1 Corinthians 12:7-10 

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to 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.

300

It’s September, and summer is gone for now. Students return to school, so what may occupy your free time? Raking fallen leaves, and then watch movies!

Have you watched the fictional film about the battle between Spartans and Persians? The King of Sparta led 300 Spartan soldiers and defended their nation against 300,000 Persian soldiers; 300 versus 300,000? Wow! How about that?

Several times, the Persians attacked the Spartans but, they were defeated again and again. Then, a man from Sparta who had physical deformities went to the king of Persia and revealed a secret path to surround the Spartans. The king of Sparta and his 300 soldiers gallantly fought until all of them died in battle.

Previously, the traitor from Sparta wanted to be Spartan soldiers, but he was rejected because of his physical deformities. He revealed the secret path after the King of Persia made him honorary soldier and give him luxuries.

This fictional film practically illustrates realities in the church. When church attendees cannot get what they want, they go where they can get their wishes.

When human instinct prevails, disappointment and frustration happens. The church can be disturbed. Let’s reflect on what Christ declared in Mark 3:24,

²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Anyone can be disappointed; it’s natural human instinct. They’re frustrated when they cannot get what they want. When God prevents us to get what we want, we should prayerfully ask for wisdom to understand his better plan for us. Everyone has unique background and upbringing that may affect behavior.

When diverse behaviors dictate us, division may happen in the church.

The Lord designs each of us to be productive; he assigns us to appropriate ministries in the church, in the body of Christ, the congregation of believers.

Actually, our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for our unity in John 17:20-21:

²⁰I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

It is a testimony of the entire local church to be harmoniously united. Unity among believers is beautiful image in the church, the body of Christ. Unity among believers practically testifies of our spiritual growth. While we can agree that each believer has diverse spiritual maturity, we should be prayerful for each other.

Are you envious, irritated? Are you frustrated when you cannot participate in the ministry? Should envy, irritation or frustration prove deficiency of spiritual maturity? What should we do to grow mature in all aspects of our spiritual life?

What necessary adjustment do you suppose we should do for us to have complete harmonious unity in the church? Listen to the prepared message.

1.  Message

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 

How do you interpret the phrase “common good?” Ordinarily, “common good” is understood as communal favor that all believers may experience as a group, a collective benefit for the congregation. “Common good” is profitable necessity that could bring us together for betterment. Therefore, we should not be satisfied with just simply good but with increasing measure of improvement.

When the Holy Spirit is active among us, we desire stronger and deeper relationship with each other as brother and sisters in Jesus Christ. Agree?

The same Holy Spirit of God distributed different kinds of gifts to every believer so that each of us could be involved in the different kinds of services that the Lord prepared for us as exhibits of different kinds of working of the Lord in us.

Among us, the Lord has given a message of wisdom to one believer in the church while another believer is given a message of knowledge through the same Spirit. How should we explain that to a child or ordinary listener? What is the difference between a message of wisdom and a message of knowledge?

The English term “Wisdom” or “Sophia” in Greek pertains to insight, skill or applied knowledge; the English term “Knowledge” or “Gnosis” in Greek pertains to doctrine, experiential know-how, firsthand personal realization and not just simply communicated news or memorized information, statistics or data.

When the same Holy Spirit of God distributes this gift to speak of spiritual insights, and you are given the ability to interpret the message, you can relate the message to your personal experience and realization. Do you want to know if the Holy Spirit enables us to discern if preacher preaches from personal experience or he is just repeating a message of other preacher? What do you think?

Together, let us seriously reflect on what it declares in Romans 2:21-22.

²¹You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

Well, we can agree that Apostle Paul pertains to all prescriptions of the Lord, and it is not just limited to stealing, adultery or idolatry. To relate personal experience to the prescription of God is gift of knowledge, and to personally apply it or do what the prescription of God says is gift of wisdom.

The Jewish people were privileged to hear the commandments of the Lord first before other nations, but only a few personally applied what they heard.

This reality is not limited to Jewish people; it is also true among Christians.

Confused Christians argue about beliefs, unbiblical practices that are not literally told in the Scripture. Do you accept argument as expression of love and respect?

Do you expect that they respect you when confused people start saying, “With due respect…” and point out things they want to criticize? You can sense animosity in their tone or voice. Let us reflect on what it teaches in 1 Peter 2:17.

¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God.

It is divine prescription and practical expression of reverent fear of God to show proper respect to everyone and love for the family of believers. How many among us prefer to show respect to everyone rather than to be argumentative?

It is not very often we observe respect and love. If respect and love prevail in the church, praise God. We consider that as miracle. Don’t you think so?

