Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s Epistle reading, from 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, focuses on the great revelation which the Corinthians have of Jesus. In him they are lacking nothing. He is the one who is able to sustain them and care for all their needs. All who call on the name of the Lord in Christ will find that they have all the riches they need.
The apostle is not speaking of physical riches. He is speaking of spiritual riches, found in speech and knowledge (v. 5). These riches consiste primarily of a knowledge of Jesus and his forgiveness.
It is not uncommon to find church bodies which are very interested in spiritual gifts, as were the Corinthians. It is very good to be interested in the things of the Holy Spirit. However, otice that all these spiritual gifts point to Jesus, the one who saves from sin. If our desire for spiritual gifts turns out to be a desire for our own power or authority, or our own ability to deliver ourselves from sin, or our own ability to change the world, this is not biblical. True manifestations of the Holy Spirit point the believer to the forgiveness found in Jesus and nowhere else.
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