Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
1 Corinthians 1:7 NIV
The topic of spiritual gifts occupies a significant portion of this letter from Paul to the church at Corinth. And here, at the beginning of the letter, Paul assured this church that they did not lack any spiritual gifts. But what are these spiritual gifts?
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us that these gifts are given by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4), as he determines (1 Cor. 12:11), for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7). He also provides us in that chapter with a sampling of spiritual gifts that are given (1 Cor. 12:8-10.
Paul goes on in that chapter to compare the church to the human body. A body with various members, each with a specific function. All the members are different, yet all are important to the proper functioning of the body. Even so, we, as members of the body of Christ, all have different functions within the body. But all of them are essential to a healthy body of believers.
Serving the Body
And that is what a spiritual gift is. It is the enabling of the Holy Spirit to equip us for service within the body of Christ. And that is true of every member of the body of Christ. We have all been equipped by the Spirit to serve the body.
Does Paul’s assurance to the Corinthian church that they did not lack any spiritual gift apply to all churches? I believe it does, although there is a condition specified here. They did not lack any gift . . . as they eagerly waited for the Lord Jesus to be revealed.
They were looking forward to his return. And the implication is that, as they waited, they were also serving him (Matt. 24:45-47). They were being faithful to their calling as a church.
As the church today, do we still eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus to be revealed? Or has our focus turned inward, more concerned about our comfort than we are in carrying out the commission our Lord left us with (Matt. 28:18-20)?
If, as a local community of believers, we eagerly look forward to our Lord’s return, serving him as we do, then we can have confidence that we will not lack any spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit will fully equip us with all we need to carry out the great commission.
