What Does it Mean to Earnestly Desire the Higher Gifts? (1 Corinthians 12:31)

Miraculous Gifts as Signs to Authenticate the Gospel

The miraculous spiritual gifts, as we read of them in the New Testament, were given to the apostles and their close associates as signs to authenticate that the gospel they preached was the Word of God.

If the miraculous gifts were a regular thing, they wouldn't be miraculous. In addition to the miracle gifts, like healing and speaking in tongues, there are gifts of teaching, exhortation, administration, mercy, and discernment.

The Higher Gifts Are the Ones That Build Up the Church

And those aren't as popular. Who wants discernment? I'd rather have the power to not have to go to the doctor ever again. Paul says to earnestly desire the higher gifts. What are the higher gifts? Miracles, right?

They're like, amazing! So they must be the higher gifts! No, the higher gifts are the ones that benefit and build up the church. Miraculous healings and speaking in tongues don't do that. Teaching does.

Service. Giving. Mercy. Sharing the Word of God in all wisdom and knowledge. You might think that doesn't have the same pizazz as making the lame walk or the blind see, but do not think less of these gifts.

Serving the Church with the Spirit's Gifts

Not everyone will be a healer, but everyone will have a gift to bless the Church of Jesus Christ. This is from the Holy Spirit of God who dwells in every believer. Whenever we use the word gift, we tend to think of it as something unique to a particular person, and in some sense it is.

For example, a pastor must have the gift of teaching, and not everyone is going to have that gift. But while some are better with words than others, I think you would agree we should all learn how to encourage one another with the Word of God.

Peter said, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace, when we understand the text.