One Giver, Many Gifts, Common Good

Preached at St. Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead on 16 January 2022

Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

​Gifted - Emma

Some people we see are just “gifted”. They manage to do amazing things at a very young age. This year, we saw Emma Raducanu win the US Open tennis championship. She was the first singles qualifier in the Open Era to win a grand slam tournament. This was only her second Grand Slam tournament, and she holds the record for the fewest Grand Slam’s before winning a title.

These people are sometimes called “child prodigies”, and during the celebrations on TV, I remember seeing a recording of her at a very young age, knocking balls back across the net, when her peers could barely hit the ball with the racket.

​Gifted – Mozart / Michael Kearney

It’s not only in the field of sports, they can occur anywhere. Mozart learned to play the piano at the age of four, and began composing at five.

Michael Kearney, the youngest ever university graduate, completed a degree in anthropology at the age of ten. He is known for winning the million dollar grand prize in an American TV show called “Gold Rush” in 2006.

​All Gifted

Child prodigies are very rare, they are the exception to the normal rules of growing up, and their amazing gifts do not necessarily lead to success in later life. We though, like everybody else, are just average.

In our passage today, Paul says that each of us are gifted in different ways. So, if you’re sitting listening to this thinking “I don’t have any gifts”, think again, because God does not agree with you. Paul also tells us what that gifting is for. It is for the benefit of the whole community.

​One Giver, Many Gifts, Common Good

My sermon today is called “One Giver, Many Gifts, Common Good”. You’ll have to imagine me standing in front of one of those lecterns with the three messages on the front, that we see so often these days. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what Paul is saying.

​Now about …

The passage starts ‘Now about’, Paul is answering questions for the church he founded in Corinth, you can read about that in Acts 18. The Corinthian church, since Paul’s departure had become factionalised and divided, and had begun to misunderstand the things of God. They had many questions, as they struggled to work out their salvation. Chapters 12, 13 and 14 of this letter are devoted to spiritual things.

​Things

The literal translation of ‘spiritual gifts’ in verse one is ‘spiritual things’. Paul is taking them back to a time before they were Christians to make it clear to them the differences that have occurred in their lives. In their pagan beliefs, they were influenced by idols, and led astray. Now, they are influenced by the Holy Spirit, and this has a marked difference on them.

​Jesus is Lord

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.

It is possible that some of them were becoming ‘super spiritual’ and thought that that may have superseded Jesus, so Paul is being quite clear with them, that this cannot be the case, they cannot be saying “Jesus be cursed” and still consider themselves Christian. On the other hand, “Jesus is Lord” was probably the very first creed, so said and believed was the first test for whether or not someone had really changed from their pagan ways and accepted the Lord Jesus as their saviour.

​Sum up the sermon

The next four verses sum up what Paul is saying in this section of his letter, and they are also the core message of this sermon. I’ll read each verse , then comment.

​Verse 4

1Co 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

Paul will go on to list some of the different gifts in the following verses, they are:

• the message of wisdom

• the message of knowledge

• faith (not saving faith, but faith for specific needs)

• healing

• miraculous powers

• prophecy

• distinguishing between spirits (discernment)

• speaking in tongues

• interpreting tongues

this is by no means an exhaustive list.

​Hierarchy

There is no hierarchy of gifts here, none are set above or below others. It is thought that in the Corinthian church there were those who were seen as more spiritual than others. Maybe those with the gift of tongues were thought of as more spiritual because of the public way that the gift was manifest. Paul is keen to point out here that all gifts have value and that all believers are spiritual.

​Other lists

Other lists of gifts can be found in

verses 28-31: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helping, guidance, tongues. In this list, the gifts have a hierarchy, and Paul encourages his readers to desire the greater gifts. This is immediately before the greatest gift of all:

And in chapter 13: Love

Romans 12:6-8: prophecy, serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leading, and showing mercy.

There’s also another list in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, that I won’t risk repeating myself too much by reading.

There are many gifts, but the same giver.

One Giver, Many gifts.

​Verse 5

1Co 12:5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

The gifts result in service. If a gift is given, it has to be used, or it is useless and pointless. All the gifts mentioned provide something for others, not for the person with the gift. The gift, then, is not for the benefit of the one who receives it, instead it is for the benefit of those the recipient will apply it to. So, if I have the gift of preaching, it is meant to be for your benefit, not for mine. Of course, you may not agree that that is one of my gifts. Either way, the service that is offered is for the Lord. So when I act on my gift, I am acting for the Lord Jesus, and someone else is benefiting for my acts.

​Verse 6

1Co 12:6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Service requires work, or effort, which requires power, which gives results. Our power, our ability to work, comes from God, through the Holy Spirit, who provides us with all that we need to achieve the results that He is directing us towards.

​Trinity

These three verses have also demonstrated Paul’s understanding of the Trinity. The ‘same Spirit’ in verse 4, the ‘same Lord’ in verse 5 and the ‘same God’ in verse 6.

​Verse 7

1Co 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

And finally, in verse 7 we see that the manifestation of the Spirit occurs for the good of everyone. That is not to say that each manifestation, is for the good of everyone, but that all the manifestations are for the good of everyone. As each benefits for the operation of a gift of the spirit, so the whole body of Christ benefits together.

One Giver, Many gifts, Common Good.

​Common Good

Our churches, which are so often like the Corinthian church, with factions following different leaders, are not then using their gifts for the common good. Each of us should look carefully at what we do with the gifts that we are given and be sure that our motive is to be serving Christ, and not supporting a church leader. That way, we will contribute to the common good.

When the Body of Christ benefits, so do those in the wider community, and this helps us in our mission to spread the good news to those we meet. People who are being helped, respected, and encouraged are much more likely to listen than those who are despised and rejected.

​Not child prodigies

We may not be child prodigies in the eyes of the world, but with our faith in God and the gifts that he has given us through the Holy Spirit, we can serve Jesus and one another. Then we can build up the body of Christ for even greater acts of service, and the common good of all believers.

Remember the words on the front of the lectern (even if they are not actually there):

One Giver, Many gifts, Common Good.

Amen.