We talked about spiritual gifts, definitely one of the most controversial topics in the church today. Should it be? In this chapter, Paul breaks down what he calls the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. These are examples of ways the Holy Spirit acts (manifests) through believers.
There are other lists of gifts and offices in the body of Christ in Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11, not to mention the “armor of God” in Ephesians 6.
Now, with so much variation of temperament and preference in the body, it is essential that we stay unified as we as a Church dive into the mysteries of God. We need only to look at number of church splits today as evidence of what is at stake if we let our insecurities or preferences become competitive dogma.
We broke down the list that Paul gives us in this chapter, and we’re saving some of it for chapter 14.
1. Words of wisdom, 2. words of knowledge, 3. faith, 4. gifts of healing, 5. miracles (besides healing), 6. prophecy, 7. discernment between spirits, 8. tongues, 9. interpretation of tongues. (we’ll get into 8 & 9 in 2 weeks.)
Now, Paul is careful to mention to this group of (mostly) former polytheists that there is only 1 Spirit being manifested, not a group of different spirits. He also calls us to unity.
1. So, what stuck out to you the most from Sunday? What was God telling you as you were listening?
2. Why do you think this is so controversial?
3. What should our attitude be toward this subject? Where do we go from here?
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