My purpose in preaching this sermon is that we recognize that the most important thing we bring to church is the people we become. Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know 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. 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. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to 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. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. What is spirituality? We are told that that evangelism is difficult in our society because many people are completely unaware of the gospel of Jesus, and many more are hostile toward anything with a hint of organized religion. We are also told that we have an open door to evangelism in our society because many people are interested in spirituality. But what exactly is spirituality? How do we recognize spiritual things? What does spirituality look like? One of the reasons why the question matters is because if we’re going to use spirituality as the bridge over which we carry the gospel, then we ought to make sure that we know what spirituality is. We must be careful that the packaging we use to carry the gospel does not contradict or confuse the message itself. If people are looking for something spiritual, why are we so certain that the gospel of Jesus is what they’re after? It’s only good news that people are interested in spirituality if what they mean by “spiritual” is the same thing that Scripture tells us is “spiritual.” Do our culture and Scripture both agree on what spirituality is? The short answer is, “Not by a long shot.” Most of what is peddled in our culture as “spirituality” is concerned with self-awareness. And according to our culture, “spirituality” is the practice of looking into oneself for the answers and solutions to life’s issues, rather than always looking outside of oneself to someone or something else. I’ve got nothing against self-awareness. In fact, I think that most people – including myself – would do well become much more aware of themselves: why do we think and say and do what we think and say and do? Selfawareness is great, but it isn’t spirituality; at least, not according to Scripture. According to Scripture, spirituality is the result of a person confessing that Jesus is Lord. Spiritual people are those who confess that Jesus is Lord; and all those who confess that Jesus is Lord are spiritual people. All Christians are spiritual people.

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My purpose in preaching this sermon is that we recognize that the most important thing we bring to church is the people we become. Paul’s main concern is to identify who spiritual people are, not to define the concept of spirituality. That’s not to say that he doesn’t define spirituality; he does, but from a different angle. Rather than trying to define the concept of spirituality, who points out who the spiritual people are and what has made them spiritual. The point that he comes to is that all Christians are spiritual because all Christians have followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and confessed that Jesus is Lord. (Let’s not get hung up on whether the confession is genuine, or if some people might mouth the words without “really meaning it.” That’s not the issue that Paul is dealing with. As we examine this Scripture, let’s assume – with Paul – that the confession is genuine.) Paul begins this little section of the letter by indicating that he is taking up a new topic; most of our translations read something like, “Now about spiritual gifts ….” As much as this is a new topic, it is important that we recognize that the context hasn’t changed since 11:2. Whatever Paul says here about spiritual gifts is meant to inform and reform the church’s corporate worship. The first reform that is necessary is that all of those who confess, “Jesus is Lord,” ought to be recognized as spiritual people. When Paul wrote, “Now about spiritual gifts …,” he didn’t actually use the word “gifts”; he used on the adjective πνευματικός (pneumatikos). A very formal translation would read, “Now about the spirituals ….” Faced with that kind of translation, we would be left asking, “About the spiritual what?” About the spiritual things, or gifts, or people? The difficulty in translating the word with certainly is that the form of the word that Paul uses in this particular instance can be read as masculine, feminine, or neuter. We can rule out the feminine form since that reading would restrict the conversation to only the female members of the church, an idea that would be contextually absurd. If Paul intended the masculine form, then he would be referring to the people (both male and female) of the church. If Paul intended the neuter form, then we would understand that he meant spiritual “things,” or “gifts.” Within the context of the letter, Paul used πνευματικός both in neuter form referring to spiritual things (2:13; 9:11; 10:3-4; 14:1) and in masculine form to refer to spiritual people (2:13, 15; 3:1; 14:37). So, without having a certain grammatical proof for either the masculine or neuter form in 12:1, how are we to determine whether Paul means “spiritual people” or “spiritual things”? I would argue that, because the next several statements relate specifically to the leading work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Corinthian saints, Paul is intending to answer the question, “Who is spiritual?”, not “What is spiritual?” And his answer is, “All those who have been led by the Spirit of God to confess that Jesus is Lord are spiritual.” This understanding makes the most sense of the next several statements that Paul makes. First, Paul writes that “when you were pagans … you were led astray to mute idols.” This is, of course, in sharp contrast to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul is quite likely referring to the idol processions that were quite common in Roman and Greek cities. Every so often, as part of the liturgical calendar of a particular temple, there would be a kind of public parade. At the end of the parade, the participants would arrive at the temple and stand and worship before the sacred images, or idols. Clearly, those who participate in these idol processions could not be spiritual people, for they were not Christians: the Holy Spirit would not lead a person into idol worship. The Holy Spirit lead a person to confess that Jesus is Lord. Paul’s next statement – that “no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed’” – has drawn some awkward interpretations. Was Paul making up a hypothetical situation, or was this actually happening? Were people really showing up to church in Corinth and, during the worship service, exclaiming, “Jesus be cursed?” The best explanation that I’ve come across is that Paul is here referring to the rather widespread and well-recorded practice of Jewish leadership cursing Jesus and his followers as 2

