Spiritual Gifts, Past and Present
1/3/2000
GRM 666
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh
Transcript
GRM 6661/23/2000
Spiritual Gifts, Past and Present
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh
I want to draw your attention back to the subject we considered in our last study on Sunday night on spiritual gifts since we didn’t complete that, and we talked about some of the temporary gifts, but don’t want to leave out the fact that there are gifts that we are exercising today.
Why don’t you come to Romans, Chapter 12. We focused our attention in I Corinthians, Chapter 12, a couple of comments there, then I want to jump over to Chapter 14, and then we will go back and forth a little bit. This whole subject of spiritual gifts, noted you have Romans, Chapter 12, I Corinthians, Chapter 12, Ephesians, Chapter 4 and I Peter, Chapter 4. Two books where you’re in Chapter 12 and two books when you’re in Chapter 4, help you remember the four major places you go for the subject of spiritual gifts in the New Testament. And in Romans, Chapter 12, pick up with verse 3, to make a couple of observations here. For through the grace given to me, I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. When Paul speaks of the grace given to him, he’s speaking of his spiritual gift, and the grace that was given to him as an apostle, to speak and exhort and instruct in this way. And that fits with the fact these are grace gifts, gifts that are given by God by His grace, not earned or merited or worked for. We remember every believer has such a gift. We’re not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. What we are to think so as to have sound judgment, and note how he explains this. As God has allotted to each a measure of faith. And so here our gifts are described as a measure of faith. Down at the end of verse 6, the end of verse 6, If prophesy according to the proportion of his faith. And that connecting of our gifts, not only to grace but to faith. What is entailed is God in His grace gives us a special ability to enable us to function as part of the body of Christ, and entailed in that gift is the ability to trust God for the strength and power to serve Him in that area. And that would seem to be what is entailed in calling it a measure of faith or a proportion of our faith, so that entailed in the exercising of that gift is the readiness and willingness, ability if you will, to trust God in a special way, for His work in your life in the exercising of this particular gift. So it’s not only a gift of grace, but is a measure of faith.
That marks it off as distinct from just human confidence.
We look at some people and they function in the body and we admire that they just go and do it and how do they do that. Well, part of their gift is that ability to trust God and rely upon Him to enable them to accomplish what God has gifted them to do. So a rather unique way he has referred to the gifts here. Also in this context he has a stress on the fact that we should concentrate our service in our area of giftedness. It does not exclude serving in other areas, but the focal point of our ministry ought to be the area in which we are gifted. Look at verse 6, Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Now he goes back and forth, according to the measure of faith, according to the grace. Let us exercise them accordingly; if prophesy according to the proportion of faith.
So you function as God has gifted you in the area of prophecy. I would take it that would mean that even though two people might have the same gift, they will not necessarily have it to the same degree. So a person will have a gift in the area of prophecy, but some other may have a gift in the area of prophecy that is a stronger gift, and they would be recognized as having a more dominant role even in the exercising of their gift of prophecy. If service in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching. You see that stress that we concentrate our energy, concentrate on serving in the area you’re gifted. And we’ll talk about some of these gifts, like serving, in a moment. But if your gift is serving, concentrate on serving. If your gift is teaching, concentrate on teaching. Or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality, concentrate on being generous in the giving because you are gifted to do that in a special way.
Again, I’m not saying that we don’t function outside of our gifts, but what I have to contribute to the body is primarily in the area of my giftedness. So I want to build my ministry to the body, my service to the body as much as possible around the area of my giftedness, and I do other things, as we all do, but the biggest contribution I have and where I ought to concentrate my energies and where I will contribute most is where I’m gifted. That helps each member to have a proper view of himself.
Back to where we started in verse 3. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to think; but so as to have sound judgment as God has allotted each a measure of faith. You ought not be puffed up or exalted and you ought to have a realistic view of what your giftedness is, what allotment of faith God has given to you. Think soundly, and it’s not spiritual to say I probably don’t have anything to contribute to this church, you know, big church, so many gifted people. I don’t think I have anything. That’s not humility, that’s arrogance, because God says He has gifted you, and a gifted person, you have something to contribute to the body He’s brought you to. So I say, Lord, help me to think properly of myself. This body is not dependent on me, but by the same token, by your grace, I have something to contribute to this body and to enable it to be more effective in honoring you and growing to maturity in Christ. Have a sound balance perspective on your relationship to the body.
Another observation, there is a distinction in the New Testament between the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is a unique experience that occurs when you place your faith in Christ, I Corinthians 12:13. Paul writes to the Corinthians with all their problems, and says, by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. So the baptism of the Spirit is a one time occurrence. It happens when you believe in Jesus Christ. The filling of the Spirit has to do with His control of my life. We are commanded, Ephesians 5:18, to be filled with the Spirit. Naturally His control is sometimes greater, sometimes less. If I lived perfectly under His control, I would live a perfect life, but obviously I do not. And so we are to be filled or controlled by the Spirit. There is a distinction. In the book of Acts we have some transition taking place as you’re moving into a new area that God has planned, and that is the ministry of the church. So you have the baptism of the Spirit occur for the first time in Acts, Chapter 2, and that is accompanied with the phenomenon of speaking in tongues, speaking in language which had not been learned. That primarily in Acts, Chapter 2 focused on the Jews. Then in Acts, Chapter 8 you have Samaritans who are added to the body of Christ, and they receive the Holy Spirit. Acts, Chapter 8 doesn’t say they speak in tongues, but there is a recognition that they have received the Spirit and most take it from that that it would involve speaking in tongues, and that would then allow the Jews to accept the Samaritans as real members of the body of Christ. In Acts, Chapter 10 Peter went to the house of Cornelius and you have Gentiles added to the body. And there too when they received the baptism of the Spirit to place them into the body of Christ, they also speak in tongues. Then in Acts, Chapter 19 you have some disciples of John the Baptist who had been followers of John the Baptist who had moved to other places near Ephesus, and they had not heard of the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit that He had come. So when Paul confronts them and shares the gospel with them, they are baptized with the Spirit and begin to speak in tongues.
Those four occasions, unify the church in the book of Acts under the authority of the apostles, their leadership and their teaching. Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, disciples of John all joined together, and this phenomenon occurs in each of those occasions in the presence of an apostle, an apostolic ministry, so that the church did not fragment. We don’t have a Gentile church and a Jewish church. The Gentiles received the same gift as we did. They received the Holy Spirit and they manifested that in the same way. Some have taken from this that then you ought to speak in tongues when you’re baptized with the Holy Spirit. But in the discussion of the gifts in I Corinthians, Chapter 12 Paul indicates that not everyone speaks in tongues. Come over to I Corinthians 12, because we’re going to look at some other material there in a moment. I Corinthians, Chapter 12, the end of the chapter, Paul establishes a hierarchy in the gifts in verse 28. God has appointed in the church first apostles. That is the prime gift, the number one gift. Second, prophets. Both those gifts involves receiving direct communication and revelation from God. Third, teachers. We’ll talk about that gift in a moment, involved explaining the revelation that was already given through apostles and prophets, and then he doesn’t continue to go down fourth, fifth, and sixth, but the other gifts, and they are arranged under those gifts which have to do with the communication of God’s truth.
Some of the questions asked then beginning in verse 29, All are not apostles, are they? Well the way that is structured it implies a negative answer. They are not all apostles. Down in verse 30, All do not have the gifts of healing, do they? No. All do not speak with tongues, do they? No. So there are several problems, one of which is with saying that you need to speak in tongues when you’re baptized with the Spirit. The scripture is clear, not everybody speaks in tongues, so it cannot be a requirement. In the transition time when the church was being formed, God gave this physical manifestation to demonstrate the unity of the church and salvation of all different groups and the authority of the apostles and their teaching for the church. While you’re here, look at I Corinthians, Chapter 14, on this subject of tongues where concluded last study. I just want to make a comment on praying in tongues. In I Corinthians, Chapter 14, we are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. We ought to desire more gifts in this church. That would be that God would bring more people, because the more people He brings to the body, the more gifts that are there, the more ministry that can be done. We don’t get too big in that sense if we’re functioning biblically. And we ought to desire the greater gifts, prophecy be the greatest, and the gift of apostleship wasn’t being given any more. Now apostles were present, but there weren’t new apostles being added. And so the greatest gift that could be given to the church at Corinth would be the gift of prophecy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. Down in verse 14, For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Verse 27, If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, each in turn, let one interpret; if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church, let him speak to himself and to God. Some have taken from this that tongues is a prayer language, it is a special ability that enables us to talk to God. I don’t think that’s what Paul is saying. If we have studied carefully what he has said about the gifts, even limiting ourselves to I Corinthians. What he said in Chapter 12 on how the gifts are to be used and what they are to do. Several things, No. l, spiritual gifts are means of serving other believers. I Peter, Chapter 4, verse 10 says we are to use our gifts in serving others.
