Re: 1 Cor 12:31 MEIZONA

Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Wed, 08 Jan 1997 17:09:00 -0500

At 01:52 PM 1/8/97 -0600, Carl W. Conrad wrote:

Your message was really helpful for me in understanding the phrase KAI ETI
KAQ hUPERBOLHN hODON hUMIN DEIKNUMI.

> I don't have my previous post at hand, but I believe that I said I thought
that the
> MEIZONA (CARISMATA) referred not just to AGAPH but rather to PISTIS,
ELPIS, and AGAPH,
> the three endowments that MENEI (13:13) even after the others fade away
with the
> dawning of the new age

I'm reluctant to believe this simply because of the nature of spiritual
gifts expressed in 1 Cor 12:4 ff:

1Cor 12:4 (GNT) DIAIRESEIS DE CARISMATWN EISIN, TO DE AUTO PNEUMA: 5 KAI
DIAIRESEIS DIAKONIWN EISIN, KAI hO AUTOS KURIOS: 6 KAI DIAIRESEIS
ENERGHMATWN EISIN, hO DE AUTOS QEOS hO ENERGWN TA PANTA EN PASIN. 7 EKASTW
DE DIDOTAI hH FANERWSIS TOU PNEUMATOS PROS TO SUMFERON...

The CARISMATA are distributed among the body. Some people are given this
gift, others that gift, all from the same spirit and all for the benefit of
the body.

But love isn't like this. *All* Christians are called to faith, hope, and
love. Therefore, I have a hard time seeing these as CARISMATA. To me, the
CARISMATA are means towards edification, but love is "(ta'da!) ... a course
par excellence."

I once heard a teacher refer to the use of spiritual gifts without
transforming love as "the cosmetic renewal".

Jonathan

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