Sunday, September 23, 2007

Synopsis of the Armenian Message

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

“Spiritual Gifts”

After Pentecost XI

A city man decides to go duck hunting in a rural area. He arrives, parks his car, and goes to the field and shoots a duck that happens to fall on a farmer’s land. The man enters into this private property. The farmer who is working in the field sees him, approaches him and asks him to leave. The hunter asks for permission to collect the duck he hunted. The farmer does not allow him to enter. The hunter says, “I’ll call my lawyer and we can sue you.” “Well,” the farmer says, “we have laws in this part of land that you don’t know about. I’ll kick you three times, then you kick me three times, and so on, back and forth, until someone gives up.”

The hunter agrees to take this challenge and enters the field. He receives three kicks from the farmer one on his head one on stomach and one on his side. Now the hunter is not feeling well, but he wants to take his turn. The farmer says, “No, I give up, you can have your duck.”

Many of us fight like this. Lately we started hearing O J Simpson’s name all over again. I was still in Lebanon when this name was on the news in 1995. We were so upset from the media that covered this story in such detail and presented it to the whole world. We were all thinking, “Don’t we have more important things to inform?”

Apparently, in the church of Corinth people were boasting and arguing about their “gifts.” It seems they were trying to impose on each other that certain gifts were more important than others. Spiritual gifts are often a battleground for churches. Because of this arrogant lifestyle, some Christians think their roles are more important than others. This was the case in the Corinthian church. Even in the first part of chapter 11, Paul taught and encouraged them to be imitators of him, as he was imitating Jesus. In the second part of the same chapter, Paul explains how to approach the Lord’s Supper. He brings out the importance of the whole body of Christ, the importance of waiting for each other for the meal, being considerate for the late comers. Last Sunday we had Communion in the same spirit.

“Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols” (1,2). Paul wants to stress that there are spiritual gifts that should be distinguished from “pagan” habits.

The question one can ask is, “What are Spiritual Gifts?”

In his book “What You Do Best in the Body of Christ” Bruce Bugbee says: “Spiritual gifts are divine abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ” (Page 52).

We all have natural talents. These natural talents are not automatically turned into spiritual gifts. When we become Christians and we give our talents to God, God will use our gifts in the ministry of the church. But please notice that spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the gifts is to build the body of the church. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (7). Spiritual gifts were not given to boast or divide the church. They were given so the body would grow towards God. I am stressing this point because Paul is very clear about it. He was worried that some individuals are boasting of having certain gifts, and looking down on the ones who do not have the same. The intention of the gifts is to build (common good).

Three kinds of gifts are described. In fact, in 1 Peter 4:11 two main types are described: Speaking gifts, and Serving gifts. “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.”

The third one is the gifts of “signs”. Now some theologians believe that some of these signs were given by the Spirit when the first church was developing. Later on in the life of church, their importance was diminished. I know some will agree with this and some will not agree. This has become a battleground for churches. I will not discuss about different denominations. But I will make sure we understand that the Spirit gave gifts to different people and the intention was to build the body of the church and not divide.

We will continue in English.