In 1st Corinthians 12:27-31 the Apostle Paul lists some of the gifts that are appointed to the church. The first 3 gifts are people; apostles, prophets and teachers, who build, proclaim and teach. The next two, miracles and healings, as well as the last, the gift of tongues, are gifts that can awe people who see them working in the life of the church. Remember how amazed in Acts 2 people were to see unlearned men speak in languages they had never learned? Thousands came to faith because of witnessing it; indeed that was the purpose. Helpers and administrations are people who get involved in the everyday workings of the Body of Christ; the daily grind of ministry. All of the gifts are important, and Paul explains that not all Christians have all the gifts but that our desire should be for the best or more useful gifts.
This is not the end of the argument about the gifts. Paul is setting us up at the end of chapter 12 “And yet I show you a more excellent way,” to make his point in chapter 13.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels….” This opening to Paul’s discourse on love starts with tongues. Paul is speaking hypothetically. So what if you do speak with languages of heavenly beings? Isn’t that awesome? Most people who had that experience today would hire a publisher and a co-author to write a book about it, maybe get it on the New York Times best seller list and have an appearance on Oprah. “But have not love….” The answer the Apostle gives is that these tongues, as amazing as they might be, are worthless and empty without love. Prophecy, understanding mysteries and knowledge and enough faith to move mountains, which would be awesome demonstrations of gifts, are completely meaningless even though they are God given. How about that! “Hey look at my gift! Isn’t it great? God gave it to me.” Yes but if it’s used outside of the context of love you are a nobody.
“And though I bestow all….” Generosity with money, possessions, time and even our physical body is considered by most to be the greatest form of sacrifice, gaining the giver tremendous stature in the eyes of the world, but according to Paul, it profits the giver nothing. There is no reward for any use of all the gifts unless God’s perfect love is the motivation behind it.
This is the crux of Paul’s argument. You are better off as a giftless unknown who loves, than a celebrated individual who demonstrates his great abilities, generosity and miraculous linguistics, who does not. A person who uses the gift of helps as a way to achieve position before God is also someone who gains nothing because this gift also, when used in a way that leaves out the love of God can produce no eternal benefit.
Love is a person, Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:12 says, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” Those who practice love are not concerned 1st about gifts; they are concerned about others just as God is. That concern and charity is the proof of their relationship with the God of love, and it’s the only thing in the end that matters. Laying down their life in self-sacrifice is just what they do because of the One they love.
This is not the end of the argument about the gifts. Paul is setting us up at the end of chapter 12 “And yet I show you a more excellent way,” to make his point in chapter 13.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels….” This opening to Paul’s discourse on love starts with tongues. Paul is speaking hypothetically. So what if you do speak with languages of heavenly beings? Isn’t that awesome? Most people who had that experience today would hire a publisher and a co-author to write a book about it, maybe get it on the New York Times best seller list and have an appearance on Oprah. “But have not love….” The answer the Apostle gives is that these tongues, as amazing as they might be, are worthless and empty without love. Prophecy, understanding mysteries and knowledge and enough faith to move mountains, which would be awesome demonstrations of gifts, are completely meaningless even though they are God given. How about that! “Hey look at my gift! Isn’t it great? God gave it to me.” Yes but if it’s used outside of the context of love you are a nobody.
“And though I bestow all….” Generosity with money, possessions, time and even our physical body is considered by most to be the greatest form of sacrifice, gaining the giver tremendous stature in the eyes of the world, but according to Paul, it profits the giver nothing. There is no reward for any use of all the gifts unless God’s perfect love is the motivation behind it.
This is the crux of Paul’s argument. You are better off as a giftless unknown who loves, than a celebrated individual who demonstrates his great abilities, generosity and miraculous linguistics, who does not. A person who uses the gift of helps as a way to achieve position before God is also someone who gains nothing because this gift also, when used in a way that leaves out the love of God can produce no eternal benefit.
Love is a person, Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:12 says, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” Those who practice love are not concerned 1st about gifts; they are concerned about others just as God is. That concern and charity is the proof of their relationship with the God of love, and it’s the only thing in the end that matters. Laying down their life in self-sacrifice is just what they do because of the One they love.
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