Valus
Knowflake Posts: 1554
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
|
posted October 31, 2009 11:01 AM
 
quote:
1 Corinthians 12 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
We are all familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love...", but how many of us are familiar with the lesson that directly precedes it? I believe that the message concerning the diversity of spiritual gifts is a crucial one. Too often, we dismiss someone as "unspiritual" because he or she is lacking one or another of these spiritual gifts. But, as the above chapter shows, to do so would be like dismissing the eye for its inability to perform the functions of a hand. Not all who are called are called to action. Some are pure seers. Not all are paragons of humility, or patience, or humor, or intelligence, or honesty, or talent. But all have something worthy of recognition. If we await the coming of a perfect individual, we will overlook the perfection of the whole. Together, we are the body of Christ; complete. Individually, we perform separate and distinct functions for the greater glory of God. The best we can hope for is to discover our unique and necessary place within this whole; not placing the heart above the mind, or the mind above the will, etc., but according to each its proper function within the whole. And while we yet seek to incorporate all gifts within ourselves, let us give special attention to the gifts with which we have been abundantly blessed, and not struggle against the purpose(s) for which we have been especially prepared by the grace of the Lord. If you are a heart, beat! If you are a mind, think! If you are an eye, see! If you are a will, act! Do not struggle overmuch to moderate yourself, but know that your own excesses will be checked by the other members. For we are social beings, created not to be whole and complete within ourselves, but to harmonize with one another. Indeed, the apparent dissonance which we observe between the individual parts down here on earth becomes, from a higher vantage point, a harmony which only the Holy Spirit may hear.
IP: Logged |
Lindaland
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
posted October 31, 2009 08:07 PM
: