Spiritual Gifts :Monday 28th December, 2020
Morning Devotion
My family and I have went through these chapter for our morning devotions and I think it help you if you follow the verses too.
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
12:2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
12:3 Therefore I tell you 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.
Title: Understanding Spiritual Gifts
Our text begins a unit that will end in chapter 14. Paul's goal in this unit is to enlighten the Christians in Corinth about spiritual gifts. He does not want them to be ignorant about spiritual gifts (vs 1).
But verses 2and 3 do not seem to be talking about spiritual gifts. What are they doing in there? Let's look at the two verses one after the other.
Verse 2 says; "You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols." In this verse, Paul is reminding them about their pagan worship. They worshiped mute idols. They worshiped gods that could not talk. The worship of these idols was usually ecstatic and characterised by frenzy. In other words, uncontrolled behavior full of excitement. An example of this kind of worship is the Baal worship at mount Carmel in 1Kings 18:25-29. Verse 29 captures it well. It says; "Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention." In spite their frantic prophesying, Baal was mute. This gives us an idea of the kind of worship that happened in the pagan worship Paul is describing in our text.
Why is Paul talking about it here? The Corinthian Christians carried along this kind of worship into the Church. As we will see in the this unit, worship in Corinth was ecstatic, frantic and in disorder. In form, it was like what happens in the worship of mute idols.
Verse 3 says; "Therefore I tell you 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."
Paul was helping the Christians to know the difference between spiritual gifts and frantic displays copied from pagan worship. What is that difference? Those who speak enabled by the Spirit of God exalt Jesus both in their communication and life. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by speaking what He hears from Him(John 16:14).
Implications for Life
- Pagan religious practices like African traditional religion, and mystic religions can find their way into the church if the church is not sensitive.
- Judge every spiritual gift by what it says about Christ or do for Him.
Further reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Prayer: Lord, help the church to understand Spiritual gifts.
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