Utterance of Knowledge

(1 Cor 12:8 NRSV)  To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

As I step out on this subject this week I hope to challenge your thinking and get some feed back. I will begin by giving some back ground to the times in which Paul was writing to the Corinthian church.  At the time of this letter the church at Corinth was about four years old.  This was about 21 years after Christ had been removed from the earth and the birth of his church.  There was written New Testament and probability of Gentiles having a complete copy of the Hebrew Torah was very slim.  So, we probably could state that all the church had was the letters written to them and the spoken teachings of their leaders. Now, let’s throw in the mix the manifestations of the holy spirit.

I grew up with the teaching and understanding that the manifestations were this supernatural ability beyond man and his ability to conceive or understand God.  As I grew in the Lord, read, studied and allowed God’s spirit lead and guide me, my beliefs and understandings began to change.  I can say the same for my understanding of the manifestations of the spirit. Like we talked about last week about wisdom that is from above, knowledge is pretty much the same way.

All my years growing up I was taught that these manifestations worked in a great mystery.  That the manifestations of wisdom and knowledge were like a gift of seeing into other peoples lives.  Like a psychic today, which we know that there are forces that are not from God at work behind them.  I have not found anywhere in the scripture that supports that these manifestations work like that in the church.  The closest thing you will ever find is how God worked in His prophets.  In the Old Testament they were called seers as well as voices for God.  Upon reading some of these stories in scriptures you will see where prophets could see into the secrets and thoughts of some people.  Jesus did the same with the Samaritan woman.  So could it be a prophet that sees into the hidden and reveals secrets? Most likely!  So what is the manifestation of wisdom and knowledge? 

The manifestation of knowledge is much the same as wisdom.  It comes from God’s spirit and is beyond human learning or education.  What I am saying, one could spend years studying in seminary and still be blind to the knowledge of God.  The confusion of age old traditions and doctrines that can not be truly proven in scripture is proof to this.  Like I said last week the same key word for us is the word utterance.

The manifestation of knowledge is a speaking manifestation, or could we say a preaching one.  The simplest way to put it is the God given ability to speak knowledge about God to those who do not have it.   It could also be revealing something about God and His purpose for His church that is not known by everyone.  Now let’s bring in what I opened with.

In the beginning of the Church of Jesus, the things we know now were not fully known then.  You see, we have the privilege of looking back on history and seeing a bigger picture.  They had nothing, it was all new and there was not even a book for them to draw from to help them understand what was so new and wonderful to their world.  The gospel of Jesus was not in any written form yet.  There were those who were first hand witness, but new leaders were arising everyday that had not personally been taught by Jesus, and Paul was one of them.  So, where did He get this vast knowledge of the secret called the church?  How did he come to understand so much about the work of salvation, faith, and the grace of God? I have come to believe it was the manifestation of knowledge at work, let’s look at what was written on this subject.

(Eph 3:1-7 NKJV)  For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles; {2} if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, {3} how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, {4} by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), {5} which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: {6} that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, {7} of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Paul is telling the Ephesians that what he came to know about Christ and the church was given by the spirit.  We will look at other scriptures about this knowledge, but for now we will focus on Paul as our example of the manifestation of spoken knowledge.  We can find through out the book of Acts and Paul’s writings that everything he spoke or taught came from the Lord.  Yes he may have drawn on some Hebrew scriptures at times, but he considered all he knew about Jesus and the church as coming from the Lord.  He even said that all his own experiences and earthly knowledge was not even fit for the dung heap in comparison. Let’s look at what He told the Colossians.

   (Col 1:26-29 NKJV)  the mystery(secret) which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. {27} To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery(secret) among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. {28} Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. {29} To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. (emphasis mine)

   

You can see here it is the spirit of God that has in the beginning of the church and I believe still today reveals the message of hope.  I have come to see when someone reads the bible what God is saying is not always revealed to them.  This is the work of God’s spirit in the church to reveal God and the message of hope. (1 Cor. 2) Notice, Paul mentions his teaching and preaching.  This is not just any teaching or preaching, but an imparting of knowledge that God has given Paul.  The manifestation of the utterance of knowledge is being used here.  So, let’s see what the Bible does say about this knowledge that God gives. 

(Rom 11:33-36 NKJV)  Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! {34} "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" {35} "Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?" {36} For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

By just reading the above scripture, one could say we can never truly know God.  Too many people have stopped here and never understood that this knowledge about Him and the message of hope is available through His spirit as you will see.

(Rom 15:14 NRSV)  I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.

(Eph 1:8-9 NRSV)  that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight {9} he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,

(2 Cor 4:6 NRSV)  For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

(1 Cor 2:9-13 NRSV)  But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"-- {10} these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. {11} For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. {12} Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. {13} And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.

Let’s look at a few other places in the Bible where this knowledge is mentioned.

