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The sound of this generation will sing a new song:
| Unity is the Key to Victory and Power |
WELCOME TO POWER IN UNITY ... THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS
|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| GIFTS Part II |
| In Christ love and the fellowship of His body Bob, Dee and Marilyn |
| Copyright © 2009, PowerInUnity.com. All rights reserved. |
| Managed By: Courtney Werstler Courtney_Lynn10@live.com 423-503-7193 |
In part one of Gifts we study the gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1Cor. 12:4-11.
I would like to conclude this study with the Gifts given by the Father and His
Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of
ministries, but the same LORD. And there are diversities of activities, but it is
the same God, who works all in all. (1Corinthians 12:4-6)
(All emphasis is mine, and all scripture, unless otherwise noted, is New King
James Version)
The word diversities in the above scripture means: variety, varied, absence of
sameness.
We are all different; we look different and talk different. I have a friend who
once told me, “If two people think and say the same thing, then one of you is not
necessary.”
Let me give you example of what happened this morning that will make this
clearer.
I was helping a friend pay his bills, when my other friend joined the instructions
with her way of doing things. It was different from mine, but had the same result.
We may all look and talk different, but there is unity in our diversity. The highest
purpose is to glorify God. Seek with earnestness to know what your gift is. How
do you do that? Study the Word of God, through prayer, and through anointed
teachers and preachers.
You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further
than your own body. Your body has many parts - limbs, organs, cells - but no
matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same
with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and
piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we
entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in
everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were
baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and
sustained at one fountain - his Spirit - where we all come to drink. The old labels
we once used to identify ourselves - labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free - are
no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. I want you to
think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a
single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts
arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand,
embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it
so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve
a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body
was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that
God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. But I
also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting
blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only
because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't
be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its
proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you
imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot,
"You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it
works the other way - the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore
necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach.
When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no
difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it
dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more
concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you
prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? The way God designed our bodies is a
model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent
on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we
see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the
hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the
exuberance. You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget
this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Message).
The Apostle Paul compares the body of Christ (the church) with our physical
bodies. Every part is necessary and has a different function.
Look at verse 24: If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than
the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-
bodied hair?
If you have ever had an ulcer you know and understand what that verse is
saying. The Pastor is necessary, but there are those working behind the scenes
that are just as necessary. God has given you a part in the body of Christ, and as
you accept it then the body works together in Unity. God knows you better than
you know yourself; after all He created you in His image. He has chosen you.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations,
varieties of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12: 28)
We studied in part one (to refresh your memory, please go to The Archives.) the
gift of miracles, and gifts of healings. In part one, we discovered that the Holy
Spirit gave 9 gifts, God then appointed in the body of Christ: Apostles,
Prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, and administrations,
varieties of tongues. Later we will talk about the gifts given by Jesus, and how
they all work together in unity.
Apostles
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the
gospel of God. (Romans 1:1)
I list below two definitions of an Apostle:
1. “An apostle, (apóstolos), meaning "one who is sent away", is a messenger
and ambassador. The purpose of such "sending away" is to convey messages,
and thus "messenger" is a common alternative translation.” (From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia)
2. “A person sent by another; a messenger; envoy” (Easton's Bible
Dictionary).
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to
Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then having
fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2-3)
Marvin Vincent has written three notable features of an apostle:
1. One who has had a visible encounter with the resurrected Christ
2. One who plants churches
3. One who functions in the ministry with signs, wonders, and miracles.
When we look at the life of the Apostle Paul we see that indeed he is an Apostle.
God gave this gift and the gift still is in operation today. Using the definitions
above and the three features, can you name some apostle today?
Prophets
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb
I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to
the nations." (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
The gift of prophecy is different that the calling of a Prophet. All Christians may
prophecy, but not all Christians are prophets. Both speak as the Spirit of God
wills.
A prophet is a spokesman or spokeswoman for God. The prophet must be able
to hear the voice of God, than speak His message to the world. The message is
of God. Prophets may be used to give a Word of knowledge, a Word of Wisdom,
or to prophecy. There are many examples of prophets in the Old and New
Testament, here is a couple.
