Study With Me - Acts Lesson 9

There are so many different beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit and tongues that I thought it might be wise to look at I Corinthians 12-14 before we return to our Acts study.

One of the pages in the Acts study notes contains the guide to this study as well. You can find that here.

One of the main things we learn of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives is that the Spirit has an impact on our speech. I Corinthians 12:3 tells us what we won’t say and what we will be able to say if we have the Spirit in us. No one can say Christ is accursed if the Spirit is in control. And no one can say “Jesus is Lord” unless he has the spirit. Obviously if you offered someone a thousand dollars they might say the words, but the point is that no one will say it from their heart unless the Spirit dwells in them.

Another thing we learn is that all three members of the trinity are involved in the gifts and their use. In verses 4 through 6 we learn that there are a variety of gifts, but it is the same Spirit that provides them. There are a variety of ways those gifts are used in ministry and service, but the same Lord that directs and oversees their use. And finally there are a variety of ways the gifts and ministries are energized but it is the one God that does the working.

One of the things that is alluded to in verses 4 – 6 and spelled out more clearly throughout the chapter is that not everyone has the same gifts. He gives to each one as He wills. (v.11) The members are placed in the body as He pleased. (v. 18) He says in verse 8, “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, and to another faith…” So we see that He gives one gift to one person and a different gift to another person. Not all have all the gifts. In fact in verse 29 he asks, “Are all apostles? …” The implied answer to each of these questions is “no”.

So the Spirit gives gifts as directed by the Lord Jesus and energized by God the Father. These are assigned as it pleases Him with the purpose that all would be profited and the body would grow.