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RUN, WRESTLE, and REAP THE REWARD (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker to start this week out, I would begin by relating an inspiring true story of an Olympic athlete that through their dedication and hard work were able to overcome opposition and eventually become champions. So just pick one of your personal favorite stories that resonates with you and share that with your class. Chances are, there will be a YouTube video you could possibly show that would help you to relate that story a little more clearly. Some possible suggestions and personal favorites of mine that come to mind are
Jessie Owens in 1936
US Men’s Hockey Team in 1980
Dan Jansen in Speed Skating 1994
Kerri Strug in Gymnastics in 1996
Rulon Gardner in 2000
Or choose any of your favorite Olympic heroes to focus on
Michael Phelps
Usain Bolt
Simone Biles
Find one you love and talk about how that athlete’s hard work and dedication led them to victory.
TRANSITION
Then transition to the scriptures by inviting your students to open to1 Corinthians 9:24-27 where Paul is going to use the imagery of Olympic athletes to teach us something about Christian discipleship. And if you’ve ever been inspired by the dedication and strength of talented Olympic athletes, Paul’s message here is sure to resonate with you. The Corinthians themselves would have especially appreciated this metaphor. After all the Olympics were invented in their country, and athletic competitions were often held within the city of Corinth itself. Paul understood his audience. So your task is to figure out what two Olympic Sports you think Paul is referring to in verses 24 and 25. What are they?
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
So what events are they? The first one is easy, it’s running. “they which run in a race run all”.
And then the one in verse 25 is a little more challenging. If your students can’t figure it out, point them to the phrase “striveth for the mastery”. In what sport do you have athletes striving with each other for control or mastery over the other. The event here would be wrestling. Running and wrestling, both sports that the Greeks were very fond of participating in.
And let’s explore those images a little more in depth here. Why are those two particular sports good analogies for life and our efforts in returning to God’s presence?
How is life like a race? And if it is, what KIND of a running race do you think it’s most like? Is it more of a sprint or a marathon? Or maybe it’s hurdles, we have quite of few of those to overcome in life, don’t we.
But for me, I think life is most like a marathon. That’s probably the kind of race Paul is referring to here. Mortality is an endurance event. And I can really relate to this one because I am a runner. I ran cross country in high school, and I still enjoy trail running and do it often. I even ran a marathon once, but I’ve never making that mistake again. Once was enough. But what does that tell us about life? Winning the race of life is going to require endurance and dogged determination. That’s even one of the key parts of the doctrine of Christ, endure to the end. It’s not just a quick burst of spiritual energy that’s needed, but a long, steady, and unwavering effort to live righteously and to follow Christ.
And then how is life like a wrestling match? It’s a fight, isn’t it. A war, like we talked about in Romans. And who is the enemy we’re wrestling with? The adversary, or the adversary within, our own natural man. And it is going to require some real effort and struggle to overcome those adversaries. All throughout this life, we’re going to be wrestling with for the mastery, for control over the will.
With that metaphor clearly in mind, what truths is Paul going to teach us with that imagery.
And here you could play a game called: What does Paul mean? A scripture interpretation challenge. Give your classes these phrases one by one and just let them grapple with them for a bit. What do they think Paul is getting at here.
Starting in vs 24. What do you think he means by “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?”
I think Paul is saying that in an Olympic race, only one person wins the prize, but that stands in contrast to the race of mortality. Anybody can gain the prize in this race. You don’t have to cross the finish line first, you just have to cross the finish line. So run, that ye may obtain. Push forward, finish the race. Endure to the end.
Then the next phrase in verse 25: And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Temperate in this case means “strict in their training.” Isn’t that what Olympic athletes have to do and be? Strict in their training. They have coaches, and nutritionists, and sports psychologists, and therapists, to help them in their efforts to become champions. Over the years I’ve had many students that were wrestlers and it never ceased to amaze me what some of these guys were willing to do to make weight. Starving themselves, running in rubber suits so they would sweat more, and weight training for hours each day. They are so dedicated to their sport that they have learned to master hunger, pain, and pressure. It’s incredible how hard they work to become the best.
