![]() ![]() To strengthen someone by a spiritual gift means to help their faith not give way as easily when trouble enters their life. We sent Timothy, our brother and servant in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you in your faith and to exhort you that no one be moved by these afflictions. “Spiritual gifts are for strengthening others.” The same word is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:2, where Paul says, “I desire to share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you.” What does strengthen mean? He’s not referring to bodily strength but strength of faith. (We will see differently in a moment.) But it does suggest that gifts are given to be given. This, of course, does not mean that the person who has a spiritual gift gets no joy or benefit from it. The first and most obvious thing we learn from this text is that spiritual gifts are for strengthening others. “I long to see you, that I may use my gifts to strengthen you.” Writing to the church at Rome, Paul says, “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” The translation “impart to you some spiritual gift” is misleading because it sounds like Paul wants to help them have a gift, but the text actually means that he wants to give them the benefit of his gifts. If you were reading through the New Testament, the first place you would run into the term “spiritual gift” is Romans 1:11, 12. Spiritual Gifts Strengthen Faith in Others Instead of spreading myself too thin across 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 (the major section on spiritual gifts), I have chosen to focus on several smaller texts so that we can examine their teaching more closely. ![]() #Many gifts one spirit scripture seriesSo this final message in our series on the Holy Spirit will deal with this subject. I assume that applies to us also: we ought not to be uninformed about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1). ![]()
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