Back in Chapter 12 of I Corinthians, verse 5, there are a varieties of ministries, varieties of ways of serving, but the same Lord. Our gifts are for serving, serving the body. So he’s not talking about what it will do for me. No. 2, your gift is to build the body, not yourself. Back in Chapter 12, verse 7, to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, for the common good. Ephesians, Chapter 4, verse 16 says that all the parts of the body are to function so that the body can build itself up in love, so you’re equipped in the word, so that you can serve for the equipping of the saints, for the work of serving, is the way he puts it in Ephesians 4. Also the third point, in Chapter 14 Paul is talking about the public worship of the church. Now there’s no doubt, a person who had the gift of speaking in tongues could speak in tongues, but if nobody in the church understood him, he wasn’t doing anything in the way of serving the church or building the church up. He wasn’t adding to the worship of the church, unless his tongues were interpreted. So that the fact he says in verse 2 he speaks to God and no one understands but in his spirit he speaks mysteries, that’s true, but that’s not the intention of the gift. That’s going on because no one else can understand but God, because nobody else here understands German or Hebrew or whatever language would be being used. But we’re talking about public worship in this context. Verse 5, verse 6, it would be great if you all spoke in tongues. And as an apostle, Paul had a multiplicity of gifts and he spoke in tongues more than anyone. But his real desire is that the church may receive edifying, end of verse 5. If I come to you, verse 6, speaking in tongues what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either my way of revelation or knowledge or prophecy of teaching. And he goes on, you know you have to have a clear sound, you have to have something understandable for it to be worthwhile and profitable. And when you go on down through Chapter 14, we won’t, but to jump in here and say he’s encouraging us to use tongues as a prayer language is just to totally ignore the context. He’s telling you why you ought to be quiet. It would be like telling me, Gil, you’ve got the gift of teaching, be quiet, talk to yourself at home. Well that’s hardly saying, boy, yea, they’re really encouraging me to use my gift. So to tell them to be quiet, talk to yourself, you’re not saying, oh yea, then we all ought to desire to have tongues as a prayer language. We don’t all speak in tongues, he’s already established that. The gifts weren’t to build up yourselves and enable you to have a unique relationship with God this way. It’s to serve this way and build the body up. Jump into Chapter 14 like Paul just got started, he started way back at the beginning of Chapter 12, the whole issue of the gifts and their proper use.
Tongues are also a sign for unbelievers in this context. In verse 22, tongues are a sign not to those who believe, but to unbelievers, and that’s after quoting from Isaiah which shows again he’s talking about a language. We’ll if you’re using it at home by yourself in your prayer closet, it’s not a sign to unbelievers because there’s nobody there but you, and there’s nobody that hears it but you. So it’s just not what he is talking about in Chapter 14. Some of you asked me about that after our last study and we didn’t get into that. That is a very common use of babble tongues today. Well, it’s a prayer language, it enables you to communicate to God. Doesn’t it say God understands, you communicate to God? Of course, because you’re speaking in a language and God understands all the languages. Paul’s point is nobody else does here, so you’re not doing anything for the body, so be quiet. And if you want to think in yourself that’s fine, but it’s not a proper use of the gift. And so I take it that prayer language is not a biblical phenomenon as such and not a proper use of the gift.
There’s some other gifts that would function in the temporary list. I noted what I would classify some of the temporary gifts, apostleship, prophecy, miracles, healing, tongues, with that interpretation of tongues, the ability to explain, interpret a language that you did not know. So someone who’s speaking in German, for example, never learned it, but that was their gift to communicate in another language. Someone else here who never studied German had the ability to interpret that, that combination. Discerning spirits, and we didn’t talk about these, I just would note them. I would also place this in the temporary gifts. The way some of these, the last three are defined some would place them as permanent gifts, some as temporary. I put discerning gifts as a temporary gift, with the ability to discern the false and the true, I would take it that as I am identifying it, it would have been a gift that was primarily necessary when the New Testament wasn’t complete. So that ability to discern and recognize would have been needed as a special gift in a special way. We discern today in light of the word of God. I John, Chapter 4 we are commanded to test the Spirits to discern. We evaluate them in light of the teaching we have in scripture. It’s also true that some people seem to have a special ability of discerning error and cutting through it today. In that sense it’s present, but I view it that this as a temporary gift that particularly was an ability necessary before the word of God was presented in its fullness with the completion of the New Testament. But it doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who seem especially discerning today. I don’t know how you would define that as a gift apart from teaching and some other things in the applying of scripture.
The word of wisdom, supernatural ability to discern God’s will, how the scripture should be applied in a situation. Again, I thought too that this was a temporary gift for the church in the days when they didn’t have the completed New Testament. For example, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, so they had the letter to the Corinthians and later he wrote II Corinthians. But they didn’t have the privilege of turning over and reading the letter to the Ephesians and then comparing that with the letter to Timothy and then looking at what the writer to the Hebrews had to say. So I take it some of these gifts were given during the time when the church did not have a completed New Testament, and even when the letters then would have been present, it took a while for them to be circulated and so on. So you would have to have those who would have these special abilities. The word of knowledge, I take it referred to supernatural or special revelation communicated to a person. It would have been necessary without the completed New Testament. We see this if you watch charismatic programs on getting a word of knowledge. Somebody has a sore knee, they’re getting a healing right now, I see that knee being healed, yes, yes, it’s being healed. That’s right, yes, stretch that knee out, just stretch it out, yes, it’s being healed, and send your check to. . . I don’t think that’s the word of knowledge, that’s just theological goofiness as we have described it, silliness. Whatever word of knowledge was it wasn’t that kind of magical game. The word of knowledge would have involved knowledge from God, and when you didn’t have the completed revelation, evidently there were individuals present who received the word of knowledge and that special information needed from God at that time for that church, enabled them to fill in the blanks until God’s New Testament was completed and available. So for that reason I would classify those as temporary gifts.
Let’s talk just a little bit about some of the gifts that are permanent. What gifts do I see are present today. Some of them are not apostles, prophets and so on as we’ve seen, but some gifts are present today. I Corinthians 12, verse 28, God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers. These gifts are united in that sense in their priority, because they involve the ministry of the word. The first two involved also receiving direct revelation. The third you have teaching, is the supernatural ability to explain and clarify the truth that God has revealed. So the teacher does not get direct revelation. The teacher takes the revelation that has been given through an apostle or a prophet and he is supernaturally gifted to understand and explain it to God’s people. This gift, I take it, would focus not just on simply knowing the word of God, and to knowing the word of God thoroughly, but it also would require that and knowledge of the word, but then it’d also involves the ability to communicate and explain the word of God so that God’s people understand it more clearly. That would indicate there is a flaw that sometimes is promoted by people say, look, I just read my bible. I can read my bible, I have the Holy Spirit, and I have the Holy Spirit who dwells in me and He’s the one who enlightens me and gives me understanding, and I have God’s word. Why do I have to go to bible studies? Why do I have to go to church? Because it’s not God’s intention for you to be able to do it on your own. I’m not saying you can’t understand anything in scripture. You cannot grow in your understanding of scripture on your own, as God intends you, because he hasn’t intended us to be able to function in isolation, and those who are gifted as teachers have an ability to explain these truths in such a way that the Spirit of God uses them in the giftedness He has given to make the word of God clearer and more understandable than it would be if we studied it on our own. That’s the gift of teaching. This person should be a good student of the word of God. The gift of teaching is different than the ability to stand up and talk in front of people. He’s a good talker, he ought to be teaching. Maybe he’s a good talker and he ought to be quiet. If he has the gift of teaching, he ought to teach. Other people ought to recognize the gift. It’s true of all our gifts, becomes true of teaching. People ought to recognize that ability.
I mention that particularly here because the gift of teaching is a prominent gift. It is the focal gift in the body. This church is built around the ministry of the word of God, and no one has a more prominent position in the body than I do as the pastor of this church, as I open the word of God to you. Then we have teachers who are teaching the word in different settings, different classes, different places. It’s easy that because a visible gift, one that everyone sees and we have a desire for the word and naturally sometimes we think, well then I ought to teach. Well, maybe and that may be something to explore. We talk about some of the ways we find our gift in a little bit. But others ought to recognize the gift and encourage us in it.
A second gift, ministering, helps, serving. Two words are used here, two different words, and I’ve put them together. I Corinthians, Chapter 12, verse 28 you see the gift of helps down the last part of that verse, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. The word helps there, I’ve connected it to the gift of ministering or serving in Romans, Chapter 12, verse 7. If your gift is serving, then serve. We read that a little bit ago in Romans 12:7. Seems to me these gifts are very similar, helps or serving, so I’ve classified them together, and it would seem that this is the supernatural ability to serve or help in the ministry of the body. Now all believers do this in one way, you know, as all our gifts are means of serving. Peter breaks the gifts down into two large categories in I Peter, Chapter 4, where gifts of teaching or preaching, communication of the word and gifts of serving, but there are those who have the special ability to serve or help in the ministry of the body. Something needs to be done they’re there doing it. I sometimes am amazed at how this body functions and I see people and they so faithfully go about duties, and something needs to be done and they’re there getting it done. We sometimes think, well, you know, oh yea, you just lump that, that’s something anybody can do. No it’s not! People go about these tasks and they don’t get the recognition, they’re not visible, but boy this body is going because those things are being done and they’re ready to step in and serve and help and the body goes. Again, it’s not that we all don’t serve and help in a way but there are people supernaturally gifted and they carry the burden in this area. And a lot of all that goes on that enables the body to go on, is done by these people. It’s like our physical body, you know, so much of it that doesn’t get attention, but it’s really what keeps the body going. And so these gifts of serving and helping would include a variety of kind of ministries, but serving and helping. It’s those general gifts and I take it there will be a lot of these in the body because you need a lot of these kind of people in the ministry of the body.
The gift of administration and there are a couple of words used again here in verse 28 of I Corinthians 12, just after helps in verse 28, administrations. You have a different word used in Romans, Chapter 12, verse 8 on the gifts, but the same idea, oversight, ruling. I take it what is involved here is that supernatural ability to oversee and administer the body, provide leadership for the people of God. This is a crucial area. After categorizing the gifts, first, second, third and then he goes to a general list and it’s interesting how he mixes them up at the end of verse 28. Helps, then after that administrations, not in an attempt to say, well, leadership in this area, that would go higher than here. There are those that have that ability to facilitate the ministry of the body, to see that things get done in different areas. So it’s not just those who would sit on the board of elders overseeing the body, but we’re talking about those who would have the general gifts there in the area of administration who can facilitate the ministry in this area and oversee and develop the ministry in this area and this area and this area. They’re gifted with that. They have that ability to put it together and give direction to the people of God, oversight, indicates again God is not establishing a democracy with his body. The body does not function as a democracy, the whole analogy breaks down. Our body functions in service under the authority of the head. The head of the body is Christ. But in the administrating of His body, He has given gifts that involve leadership and oversight. So administration and ruling would be involved here.
