Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 1 Corinthians 12 and Psalm 119:97-112

1 Corinthians is filled with Paul’s responses to issues confronting the Church in Corinth. In chapter 12 he turns to the question of spiritual gifts. Their pagan past had exposed them to many people with what looked a lot like the spiritual gifts they now saw in their Christian Family. They needed a few things made abundantly clear to them – and we do too.

Christian spiritual gifts will always glorify Jesus as Lord (v.3); they all come from the same Holy Spirit and therefore serve to honour the Lord Jesus (v.4-6) and to build up and strengthen His Family, the Church (v.7-11).

Next Paul turns to the illustration of a body. A physical body is made up of many individual parts, each serving their own unique and important purpose. Likewise, the “Body” of Christ, the Church, is made up of many individual parts (members) and each serves their own unique and important purpose. Parts of a physical body are interdependent on one another – so too are the individual members of the Church. Parts of a physical body are given life by the same blood supply, and the same Holy Spirit gives spiritual life to every individual member of the Church. Pain that affects one part of a physical body inhibits the wellness of the whole body. Likewise, when an individual member of a Church Family experiences pain, the whole Church is affected.

Read as a whole, this chapter paints a picture of the Church experiencing unity in diversity, mutual honour and interdependence, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, and working together in harmony to bring ultimate honour to Christ.

Life Application: What spiritual gifts and unique abilities has the Holy Spirit given you to use for the overall health of the local church to which you belong? Are you using them for the sake of the body and for the glory of Christ? If not, get going and start serving!