Reflection Paper
Reflection Paper #1 Rhonda Carter Theology 104-D11 LOU April 15, 2013
I. Introduction This paper will be written to discuss the two topics I have chosen to write about for my first reflection paper. The topics I chose are spiritual gifts and love. When you start to think about it, these two things go together. If a person uses their spiritual gifts for the right reasons they will be doing it out of love for God. A lot of people these days do not use their spiritual gifts to edify God or to show the love of God to others. They are only looking for the praise of others to build their own self-worth. II. Part One: Spiritual Gifts a. Theological Definition A spiritual gift is a divine gift bestowed upon a believer from the Holy Spirit to be used to edify in the ministry of God. They are to be used within the body of Christ to allow the work of God to grow the church. A spiritual gift is used to give glory to God through the person with the gift. We are shown this in 1 Peter 4:10 where it says, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We are all accountable for how we use the spiritual gifts that God has bestowed upon us. b. Biblical Foundation There are a lot of books that have been written over what the different spiritual gifts are and how they are supposed to be used. There are quite a few verses in the New Testament that covers the spiritual gifts and how we are to use them. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-8 we are told, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the sane God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit.” The Bible
I. Introduction This paper will be written to discuss the two topics I have chosen to write about for my first reflection paper. The topics I chose are spiritual gifts and love. When you start to think about it, these two things go together. If a person uses their spiritual gifts for the right reasons they will be doing it out of love for God. A lot of people these days do not use their spiritual gifts to edify God or to show the love of God to others. They are only looking for the praise of others to build their own self-worth. II. Part One: Spiritual Gifts a. Theological Definition A spiritual gift is a divine gift bestowed upon a believer from the Holy Spirit to be used to edify in the ministry of God. They are to be used within the body of Christ to allow the work of God to grow the church. A spiritual gift is used to give glory to God through the person with the gift. We are shown this in 1 Peter 4:10 where it says, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We are all accountable for how we use the spiritual gifts that God has bestowed upon us. b. Biblical Foundation There are a lot of books that have been written over what the different spiritual gifts are and how they are supposed to be used. There are quite a few verses in the New Testament that covers the spiritual gifts and how we are to use them. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-8 we are told, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the sane God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit.” The Bible