Original Meaning

PAUL NOW RESUMES addressing issues clearly raised by the Corinthians in their letter to him, but the theme of behavior in worship carries over from chapter 11. The Corinthian services were somewhat chaotic, and the more libertine wing was apparently equating spirituality with the exercise of the more spectacular gifts. Chapter 12 thus insists on the need for diversity of gifts within the unity of the body. Chapter 13 stresses that without love the gifts are worthless. Chapter 14 then focuses on two of the more controversial gifts—prophecy and tongues—telling the Corinthians to prefer the former to the latter because of its more immediate intelligibility (vv. 1–25) and giving guidelines for the use of each so as to promote order in the church (vv. 26–40).

Within chapter 12, Paul begins with an introduction highlighting the basic criterion for distinguishing the work of the Holy Spirit from that of other spirits (vv. 1–3). Verses 4–6 then ground the diversity of spiritual gifts within the unity of the Triune Godhead. Verses 7–11 offer samples of the diverse gifts, while stressing that each comes from the same sovereign Spirit. Verses 12–26 develop in more detail the metaphor of the body of Christ, while verses 27–31 bring the chapter to a close with a second representative list of gifts which stresses that not one of them is given to all Christians. “The successive waves of Paul’s argument may be summed up as follows: (1) not disunity, but (2) unity; yet unity (3) not uniformity, but (4) of mutual concern and love.”1

“Spiritual gifts” in verse 1 is either the neuter or masculine gender of the adjective spiritual and so could also be translated “spiritual things” or “spiritual people.” In 14:1 it is definitely neuter, but “things” may include “people.” The term probably reflects the prideful way the Corinthian leaders referred to themselves. So too Paul picks up on their claims to knowledge and with a tinge of irony fears that he actually needs to dispel their “ignorance” (recall 10:1).

Part of their problem is that they have not made a radical enough break from their pagan backgrounds, which employed counterparts to many of the controversial gifts discussed here, especially tongues and prophecy. Some of them had doubtless spoken seemingly inspired utterances during various Greco-Roman religious rituals (v. 2).2 But in those settings, participants who had heard of Christ’s claims might well have cursed him, so Paul notes that no one can sincerely declare Jesus to be anathema who is a true believer (v. 3a). Conversely, only Christians—those indwelt by the Spirit—can acknowledge Jesus as Lord (v. 3b). Here is the fundamental early Christian confession of faith (cf. Rom. 10:9–10), flying both in the face of pagan affirmations of some other deity or emperor as god and master and in the face of Jewish insistence that Yahweh alone merited the title.

Verses 4–6 continue with three closely parallel statements. Paul elucidates spiritual gifts from three different angles: They are bestowed freely by the Spirit’s grace (v. 4), are intended to be used in a Christ-like attitude of servanthood (v. 5), and are the result of God’s powerful working in a person’s life (v. 6). Verse 7 employs yet a fourth term, “manifestations,” and stresses that all the Corinthian Christians have at least one such gift, which is to be used for mutual edification (cf. Eph. 4:11–13).3

The words for “another” in verses 8–10 switch in the Greek from allos (“another of the same kind”) to heteros (“another of a different kind”), so that these verses divide into three sections: wisdom and knowledge (v. 8); faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, and distinguishing spirits (vv. 9–10a); and tongues and their interpretations (v. 10b). This suggests an ABA structure that shifts from gifts of word to those of deed and back again, though prophecy perhaps falls in both categories.4 Peter recognizes a similar twofold classification of the gifts: speaking and serving (1 Peter 4:11). All nine represent the more miraculous gifts, precisely because these were what the Corinthians were overly stressing in divisive ways. Paul, on the other hand, repeatedly states that they all come from the same Spirit. And because it is the Holy Spirit, and not individual merit, who determines who gets what gifts (v. 11), they cannot be used to mark out any one for special status within the church in Corinth.

A “message” (literally, “word”) of wisdom or knowledge (v. 8) reflects the ability to bring spiritual insight to bear in a timely, helpful fashion in a specific Christian context. If Paul intends any difference between the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge, it may be that wisdom is knowledge applied, particularly in moral contexts (see Prov. 1:7). In 13:2, knowledge is linked with understanding mysteries, so it may involve an element of explaining the inscrutable as well. “Faith” in verse 9 is not the trust in Christ that all persons must have in order to be saved, but a special measure of faith that God can work miracles (again cf. 13:2) or to sustain a person when he chooses not to work them. “Gifts of healings” (the Greek is plural) refer to supernatural cures of physical maladies. The plurals suggest either that the gift may come and go for various occasions or, perhaps more likely, that there are different gifts for different kinds of illnesses. “Miraculous powers” (v. 10—Gk., “the workings of powers”) include additional kinds of miracles, such as the apostles and other early Christians were enabled to perform, including, most notably, exorcisms.

