Spiritual Gifts In The Body Of Christ

"First, spiritual gifts are not primarily given to benefit the individual, but the entire body. Anyone who seeks a spiritual gift and employs it in order to give himself a kind of spiritual ‘high’ is missing the point of spiritual gifts. Perhaps this is the most serious criticism of the contemporary tongues movement. Not only has one gift been exalted above all the others, but the primary purpose of this gift seems to be self-edification..."

http://bible.org/seriespage/spiritual-gifts-1-corinthians-121-11


"Of course, the undergirding principle in all that we do is the glory of God. We must exercise our spiritual gifts in order to glorify God aright. Peter teaches this in I Peter 4:11 when, writing of our spiritual gifts, he says that they are to be exercised "that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ." Paul had already written this to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 10:31), but here he becomes more specific. Yes, gifts are for the purpose of glorifying God, but there is still another, more immediate purpose. That purpose is the edification of the body of Christ. God is glorified when we use our gifts to build up the church..."

http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/spiritualgifts/ch05.htm

"1 Corinthians 12 - Diversity and Unity in Spiritual Gifts"

http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4612.htm