1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Verse 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; Verse 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; Verse 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. Verse 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Verse 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, Verse 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, Verse 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. Verse 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Verse 12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Verse 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Devotion
I am not musically inclined. In fact, I sometimes have a hard time playing the radio. So I am constantly in awe of those who play an instrument or sing well. However, I have this incredible sense of direction, and seem to know where I am, even when I don’t know where I am. My wife still occasionally asks, “How do you do that?” I can only answer with “It’s a gift.” Our text today reminds us that “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (v. 7).
We need to be reminded from time to time that these gifts – our time, our talents and our possessions – are not in reality ours, but are to be freely used for building up the body of Christ and in service to the risen Lord.
Prayer
Almighty God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you have knit us into the one body of your son, Jesus Christ. Strengthen us through your gifts so that our witness may proclaim your word with power. Amen.