Spiritual Gifts: Individual Members

We saw the Holy Spirit distribute the gifts (vv.1-11), then unite the body (vv.12-26), and now Paul explains the interaction of those individual parts as one spiritually balanced whole. These PERSONS involved are natural human beings with supernatural endowments - with Christ as the head who leads, each believer is on the team with a special role to serve. The PERFORMANCE of this team shows great diversity: it involves the foundational structure of apostles and prophets; the helpful service of teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healings, and helps; and the meaningful signs of tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Yet each of those on this team are completely dependent upon one another in the unique balance of God. As they worked together we recognize the ultimate goal of God was PERFECTION. They were to be striving to highlight the greater gifts, and at the same time surpassing them with a far better approach - expanding the external visible actions into internal sacrificial devotion.