>All About the Spirit

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Recently our Sunday school lesson was on the spiritual gifts, using select verses from 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. As I studied for that week’s lesson, something occurred to me while reading one of these passages. Here’s what the passage says:

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

(1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NASB, emphasis mine)

Did you notice it? There’s a theme running through these verses, and it’s not the theme we so frequently get caught up in. Rather than being the spiritual gifts themselves, the theme is the Spirit behind the gifts. Spiritual gifts can be a touchy subject for Baptists. It can also be touchy when in comes to interdenominational discussion. There will probably never be interdenominational agreement on spiritual gifts this side of heaven. (And, there probably won’t even be discussion of them in heaven – they’ll be obsolete by then!) But, there can be agreement on the source of any gift – the Holy Spirit Himself.

Regardless of our denominational affiliation or stand on the various spiritual gifts, there can and should be unity among. That unity revolves around the fact that we are all children of God, and anything we do in His Name is empowered by the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit. The one Spirit. When we seek wisdom, clarity, and unity through the Holy Spirit, there is no limit to the amazing things we can do together through His strength and gifts, no matter what those gifts may be.