We might look at two passages on this. I Thessalonians, Chapter 5, this to be connected to another gift in a moment. I say this because there is some tension always present in the body. Not everybody gets to do it their way. I received a letter when I came in this morning and someone was upset about some of the way things are done, and I can appreciate that. I can appreciate they disagree with some things. God has placed some people in charge and some people not in charge, to appreciate the gift, just like He’s given some people the gift of teaching, some people the gift of showing mercy. There’s a difference. There is a reminder in I Thessalonians, Chapter 5, verse 12, But we request of you brother that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction. This advice would carry over to what we’re going to talk about with pastors and teachers in a moment, but to anyone in authority I take it there would be a recognition of this. That you esteem them very highly in love because of their work, live in peace with one another. You get the idea there’s tension already as Paul writes to the Thessalonians over leadership and having to submit to someone else. You know what that means, that means that they’re giving me direction, I’m not giving them direction. They’re making the decisions, I’m not making the decisions. That means sometimes the decisions will not be the decisions I make. Invariably I find in the body people who disagree say, there are many of us who feel this way. But that’s true in every issue that comes up. Many of us feel that way and that’s the beautiful thing. Therefore, God provides leadership for the body. Otherwise this finger is not fighting with this hand or in a battle with one of my feet, and disagreeing with the ear, and the body can’t function. Why, because everybody is saying we two hands have agreed, you ears have it easy. Now if he’d say, well, just stop a minute and think, who’s been stood on all day, who’s been stuffed in a shoe. Not the ear, not the hand, you don’t have . . . . , wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. There’s order in the body. Yea, but I think it should be done this way. Well, that may be taken into consideration, but somebody has to decide. Those who rule and have the gifts of administration make the decisions. They’re gifted to do it by God. They ought to be respected.
Back to verse 13 says you ought to esteem them very highly in love. The idea here is all out of balance. You ought to honor them beyond all that would be considered normal. Look over in Hebrews, Chapter 13 also, Hebrews 13, verse 17. Obey your leaders, submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Very simple. Again that doesn’t mean that every decision is made is the decision you would make or I would make. It’s a recognition. Now if those in leadership say we have decided that we will no longer teach the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, salvation, or anything like that, then I have to disagree. You know, I find our disagreements come over are we going to borrow money or aren’t we going to borrow money, will we build this kind of building or will we build that kind of building, will we replace carpet or won’t we replace carpet. Invariably people will come in with the most intense feelings, say right away I want to say we don’t have any doctrinal difference. My first reaction is to want to say then maybe we shouldn’t have this discussion. I don’t mind talking about the other things, that’s find. You ought to understand why decisions are made, but also ought to realize somebody has to make the decisions and the Spirit of God has raised up and appointed certain ones to do it. I’m elaborating on this because it is a difficult gift to accept and it’s important that we understand it, that’s how the body functions. Why doesn’t everybody teach? Well, we explain to people because God has gifted some people to teach and we accept that fact, learn from them and grow together. Why doesn’t everybody leave, we ought to have a vote. Because God has gifted some to rule and administer and we trust God’s grace to work in their lives to give them the wisdom to exercise the gift that He has given them to oversee and administer the body. It’s not really difficult. I appreciate it’s difficult to accept when people are making decisions that wouldn’t be the decisions you make, but that’s part of leadership, isn’t it? Wouldn’t need the gift if everybody would automatically make the decision. There is difference and there will be difference in the body, and appreciation of this gift and a functioning in obedience to it, takes a lot of pressure out of it. Tell people, don’t take upon yourself responsibilities which God hasn’t given you. You get frustrated when you try to take responsibility for someone else’s gift. You can’t do that. God hasn’t given you the grace, He hasn’t given you the faith, and so all you do is add to your frustration and the confusion of the body. So the gift of administration or ruling in the body.
The gift of evangelism. Go to Ephesians, Chapter 4. Interestingly, there’s not much about this gift in the New Testament. Doesn’t minimize its importance, because given a very elevated position in Ephesians, Chapter 4, and that’s part of the surprise. You almost hear nothing else about it. It’s not in any other of the list of the gifts. But in Ephesians 4:11, He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers. And there you have the evangelist thrust to a prominence with apostles, prophets, pastor and teachers. The gift of evangelists is not even mentioned in the other lists. Would indicate that not every single gift may be identified for us, but we have a pretty good grasp of what they are in at least the areas they fit. But the gifts are those things which enable the body to function. From Ephesians 4:11 these are all gifts that involve the communication of God’s word, apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers, and I assume that’s evangelists as well. They’re involved in the communication of God’s truth. The word evangelist is a gospelizer and a gospelizer, I take it, is someone who gives forth the gospel. Philip in Acts, Chapter 21, verse 8 is the only person in the New Testament who is called an evangelist. Here we’re told there are evangelists gifted, but the only individual we can name as an evangelist is in Acts, Chapter 21, verse 8. We see Philip in Acts, Chapter 8 carrying the gospel to new places to new people, and that may be associated with the gift. In the context of Ephesians 4 one of the prime things that these gifts are doing are equipping and preparing the saints to do the work of serving. So one of the prime things an evangelist or gospelizer do is help the body in the work of sharing the gospel I take. So it’s not only he shares the gospel, he’s equipping the body to share the gospel, because that’s what the gifts in verse 11 are doing, according to verses 12 and following. They are equipping gifts. They involve the communication of God’s truth. That enables the body to be equipped to do what it should do, and naturally one of the key things is the sharing of the gospel and that’s a key responsibility of the church. And so you have evangelists who lead the way and equip the body in the ministry of the gospel.
