这一章是哥林多前书的一个重要十字路口。在这之前，保罗一直是处理哥林多信徒在行为上的问题。他们的问题主要是出于属肉体的旧人，然而，在神的眼中，这老我的旧人已经与基督同钉十字架了。

来到这一章，保罗再次教导他们认识圣灵。他的笔锋一转，由谈论他们的失败转为指出，信徒借着圣灵便可过得胜的生活。撒但想我们经常记着自己的失败；但神却要带领我们得着基督所赐的丰盛。

保罗指出，信徒如今已进入了一个凡事以耶稣基督为中心的新领域。圣灵会带领哥林多信徒承认耶稣是主。昔日，撒但是他们的主人；但今天，他们的主人是耶稣基督。圣灵会进入他们的心中，在每天的生活中引证这个活生生的事实。

与此同时，圣灵会将某些恩赐分给每个信徒，以致教会的工作得以正常的推行，而信徒服事基督的同时，圣灵的能力源源不绝地流入他们的生命中。

信徒所得的恩赐各有不同，就正如身体上的各器官各有不同一样。但这一切的背后，都有巧妙的设计，让信徒在教会里面能以最好的配搭去服事基督。

哥林多的信徒拥有很多恩赐，可是，他们却利用这些恩赐来自我炫耀，而不是有效地服事教会。

让我们重温这两个观念：第一，我们要认识圣灵的工作，以及祂在我们生命中的工作。第二，圣灵将不同恩赐分给我们，让我们在教会里服事基督。我们该怎样回应这真理呢？

祷告：

「圣灵啊，求你在我身上成就你的旨意。使用我，让我能够荣耀耶稣基督，而不是荣耀自己。」

This chapter is a major crossroad in the epistle to the Corinthians. Paul has been dealing with the various things that the Corinthians have been doing. Most, if not all of them, had come out of their own fleshly nature-the old sin nature that in God's sight had been crucified with Christ.

In this chapter Paul again is teaching them about the Holy Spirit. He turns from their failures to the tremendous possibilities in their Christian lives through the Spirit of God. Satan wants to keep our minds on our failures. God always wants to lead us on to greater things with Christ.

Paul says this new world into which you have entered as Christians is centred in a person, Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God is leading the Corinthians to recognize Jesus as Lord. Previously, their master 'had been Satan, now it is Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God had entered their lives to make this a living reality day by day.

At the same time the Holy Spirit had given certain gifts to each new Christian. He did this so that the work of the church could be carried on properly-so that his power might flow through their lives in service for Christ.

These gifts differed from one another, just as the parts of the body differ from each other. But there is a wonderful design behind all of this. The Spirit of God works out just how and where we are to best serve Christ in the Church.

The Corinthians knew about these gifts, but they were using them for their own pleasure instead of for the good of the whole Church.

Let us go back over these two thoughts again. We need to know about the work of the Spirit of God and what he can do in our lives. Secondly, he has given each of us gifts by which we can serve Christ in the Church. What is our response to these things?

'O Holy Spirit, do in me what you came to do. Use me for the glory of Jesus Christ and never for my own glory.'