We have to see that God is diverse in his expectation of how we will use our gifts to serve others. Paul reminds his readers that they have received grace gifts from the Spirit (12:4), service gifts (12:5), and working gifts (12:6) Each gift is meant to be exercised for the benefit of the body at large (12:7). Paul emphasizes our responsibility to exercise our gifts so that the purpose of the Holy Spirit can be accomplished within the community. N. T. Wright uses the image of an orchestra with all its players to describe the overall call of the body to exercise their gifts properly. When the orchestra follows the leader and everyone plays their part, the symphony comes through clearly. However, this cannot happen if its members fail to exercise those gifts (Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians [London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004], 154, Logos).
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