MEMORY SCRIPTURE

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

(1 Corinthians 12:12)

In the exercise of our diverse gifts, we must know that our diversities must not impair our unity in Christ. His Person and Word bind us together in His body. Don’t be an agent of division!

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS

Mon. 11: Christ prays For A United Church (n. 17:21)
Tue.12: Causes Of Separation Removed In Christ (Eph 2:14)
Wed. 13: Compliment Others; No Competition (Rom. 12:4-10)
Thur: 14: Christian Diversity Mustn’t Bring Division (1 Cor.3:1-11)
Fri. 15: Christ’s Grace Controls Christians’ Giftedness (Rom. 12:6)
Sat. 16: Christians Must Shun Sectarianism (Gal. 3:28)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

For His glory and the best operation of His Body, God has given believers a variety of gifts, ministries and activities

INTRODUCTION

TEXTUAL SOURCE: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6,12-31

We are grateful to God for the 43rd lesson in this one-year series. We discussed and concluded the talk on the topic: CHRISTIANS MUST POSSESS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, last week. We should have better understood the indispensability of possessing and exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit in moderating the effective use of our different gifts.

God doesn’t want us to lack knowledge, i.e. to be ignorant because of the danger therein (Isa. 5:13; Hos 4:6). Paul challenges us not to be ignorant of three things: God’s plan for Israel (Rom. 11:25); spiritual gifts (1 CoF 12:1); and the Second Coming of Jesus and the eternal state (1 Thess 4:13). The aforementioned further attests to the indispensability of taking a full grasp of how God expects us to interact well with His giftings in us. OF course, we need a proper understanding of the diversity and unity (what a paradox!) implied in the study of spiritual gifts, most especially, within the context of Paul’s teachings on the subject matter:

May the good Lord make this clearer to us as we study His Word. Amen.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. VARIETY: THE SPICE OF LIFE
2. AVOID GODLESS INDIVIDUALITY

LESSON EXPOSITION

VARIETY: THE SPICE OF LIFE (vv. 4-6,12-19,27-30)

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

(vv.18-19)

a) vv. 12-14: The illustration of the body is a perfect one to describe the diversity in the Body of Christ. Of course, the body is not one member but many (v.14).

b) V. 13: God has graciously fused Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free status. into the body of Christ (Eph. 2:11ff) -diversity in terms of race and – status.

c) VV. 27-30: There are diversities of gifts ministries and activities in the body. Paul lists some here and more in other places God graciously and sovereignly pours out His miraculous power in different ways among His people (V. 10).

d) vv. 4-6: Most refreshing is the fact that these diversities would not cause confusion. Why? They are all given by the same Spirit, LORD and God, also working through them in all. The gifts are the work of the Trinity- the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father.

e) VV. 17-19: The argument here is for the beauty of variety. Monotony makes life boring (VV. 17,19). Christ puts different gifts in His body to regularly spice up our individual and corporate spiritual experiences on our journey to heaven. Maximise this opportunity!

f) An understanding of this should moderate the way we interact with these diversities (vv. 20ff)

AVOID GODLESS INDIVIDUALITY (vv. 15-26)

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, 1 am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?

(vv. 15-16)

a) vv.15-19: Can any part of the body (foot, ear, eye, etc.) stand alone and function productively independently of others? Of course, No!

b) God hates unnecessary individuality, i.e. behaving as if one doesn’t need others to function maximally with one’s gifting. Always remember that every member/disciple is gifted differently and is important to God. Never feel too big or less needed.

c) vv.20,21: Never have the habit of condemning, or pulling down others gifts, ministries or activities. You aren’t better than others; we need one another to function well (1 Cor. 4:7). Are you feeling excluded in the Body of Christ? Believe: you are indeed a member of the body.

d) vv. 21-26: Obviously, there are weaker parts of the body, but we should be very careful not to see them as less important to the ‘stronger’ Those members who seem to be weaker are as necessary as other parts of the body.

e) vv. 23-26: God has a way of bestowing great honour on the less honourable parts. This is that there should be no schism in the body (v. 25). There is never any reason for schism in the body.

f) v. 26: Injustice to a member is injustice to the entire body of Christ. If this is the attitude of every member, we would have the same care for one another: And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

LESSONS DERIVED

1. God has given various gifts to believers to spice up our experiences in Him, on our way to Heaven.
2. No gift is superior to the other. So, there is no basis for pride and boasting.

QUESTION

1. Why dow we have different gifts in the body ofChrist?
2. No gift is superior to the other. Explain.