New Testament prophecy builds on the background of prophetic activity in both the Old Testament and Greco-Roman religions, while differing in crucial ways from each. Both inside and outside of the canon, prophecy consistently included both “foretelling” (predicting future events) and, more predominantly, “forthtelling” (exhorting God’s people, and occasionally his enemies, about his will for their present circumstances). It shares the common feature of a sense of declaring a message one believes one has received relatively directly from God (cf. 14:30).5 New Testament prophecy therefore included both conventional preaching, when the preacher had the sense of being gripped and convicted by the Spirit about his or her message, and more spontaneous, unpremeditated utterances. Hill captures both of these concepts in his definition: Christian prophets are “those who have grasped the meaning of Scripture, perceived its powerful relevance to the life of the individual, the Church and society, and declare that message fearlessly.”6 Their prophecy is not on a par with Scripture and their exercise of the gift, like that of all other spiritual gifts, is subject to error and misinterpretation (cf. esp. Acts 21:4 with vv. 11, 13–14).7

“Distinguishing between spirits” probably refers to the God-given ability to discern if an apparently inspired speaker is ministering by the power of the Holy Spirit or by some counterfeit power. It cannot be the same as evaluating the contents of an alleged prophecy, since 14:29 assigns that responsibility either to other prophets or to the entire congregation.

“Speaking in tongues” (glossolalia) must not be confused with what happened to the disciples at Pentecost. There the audience understood what was being proclaimed without benefit of an interpreter (Acts 2:1–13); here an interpretation is required. Various Greco-Roman religions had comparable phenomena, so it is best to understand the Corinthian experience as involving some kind of initially unintelligible verbal utterance. It may or may not have had a discernible linguistic structure; the word for “tongue” is broad enough in meaning to cover any audible vocalization.8

“Interpreting” tongues then refers to putting the otherwise unintelligible message into words which are understood by those present.9 Chapter 14 will elaborate in more detail on both prophecy and tongues and on appropriate responses to each.

In verses 12–26, Paul develops the extended metaphor of the church as the body of Christ. An ABBA pattern is discernible as he follows up an initial statement of the metaphor (v. 12) by moving from the theme of unity (v. 13) to diversity (v. 14), and then describes in more detail first diversity (vv. 15–21) and then unity (vv. 22–26).10

Verses 13–14 give a twofold rationale for permitting diversity within unity: (1) those who are being saved come from all ethnic and socioeconomic brackets of the ancient world; and (2) that is how a human body works. Verse 13 refers to incorporation into the body of Christ as “baptism in one Spirit” (the NIV footnote—”Or with; or in”—is better than the “by” of the text, because it preserves the analogy with “baptism in water”). Spirit-baptism is not identical to water baptism but occurs at the moment of conversion (cf. Rom. 8:9). However, Paul probably associated the concepts closely together, inasmuch as water baptism in the early church regularly followed quickly on the heels of belief. “Given the one Spirit to drink” could also be rendered “watered with the one Spirit” (cf. Paul’s use of the same verb in 3:6–7). Either way, both clauses of verse 13 refer to the same spiritual action of being incorporated into the company of the redeemed and suggest that the Spirit both indwells and surrounds us.

Verses 15–20 underline what is demonstrable with respect to a human body: all the parts serve an important function, regardless of any claims to the contrary. Without the diversity that comes from specialization of function, one no longer has an organism, merely one giant organ, unable to do anything.

