One in the Bond of Love, Lesson #1
Good Questions Have Small Groups Talking
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If you have some readers, you might email and ask them to read a book on Spiritual gifts. It will really inform the groups understanding.

Gifts of the Spirit / 1 Corinthians 12.1 - 11

OPEN

Let’s each share your name and what was the last gift you gave or received?

DIG

1.       Verse 1. What is Paul’s desire in this passage?

The church in Corinth to which Paul was writing desperately needed instruction on spiritual gifts. But today, countless other churches in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Kansas City, Seattle, Nashville and your city as well, need to know about spiritual gifts. Despite a widespread renewal of interest in the Holy Spirit and His ministry in our day, church after church in America and in other parts of the world still remain ignorant of this tremendous God-given dynamic for church vitality and growth just waiting to be released.

Such ignorance is by no means bliss!

Ignorance of spiritual gifts may be a chief cause of retarded church growth today. It also may be at the root of much of the discouragement, insecurity, frustration and guilt that plagues many Christians and curtails their total effectiveness for God. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Peter Wagner.

2.       What does he not want them to be ignorant of?

In italics, the word “gifts” does not appear in the original Greek manuscripts. Paul actually said, “Now concerning pneumatikos”—or “spirituals”—referring to the entire realm of the manifestations of the Spirit. — Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1068.

3.       Reading between the lines… what do they seem to misunderstand about spiritual gifts?

The situation seems to be that the Corinthians are taking spiritual gifts as the grounds for comparison among themselves, and that is leading to ranking of gifts and boasting. Among the Corinthians the flamboyant gifts are more cherished and more highly esteemed. Remarkably, some people in Corinth seem to have become so elevated in their spirituality that they had no use for, and even expressed disdain for, the all-too-human Jesus who suffered the disgrace of dying on the cross. Paul will have none of this kind of spiritual expression; he disavows such activity and tells the Corinthians how to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate demonstrations of spiritual power. — Marion L. Soards, 1 Corinthians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 252.

4.       Look at verse 3. What does Paul mean by this?

The interpretation of Paul’s comment, no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” produces vigorous debate. To capture the sense of the statement in contemporary idiomatic English, one should understand the line to say, “To hell with Jesus!” Did Paul mean to suggest that someone said this, or is he only illustrating the absurdity of inappropriate behavior? Commentators disagree. Moreover, even among those who argue that Paul’s statement assumes the reality of the activity and does not speak of it as potential behavior, there is further disagreement. If there are those in Corinth who are saying this about Jesus, who are they? Are they non-Christian pagan ecstatics? Are they non-Christian Jews? Are they early Christian docetists? A definitive answer is impossible, but it is also unnecessary for following the main positive lines of Paul’s observations concerning the disposition of genuinely Spirit-inspired behavior. For further discussion, compare the essays by B. A. Pearson (“Did the Gnostics Curse Jesus?” JBL 86 [1967], pp. 301–5), N. Brox (“ANATHEMA IĒSOUS [1 Kor 12:3),” BZ 12 [1968], pp. 103–11), J. D. M. Derrett (“Cursing Jesus [1 Cor. 12:3]: The Jews as Religious ‘Persecutors,’ ” NTS 21 [1975], pp. 544–54), and J. M. Bassler (“1 Cor 12:3—Curse and Confession in Context,” JBL 103 [1982], pp. 415–18).

The Gk. word anathema that is translated be cursed is a startling term. The word becomes “anathema” in later church usage, although at this time it would have been recognized as a compound noun from ana (“up” or “again”) + tithēmi (“to put”), connoting something set aside—usually for a deity—and especially something cursed. An essay by R. Scroggs (“The Exaltation of the Spirit by Some Early Christians,” JBL 84 [1965], pp. 359–73) notes resemblances between Paul’s observations here and the discussion of blaspheming the Spirit in Mark 3:28–29, suggesting that the Corinthian phenomenon was not an anomaly. — Marion L. Soards, 1 Corinthians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 255.

5.       What do we learn about ourselves from this passage?

We have seen many changes in technology during the last fifty years. One of the most important changes is the shift from “bigger is better” to “smaller is better.” It used to be that the biggest computer in the school was the best computer. Now the smallest computer in a briefcase is the best computer.

I once had a computer crash in the worst way. It was not something big that broke. It was one of the smallest pieces. I remember the technician explaining it to me. He drew a picture of the defective part, then commented: “You understand that this part is only this big …” He then drew a circle smaller than a dime.

