1 Corinthians 12:1-12
Lesson Focus
We are called to live as Christ’s sanctified people, using His gifts to reflect His light in the world as we await the fulfillment of His promises.
Learning Outcomes
Through this lesson, students should:
Recognize that all spiritual gifts and strengths come from God’s grace.
Understand the communal nature of being the church, united with believers worldwide.
Commit to living as a reflection of Christ’s light in daily life.
Catching up on the Story
Today, we are in the season of Epiphany, a time when the church celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. This season emphasizes light breaking into darkness, Christ's manifestation to the Gentiles, and the unfolding of God's grace to all. It is a season of reflection on how God makes Himself known and calls us to live as His people.
In today’s passage, Paul writes to the church in Corinth, reminding them of their identity in Christ and the gifts of grace they have received. This message is not only for the Corinthians but for all who call on the name of Jesus, encouraging us to live faithfully as we await the full revelation of God's kingdom.
The Text
Paul begins his letter with a traditional greeting, emphasizing his calling as an apostle and the unity of all believers in Jesus Christ. He speaks of grace, spiritual gifts, and God's sustaining power, reminding the church that all they have is a gift from God. As Paul highlights their sanctification and their role as part of a global community of believers, he points them toward the hope of Christ's return and the completion of their salvation.
Paul begins by greeting his friends in Corinth. Though he needs no introduction, he does so anyway, reminding his friends that he has been called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. While he reminds them of his authority in Christ, he is not holding that fact over their heads.
He does not mean to dominate them but to remind them of who they must follow: Jesus. In the first nine verses, Paul mentions Jesus at least ten times. For Paul, there can be no doubt about who is really in charge because it is the will of God. With the announcement concerning who is writing this letter out of the way, Paul greets its intended hearers.
We must always remember that while ours is a literate society, this was likely not always the case in the ancient world. Even if everyone could read, the letter would be read aloud at a church gathering. It is unclear if they read the entire letter in one sitting or divided it into segments. Chapter and verse divisions didn’t come about until later, as well.
To the Church of God...
To whom is Paul writing? “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours...”. A few things are important here.
First, Paul addresses the church. For Paul, the church is an assembly of God’s people. The term clearly defines the group as having membership: You either belonged to the church, or you did not. Though not mentioned here, baptism was how you became a part of this assembly of God’s people.
Second, Paul continues to describe the nature of God’s people. The church is comprised of those who are “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” Sanctified simply means set apart for holy use. God’s people have been and are being set apart for God’s holy use in the world.
This is a work of God’s grace in each life, which Christ Jesus brings about. The grace the church receives is always a result of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Grace is always a gift, too. Paul calls those who have been sanctified in Jesus saints, a somewhat loaded word for today.
Perhaps when you think of the word saint, you think of the Catholic Church and their collection of saints, St. Patrick and the like. Saints might seem to us to be figures that are larger than life.
In fact, that’s how I had always understood what a saint was. When I was younger, I read a daily devotional, and the author kept calling the reader to be saints. I remember thinking, “There’s just no way that I’m ever going to be that holy or that faithful! I’m no saint! I’m just trying to keep my head above water.” At that point, I put that devotional back on the shelf and didn’t pick it up again.
But this is not the picture that Paul is painting. Saints are not larger-than-life people who have had miracles attributed to them.
Saints are merely those God has called, sanctified, and set apart for God’s holy use in the world. Saints are just normal, run-of-the-mill Christians, warts and all.
The fact that Paul calls those in the church at Corinth saints should encourage us because that church was a hot mess, and Paul is writing to address some serious moral lapses.
Third, Paul clearly identifies the saints in Corinth as belonging to something much larger than their little congregation.Paul is writing to Corinth because they are “together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...” The people of Corinth will need this reminder, as they are prone to regard themselves more highly than they ought to.
Grace to you...
Paul then proceeds to bless his Corinthian friends: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God for you because of the grace...” As we have already said, grace through Jesus gives the church life and sustains it in times of trouble. The Corinthians need to hear this word about the gift of grace because they have grown too large for their britches.
