Category: 1 Corinthians

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29-30).

According to my trusty NIV Study Bible, this passage has two possible translations. The way it is written, “But eagerly desire the greater gifts,” is an encouragement to pursue God and the blessings of His Spirit. “Further up and further in,” as C.S. Lewis would say. That is the translation NIV goes with, and it works for me. Another possibility, however, is “But you are eagerly desiring the greater gifts.” In this case, Paul would be rebuking his readers for going after the status and prestige that might accompany more dramatic gifts. The guy who is throwing around prophecies in church will get a lot more attention than the man who is quietly tending to the needs of the poor, and some people are drawn by the spotlight. 

It seems to me that either translation, taken in context, comes around to the same concept:

It’s not about you.

The gifts are given by God, for HIs Church, through you. You and I are like the hose in my garden. We deliver the water to the thirsty plants. If we start to think that we are overly important in this process, then we get kinked up and useless. If we try to stand out and get attention, someone’s going to trip over us.

I think that’s about as far as I can take that analogy, but you get the point.

Happy Friday, Beloved

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues  (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

This is kind of an odd, eclectic list, when you read it closely. I mean, you’ve got apostles and prophets at the top. This makes sense–the apostles had been with Jesus and were the founders of the Church. And prophets? Sure, prophets would be right up there at the top–no question. But teachers in the #3 position? Ahead of miracle workers? That’s something to ponder. It really speaks to the importance of the Word of God. (I mean, I’m assuming Paul is not referring to history and geography teachers like me.)

Then, after the Big Three, Paul gives a kind of random list of gifts. I know it’s not exhaustive, and it doesn’t totally match up with the list of spiritual gifts he gave earlier, but still…

miracle workers

healers 

those who help others–(this seems to be a very broad category)

administrators–(my principal will be pleased to read this)

those who speak in tongues.

The point here, it seems to me, is that there is a wide and diverse variety of gifts, but they all have two major things in common:

1. They are given by God, and
2. They are to be used to build His Church.

Beloved, it’s not about trying to find yourself on this list. It’s about realizing that whatever talents you have–and you do have them–they are gifts given by the Lord of Everything to bless others. So go be you and do what you do–for the glory of God.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

And in the church God has appointed  (1 Corinthians 12:28).

Before we get into the list of what God has appointed folks to do, I just want to remind us…

God has appointed.

It isn’t you who decides your role, Beloved, just as it isn’t you who plants the gifts.

God is in charge of those decisions.

I’m not advocating a passive faith. I believe we are called to take hold of the Kingdom of God with both hands and work out spiritual butts off for God’s glory.

But

at the end of the day, remember that it is God who gives the gift

and the call

and the strength

and the Spirit to make it all happen.

Breathe deep, Beloved, and do what He has given you to do today.

No more, no less

Happy Wednesday.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Some things in the Kingdom of God we have to wait for.

The end of sin

The end of death

That perfected body I keep not seeing in the mirror

But

Now we are the body of Christ.

Now 

Not tomorrow, not next week, but now.

The body may be a little bruised, a tad arthritic, may even be balding and nearsighted. As we await our own perfected bodies, so we await the perfected Church.

But we are part of the body of Christ now. 

We are needed now.

So, in the words of the song,

Rise up, oh Church of God

Have done with lesser things

Give heart and soul and mind and strength

To serve the King of Kings.

Now

Happy Friday, Beloved

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it  (1 Corinthians 12:26).

We lost a friend yesterday.

I’ve mentioned that I’m part of a local community theater. It’s a big family, with people coming and going for different shows. Some people drop in once or twice a year, while other folks practically live there. As schedules and jobs and lives change, there is a certain ebb and flow to our numbers. We see one-and-dones, and we have lifers. The theater has seen numerous couples meet, marry, and raise their families, all within our little body. I have personally witnessed this twice.

Sometimes members of our little body  die.

And it hurts.

Yesterday was one of those days.

It is good to belong to a family. 

It is messy.

It is painful.

but 

It is good.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other (1 Corinthians 12:24-25).

One of my favorite books is The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. If you’re not familiar with it, go read it. But in the meantime, I’ll tell you that the tale is of a man who, in a vision, gets to visit Heaven for just a bit. During his time there, he observes several encounters between people who have recently died and the residents of Heaven, the redeemed of the Lord. My favorite bit involves this woman who arrives on the scene with all the pomp and circumstance of a queen. She has trumpeters and dancers and retainers and the whole razzmatazz.  The narrator asks his companion, who is also a resident of Heaven, who this woman is. He assumes that she must have been royalty in life to merit  such treatment in the afterlife.The narrator is stunned to learn that, in life, this woman was a “nobody.” She had a menial job and lived in poverty. In Paul’s body analogy, she would have been a kneecap or a random nerve. But…she loved God with all her heart and demonstrated this love by acts of mercy and kindness to the people around her. In the eyes of God, she was worthy of great honor.

I know that’s just a story, but it reminds me that God sees things differently than I do, and what He honors is sometimes different from what I would honor. So, the next time you are seated in church, look around. You are in the presence of royalty.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”  And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor  (1 Corinthians 12:21-23).

I do some work with a local community theater. One of the things that I love about the place is that the people there never seem to get hung up on their “rank” or position. A person may be the leading actor in one show, getting applause and adulation from the audience, and for the next show they’re painting sets in an empty theater. No autographs, no applause. They don’t mind, because they aren’t there for glory. They are there to serve.

Beloved, you can be preaching or parking cars, serving Communion or sweeping floors. It doesn’t matter. You are serving the Church, and you are indispensable. 

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body  (1 Corinthians 12:19-20).

It’s not about uniformity.

It’s about unity.

Your walk with Christ looks different from mine because your gifts and talents and life experiences are different from mine. And that’s  good, because while there are things I do really well, there are also things at which I stink. If the Church were filled with Michaels, we would have fun, but a lot of important things would not get done.

As I think about my own church, our own little reflection of the body of Christ, I see this at work. So many different people, from so many different walks of life, with so many different passions and experiences and skill sets, all devoted to the same God. We’ve got kidneys and spinal columns and phalanges all doing their various things, all working to further the Kingdom of God.

At least, that’s how it is on a good day.

Happy Monday, Beloved

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (1 Corinthians 12:17-18).

He has a plan,

and 

you’re in it.

So, instead of focusing on all that you are not–and yes, there’s a whole lot that you are not–how about focusing on all that you are?

Lean into your strengths, Beloved, and see what He does with you.

Happy Friday

Now the body is not made up of one part, but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body  (1 Corinthians 12:14).

You’re part of the Body of Christ.

I don’t know which part, but a part.

If you spend your time wishing you were something else, you will miss out on the chance to do what you have been created to do. Oh, and all parts of the Body of Christ are essential, so don’t go claiming that you’re a hangnail or a goiter or something like that. The Lord of Everything has hand-crafted you and gifted you for the purpose He has in mind. So you do you, as the cool kids say, and trust the One who loves you.

Happy Thursday, Beloved