2.  Miracles

⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ^10ato another miraculous powers

Most often, Christians are expected to display similar expression of belief in the Lord. Since we believe in the same Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, should we behave according to expectations of people who do not believe in Christ?

As Christians, we need to experientially know the gift that the Holy Spirit distributed to each of us individually as the Lord designed for ministry efficiency.

One believer gets the gift of faith, another gets the gifts of healing and another gets the gift of  making miracles. Which one have you personally received?

The gift of “faith” pertains to belief, trust, confidence, fidelity, faithfulness, especially reliance upon Christ for salvation. Faithfulness is also consistency, constancy and fidelity in the practice of obedience to the Lord. With faith, we put our trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, but spiritual gift of faith is strong and firm confidence in the promises of God, particularly, the gift of eternal life in Christ.

Reflect on what Jesus Christ prescribed in Matthew 6:33, ³³Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Listen: The spiritual gift of “faith” enables us to let divine authority prevails in our life, and we behave in godly righteousness, and we strongly trust the Lord to supply all our practical needs for godly life. How can we do that? We love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Meaning: We prioritize the Lord.

The gift of “healing” is miraculous intervention of the Lord and heals when we pray over patients with illness or sickness. Let learn from Apostle Peter and Apostle John. At one time, they went to the temple, and there was a beggar who cannot walk. Apostle Peter was instrumental for healing of the beggar, not John.

It narrated in Acts 3:6-8, ⁶Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Apparently, Apostle Peter had the spiritual gift of healing. And there were other disciples who had similar stories of miraculous healing the sick but not all disciples had the gift of healing. Others disciples have miraculous power also.

When Apostle Paul talked on and on until midnight, a young man Eutychus sank into deep sleep and fell to the ground from third story window and died. It narrated in Acts 20:10-12, ¹⁰Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹²The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Keep reading the Scripture and discover how disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit were instrumental to miracles. With genuine faith in Christ, expect that the Holy Spirit has given you his gift, and you would understand and interpret more personally the meaning of his divine prescription. We can specifically apply the word of God into our life with the help of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Holy Spirit inspires personal realization of the meaning of the Scripture.

3.  Meaning

^10bto another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

The spiritual gift of prophecy is the gift of communicating and revealing the truth that emanates from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God. Reproving or admonishing wickedness, comforting the afflicted, revealing hidden things or foretelling future events are considered as prophesying.

Reflect on what it narrated in Acts 8:29-35, ²⁹The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” ³⁰Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³²This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ³³In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” ³⁴The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Who was Philip? The apostles focused on prayer and preaching of the word, so the Jerusalem church elected deacons who took care of the practical needs in the church, and Philip was elected church deacon. When the Holy Spirit instructed Deacon Philip, he obeyed and interpreted the Scripture for the eunuch.

Philip the church deacon was also popularly called Philip the Evangelist.

Have you read if Philip the deacon or Philip the evangelist was trained in the interpretation of the Scripture? If you have not discovered your spiritual gift yet, be prayerful and pay attention when the Holy Spirit gives you instruction.

He empowers you to testify of your personal experience with Christ. You may have gift of preaching or interpreting the Scripture; you may have the gift of faith, healing, miraculous power or spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits.

Theologians suggest the spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits is the ability to distinguish godly doctrine from deceptive doctrine of cults; it’s the ability to discern sound doctrine from deceptive doctrine of man-made religions.

There’s also spiritual gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues. “Tongue” is properly interpreted as “language or dialect.” We will learn more about speaking in tongues in the future.

Spiritual gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues were given for the common good and originally, to address the problem of division and faction among the Corinthian Christians.

Spiritual gifts were given as manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit of Christ in our life. Previously, Apostle Paul testified in 1 Corinthians 1:4-8,

⁴I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we personally accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, his Holy Spirit affirms that we genuinely have faith in him, and spiritual gifts confirm the presence of his Holy Spirit in us. Each genuine believer received one spiritual gift, at least, while a few believers received more gifts as the Lord appropriated.

The different kinds of spiritual gifts are used in different kinds of services the Lord assigned for ministry participation. If in any case you have little doubts, the presence of his Holy Spirit in your life inspires you to be more assured that when Christ returns, he takes you into his heaven and you won’t be left behind.

Let’s reflect on 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, ²¹Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

You can be more assured of your salvation; you sense more confirmation that you’ll enter heaven when you actively practice you spiritual gift. Don’t be satisfied with your current spiritual status. The more we use our spiritual gifts, the more we grow spiritually mature. Have you discovered your spiritual gift already?

Keep praying and ask the Lord to reveal to you more specifically and clearly your spiritual gift he gave you, and how you may practice it frequently.

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