Then I asked the big question. “How much is it going to cost me?” When he told me, I laughed. “That’s more than I paid for the entire computer. That little piece is worth that much?”

“Yup,” he replied. “This piece may be small, but what it does is vital to the computer. The computer just can’t work without it.”

Paul pointed out in this chapter that every gift God gives to his church is valuable. The Corinthians looked at appearances to determine which gifts were more important than others. But Paul declared that the smallest and least spectacular gifts are essential to the work of the church. — Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 211.

6.       What do we learn about the church?

The health of the church and its subsequent growth depend on this fact. Nazarene scholar, W. T. Purkiser, asserts that "every true function of the body of Christ has a 'member' to perform it, and every member has a function to perform."  I realize that it comes as a surprise to some Christians, who have been only marginally active in church for years, to find out that they are needed, wanted and gifted to do their part in their local church. But it is true. Unless you find some substitute for pleasing God, no substitute exists for finding your gift-mix and knowing for sure that you are equipped to do just what God designed you to do. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.

7.       Does everyone have a spiritual gift?

Not everybody has spiritual gifts. Unbelievers do not. But every Christian person who is committed to Jesus and truly a member of His Body has at least one gift, or quite possibly more. The Bible says that every Christian has received a gift (see 1 Peter 4:10), and that "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" (1 Cor. 12:7). 1 Cor. 12:18 stresses that every one of the members is placed in the Body according to God's design. Possessing a spiritual gift is planned for every Christian.

This comes as good news to the average believer. It is pleasant to be reminded that God knows me, He loves me and He considers me special enough to give me a personal gift so I can serve Him. It is especially true in a society such as ours in America where many school districts establish special programs for "gifted children." The implication is that ordinary citizens are not gifted. Not so in the Body of Christ! God gifts us all. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.

8.       How many gifts do we have?

Many Christians are multigifted; how many are, I do not know. But I would suspect that probably the majority, or perhaps all Christians, have what we could call a "gift-mix" instead of a single gift.

Given the variety of spiritual gifts, the degrees of giftedness in each personal case, and the multiple ministries through which each gift can be exercised, the combination of these qualities that I have been given and the combination that you have been given may be the most important factor in determining our spiritual personalities. We are used to the idea that each person has his or her own personality. My wife, Doris, and I have three daughters, all born of the same parents and raised in the same household, but they are each unique. God's children are probably similar. All Christians are unique members of the Body of Christ, and their individual identity is determined to a significant degree by the gift-mix they have been given. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Peter Wagner.

9.       What is a spiritual gift?

At this point, we need to pause and define just what spiritual gift means. The working definition I will be using is as follows:

A spiritual gift is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ, according to God's grace, for use within the context of the Body.

This is as tight and economical a definition as I have been able to formulate and still retain what I consider to be the essential elements. Several of these elements, namely "special attribute," "given by the Spirit" and "to every member of the Body of Christ" have been sufficiently discussed. Two phrases remain. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Peter Wagner.

10.   If you read this literature on spiritual gifts, you will come across the phrase, “gift-mix.” What is meant by that?

While every believer has at least one spiritual gift, many have several gifts, called a gift mix. The combinations of these gifts give them unique abilities to serve in various ways. For example, if you have gifts of mercy, encouragement, and hospitality, your gifts indicate a warm and tender expression of God’s grace. You are able to focus on the lonely, forgotten, and needy with the connecting and belonging desires of hospitality along with the motivating and comforting aspects of encouragement. You value, support, and build the esteem of those around them. That is different from just having the gift of encouragement.

Another example: the mix of administration, leadership, and wisdom indicates a strong ability to identify what needs to be done and to articulate the best way to do it. The systematic approach of administration plus the visionary dimensions of leadership enables you to move people and events forward. Others will sense that much of what you present “makes sense,” and they will cooperate. This mix contributes more than the single gift of administration. — Bruce L. Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-given Passion (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009).

11.   What is the difference between a spiritual gift and a natural talent?

Talents can be an indicator to your giftedness but do not necessarily equate to your spiritual gift. Everyone has some natural abilities, but God has reserved his spiritual gifts for believers. Only those who have personally trusted Jesus Christ and received his Holy Spirit have a spiritual gift. Let’s compare and contrast natural talents and spiritual gifts.