Verses 21–26 continue the analogy but begin to apply it to the church. Where there is seemingly less value, power, or honor in the body, compensation occurs to preserve relative equality. In fact, the true value of a particular body part is often inversely proportional to its outward appearance. When Paul speaks of weaker body parts (v. 22) he may be thinking of fingers or toes, or the less protected organs such as one’s eyes. The “less honorable” parts (v. 23a) may refer to internal organs, usually covered by clothing, since the verb for “treat” can also mean “clothe.” The “unpresentable” parts (v. 23b) most naturally refer to genitalia and the excretory tracts. Paul’s fundamental concern is that the gifts and/or people the Corinthians are demeaning should be affirmed, while those they are overly exalting should be put in more balanced perspective. Presumably, he has in mind the more visible and dramatic gifts, but he may also be thinking of the more wealthy power brokers in the church—recall 11:17–34. So verse 26 rounds out Paul’s discussion of the body with another reminder of mutuality and interdependence. What modern medicine has recently come to understand even better than did the ancients—that the body is a psychosomatic whole—should apply that much more to the fellowship of believers. One individual’s joy or suffering should prove contagious.11

Verses 27–31 complete this chapter with one final restatement of the body metaphor and another listing of sample gifts. But this time Paul’s main point is that not one of the gifts is intended for all believers. The rhetorical questions in verses 29–30 all employ the Greek word me, which demonstrates that the implied answer to each question is, “No.”

This list includes some of the same and some different gifts as in verses 8–10. “Apostles” in Paul’s usage include not merely the Twelve but himself (1:1), Titus (2 Cor. 8:23), Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25), James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19), and Andronicus and Junia (Rom. 16:7), the latter probably a woman’s name. Clearly he is using the term in its root sense of those sent out on a mission, in this case a divinely commissioned one. Christians would later come to call such people missionaries or church-planters. “Teachers” in the ancient world limited themselves largely to the communication of a fixed body of information to their students, often solely by rote memory work. “Those able to help others” is as vague in the Greek as in English but would have included special acts of assistance to the poor and needy. “Administration” may also be translated “oversight” or “guidance” and encompasses the governing aspect of church leadership.

To take “first,” “second,” and “third” in verse 28 as a ranking in significance would clearly violate the whole point of Paul’s discussion thus far. So it is best to see in this enumeration a chronological priority (cf. Eph. 2:20).12 To establish a local congregation requires a church-planter. Then the regular proclamation of God’s Word must ensue. Next teachers must supplement evangelism with discipleship and the passing on of the cardinal truths of the faith. Only at this point does a viable Christian fellowship exist to enable all the other gifts to come into play. Tongues may be last on the list because the Corinthians were overestimating their value, but it cannot be demonstrated that Paul assigned them any inherent inferiority.

After all this, verse 31a seems out of place. How can Paul now encourage people to desire greater gifts? Some have therefore translated his words as a statement (“But you are eagerly desiring the [so-called] greater gifts”) or as a question (“But are you eagerly desiring greater gifts?”). But these translations are not possible with Paul’s parallel statement in 14:1, and they require an ironic reading of this verse for which there is no contextual evidence. So it is better to translate it as the NIV does and understand “greater” as referring to the less visible gifts given special honor and treatment (v. 23) or to prophecy as over against tongues (chap. 14). This verse also reminds the Corinthians that verse 11 need not lead to fatalism. It is entirely proper for them to pray for and even to try to cultivate certain gifts, so long as they leave room for the Spirit to refuse to grant their desires if he so chooses.

Bridging Contexts

THE PRACTICE OF spiritual gifts can prove as divisive in settings outside first-century Corinth as it did there. But that is precisely what we must seek to avoid. In fact, the parallels between the squabbling among the Corinthian Christians and contemporary debates over the charismatic movement are surprisingly close. Most of Paul’s instruction, therefore, transfers quite readily to our modern world, if we are willing to listen and follow what he says.

Any study of the spiritual gifts should include not only 1 Corinthians 12–14 but Romans 12:3–8 and Ephesians 4:7–13 as well. None of the various lists of gifts Paul gives in these chapters is identical, suggesting that none of them, individually or together, is intended to be comprehensive. Paul’s use of the term charisma elsewhere (e.g., for celibacy and marriage in 7:7), like his use of a variety of terms for spiritual gifts in 12:1–6, suggests that the concept is not as fixed or technical an expression as some have made it out to be.13 The range of functions covered by Paul’s various lists of gifts makes it likely that any combination of talents, abilities, and endowments, however suddenly given or leisurely cultivated, may qualify as spiritual gifts, if a believer uses them for God’s glory and his work in the world.14 Certainly Paul’s own unique preparation for Christian ministry as a Hellenistic Jew and Roman citizen makes it difficult to believe that he would have viewed all of his spiritual gifts, including preaching and teaching (Acts 13:1), as acquired only after his conversion. But precisely because all of the gifts have non-Christian analogues, a talent or ability becomes a charisma only when it is used by a believer for the “common good” (v. 7).