(2 Pet 1:1-5 NRSV)  Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: {2} May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. {3} His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. {4} Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. {5} For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge,

I think Peter is making it pretty clear how important that Christians have the right knowledge of God, and Jesus.  Where do we get this knowledge?  I don’t think you can just get it from reading the Bible but by the holy spirit.  You see in the beginning of the church they totally had to rely on this impartation of knowledge to get the message out and build the church of Jesus.  There were no Bible schools, teaching conferences, or wide spread media to keep the Christian informed.  There was no printed Bible in every household, as a matter of fact there was no Bible and they probably did not even conceive the ideal of a Bible.

Do we still need to have the manifestation of knowledge today? I would say absolutely.  If God and His work of grace could be proven or conceived by intelligent presentations or by just studying the Bible, we should be seeing the church in an explosive upswing instead of a moral decline.  Especially since the Bible is still the most printed book today, but in my opinion the least understood. God has never needed man to prove who He is; He can do that all by himself.  He however chooses to work through us and revel himself in us manifesting a knowledge of Him that can only come from Him.

There are also some warnings to us about how we use this God given knowledge.

(1 Cor 8:1 NRSV)  Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

(1 Cor 8:11-12 NRSV)  So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. {12} But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

I could say a lot here about the above scriptures, but maybe some other time.  The simple truth is all that God gives to the church must work by love.  Be careful not to let pride creep in when God reveals himself to you.  I have seen over the years people God has worked in them in special ways and showed them many things, but pride arose in them and no one cared what they had from God. You see this gospel message is so great and God gives us the tools to help spread the message and strengthen His Church.  We just have to keep the love of God in the forefront of all we do.

(1 Cor 13:2 NRSV)  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

To sum up with this topic, let me recap. Today, I believe that the utterance of wisdom and knowledge are twins.  They go hand in hand in helping the church to effectively preach or teach the gospel message and reveal who God is and His son Jesus.  How does that benefit the church?  When those with whom the holy spirit moves upon to manifest in them these two manifestations, it gives them a positive assurance and confidence to convey God’s message.  When this happens it often puts them in a positive way with the hearers.  Like Peter and John when they spoke to the religious leaders of their time. It was noted that they could tell that they had something and had been with Jesus, for they were uneducated.  Then Peter and John went back to the church group and rejoiced.  You should notice their prayer after that.  They asked God to give them more boldness to speak in Jesus’ name and to work in the manifestations.  (Acts 4)

Manifestation of Wisdom

(1 Cor 12:8 NRSV)  To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

As we get into the manifestations of the spirit, I will deal with each one separately.  There seems to be only nine different manifestations at first, but with a closer look you could conclude that the list represents nine areas of manifestations.  I don’t think one could make the case that each manifestation looks exactly alike. Then you should also make note of the diversity of the spirit working on different believers in the body of Christ as the spirit chooses.  Could a person experience all nine areas in different times or in a couple of them at once?  Upon close study of the New Testament and the book of Acts you should be able to conclude a resounding yes!

Every believer thinks differently, has had different life and spiritual experiences and we should understand that God‘s spirit works with that in each one of us.  So God’s spirit will always know how best to get His message out and through whom it would work best at the time it is needed.  Let’s take a look at something Jesus told the disciples in (Luke 12:11-12 NRSV)  When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; {12} for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say."  Then lets look at (John 15:26 NRSV) “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. (John 16:13 NRSV)  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  These very words need to resound in every believer.  That the gift of holy spirit wants to be a witness in and through us for the message of Jesus Christ.  Then when you read the account of the early church’s exploits you can see this at work.  One good example is how God used Peter over the other disciples when it cam to speaking boldly.  To start with this was Peter’s nature and God used Peter in the area that fit him best.  All the other disciples work in areas that fit them as well. 

I said all that earlier to show you that God works in each person differently and in each group differently. Just because you have experienced the manifestations in your group one way does not mean the other groups should do the same.  Even in a local group how God works through one person does not mean that is how He is going to work in another.  In a local group God does not need to manifest all the same in every person.  It should be different and out of different categories.  The holy spirit may give one wisdom, on someone else knowledge, then another maybe speaking in tongues, or prophesying.  We just have to trust God’s spirit and the ability He gave us to think and judge a matter.  The point is the whole body should be involved in the manifestations of God’s spirit not just a few or the preacher.  As we learned last week this is a sign of spirituality. (1 Cor. 2.13-3.1)

So, from my perspective I see nine areas God’s spirit manifest and we will start with the first, wisdom.

You should note that the word utterance is used with this manifestation.  This is a speaking with wisdom manifestation.  Despite what some may think God does not take our tongues and make them speak things we can’t control.  It takes a partnership with God’s spirit for this to work.  This is not a wisdom that can be learned or comes by experience, but to be manifested in times of need.  If I may, let me say something here that the manifestations or for the common good of the whole body of Christ and to share God’s message with the lost.  This is not for any personal gain.  I do not believe God is going to show you how to win at the stock market, which is something you can learn and it brings no glory to the Kingdom message.  However, in time of need God may have you speak wisdom into an area of need that brings him glory and advances His kingdom message.  Peter is a good example when he was brought before the Jewish leaders. Always remember this is a speaking manifestation and not a personal revelation.  