Continuing, Paul highlights two themes that will appear throughout this letter. These themes will be good reminders even without reading the rest of the letter.
First, Paul gives thanks to God for the church because God’s grace has “enriched” them in speech and knowledge. In a culture that values well-spoken people and great orators, Paul reminds his friends that if any of them are able to articulate anything well, the gospel not withstanding, it is solely because of God’s grace.
Consequently, Paul rejoices because their testimony has been strengthened. The message of Jesus Christ is spread because of the Corinthian Church. If we have any words to say, it is because of God’s grace.
Second, Paul gives thanks to God because his friends are “not lacking in any spiritual gift.” Again, any gifts the church has are a direct result of God’s good grace through Jesus. This is particularly something that the Corinthians had begun to forget. Those with certain gifts were accorded more honor than others without those gifts.
Gifted people acted as if their gifts resulted from something they had done or a certain level of inherent worthiness. Paul is challenging this notion.
No, the gifts you have a church which is more important than the gifts you might have as individuals, but even those are all completely gifts of grace from God.
Paul wants to be clear: everything we have is a gift of God’s graciousness through Jesus Christ. We owe everything to him: being called to follow Christ, our status as saints in the church, our ability to speak about anything, the various gifts we have received, and the fact that the church exists at all. We must rely fully on him. If we do not, we’ll then be working against God’s grace, and this is a grievous sin.
So What...?
But where is Paul going in this passage? It all sounds so judgmental.
Judgement is not Paul’s intent. Paul intends to remind us of the gifts we have received because of God’s grace through Jesus. It is what creates us and will sustain us as we wait for Christ to return.
Paul says, “...as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul would help us remember that we live in tension between God’s initial salvation for us and the world and his final salvation.
Salvation has come through Jesus, but it is not yet complete. We have been saved by grace through faith but still experience hardship here and now.
Our salvation is not yet complete, and to reach the day when it is, we will need to rely fully on God’s gift of grace.
Perhaps the movie Titanic will help us out here. You know the story of the Titanic. It was thought to be unsinkable.
Well, an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic had something to say about that. Of course, the two main characters, Rose and Jack, find themselves in need of saving as the ship begins to break apart and sink.
Soon enough, the unlucky couple find themselves in the cold water. Rose finds salvation in the form of a piece of wood, but there isn’t enough room for Jack (clearly there was, but whatever).
After vowing never to let go, Rose lets go, Jack dies, and Rose lets go. Rose survives on that piece of wood floating in the Atlantic Ocean.
Salvation has come to her, but it is not yet complete. Though she is out of immediate peril, she will still continue to experience the hardships resulting from her current situation's brokenness.
Rose’s final salvation is yet to be accomplished. Even when the rescue boat finds her, her salvation is not complete. Rose’s salvation will not be complete until she is safe sitting beside a fire on dry land.
Certainly, Rose needed to rely on something deep down inside her to survive on that piece of wood in the cold water.
In the same way that that piece of wood was the beginning of Rose’s salvation, our salvation here and now is only the beginning. Like Rose, we, too, must wait for our salvation to be complete. However, God’s continued gift of grace will strengthen us until Jesus returns.
Let us remember that all we have is God's gift of grace through Jesus. Our salvation is not yet complete. We must continue to rely on God’s gift of grace to make it until Jesus returns.
Discussion Questions
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you were very unfamiliar with the story.
What does it mean to you that we are “sanctified in Christ Jesus”?
How does Paul’s greeting remind the Corinthians of their identity and mission?
How have you experienced God’s grace sustaining you in difficult times?
How can we reflect Christ's light during Epiphany as individuals and as a church?
Why is it important to remember that spiritual gifts are from God and not of our own making?
How does being part of a global community of believers impact your faith?
What challenges do you face in waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises?
How can we encourage one another to rely on God’s grace in times of struggle?
What practical steps can you take to use your spiritual gifts to serve others?
In what ways can our church embody the hope and light of Christ to the community around us?
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