Now here’s where Paul makes most important point, I believe. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown. But we an incorruptible.” What does Paul mean by that? I think he’s saying, “look at how hard these athletes work, the pain they put themselves through, the sacrifices they make, for what? A trophy, a ribbon, a piece of metal around their neck, a championship ring, and for the Greeks, a crown of laurel leaves. These are all corruptible things. A crown of laurel leaves would eventually fade and die. BUT! The prize that we’re running or wrestling for is incorruptible, something far more valuable and eternal in nature than a gold medal or a championship ring. We’re working for eternal life, godhood, celestial glory. Therefore, if Olympic athletes are willing to work THAT hard for something corruptible, shouldn’t we be willing to work at least as hard to gain an incorruptible prize. Shouldn’t we approach our eternal salvation with the same level of temperance or strict training, dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to endurance as they do?
And that’s what Paul is going to end with, his statement of dedication to his training, to his finish line.
“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.
So Paul says, “I run this race of life, not with uncertainty. I know my destination. I know my goal. I know my purpose; I know what I’m running for. ETERNAL LIFE! And I fight and wrestle, but not like somebody beating the air, just wildly throwing punches out into space, shadow boxing a pretend opponent. I know who my enemy is. I fight the adversary. I fight my natural man. Leading naturally into our next verse
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
So I will strive to keep my natural man under subjection, to keep him under control, to master him, so that not only can I help others across the finish line, but I can get across it myself.
TRUTH
If I approach my exaltation with Olympic level dedication, I am sure to be victorious in the race and wrestle of life.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Which picture do you feel best represents your level of spiritual athleticism?
What one exercise do you most need to add to your spiritual training program?
Prayer Pullups, Scripture Sprints, Kindness Curls, Sacrifice Squats?
CONCLUSION
Perhaps it’s time for all of us to approach our spirituality with a little more “Olympic Dedication”. Perhaps we can quicken our pace a little more, push our spiritual muscles a little harder, wrestle our foe with a little more grit. And if we do, brothers and sisters, the prize that we will receive will be far greater, far more valuable, and far more rewarding than a trivial hunk of gold dangling around our necks. So let’s run, wrestle, and reap the reward! Let’s be willing to strive and sacrifice to obtain that incorruptible crown!
SACRAMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker to this next section, you could do a little sacrament pretest to assess their knowledge of the sacrament. The sacrament is the one ordinance we should know best, right? It’s the only one we do every single week. So let’s see if that’s true. How well do you know the sacrament? And you could do this as a handout and then correct it together as a class.
What three promises do we make when we partake of the sacrament?
What is the promise God makes to us if we keep our sacramental promises?
Which covenant is the only one mentioned in both the blessing on the water and the bread?
What is the difference between God’s promise to us in the prayer on the bread and the prayer on the water? (Hint: one word)
True/False You can only use bread and water to perform the sacrament.
True/False The Sacrament is a saving ordinance
True/False Church members are required to partake of the sacrament with their right hand
Which of our five senses are utilized in participating in the ordinance of the sacrament?
Then you could go through the answers to those questions:
Take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments
We will always have his Spirit to be with us
There’s only one that’s repeated, of the three in the blessing on the water. And that’s to always remember him. That seems to highlight the significance of that particular promise.
The word “always” is omitted. In the prayer on the bread, it says, “that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” And then in the blessing on the water, it’s only, “that they may have his Spirit to be with them.” Why? I have no idea. Never been able to figure that one out. If any of have any thoughts on it, put it in the comments below, I’d love to hear it
False. As it teaches us in D&C 27:2. For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins. Now bread and water are the recommended symbols but, in a pinch, apple juice and graham crackers could do as well, if that was all you had available to you.
False, while the sacrament is an ordinance, it is not considered a saving ordinance. Saving ordinances are those that an individual must undertake in order to be saved in the Celestial kingdom. There are five, baptism, confirmation, receiving the Melchizedek priesthood for men, endowment, and marriage sealing. You can tell which ordinances are saving because they are the ones that we do in the temple for the dead. If we don’t do it for the dead in the temple then we know it is not a saving ordinance. Now that is not to minimize the importance of the sacrament. It’s incredibly important. It is absolutely vital for members of the church to access the power of the atonement in their lives through the sacrament each week and to renew their covenants, it just doesn’t hold that distinction as being an outright essential step to entering the kingdom of God like baptism is. So, if somebody got baptized, and they (heaven forbid) died the next day or something and never got a chance to partake of the sacrament, that wouldn’t need to be done for them vicariously or anything. The same can’t be said of baptism or marriage.
