1 Corinthians 12:27-31 Different but in Harmony
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 20, 2020 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
(Understanding the Text) It is important to remember the situation that Paul is speaking into. The church at Corinth had divided into factions based on which leader they aligned themselves with. They were tolerating sinful behavior among believers. They were divided about whether to eat meat offered to idols. Paul was more worried by the fact that they were divided than about the issues that they thought were so important. He was telling them that it was not about the issues, it is about the love. They could have differences and disagreements as long as they loved and respected each other.
Here is another place that indicates that speaking in tongues is not a universal gift to all believers. It is a gift given for a specific situation that edifies the church.
Paul has already spoken of the gifts of utterance of wisdom, utterance of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, and interpretation. Now, he lists gifts again, some the same and some different. He lists apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues, and then he adds interpretation.
(Understanding the Text / Prayer) There seem to be two different meanings to the term apostle. One is to mean messengers who are sent by Jesus directly. Jesus was literally in their presence and gave them the power to represent Him on earth. According to this definition, the twelve disciples and Paul were the only apostles. However, there seems to be a more general definition that Paul used. Paul called James an apostle in one place while separating him out from the eleven apostles in another. Barnabas was also considered an apostle. “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out” (Acts 14:14). I think that in the context of the present verse, Paul is speaking of the wider meaning of apostle. This meaning is that someone is sent by the Holy Spirit to represent Jesus before people. In this sense of the word, are evangelists apostles? Do Pastor Ty Gibson and Pastor David Assherick represent this gift? They are representing You and Your character before the world, not just before the local people. Is apostleship the ability to present You clearly before the people?
(Understanding the Text) Prophets have specific messages from God for the people. As such, Paul was not primarily a prophet. Yes, he had the gift of prophecy, but his primary duty was to present God before the people, not to give specific new messages from God. Most of Paul’s messages were simply what could be gained from a Spirit-filled study of the scriptures. Mostly, he was trying to teach people who God was. When the Bible specifically speaks of the gift of prophecy, it speaks of direct local messages from God, like Agabus telling about the famine that was coming or warning Paul about being imprisoned in Jerusalem. Prophets might have visions about the future or past or symbols that teach lessons, but maybe I am defining being a prophet too narrowly.
Teachers is new in this list from the last list. Teachers have the ability to open the scriptures to others so that they can understand more clearly. Helping and Administering are also new. These are two gifts that most people don’t think of as gifts, yet they are identified here in the Bible. Helping is one I’ve come to understand more recently and appreciate a lot. Administering is not one that I appreciate as much, and I need to learn to think differently about that. I think James was an administrator. He stuck around and took care of things. I always think of administrators as bean counters who are stuck in their ways, and they do not appreciate that there are many times when we have to leave the rules behind, but I think those are false administrators, just as there are false prophets. I think true gift-of-the-Spirit administrators will care so much about the people that are in their care that they will look for alternate methods in order to best take care of their people.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to re-examine my ideas of what is Spirit-led and what is false. I also need to be aware that when we begin to depend upon our own ideas and strive for selfish goals, we are being false to the Spirit and His gifts. I pray that I will never be false to the gifts that You have given me.