Chapter 12

v1 We should not be uninformed about spiritual gifts.

v2 Before coming to Christ, we were led astray by idols who’re mute.

v3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. NLT

v4-7 Different gifts by the same spirit, different kinds of service to serve one God. God uses all of us differently so that we can serve each other

Gifts:

v8 – Ability to give wise advise (wisdom), message of special knowledge,

v9 Great faith, gift of healing,

v10 Power to perform miracles, ability to prophesy, ability to discern, ability to speak in unknown/various languages, ability to interpret tongues,

v11 One and only spirit distributes all these and decides what each should have.

One body with many parts:

v12 – 31 Analogy of the body

v12 Just like how a human body has many parts, same with the body of Christ.

v13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by ONE Spirit, and we all share the SAME Spirit. NLT

v18-20: But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. NLT

v26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. NLT

v27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. NLT

v 28 Example of body parts in the body of Christ

v31 Unselfish Love is greater than the greatest gift

Chapter 13

Theme: Love is the greatest

v1 Love is greater than speaking languages of earth and of angels

v2 Love is greater than spiritual gifts

v3 Feeding the poor and even sacrificing ones own body where there’s love means nothing.

v4 – 7 Definition of love

v8 Gifts will cease but love is eternal

v9 Gifts reveals God’s plan in partiality:

“Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.” v9-10 NLT

v11 When the perfection will come, we shall know everything as it is no longer in part like a child, but like a grown up in spiritual matters

v12 “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” NLT

v13 Three things will last forever—FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE—and the greatest of these is love. NLT

Chapter 14

v1 The Goal of saints: “Let love be your HIGHEST GOAL! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to PROPHESY. NLT

Why prophesy? v3 “But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” NLT v4 Strengthens the church.

Why tongue speaking? v2, v3 – Tongues strengthens a person

v5 Paul desires that they would be strengthened individually by speaking in tongues and by prophesy communally as well.

v13 – 39 Paul stresses on issues that would bring order in worship.