Verses 1-2
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Idols do not speak or see or hear (Psalm 115:5-6).
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But the Holy Spirit is real—it speaks, sees, and hears. To understand spiritual gifts is to understand the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Verse 3
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No one can truly confess and believe in Jesus—no one can be saved by Him—except by the influence of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 16:17).
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This does not mean that anyone who merely says the words is being influenced by the Spirit. The Spirit is present when the confession is real—sincere faith.
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Verses 4-11
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There are lots of different kinds of gifts, not only the nine listed here, and they all come from the same Spirit for the purpose of empowering us to benefit others.
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Keep your focus on serving/edifying others and you will use your gifts well.
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God decides which gifts we are given and when.
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Understand that, if He wills, God can give a miraculous ability to a person at any moment; but a spiritual gift given is permanent—it stays with a person.
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Also understand that gifts, being a grace of God, grow. The more that you grow in maturity and faith, the stronger and more evident your spiritual gifts will become (see teaching on 1 Corinthians 1).
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The word of wisdom—The gift of wisdom has multiple forms. Someone can be gifted with wise words to give advice to others, like Solomon (1 Kings 3:11-12); someone can be gifted with deep insight, like Paul (2 Peter 3:15). Someone can be gifted with wisdom like the three wise men who came to Jesus with their treasures, having used their wisdom to discover the birth and whereabouts of Jesus (Matthew 2:1-2).
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The word of knowledge—The gift of knowledge also has multiple forms. Someone can be given knowledge of other people's lives that they could not have known except by the Spirit (John 4:18). Another can be gifted with an ability to retain great knowledge of the Word, like Apollos (Acts 18:24-28).
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Faith—The gift of faith is not common faith. We all have common faith from God, as it is the belief we have in Jesus (Romans 12:3), and all of us must grow this belief. The gift of faith is given to add greater power for powerful works. Stephen had the gift of faith (Acts 6:8).
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Gifts of healings—Also can be called the gift of healing. A person with the gift of healing will see greater results, as their faith grows, in bringing physical healing to others. Jesus' gift of healing excelled so much that people who simply touched Him were healed (Matthew 14:36).
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The working of miracles—This is the ability to perform feats that defy the laws of nature. Samson had supernatural strength (Judges 15:14-15). Elisha could make iron float (2 Kings 6:4-7). Jesus could multiply food out of thin air (Matthew 14:19-21). These are all workings of miracles.
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Prophecy (see 1 Corinthians 14 for more details)—To be given the gift of prophecy makes a person a prophet. A prophet is someone who delivers messages from the Holy Spirit to other believers, by hearing from the Holy Spirit. The church listens to prophets for guidance and warnings from the Spirit, and often about things that will happen in the future. Agabus was a prophet who warned the church of approaching trials (Acts 11:27-28).
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Discerning of spirits—This is a gift of discernment that has many forms. But general discernment allows for a person to feel or know when there are demons in a person, or when there are dangers present. A discerner also can know the motives and feelings of others. Jesus could discern these things greatly.
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Tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14 for more details)—Also called the gift of tongues, this is the ability to speak in a personal and spiritual language also known by angelic beings (1 Corinthians 13:1). It is used as a tool for prayer, namely, for a person's spirit to pray to God (1 Corinthians 14:14), and it is used for God to speak to us (Isaiah 28:11-12, 1 Corinthians 14:21).
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It can also be heard /understood by others in multiple different human languages if God allows (see teaching on Acts 2 for details).
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Interpretation of tongues—A person with the gift of interpretation can be also called an interpreter or translator. The Greek word for interpretation means to translate. An interpreter can translate tongues, word-for-word, into a known language, so that the speaker/others can know what is being said or what God is speaking through the tongue (1 Corinthians 14:27). He can also interpret dreams that are from God, as Joseph did, through the insight that comes from the Spirit. Joseph was an interpreter in this way (Genesis 41:1-16).
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Verses 12-26
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Every believer functions as a part of Christ's body. Just as a human body needs every part in order to be healthy, the church needs every believer (we all need each other!), and every gift present and functioning in order for it to be healthy and most effective (Ephesians 4:16).
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Some gifts in believers are more prominent than others, but all gifts are necessary.
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Be faithful to your community, and don't separate yourself (Proverbs 18:1), otherwise you are disjointing yourself from the body, which will hurt both yourself and other believers.
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Honor every believer for the part they play, value every gift, and express more appreciation for the believers whose gifts seem to get less praise or attention.
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This will bring balance to the community so that no one feels left out, excluded, or undervalued. Believers who feel excluded will often divide, which causes schism.
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Verses 27-30
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There are many kinds of gifts amongst believers. Some gifts are more common or more needed, while others are more rare. All of us play a different part. Although we are able to use any gift that God wills us to use in a moment, not all believers are given the same permanent gifts. This means that not everyone is meant to be a prophet, and some believers will not speak in tongues.
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Don't try to obligate someone to speak in tongues if they have no desire or ability to do so. Tongues will come to a person naturally if God has given them that gift. People who are not given the gift of tongues can be edified in other ways.
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Verse 31
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Desire to use spiritual gifts because gifts can make you more effective, but keep your motive about loving others and building them up (see Chapter 13).