You’re in Ephesians 4:11, here you have pastors and teachers and in Romans, Chapter 12, verse 7 and I Corinthians, Chapter 12, verse 28 you have the gift of teaching mentioned. It’s not connected with the gift of pastor. And so here it seems to me we have an additional dimension to the gift of teaching. It used to be taught, at least I’d always been taught that this was one gift, because of Granville Sharps rule. That is not true. Granville Sharps rule does not apply to pleural nouns, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about it’s fine, I probably don’t either. But it is a rule of Greek grammar regarding certain construction of singular nouns connected by this conjunction kye and one has the definite article, the other doesn’t. But it does not apply to pleural nouns as we have here. So these aren’t exactly synonymous, but dramatically they are closely connected, because pastors has the definite article in front of it and teachers does not and it’s connected with kye. It seems these are closely connected gifts and would be no problem tying it with the one person, pastors and teachers.
The pastor’s side of the gift is the leadership side, and we don’t have time to go back into the Old Testament. The shepherd, which is what the word pastor means, the pastor or shepherd, was used of the kings of Israel in the Old Testament, and there is condemnation like in Ezekiel, Chapter 34 on the shepherds of Israel because they haven’t done their job. That is a condemnation on the kings of Israel who have failed in their responsibility to take care of God’s people, to protect them, provide for them, and so on. So I would understand the pastor gift to be a shepherding gift, an oversight gift, a leadership gift, and we’re talking about those who are leading and teaching the word of God. These are responsibilities committed to elders in the New Testament, Acts, Chapter 20, where the elders are to shepherd the people of God. They are to teach the people as elders as the New Testament makes clear in I Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:9. Shepherds are responsible for oversight. Turn to I Peter, Chapter 5, verse 1. Peter says, I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder, though Peter is not only an apostle, he is an elder as that responsibility.
Verse 2, Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight. So you see the elders are entrusted with the responsibility of the oversight of the body. Not under compulsion, but voluntarily. You ought not have to talk men into it. Leadership has its own pressures and trials. That would be men that the Spirit has appointed, as Acts, Chapter 20 makes clear. According to the will of God, not for sordid gain, but with eagerness. They ought not be doing it for the money. Nor as yet lording it over those allotted to your charge. I mean God hasn’t placed the elders there as dictators to sovereignly rule the body as kings. But they are to be examples to the flock. Now that doesn’t mean they aren’t to lead, because they are commanded to exercise oversight to shepherd the flock. And so the elders, the pastors, the overseers, that’s the responsibility.
A man going into the ministry who sees himself going in to the pastorate, I ask can he lead, can he teach, can he lead, can he teach, if he’s going to be in that role with that responsibility. The responsibility is not limited to one person, but we have a number of men in this body who have the responsibility of leading and teaching this flock, and there’s a breakdown in the responsibilities within that in the order within the body. But you see there is an order within the body. God desires that his people be equipped, led and taught, and prepared by those that He has gifted. That’s why I believe churches get into serious trouble when they establish congregational form of government, where everybody in the body has as much authority to make decisions as those that God has appointed and gifted, given the grace and faith to do it. It only creates confusion in the body and hinders the body’s proper functioning.
The gift of exhortation. Romans, Chapter 12, verse 8, the gift of exhortation. If your gift is exhortation then focus on exhorting and I take it it’s the ability to encourage others, to urge them on in their responsibility and action. This word includes the ideas of encouragement, comfort, admonition, entreaty. You get the flavor of the idea, you encourage, you comfort, you exhort, you admonition, a person that is gifted of God. There are people that have that. It’s different than the gift of teaching. Just have that ability to take the word and just encourage you to do the right thing, to challenge you when you’re not, to apply the word in your situation. A couple of qualifications on the gift of encouragement, you can just note these, we won’t. . . . well, we’ll turn there, sure.
