August 27 | 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

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DAILY READING

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

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REFLECTION

All for ONE and ONE for All

By Beth Voltmann

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.

1 Cor. 12:4-7

The Apostle Paul leaves no doubt. All gifts bestowed on the body of Christ come from the same, unchanging source - ONE triune God. Did you catch that? The Trinity, listed in reverse order, shines brightly out of these verses to all believers. God - the Father, the Son our Lord, and the Holy Spirit. Though the gifts, service, and work may vary, as Matthew Henry so aptly states in his commentary, “All issue from the same fountain; all have the same author.”

Now that the Giver is established, take note that what is given is for the common good. You might be tempted to compare your spiritual gifts, service and work to those around and feel as if God doesn’t value you as a worker in his Kingdom. On the contrary, God has great plans for every believer and has bestowed abilities on each that benefit the body and bring him glory - if we will but recognize and utilize our giftings.

The words “common good” are translated from the Greek word sympherō meaning “to bear or bring together.” John Trapp, an English Puritan theologian from the 1600s, suggested that the use of this word “seemeth to be a metaphor from bees, that bring all the honey [nectar] they can get to the common hive.”

Picture this for a moment. Honey bees live together in large, well-organized family groups but have many different duties. Each member of the hive has a definite task depending on their age, and the survival of the colony depends on the support from each insect within. Their orchestrated work builds a comb from which honey can flow in sweet abundance for them and many other creatures.

Now, imagine believers working together in unity, using the giftings God has given to build the Church and to spread the sweetness of the Gospel. What joy! The triune God that gifted the saints of old is the same God who, even yet, pours out gifts to his children - for his Kingdom.  

All for ONE and ONE for all 

PRAYER

All thanks be to the Father God, our Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for all that has been given to us. We pray that others would see in us a thriving community of believers and would desire to also become followers of Jesus. Amen.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. (Ps. 119:103)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BETH VOLTMANN

After moving to Ohio in 1997 with my husband and four children, I developed a hunger for God’s Word through adult teaching and women’s Bible study at UALC. My passion is to help others understand Scripture so that they may grow in their desire for more of God and experience the new life offered to us through Christ Jesus.