The Practice of Spiritual Gifts

in the Local Church (6)

Unanswered Questions

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

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

A. The Source, Purpose, and Nature of Spiritual Gifts (12:4-7)

B. A Sample of Spiritual Gifts (12:8-10)

C. The Summary (12:11)

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

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

1. Its Formation (12:12-14)

a. Its Illustration: The Human Body (12:12)

1) The Illustration Explained

2) The Illustration Considered

a) The

Affirmation of Our Connection with Christ

b) The

Foundation of Our Connection with Christ

b. Its Mortar: Spiritual Baptism and Irrigation (12:13)

1) Spiritual Baptism

a) The Baptism Itself

b) The Baptized Ones

2) Spiritual Irrigation (The Spirit’s Indwelling)

a) The Irrigation Properly Understood

b) The Irrigation Falsely Understood

c. Its Shape: A Unified Body (12:14)

A.A. Hodge on the believer’s mystical union with Christ:

“Mystical, because it so far transcends all the analogies of earthly relationships, in the intimacy

of its communion, in the transforming power of its influence, and in the excellence of its

consequences.”

1) it is necessary for salvation

2) it takes place at the moment of salvation

3) it is part of the salvation experience and therefore does not need to be requested or tarried for or trained in

4) there are no accompanying external signs to its occurrence

5) there is an equal experience of the Spirit by all believers

“We are to respond to His teaching (1 Jn. 2:20-27) and His leading (Rom. 8:14). We should be careful not to grieve or quench Him through sin (Eph. 4:30), but rather we should respond submissively to His efforts to exert control over our lives (Eph. 5:18) and walk according to His spiritual direction, which has been fully revealed in the Scriptures (Gal. 5:16-26).”