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1 Corinthians 11-12: The Creative Order and Its Significance
October 1, 2025 · 15 min
Learn about the creative order between men and women as Paul discusses in Corinthians.
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Spiritual Gifts and Unity in the Body of Christ 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining this morning as we continue looking through first Corinthians. We're looking at chapters 11 and 12 this morning. Verse 18 of chapter 12, but now0:22 God has set the members, each 1 of them in the body as he pleased. God has placed you right where he wants you. Alright? That's something you need to know, and that's what Paul talks about here in0:33 this chapter. So today, we are really at a turning point in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Up to this point, he's been talking about their carnal conduct. Now he shifts to their spiritual conduct.0:45 Unfortunately, the latter was influenced by the former. The instruction we have here primarily in chapter 12 deals with spiritual gifts. Now they were carnal Christians as he laid out very0:57 clearly, but they had still been given spiritual gifts, which they were not using as God intended spiritual gifts to be used. Rather than using their gifts to unify the body, to strengthen each other,1:09 and to reach the lost, they were using their gifts to compete against each other, and it was dividing the church. Now remember, this was a multitude of churches in Corinth, so it wasn't just 11:21 body, but it was like all of these, congregations were in competition with each other even within particular comp, congregations. Now in chapter 12, Paul1:32 explains the source of these spiritual gifts, outlines their purpose, the variety of gifts, and the power behind it. It. So let's look first at chapter 11 quick summary verse 3. But I want1:44 you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of every woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Now this is enough to start a quarrel in some circles. In verses 2 through 16, Paul1:56 is discussing corporate worship. Now I'm not gonna delve into the discussion of women wearing hats to church, but I will touch on the underlying principle that Paul presents. Men and women are of equal value to2:08 God, but at the same time, they're different as designed by God. While culturally rooted in its setting, this passage cautions against blurring the2:19 lines between men and women. There there is a creative order, and and Paul is reminding them, and he's he's teaching them about that creative order. The man is2:31 to be the spiritual head of the home. Not my opinion. That's the word of God. Just look where our culture is going as it deviates from biblical truth. I mean, think about it for a moment.2:43 Attempting to eradicate completely eradicate the difference between male and female, turning gender into a box that you just check based upon personal preference rather2:55 than by God's design. Now in the second half of chapter 11, Paul deals with the Lord's suff supper, which had morphed into love feast and looked more like the drunken feast that that the heathens held in the3:07 worship of their idols. Now the Lord's supper was intended to be a unifying experience for the local church, but they were doing it in a way that divided them further. Like,3:19 everything they did was bringing more division. Now I wanna point out something, that Paul says in teaching on this topic. Look at verse 29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner,3:31 eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Now what does he mean by unworthy manner? Unconfessed sin. Approaching the Lord's supper as if it were no big3:43 deal. Verse 30. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. Now the result of casually treating the Lord's supper was that there were sickness and death.3:55 Verse 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world. Look, if we judge ourselves and we confess our4:07 sins, God will not have to judge us and correct us, but he's not gonna let us get by with sin in our lives. You know, people talk about a double standard. There is a double standard between the world4:19 and Christians. Once we follow Christ, he's not going to allow us to do whatever we want. It's it's kinda like, you know, when I my kids were growing up. I will correct my kids4:31 when we were in a a public setting, a church, or whatever. I would correct my kids. I wasn't gonna correct someone else's kids unless I was like, they were gonna hurt themselves or somebody else. But my kids are my kids.4:42 And so as children of God, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, only those are the children of God adopted into the family. God is gonna correct us. He's not going to let us misbehave. Alright.4:54 On to chapter 12. Now the church is like a a human body. Paul describes it this way. It it's designed by God to accomplish great things when its individual5:06 members are in harmony with 1 another, diligently exercising their spiritual gifts under the headship of the lord Jesus Christ. And, just a bit of5:18 history here, in 17 76 when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, they also passed a resolution appointing Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson to a committee5:30 to create, the great seal of the United States to find a a seal. Of course, with most most committees in Congress, it took a while. 6 years, 3 committees, and5:42 14 men later, they actually adopted the great seal of the United States with the motto e pluribus unum. Out of the many 1. Now the majority of scholars believe5:54 that e pluribus unum was taken from the title page of Gentleman's Magazine, an English magazine that was popular in the colonies at the time and a favorite of Benjamin Franklin.6:06 Now Gentleman's Magazine apparently adopted the quote from an earlier magazine, Gentleman's Journal,6:17 Huguenot refugee. There was an understanding that that America, and this is what it meant, America was unlike any other country. We were a country where people of many diverse backgrounds,6:30 languages, and cultures unlike any place in the history of the world came together as 1. Out of the many, 1. Well, there is no better6:41 illustration of this than the body of Christ. A vast assembly of people from different cultures, economic, and ethnic backgrounds unified as 1 in Christ.6:53 Now as Paul now transitions to the spiritual away from the carnal, he demonstrates that a significant means of unifying the church is the proper exercise of spiritual