December 2, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

1 Corinthians 12 - This is the Spiritual Gift Chapter of 1 Corinthians.  There are three other chapters in the New Testament that deal with the subject, but not as much as this passage.  (The other chapters are Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4).  Paul emphasizes the overall Body of Christ, the Church.  He wants believers to realize they are part of the Body of Christ which covers this planet in any generation.  There is so much to say, but let me highlight the thoughts in verses 4-6.  The Holy Spirit gives the gifts, verse 4, the Lord Jesus gives places the gifted Christian in the appropriate ministry, verse 5, and the Father, God, gives the power ("activities" in Greek - "energies") to use the gifts, verse 6.  Keep in mind the Body of Christ is ONE, but it has many members and EVERY believer is to be responsible to let the Lord use them with their gift in the Body as Christ decides.

1 Corinthians 13 - This is the famous LOVE Chapter of the Bible.  Paul emphasizes that using your spiritual gifts without the fruit of a Christ-like love, leads to just a lot of noise and bluster without any meaningful work being done.  This chapter describes the love of Christ, "agape" in Greek, which is the love that the Spirit wants to flow through you.  See Romans 5:5.

1 Corinthians 14 - This chapter deals with the importance of the gift of prophecy over the gift of tongues.  According to Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came on and in the lives of believers, He gave many the gift of tongues which is clearly stated as the gift to speak in other languages primarily to bring the Gospel to anyone and everyone.  The Corinthian believers began to focus on the use of tongues as a "prayer language."  Paul emphasized the need to be clear in presenting God's Word so that others could understand what was being said.  He closes the chapter with a practical encouragement, "Let all things be done decently and in order" verse 40.