Post by Admin on Sept 29, 2016 7:10:47 GMT
We started off with a little background on the Romans 12 passage that we read – the context is that Paul was reaching out to both Jewish and Gentile Christians to minimize the impact of differences such as circumcision and dietary rules in favor of unifying as a diverse Body of Christ.
Some time was spent in a continuation of last week’s discussion of the gifts that members may not seem to fully utilize. This week, the topic was launched by a question about why thinking too highly about one’s own gifts can frustrate the overall work of the Spirit in the congregation. The point of these and other questions was to remind us that we are interdependent on one another as we grow spiritually, and that we need to let go of expectations about how others should behave or react, while still being encouraging to our brothers and sisters. This is reinforced by verses 7-8, which encourage us to serve if we can serve, teach if we can teach, give if we can give, and so on – and mentions nothing about the recipients or expecting a certain outcome.
Combining the text from Romans and 1 Thessalonians, Apostle Paul seems to be interested in us trying out various gifts and serving opportunities and then “testing” what we do to be sure it’s what the Holy Spirit wants us to be doing. Simple tests can include:
Does it honor Jesus and the Father?
Is it consistent with Scripture?
Does it seem inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Some time was spent in a continuation of last week’s discussion of the gifts that members may not seem to fully utilize. This week, the topic was launched by a question about why thinking too highly about one’s own gifts can frustrate the overall work of the Spirit in the congregation. The point of these and other questions was to remind us that we are interdependent on one another as we grow spiritually, and that we need to let go of expectations about how others should behave or react, while still being encouraging to our brothers and sisters. This is reinforced by verses 7-8, which encourage us to serve if we can serve, teach if we can teach, give if we can give, and so on – and mentions nothing about the recipients or expecting a certain outcome.
Combining the text from Romans and 1 Thessalonians, Apostle Paul seems to be interested in us trying out various gifts and serving opportunities and then “testing” what we do to be sure it’s what the Holy Spirit wants us to be doing. Simple tests can include:
Does it honor Jesus and the Father?
Is it consistent with Scripture?
Does it seem inspired by the Holy Spirit?