What should this manifestation of wisdom look like?  I think as well as you should, it is found in God’s own word.  James wrote in chapter one, that if anyone lacked wisdom they should ask God in faith or in a complete trust in God that He will give what we need.  James tells us that God will not hold wisdom back, so could we say that God wants wisdom to be spoken in our churches? I think so!  If what we are seeing is not fitting God’s plan or Word and it brings harm or takes away peace, could we say that it is not God’s wisdom?  I would say so!  Let’s look and see what the Word does say.

(James 3:17 NRSV)  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.

Look at the qualities of God’s wisdom.  When a person says they are operating in the manifestations or speaking a word of wisdom will it pass the James three test?  Does it produce good results?  Some people need to stop being naïve and believing everything someone says came from God.  Remember, Paul was correcting the Corinthian church for their abuse of God’s manifestations.  Paul was not taking them away but setting the record straight. Today, instead of finding truth and setting things straight, when we find abuse in the manifestations we take them away.  I think every believer needs to be willing to let God’s spirit manifest in them and open their mouth and let it work.  Then with the brain God gave them think through what is said and or heard and see if it passes the James three test.

(Eph 3:9-10 NRSV)  and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery (secret) hidden for ages in God who created all things; {10} so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Emphasis mine)

God wants his wisdom to be made known through His church.  Over the years many churches have looked like fools in how they handled God’s manifestations.  Notice, that Paul is telling the Ephesians that God’s wisdom is rich in variety; also could we say here in different ways.  This speaking manifestation is for the church to declare God’s plans that were held secret through the ages until Jesus. Then this same Jesus manifested God’s heart and mind to those who would receive.  Especially to the powers of evil, this is what Paul was telling them.        

(1 Cor 2:6 NRSV)  Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.

Once again Paul is saying wisdom is spoken. God’s wisdom does not come through learning or experience.  This is where the church began to mess up in the second century when higher learned men began to apply their own wisdom to the gospel message and a distortion of truth was produced.  If this wisdom from God could be learned from a teacher or from a book then there would be no need for God’s spirit to manifest it.  Notice all of man’s wisdom is doomed to perish with men.

(Col 1:9-10 NRSV)  For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, {10} so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

(Col 1:28 NRSV)  It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

(Col 3:16 NRSV)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

I brought this verse up for you to see that if wisdom is meant to be spoken then and as we will see next week knowledge is also spoken then we should conclude for us to gain understanding and spiritual overcoming lives we need to have God’s manifested wisdom spoken in our groups on a regular basis.  I feel it is because this has been cut off from the church we are seeing a spiritual and moral decline among believers.

We need the wisdom of God spoken in every gathering and service.  For to long it as been stopped up and prevented from coming forth.  It seems to have been hijacked by leaders and reduced down to catch phrases and platitudes.  God still wants His message to be heard in a lost and dying world.  Here lately I keep hearing from various groups that we need to change our message to reach this world.  The message is not the problem but how the church projected the message and lived it out.  We don’t need to change the message we need to get God’s wisdom back in and start hearing what God has to say on all matters.  We need the manifestation of wisdom now more than ever.  We are in a world today where there is so much man made wisdom and this causes rejection of God’s truths.  Let’s stop making excuses for where we are at in the body of Christ and seek Him for the manifestations in the church.  

Hijacked?

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NASB

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another  various  kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

As I enter the area of manifestations of the spirit, I want to open our minds to look at all the verses with new thought and reason.  I know that we have opposition on both sides. On one side we have those who reject any manifestations in the church and on the other side we have those who have abused God’s great gift to the church.  Then we have all those in between, who offer their own versions of spiritual manifestations.  This all leads to much confusion on the subject.  Then there are today’s pragmatic charismatic leaders and what I will call spirit filled churches (this includes all the various kinds of charismatic, Pentecostal churches).

Many of today's charismatic leaders and churches have taught and operated in an un-balanced manifestation of holy spirit. Many of their services operate in a frenzy of uncontrollable emotion.  Then those who reject the manifestations fight and often reject those who do believe in the manifestations, many times making fun of them. A large part of spirit filled churches thrive on spirit manifestations, right or wrong they encourage people to operate in what they call spiritual gifts. Even if the person really has no ideal what they are doing.  

Then there are groups and ministries who make you feel there is a greater glory given them to be exclusive in their gifts.  In many of these groups they call the manifestations, prophetic gifts. I have even seen some of them send out groups to other churches to operate in the manifestations, often with disastrous results. When someone questions what these groups are doing they are often made to feel like only that group knows how the holy spirit operates. 

Then there are those churches that seem to have the same people over and over operate in the manifestations often with ensuing problems. These people seem to be held in a higher esteem, ending in a prideful, puffed up person. I have seen people act as if they are more spiritual just because the holy spirit has manifested in them.  We are told just because it works a few times we are to excuse all the other times they are wrong.  There have been a great number of times some charismatic leaders are wrong, but condemn anyone who questions them. 

If I can say this as gentle as I can, today it seems this wonderful gift God has given to the church has been hijacked by a few spiritual radicals. How did this happen, when this gift was given to the whole church, every believer, as God's spirit would choose to work in each person as he wills? Hijacked? Yes I feel it has been hijacked from the whole body of Christ. The whole has lost out on a wonderful part of God's spirit gift given to the church on that great day of Pentecost, by a small few. 