Verse 3 cannot be the only criterion for determining genuine from counterfeit spiritual utterance; in most contexts it will not get us very far! But it remains the most foundational test. Other scriptural helps include checking for further doctrinal orthodoxy, especially concerning the person of Christ (1 John 4:1) and observing the “fruit” or results of the ministry of the speaker (Matt. 7:15–20). If a given prophecy is predictive and truly inspired by God, then it will come true (Deut. 18:22). But even after applying these criteria, there may remain ambiguities, which is one reason why any apparent expression of the Spirit’s gifts must never be accorded “divine” or inerrant status.

Verses 4–6 contain important Trinitarian implications, all the more significant because they are not the main point of the paragraph. The primary function of Paul’s word here is to argue for a legitimate diversity of gifts, which the Corinthians were not acknowledging, based on the very nature of God himself.

Verse 7a teaches the important principle that all Christians receive at least one spiritual gift. Some may receive more than one, at the same time or at different times in life. It is even possible that individual gifts may be rescinded (e.g., through disuse; but cf. Rom. 11:29, although that is in a different context), but never so as to leave a believer without any. Like 1:7, this verse discourages an approach to the Christian life that is forever looking for some new gift or experience or that claims conversion alone is inadequate to equip believers for immediate service to the church. The repetition of “the same Spirit” throughout verses 8–11 hammers home the point that diversity doesn’t necessarily threaten unity. Given the conjunctions of wisdom and knowledge, of healings and other miracles, we must be wary of drawing too fine a distinction between any pair of spiritual gifts. Paul elsewhere closely links prophecy and knowledge (13:2) and pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11), and Luke similarly conjoins prophets and teachers (Acts 13:1).

In general, there is little to commend either the approach that restricts a particular gift to a uniquely supernatural manifestation or the approach that leaves a gift virtually indistinguishable from a natural talent. Carolyn Osiek’s words on prophecy prove particularly helpful: It “is the living word that compels to constructive action, that rends our hearts and pushes us to deeper connectedness with life, so that we dare to reach out to others with greater love and faith.” She continues, “If today in many of our contexts, it does not take the same form as it did in the Pauline churches, that is only because the prophetic Spirit is sufficiently agile to adapt to changed cultural assumptions and behavior.”15 What is true of prophecy is true of teaching, of helping, of administering, and so on. God may use and cultivate innate abilities or give people brand-new capacities. It is entirely up to him.16

Classifications of the gifts also regularly risk imposing artificial categories on the textual data that Paul would not have endorsed. Nevertheless, we may note that certain gifts do seem to require more direct supernatural empowering than others (e.g., tongues, interpretation, healings, miracles). Others appear to grant individuals an extra measure of some virtue commanded to one degree or another of all Christians (e.g., wisdom, knowledge, faith, helping, giving, service, exhortation, mercy). Still others are closely tied with leadership roles in the church (e.g., apostles, teachers, administrators), and some may cut across two or more of these categories (e.g., prophecy, spanning the first and third category; or evangelism, spanning the second and third).

This kind of classification raises the important question of the relationship between gifts and offices. Paul consistently recognizes two established offices of church leaders: overseers, also known as elders, and deacons (cf., e.g., Acts 20:17–28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1–13). But the criteria for these offices are expressed not in terms of any specific gifts but as spiritual maturity more generally (1 Tim. 3:2–12; Tit. 1:6–9). So while certain gifts are surely more appropriate for certain offices than others (prophecy or teaching for elders; helping for deacons, etc.) the two categories must not be confused. It is possible to exercise the gift of pastoring without becoming the pastor of a particular church. It is possible to exercise the gift of prophecy, including Spirit-led preaching, without necessarily being “the preacher” in a given congregation. Some are enabled to effect miraculous cures by virtue of their gifts. Others are called to lay on hands and pray for the sick by virtue of their office of elder (Jas. 5:14). God gives gifts indiscriminately and irrespective of gender (cf. Acts 2:17–18), but each local congregation should determine who its officers are going to be according to their understanding of the biblical criteria.17