My purpose in preaching this sermon is that we recognize that the most important thing we bring to church is the people we become. part of their synagogue ritual. From what I’ve read, this explanation best makes sense of what Paul is intending to impress on his Corinthian readers. Neither pagans who worship idols, nor Jews who refuse to accept the Lordship of Christ are spiritual people; only those – and all those – who confess the Lordship of Christ are spiritual people. Paul’s point is that all Christians are spiritual. The whole church is spiritual. This is a significant statement for the Corinthian church to hear. What we will see as we make our way through this section of the letter is that the Corinthians used their selfish, self-righteous, and competitive spirit to evaluate the spirituality of other church members; and the primary way they did that as by labeling certain activities – or “church jobs” – as more spiritual than others. Paul corrected the Corinthian saints by emphasizing that spirituality is defined and discerned in a person’s confession that “Jesus is Lord.” The question of “what” is spiritual is almost nonsensical. Spirituality is only possible when a person is led by the Spirit of God. It seems that the Corinthian saints – or at least some of the Corinthian saints – had gotten the idea that those who practiced or participated in certain ministries or certain expressions of worship must have been more spiritual people. But from the very beginning of the discussion about “spiritual gifts” – “spiritual ministries” is what we might call them – Paul makes one thing clear: spiritual people are those who confess, “Jesus is Lord.” That’s it. That’s the only qualification – and the only measuring stick – of what spirituality is. Christians are spiritual people; all Christians are spiritual people, and all spiritual people are Christians. Then why do some Christians seem to be more spiritual than others? If it’s true that the only qualification for spirituality is that a person confesses, “Jesus is Lord,” then why do some Christians seem to be more spiritual than others? Why are some Christians always involved in everything that happens at church, while others seem to be off doing their own thing? Why do some Christians talk on and on about their amazing devotional lives while others seem never to talk about these kinds of things at all? Why are some Christians always ready to share in church and pray out loud while others only ever sit in the back corner and never say anything? If these are the kinds of things that we mean when we ask why some Christians seem more spiritual than others, then Paul’s answer to the question comes right back at us: spiritual people are those who confess that Jesus is Lord. All those who confess that Jesus is Lord are spiritual, whether they seem to be or not. It is not anyone’s perception of them that makes them spiritual or unspiritual; it is their confession that Jesus is Lord that marks them as spiritual. Or maybe, when you ask the question why some Christians seem more spiritual than others, what you mean is something a little different. Maybe what you mean is, “What are some Christians so patient, while others seem to have time only for themselves?” Or, “Why are some Christians always kind, while others seem to brush everybody else off with an attitude of indifference?” Or, “Why do some Christians seem only to be concerned about the things they own and the next thing they’re going to buy?” Or, “Why do some Christians just seem to be arrogant and rude, while others are humble and gentle.” Or, “Why do some Christians seem always to hold grudges and keep track of everybody else’s mistakes, while others are always ready to forgive?” If these are the questions that you’re asking, then your asking the right questions.

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My purpose in preaching this sermon is that we recognize that the most important thing we bring to church is the people we become. The point to which Paul is heading is that the kind of people that the Corinthian’s become is much more important than is the job that they do when the church gathers. This is exactly what Paul says when he gets to chapter thirteen. We tend to think about chapter thirteen as “the love chapter.” It’s the one that we read at weddings. But when we get to chapter thirteen, Paul is still writing about spiritual things and spiritual people and what is supposed to happen when the church gathers. But what Paul is concerned about is not so much what happens when the church gathers but what kind of people the Corinthians show themselves to be when they gather. This was his point in 11:2-16 when he wrote to them about how they dressed themselves. This was his point in 11:17-34 when he wrote to them about how they celebrated the Lord’s Supper. And it is the same point that he makes in chapters 12-14 when he writes about spiritual gifts. The most important thing is who the Corinthian saints have become, not what they do when they get together. The most important thing you bring to church is the person you become. The most important thing you bring to church is the person you become. Our culture defines spirituality as being authentically yourself: looking into yourself and who you are and what you truly want and what your character traits are, and then being true to yourself. Scripture shows us that spirituality means having our inner selves re-shaped and re-formed by the Lordship of Jesus Christ. First and foremost, the Lordship of Jesus Christ re-shapes and re-forms who we are. Only after we have been re-shaped and re-formed in who we are does the question of what we do have any merit. The most important thing you bring to church is the person you become. I’m borrowing these words from Dallas Willard, an American philosopher and author. Willard echoes exactly what Paul wrote about in chapters twelve to fourteen of 1 Corinthians. The character of the Corinthian saints was much more of a concern to Paul than was their ability to exercise spiritual gifts. This isn’t to say that Paul had no concern whatsoever for the gifts that the Corinthians exercised. Clearly, he was concerned about their spiritual activities and ministries and expressions of worship. But more than that, Paul was concerned that all of these gifts and activities and expressions should always be exercised in love: in the same kind of sacrificial, self-denying love that Jesus demonstrated when he bore our sins on himself hanging on the cross. “The most important thing you bring to church is the person you become, and that’s what everybody will see; that’s what will get reproduced; that’s what people will believe.” Sunday School teachers, the most important thing you bring to church is not an outstanding lesson plan with exciting games and activities to keep your students engaged; the most important thing you bring is the person you become. By “the person you become,” I mean, “you, living sacrificially and selflessly for the honour of Jesus alone.” Worship leaders, the most important thing you bring to church is not a seamless and inspiring package of songs complemented by a rousing, yet nostalgic offertory; the most important thing you bring is the person you become. Service leaders – and those doing Children’s Ministry and Special Ministry – the most important thing you bring to church is the person you become. Maybe you feel like week after week you come to church, sit in the pews, listen to a sermon, try and sing along to a few songs, and wonder, “What do I have to contribute?” The most important thing you bring – that thing that you have to contribute – is the person you become as a result of your confession that Jesus is Lord.

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My purpose in preaching this sermon is that we recognize that the most important thing we bring to church is the people we become. That’s what everybody will see; that’s will get reproduced; that’s what people will believe. That’s spirituality: a life transformed by the Lordship of Jesus. The most important thing you bring to church is the person you become.

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