Natural talents are given at our physical birth; spiritual gifts are given at our spiritual birth. In the same way that we have particular talents that distinguish us from others when we are physically born, we receive a spiritual gift that enables us to make a unique contribution when we are spiritually born.

Natural talents are an expression of God’s common grace to all who have life. Spiritual gifts are his specific grace given to those who have received new life. Although natural talents and spiritual gifts are not the same, all that we have ought to and can be used to glorify God and edify others.

Natural talents may be transformed by the Holy Spirit and empowered as spiritual gifts. There does not appear to be a definable pattern when a person’s natural talents are affirmed as spiritual gifts, but that can be the case for some. For example, someone may be an effective nurse in the city and be recognized as having a mercy gift in the church. A graphic designer in the workplace may discover that he or she has a spiritual gift of creative communication. And the successful salesperson could be affirmed with the gift of evangelism.

After personally leading over thirty thousand people through this discovery process, I have not been able to identify when, and for whom, a natural talent will be equivalent to a spiritual gift.

In fact, many times there is no correlation between natural talents and spiritual gifts. Being a teacher in the public school system does not mean a person has a spiritual gift of teaching. Being an effective manager in the marketplace does not guarantee anointed leadership or administration gifts in the church. In order to determine whether or not there is a relationship between a natural talent and a spiritual gift, ask yourself, Does my natural ability regularly glorify God and edify others in the church? — Bruce L. Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-given Passion (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009).

12.   What good things come to those who know their spiritual gifts?

First of all, you will be a better Christian and better able to allow God to make your life count for Him. People who know their gifts have a handle on their "spiritual job description," so to speak. They find their place in the church with more ease. I have often said, half in jest, that one immediate benefit of the people in a church knowing their spiritual gifts is that the nominating committee can be phased out and a screening committee set up to receive applications for work. But it is happening. A few months ago I received a letter from Pastor Paul Erickson of First Covenant Church of Portland, Oregon, who had been studying church growth in the Fuller Doctor of Ministry program. His letter said, "Our people have joined the exciting search for discovering and using their spiritual gifts. Six of our people contacted the nominating committee for service on the boards next year!"

My church, Lake Avenue Congregational Church, still has a nominating committee. But when they submit their annual nominations to the congregation, each nominee has a brief bio, and the first item specifically lists their spiritual gifts. We hope no one occupies a position in our church who is not gifted by God for that particular responsibility.

Christian people who know their spiritual gifts tend to develop healthy self-esteem. This does not mean they "think more highly of themselves than they ought to think." They learn that no matter what their gift is, they are important to God and to the Body. The ear learns not to say, "because I am not an eye, I am not of the body" (1 Cor. 12:16). Crippling inferiority complexes drop by the wayside when people begin to "think soberly of themselves."

Humility is a Christian virtue, but like many good things it can be overdone. Some Christians are so humble they render themselves virtually useless to the Body. This is a false humility, and it is often stimulated by ignorance of spiritual gifts.

People who refuse to name their spiritual gift on the grounds that they would be arrogant and presumptuous, only exhibit their failure to understand the biblical teaching on gifts. Some may have a less noble motive for not wanting to be associated with a gift—they might not want to be held accountable for its use. In that case, humility can be used as a cover-up for disobedience.

Most people who know their spiritual gifts and are using them are not bogged down by such negative attitudes. They first of all love God, they love their brothers and sisters and they love themselves for what God has made them to be. They are not proud of their gifts but they are thankful for them. They work together with other members of the Body in harmony and effectiveness. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Peter Wagner

13.   How does the church as a whole benefit as everyone knows their gifts?

Second, not only does knowing about spiritual gifts help individual Christians, but it also helps the Church as a whole. Ephes. 4 tells us that when spiritual gifts are in operation, the whole Body matures. It helps the Body to gain "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephes. 4:13).

When the church matures, predictably it grows. When the Body is functioning well and "each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows" (Ephes. 4:16, TEV). Clearly, a biblical relationship between spiritual gifts and church growth exists. This whole book is intended to be an elaboration of how this relationship can work in practice. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Peter Wagner

14.   What bad things happen if we ignore this topic?

It wasn’t too long after creation that the animals got together to form a school. They wanted the best school possible—one that offered their students a well-rounded curriculum of swimming, running, climbing, and flying. In order to graduate, all the animals had to take all the courses.

