The gifts of the Holy Spirit are one of the most misunderstood and abused scriptures in the Bible. Spiritual gifts are given to every believer at the moment of salvation. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. God gives each believer the gift or gifts He chooses to empower that believer with. No matter who you are, if you are saved, you have a spiritual gift. While every believer is empowered with a gift or gifts, they don’t take over our personality and act on their own. We determine if we will use what God has given us or neglect those gifts and do our own thing.
Spiritual gifts are special abilities that help accomplish the work of increasing the kingdom of God. They are not to be used to edify or exalt the believer. They are tools to help evangelize the lost and bring strength to the body of Christ. They are not talents that are natural abilities an individual has. For instance, a good voice is not a spiritual gift. While God gives it, you are born with the voice that you have. Using it for Him by singing praises is what we are designed to do, but it is not supernaturally received. It is a talent, not a gift.
In I Corinthians 12:1-11, Paul teaches the church at Corinth about spiritual gifts. He tells them he does not want them to be ignorant of what they are and where they came from. They are given by God and are to be used for Him. They are to exalt the God who gave them, not the individual who possessed them. In verse 2 he reminds them that before salvation they worshiped idols. Things that had no power at all. Now, by the Holy Spirit that lives within them, they could be successful in their relationship and the work of promoting Jesus Christ to the world, but only true believers can call Jesus Lord and be endowed with these gifts.
I Corinthians 12:1-3 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 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.”
In I Corinthians 12:4, Paul begins to teach them some truths that will govern their view of these gifts. While there are different gifts, they are all given by God. It is not something we should boast about. We don’t choose the gift or gifts that we have that is God’s place. Many commentators believe the church at Corinth had situations where people argued about whose gift was more important. They would promote and use their gifts to try to gain importance in the church. Paul is basically telling them they have the wrong idea about why God gave gifts. If every member uses their gift as the Holy Spirit directs, the work of the church will be complete. Just like our physical bodies have parts, the body can accomplish much when all are functioning at full capacity. However, if the foot can’t be used to walk on, it puts extra strain on other body parts. I have used crutches many times in my life when my foot could not bear weight, and it threw everything in my body out of sync. My arms, my opposite hip, my back, and my shoulders hurt because they were taking on work that was not their original design.
I Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”
In verses 7-11, he begins to help them understand what some of these gifts are and how they are all important. Some will have “the word of wisdom.” This does not mean they are the only wise ones in the congregation because we know that James 1:5 teaches us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Yet some are gifted in this area. God has empowered them with a special dose of wisdom. The same is true for the knowledge. Many have studied and obtained knowledge, but some seem to gain a better understanding and application than others. Paul goes on to mention the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, which is an unknown language, and the interpretation of those unknown languages. Then, he sums up this section by reminding us that it is the same Holy Spirit that empowers one gift and does the same for another. He decides who gets what. Again, gifts are to make the body function and run smoothly, bringing no glory or honor to the one who has the gift, but all the glory and honor, if used properly, will go to God. It is all about Him.
I Corinthians 12:7-11. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 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: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
