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United Through the Spirit
Question 1:
What is the glue that holds your family or circle of friends together?
THE POINT
The Holy Spirit brings us together as one church.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
In June 2016, the election of the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention was a close race. A runoff vote was still too close to call, leading to a second runoff vote. Prior to that vote, though, one of the candidates, J. D. Greear, withdrew his candidacy. Greear told the convention he had prayed the night before and believed he needed to suggest his opponent, Steve Gaines, be elected by acclamation.
Interestingly, Gaines had also decided to withdraw as a candidate for the sake of unity. The two men met, prayed, and agreed that Gaines should be the sole nominee and take the role of president. These men had determined that unity in the mission was most important.1 Their decision was a remarkable display of unity.
Christians are a diverse group of people, even within a particular denomination. We are different in culture, age, socio-economic status, skill, personality, and sometimes even in the priorities we hold. The only thing that can bring unity among such people is the movement of God’s Spirit. He gives us a common faith and a common mission.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.
When Paul traveled to a new city, he would first go to the synagogue to preach the good news of the Messiah to the Jews who lived there. Jews shared a common culture, a common view of the world, and a common knowledge about God. As Paul told the good news of the Messiah, many responded to the message of Christ by placing their faith in Him. Paul then carried the gospel to the marketplaces of the city and proclaimed Christ to the Gentiles. They also would respond to the gospel. The resulting group of believers—both Jews and Gentiles—would form a single church family, but they were far from a homogeneous group.
Paul addressed this diversity in the Corinthian church because, while diversity is good, the church had become divided into factions. They were not only divided by culture, but also by their understanding of ministry and of spiritual gifts. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 12 was a call for unity in the church.
Question 2:
What can we learn from these verses about God’s intention for His church?
A key word in this passage is the adjective different: Paul discussed “different gifts,” “different ministries,” and “different activities.” The Holy Spirit is the One who equips, but He doesn’t give the same gifts to all believers. People will not be drawn to the same kinds of ministries. These three areas of difference—gifts, ministries, and activities—describe the working of the Holy Spirit, but each word captures that work from a slightly different perspective.
- Gifts. A gracious bestowal (a gift) of blessings on the members of the church by the Spirit.
- Ministries. The service carried out with those gifts focuses on the purpose the Lord has for those gifts.
- Activities. The power behind those gifts and the work of God through the gifts. These activities point to the leadership of God to work out the use of those gifts.2
Rifts were occurring in the Corinthian church; therefore, Paul stressed unity in the body. Pride over certain spiritual gifts and one-upmanship caused tremendous damage to the fellowship. The gifting of the Spirit does not create divisions.
However, Paul was not calling for uniformity. Uniformity means we are doing the same thing in the same way. The Holy Spirit works through people differently, but, in our various ways of living in the Spirit, we exhibit a unity of purpose.
“A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person.” Gifts are more than characteristics the Spirit gives us; they display the power of God by working through us in different ways. In fact, the gifts are not about individuals and what we want to do; God gives us the gifts “for the common good.” Some people may have more public gifts than others, but the Spirit is at work in and through every person. However, God has gifted you and me, we use these gifts in His service, for His church, and for the good of all His people.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11
8 To one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
One key truth resounds through these verses: there is one Spirit! Paul mentioned a variety of gifts individuals might use in the body of Christ, but regardless of the gift, they all come from the same Spirit. The church has a diverse range of gifts and ministries, but the work is done through the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s list of spiritual gifts in this passage differs somewhat from other lists contained in the New Testament (Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11, 1 Pet. 4:9-11). Paul didn’t provide a comprehensive list of gifts; His emphasis was more on the Spirit who gives gifts than on the specific gifts we receive from Him. Paul was demonstrating different ways the Spirit gifts His people.
Over the years, people have attempted to group the gifts in various ways, but perhaps the simplest way is to put them in four broad categories:3
- Gifts that support. Gifts such as helping and leading guide the work of the church and help to get it done (Rom. 12:8; 1 Cor. 12:28).
- Gifts that share. Gifts such as showing mercy and hospitality are tangible ways of communicating God’s love (Rom. 12:8; 1 Pet. 4:9).
- Gifts that speak. Gifts such as prophecy and teaching ground the church in God’s Word (Rom. 12:6,8; 1 Cor. 12:28-29; Eph. 4:11).
- Gifts that supplement. Gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, and faith support the other gifts.
The Spirit works in diverse ways through the people of God to carry on the mission of God. He moves among us in a variety of ways to accomplish the common good. Why does the Spirit demonstrate the gift of leadership in one person’s life while working through a gift of hospitality in another? The Spirit distributes His gifts “to each person as he wills.” The Holy Spirit knows what’s best and He does what He sees fit.
Question 3:
When have you seen diversity bring strength to God’s people?
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many.
Paul used an analogy to illustrate his point, describing the church as Christ’s body. He extended this analogy through the rest of the chapter, and in so doing, he gave us a strong visual picture of the unity of the church.
Paul wrote that the human body is one. Your body “has many parts”: hands, feet, eyes, a pancreas—lots of parts. All the parts of your body are important to you. Your body can function with only one eye, but the loss creates new challenges. And even though you can’t see your pancreas, try living without one. But you still only have one body. Your body is not a collection of random spare parts; all the parts add up to one body.
Question 4:
How is the human body a good metaphor for the church?
It’s the same with the body of Christ. We are one spiritual body in Christ. There are many of us, but we are not a disconnected group of random individuals that just happen to be sitting together in the same building. Our unity is not because of the similarity of the parts. Christ’s body is more like an organic whole where essential parts function differently but also interdependently. Some of the Corinthians were Jews and some were Greeks; some of them were slaves and others were free. The church today is varied also. Believers today come in all shapes and sizes and ethnicities and with a variety of gifts and ministries, but we are all one in Christ.
Paul pictured the work of the Spirit to bring people together in two ways.
- “We were all baptized by one Spirit.” Believers are united because we were all immersed in Christ and His Holy Spirit.
- “We were all given one Spirit to drink.” We are immersed in the Holy Spirit, and we are also filled up with Him.
Unity among different kinds of people seems unrealistic, but the Holy Spirit works in us, binds our hearts to each other, gives us a common purpose, and makes us one.
Question 5:
What are some ways our group reflects both the diversity and unity of the church?
Engage
EQUIPPED
The Holy Spirit equips each of us differently. Describe how you believe you have been equipped for kingdom use in the church.
Then write a prayer asking for wisdom in using your unique design for His glory.
Gifts:
Ministries:
Activities:
My Prayer:
“Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.”
LIVE IT OUT
The Holy Spirit brings us together as one church. Choose one of the following applications:
- Discover. If you don’t know your spiritual gift(s), take an assessment to help you discover your gifts and ways they can be used in and through your church.
- Serve. Use the gift(s) God has given you to serve His body. You don’t have to know what your gift is in order to serve; just start serving in an area where your heart is drawn, and your gift will manifest itself. Ask a church leader for help getting plugged in.
- Mentor. Encourage other believers who are unsure about their spiritual equipping. Offer to walk alongside them as they seek God’s purpose for them in the church.
Most people tend to see differences in people as a negative, but with God it is not so. God brings unity through our differences and weaves a beautiful tapestry from many different threads. He gives us a common faith and a common mission, bringing glory to Himself.
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