1 Corinthians 12:4-11 – The Purpose of Our Spiritual Gifts

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

We have all been blessed with gifts from God. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks to the importance of our gift and why we should use them.

What Is Your Gift

What is your gift from God?  Do you know?  In 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, Paul listed gifts from one being given the word of wisdom to one being given the interpretation of tongues.  

Which gift do you think is yours?  Does it even matter to you?  If it doesn’t matter to you, I’m here to tell you that a gift from God is a wonderful blessing that should matter to you.

Now, before I go any further, I feel it necessary to point out that Paul’s list is a limited number of gifts.  I say this because I’ve seen some look at this list and feel discouraged, thinking God hasn’t blessed them with a gift.  It is important that you understand you may have a gift from God that is not listed in this scripture.

A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon about unlocking our full potential to fulfill our calling.  However, I have found it a ‘tough go’ when I preach or teach about the subject of gifts and callings.  Some believers don’t think they have a gift.  Others think they are too young to have a calling, or they’re too old and their gift and calling have passed them by.

Many believers are content with the thought that gifts and callings are only for pastors and preachers to fulfill.  In that contentment, many will happily file into church, open their Bibles, read their Bibles, say their prayers, and then return home.  Yet, in this study, I will show that all of us have a gift and a calling to fulfill.

A Calling to Fulfill

I have found that many believers don’t understand what faith and worship are.  Many of us will simply say that faith is what we believe, and we think that worship is about going to the church building for worship service.

To the Samaritan Woman who was taught one was to worship God in the mountains, Jesus said, “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father … the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:21,23).”  

When you say that you believe in God, what is it that you are saying you believe in?  You ought to say that what you believe in is founded in the giving of Christ, His only begotten Son.  Founded in the giving of Christ is God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation, which He has shown to us.  

IF you believe in God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation, what should you do with those things?  Well, you should move with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.  When you put what you believe into action, that is called moving in faith, or being faithful to what you believe.  The movement, the action, of belief is faith.  Faith is active–it doesn’t sit down.

We are commanded by Christ to love the Lord wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39).  In that command, Christ also tasks us to minister to all who are open to observing what Christ has commanded us to observe (Matt. 28:19-20).  

This call and commission isn’t just for pastors and preachers–it is all of our calling to fulfill.  As we dive further into this study, I want you to understand that you, no matter your age or contentment, have a calling from Christ.  I certainly hope that if you haven’t already moved to fulfill your calling, this study will help to put you into action.  I not only hope that it helps to put you into action, but I also hope that it gives you the confidence to act.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – Manifestation of Spiritual Gifts

As we start our study, we will see that Paul wrote, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”  This means that there are different varieties or types of gifts that all believers receive individually.  So, for example, I may be blessed with a gift that you do not have, and you may be blessed with a gift that I do not have.  

Yet, it is also true that you and I may share the same gift; however, how we use that gift will likely be unique to us.  This is also something that Paul pointed out, writing, “There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.”

I feel like something we ought to always remember is that we are all unique individuals.  While I share the gift of preaching the word with other preachers, like my dad, for example, I cannot preach as he preached.  Why is that?  Well, even though I was raised by him and even trained by him, I am a unique person with my own character and my own life story.

This reminds me of both Paul and Apollos, both of whom were preachers.  In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul spoke to the Corinthians about their divisions.  He spoke against the notion of some of them saying they were “of Paul” while others were saying they were “of Apollos”.  

Both Paul and Apollos had unique ways of ministering.  Acts 18:24 implies that Apollos was more of an eloquent speaker, while scripture like Acts 13:16 indicates that Paul was more of an animated speaker.  Like today, I believe some listeners preferred the eloquent and calm speech over the more animated speech.

However, Paul’s point to the Corinthian believer, as shown in 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, was that God gives the increase, not man.  Each of us has our own labor, our own way of doing things; there is no right or wrong way, nor is there a good or a better way.  Paul’s point was that God was working in both him and Apollos.

This reminds me of what James wrote, in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  

James agrees with Paul:  gifts are manifested in believers through the Holy Spirit, the “third person” of God.  James doesn’t say what makes on gift good or perfect, which makes me believe he wasn’t using the words in a comparative manner.  James’ point was that our gifts come from God.

So, whether I preach better than someone else or not does not matter.  What matters is whether or not God’s message is reaching your soul.  Whether you sing better than someone else or not, that does not matter.  We must understand that we are not in competition with one another!

1 Corinthians 12:7 – The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul tells us that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to all of us for the profit of all of us.  This is to say that our gift(s) are to benefit and uplift one another.  The Spirit manifests gifts in us so that we may bear good fruit.

Many “Christians” need to hear that God has not blessed them with a gift so that only they profit.  Many so-called Christians seem to only care about ‘I and me’– selfishness, greediness, and covetousness.  Some seek to use their gift in a manner that would benefit only their wallets and banks.  Such a mindset, we ought to know and understand, is that of a fool.

A lesson learned from a “certain rich fool”

Jesus taught a lesson against greed when He taught the Parable of the Rich Fool, found in Luke 12:13-21.

