1 Corinthians 12:1-11: Spectacular or Ordinary In My Time

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." I think that the working of the Spirit was against all expectations of the early church, just as it is today. While we are used to a mechanical view of the world, where everything can be traced by cause and effect, to natural causes, they were used to a supernatural view of the world which amounted to much the same except that there were "mute idols" to explain the parts of what happened that they didn't understand.

So when the Spirit of God started showing up miraculously within the Corinthian church, I think it was startling and quickly led to two sins (at least those sins that I would be tempted to). First, they would try to claim some sort of status because they got a working of the Spirit (and others didn't) or a "better" working of the Spirit than someone else. Second, those who didn't have a working of the Spirit or had a "lesser" working of the Spirit were tempted to fake it.

I have lived most of my life when the extraordinary workings of the Spirit are not common, for whatever reason. There have been moments, for sure, when I could point to some idea or bit of wisdom that was from God (certainly not from me). And that's ok. As Paul says, "he distributes them to each one just as he determines." He is under no obligation to gift me. Mainly because its not about me. Its about other people. Its about the "common good" Any time my selfish nature tries to take credit for something that God does or tries to fake people into believing that it was something God is doing, it is my sin nature acting up, just in a new venue.

I would like to see these manifestations of the Spirit, to see God working as he clearly did in the New Testament. But would I handle it well? If it happened, would I be cynical and dismiss it? Or be envious and be critical. Probably already have. But I pray that I would have my eyes open wide enough to just be thankful to be there to see what God is doing, spectacular or ordinary, during my time.