Thursday
Evening Bible Study
October
2, 2014
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk –
Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 3500 words
In Paul's day, Corinth was the capitol of the province of Achaia (southern
Greece), and was the most important city in Greece.
Corinth was quite the cosmopolitan city. All merchant traffic flowing north
and south, as well as east and west, flowed through Corinth.
Corinth was also the center of the world’s greatest immorality.
The Temple of Aphrodite stood on the hill overlooking the city, and every
night 1,000 male and female prostitutes would come down into the city and
encourage the citizens to “worship” the goddess of love.
Paul had established the church in Corinth in AD 51 on his second
missionary journey. He had spent 18 months teaching and building the church
before moving on.
It is now AD 56, and Paul is across the Aegean Sea in the city of Ephesus. He’s received a letter telling about the problems and
questions in Corinth, and now he’s writing back.
The first issue raised was about the divisions in the church.
(1 Corinthians 1:11 NKJV) For it
has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household,
that there are contentions among you.
The second issue had to do with immorality
(1 Co 5:1 NKJV) —1 It is
actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such
sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his
father’s wife!
The third issue was about lawsuits
(1 Co 6:1 NKJV) —1 Dare any
of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and
not before the saints?
The fourth issue was about marriage.
(1 Corinthians 7:2 NKJV) —2 Nevertheless,
because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each
woman have her own husband.
The fifth issue had to do with eating meat sacrificed to idols
(1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV) —1 Now
concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
Though the issue began in chapter 8, the principle that Paul was trying to
teach stretched through chapter 11, namely that we need to learn to willingly limit our “freedoms” for
the sake of others.
We are now entering into a new section.
12:1-11 Different Gifts
:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts,
brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
:1 spiritual gifts – pneumatikos – relating
to the “spirit”
It could be translated “spiritual things”, but since Paul is going to spend
some time talking about spiritual gifts, it’s
appropriate to translate it “spiritual gifts”.
God doesn’t want you ignorant of spiritual gifts. He
wants you educated in them.
:2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away
to these dumb idols, however you were led.
:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
:2 carried away to these dumb idols
The Corinthians knew about “spiritual” experiences since before they were
believers.
As pagan people who had worshipped idols, they knew all about spiritual
experiences.
They were familiar with people being influenced by
spiritual entities.
:3 speaking by the Spirit of God
accursed – anathema
– a curse; a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes
Paul gives two types of experiences that might result in a person saying
something under the influence of a spiritual entity.
If a person is truly being influenced by the Holy Spirit,
they WILL NOT say that Jesus is “accursed”.
If a person is influenced by some unknown spiritual
entity and they claim that Jesus “Lord”, it has to be the work of the Holy
Spirit.
Lesson
Good Gifts
Some people are afraid of letting go and allowing God to work in them. They
are afraid that they might be opening themselves up to something strange, like
demons.
I’ve heard teachers say that you need to be
careful and “Don’t open yourself up” to spiritual influences because you might
be accidentally opening yourself to a demon.
The people that tend to say this are people who do not
believe in the working of the Holy Spirit today.
Every once in a while some rumor
will go around about someone speaking in tongues, and there was some language
expert present who said that they were saying horrible, blasphemous things about
Jesus.
Paul assures them that they have nothing to be afraid of.
The Bible says that God gives GOOD gifts, not yucky ones.
(Luke 11:9–13 NKJV) —9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to
you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For
everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him
a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give
him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he
asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Don’t be afraid of the kinds of
things that God wants to do in your life.
God’s gifts are good.
:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit.
:5 There are differences of ministries, but the
same Lord.
:6 And there are diversities of activities, but it
is the same God who works all in all.
:4-6 Spirit … Lord … God
Notice that all three members of the Trinity are involved in what goes on
in the church.
:4 diversities of gifts
diversities – diairesis
– division, distribution; distinction, difference
gifts – charisma
– a favor with which one receives without any merit of his own
The word is based on the word for “grace” (charis) and
literally means “a working of grace”.
A “gift” is just that, a gift from God. It’s not
anything that you’ve earned.
