Week 4 - Receiving The Spirit's Gifts

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Receiving The Spirit's Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

¹ Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1. The Foundation: Lordship (v. 1–3)

Paul starts by clearing up a common misconception: being "spiritual" isn't about wild experiences or emotional highs; it's about who is in charge.

• The Test: No one speaking by the Spirit says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can sincerely say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

• The Takeaway: The primary job of the Holy Spirit is to point people to the Lordship of Jesus. If a "gift" doesn't glorify Christ, it’s not from the Spirit.

2. Diversity in Unity (v. 4–6)

Paul uses a beautiful "triune" structure here to show that, while the expressions differ, the Source remains the same.

Category	The Source	The Meaning
Different Gifts	The same Spirit	Different "endowments" or abilities.
Different Ministries	The same Lord	Different ways to serve or "work."
Different Results	The same God	Different effects or "power" at work.

Key Principles: 

• Unity does not mean uniformity.

• God loves variety, but He hates division.

• What thoughts come to mind with these statements?

3. The Purpose: The Common Good (v. 7)

This is perhaps the most important verse in the chapter:

"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

• It’s not for you: Spiritual gifts are not merit badges or toys for personal enjoyment. They are tools given to you to build up someone else.

• Everyone has one: Paul says "to each." No Christian is left out of the distribution process.

  
  

Reading this verse:

• What are the implications for you and the church?

• How does this impact/change how you see the church community working together?

4. The Inventory of Gifts (v. 8–10)

Paul lists nine specific manifestations. Scholars often group them into three categories:

Gifts of Revelation (Thinking)

• Word of Wisdom: A supernatural insight into how to apply knowledge to a specific situation.

• Word of Knowledge: Supernatural revelation of facts about a person or situation that couldn't be known naturally.

• Distinguishing between spirits: The ability to tell if a spiritual manifestation is from God, the enemy, or human emotion.

  
  

Gifts of Power (Acting)

• Faith: Not just "saving faith," but a supernatural surge of confidence for a specific miracle.

• Gifts of Healing: Divine enablement to be a channel of God’s physical or emotional healing.

• Miraculous Powers: Acts that bypass the laws of nature to display God's power.

Gifts of Utterance (Speaking)

• Prophecy: Delivering a specific message from God to encourage, comfort, or convict the church.

• Tongues: Speaking in a language unknown to the speaker.

• Interpretation of Tongues: Giving the meaning of a message spoken in tongues so the church can understand.

There are other listings of gifts in the New Testament see, Romans 12:6–8, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:10–11:

• Do you think these are exhaustive lists, or are there more gifts that you are aware of?

5. The Sovereignty of the Spirit (v. 11)

Paul ends this section by reminding us that we don't "pick" our gifts like items on a buffet.

"All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

You don't have to stress about "earning" a gift. You simply stay available, and the Spirit distributes them according to His master plan for the Church.

Question for discussion: Is there a limit to how many gift/gifts a believer can have, and is it ok to ask for specific gifts?

Reflection Questions for Your Study:

1. Motivation Check: If you want a spiritual gift, is it to feel "extra spiritual" or is it truly to help the "common good" of your community?

2. Identification: Looking at the list above, have you ever felt a "nudge" from the Spirit that falls into one of these categories (e.g., a sudden word of encouragement for a friend or a moment of unusual faith)?

3. Activation: Verse 1 says Paul doesn't want us to be "uninformed." How does knowing these gifts are available change the way you pray for your church or small group?

4. Observation: Where do you see gifts in the church today?

5. Reaction: How do you, have you reacted to the more ‘supernatural’ gifts?