This blog is usually far too wordy. But the flip side of a blog is that the page has virtually unlimited expansion capabilities. So there aren't any limits to the word count. Imagine Paul unrestricted by parchment size. In the Old Testament there are the books called 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles. Without a limit in the size of a scroll, these would be single books.
I think Paul would have taken advantage of the ability to easily create and transmit pictures.“If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. If they were all the same member, where would the body be? So now there are many members, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I do not need you,' nor in turn can the head say to the foot, 'I do not need you.'”
He could have used hyperlinks, tying thoughts written in one place with his other writings. (This is what cross references are for in our Bibles, but in this case they would be from the author. Click on the link to see what I mean.)
“Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit.”
And he absolutely could have used the interactive nature of the web in general, and a blog in particular, to quickly clear up any misunderstandings in communication.
Spiritual Gifts
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
Comments.
Why do the prophetic speakers think they're better than those of us who aren't?
Is it true that healers have a special gift from God?
As someone who heals, I just want to say that I feel specially gifted. I wish others would just stay away from me though. I get really tired of all the requests for help.
Paul sez:
In answer to all your comments, let me say it again, "Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit." It's God's Spirit in all gifting. Let me add: "And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone." It's all about God, and you don't want to let a gift from God become a source of division or hierarchy or disagreement. If your gift seems like a burden, keep this in mind: "To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all." Here's how it works.: "For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things."
Got it now?
In a sense, our job in understanding what Paul wrote, is to try and figure out what the comments were that led to Paul's answers in this letter. It would have been easy if this were Paul's blog. But we still have hints within Paul's writing as to what questions were in the letter he's responding to.
Here are a couple more thoughts about the chapter, to prompt your own thoughts. Put the description of gifting in the perspective of both chapters 11 and 13. Chapter 11 is about disruption of the gatherings of the church, and chapter 13 puts all gifting underneath the manifestation of faith, hope, and, love, with love as the greatest. Also, notice how many times Paul reiterates the source of the gifts -- the Spirit.
And finally, remember that even a surfing eyeball needs legs and feet.
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