A spiritual gift is an ability to do something that you wouldn’t
ordinarily be able to do, apart from the working of the Holy Spirit.
Diverse – Not all spiritual gifts are the same.
Some teach that God no longer gives all the spiritual gifts – we will deal
with that next week in chapter 13.
:5 differences of ministries
ministries – diakonia
– service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others
A “ministry” is how a gift is used.
:6 diversities of activities
activities – energema
– thing wrought; effect operation
The “activity” is the “effect” that the working of the gift has.
Lesson
Don’t Compare
When it comes to what happens in church and in your life, you need to be
careful about comparing yourself with others.
Everybody has different gifts and different combinations of gifts.
You might admire someone’s special abilities in the church, but those are
THEIR gifts, not YOURS.
You might envy the “ministry” that another person has, but unless God calls
you to that ministry, it’s just different than yours,
not better.
Even if you have the same gifts and same ministry as another person, the
effect of your ministry may not be the same as that other person.
For example, if you have the gift of evangelism and you
are actively involved in sharing the gospel with others, you need to be careful
that you don’t compare yourself to Greg Laurie.
What is important at the end of the day is that you are
faithful with God has given you, not whether or not you have the same “results”
as another person.
In the parable of the “Talents”, a master gives his servants different
amounts of money to take care of until He returned.
One servant got five “talents”, one got two “talents”, and
the last got one “talent”.
Both the five and two talent servants invested and made
more money for their master while the one talent servant just buried his money
in the ground.
When the master returned, both the five and two talent
servants were rewarded and told the EXACT same thing:
(Matthew
25:23 NKJV) His lord said to him, ‘Well done,
good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over
a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of
your lord.’
What God cares about is not the amount of “gifts” you’ve been given, but whether or not you are faithful with
what He gives you.
:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
each one for the profit of all:
:7 for the profit of all
profit – sumphero
– to bear or bring together; to help, be profitable, be expedient
Spiritual gifts are not given to us to make us
feel special.
They are given so that the whole church might
benefit.
:8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
:10 to another the working of miracles, to another
prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds
of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
:8 for to one is given
Paul now gives a list of some of the spiritual gifts. This is not a
complete list. Paul lists a few other gifts at the end of the chapter and a
couple other different gifts in Romans 12.
If you want to check out some of the various studies
we’ve done more in depth on the spiritual gifts, click
here.
:8 the word of wisdom
Definition: Supernatural solution to a problem
Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees about whether or
not to pay taxes to Rome.
(Matthew 22:18–21
NKJV) —18 But Jesus perceived their
wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you
hypocrites? 19
Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, “Whose image and
inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that
are God’s.”
:8 the word of knowledge
Definition: Special supernatural knowledge of persons, places, or things
that you didn’t get from anyone but God.
Jesus knew things about this woman He met at a well.
Video: The Gospel of John – Woman at the Well
(John 4:16–19 NKJV) —16 Jesus
said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered and said, “I have no
husband.” Jesus said to her,
“You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you
have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in
that you spoke truly.” 19 The
woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
:9 faith
Definition: Over and above trust for something extraordinary.
We all need faith to be saved, but this seems to be something extra
special, like when Peter saw the crippled man at the Temple and reached out and
actually grabbed the man by the hand…
Video: The Book of Acts – Acts 3:4-8 – starts at 15:11
(Acts 3:4–8 NKJV) —4 And
fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5
So he gave them his attention, expecting
to receive something from them. 6 Then
Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7
And he took him by the right hand and lifted
him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8
So he, leaping up, stood and walked and
entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.
:9 gifts of healings
Definition: Different types of healing
Because both words are plural here, it might not just refer to a person who
can heal others, but it might refer to different types of healing that a person
could receive.
:10 the working of miracles
Definition: When God does something extraordinarily
supernatural.
Jesus walked on water. He fed five thousand with a few fish and bread.
:10 prophecy
Definition: Speaking for God
This might involve telling the “future”, since God knows the future.
It also may involve much, much more.
