Beth Moore went on a bit of a Twitter tear this morning, citing 1 Corinthians 12 as the basis for her commentary.
If you have spent more than a couple of weeks at church chances are you have heard a message regarding the spiritual gifts God gives to believers and how we should use them.
Most of the time when the excerpt is discussed, people talk about how using your spiritual gift in a positive way will also have a positive impact on the church body.
Beth Moore, as fiery as ever, took to Twitter this morning to talk about the opposite side of 1 Corinthians 12. She argued that although your spiritual gift can help the body function, using them wrong can cause the body to be disjointed.
Moore has never shied away from talking about controversial topics, or calling out groups of believers that she thinks are not acting in accordance to God’s word, and today’s thread was not an exception.
Moore kick off the thread by tweeting: “Scripture reading this AM was 1 Cor 12. I love the juxtaposition of ‘same’ & ‘variety.’ Same Spirit, variety of gifts. What irony that elements meant to make us function as a body are used to keep it disjointed. ‘You’re different than me so you do not have the same Spirit as me.'”
Scripture reading this AM was 1 Cor 12. I love the juxtaposition of “same” & “variety.” Same Spirit, variety of gifts. What irony that elements meant to make us function as a body are used to keep it disjointed. “You’re different than me so you do not have the same Spirit as me.”
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
She points out that often times people think that because they are different from one another, they have a different Spirit within them. They forget that the Spirit of God is the same spirit that resides in all believers.
She adds next that believers develop “sufficient hubris to survey that very list of gifts in 1 Cor 12 & say ‘If you claim to have any in this category, you may have a demonic spirit but you certainly don’t have the Holy Spirit.'”
Essentially she points out that believers pick and choose what gifts they think are good and which ones are bad.
She also makes sure to add on early: “I don’t have the least notion this post will change a single mind.”
We’ve even developed sufficient hubris to survey that very list of gifts in 1 Cor 12 & say “If you claim to have any in this category, you may have a demonic spirit but you certainly don’t have the Holy Spirit.” I don’t have the least notion this post will change a single mind->
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
Why does she think that her post will not change minds?
Well, she argues that “We’ll still do what we’ve been doing: just defending our position/sticking with our team.”
Moore tends to wade in water that everyone else fears to enter into. This is a problem that can be seen throughout culture, as a common theme of picking and choosing what scripture to follow.
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She counters: “But it’s wrong. Variety’s a gift meant to be treasured. Appreciated. We get to be very different, bring very different elements to the Body & still be in the same Name & of the same Spirit.”
We’ll still do what we’ve been doing: just defending our position/sticking with our team. But it’s wrong. Variety’s a gift meant to be treasured. Appreciated. We get to be very different, bring very different elements to the Body & still be in the same Name & of the same Spirit.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
So how can we change and work towards appreciating variety?
She believes that: “What would change everything is a true work of the Holy Spirit in building real, live relationships between people who are very different. But we’d have to take 3 enormous risks: 1. We might like them. 2. We might glimpse Christ in them. 3. We might have to face we were wrong.”
What would change everything is a true work of the Holy Spirit in building real, live relationships between people who are very different. But we’d have to take 3 enormous risks:
1. We might like them.
2. We might glimpse Christ in them.
3. We might have to face we were wrong.— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
In an age where political ideology separates and dis-unifies many within the church, the idea of working to build real relationships with people we differ with is a hard bit to swallow. But as Moore reminds us, we must remember that different beliefs or opinions are not what holds us together, but our faith in God.
Moore followed with: “I think 1 of the most powerful evidences of Christ on social media these days is the simple admission of having been wrong. I always do a double take. It always carries weight with me. I was wrong about so many people. “I don’t like you if you’re unlike me.” Ain’t no way to live.”
I think 1 of the most powerful evidences of Christ on social media these days is the simple admission of having been wrong. I always do a double take. It always carries weight with me. I was wrong about so many people. “I don’t like you if you’re unlike me.” Ain’t no way to live.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
It’s easy to only befriend those that we find common ground with. But God doesn’t call us to simply love those that we love.
Matthew 5:44-45 reads: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
It doesn’t say love people that are easy to love. It says to love your enemies. Those are the hard to love or those that have wronged you.
It’s what sets Christians apart from the world, being able to love all people, instead of just the ones that are agreeable.
Moore adds a rather convicting statement: “What we’re saying is, ‘I don’t like Christ’s methods. He was wrong about this.’ We are His Body. He, our Head. He can do what the heck He wants with His own Body. And what He wants is a glorious, gorgeous, divine blend of variety & sameness. When we’re Jesus we can do it our way.”
What we’re saying is, “I don’t like Christ’s methods. He was wrong about this.” We are His Body. He, our Head. He can do what the heck He wants with His own Body. And what He wants is a glorious, gorgeous, divine blend of variety & sameness. When we’re Jesus we can do it our way.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
Moore concluded her twitter thread in a rather funny way, apologizing for hitting a negative tone so early in the morning.
She ended her thread saying: “Here is what I really want to say: I’m ecstatic that we who make up the Body of Christ may not be the same kind of different as one another but we a different kind of the same.”
Dang. The tone of that thread was negative. Who needs that on a Monday morning?? Sorry, y’all! Here is what I really want to say: I’m ecstatic that we who make up the Body of Christ may not be the same kind of different as one another but we a different kind of the same.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) July 9, 2018
As Moore encourages, use your spiritual gifts to unify the body. Don’t waste time tearing the body apart because a different person is different from you. The differences are what make us who we are and who God designed us to be!