Romans 12:3–8 suggests that determining and then faithfully using one’s spiritual gifts is the next most important task in a Christian’s life after the fundamental cognitive and moral transformation that accompanies conversion (Rom. 12:1–2). We have already seen how 1 Corinthians 1:7 pointed to gifts as the characteristic expression of each Christian’s ministry throughout the church age. Surely then a crucial question for believers in every time and culture is how they determine what their individual gifts are. Various diagnostic tools have been developed, from the relatively simple to the quite sophisticated, and these can be helpful in confirming suspicions and suggesting new possibilities.18 But most of the church down through history has not had access to these tools, and God can overrule the natural desires or abilities that these various diagnostic tests disclose. So all Christians remain responsible for praying, searching their hearts, trying out ministries, and seeking loving but truthful feedback from mature believers to guide them in ascertaining their distinctive gifts.

Once a person is reasonably sure how he or she has been gifted, that person needs an outlet for service. This fact has staggering implications for the way churches must be organized. Opportunities within worship must be made, whether at the level of small or large groups, for every member to participate in ways that the Spirit leads, even if it is not planned for in the order of service (cf. further on 14:26). Leadership must encourage each member to exercise his or her gifts and help each person to find ways of using them within the local body of believers. When it is time to fill the slots of church responsibilities, people should be matched with areas of their strengths and not their weaknesses. And members ought willingly to volunteer for jobs in those areas without waiting to be asked.19

Verse 11 provides a crucial caution against the natural human tendency to want or expect everyone else to be gifted in the ways we are. It completely refutes all claims that any one gift is necessary for someone to be a Christian, or to be a mature Christian, or to be in the center of God’s activity in some part of the world. Just as “there are no one-member churches,” neither “are there any every-member gifts!”20

Spirit-baptism in verse 13 must not be confused with water-baptism. The expression “baptize with [in/by] the Spirit” occurs seven times in the New Testament. All other six uses are references to John the Baptist’s prophecy that Jesus would baptize with or in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16), which was fulfilled at Pentecost, as the Acts 1:5 reference clarifies. Both the word and practice of baptism in the ancient world suggests that what Paul has in mind here is an initiation experience that immerses a person into the realm of the Spirit. Given that Paul says all the Corinthian believers have been so baptized, and given the level of immaturity of at least some of them, it is impossible that Spirit-baptism should be any kind of second blessing or subsequent experience of God apart from conversion and the initial arrival of the Spirit into a person’s life. Whatever else the stories of the Samaritans in Acts 8 and of John’s disciples in Acts 19 mean, it is clear that in each instance Luke describes the first and only arrival of the Spirit, an arrival that Paul equates with becoming a Christian (Rom. 8:9).21

Verse 13, like Galatians 3:28, also reminds us of the crucial need in every age for the church to model heterogeneous groupings that cause the world to marvel at our unity within diversity (cf. Eph. 4:4–11). Church should be a place where people gather and get along with each other who have no merely human reason for doing so.

Verses 14–26 remain largely self-explanatory, and their overarching principles are clear. Body parts are interdependent, not independent of each other. The New Testament recognizes no individual or “lone-ranger” Christians who are not attached to some local Christian fellowship. That is not to say it is impossible to be saved and uninvolved, merely that it is unhealthy. In societies where individualism is valued above corporate responsibility, the importance of the metaphor of Christ’s church as a body looms large. Paul’s emphasis on all of us needing every other believer greatly relativizes any hierarchy of status, rank, or privilege that we might otherwise try to establish. If there is to be any disparity in the amount of honor accorded anyone, then the less visible, less publicly acknowledged gifts, such as helping, service, or giving, merit greater acclaim.

The gift of faith exercised by particularly powerful prayer warriors probably belongs here too. People with these gifts form the glue that holds churches and ministries together, even as leaders, programs, and public performances come and go. Encouraging all believers to major in the areas of their strengths, but in a context of intimate interdependence, also makes possible obedience to verse 26. It is difficult for people to weep or rejoice with those to whom they do not feel close.

