Spiritual Gifts

[Daymon]

I have been reading the book of 1 Corinthians and today read chapter 12 and 13 where it talks about the body of Christ and spiritual gifts. Chapter 12 pretty much illustrates the importance of each member of the body of Christ. In Chapter 13 verses 1-3 Paul explains basically, that spiritual gifts are nothing without love. In verse 4-8 of chapter 13 he goes on to explain that love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices in truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails.

What I took away from this reading was that not only are spiritual gifts not possible without love, since love is incorruptible, it are those individual spiritual gifts that make the body of Christ functional as a whole, no matter how seemingly unimportant that spiritual gift might be.

(on a lighter note: I might be more like a "toe nail" but my job in the body of Christ is still important....... somehow)

Anyway...........am I on the right page here?

[tah]

I don't know that I would say that the gifts are impossble to have "without manifesting love" ..

We may be able to do all those things without manifesting love in the doing of them...

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

but I am a believer that we sure do need each other..

We are all one in Christ and each toenail or hair or liver or whatever is not un-important to His body...

[CoramDeo]

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Gifts are necessary and good, but fruit is vital in order to be effective in operating in the gifts.

[Daymon]

It sounds like you are thinking of it right, but that is only the beginning.

I'm sure it is. I'm reading through the whole book of 1 Corinthians right now. I don't have a Church or anything like that, so this is the only way I have to discuss things that I have read, and express my thoughts about them. I wouldn't consider my self overly knowledgeable, but I do enjoy discussing it

[Daymon]

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Hmmmm, this is interesting. Where your Bible says Charity, mine says love. I have a NIV mens devotional. I wonder if anyone can elaborate on this translation, or why my NIV would use the word love instead of charity?

[Floatingaxe]

"Charity" of old means the same as the word, "love" does in the newer english.

Here's an interesting paraphrase:

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love."

Cool, eh?

[Daymon]

"Charity" of old means the same as the word, "love" does in the newer english.

Here's an interesting paraphrase:

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love."

Cool, eh?

Thank you for clarifying that for me Floatingaxe

Next question....LOL. Now, where Paul says "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal", sounds to me like he is saying without love "you're just making noise", or not saying anything important. If this is true, does this kind of person really have any spiritual gift if they don't have love? Because if they had love, their words would also have meaning right? Without love, the words have no meaning, right? Or won't bare fruit, as someone else put it.

[Floatingaxe]

Great mind, there, Daymon!

I believe that if one has the gift of tongues they are admonished here that they had better have love if they want to be used of God and have that gift bear fruit! I am speaking of the Ministry Gift of tongues whereby an interpretation is necessary. Without walking in the love of God, and that gift is put to use, that person is essentially speaking without the power or anointing. They step out of it, and it would be, to God, just a noise. When one is walking in the love of God, and being careful to tend to the gifts that the Lord has blessed him with, then he will be able to operate in the gift with full assurance of the anointing upon him.

When one is gifted with their prayer language, the Grace Gift, then they need to abide in God and walk in love also, or their words will come, God hears alright, but one's blessing kind of falls flat. I would much rather be that "abider" and use my gift so that it will bear much fruit and blessing/edification upon the Church and myself.

Blessings!

[LightofJesus]

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Hmmmm, this is interesting. Where your Bible says Charity, mine says love. I have a NIV mens devotional. I wonder if anyone can elaborate on this translation, or why my NIV would use the word love instead of charity?

Charity does mean love. We look at love so differently than how God looks at love. Do you have a concordance like a Strongs concordance. You can find out what words mean in their original language. I find this to be so helpful, especially when God gives me something special just for me!!

[LightofJesus]

"Charity" of old means the same as the word, "love" does in the newer english.

Here's an interesting paraphrase:

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love."

Cool, eh?

You are good FA