1
Corinthians 12:3b-13
3b And no one can say "Jesus is Lord"
except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there
are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them
in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to
another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to
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. 11 All these are activated by one and the same
Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12 For
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. 13 For 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.
Now there
are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit
·
I have a confession to make. When it
comes to the Holy Spirit and the Pentecost event, I’ve had trouble with the
whole thing. We can see from the reading from Acts that things changed
radically for the disciples on that day. At the time of the crucifixion, almost
all of the disciples ran and hid. After Jesus’ Resurrection, they were
overjoyed and amazed. Yet they still stayed close. With Jesus’ Ascension, they
prayed together and gathered together as a more-or-less closed group.
·
Now comes Pentecost. The frightened
and closed group of disciples of Jesus now preach fearlessly and are able to
make themselves understood in just about any language – a full reversal of what
happened at the Tower of Babel! Where humanity’s attempt to reach up to God and
to heaven resulted in the splintering of the human race and its languages, now
the Spirit of God has reached down and healed that… at least for that day.
·
These amazing things are often
mirrored in our own time. Some churches worship in a more exuberant manner than
we might be used to. Gifts of prophecy and “the gift of tongues” are said to be
signs of the Spirit’s presence in the Church. They can be quite dramatic and
even frightening. The first time I heard what was called the gift of tongues,
my hair stood up and I got chills up and down my spine. For some people, myself
included, it can be a confusing experience.
·
It can also be intimidating. In light
of that, we need to take another look at what the Spirit gives.
·
In Paul’s first letter to the
Corinthians, we hear this about the Holy Spirit: …there are varieties of
activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To
each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good
·
Paul is saying that first off, no
matter what the gift, it comes from God. Second, the Spirit is given to all
Christians, not just a chosen few. And third, the gifts are given to all
Christians for the good of all. So in short, through the Holy Spirit, God has
given us all gifts of that Spirit for the “common good.”
·
Paul mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith,
healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits,
speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. This list is not
exhaustive, since in a few of his other letters, Paul mentions different gifts,
among them leadership, teaching, administration, and service. I don’t think
that even all the gifts Paul listed in all of his letters exhausts the work of
the Spirit.
·
Are these gifts present in the Church
today? Yes, indeed! Our bishops show vision and the gifts of administration in
a rather rocky time. Our pastors minister with the gifts they receive, even
understanding that pastors don’t all have the same gifts. Church councils are a
wealth of the Spirit’s gifts. The congregations these councils serve are loaded
with gifts, many of which are not recognized even by those who have them.
·
The gifts of the Spirit are evident
here at St. John’s. Some might say “Where?” and I’d respond “Look around!” and
then “Look in a mirror.” Who here has taught anything? Not just Sunday School
or academic subjects, but cooking, and kindness, and hospitality… and your
children and grandchildren. Who here has been responsible for the running of
something – a home, a business, a program, a farm? Just think for a moment; the
Spirit’s gifts are present and active, evidence that the Spirit is present.
·
When we gather to celebrate God’s
presence and the salvation given to us in Jesus, we do so in the Spirit. When
we hear the Word of God, it is the Spirit that speaks to our hearts. When we
eat the Lord’s Supper, it is the Spirit that fires our hunger and then fills
it. When we go from here, it is the Holy Spirit that fills our lives.
·
It is good to celebrate this festival
of the Holy Spirit, for it is the Spirit that enlivens the Church in this and
every age. It is that same Spirit that enlivens us, no matter what the future
may hold. Remember, “inspired” means “filled with the Spirit.” And so we are.
For 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. For 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.
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