The Greatest of These is Love
Comments for Study 9
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I. Spiritual Gifts (12:1-11)
>1. What does Paul remind the Corinthian Christians? (1-2)
* 1 Corinthians 12:1-2 "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."
* Chapter 12 is easy enough to understand. All believers are in Jesus. Each has been given a gift to be used for the greater good of the congregation. The least part should be honored more than the greater part. Each should use their gift accordingly. All are a part of Jesus. There is unity in the diversity of Jesus' people.
The reason Paul wrote this chapter was obviously because of the division, disagreements, bickering, and gossip in the congregation. Every group whether Christian or not have this problem. I like Star Trek. I look at Star Trek groups in Facebook. They claim diversity. Yet most do not accept others that are not like them. I have been a member of congregations as I have lived in different cities. I see similarities to the Star Trek groups, but not as severe.
Everyone is unique in Christ. No one is like me. I am not like anyone else. I should not look down nor up to someone else. I should respect everyone else in action and word. Still I find myself congregating towards those more like me than not. Such actions forms niches that often exclude others. Divisions then form. God does not want divisions. I need others especially those not at all like me and those who do not have the sames gifts as me.
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>2. How can a person acknowledge Jesus and accept him as Lord and Savior? (3)
* 1 Corinthians 12:3 "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
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>Why do you think Paul emphasized this point?
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>3. Who is the source of the different gifts? (4-6)
* 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 "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."
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>Why is each gift manifested? (7)
* 1 Corinthians 12:7 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
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>4. What kind of different gifts are mentioned? (8-11)
* 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
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>Explain what each of these gifts refer to. (1 Kings 3:16-28; Mt. 22:15-22) (Josh. 7:1-26; Acts 5:1-11) (Mt. 17:20) (Ex. 15:26; Mk. 16:15-18) (Lk. 8:44; Rom. 4:18-22; Heb. 11:11-12) (2 Pet. 1:21; and 1 Cor. 14:3) (Mt. 16:13-23; John 16:14) (1 Cor. 14:1-25)
* 1 Kings 3:16-28 ("Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son--and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne." The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king. The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'" Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
* Matthew 22:15-22 "Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
* Joshua 7:1-2 "But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel. ow Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai."
* Acts 5:1-11 "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price." Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
* Matthew 17:20-21 "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
* Exodus 15:26 "He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
* Matthew 15:16-20 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
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II. One Body, Many Parts (12:12-30)
>5. What does Paul teach about different gifts and the Holy Spirit? (12-13)
* 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
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>How does he explain the importance and interrelationship of all parts of the body? (14-27)
* 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 "Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members 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 with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
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>6. What kinds of positions are needed in a church according to the gifts? (28-30; Rom. 12:6-8)
* 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 "And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?"
* Romans 12:6-8 "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
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>What kind of attitudes should Christians have toward those who use their gifts in the church? (Rom. 12:3-5)
* Romans 12:3-5 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
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III. Faith, Hope and Love; With Love the Greatest (12:31-13:13)
>7. What kind of gift should all Christians seek? (31)
* 1 Corinthians 12:31 "But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way."
* 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
* This verse is the basis for my manuscript, "The Believers Future, Hope that Inspires" this website (https://stephenricker.com/novels/the_believers_future.htm. It's also there in PDF.). Now I find my hope fading like fog in the morning as the sun rises and the air gets hotter and hotter. What is to become of me in this world?
God has given me different gifts at different times to help others. Yet these gifts whether tongues, prophecy, miraculous powers, healing, wisdom, and messages of knowledge are all temporary. They are tools meant for the greater good. All tools can be used for good or bad including the gifts of the Spirit.
All is from God. Therefore, all is a gift including health, wealth, prosperity, food, drink, children, and gifts of the Spirit. These gifts should be used in love. Sometimes they are not.
Love is patient, kind, protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Yet here when I have lost almost all and own much I find my hope melt away like an ice cube in a frying pan. All I can do is love those I meet and pray for mercy.
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>What kind of gift(s) do you think you have received or seeking?
* Some churches offer written tests that seek to help determine gifts.
>How can we receive the gifts mentioned about in order to build up the body of Christ? (James 1:2-8)
* James 1:2-8 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
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>8. What happens to all gifts without love? (1-3) Think about the absolute necessity of love.
* 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
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>Describe the nature of love. (4-7)
* 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
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>In light of the nature of love mentioned in the above verses, how is love different from what you have thought?
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>9. How is the nature of love manifested in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ? (Lk. 19:41-44, 23:34; Phil. 2:6-8; Mt. 18:21-35)
* Luke 19:41-44 "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
* Luke 23:34 "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."
* Philippians 2:6-8 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"
* Matthew 18:21-35 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
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>What aspect of love do you think that you should really learn?
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>10. What does Paul tell about the value of love compared to all the temporary gifts? (8-9)
* 1 Corinthians 13:8-9 "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part."
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>What does perfection refer to? (Rev. 21:23, Dan. 12:2)
* Revelation 21:23 "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."
* Daniel 12:2 "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."
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>What would happen when perfection comes? (10)
* 1 Corinthians 13:10 "but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."
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>11. To what does Apostle Paul compare his present and future spiritual state? (11-12)
* 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
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>What must be with Christians always? (13)
* 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
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>Which is the most important?
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>Why?
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