The Higher Gifts

I hadn't seen it before, so it begged for greater contemplation. I am the type that is a sucker for the details...I can get stuck on them and completely miss the big picture in the process. This morning, the passage was entitled "Spiritual Gifts," so I assumed that is what I would be reading about. But, in reality, this passage is strikingly not about finding the spiritual gift that matches your personality. It is about the SPIRIT that UNIFIES the people who have received the gifts from God.

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills." 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

It gets better. The second half of chapter 11 (the previous chapter) is dealing with Paul's directives concerning the Lord's Supper for the Corinthian church. He could see they were missing the point and said in verse 17, " I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse." There were factions and disagreements among the people, and many were concerned more about the eating and drinking than honoring the memory of Christ. They lacked UNITY in their worship.

Back in Chapter 12, the theme of UNITY continues as Paul discusses ONE BODY with many members. "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (v. 13) And the last verse before Chapter 13 is 12:31 which states, "But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." As you may already know, the more excellent way of 1 Corinthians 13 is LOVE. The higher gifts that we should earnestly desire? I believe they are UNITY and LOVE. Everything else we desire to do or to be as followers of Christ should fall under the headship of unity and love.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35