False, It is suggested, but not required. Here’s a quote from Russell M. Nelson: "The hand used in partaking of the sacrament would logically be the same hand used in making any other sacred oath. For most of us, that would be the right hand. However, sacramental covenants—and other eternal covenants as well—can be and are made by those who have lost the use of the right hand, or who have no hands at all. Much more important than concern over which hand is used in partaking of the sacrament is that the sacrament be partaken with a deep realization of the atoning sacrifice that the sacrament represents" (President Russell M. Nelson, "Is it necessary to take the sacrament with one’s right hand? Does it really make any difference which hand is used?" Ensign, March 1983). So it seems by that statement that is preferable to take the sacrament with your right hand, but not essential. Your attitude is far more important.
I really like this one because as a teacher, a rule of thumb is that the more senses you engage in a student, the more memorable it will be to them. So in the sacrament we have sight (seeing the emblems under the white sheet, and the priesthood blessing and passing the sacrament) (hearing, we hear the words of the sacramental prayers), (touch, we reach out and touch the bread and the cup of water), and (taste, we taste the bread and the water). There you go, 4 of the 5 senses in one ordinance. God’s a tremendously effective teacher, isn’t he.
TRANSITION
Well Paul understood the significance of the sacrament and added a lot to our understanding of this sacred ordinance. Jesus doesn’t teach us a whole lot about it back in the gospels. But Paul is really going to help us out here and deepen our comprehension of it. The truth of the matter is that the sacrament has more than one purpose. Paul actually identifies four different purposes to the sacrament in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11.
Let’s see how many purposes you can identify in the following verses.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
1 Corinthians 11:24
1 Corinthians 11:26
1 Corinthians 11:28, 31
SEARCH
Number 1, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Part of the key to understanding this one is to examine the word “communion”. If you look at footnote 16c you’ll see that it suggests the words aid, fellowship, and partnership. The sacrament is something that brings us together as congregations of the church in fellowship, brotherhood, and sisterhood. Verse 17 clearly communicates that idea by reminding us that even though we are many different members in the Church, we are all one body as we partake of the bread and the water. So one of the purposes of the sacrament is to unify us. It is a unifier. It’s a moment when all members of the ward come together in a common purpose and focus. We have been frequently reminded that the sacrament is THE primary purpose of sacrament meeting, and it’s meant to be done together. It brings us together as a community of faith. I know that I really felt that when I served as bishop. It was often during the sacrament when I felt I would receive promptings and inspiration about members in my ward. Those that I felt needed some kind of help or would be a good fit in certain callings. That kind of “revelation” seemed to come more easily in that setting. I think that’s because we were united in a common act of faith and spirit at the same time.
11:24
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
This is the one that I feel we most commonly associate as the purpose of the sacrament. The keyword in this verse is remembrance. Another purpose of the sacrament is to serve as a memorial. We are to remember Christ’s sacrifice for us. And I like to ask the question, Why? Why does he want us to remember his sacrifice? Is it in the spirit of, “Hey, you’d better remember me because I suffered an awful lot for you”, or is there a different purpose behind it? And then just let your class share their thoughts. I’ve always received a lot of great insights from that question.
11:26
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
The key word here is “shew.” When I partake of the sacrament, I shew the Lord’s death till he come. What does that mean? Again, the footnotes help us. What does that word mean? Proclaim, or announce. We’re making a type of statement, a proclamation, or announcement when we partake of the sacrament. Sometimes, I like to ask “when was the last time you bore your testimony in sacrament meeting? And I’ll usually get answers like, last month, or a year ago, or I never bear my testimony in Church.” And I counter that with, “I’m willing to bet that you bore your testimony just last week.” And they’ll say, how? It wasn’t even fast Sunday. Then I refer to this verse. Partaking of the sacrament is a type of testimony. When you take that little piece of bread to your lips or that tiny cup of water, in a sense you are testifying to God, his son, everybody around you and yourself, that “I believe in Christ. I know that my redeemer lives. I bear witness that Jesus triumphed over death and sin.”
So a third purpose of the sacrament is to serve as a Testimonial.
