Bible Reflections From Scripture Union Volume OneSample

Diversity within Unity
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4

Paul echoes here the previous theme of unity in the one body of Christ. After setting out the criteria for differentiating what comes from the Spirit and what does not, Paul emphasises the need for diversity of gifts and manifestations in the unity of the one Spirit. He continues with the theme of ‘one body with many parts’. However, the Corinthian church had forgotten what that spirit of unity meant.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in outward power and observable spiritual gifts makes it easy for God’s people to think of the power and gifts as the only evidence of the Spirit’s presence. In this case, ‘spirituality’ is external, ‘showy’ and dazzling.

However, God’s people forget that the ultimate criterion and test of the Spirit’s activity is the exaltation of Jesus as Lord. Whatever takes away from and diminishes this centrality begins to move away from Christ to a more carnal/fleshly fascination with spiritual activities as an end in themselves.

Hence, any exaltation of gifts at the expense of the Giver grieves the Spirit, and detracts from the core activity of the Spirit which is to exalt Christ above all.

The desperate need of the church is for a sovereign work of the Spirit to do among us what all our ‘programmed unity’ cannot: to make us one.

Let us pray for our families and churches to recognise diversity within the unity: let us seek for a wide variety of manifestations and gifts of the one Spirit within the church. And let us exalt Christ above all else.