DR. GORDON HUGENBERGER
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR MARCH 30, 2003
1 Corinthians 12
The Spiritual Gifts


MAIN POINT:
This sermon will continue our meditation on the lessons of 1 Corinthians 12 and will build especially on what was stressed two weeks ago based on 1 Corinthians 12:7, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." At that time we considered the three main implications of this verse: 1) If you are a Christian, you have at least one spiritual gift that is of indispensable benefit to the Body of Christ; 2) each gift, not just those which may appear to us to be dramatic, is a manifestation of the Spirit – since the Spirit was also instrumental in the work of creation (the "laws of nature" are merely the observed regularities of His providential control of the material universe), there is an expected "naturalness," as well as supernaturalness, about each gift – and 3) the gifts are designed not for the benefit of the possessor (to build self-esteem, etc.), but for the benefit of others.

This morning these lessons will be applied to the first three gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (the message of wisdom, message of knowledge, and faith). If there is insufficient time to cover all three gifts, we will consider only the gift of faith. Next Sunday, however, we will circle back and consider the first two gifts and then continue with various other gifts mentioned in this chapter. We will put off an examination of the gifts of prophecy and tongues until we arrive at 1 Corinthians 14.

NOTE: In connection with our special evangelistic emphasis on this last Sunday of the month, we will hear a testimony of faith in the midst of affliction from Herman Smith and his wife Denise Thompson Smith, who has been suffering from a rare neurological disorder over the past 12 months.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. If you are a Christian, you are automatically a member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27). Some Christians limit the application of this important truth to membership in the Church Universal. In other words, by becoming a Christian you are joined to the total number of Christians who exist throughout the world and throughout history. Without denying this important insight, prove that the Bible equally affirms that if you are a Christian, you are automatically a member of a local Body of Christ (an actual group of believers in some locality with whom you are in vital relationship).



2. As with most local churches in the modern world, Park Street Church has a formal process that is required for one to be recognized as an "official" member, with voting privileges, etc. It is understood, of course, that this is nothing more than a practical expedient. It is not meant to deny the genuine spiritual membership of many brothers and sisters who may not yet be "official" members. In keeping with this wider view of genuine membership, this church does not limit its love or ministry, including the administration of baptism or the Lord's Supper, only to those who are official members. What then are the pros and cons of a church having a system of "formal" membership? Given what the Bible teaches about the Body of Christ, what would you advise a new visitor to this church to do about formal membership?



3. Among the list of nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Paul mentions the gift of faith: "to another faith by the same Spirit...." Before we can understand correctly what is intended by this remarkable gift, we need to be clear on what it is not. Offer two or three considerations that prove that Paul is not referring to what we might call "saving faith" - in other words, the faith by which a person becomes a Christian?



4. Some Christians seem to equate the "gift of faith" with a supernatural ability to believe that God will certainly do some extraordinary thing which is nowhere explicitly promised in His Word. For example, it is suggested that someone with the "gift of faith" might have confidence that God will certainly heal an illness in a specific case where others are only able to hope and pray for that healing. Likewise, it is suggested that the "gift of faith" would be seen in someone who is sure that God will bless and provide the needed funds to launch a new Christian TV station costing millions of dollars, whereas others who lack that gift can only hope and pray for such a blessed outcome. The Bible says a great deal about faith, but it offers little support for examples like these which, in practice, seem to equate faith with optimism, if not presumption. Based on Hebrews 11, prove that faith refers to the ability to trust God no matter what and to believe and act upon that which He has explicitly promised, rather than the ability to be confident about things that God has not promised (although they may well be within His plan).



5. What are some other passages in the Bible that make this same point about the nature of true faith -where those who have faith are willing to believe and obey God, regardless of the outcome?



6. Some Christians may be attracted to a "gift of faith" that seems to offer an ability to have confidence in things that God has not explicitly promised in His Word because they forget the amazing number of things that God has, in fact, promised. What are a dozen or so promises that God has given in His Word that are especially precious to you?



7. If the gift of faith resembles the other spiritual gifts, we should expect a certain "naturalness" about it, as well as supernaturalness. In particular, consider the example of David, who is described as a "man after God's own heart," in large part because of his extraordinary faith. When David fought Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, how does he explain his willingness to trust God for this battle? [HINT: See 1 Samuel 17:34-37.]



8. In Luke 7:1-10 Jesus commented about the amazing faith of a soldier, a centurion, whose faith exceeded anything Jesus had witnessed even among his fellow Jews. The centurion explains his faith based on lessons he learned in the military. Without justifying or minimizing the evil of war, what are some reasons that many do, in fact, come to genuine faith in the midst of war?



9. To conform to what Paul says about each of the gifts, for "faith" to be a spiritual gift, it needs to exercised in a manner that benefits others, not just oneself. Give some examples from the Bible, or from your own experience, where someone had this gift of faith and where it resulted in "the common good."