11:28, 31
And then finally, the last one is a bit of an easier one to interpret.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
The fourth purpose of the sacrament is to serve as a self-examination. We should be judging ourselves at that time. How? The sacrament invites us to reflect on our actions of the previous week. Where did we go wrong? Where can we improve? What areas do we need to ask for forgiveness in? So yes, the sacrament should be a time of remembering Christ, but it should also be a time of self-reflection and spiritual development. And I really like that thought in vs. 31, “If we judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” Could that mean that if we spend each week if our lives judging ourselves and improving ourselves, and examining ourselves, when it comes to the final judgment, God may say to us, “You know what, I don’t need to judge you. You’ve been judging yourself weekly your entire life. You’re prepared to enter my kingdom.
TRUTH
So there you have it—four profound purposes of the sacrament. It’s a unifier, a memorial, a testimonial, and a self-examination.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
When have you been blessed by one of these purposes of the sacrament?
And for me, something that has helped me to appreciate the sacrament as a memorial, is a primary song taught to me many years ago by a dedicated primary chorister called “To think about Jesus” that still frequently comes to my mind when I partake of the sacrament. The words say:
It shouldn't be hard to sit very still
And think about Jesus, his cross on the hill,
And all that he suffered and did for me;
It shouldn't be hard to sit quietly.
It shouldn't be hard, even though I am small,
To think about Jesus, not hard at all.
And the mood of that simple little song, and the reverent tone in which it is sung, impressed upon my young mind the principle of solemnity, reverence, and awe. It helped me to sense the deep love of my Savior and the magnitude of His sacrifice. And It still does that for me to this day. It makes me want to be better, for Him.
CONCLUSION
Perhaps the risk of observing the sacrament every week is that it can possibly become routine and hollow to us. Yet, if we remember Paul’s teachings on the various purposes of this sacred ordinance, perhaps it can become the most significant spiritual event of our week. I challenge you, if it has become that for you, to try approaching the sacrament in one of those ways that you haven’t thought of before. Or each Sunday, try a different one. Rotate through the four purposes week by week and see if that increases its meaning for you. So one week, think of it as a memorial, and then the next, as a testimony, and the next a self-examination and so on. See if that helps to keep it fresh and significant for you week by week. The sacrament is so much more than just a weekly ordinance. It’s a powerful multi-faceted and memorable experience that not only renews our covenants, but renews our spiritual strength as well.
GIFTED
ICEBREAKER
For chapter 12 I like to use an object lesson as an icebreaker. This takes a little more time to prepare the materials, but I find that this works very well. But what you do is you have a large, wrapped present at the front of the room. For me, since I need a quick way to reset the lesson for each class I have one of those decorated gift boxes that has a lid. It looks like this. Then, inside that large box, I have 4 or 5 smaller gift boxes. Then, within one of those gift boxes, I have a set of even smaller gift boxes. So it's kind of set up like one of those Russian nesting dolls. And you can usually buy these materials at a craft or hobby store for minimal expense. But with the big gift displayed, I then like to ask them a question. What's the best Christmas or Birthday gift you've ever received? And have them share their answer to that with a companion or partner.
TRANSITION
Our Heavenly Father also loves to give gifts to his children. But rather than sending us electronics, or jewelry, or toys, He gives us spiritual gifts, or abilities to bless us and the church as a whole. In Corinthians 12, Paul is going to teach us some exciting truths about spiritual gifts. And the way we’re going to approach this discussion this time is as a study guide. Have your students either work alone or with a partner to discover as many truths about spiritual gifts as they can.
SEARCH
So question #1. What is the source of all spiritual gifts? The answer is found in verse 4 and 11.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
They’re called the Gifts of the Spirit because they all get their power from that same source. The Spirit or the Holy Ghost. (And at this moment, you point to the large present you have wrapped at the front, and say) Let’s say this gift represents the Holy Ghost, and you may even put a little label on the outside of that box that says, “The Holy Ghost”. But within the gift of the Holy Ghost are other smaller gifts that God may give to us.
Which leads us to question #2. How many different kinds of gifts are there? The answer lies in that same verse, chapter—12:4? There are diversities of gifts. In other words, there are many different kinds of gifts. Case in point . . .
