Suggestions for leading a study:

• Familiarize yourself with the passage in context, including the book itself.  Who wrote it to whom, and why?
• Read through the study guide a couple times to get the “big idea” as well as the flow of the argument
• Have the group read through the passage in it’s entirety before beginning the study.  One of the goals is to try to get your members to learn how to study Scripture methodically, and this is an important step.
• Be prayed up
• Have fun!
  

Body Talk

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ²You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³Therefore I tell you 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.
⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to 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. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
¹²The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
¹⁴Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Discussion Questions

-What is it that characterizes idols?  (v.2)

-By contrast, what is the first “gift” that the Holy Spirit gives us?  (v.3)

-God is about more than talking, however.  What else, according to verses 4 and 5?

-What do you see as the difference (if any) between gifts, service, and working? 

-To early pagans, every trade or talent had its own god.  How are these different?

-Now read verse 7.  Besides a common source, what else do they share?

-Read through the list in verses 8-11.  In light of verses 4 and 5, do you think this list is exhaustive, or is it meant to give examples for us? What is the main point Paul is making about them in verse 11?

-Beginning in verse 12, Paul moves from talking about the Spirit to talking about the body.  Why does God need both?  What is important about God having a “physical” presence on earth?

-Read verses 14-20.  What is the point being made about people in the church? 

-Read verses 21-26.  What do these verses say about the relative importance of different people with different things to offer in the church? 

-Re-read verse 25.  Why is this so important to understand? 

            -What kinds of people with what sorts of gifts do we tend to give higher honor, or special treatment?  Can that lead to division?  How?

-What’s the bottom line in verse 27? 

-Have you determined what your part is in the body, so that the work of God can get done through the body?

Leaders' Guide

This lesson explores the issue of spiritual gifts: why God gives them, what their purpose is, and how you should respond.

-What is it that characterizes idols?  (v.2)

            The only adjective given in this verse is that they are mute—they cannot say anything.

-By contrast, what is the first “gift” that the Holy Spirit gives us?  (v.3)

            Paul makes a deliberate contrast between mute idols that say nothing, and what it is that God does, by his Spirit:  he first of all speaks.  But he does it through us, to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  Since this is something done through us, and it is empowered by the Spirit, it can rightfully be thought of as the first “spiritual gift” we receive, not only in terms of order, but certainly also in terms of importance.  Romans 10:9 says that if we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, we will be saved.  Paul is linking to that same notion here to help us understand that salvation itself is the first spiritual gift we get.  We have to get that straight first, otherwise the whole rest of the discussion about spiritual gifts will certainly have no context.  If you think any of your group might never have squared this away with certainty, this is a good opportunity to make certain.

-God is about more than talking, however.  What else, according to verses 4 and 5?

            This translation has gifts, service, and working.  Others may have ministries, activities, etc. 

-What do you see as the difference (if any) between gifts, service, and working? 

            This is for discussion only.  The text does not differentiate between them in any clear way.  There may be a discussion about the so-called “charismatic” gifts, such as tongues, that are purely spiritually derived verses innate talents and abilities God gives us.  The important thing is to note that we are talking about a broad category of spiritual as well as natural capabilities, all given to us by God for his purposes. 

-To early pagans, every trade or talent had its own god.  How are these different?

            This is the really important point Paul is making about the various kinds of gifts, services, etc.  Instead of having the “god of gold-smithing”, or the “god of poetry”, or whatever, in Christian thought all of these gifts and talents derive from the same source, given by God by means of the Holy Spirit.

-Now read verse 7.  Besides a common source, what else do they share?

            Besides a common source, they share a common goal.  That is to say, to help create the common good.

-Read through the list in verses 8-11.  In light of verses 4 and 5, do you think this list is exhaustive, or is it meant to give examples for us? What is the main point Paul is making about them in verse 11?

            Given the fact that the other passages with so-called “gift lists” (see this week’s 15 minutes with God) include different items, they must be illustrative, or exemplary of what sorts of things Paul is discussing.  In this context, he is probably bringing up those things that had a particular tendency to elevate people that had them to a higher status in the congregation. 

-Beginning in verse 12, Paul moves from talking about the Spirit to talking about the body.  Why does God need both?  What is important about God having a “physical” presence on earth?

            Bodies are what get the work done.  The Spirit animates the body, empowers it, guides it and gifts it, but if that body isn’t working together to accomplish the work God has, none of what the Spirit offers ultimately accomplishes what God intends.

-Read verses 14-20.  What is the point being made about people in the church? 

            The point is that everyone has a different gift given by the Spirit, but they are all intended by God to be working together, just as a body with its different parts works together.

-Read verses 21-26.  What do these verses say about the relative importance of different people with different things to offer in the church? 

            Paul wants to make sure that no-one thinks that anyone in the church is more important than anyone else, based on the role they play in the body.  Apparently the Corinthian church was having problems with elevating certain members based on their gifts, especially those who had the so-called “charismatic” gifts of prophecy, etc.  Paul would like for them to know that the person who cleans up after the meal (for example) is just as important to the body.

-Re-read verse 25.  Why is this so important to understand? 

            Here is Paul’s primary concern—that everybody be caring for each other and building each other up in the body on an equal basis and no-one is left behind in the ministry of the church because they are perceived to be less important.

            -What kinds of people with what sorts of gifts do we tend to give higher honor, or special treatment?  Can that lead to division?  How?

            Some people may give special treatment, or higher honor to those with ministries of leadership, or preaching, or any number of things.  Sometimes you can get a special parking space just by being the pastor’s wife.  While we certainly want to affirm those who strive hard in the church, especially those who have made particular sacrifices or even devoted their vocational lives to the work, we want to work hard at making sure that people who aren’t in those positions aren’t made to feel like lesser citizens in the body, something that can lead to hard feelings and division in the church.

-What’s the bottom line in verse 27? 

            1. The church is the body of Christ—his physical presence on this earth to accomplish the work of the ministry.  2. Everyone has a part to play.

-Have you determined what your part is in the body, so that the work of God can get done through the body?

            A discussion question to ensure that everyone understands that God has given them unique gifts and talents and without all of them being put to use, the body will not work as well as God intends or accomplish all that he desires.