About this series:

The Holy Spirit is fully God, eternally existing with the Father and the Son. Throughout the Old Testament, we see glimpses of the Spirit’s presence and work, but it is through the teaching of Jesus and the events of the New Testament that the church’s understanding of the Holy Spirit is revealed more fully.

About this talk:

Paul is writing to a ‘messy’ church. He can say, “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way - with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge - God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you” (1:4-6). And yet he also needs to write, “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good” (11:17).

Paul had planted this church (Acts 18) and is now writing, very frankly, to correct things he’s heard and is concerned about and also to answer some questions - one of which is about spiritual gifts, v 1. Paul had presumably encouraged the use of these gifts when he was with them, but they’d got a bit carried away and were misusing the gifts God was giving. Messy! Paul’s answer to that situation is instructive: he doesn’t ban the use of spiritual gifts, but in chapters 12-14 teaches how to use the gifts properly and lovingly. We can summarise his teaching, in v 7, in terms of What? How? Who? and Why?

What are spiritual gifts? Paul says they are “manifestation[s] of the Spirit.” The expectation of the New Testament is that the Christian life is empowered by the Holy Spirit; it’s an adventure with the Holy Spirit.

So we read of “living by the Spirit,” of “the Spirit giving life to us,” of being “led by the Spirit,” of “walking by the Spirit.” ‘For Paul the Spirit, as an experienced and living reality, was the absolutely crucial matter for Christian life’ (Gordon Fee).

So we know the Christian life is a spiritual (a Holy Spirit) life. And Paul talks here of spiritual gifts, calling them “manifestation[s] of the Spirit” = demonstrations, expressions, evidences of the Holy Spirit’s activity. ‘[Spiritual gifts] are different ways the Spirit shows himself when the community is gathered together’ (Fee). So what Paul is saying is that the Holy Spirit is active among his people by giving gifts that demonstrate his presence and activity. ‘A spiritual gift is a supernatural capacity or power bestowed on a Christian by the Holy Spirit’ (John Rea). And he gives some examples in vs 8-10.

How do we get spiritual gifts? Is there a course I can do, levels of holiness I must attain? Paul simply says they are “given” - they are spiritual gifts, Holy Spirit gifts. And they are spiritual gifts. How do you get a gift?

By receiving it. ‘God...delights to shower his adopted children with love-gifts. God doesn’t provide his gifts as a perk for dedicated service or a reward for being religious. He doesn’t give gifts because we deserve them or because our birthday has come round. He gives gifts, quite simply, because he loves us...[The gifts] are never God’s stamp of approval on good attempts at self-improvement. We never ascend a league table of spiritual gifts and experiences according to how well we are progressing’ (Rob Warner).

In fact, in vs 4-11, Paul repeatedly states that these gifts are given. And the Greek words used for gifts mean ‘grace gifts.’ So the qualification for manifestations of the Spirit is not experience, intelligence, age or natural talent; it is simply the willingness to receive what God chooses to give. However, those gifts rarely come in their finished form, but grow as we use them and learn how best to serve with them.

Who gets these spiritual gifts? “Each one.” It is likely, especially looking later in this chapter, that some of the church members in Corinth thought they had nothing to offer while others thought they had everything to offer (vs 15-25)! But it couldn’t be clearer: “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given.” ‘The exercise of SGs should not be considered as something apart from the normal exercise of the body of Christ, but part of the normal spiritual development of each member in the life of the Spirit’ (David Lim). It’s important to note that though they are God’s gifts, they come to us in people-shaped packages. So the gifts are all given by the same Spirit / Lord / God (vs 4 - 6) but come in an “each one” shape, in an “each one” personality” and with an “each one” responsibility. So each of the gifts in vs 8-11 will present slightly differently depending on the person to whom God has given them.

Someone might ask, “How do I know what my spiritual gifts are?” Inclination and Recognition.

Inclination. It’s often the case that what we love to do is what we do well and may well indicate the way God has gifted us.
Recognition. Even more important is the assessment other trusted people make about us - what they see in us, what they believe we are gifted to do, what fruit they see from the ways we serve.

For those who remain unsure of their gifting, the advice would be: continue to serve in a variety of ways, do what the Holy Spirit prompts you to do and your gifts will gradually be recognised by other people.

