As I said in my previous messages, I don't think Paul places any order
of importance on the various gifts. The immediate context is absolutely
explicit about this. I must ask you how you can interpret the list as
'order of inportance' in light of this context?
The use of firstly, second and third in the list of gifts could be
interpreted
as like someone saying "This happens firstly because ........, secondly
because ........ and thridly because .........
Or more likely that Paul is laying out the structure of the church:
The apostles were the foundation of the church, prophets are the
instructors
of the church, teachers are the builders of the church and the rest are
services or ministries of the church.
This doesn't imply that apostles were the most important (although of
course
they WERE important) and that gifts of administration or tongues are not
as
important. A church full of apostles or prophets would be a very
deficient
church. Each gift is important - this is exactly was Paul is saying in
ch. 12!
> The significance of the listing in v. 28 seems to be according to the
> principle of love, or the greatest good for the greatest number. Chapter
> 13 is just an amplication of this, and the thought of charging the
> Corinthians to habitually seek the greater charismata, especially
> prophesying (since they could hardly be expected to seek to act as
> apostles), is resumed and developed in 14:1.
>
I disagree. I see the listing as most probably according to church
structure. In ch. 13:2 it states that "if I have the gift of prophesy
.... but have not love, I am nothing. The problem with the Corinthian
church is not just the gifts but the USE of these gifts. People were
misusing their gifts and pushing themselves, building themselves up.
The church had degraded into chaos (see. ch 14) so this is the
reason for ch. 13. Gifts are of no value unless they are properly used,
for the benefit of the church.
I should point ou that no where in the Greek of 14:1 will you find the
word XARISMATA. The Greek is as follows:
DIWKETE THN AGAPHN, ZHLOUTE DE TA PNEUMATIKA, MALLON DE INA PROFHTUEHTE.
The charge is to habitually seek spirituality - especially that you may
prophesy.
> The charge to seek habitually the greater charismata does not militate
> against the idea of God's sovereign dispersement of the gifts. Faith is a
> gift, but that does not mean we cannot be charged to believe.
>
I don't see 12:31 it as a charge but as Paul's assessment of the
problem!
> Paul S. Dixon, pastor
> Ladd Hill Bible Church
> Wilsonville, Oregon
cheers,
Andrew
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Andrew S. Kulikovsky B.App.Sc(Hons) MACS
|
| Software Engineer
| & Theology Student (MA)
| Adelaide, Australia
| ph: +618 8281 0919
| fax: +618 8281 6231
| email: killer@cobweb.com.au
|
| What's the point of gaining everything this world has
| to offer, if you lose your own life in the end?
|
| ...Look to Jesus Christ
|
| hO IESOUS KURIOS!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------