1 Cor 12v27: Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best[d] gifts.
It is true that the body of Christ has many members and each member, like the members of our physical body, does its part and has its role- the writer, Paul, makes that very clear in this chapter. However, he also makes it very clear that we should earnestly desire the best gifts. Paul does not say, 'Because we each have our role, choose a gift and stick to only that gift.' He does not simply say, 'Be happy with the gift you have and settle with that.' No, quite the opposite. He says, 'earnestly desire the best gifts'! The King James version, for verse 31, says 'covet earnestly' which is given from the Greek word 'Zeloo', meaning 'to have warmth of feeling for', 'desire', 'move with envy', 'be jealous over', 'be zealously affected'. God wants His people to have this warmth of feeling and this zealousness for any of the gifts and the best gifts. And of course, the 'best gifts' are all the gifts, because Paul has already made it clear that each gift is indispensable and necessary. But he says, 'best gifts' in order for us to realise that the best gift is whatever is most helpful and most beneficial for the body of Christ at any point in time, and for any situation. If we desire that the Church be helped, strengthen, encouraged, equipped and made to know Christ more, we will desire the gifts of the Spirit, because this is how the Father has chosen to do these very things for His people. How incredible that we get to be part of this! How amazing that these gifts are available for us to receive and operate in!
Yes, it is true that we all have different roles to play, but we shouldn't let that discourage us from earnestly desiring the best gifts (because who knows what the Lord will have us do, and what our roles can be, until we seek for the gifts we desire to operate in?), otherwise Paul's words would've been contradictory. Who is to say that at some point we all, as the body of Christ, will have different roles to play and operate in different gifts according to the wisdom of the Spirit, according to what we ask the Lord for, and according to what God knows is most needed for His body at any time for any kind of situation? After all, we see that, at times, while Paul was an Apostle, he was also a worker of miracles. Furthermore, while he was a teacher at times, he was also an evangelist when it was needed. Act 6 shows us that Stephen waited on tables, but he also did great wonders and miracles amongst the people (v8) and he also operated in the role of a teacher, an evangelist and a prophet all at the same time when he was suddenly thrust into being brought before and talk to the council of elders and scribes. At some times some of us may operate in some gifts and not others; the ones we don't operate in, others will, and the ones we do operate in, others may not at that time. No doubt there are callings and giftings that are constant and never change, after all, Paul would always be an Apostle to the body of Christ, as would the other Apostles, and yet this didn't mean they were limited to only working in that one area. So it is with us, if we want the gifts of the Spirit, in order to benefit the body of Christ, and glorify the Lord.
The Lord strongly desires for His people to earnestly desire the best gifts, because He always wants His Church to be built up, encouraged, strengthened, equipped and to know Him more, in love and truth. He doesn't want us to earnestly desire the best gifts so that we'll make something of ourselves, or so that we'll be proud or so that we can use those things for ourselves (or so that we'll take advantage or fleece the flock in any way). Jesus came and died for us so that we should no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who raised us (2 Cor 5v15). The reason we should desire the best gifts should be solely that we love the body of Christ and want what Jesus wants for His people (and obviously to glorify Him and to advance His work). That is why Paul goes on to say, after verse 31, 'and yet I show you a more excellent way.' Paul was not discounting the need for gifts here, he already established in this Chapter of scripture that each part of the body, and so each gifting is not only beneficial, but necessary (1 Cor 12v22). However, he was saying that the means by which these gifts must operate and what must motivate their operation, is love. Without love, any gift or its operation will be absolutely meaningless, and completely ineffectual. Love must be the starting and ending point of any operation of any gift. However, it is also true that Paul was saying that if there be love, that would cover 'all bases' so to speak; because if we love others, we will automatically want to benefit them in some way, all the time. The gifts are really just an extension and expression of the very love Jesus wants us to have for others. Via the gifts, the Lord has given different avenues for us to benefit and love others. So just as our goal should be to love others, so should it be to love others according to the gifts God has given us, and wants us to desire to have and operate in, for the sake of His people and for the sake of His own glory and work. If we are truly loving others and loving God as we should (in truth), this should be one of the ultimate aim of our lives.
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