A great many spirit filled church has left a bad taste in the mouths of those who struggle with this gift.   Then on the other side there is equally a great many who fight against it, even teaching that is not from God. Now, I know I may not be somebody great, but where does mere men get the ideal that they know more about God and how He works than anyone else, giving them the right to pass judgments.  Let's look at something else Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 AMP

But the natural, non spiritual man does not accept  or  welcome  or  admit into his heart the gifts  and  teachings  and  revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned  and  estimated  and  appreciated.  But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern  or  appraise  or  get an insight into him].  For who has known  or  understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide  and  instruct Him  and  give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah)  and  do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

1 Corinthians 3:1 NASB

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.

I think Paul makes it clear what the differences are between people who are spiritual or natural. I love how the Amplified version reads in this text. Those who reject spiritual things are natural and can not appreciate God's gift to the church.  Then notice what makes one spiritual.  A person, who investigates, examines and thinks with his mind asking questions. This is one who seeks the truths of God.

Now, in no way do I even feel like I am some kind of expert. Yet, if someone would let the spirit of God guide them and look at the scripture with sound thinking, how can they miss the simple truths about God's wonderful gift.  It is because of the many religious leaders who have rejected God's wonderful gift, that many of the radical abusers have had free reign. It is because of the lack of good sound reasonable teaching of the masses, the select few have run away with the gifts, and manifestations. What is wonderful and intended to be  a blessing to whole body of Christ, has been hijacked by a many spirit filled church, charismatic leader and uniformed Christian.

The gifts and manifestations were given to the whole church and I sincerely believe God wants everyone to benefit from them. God wants His spirit to manifest in every believer in many ways.  The gifts and manifestations are tools for growth, healing, ministry, and spreading the gospel message. I do not think they were given for us to hold anyone in awe, or for ministry to gain wealth. They were not given for us to huddle together and make each other feel good all over. Let's take back what belongs to us and learn how to trust in God's spirit and gifts. Let's see God's church grow in power and spiritual strength, rightly operating in the gifts and manifestations.

I truly believe there are people who truly love God and let God's gifts and manifestations operate in them and try with wisdom to properly represent God.  Due to the dark cloud of bad reputation given to manifestations and those who operate in them, it is very difficult to encourage others to allow the gifts and manifestations to operate.

Jesus, in John 14-16 promised the church that the spirit would be given and be a part of every believer. This gift showed up on the day of Pentecost and right away showed manifestations for all to see. This put the gospel message at the forefront of all of society and helped those early Christians grow and the church spread the message.

It has been over the centuries, that what God intended for the church has been lost and a few have hijacked what belongs to every believer. God's spirit chooses how it works in each person to bring results in the believer as well as the church. As we look at the manifestations, let's let God show us the way, and revel new insight to age old truths.

It is or it isn’t

(1 Cor 12:4-7 NKJV)  There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. {5} There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. {6} And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

 {7} But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

For the last few entries I have been talking about the differences of all believers and the diversity of the gift of holy spirit.  Borrowing from Paul in (1 Cor 14:36 NRSV)  Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?), I have to ask the same question when it comes to the holy spirit and its works and operations in the church.  I have spoke with so many people over the years who acknowledge the holy spirit but deny the results that should be evident. 

I know that many will just say it is the fruit of the spirit that should be the results, according to Galatians 5.22-24.  On a personal level, yes, it should, but not alone.  Fruit stands for maturity, so on a personal level we crucify our own flesh and become more like Christ.  This is a true sign of spiritual growth.  I will never say that having the spirit manifest in you is a proof of ones spiritual maturity.  It seems only those who are mislead and immature would even think that one is spiritually mature just because the spirit is manifested. 

Let’s look at the above verse seven and try to see what is being said here.  For either the holy spirit is true and will be manifested or not.  You can’t have it both ways.  If the holy spirit is the gift and presence of God, then even today, it should be manifesting in those who claim to have God’s spirit.  You cannot claim to have God’s spirit at work in you and then deny its work or say it is no longer needed to be manifested.  Please, those who believe this prove it soundly in scripture.  You cannot say it was just for the Apostles, for the scripture above and many others show us that many believers had the holy spirit manifest in them.  It seemed to be common for believers to have holy spirit manifestations.   

The Greek word used in verse seven is  phanerosis, meaning exhibition, expression.  So, maybe we can read 1 Cor.12.7, like this, but to each one (believer) is given the expression of the Spirit for the common (advantage) good (increase) of all (believers).  The spirit may work differently in each person but the fact still remains that there should be an outward exhibition.  So, what happened to today’s church.  I think it fell victim to a long history of traditions over God’s spirit.

Now, if some of you will just get off your doctrinal high horse and stop worrying about who has all their doctrines right and let God’s spirit work.  We might start seeing a body of Christ coming together for the good of all and a spiritual exhibition of the spirit to an unbelieving world. Either the gift of spirit, God has given the church comes with power and manifestations or it doesn’t.  It either has power to change life’s and demonstrate God’s love and power or it does not.  I have come to the conclusion that today’s churches must have come to the place of acceptance of holy spirit as just a salvation tool and nothing more.  We come to rely more on men’s teachings and abilities in medicine, psychology, and talents than the power and grace of God.