Question #3 What are the names of some of the gifts of the Spirit? Verses 8-10 contain some examples. Paul lists a few of them for us.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
So yes, many different kinds of gifts. And at this point, I start to pull the smaller gifts that I have wrapped up from inside the large gift. And you could even label some of them with the names of the gifts mentioned by Paul here. The Word of wisdom, and that is not referring to the church's law of health, but the gift of wisdom, of being wise, gift of knowledge, the gift of healing, discernment, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.
And then I always like to share the following quotes at this point
“Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety. Those listed in the revealed word are simply illustrations of the boundless outpouring of divine grace that a gracious God gives those who love and serve him.”
Bruce R. McConkie
A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.367-377
And also:
“Taken at random, let me mention a few gifts that are not always evident or noteworthy but that are very important. . .
The gift of asking; the gift of listening the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.
Marvin J. Ashton
CR October 1987
So there are an infinite number of possible gifts that God has to give to his children. And isn't that wonderful--that we're not all the same? That we’re not cookie-cutter disciples. It's very apparent as we look at the world around us that God really likes variety and diversity. Look at the landscapes in his world, Deserts, jungles, mountains, planes, tundra, and an infinite number of varieties in between. Look at animal life, in shape, and color, and ability. Some fly, some swim, some crawl, some run. Then look at people. Same thing. Shapes, sizes, colors, languages, cultures, so much diversity. No two are the same. When it comes to spiritual gifts, God follows the same principle. People are gifted in different ways. You are unique in the gifts that you can offer the world, your family , and the church.
Then the next question to consider is
Question #4 Who gets a gift? The answer can be found in 12:7.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
So the answer: Everybody gets a gift. Nobody is left out on this one. You are gifted. No exceptions. There is something that only YOU have to offer your ward or branch. And though this next illustration isn't necessarily doctrinal, I sometimes picture this principle in the following way. I imagine a large line of spirits in the pre-existence waiting for their turn to be born into mortality. And just before they leave, Heavenly Father is standing there at the head of the line with a large bag of gifts next to him. They aren't given out randomly, but each has the recipient’s name written in beautiful calligraphy across the top. Each of these gifts has been lovingly prepared and tailored to that specific individual. With a gift in his hand. He hands it to them and says "This is a special unique gift just for you from me. Please treasure and respect it. It will bring great blessings to you and others throughout your life. " Then He carefully hands it to them and off they go to mortality. I also imagine each of the gifts being wrapped differently and in different shapes and sizes. But everybody gets a gift.
I sometimes like to add this question as well: Is there a way for you to know for certain what gift of gifts your Heavenly Father has given to you? And there is! Your patriarchal blessing will more often than not tell you what some of your gifts are. Another reason to get a patriarchal blessing if you haven’t received one yet. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have one, your Father in Heaven may just want you to work to discover what they are.
Question #5 What do you think these verses teach us about spiritual gifts? 12:5-6
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Now what does that mean?
I think it means that there are many different manifestations of the spiritual gifts. So, you may have the gift of tongues, but there are lots of different ways the gift of tongues can be manifest, different ways it’s administered. What are some of those manifestations? Perhaps one is the ability to speak a language that you have never learned before. We saw that with the apostles on the day of Pentecost. But is that the only manifestation of that gift? No, perhaps another manifestation is the ability to learn and speak another language with ease and accuracy. Missionaries serving foreign missions will often want to seek that gift. Are there others? I think there could be many others, and let me illustrate this with a little example.
When my father was a teenager he got his patriarchal blessing which told him that he had the gift of tongues and so in high school he decided to take a foreign language class thinking, “Hey I have the gift of tongues
this is gonna be really easy for me.” But he was disappointed when he found that he didn't feel like he really had any more ability or gift than anybody else in the class. But he explained it away by thinking, “Well getting a good grade in high school really doesn't have much to do with the church, so maybe that’s the reason.” But then he was called to a foreign speaking mission and this time he thought, “Wow now my gift is going to kick in. This is the work of the Lord. I'm going to be able to get the language very, very, easily.” But again he
was disappointed. Yes, he felt the Lord helped him, but he didn't feel like he had any more ability than others to
learn a foreign language. And so that really bothered him for a while. He wondered why his gift didn’t seem to be working. But then he came home from his mission and planning on his future career, and he ended up being hired by the church to teach seminary and he quickly found that he had an incredible ability to teach the scriptures in a very effective and eloquent way. My father is an amazing teacher. He came to the realization
that his manifestation of the gift of tongues didn't have anything to do with foreign languages. But it was the
ability to speak beautifully and in an understandable way in his own language. That's a manifestation of the gift of tongues. A different administration of it.