Go to I Thessalonians, Chapter 2, they’re close enough together, once you get to one, you’ll find the others quickly. I Thessalonians 2:11, Just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his children. So you’re exhorting as a father would his children. You get something of the flavor, how a father is exhorting his children in the proper action, the proper behavior. In II Timothy, just keep going toward the back a few pages to II Timothy, Chapter 4, verse 2. Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. Those involved in this gift as well as others, not them only but with the gift of exhortation, there has to be patience and instruction, because you’re going to be admonishing people, you’re going to be encouraging them, you’re going to be comforting them, dealing with people that need special attention, if you will. Then in Titus, Chapter 2, verse 15, These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. The gift of exhortation is to be done with God’s word, and we don’t have time to go through the passages that talk about the exhortation form the word, Romans 15:4, I Thessalonians 4:18, Titus 1:9. So exhortation is not just people who give good advice. It’s people who are supernaturally gifted of God to take the word of God and bring it to bare on your life, to encourage you, to challenge you, to comfort you, to rebuke you. That is a special gift. There are people gifted with this in the body and just, you know, again encourage to see as they function, and they have that ability to get together with someone to encourage them. There are people in their speaking and preaching who really are more exhorters than teachers, and there needs to be an appreciation of this gift and a practice of it in the body.
The gift of giving, Romans 12:8. We all give, but there are those who have the gift of giving, and they’re to do it with liberality, according to Romans 12:8. And I take it this is that supernatural ability to give. Now we all give, but people with the gift of giving are going to be really givers. And they are willing to trust the Lord and step out and give in ways that go beyond what normal Christians do. They lead the body. What happens in all these gifts, they contribute to the body in a special way and they provide, if you will, leadership for the body in this area. When you’re around people with the gift of giving you’re challenged and encouraged to want to give more yourself. The focal point of your gift is giving, then do all you can to give with liberality, according to Romans 12:8. You do it with liberality. Some of the guidelines on giving, simplicity without ulterior motives. You don’t do it with grudging, under compulsion, or grudgingly. You don’t do it for display according to Matthew 6, but it doesn’t need to be done in secret. You know all these gifts are for the benefit of the body. In Acts, Chapter 4 when Barnabas sold a piece of land, he came before the whole congregation and gave it to the church. Now Ananias and Sapphira stumbled over that, because they liked the attention he got and they tried to do it with ulterior motives and with dishonest motives, and they died for it. But doesn’t change the fact what Barnabas did, was a good act of giving. I sometimes think the churches loses because this is something that ought to be, oh, we wouldn’t want, no, what are they doing it for show, why do we honor them for their gift. But you know there is something brought to the body by this gift and people who have it. I realize there’s a danger associated with that, to honor people in that sense, but praise the Lord for people who have the gift of giving in this body. They make a great difference in the ministry. They bring something to the ministry. I sometimes think I wish others could appreciate the way they give and the difference that makes in ministry. But it’s a gift that, for fear of misuse, we tend to want to keep secret. But it is a real gift in the body and we have people in the body who have the gift of giving and it is a great blessing, and I sometimes think that I wish there were ways that that gift could be more public, not for the showiness, not for the honor and exalting of the person, but for the appreciation of their gift and the way we are benefiting it from the body. And there ought not be jealousy any more than there should be because somebody has the prominence of standing up in front of a class and teaching and someone else doesn’t. In recognition, how good God’s grace has been in their life, what an encouragement it is to see them exercise their faith in the area of giving and contribute to the body that way, and encourage us in the body in this. So the gift of giving.
Showing mercy, Romans 12:8. I take it that’s the supernatural ability to have compassion, so you can comfort. You know, some people just have the ability to come along side of and you know, they’re just like they’re there with you, they understand. Some people come and you know, they can read scripture, they can pray and you appreciate that but those people that come and they just have that ability to comfort you with their presence. They have that sensitivity we would say. Well it’s the work of the Spirit in their life and they’re there and they meet your need, they encourage you. It’s not just showing piety, but it’s that supernatural ability to meet those needs at that time, and to be used of God in such a way that the mercy that’s needed to uplift and strengthen. It’s to be done with cheerfulness, real joy and happiness. I never was real good at this gift. I’d go into the hospital to visit someone, my first prayer, Lord, I thank you that I am not as this man is, oh Lord, what are you going to do, oh Lord and what do I do. Well, obviously I’m not in a good position to show them mercy. Someone else comes in and they enter right in. I was in the hospital one time, I was watching someone go about and see what needed to be done. I thought, that person has the gift of mercy. I’m sitting here with 12 thumbs. This person is going about and they’re just helping this person and you can tell this person appreciates them and I say, what a blessing to watch this person exercise the gift of showing mercy. If I’m ever in the hospital, don’t send me, send them.
And we ought to appreciate the gift and honor it and say boy, if I ever know anybody in the hospital, I want to recommend that so and so go see them. And we have people that have that gift. Get my confessions in while I do my teaching!
The gift of faith. Interesting, the gift of faith in I Corinthians 12:9, some people have the gift of faith. Now you see all gifts are means of serving, but some people have gifts called serving gifts. All of our gifts are a proportion of faith from God, but some people have the gift of faith itself. What would that be? Well we all have to have faith to be saved, but I take it it is that special supernatural ability from God to trust God and rely upon His word in a greater way than normal Christians are able to do. I think we’ve seen that and you’ve probably can think of some people that have that solid unshakable confidence in God and his word, the time that would seem to be, you know, really, how can you be so sure, how can you be so confident. Not just talking about worldly cockiness and confidence, but that settled confidence in God and His word at this time, and I think those people of faith should have a prominent role in the body. Because when people who don’t have that gift would be intimidated, would be fearful, would be reluctant. People of faith have the confidence to stand, have the confidence to go forward. I have to realize that I appreciate that gift of faith and I may not have it, but I want to appreciate they do and grow and mature and benefit from what they’re bringing to the body, rather than criticizing them and undermining them because I don’t have that same faith, I find reasons why they’re probably being foolish. Wait a minute, they have the gift of faith and I don’t, have an ability to trust God and their confidence in God in this situation. Thank you, Lord, for bring them to the body, I don’t have that. I’m shaky, I’m fearful, I doubt, I know everything that could go wrong here. Those who have the gift of faith have that supernatural ability to trust God.