(1 Corinthians
14:3 NKJV) But he who prophesies
speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
:10 discerning of spirits
Definition: Is it God or not?
This is the ability to tell if something is from the Lord or not.
This may also involve knowing about a person’s motives or attitudes.
When Philip was leading a revival in Samaria, a former sorcerer named Simon
came to know the Lord. The sorcerer was amazed at seeing what the real power of
God looked like.
Video: The Book of Acts – Acts 18:18-23 – starts at 47:15
(Acts 8:18–23 NKJV) —18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the
apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19
saying, “Give me this power also, that
anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish
with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with
money! 21 You have neither
part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of
God. 22 Repent therefore of
this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be
forgiven you. 23 For I see that you
are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
:10 different kinds of tongues
Definition: Speaking in a language you don’t know.
This is not about people learning languages easily. This is supernaturally
speaking in a language that you never learned by ordinary means.
It could be a human language or even an angelic language (1Cor. 13:1)
(1 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV) —1 Though I
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become
sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
:10 the interpretation of tongues
Definition: Giving the meaning of a “tongue”
interpretation – hermeneia
– interpretation
This is not simple translation, but the idea of giving the “meaning” of
something spoken in tongues.
Sometimes the interpretation may be a different length than the tongue
because it’s not translation, but interpretation.
:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
:11 distributing …as He wills
It’s God’s decision to give gifts to whom He wants
to.
We can certainly ask for certain gifts, but it’s
ultimately up to God to decide whether or not to give a gift.
12:12-31 Body Parts
:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
:12 as the body
Paul is now going to give the church some instruction about how to get
along with each other, using the illustration of the church being like a
“body”.
The church is the “body of Christ”.
:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made
to drink into one Spirit.
:13 Spirit …baptized into one body
baptized – baptizo – to
dip repeatedly, to immerse, to overwhelm
Some have confused this with the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”, and want to
make the point that every believer has already been “baptized with the Holy
Spirit”
John the Baptist said,
(Matthew 3:11 NKJV) I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I,
whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire.
With John’s baptism, he is the one who does the immersing
of someone into water.
With the baptism “with the Holy Spirit”, Jesus is the one
doing the immersing, immersing us into the Holy Spirit.
What Paul talks about here is different.
Here it’s the Spirit that does the immersing,
immersing us into the body of Christ.
This indeed takes place when we become believers. The Holy Spirit comes, dwells
inside us, and makes us a part of the “body”, the church.
:14 For in fact the body is not one member but
many.
The church, like a body, is not all about one single human person, it’s about each part of the body.
:15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a
hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
:16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not
an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would
be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the
smelling?
:16 Because I am not an eye
Lesson
Belonging ≠ Being Like
When we were teenagers, we felt like we “belonged” to a certain crowd
because we acted or dressed like them.
To be honest, it’s hard to outgrow this.
Most of us at our church kind of act and dress a bit similar.
When someone who acts or dresses a little different comes
in the door, sometimes they or us feel uncomfortable.
Yet in grown-up church, things are supposed to be different.
We belong because we have Jesus, not because we talk, act, or dress like
other people.
:17 If the whole body were an eye
Lesson
Different is good
If everyone was the same, had the same gifts, did the same things, things
would be kind of weird, as if the entire church was
made up of eyeballs.
We need “different”.
The fact that you are better at some things than other people
helps you define what part of the body you are.
:18 But now God has set the members, each one of
them, in the body just as He pleased.
:19 And if they were all one member, where would
the body be?
:20 But now indeed there are many members,
yet one body.
:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no
need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
:21 I have no need of you
Lesson
We need each other
Sometimes a group of us will say to someone who is “different” than the group that we don’t need them.
That’s not true.
We need each other.
Each part of the body is important.
One of the reasons we need each other is because we “sharpen” each other.
(Proverbs
27:17 NKJV) As iron
sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Iron is sharpened when it rubs
against something else hard to break off the parts that are rough.
We don’t like it when people “rub
us” the wrong way. Yet sometimes it’s for our good, to
sharpen us.
Sometimes I as an individual think I don’t need
other people in my life and that I can get along by myself.