I know of a young woman whose patriarchal blessing told her she had the gift of healing, and since she couldn’t give priesthood blessings, she felt she should go into medicine as a career. But she soon found that she was not really interested in becoming a doctor. Her passion wasn’t there, but she didn’t want to neglect her spiritual gift. Well, all she really needed was a brief explanation of this principle that there are many different ways gifts are administered. One manifestation of the gift of healing is the ability to heal through priesthood blessings, and another would be to have a gift for healing people as a doctor or nurse, I would imagine Russell M. Nelson has that gift, but could there be any others? How about emotional healing, spiritual healing. As soon as this was explained to her she thought back on her life and reflected on the fact that people often came to her for help when they were struggling, and she was always able to counsel and comfort those individuals and make them feel better. That was her manifestation of the gift of healing.
So after explaining that or sometimes during that explanation I open one of the smaller gifts that I have wrapped up and display the even smaller gifts inside, perhaps labeled with some of the manifestations we just mentioned here.
Question #6
Are some gifts more important than others? And you know, with that many possible gifts out there, there is a possible problem that might arise. And that is, some may feel that certain gifts are better than others. Perhaps somebody feels that the gift of healing is a more important gift to have than the gift of faith. Some may feel that the gift of performing miracles is better to have than the gift of not passing judgment. So Paul wants to make something very clear to the members of Corinth about the various gifts that each of them possess.
So here, read vs. 12-25 with that question in mind.
And I’m not going to read that entire section here, but hopefully the message is clear. He compares the church to a body, and each of the different body parts would be the members of the church, each with their specific gift they have to offer. And just like a body works together to live and move and accomplish things, every member has their place and unique contribution. And yes, some of the gifts may be more showy than others. Maybe we all want to be the eye of the church, perhaps somebody with the gift of leadership or miracles. But what good is an eye all by itself. A lone solitary eyeball isn’t going to do anybody any good. All the parts of the body are necessary and perform vital functions. It would be foolish for a member of the church to feel like they’re better than or more important than somebody else in the church because of their particular gift. And, if there’s anybody in the church that doesn’t feel that they’re important or needed because they don’t know as much, or aren’t as charismatic, or knowledgeable as others in their congregations, they should read this chapter. They are needed. There is something unique that they have to give that nobody else can. And if they pull away from the body, the whole congregation will suffer that loss. Something will be missing.
Sometimes I like to use this example. Somebody might say to themselves “Well if the church is a body and each member of the church is a part of the body, I must be just the big toe of the church.” Then I would sit that person down that was feeling that way and tell them about my younger brother who lost his big toe in a lawnmower incident. He could tell you how significant it is to lose even that small part of your body. It makes a huge difference, and so do you. All gifts are important, all members are needed.
Question #7
Can you have more than one gift? 12:11
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
So yes. You can have more than one. In fact, I imagine we all do. God is very gracious, isn’t he?
And that leads very naturally into Question #8:
Is it ok to ask for and receive other gifts?
What if there is a gift you really feel you need and you haven’t been naturally gifted with. Is it ok to ask for those gifts. We know we are not supposed to aspire to certain positions or callings in the church, but is it ok to ask for additional gifts you feel you need? Verse 31.
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Also, chapter 14:1
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
So yes! It is ok to seek for more gifts. In fact, look at the word he even uses to describe that desire. Covet earnestly the best gifts. You don’t have to be satisfied with the ones that come naturally to you.
I’ll give you an example of this. I don’t believe that I was born with the gift of teaching. I really don’t. Not like my father who I feel is naturally gifted as a teacher. But when I left for my mission and since then I have really wanted to become a better, more effective teacher of the gospel. I coveted that gift, and so I’ve worked at it and sought for it diligently in prayer, and I've learned skills and techniques through study and practice. And through my efforts and the grace of my Heavenly Father, I feel I have attained a measure of that gift. We can all do this no matter who we are.
As a teacher, perhaps at this point in your lesson you could share a gift that you feel you have earnestly coveted and how you feel your Heavenly Father has helped you to gain it.