gifts, again, under7:05 the lordship of Jesus Christ. Verse 1 chapter 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.7:17 Now I think right now he's starting off by reminding them of where they came from and how they got to where they were. It was the Holy Spirit drawing them to Christ. Verse 3. Therefore, I make7:29 known to you that no 1 speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no 1 can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts,7:41 but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. So the provider of the spiritual gifts is7:53 God. Spiritual gifts are abilities given by the Holy Spirit, directed by Jesus Christ, and energized by God the father for purposes of serving serving and strengthening the body of Christ.8:05 Now there can be overlap between natural ability and spiritual gifts, but a natural ability is not necessarily a spiritual gift.8:17 Paul also provides, I think, what I would describe as the acid test to authenticate the gift. Look at, again, at verse 3. Does it declare the lordship of8:29 Jesus Christ? True spiritual gifts are for the purpose. Right? Now listen to this very closely. True spiritual gifts are for the purpose of glorifying God and edifying the body of8:41 Christ, building up the body of Christ. It's not about us. Verse 7. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each for the profit of all. Alright? It's for all. Paul then moves to a discussion about8:53 the plurality of gifts, the different gifts. Verse 8. For to 1 is given the word of wisdom through the spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another9:03 gifts of healings by the same spirit, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to other to another the interpretation of tongues. But 19:14 and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each 1 individually as he wills. Now this is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts.9:26 Paul lists some other gifts over in Romans chapter 12. Not all gifts not all spiritual gifts, I believe, are listed in scripture there. Now there are differing views on whether or9:38 not spiritual gifts all the spiritual gifts listed in scripture are still in are still operating today in the church. And now there is a continuum of views9:50 on the continuance of these gifts listed in the bible. 1 view among many Protestant churches is that there was a cessation or a ceasing of the gifts and offices of the apostles and10:02 prophets, which was used to lay the foundation of the church. And once that foundation was laid, those gifts and those officers offices no longer, exist. Now at the other end of10:14 the, continuum are the maybe what we call the charismatic or the third wave or the 5 fold ministry. I'll just say that my view is toward this latter view. The10:25 gifts of the spirit, I believe, are still functioning today. Verse 12. For as the body is 1 and has many members, but all the members of that 1 body being many are 1 body,10:37 so also is Christ. Now who determines what gifts we get? Well, I believe we can pray for gifts. I believe that we can pray, but, ultimately, look at verse 18. But now God has set the members, each 1 of them in place10:49 just as he pleased. Now each 1 of us in the body of Christ has a spiritual gift. It can be differing things, and we should seek to11:01 understand what that gift is. And we need to pray, Lord. If you're not sure what that gift is, pray. Let the Lord show you, and ask some others because they can see it in you. It's usually pretty evident. But then we11:11 need to not want someone else's gift. This is where actually a lot of the strife in the church in Corinth was. There was this envy. There was a and and all these things continue11:23 to exist today. There was strife as people were, there was selfish ambition. Somebody wanted this gift that someone else had. Look. Embrace what God has given you and who he11:35 has made you and where he has placed you. Now, first Peter 4 12 4 10 says, as each 1 has received the gift, minister to 1 another. Use that gift. Now I don't have11:47 time to read Matthew chapter 25, but if we don't use our gifts, we'll lose them. But using them for the glory of God can actually lead to more11:59 opportunities. If we're faithful in the small, we have greater opportunities. Alright. Back to, chapter 12 verse 19. And if they were all 1 member, where would the body be? But now indeed, there are many members yet 112:10 body. If it if you were all arms and no legs, how would you get around? Every part of the body is needed. Verse 27. Now you are the body of Christ and members individually,12:22 and God has appointed these in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps administrations, variety of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all12:34 prophets? Are all teacher? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? Well, the answer is no. But together,12:45 we do the work of the lord, bringing glory to him as we edify and encourage 1 another. What a great passage of scripture. We're gonna learn so12:57 much on this journey to the new testament, especially in these law these letters of Paul really unpacks what the Christian life looks like. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Once again,13:09 thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the gifts of the spirit. May we use those, Lord, to bring glory to you and to edify the body of Christ, to build up others. May it not be about us.13:21 Lord, help us to learn from the mistakes that others have made, and help us to learn from those who have done it right, bringing glory to you and strengthening their fellow believers. Lord, I pray for those that are on,13:33 this, this study that, lord, they may be wondering, what is my gift? I pray that you would show them the spiritual gift or gifts that you've given them, and may they use them to advance your kingdom,13:45 glorify your name, and build up other believers. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. Hey. Let me remind you, coming up October seventeenth and eighteenth at Chino Hills,13:57 California, Calvary Chapel, pastor Jack Hibbs Church, we will have our pray, vote, stand summit. If you'd like more information about how you can join us, pray, vote, stand dot o r14:09 g. Alright. Until next time, keep standing on the word.14:16 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan, available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:28 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Spiritual Gifts and Unity in the Body of Christ
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