I like to call that the “Lone Ranger Christian.”
Yet even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
Illustration
The Lone Ranger and Tonto were camping in the
desert, they set up their tent, and fell asleep. Some hours
later, The Lone Ranger woke his faithful friend. “Tonto, look up at the sky and
tell me what you see.” Tonto replies, “Me see millions of stars.” “What does
that tell you?” asked The Lone Ranger. Tonto ponders for a minute. “Astronomically
speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially
billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past
three. Theologically, it’s evident the Lord is all
powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will
have a beautiful day tomorrow. What it tell you Kemosabe?”
The Lone Ranger is silent for a moment, then speaks. “Someone
has stolen our tent.”
We can actually learn a lot from each
other.
Video: Tripp and Tyler – How To Make Life Better
Other people have things that you lack in life.
An eye can see things, but the foot is what takes you
places.
:22 No, much rather, those members of the body
which seem to be weaker are necessary.
:23 And those members of the body which we
think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our
unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
:24 but our presentable parts have no need.
But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which
lacks it,
:25 that there should be no schism in the body,
but that the members should have the same care for one another.
:24 having given greater honor
(1 Corinthians
12:22–25 The Message) —22 As a
matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the
more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance,
but not without a stomach. 23 When it’s a part of your own body you are
concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or
clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without
comparisons. 24
If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the
higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good
digestion to full-bodied hair? 25 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our
lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts
we mention and the parts we don’t,
The parts of our “body” that you can’t see are
very often the very things that are the most important.
Yet sometimes in the church we have it backward.
We often give special honor to those “up front” like pastors and musicians,
when they already have all the honor they need.
Perhaps we ought to be giving more honor to the
more “hidden” parts of the body, like those who clean the bathrooms, those who
teach the Sunday School classes, those who change diapers in the Nursery, those
who do the accounting and secretarial work, or those who quietly pray.
:26 And if one member suffers, all the members
suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice
with it.
:26 if one member suffers
If you sprain your knee, your whole body is going to be
affected.
It might just be your knee that hurts, but when your knee hurts you can’t do the things you normally do.
Your whole body is affected by one part being
hurt.
:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually.
:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
administrations, varieties of tongues.
:28 first apostles, second prophets
Paul sets up here an order of importance of the ministries and gifts in the
church.
Those who want to exalt the gift of tongues ought to be careful here. Tongues
are wonderful and very beneficial, but keep in mind,
it’s at the end of the list.
:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are
all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
:30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak
with tongues? Do all interpret?
:30 Do all speak with tongues?
In the Greek, Paul is asking a question that demands a “no” answer. It’s the obvious answer.
Some people say that the reason that all people didn’t
have all the gifts was because they were so carnal and they lacked
faith.
But that’s not Paul’s point at all.
He’s already made the point that your combination
of gifts and ministries makes you a unique part of the body, and that every
part is not only different, but needed.
I do not believe that everyone can have all the gifts.
The only person that has had “all the gifts” is Jesus.
When the church is together, we form the “Body of Christ”, and all of our
gifts put together is like having Jesus with us.
:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
:31 earnestly desire the best gifts
earnestly desire – zeloo
– to burn with zeal; in a good sense, to be zealous in the pursuit of good
Some say the “best gifts” are at the top of the list in verse 28.
Others say the “best gifts” are determined by what is needed at the moment.
If you have a sick friend, you would desire the gift of healing. If you are
facing a difficult situation and don’t know what to
do, the “word of wisdom” is the best.
Don’t miss this –
Having gifts don’t determine your maturity as a
believer.
The Corinthians has all the gifts (1:7)
(1 Corinthians 1:7 NKJV) so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the
revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Yet Paul called them “babes” because of their carnality. (3:1)
(1 Corinthians 3:1 NKJV) And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people
but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
And despite all this – Paul encourages them to
“earnestly desire” the gifts.
:31 a more excellent way
There is a more excellent way for the church to
function than just understanding the “gifts”.
We’ll see this next week – the “way of love”.
(1Cor. 13)