So yes, it’s ok to seek additional gifts. In fact, God encourages us to do so. It’s the same message as the parable of the talents. We are meant to improve upon the God-given gifts we’ve been given.
Finally, one more truth about spiritual gifts that we need to cover which makes up the bulk of the message of 1 Corinthians 13.
There is one specific gift that we should all be seeking for. It’s the nicest, most valuable, most elaborately wrapped gift of all. And here you could pull out of the big box a really nicely wrapped, fancy package, with ribbon and bows and ask question #9: What is the greatest of all the gifts that we can seek after in Chapter 13? This is “the more excellent way” he’s referring to at the end of chapter 12. It’s the spiritual gift that gives life and power and meaning to all of the other gifts. In fact, without this gift, all of the others mean nothing.
What is it? Charity. Charity is the greatest of all gifts.
And what is charity? The best definition of that quality is found in Moroni 7:47. The pure love of Christ. And I think that can possibly be interpreted in three different ways. One way to look at that is that the type of love Jesus had for others we need to have that same kind of love for others, so it’s love like Christ. But you could look at that in another way as well. It’s the love that we have for Jesus , and if we have that love, it will causes us to act in certain ways, and finally, and it could also be interpreted as the love that he has for us, and recognizing his love for us, will change us, our attitudes, and behaviors, we will act in certain ways because of his love for us. So it could also be love from Christ. Which is the correct interpretation? Is it love like Christ, love for Christ, or love from Christ? And I would answer. YES. We don’t have to choose. I think they’re all correct and all give meaning
With that understanding in hand, now we can dive into 1 Corinthians 13, and I feel this chapter represents one of the greatest literary masterpieces of Christian writing. It is so deep and there is so much that could be said or learned from it. I’ve found that as a teacher, sometimes it’s counterproductive to try to lead your students through something like this. To try to force a direction on them, or one specific truth you see in it. Rather, it’s better to be very open ended, and allow them to bring what they see and feel into the discussion. So in a case like this, sometimes I just like to ask:
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What is your favorite verse or phrase in 1 Corinthians 13 and why? Then just read it, just let them experience the beauty of Paul’s words, and allow the Spirit to be the teacher this time.
Now that’s great if you have a class with members that willingly participate. But I can hear some of you saying, but what if they don’t share, what if they just sit there and stare at me. Allow me to give you a few questions and thoughts to have up your sleeve just in case.
1-3 So, All the gifts mean nothing without charity. Without love, pure Christlike love, they profit us not. You could ask: Why do the other gifts mean nothing without charity (pure love)? I believe that it’s because the gospel is inherently outward focused, not inward. If I’m doing righteous things, if I’m using my gifts that God’s given me, but it’s all self-serving and it’s all about me, and making me look good, or feel better about myself, then it’s not going to have power. And I think people are pretty good at sensing when our motivations are misplaced. For example, If I teach with the intent to draw attention to myself, to have people leaving my class thinking, “Wow, that teacher is so amazing,” and not, “Wow, the scriptures or the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so amazing,” then I will most likely fail as a teacher. They will sense the duplicitousness of my motives and respond in kind. What I teach, will be like sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal, it’ll just be noise. If I serve without that love, my service will lack power. If I lead without that love, my leadership will lack power. We must develop the quality of charity.
Then verses 4-8. I think that when we say the word “love”, we think of feelings. I need to feel a certain way about the people around me. But Paul is going to define what charity much more precisely:
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Now, Is this list focused more on feelings or actions? They are actions. Why do you think that is important to understand? Charity is a matter of the will and action. That’s why Paul doesn’t give us a list of feelings, but a long list of actions and attributes we can develop.
And if somebody were to ask me, “Can you give me an example of what these qualities look like?” I would say, yes. The perfect example for each of these qualities is Jesus Christ himself. In that light, you could read this verse like this:
And Christ suffered long, and was kind, he envied not, Christ vaunted not himself, Christ was not puffed up. He didn’t behave himself unseemly, he sought not his own, etc.
Therefore, when Paul asks us to seek to have the greatest of all gifts, the gift of charity, he’s really asking us to seek to be like Christ.
What do you think the phrase “Charity never faileth” means? Does that mean that charity always works?
