Study Guide on First Corinthians 12-14

 

 

I.  LARGER CONTEXT:  The phrase "now about" in 12:1 indicates that Paul is turning to yet another question raised by the Corinthian church, this time regarding spiritual gifts.  Although Chapter 12 (with its well-known analogy of the diversity of members within the body) and Chapter 13 (the great "love" chapter of the Bible) are often considered in isolation, in their original context Chapters 12 through 14 form one single block of teaching dealing with the Corinthians' misuse of the spiritual gifts they had amply received (1:4-7).

 

• Working backwards, Chapter 14 describes in some detail the confusion caused in their worship assemblies because the Corinthians were using their gifts selfishly, for personal self-aggrandizement, for pridefully "showing off" their Spirit endowment.

 

• Chapter 13 eloquently describes the supremacy (the "most excellent way," according to 12:31b)  of agape love to ALL things, and especially spiritual gifts (see verses 1-2, 8-10), thus implicitly rebuking the misuse of such gifts to unlovingly cause division in the church. 

 

• Chapter 12 makes the point that ALL the gifts are granted by the same Spirit (verses 4-11);  ALL of the Corinthians are essential and valued parts of the same body, regardless of the particular gift they have received (verses 12-24);  and therefore NONE of the individual members should cause division in the body (verses 25-26), even though NOT ALL have the same gift (verses 27-31).

 

The KEY VERSE in this three-chapter block of teaching comes near the beginning, at 12:7:

 

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the COMMON GOOD."

 

 

II.  THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS.  The Holy Spirit functioned in three ways to build up the early church:

 

1. REVELATION:  Guiding the apostles and prophets into "all truth"  (John 14:24-25, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 1 Peter 1:10-12, etc.)

 

2. CONFIRMATION:  Miraculously verifying the truth of the gospel message (Mark 16:17-20, Hebrews 2:1-4, 2 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:5, Exodus 4:1-5, Mark 2:10-11, etc.)

 

3. EDIFICATION:   READ Ephesians 4:7-11

 

a.                Verse 7              Who determines the specific gift – or measure of grace – that each Christian received?  __________________ (See Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11)

 

b.                Verses 11-12a   Why did God "gift" the church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc?  _________________________________________________

 

c.                Verse 12b         What effect would these leaders have on the "body"?  _________________________________________________

 

d.               Verses 13         How long would these gifts last?   What would be the sign that their purpose had been fulfilled?  __________________________________________________________   ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

III.  SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE BODY (Chapter 12):

 

1.  READ Verses 1-3             What was the sign that someone is speaking by the HOLY Spirit (as opposed to an UN-holy idol)?  ________________________________________________

 

2.  READ Verses 4-6             What CONTRAST does Paul make repeatedly in these verses?  ________________________________________________________________

 

 

INSIGHT:  Note that the Father – Son – Holy Spirit are all listed as the source of the Corinthians' spiritual gifts. This reflects the essential unity/equality between them.  Cf. Matthew 28:19; 

 

 

 

3.  READ Verses 7-11           LIST the differing gifts Paul mentions in these verses:

 

a.       ___________________________________________

 

b.      ___________________________________________

 

c.       ___________________________________________

 

d.      ___________________________________________

 

e.       ___________________________________________

 

f.       ___________________________________________

 

g.      ___________________________________________

 

h.      ___________________________________________

 

i.        ___________________________________________

 

 

                      

THOUGHT QUESTION:  As you review Verses 4-11, in what ways is Paul trying to combat the Corinthian sin of PRIDE because of the spiritual gifts they possessed?  ______________________________________

 

 

4.  READ Verses 12-13         How does the Holy Spirit make us "one body"? _______________________

 

 

5.  READ Verses 14-26         THOUGHT QUESTION:  Why would it be foolish for any Corinthian Christian to feel superior to his or her fellow Christians because of the spiritual gift he/she possessed?

 

 

6.  READ Verses 27-30         THOUGHT QUESTION:  There are some today who insist that the "sign" of salvation and/or sanctification is "speaking in tongues" – i.e., they assert you can know that you have been given the Holy Spirit if you speak in an unusual utterance.  Based on Paul's comments, how would you answer that?

 

--Dan Williams, El Dorado, Arkansas