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"I show you a more excellent way..."

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:31

AN IMPORTANT REMINDER

Reminders are sometimes necessary. They may even be a form of gentle rebuke. The Apostle Paul had to write many firm words to remind the Corinthian Church how to stay the course instead of being led by their own ideas! The grace-gifts of the Lord were in danger of being abused or misused!

“Do all have gifts of healings?
Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
But earnestly desire the best gifts.
And yet I show you a more excellent way.”
1 Corinthians 12:30-31

1. A list of gifts

a) Paul first made a list of gifts.

b) They are placed in a definite order.

c) This order was made by the Lord God Himself.

2. Gifts and People

a) These gifts are ultimately associated with people.

b) The gift of apostleship is an apostle.

c) The gift of prophecy is a prophet.

d) The gift of teaching is a pastor-teacher.

3. The use of rhetorical questions

a) Its use must be understood carefully.

b) It may be used in the following way:

i) To establish the obvious.

ii) To emphatically correct wrong ideas and practices.

iii) To emphasise that which is correct.

c) The expected answer is in the negative!

4. But earnestly desire the best gifts

a) This is good advice.

b) However, desiring the best of gifts will not always result in having them.

i) One may desire to be an apostle but one may not end up being an apostle.

ii) One may desire to be a prophet but one may not end up being a prophet.

iii) One may desire any gift, but it is the Lord who determines the gift.

5. “And yet I show you a more excellent way”

Gifts are not everything! It is not even “the most excellent way!”