In verse 28 Paul alters his list of gifts from that of verses 8–10 apparently to broaden the scope of the Corinthians’ focus. Instead of concentrating only on the more miraculous gifts, Paul adds samples of gifts for church leaders as well as other less status-filled roles. This categorization, however, remains somewhat anachronistic; the first Christians doubtless thought of all the gifts as miraculous. Nevertheless, everyday acts of service are now set on a par with the recognized, supernatural phenomena of the Spirit.22 Verses 29–30 reinforce the principles stressed in connection with verse 11: every believer has at least one gift, but no one gift is given to every Christian. Verse 31a concludes Paul’s discussion by reminding believers that it is all right and even desirable to seek certain gifts, particularly those less likely to induce pride and more likely to be immediately intelligible. But we dare never presume on God’s sovereignty and pretend that he has to give us what we ask.23

Contemporary Significance

PAUL’S DISCUSSION OF spiritual gifts proves highly timely in our day. The gifts, particularly the ones that seem more supernatural, tend to be as controversial and divisive today as in first-century Corinth. After years of neglecting the ministries of the Holy Spirit, and due largely to the impetus of modern Pentecostalism and the subsequent charismatic movement, almost all Christian circles now focus periodically if not regularly on spiritual gifts. There are also promising signs in many quarters that churches are recovering the biblical models of every-member ministry, both by means of an emphasis on small groups within larger congregations and by virtue of small groups that become congregations (i.e., house churches).24 But much progress is still needed on many fronts.

Verses 2–3 jointly warn against automatically assuming all apparently spiritual gifts are from God, a caution needed especially within the so-called neo-prophetic movement, and against automatically equating the more supernatural gifts with human manufacture or worse, a caution needed especially among cessationists. On the one hand the gifts can be and are counterfeited by many contemporary sects and religions. On the other hand, the devil is not in the habit of bringing people to Christ, promoting faith, sanctification, unity, and evangelical doctrine, as has often occurred in charismatic Christianity in the Third World, in various state churches of Protestant Europe, and in certain branches of the Roman Catholic church worldwide.

All of Paul’s emphasis on diversity within unity gives the lie to those extreme wings of the charismatic movement that continue to claim that a person must speak in tongues (or experience prophecy, healing, or whatever) in order to be saved or to be spiritually mature. That same emphasis equally betrays the imbalance among zealous advocates for evangelism or missions as the most fundamental task of the church. Continuing elevation of clergy over laity remains similarly inappropriate.

All of Paul’s emphasis on unity within diversity calls into question the behavior of growing numbers of Americans who claim to be religious, believe in God and even Christ, and yet drop out of organized church life or at least fade to its periphery.25 In a land still heavily influenced by a heritage of rugged individualism, believers need to work ever harder to demonstrate that Christianity is not a merely personal religion but fundamentally corporate. Even evangelical language for conversion betrays this bias: a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” That is the necessary starting point, but we dare not stop until that relationship leads to intimate interpersonal relationships with other Christians.

Definitions of individual gifts tend to be polarized along the lines of more supernatural conceptions (among charismatics) and more naturalistic conceptions (among noncharismatics). Both sides need to broaden their definitions and not limit God quite so much. A helpful guide in settling debates about a gift that proves controversial in a particular context is to see if the same principles being applied to it would stand up when assessing a less controversial gift. So, for example, some claim that a contemporary prophet must be one hundred percent accurate, as Old Testament prophets were supposed to be. But who requires that standard of inerrancy from those with the gift of teaching? On the other hand, one who claimed to be gifted as a teacher who was consistently wrong would quickly be discredited. So too those who claim to bring more direct words from the Lord or to have an ongoing gift of healing, and yet consistently prove unable to use their “gift” accurately and effectively, should be encouraged to realize that they might not have such gifts.26

Whether gifts promote unity or division can also help to sift the genuine from the counterfeit. In many contexts, charismatics insist on their own way, elevating the value of their gifts above other less sensational ones, and thus quickly divide congregations. But in many other contexts, they appeal far more politely for their gifts to have some outlet in an otherwise non-or anti-charismatic setting, and division comes because of the intransigence of church leadership or other informal power blocks. In these cases the charismatics are more likely to have found “the real thing,” despite the discord that still results. Ideally, a congregation should decide together in love whether it can tolerate the exercise of all the gifts and, if not, agree to refrain from whatever proves divisive for the sake of unity. Better still, it should allow them all but make none a criterion of any kind of status or maturity.27

Our analysis of verse 13 has shown that the expression “baptism of the Spirit” should not be applied to any post-conversion, “deeper-life” experience, as it continues to be in classic Pentecostal circles. But this does not mean that Christians cannot or should not seek fresh, invigorating experiences of God, to bring them to new levels of maturity throughout their lives. Noncharismatics need to acknowledge this more often. Yet if we want to be scriptural, we will follow Luke’s lead and refer to these events as repeated “fillings” of the Spirit (cf., e.g., Acts 4:8, 31; 9:17).

