1 Corinthians 12 is a book in the Bible that talks about spiritual gifts.
I've read this passage and studied it several times in high school for Bible Quizzing. This time, it speaks to me differently. No matter what work I do, what good that I do, I am only able to do this because God has allowed me to do it. God has allowed me to have the children that I have. If God didn't think that I could handle being a parent, he wouldn't have given me the awesome kids that I have. I'm not saying that all parents are fit to be parents- because yeah, there are some really bad parents out there, but I don't have to have this nice life with good kids if God didn't want me to have it.Concerning Spiritual Gifts
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distribuGtes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Did you see who was mentioned above? Jews or Gentile (None Jew), slave or free: Think about the rich and the poor, the privileged and oppressed. This verse is including all of us. We are all one, not separate. It makes me laugh and sad when I see different denominations claim Christ when they also believe in segregation on prejudices. To the non-believer, the Bible doesn't call us to be separate or better than others. We are all the same.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 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 stop being part of the body. 17 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? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 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!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
This could be applied to jobs. I went to school to learn about Business Administration. Just because I don't want to work at Mc. Donald's, it doesn't mean that I don't respect the people who do. I don't know how to make the food they make. Without them, I'm going to have to cook on the days that I don't want to.
I don't know a thing about being an electrician. I can look up and see how to put in a light fixture or a new outlet, but that's not my expertise. If I did it on my own, I could set the house on fire from loose wires.
I know how to use a plunger, but I don't know how to fix a pipe. Plumbers get at lot of crap (pun totally intended) for doing what they do. It's a hard and sometimes disgusting job, but what they do is important and if I need someone to wade through poop water because my toilet has backed up because a child decided to flush tons of Play-do or something else down the toilet. I'm going to need them to come help because I'm just going to make matters worse.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
https://mintools.com/gifts-list.htm put together a list of the different spiritual gifts that are listed throughout the Bible. If you click on the link and then each gift that's highlighted, you will be able to read a more detailed explanation of each gift. There list included:
Romans 12: Exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy, prophecy, service, and teaching.
1 Corinthians 12: Administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healings, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, tongues interpretation, and wisdom.
Ephesians 4: Apostle, evangelism, pastor, prophecy, and teaching.
Misc. Passages: Celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, missionary, voluntary poverty.
I already told you that I'm not a scholar, so I won't explain these to you, but there is a lot to think about. I previously thought that my gift was hospitality and something else that has to do with helping out teenagers. Now, I'm not so sure, although I've been told that a person can have many spiritual gifts.
I did look up the spiritual gift of Prophecy and what it has to do with today. This is what they say at Got Questions.org
Answer: The spiritual gift of prophecy is listed among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and Romans 12:6. The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. Many people misunderstand the gift of prophecy to be the ability to predict the future. While knowing something about the future may sometimes have been an aspect of the gift of prophecy, it was primarily a gift of proclamation (“forth-telling”), not prediction (“fore-telling”).
I do have crazy dreams and I've said many times that if I wrote them all down, I would have amazing storyline plots. What if those plots were given to me as a way to write stories about Christ? I'm already in the process of writing a book and have ideas for others. Is it a coincidence that I'm told this, now? Or what about how I've been writing this blog and have used it on occasion to share what God has said? In those ways, I'm already speaking forth. It may not be direct, but hey, Jesus told parables too! Maybe, in some way, these stories or posts will speak to someone and inspire them. I may not be predicting the future, but I certainly have a message to share!
Have you found your spiritual gifts? In what ways have you used them?
If you haven't found out what your gift is and you want to, I found this test for adults and this one for teens at spiritualgiftstest.com .
I already told you that I'm not a scholar, so I won't explain these to you, but there is a lot to think about. I previously thought that my gift was hospitality and something else that has to do with helping out teenagers. Now, I'm not so sure, although I've been told that a person can have many spiritual gifts.
I did look up the spiritual gift of Prophecy and what it has to do with today. This is what they say at Got Questions.org
Answer: The spiritual gift of prophecy is listed among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and Romans 12:6. The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. Many people misunderstand the gift of prophecy to be the ability to predict the future. While knowing something about the future may sometimes have been an aspect of the gift of prophecy, it was primarily a gift of proclamation (“forth-telling”), not prediction (“fore-telling”).
I do have crazy dreams and I've said many times that if I wrote them all down, I would have amazing storyline plots. What if those plots were given to me as a way to write stories about Christ? I'm already in the process of writing a book and have ideas for others. Is it a coincidence that I'm told this, now? Or what about how I've been writing this blog and have used it on occasion to share what God has said? In those ways, I'm already speaking forth. It may not be direct, but hey, Jesus told parables too! Maybe, in some way, these stories or posts will speak to someone and inspire them. I may not be predicting the future, but I certainly have a message to share!
Have you found your spiritual gifts? In what ways have you used them?
If you haven't found out what your gift is and you want to, I found this test for adults and this one for teens at spiritualgiftstest.com .