Last gift I’ve listed under ones that would be present today is permanent would be celibacy and it’s an unusual one that sort of just dumped out of I Corinthians, Chapter 7, verses 7-9, where Paul is talking about marriage, you know, the need for marriage and to avoid immorality you ought to be married. And if you don’t have the gift of celibacy, you have to be very careful. Paul said I’d like everyone to be like me, unmarried. But he says everyone has his gift from God, and there he classifies celibacy as a gift, which would indicate there and those that are just listed in the list. Anything that’s given that enables the body to function more effectively is a gift that contributes to the body. And the gift of celibacy in many ways is a support kind of gift, because Paul’s gift of celibacy gave him a freedom in the ministry as an apostle that others didn’t have. So I wouldn’t see this as a gift that stands alone, but would remind you that there are things that could be called gifts that are supplemental to our main gift. And a person with the gift of celibacy whatever other gift he has in the Lord, he can exercise it without the restraints and confines that come when you have a family and those responsibilities. So just bring that in as a reminder that, you know, there are other things that could be brought into the realm of gifts and that’s one that is mentioned, that is sort of surprising and is supplemental to the other gifts.
How do you find your gift? Well, be aware of what the gifts are, that helps. You get a general idea of the kind of things. Be aware of the opportunities. How can I serve the body? We’ve mentioned these before, I just thought I would remind you of them. How can I serve the body? That’s a good place to begin. I take out the newsletter, there’s a list of opportunities. Says they need somebody to clean the church. Well, I can get started. They need somebody here. Maybe I could do that. You look around and say I could use help in an area, I wonder if so and so would help me. You know, we can help people get involved by saying would you want to come and help me do this. I don’t think I can do that. Well, I’ll show you what to do and you don’t need to do anything, you know, out front or speak or do anything like that, but if you’d help me get this ready and you’d watch over this, that would really help. Oh, I guess I could do that. And so others can be watching, but we should be watching. What could I do to help the body? This is just a simple beginning plan. What are your interests or desires? I mean if I’m submissive to the Holy Spirit, Lord, I want your will in my life, I want to be filled with the Spirit and controlled by Him, what would I really like to do in the body. What do I think I would enjoy doing? How do I think I could serve and help? I would really enjoy being able to be part of that. You know, that’s your interest. That is not a guarantee, but that’s a factor to take into consideration. Become involved, do something. We talked about this, the gifts are means of serving, means of working. Probably going to find your gift by functioning and as you do something and you may find that will lead to something else, and you’ll find yourself moving in your ministry and service to where you are most effective. So don’t be afraid. Well, what if I start that and I’m not gifted there. That’s fine. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not gifted for, but I could still serve in and in that sense help the body, and that helped me find my gift. You should enjoy what you do to that extend. Doesn’t mean it will be fun, but there ought to be satisfaction in the doing of it. I really enjoy being able to help people. I really enjoy being able to do this. I mean it’s really hard work, I have to say many times it’s not fun, but, you know, there is satisfaction in it for me. There’s enjoyment in it and I can see God using me. That’s part of an evidence.
Others ought to recognize it. Let’s face it, it is given for the benefit of the body. There ought to be an openness among ourselves without being brutal and unkind, but it’s helpful to me. It was very helpful to me as I was a student and some in the bible college where I was spoke to me about what they saw and thought my gifts were, encouraged me. That’s helpful. We ought to look around and say, yea, you know, you really seem effective in that area. I really appreciate how the Lord is using you in that area. Those things encourage us and also reinforce the gift. Also by the same token, you know, need to be honest and say, you know, I don’t think that’s where your gifts are maximized. I think you would be stronger, you could make a greater contribution in this area, to help direct them. Be concerned about serving others and look for the evidence of God using you there. I mean those kind of things is not difficult, it’s just functioning and if you’re gifted by the Spirit, as you’re submissive to Him, as you desire to serve the body, you find amazing. Here I am being used of God, me, to honor Him and build the body of Christ. What a blessing. Let’s pray together.
Thank you, Lord, for this time together. Thank you for the richness of your word, the greatness of your work in our lives. How blessed we are to be your children, to be members of your body, and, Lord, to be supernaturally gifted by the indwelling Spirit to enable us to contribute to the growth and maturing of the body, so that we can be more like Jesus Christ and more honor Him. Help us to even be more effective as we mature in the days ahead, as your body in this place. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.