Fulfilling the Heart of God: Acknowledging the Gifts of People

1 Corinthians 12

As I was reading the passage designated in our personal journals for the week, I didn’t get much further than Verses 4 through 6 when things I had not noticed before began to jump out at me. It actually set the tone for the rest of the passage, as I concluded this passage is about unity without uniformity. Let’s take a closer look at those three verses and their relationship to the rest of the chapter.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NIV)

The people of God have always held as a central thought that God is one God. We see God operate through three different persons: the personhood of the Father Creator, the personhood of Jesus Redeemer, and the personhood of Holy Spirit Empowerer. In these three verses we see all three aspects of God in the words “Spirit,” “Lord,” and “God.”

The words “gifts,” “service,” and “working” also caught my eye. There are at least two things to learn from the use of these words. First we learn that there are more than one kind of each of these. There are multiple gifts; there are multiple services; there are multiple “kinds of working.” The second thing we can learn is seen in the words themselves. “Gifts” is about the different expressions of God’s grace that is shown in the different abilities bestowed upon people. “Service” has to do with the different ways these varied abilities contribute to and provide for the church – the people who follow Christ. And “kinds of working” has to do with the varied impact or results of the gifts expressing themselves in service.

As interesting as that might be to some, I think there is actually a larger point in these three verses that carries through the rest of this chapter, into chapter thirteen, and perhaps farther. In these three verses we see a contrast repeated in every verse between “different” and “same.” The emphasis seems to be on how diversity functions for the benefit of unity. We can see this theme in the rest of the chapter.

• v. 7 varied expressions of God’s grace are given for the common good.
• v. 11 after a listing of various expressions of God’s grace, the passage emphasizes that they all spring from one Spirit.
• v. 12 -27 the emphasis is on the fact that we are one body with different parts and every part needs each of the other parts.
• v. 28 to the end of the chapter is how God has “appointed” different people to fulfill different functions, but in the text it’s clear these different gifts are for the benefit of the one body given by the one God.
• Even though Chapter 13 was part of our reading assignment for today, a case can be made that the discussion on love is about how we are to be bound to each other in love.

Often we mistake unity for uniformity. Uniformity has to do with everyone doing everything in the same way. Unity is more about purpose and motive. Unity allows for variety and diversity, as long as the expressions of that diversity enhance, rather than divert, the unity of the group.

As you pray about this week’s question, seeking to understand how the gifts God has given you can be used to further and enhance the Kingdom of God, you might also want to consider how your gifts contribute to the diversity and creativity of God’s people without threatening the unity that is ours in Christ.