Let’s look at a place where Paul deals with churches who rely on teachings, rules, and abilities.         

(Gal 3:1-5 NRSV)  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! {2} The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? {3} Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? {4} Did you experience so much for nothing?--if it really was for nothing. {5} Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

If we are to believe Paul is steadfast and consistent in His teachings then we know Paul was one who encouraged outward manifestations.  So, was the Galatians ones who freely believed and moved in spiritual gifts and manifestations and slipped back into traditions and laws over the power of the spirit?  It seems this way.  Paul even made the claim that it was through the holy spirit and power he was an effective minister to the Gentiles Eph. 3.7.

(1 Cor 2:4-5 NRSV)  My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, {5} so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

(Rom 15:19 NRSV)  by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ.

(Col 1:26-29 NKJV)  the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. {27} To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. {28} Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. {29} To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

So if it was the holy spirit that made Paul effective, because of exhibition and power, is this for us also?    (2 Cor 4:7 NRSV)  But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  I believe Paul is not talking exclusively, but corporately here.  He is including all those he was writing to and all those who would read His letter.  

(Heb 13:20-21 NRSV)  Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, {21} make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

It is the work of holy spirit that is able to do that complete work. If the holy spirit is at work, then should we not see it on exhibition.  I will not try to tell you what that is supposed to look like in every person, for we know that it works differently in each individual.  All I am saying, there should be a manifestation if there is truly a gift of holy spirit.  I see no place in scripture where the holy spirit is in silent presence, there only as a salvation tool and nothing more.  Over and over again we see that holy spirit is an active gift to help the believer as well as the over all church reach the given objective given by our Lord.  That is to preach the gospel message of the Kingdom of God and all that it entails.  We are empowered to bring our work to an effective completion, to allow the spirit to bring our own lives to an effective completion.

When Jesus comes we will know him for we will be like him in every spiritual way.  The manifestation is given for the whole body to benefit.  As we enter the nine areas of manifestations lets us enter with an open heart and mind to God’s gift to us.  Let’s cast off pre-mind sets and stereotypes we cast on others.  If we are truly lead by God’s spirit then we should be relying more on Him and not on our own abilities.  Should we not be open to let the spirit do a work starting within us then in the rest of the church?  So in closing I have one more question. When it comes to the manifestations of God’s spirit, What Happened to us the Church?

Motorcycles and The Holy Spirit

(1 Cor 12:6-7 NKJV)  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. {7} But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

I love talking about the holy spirit and all that God has done for, in and through me.  I have been saved since a little boy and have had the holy spirit manifest through me since I was ten.  Yes, I did speak in a language I did not understand.  No, I was not looking for it and was not prompted to do so.  Just one night at a prayer meeting in a home as I was kneeling to pray I felt in a way I never had before and then it just happened.  Ever since that day I have had pursued God with all my heart and have had His spirit manifest through me.  I preached my first sermon at the age of eleven and to this day I want to be obedient to the Father. 

I spoke about my childhood for a reason.  From that time as a child to now, my whole life has been a learning experience.  It has been the holy spirit that has birthed the righteous seed of God in me to say I have been born again.  It has been a journey of change and spiritual growth, and I am not where I need to be yet.  Yet, there is something I always say,” I am not where I need to be, but thank God I have left where I was”.  In all my years of growing in church I have heard every camp of doctrine say that they believed that all those that did not believe like them could not truly be saved or born again.  I say that none of us has the right to make that judgment with anyone. There is no doubt in my mind that I was born again as a young man even though I had much to learn about God and who Jesus is.  It has been the holy spirit that has been my guide to truth, but I had to cast off mans traditions to learn it’s leading.

I can say that what I now have learned is nothing like what I knew over forty years ago.  There has been much diversity in my life and many great memories of God’s spirit at work in me.  As I think Paul was trying to teach us that God works through all of us by His spirit.  That we have to let God do the work and stop worrying about if everyone’s doctrine is right, as long as it is not leading to sin and abominations.  Are there men and women today who are deceivers and false leaders?  Yes, but maybe we need to stop worrying about the false and just let God do what He needs to do in His church.  Let Him work through and in us to bring us to that place He would have us to be. We are all different and God works within that diversity, each one fitting in their place in the body of Christ.

How does all this work with the title of this weeks blog?  Let me please explain, if I can briefly. I want to share a parallel thought, if I may today.  This weekend I spent this last Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning in a motorcycle safety class.  It is required here in Texas to get a proper license to ride my new motorcycle.  A thought hit me today as I was completing the riding course training.  You see as we met at the ridding course, there were a variety of motorcycles there for us to use. They were all small and different styles from sport bikes, street bikes, to dual purpose bikes.  We were told to pick out the bike that best fit us.  There were a variety of aged students, and experience.  Each person picked out the bike that they felt they could learn their skills on or maybe just liked.