In the parable, Jesus spoke of a certain rich man who was a farmer.  This farmer had really good land that yielded plenty of crops.  He gathered in so many crops that his barn ran out of room to store any more crops.  

So, Jesus tells us that the man thought within himself what he should do since he was running out of room.  He said to himself, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’”

Now, many of us wouldn’t see anything wrong with his thinking, right?  Logically, it makes sense that he needed a bigger storehouse if he had run out of room.    However, while it would be the logical thing for him to do, Jesus said that this farmer would be judged a fool.

So, why would this man be judged a fool?  This man hadn’t killed anyone nor had he robbed anyone.  This man wasn’t an alcoholic, nor was he a fornicator.  So what was it that would have him be judged a fool?  

I want you to consider the farmer’s mindset by counting how many times he said ‘I’.  Then, I want you to consider the land he had that was able to produce plenty.  What did he do so that the land would produce plenty?  

As a gardener, I can tell you that we gardeners can make up our soil, get it nice and fertilized, but at the end of the day, nature will run its course.  The seed may or may not germinate.  The crop it produces, even if we water and fertilize it is not in our control.  What I’m trying to say is that his crop was still a blessing from God, and he was fortunate to receive such a blessing.

With his blessing, gifted by God, he only thought about himself.  He would be judged a fool because his mindset was selfish, covetous, and greedy.  Jesus said that God would ask such a person, “Whose will those things be which you have provided?”  

This reminds me of Solomon saying, “I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.  And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?  Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun (Eccl. 2:18-19).”

God blesses us so that we may be a blessing to those who are around us.  As Paul said, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.”  So, let us not think inwardly when it comes to our gifts, but rather, let us look outwardly.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 – Our Spiritual Gift

Now, as we take a look at this scripture, I want to reiterate the fact that this list is not the ‘de facto’ list of every spiritual gift from God.  In fact, we can cross-reference this list with Paul’s list in Romans 12:3-8, where he mentioned some similar gifts but also mentioned some others.   

In both letters, Paul speaks of the spiritual gifts of teaching.  To the Corinthians, Paul spoke of how the Spirit gives to one the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge.  

The gift of the word of wisdom is the gift of insight and understanding into the divine truth.  The gift of the word of knowledge is the gift of diving deeper into the truth and pulling out bits of great depth.  One may think these gifts are one in the same, but there is a difference.  I do believe that both of these gifts can help to edify (uplift), which again, is the goal of the Spirit.

In both letters, we will see where Paul mentioned the gift of prophecy.  Now, when Paul spoke of prophecy, he was not speaking of one who foretells the future.  The reason why we know this is because Christ was the last prophet–there is no new prophecy.  

So, Paul speaks of prophecy in the sense of one who is blessed with the gift to preach, declaring God’s will.  We live in a day where we need those who will preach God’s word unashamed and with great boldness. I say that because there are certainly many false prophets in the world who are preaching an antithetical message to the gospel. 

In both letters, Paul speaks of the gift of great faith, though in Romans, he expresses the gift of those who exhort.  There are those who are blessed with the ability to always see a ray of hope, no matter the situation.  These are the kind of people we ought to be looking for in times like now!  Those blessed with this wonderful gift are those who are exhorting (inspiring and encouraging) others to keep the faith, no matter what.

Now, some of the gifts that Paul mentioned in these lists are gifts that faded away during the waning years of the apostles.  For example, the gift of healing and miracles through the Spirit was a gift that the apostles shared in.  For us today, we can lay hands on another, we can even pray over another, but if one is sick, they need to see their doctor, and pray as well!

I also want to make a note, from his list in Romans, that Paul mentioned gifts of one who gives, leads, or shows mercy.  You see, I feel that with both of these lists, Paul was trying to cover as many bases as he could.  However, I will point back to what he said in 1 Corinthians 12:4, there are diversities of gifts.  

I don’t believe we can name all of the gifts that are manifested through the Spirit.  I do believe that what the Spirit makes clear to us is that He will use every last one of us!  The Spirit will manifest a gift, or two, or three in you so that you may bear fruit.  The fruit we bear is to benefit–uplift all who choose to eat it.

Don’t Hinder the Spirit and Your Calling

In Jeremiah 20:9, the prophet said that God’s word was in his heart like a burning fire shut up in his bones.  A burning fire does not sit still, does it?  No, the flame of a fire moves and dances.  A fire spreads and grows and will continue to do so unless it runs out of fuel or is quenched (put out). 

God’s word dwells in the souls of believers through the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).  The Holy Spirit is like a burning fire–He wants to move.  When Jeremiah tried to hold back from ministering to the people, he grew weary, unable to stop the word.  

The Spirit is going to move, and if you try to stop Him, you will grow weary.  Therefore, we ought not put forth the effort of quenching the movement of the Spirit.  As Paul shared in his teaching, permitting the Spirit to work through you is a wonderful blessing.

So, no matter your age or the doubt in your heart, you have a calling to fulfill as a child of God, and the Spirit will enable you to fulfill that calling.  Open your heart and mind, and let the Spirit manifest His gift(s) in you.  Don’t hinder your calling!  Go be a blessing to somebody, somewhere.