NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 12: 1 - 11 (all)

1Cor 12:1 (NRSV) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.



Notes h/t montreal anglican

Pagan religions in Greece embodied unbridled enthusiasm and emotionalism, even extending to the orgiastic frenzies of the devotees of Dionysios

The tests for whether one speaks under the influence of the Holy Spirit are:
• that one accepts Christ’s authority and pledges obedience to him, “Jesus is Lord” (v. 3) and
• that one does not curse Jesus (even under duress).

Gifts” is widely defined, and includes “services” (v. 5, ministries) and “activities”

Each of us receives a gift (perhaps not one listed); God chooses, not us.

The real test of gifts is whether they come from God and contribute to the common good and edify the community:





GOSPEL: John 2: 1 - 11 (all)

John 2:1 (NRSV) On the third day there was a wedding in Ca'na of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Ca'na of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Caper'naum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.


This is the third day after the calling of Philip (the apostle) and Nathanael

Jesus addresses her as “Woman” (v. 4), a title roughly equivalent to Madam today:

“mother of Jesus” is a more honourable appellation than Mary.

Persistence after rejection is also found in the other miracle at Cana:

Stone was used because it was believed that it could not contract ritual uncleanness. That the jars were empty may be symbolic: an indication of the inadequacy of the Jewish rites of purification.


in totally transforming water into wine, Jesus replaces the old (Judaism) with the new; wine is a symbol originating in Christ. In Isaiah, marriage between God and his people symbolizes the fulfilment of God’s purpose for his people; here the abundance of good wine symbolizes the joy accompanying the fulfilment (as foretold in several prophetic books)