Diversity within unity seriously challenges those prevailing models of church growth that stress homogeneous grouping principles. Perhaps at certain foundational levels, outreach and fellowship occur best among those most like ourselves. But the most dynamic evangelistic power of the gospel comes when the world is forced to sit up and take notice that people are loving each other in ways it cannot account for with humanistic presuppositions. In America, this is especially true when blacks and whites worship and work together for the Lord.28 Yet, what Martin Luther King, Jr., often observed still proves true—11:00 on Sunday morning remains the most segregated hour of American life. Here is one of the most tragic indictments against contemporary Christendom within almost every ethnic group.

Indeed, lack of powerful evangelism more generally afflicts much of current Western Christianity. When Paul encourages believers eagerly to desire the greater gifts, we recognize that he means those that are not being given enough attention in Corinth. Many gatherings of suburban American Christians today disclose few, if any, who rank high in evangelism on spiritual gifts inventories. Surely we too then need to seek to fill this gap by praying that God would give some of us this gift and bring others into our fellowships who already have it.

It is less clear whether God desires every local church to have all the more supernatural gifts. The often-heard slogan in charismatic circles, “seek all the gifts,” is precisely what Paul never says! But we should at least be open to them. If Christians of all theological stripes could today pray, “God give me tongues (or healing, or whatever the controversial gift is in a given context), if and only if you want to,” charismatics and noncharismatics alike could bridge a substantial amount of the gap that still separates them.

In an age of increasing specialization in careers and knowledge more generally, it becomes all the more crucial for Christians to view spiritual gifts as broadly as possible. We ought to encourage believers to consider as spiritual gifts many kinds of abilities dedicated to the Lord’s work. Surely music fits this category (cf. Eph. 5:18–19); and probably trade skills do as well (cf. Ex. 31:1–5). Barclay rightly remarks, “The mason, the carpenter, the electrician, the painter, the engineer, the plumber all have their special gifts, which are from God and can be used for him.”29 Doubtless, many others could be added to the list. Specialization deserves its place within pastoral staffs as the megachurches are increasingly recognizing. Instead of dividing up the labor merely into preaching, Christian education, youth, music, and evangelism, one may consider also administrative pastors, computer programmers, and even spiritual planning directors who help to identify individuals’ gifts and mobilize them for service. The whole target-group ministry movement, first made famous by Frank Tillapaugh, follows logically from encouraging every member to discover his or her personal gifts and passions and “unleash” them for experimental ministries in the areas that most excite them.30

In all of this, however, we must beware of continuing to play down the significance of the “behind the scenes” people. Ours is an age that delights to exalt Christian celebrities, to demand that our pastors entertain, have charismatic personalities, and display more spiritual gifts than any one Bible character ever had! Little wonder that burn-out from full-time ministry seems to be at an all-time high and that moral failure often results from the stress. We need to relearn the model of servant leadership (recall under chapter 4) and to allow our leaders and ourselves to spend the majority of time doing those things at which we excel.31

Implementing verse 26 will require every believer to be regularly and intimately involved with a network of Christian friends who commit to pray for each other and learn how to suffer and rejoice with each other through “thick and thin.” These pairs, trios, and small groups, ideally the outgrowth of one larger local church, can then be enabled to look beyond themselves via prayer lists of broader concerns, communication between sister congregations, networks of information about the church of Jesus Christ locally and globally, and active missionary concerns, including regular correspondence, telephoning, fax, and travel from one part of the world to another.32

Verse 28 reminds us of the present need to continue to extend the gospel into new areas and among unreached peoples. In an age of mass media and multimedia, many methods prove useful but none can ever supplant the prophetic ministry of the ongoing, Spirit-directed proclamation of the Word in the context of local congregations. Then that proclamation must be supported by consistent teaching of both the content and application of all the different genres of the biblical literature. Growing, healthy churches will spawn daughter congregations that repeat the process.

In a day when more and more “worship services” are being turned into soft-sell evangelism in “seeker-sensitive” styles, the need for accompanying “Sunday School” or its equivalent, with a solid teaching component, becomes all the more acute. More traditional churches that continue to major on “in-house” teaching need to be encouraged to supplement their work with a greater focus on church-planting and evangelistic proclamation.