind
11. Humility
a. associate with the lowly
b. not wise in own estimation
c. not a haughty mind
12. At peace with all men
13. Providing food and drink for enemy
14. Overcoming evil with good.
The Holy Spirit in the Epistles
Questions:
1. Paul’s use of the human body to describe the body of Christ has so many analogies.
Besides the Brain as the controller of the body and the allegory of Christ as the head of
the Church, can you see other functions of the human body that have corresponding parts in the
Church? Hands…heart…kidney…
2. What is the overall attitude that the body should have toward one another?
3. We talk about unity, but with such variety, how is that possible?
Don’t the “birds of a feather” want to hang out together? Servants understand each other’s
tendency for behind the scenes service. Teachers might like to wax academic together. Mercy
people visit people no one else will. So how do all these subgroups get unified in the big picture?
4. There are several similar lists of “gifts”, “ministries” and “effects.”
Do you see these lists as a comprehensive set of lists that cover all the gifts?
Is there some other reason why Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11, 12 are so similar and then
the other lists are diverging from there?
5. Which of these gifts seem to mesh with where you seem to fit in the body?
6. Have you ever had a discussion with anyone else about what they thought you were good at and visa versa? How did that go?
7. Is there a difference between aptitudes that you are born with (being created in God’s image) and spiritual gifts? If so, what is the difference?
Day 40 Spiritual Gifts IV: Motivation and Abilities—From Man or God?
Reflection, Notes and Prayer