Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Semonary God Pause 0 Moved by the Promise for Wednesday, 4 June 2014 - Read 1 Corinthians 12:3-13

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - Lutheran Semonary God Pause 0 Moved by the Promise for Wednesday, 4 June 2014 - Read 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6 There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; 10 and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11 But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.(World English Bible)
The Corinthians were a troublesome lot, which may be why I relate to them. I pray that, if I am ever called to serve such a difficult congregation, God will give me the wisdom of Paul. The apostle is similar to Jesus in effectiveness of his teaching. His "body" illustration is brilliant as it communicates how selfish, divisive ways are more than just petty or innocent bickering: they threaten the very fabric of Christ's Body, the Church. Each part of the Body has a particular gift for proper functioning of the Whole. Gifts and service may vary, but it is the same Lord who binds them together by "the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." The Spirit activates the parts of the Body, individually and together. We know God first as Creator, secondly as the Savior Son, and through the gifts of the Spirit, bound together as the Whole. Now can't we all just get along?
Praise to you, Triune Lord, for showing us how to work together as one body for the good of all. May we, together and separately, be effective in ministry. Amen.
Carol A Solovitz
Pastor, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lakeland, Fla. 
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.(New Revised Standard Version)
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