Why are spiritual gifts given? “For the common good.” This is the key message Paul wants to get across to the Corinthians in chapters 12-14. The reason the Holy Spirit makes himself known by giving gifts to each one is “for the common good” - for the good of the church family as a whole. Or NLT: “As a means of helping the entire church.” ‘[Spiritual gifts] are God’s equipment for effective service’ (David Lim).

There seemed to be some in Corinth who were displaying certain gifts as a means of self-promotion, of increasing their public image! Paul is horrified and makes clear throughout chapters 12-14 how absurd that is. In fact, each time spiritual gifts are mentioned in the Bible this point is made abundantly clear. Eg. 1 Peter 4:10: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.”

Audio only

Life Group Discussion: What spiritual gifts has God given

From God → through me → for others

Group A: What are spiritual gifts for?

Read together: 1 Corinthians 12:7 • 1 Corinthians 14:3, 12, 26

Discuss together

What words or phrases in these verses describe the purpose of spiritual gifts?
Who is meant to benefit from a spiritual gift? What does "for the common good" suggest about how we should think about our gifts?
Paul talks about strengthening, encouraging, comforting and building up. What might these look like in ordinary church life?
Share a story: when has God used another person's gift to strengthen, encourage, comfort, guide or support you? What difference did it make?
What can go wrong when a gift becomes more about the person using it than the people it is meant to serve?

Be ready to feed back: What do you think is the clearest biblical purpose of spiritual gifts?

Group B: Who are they for, and how do we receive them?

Read together: 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 • 1 Corinthians 14:1, 12 • Luke 11:5–13

Discuss together

What do these passages suggest about who spiritual gifts are for? Is there any room for spectators in Paul's picture of the church?
The Spirit distributes gifts as He determines, but Paul also says "eagerly desire" spiritual gifts. How do those two truths fit together?
In Luke 11 Jesus tells of a persistent friend asking for bread, then says "ask… seek… knock" and speaks of the Father giving the Holy Spirit to those who ask. What does that add to "eagerly desire"?
If someone genuinely wanted to grow in a gift, what practical things could they do?
Why do you think Paul says both "follow the way of love" and "eagerly desire"? How should love shape our motivation?

Be ready to feed back: What does "eagerly desiring spiritual gifts" look like in practice?

Personal Response: What might God be growing in me?

In pairs or threes

A guide to the gifts

Serving (diakonia): practical service or ministry rendered for others.
Encouragement (paraklesis): coming alongside to encourage, urge or strengthen.
Teaching (didaskalia): instruction that helps others understand and live the truth.
Giving (metadidomi): sharing or imparting what you have with sincerity and generosity.
Leadership (proistemi): standing before others to lead, care for and give direction.
Mercy (eleeo): showing active compassion to someone in need or distress.
Hospitality (philoxenia): literally "love of strangers", welcoming and making room for others.
Administration (kybernesis): steering or piloting, giving wise guidance and direction.
Wisdom (logos sophias): a Spirit-given message applying God's wisdom to a situation.
Knowledge (logos gnoseos): a Spirit-given message or insight involving knowledge.
Faith (pistis): Spirit-given trust or confidence in God and what He can do.
Healing (charismata iamaton): "gifts of healings", grace through which healing is brought.
Prophecy (propheteia): speaking forth a Spirit-given message that builds up, encourages and comforts.
Discernment (diakriseis pneumaton): distinguishing or judging what kind of spirit is at work.
Tongues (gene glosson): various kinds of Spirit-enabled tongues or languages.
Interpretation (hermeneia glosson): making the meaning of a tongue understandable to others.

Discuss together

What are one or two ways you already see God regularly working through you to help or strengthen other people?
What evidence have you seen? What do people tend to thank you for, ask you for help with, or receive from you?
Is there a gift you would particularly like to grow in or experience more of? Why?
What could "eagerly desiring" that gift look like for you this week? What could you ask God for, and what opportunity could you step into?

A prayer to finish

Holy Spirit, thank You for the ways You already work through me. Help me recognise what You have given, use it to strengthen others, and eagerly desire all that You want to grow in me.