In a way, yes. I believe that approaching any situation with charity is going to yield something better than it would otherwise. And in that way, charity never faileth. But Christ was the embodiment of charity and they crucified him. A parent may have all those qualities and love for a child, but that won't always change a heart. It doesn't guarantee success. I think that's important to understand. If I feel that charity is always going to be successful, and I fail, then the only conclusion that I can come to is that I must not have had enough charity, and that could be quite discouraging.
But instead of meaning that it's always successful, what if It means that charity will always be necessary. It’s always going to be needed, in mortality and throughout the eternities. There are other virtues or gifts of the Spirit that will not be needed in the next life. I think that’s what verses 8-10 might mean. Think about it, when we are standing in the very presence of God and the Savior, I imagine that faith and hope will take on a very different meaning. Faith is no longer believing in something that I can't see when I CAN see it right in front of me. I no longer need to hope for resurrection and exaltation when those blessings have been granted. There won't really be any need for certain manifestations of the gift of tongues or the gift of healing or the gift of miracles when I'm living in a glorified eternal world--at least not in the same sense that they’re used here. Could that be what that means? Maybe. Charity on the other hand really does endure forever. If it's the character of Christ we're talking about, then possessing that pure love for God and my fellowman is always going to be needed, because it will be who I am, and what I have become in mortality.
Love is infinite. Love is eternal. And is it any surprise that love is the basis of all Christian virtues. Jesus was the very embodiment of love. And we wish to follow him, we must develop it.
So if I were to just summarize the message of charity or pure love from 1 Corinthians 13. I might put it this way:
1-3,13 The preeminence of love. Love is absolutely essential in discipleship.
4-7 The nature of love. Love is action. It’s service. It’s outward focused, not self-focused. The list of qualities we find in these verses describe genuine, real, and honest love.
8-10 The endlessness of love. Love is something that will endure forever. It’s infinite.
11 The maturity of love. A disciple that possesses charity shows that they are no longer a child in the gospel. They’ve grown up. It’s the mark of spiritual maturity.
12 The destiny of love. Love will eventually lead us to knowing as we are known. “seeing through a glass darkly” here means looking through a veil. Glass means veil. If I put a veil over your face, you’re not going to see things around you clearly. But if I learn to love like Christ loved, one day that veil is going to be removed and I will see things as they really are. That’s the destiny of love.
TRUTH
So there we go. Do you feel you have a better understanding now of spiritual gifts? I hope so. Paul is thorough and deep, isn’t he. Here you may want to just review the truths we’ve learned about spiritual gifts and display them in one place. (Show Slide)
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures, we have the final three questions on the study guide that you could ask some of your students to share their answers to.
· Think of someone you love and admire in your life. What spiritual gift do you recognize in them and how has it blessed you?
· How have your own God-given gifts blessed you and the people around you?
· What gift of the Spirit would you most like to receive, and what are you willing to do to show you are ready for that gift?
CONCLUSION
Well, isn’t our Heavenly Father amazing! He’s the REAL Santa Claus. He has endowed each of us with individualized gifts and abilities that only we can offer. Even though we may feel inadequate at times, even though we may feel envious of the gifts of others, there are certain matters and people that we are the best equipped to help, there are certain duties and labors that we are the most qualified and capable of performing. And as long as we seek to magnify and use those gifts with the pure love of Christ as our motive, as our fuel, then there is no end to the good we can accomplish. Make no mistake about it, you are gifted!
ESCAPE ROUTES
You know what. I wasn’t going to do this, but I can’t help but at least through this out one final thought here before we end. You could do an entire lesson on 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says:
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
What’s the message? There’s always a way to escape from temptation. God would never put us into a hopeless situation where we were destined to sin. God has given us escape routes, there’s always a way out. God “giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” An activity that you could do to introduce this would be to see who can escape from a maze the quickest. I’ll make this available to you as a handout if you like. But then you could simply ask your students what some of their favorite “escape routes” are from temptation. What things help them the most to resist temptation. And you can just make a big list of those ideas and techniques on the board. Things like, praying for help, talking to a bishop, singing a hymn, using the Alma 11:23 method we talked about last time, fleeing the temptation, quote a favorite scripture, keep a picture of Christ on your wall, look at the eternal perspective-the long-term effect on your actions vs what your natural man desires in the short term, etc. etc. Just brainstorm those ideas and your students will walk away with a whole list of possible escape routes from their temptations.
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