I picked out a street bike that was a Suzuki 250.  That is small and way short of the power of the Harley Davidson I now have.  We were there to learn skills and small was where we needed to start.  Look at the scripture in First Corinthians and all those I closed with last time.  You see we were all different and used different cycles that worked best for each one of us to accomplish a single purpose.  We all had the same goal, complete the course and learn to be a safe rider.  We all learned differently and used different bikes but completed all the same challenges set before us.  We all had different fears to overcome to safely operate the bike.   Not one of us was the same.  There was even a man in our class that had been riding for over 25 years without a motorcycle license.  He was there only because he received a ticket.  Yet, that same man struggled with some of the challenges.  He spoke after a time, saying how glad he was to take the course and that he learned things he did not know and it was going to improve his riding skills.

The point I want to make was we were all given motorcycles they were all different to fit us who were all different.  They work differently based on the ability of each rider.  They all had about the same power but they each worked according to the work of the user.  You see God gave of his spirit to the church, according to the New Testament writers to everyone who is born again.  It is different in each person and works within each person according to their faith, obedience and who they are.  It is the same holy spirit but works differently in each person based on that person.  Those motorcycles were provided for the benefit of each rider for the common purpose to help us accomplish the common goal.  The gift of God’s spirit is just the same way for every believer, it is provided to use for the common good of each of us and the church.  To help us all achieve the same goal in Christ to become as he would have us be and be the church he desires, people of victory and growing into the complete person and maturity in Christ.

We are called into God’s kingdom together. We are all members one of another and He has given us the same hope.  We are all given the same spirit to help us do ministry, and be changed into the image of Christ.  We may all be different and we may all not be on the same level in many ways.  We may not all have let the spirit manifest as it should or taken full advantage of what it is given to do.  None the same, we have come to be born again by the same spirit and are recipients of God’s grace by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We all belong to Him and His spirit will lead us into truth if we would be willing to cast off traditions of men and let the spirit do what it was given to do.

 (John 16:13 NRSV)  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

As a testimony of my own life, it has been that love and passion that has driven me over the years.  With my heart hot after the Father, over the years the holy spirit has lead me to truth and new discoveries.  Many of the things I believed growing up with have changed for me, the doctrines of God, Jesus and many more things have come to a deeper understanding by the spirit.  In the next few weeks we will talk about manifestations and I hope to challenge your thinking.  While we do this let’s remember we are all a part of the body of Christ.

(1 Cor 12:3 NRSV)  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

(Col 3:12-17 NRSV)  As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. {13} Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. {14} Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. {15} And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. {16} Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. {17} And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Gal 5:13-14 NRSV)  For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. {14} For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

By the way we all passed and our skill levels test had different results, although we all had the same instructor, coach, course, and book.

Purpose by His Spirit

Being the holiday season many folks see the season in many different ways.  I want to draw on this to make a point about the work of holy spirit in believers.  We call this time of year Christmas season followed by a new year.  Now the New Year may or may not have any spiritual meaning to the church.  Some try to make it a spiritual time of renewing and fresh starts.  There is no biblical reference for new years but all the same if that works for you take the time to reflect and refresh your spiritual commitments.   

It is Christmas I want to use for an example of unity yet diversity.  In Christianity we have those who do not celebrate at all to those who may fully engulf themselves in the season celebration.  Now, today we have facts about Christmas, and a person only needs to remove all the folklore of Jesus’ birth and read the accounts for what they say in scripture to see how we celebrate Christmas today could really be called pagan more than Christian.  I am not going to split hairs with anyone about this.  Just to clear the air, I deal with the season out of tradition more than truth.  This is not the point I want to make.

The point I want you to see is that all over the world people look at and celebrate Christmas differently.  There may be a few and I do believe the numbers in comparison is few that may condemn those who celebrate Christmas.  I think there are a larger number of those who do not celebrate Christmas, but choose not to condemn those who do.  As a whole no matter what the doctrinal differences maybe about who Jesus is we seem to just let each person celebrate the birth of Jesus in there own way.  In doing so I have not heard very many believers question the fact that Jesus was born, is the son of God, which lived and died for all mankind. 

How does that fit into the subject we are dealing with?  You see many of the same people, who will overlook how one may celebrate the birth of Jesus, will not overlook a few doctrinal differences in other areas.  You see the fact is God did give his spirit to the church to help us and to produce His image in us.  Yet we will fight over all the details of how that works.  Yes, I hunger and search for truth, but as I find it I must learn how to first apply it to my own life and then to lovingly share with others. 

This Year I got a phone call from a person I never expected wishing me a Merry Christmas.  That person is a Muslim; I play golf with him now and then and he works at a place I do business with.  When I first started talking to this person he was afraid if I knew he was a Muslim I would hate him.  I reassured him that I would not hate or attack his faith.  Over time I have had a few moments to share with him about my faith and I have allowed him to speak about his. Knowing Christmas morning that he did not celebrate Christmas in any form but took the time to call and wish me Merry Christmas said a lot about his respect for me.  With that said I know a couple of others who call themselves Christians who may not celebrate Christmas but would speak with condemnation to those who do.