The duck was excellent at swimming. In fact, he was better than his instructor. But he was only making passing grades at climbing and was getting a very poor grade in running. The duck was so slow in running that he had to stay after school every day to practice. Even with that, there was little improvement. His webbed feet got badly worn from running, and with such worn feet, he was then only able to get an average grade in swimming. Average was quite acceptable to everyone else, so no one worried much about it—except the duck.

The rabbit was at the top of her class in running. But after a while, she developed a twitch in her leg from all the time she spent in the water trying to improve her swimming.

The squirrel was a peak performer in climbing but was constantly frustrated in flying class. His body became so bruised from all the hard landings that he did not do too well in climbing and ended up being pretty poor in running.

The eagle was a continual problem student. She was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist. For example, in climbing class, she would always beat everyone else to the top of the tree but insisted on using her own way to get there.

Each of the animals had a particular area of expertise. When they did what they were designed to do, they excelled. When they tried to operate outside their area of expertise, they were not nearly as effective. Can ducks run? Sure they can. Is that what they do best? Definitely not. — Bruce L. Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-given Passion (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009).

15.   How is God glorified by us knowing our spiritual gifts?

The third and most important thing that knowing about spiritual gifts does is that it glorifies God. 1 Peter 4:10-11 advises Christians to use their spiritual gifts, then adds the reason why: "That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." What could be better than glorifying God? It is the "chief end of humans," according to the Westminster Catechism. — Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.

16.   Verse 8. What are some examples of spiritual gifts?

To illustrate that there are a wide variety of gifts from the Holy Spirit, Paul gave a list. This list was not meant to be exhaustive; it merely illustrates many of the different kinds of spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives many gifts; the Bible contains no definitive list of all the gifts.

All believers are given wisdom from the Spirit (2:15–16), but some are given the ability to give wise advice. That this particular gift does not occur on any of the other lists of gifts has led some scholars to think that this gift was especially important (and more prominent) for the believers in the Greek city of Corinth, where the issue of “wisdom” was causing much discussion. Another person is given the gift of special knowledge. People may think they have all kinds of wisdom and knowledge, which leads to pride, but true wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ alone. But to some people the Spirit gives extraordinary knowledge. This could mean a special knowledge of spiritual realities (see 13:2, 8–12; 14:6) or knowledge given to teachers who are training others in Christian truth. — Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 685.

17.   What is the difference between the gift of wisdom and the gift of knowledge?

THE MESSAGE OF WISDOM (V. 8). ‘The message of wisdom’ and ‘the message of knowledge’ are similar. They both relate to special understanding of the revelation God gives his people in our Lord Jesus Christ, an understanding that can be conveyed to others as a contribution to ‘the common good’ (v. 7; cf. 1 Cor. 13:2). Some have a special gift of wisdom or insight and the ability to apply God’s unchanging truth to changing situations.

THE MESSAGE OF KNOWLEDGE (V. 8). Some have a particular gift for appreciating truths other Christians may easily miss and they are able to instruct them and share this understanding.

FAITH (V. 9). All Christians possess faith and are to exercise it. But to some, and perhaps at especially significant times, the gift is given of exceptional faith to understand God’s intentions and plans and to achieve them. — Derek Prime, Opening up 1 Corinthians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominister: Day One Publications, 2005), 108–109.

18.   Here is a question we will return to in this study: how do we go about discovering our spiritual gifts?

This is probably the most common question asked in connection with gifts. I always respond with, “What do you enjoy most about serving the Lord?” Notice, I don’t ask, “How are you serving the Lord?” I am interested in what they enjoy doing. You will look forward to the responsibilities you are given that call on you to use your gift. On the other hand, you will not be as motivated for tasks that are outside your giftedness.

When we minister to others through our gifts, we are tapping into the inexhaustible energy and motivation of God. When we exercise our gifts, the Holy Spirit works through us. We experience an extra measure of energy and joy.

Serving outside our gifts is a different story altogether. I believe this is the primary reason so many Christians get burned out on church work. Instead of finding a position where they can use their gifts, they sign up for whatever task is available. They do their best as long as they can take it, then they quit.

You can take spiritual gifts tests. But probably the best way to discover your gift is to serve in a variety of ministry situations. When you find the area that suits your gift, you will know it.  http://www.intouch.org/you/spiritual-gifts/content/topic/learning_about_your_spiritual_gift_spiritual_gifts

19.   What do you want to recall from this conversation?

20.   How can we support one another in prayer this week?