The Practice of Spiritual Gifts

in the Local Church (2)

The Benefits to Our Study

The Background of 1 Corinthians 12

The Structure of Paul’s Argument:

I. The Test of Authenticity: The Reality of Counterfeit Spiritual Gifts (12:1-3)

II. The Summary: The Source, Purpose, and Nature of Spiritual Gifts (12:4-11)

III. The Explanation: The Realities of the Body (12:12-30)

A. The Construction of the Body (12:12-19)

B. The Interdependency of the Body’s Members (12:20-26)

C. Some Important Implications of these Realities (12:27-31)

I. The Test of Authenticity: The Reality of Counterfeit Spiritual Gifts (12:1-3)

A. The Matter at Hand: Spirituality and Spiritual Gifts (12:1)

● pneumatikos spiritual

● pneumatikos (spiritual) vs charisma (gift)

B. The Reality of Counterfeits (12:2)

know to have seen or perceived; knowing

something through personal experience

● led astray in the grasps of another

C. The Test of Authenticity (12:3)

● docetism denial of Jesus’ humanity

(Ebionitism, Adoptionism, Eutychainism)