I have seen this very thing throughout the church and among all the varying doctrines.  We all claim to have the truth, no wonder the world is confused about Christianity.  There is more unity under the influence of spirits in a bar than in a church many times.  Yet we all claim to have the same spirit of God.  Yes we may differ in how we define the spirit or if it’s what or who.  The fact still remains God gave His spirit to the church for our good to bring us to completion.

Truth is what we all should seek and we should all be able to talk to one another about what we discover.  We need to have the love of God shining in our hearts to do this.

  (Eph 3:16-21 NRSV)  I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, {17} and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. {18} I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, {19} and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. {20} Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, {21} to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Truth solely based on knowledge in a person by reason of hurts, rejection, and anger is dangerous.  I have a brother who by nature is a very honest and truthful.  In his younger days he just believed that God always wanted him to tell the truth.  The only thing wrong with that was he did not know how to do it with tack or love.  I cannot tell you how many times I had to work with him or stand in the gap for him because of people he hurt or made mad.  Today, he still feels very strongly about truth and honesty, but now he knows how to speak in love or be patient with those who do not see what he sees.  This has helped him become an effective minister in a church where he serves, helping the pastor.  He has helped transform a church in many ways, by being loving and patient.

How does that work in our subject of gifts and ministry of the spirit of God?  I think we can all agree that God has given His spirit, where we are divided is how that works in today’s church.  Without Godly love it does not matter what we believe, we will miss it everytime.  I strongly believe that God has given His spirit to the church and that includes every believer that calls on the name of the Lord, Jesus.  I know that there will always be those who will say that unless you believe Jesus to be what I believe, you are not saved, or if you miss certain doctrines God can not be truly working through you. I know we all have our pet scriptures but I refuse to go there.  I think this is something we need God to deal with and we just do what we are called to do.  I will say here that I cannot believe God has called you to tear down the body. 

So with all this said lets go into our subject and look at God given purpose.

 (1 Cor 12:4-7 NRSV)  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; {5} and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; {6} and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. {7} To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

The Greek word here for services is “diakonia” meaning to attend, aid, service, minister.  In other translations the word ministry is used.  Let’s look at Romans again.

(Rom 12:5-9 NRSV)  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. {6} We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; {7} ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; {8} the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. {9} Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

Notice Paul is making a very similar point here as he did in first Corinthians.  We all differ and have different purposes. Paul uses the body demonstration in both places.  You should also notice that Paul is not making room for anyone to exclude themselves from God’s gifting to them and the operation of holy spirit in and through them.  There are big roles as well as small ones, everyone has a place.  Everyone should be working in their gift and the holy spirit should be manifesting through and in every believer.  Now, how or what, that is for each person to workout with God, and not judge others if they are different. 

We are all different and we all should be submissive to the spirit and manifesting what is at work in us.  Just think what our church services would look like if every believer came to a service, with a song, a word, ready to serve, ready to give, ready to pray with and for others, and then had leaders who would allow God to work in a church service as such.  Then think what it maybe like if every true believer allowed holy spirit to work in and through them in the public market place, wow maybe we could really make a mark on our world.   I am going to close with some scripture, I want you to read and then lets talk some more about this.  You do have a calling and purpose in the body and in this world; you just have to let God’s spirit do what it was given to do.

(Eph 2:19-22 NRSV)  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, {20} built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. {21} In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; {22} in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

(Eph 4:16 NRSV)  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

(Heb 3:1 NRSV)  Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

(1 Cor 1:26-29 NRSV)  Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. {27} But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; {28} God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, {29} so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

(1 Cor 7:17 NRSV)  However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches.

(Col 3:15-16 NRSV)  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. {16} Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

(2 Tim 1:9 NRSV)  who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Correction or Encouragement

(1 Cor 3:1-3 NRSV)  And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. {2} I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, {3} for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?

Now this may seem like a harsh verse to start out this week.  I just want you to catch the tone of Paul’s teaching in his first letter to the Corinthian church.  This tone seems to be carried out through out Paul’s first letter.  With that in mind we approach chapters eleven through fourteen to see how Paul addresses the manifestations of the spirit, and gifts to the church.  As we deal with these chapters I want to raise some points and questions for all those who do believe in the manifestations and those who do not.

In Paul’s correction to the Corinthian church we should note a few things, and with that ask a few questions.

1. Nowhere does Paul discourage them from manifestation no matter how messy it was.
2. I would like those who say that the manifestations is over or no longer needed prove it by scripture.
3. Paul makes no case that the gifts of apostles, prophets, or such were exclusive to the original twelve.
4. It is easy to see the Corinthian church operated in the gift offices and manifestations
5. Much of what Paul does address should be taken in a tone of correction, yet encouraged to continue.
6. Paul did encourage the church to seek to operate in the manifestations, gifts, and tongues.
7. Unity and love for each other is the core of what Paul was seeking to accomplish in this letter to the Corinthians.

The questions we should be asking after reading Paul’s letter to the Corinthians might be like as follows.

