1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12 has Paul jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.  He just finished laying out God’s plan for authority and accountability, and certainly wasn’t popular with most everyone who heard the design of God’s headship plan.  But now he dives into the topic of spiritual gifts, another area that has been divisive in the church for centuries. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone”.  My understanding of spiritual gifts breaks the spiritual gifts into three distinct buckets or varieties:

• Motivational gifts (equipping) – Rom 12:4-8
• Ministry gifts (service) – Ephesians 4:11–13 and 1 Corinthians 12:27–31
• Manifestation gifts (activities to bring God glory) – 1 Cor 12:7-11

Paul lists the manifestation gifts specifically:

• Word…