One of the primary problems that the church in Corinth had was human ego, and that extended to their thoughts on 'spiritual gifts' where it seems some believed one or the other gift was superior to another. Paul's message is that there is no ranking of gifts, all are important and all are necessary for the body of Christ. The Spirit gives gifts to all and thus all are to be considered a gift from God and none is greater than another.
We today can become victims of our own egos far, far too easily. We can become convinced that because we're a leader in the church that for some reason our gifts are more worthy and lofty than those of others. Each and every one of us has some gift or another, it is our task to utilize those gifts no matter what they may be to further God's Kingdom. The only problem is when we for some reason decide to sit on our hands and not bring our gifts to bear in order to support the body of Christ. No matter what the reason is that we are sitting 'idle', we need to be in prayer and to become determined to see that the gifts we have been given, are in fact utilized... God has given us these abilities, let us not be idle... let us use them to honor Him.
Be a blessing to someone today!
In His Grace,
Roy
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts,[a] brothers and sisters,[b] I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be 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 services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Footnotes:
a) 1 Corinthians 12:1 Or spiritual persons
b) 1 Corinthians 12:1 Gk brothers
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