1. What’s the difference between gifts, services, and manifestations?
2. What did Paul mean by “to each is given”?
3. Is it just for an individual personal use or the good of all?
4. What was Paul trying to get the church to see by using the body example?
5. What is meant by desiring the best gift?
6. What is the more excellent way Paul was talking about?
7.  Did Paul say tongues, prophecy, and knowledge was no longer needed?
8. What is meant by “Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church?”
9. Did Paul really encourage tongues and interpretations, and no more than two or three?
10. What was Paul saying when he rather we prophecy?
11. Can a person control what happens?
12. What about the woman issue?
13. What should decent and orderly look like?
14. What is meant by the spirit is subject to the prophet     

I will start in chapter eleven to hopefully show you what I have seen Paul teach the church.  As I have mentioned before Paul was correcting the Corinthian church in their conduct and I believe you have to understand the context of Paul’s mind when he does address the manifestations and gifts.  This seems to be clearly reveled in chapter eleven. 

(1 Cor 11:17-19 NRSV)  Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. {18} For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. {19} Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.

I believe these instructions are carried on through the next three chapters.  Notice, Paul was not giving them credit for doing things right and pointed out their motives and actions were wrong.  They were clearly divided and everything they did as group was most likely confusing and un-orderly.  As Paul began to first address the Lord’s supper we will find he was not setting a precedence on how to take the Lord’s supper as we have it today.  He was not telling the group how often to do it and the way we do it today most likely would never be accepted by them then.  As a matter of simple reading one should be able to tell they broke bread as often as they came together. 

(Acts 2:42 NRSV)  They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

(Acts 2:46 NKJV)  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

(Acts 20:7 NRSV)  On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight

 (1 Cor 11:26 NRSV)  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Paul was making it clear however that when the Corinthian group was coming together there was a complete disregard for others.  They were being selfish and arrogant, eating until overfilled and drinking until drunk while others did without.  This same attitude seemed to carry over into all the Corinthian group did.  They were divided over food, purity, leadership, their gatherings, and how they moved in manifestations and gifts.  They judged one another and most likely divided socially, having their little clicks.  Does this sound like many modern churches?   As Paul put it they were not paying attention to the rest of the body of Christ.  They had sick, hurting, wanting, some even dying and no one seemed to be concerned for the others, but themselves.

Paul was correcting this issue when he continued into the spiritual gifts.  It is because of our modern Bible with chapter breaks we tend to separate chapter eleven from chapter twelve.  We need to start in chapter eleven so we may be able to see what Paul was saying in chapter twelve when he began to address spiritual gifs like such.  With my own paraphrasing of what Paul said, “This is the attitude and way I want you to break bread with each other.  Stop judging one another and be aware of the needs of others around you.  Wait on each other and do not come to the meeting hungry if you can.  Then concerning spiritual gifts let’s not be ignorant.  Stop acting like you did when you worshiped idols. God’s spirit works in anyone who He wishes and just because they are not doing it just like you, does not mean they are not the Lord’s. As a matter of fact no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the spirit.” 

Paul, does go on and starts to set the record straight.  I think a person could conclude that the Corinthian church was messing up the gifts as well as the Lord’s Supper.  They most likely were having the same attitude and behavior towards one another in the gifts as well.  I do want you to notice that even though they were wrong on so many things, Paul not once told them to stop the gifts, manifestations, or the speaking in tongues.

I want to break down chapters twelve through fourteen as much as I can.  By doing this it may take several postings and articles to complete these three chapters.  So, let’s begin from the top.

(1 Cor 12:4-7 NRSV)  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; {5} and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; {6} and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. {7} To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Paul to me broke down the operations of God’s spirit in the church into four areas. 

1.      Gifts

2.      Services

3.      Activities

4.      Manifestations

We will start with gifts first.  The Greek word used here is charisma.  We use this term when it comes to people who naturally can do things, saying things like Johnny is a great preacher he has charisma.  The Greek meaning is a spiritual endowment, miraculous faculty, and gift.  I think that everyone should know that when God gives out gifts he does not take them back.  It is up to the receiver of a gift to be responsible in how they use the gift given.  We should never judge a person by their gifts; often this will lead you astray.  In the end God will judge all those who have received gifts and how they used them.

(Rom 11:29 NRSV)  for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

This is the same word used in Ephesians four when Paul address the five gifts of leadership as well as in Romans twelve when he address operations in church along with leadership.

(Eph 4:8 NRSV)  Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people."

(Rom 12:6-8 NRSV)  We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; {7} ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; {8} the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

I feel we can come to the understanding that God has poured out His spirit and birthed the church (Acts 2).  It is the deposit of what is yet to come, but until then it works in corporation with us. The spirit never forces its self on us and makes us do what we would not do on our own, that would be called possession (I will deal with this more later).  Because it works in corporation with us, it works differently in each of us because of our nature and personality. Paul said there were varieties of gifts, how many varieties one could ask.  I would say that would be hard to number.  There are those who would say just five according to Ephesians four.  I say five plus those mentioned in Romans twelve, then multiply that times the number of believers God has gifted by the different personalities and cultures.  The point I want to close with this week is we should not judge one another by their gifts; God does not gift two people just alike.  Unity needs to come to the church through our diversity of gifts.