[:en]SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 12
“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)
“God has combined the member of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers within; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 14:24-26)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS (vs. 1-11)
The Christians at Corinth had different kinds of spiritual gifts — wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophesy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongue, and the interpretation of tongues.
Paul stressed that “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” (v. 4)
ONE BODY, MANY PARTS (vs. 12-31)
All Christians are baptized by one Spirit into one body and we are all given the one Spirit to drink (v. 13). Each believer has an important ministry to perform and is essential to the well-being and growth of the church. No Christian can despise brothers with lesser gift because they are inter-related as one body. “There should be no division in the body. Instead, its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (vs. 25-26)
In the church, God has appointed apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, those having gifts of healing, those able to help other, those with gifts of administration and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
May we have the spiritual unity in church with the indwelling power of the Spirit.[:]