Jeremiah is God’s spokesman to bring this message:
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you
turned before Me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? (Jeremiah 2:21)
And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them,
named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a
great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of
Claudius Caesar. (Acts 11:27-28)
Teachers
“The spiritual gift of teaching is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift
given by the Holy Spirit, enabling one to effectively communicate the truths of
Bible to others. It is most often, but not always, used in the context of the local
church. The gift of teaching involves the analysis and proclamation of the Word
of God, explaining the meaning, context and application to the hearer’s life. The
gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and
communicate knowledge, specifically the doctrines of the faith and truths of the
Bible.” Gotquestions.org
The Holy Spirit is the great Teacher; He is given to whomsoever by God. The
Spirit of God has chosen men and women to bring forth the truth of God’s Word.
He chooses those who are willing to study and be taught.
During my early years as a Christian, God placed me in a church and gave me a
godly woman to teach me. She encouraged, pushed, and prayed with me to
seek and then use the gift God had placed inside of me. I have had others, as I
grew in the Lord the teachers became greater.
The Word also says to beware of ‘false’ prophets and teachers:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves….” (Matthew 7:15)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be
false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
(II Peter 2:1)
Helps
I was a member of a church out west and there was an individual who made sure
the lawn was cut, the plumbing worked done, classrooms were cleaned and
everything was ready. I cannot give you his name, but he is the perfect
definition of the gift of helps. Do you have someone in your church like him?
Someone everyone calls when something needs fixed, or chairs need set up,
etc. Think of that person, that is the gift of helps. Usher are in the gift of Helps,
hosts and hostess, anyone who sees something needing doing and then gets it
done.
Administrations
Administration means to govern, pilot, direct or steer. It was used to describe a
person that would steer a ship. A person with the gift of administration is a good
strategic thinker, organized, has supervisory skills and manages people and
projects well. When directions are set by leadership, this person can help
accomplish the job efficiently. spiritualgifts.wordpress.com
Brothers and sisters do you see yourself in any of these gifts? Seek God, ask
Him to show you. If you are not connected to a local body of believers, I would
ask you to seek the Holy Spirit to show you where that local body is you should
join yourself to. Remember there is no perfect church, but there is a place for
your gift.
The word gift is the Greek word: Charisma (Kharismah) Strongs # 5486…
“A divine gratuity, i.e., deliverance from danger or passion, endowment, i.e.,
religious qualification or miraculous faculty, free gift.”
We will bring all this together in just a moment, but first let’s go to Ephesians
and study Jesus’ gifts to the church.
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with
longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to
each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And
gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He
also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is
also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all
things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4: 1-12)
What is the scripture talking about: ‘Christ’s Gift’ I believe it is the finished work
at Calvary. Jesus’ giving His life so that we might live.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not
send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. John 3: 16-17
How can you measure so great a gift? I cannot. That is amazing grace!
The gifts given here by Jesus are referred to as the five-fold ministry gifts.
1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Evangelists
4. Pastors
5. Teachers.
Why were these gifts given? ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ (Ephesians 4:12)
I want to look a little closer at two words in this verse
1. Equipping Strongs # 2677 Katartism (kat-ar-tis-mos’) which is from #
2675 Katartizo (kat-ar-tid’-zo).
Which means: to complete thoroughly, i.e.: repair or adjust, fit, frame, mend, (join
together, liken to setting a bone), prepare, restore.
I have always wanted to teach a class and title it: “I’m saved now what.” That is
what the five-fold ministry gifts are to accomplish. They are to equip or prepare
others to go and do the work of the ministry.
We all, as new Christians, have broken life’s, and pains that need to be repaired,
restored, mended, adjusted and more; so that we are prepared for the ministry.
The church is not a building; it is people. We need to get our life mended so
that we can go to the world and do the work of the ministry. Get out of the
building! Take the gospel to where it is needed; the work place, grocery store,
our neighborhoods. We are not called to warm a church pew, but to seek to be
what God has called us to be.
2. Edifying Strongs # 3619 Oikodome (oy-kod-om-ay’) building up.
Also don’t forget the scripture: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Go into the world, but also come back to your home church; there will be those
who need your gift. That is the edifying, building up.
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
(Ephesians 4: 13)
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
(Psalm 133:1)
Webster’s Online Dictionary defines Unity as: “A condition of harmony: Accord
Continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action)”
As the disciples were in the upper room, so should we be now. In one mind and
one accord each one using the gifts given to us, or seeking to know what those
gifts are;
Encouraging one another; doing the work of the ministry.
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of
the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of
God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that
in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the
glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Reading these same verses in the Message Bible:
Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all
get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help.
That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus,
and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything - encores to the end
of time. Oh, yes!
I want to end this study on the Gifts with a scripture that I believe helps us put it
all in perspective.
First let me say thank you for spending the time with me to read and study. May
God truly bless your studying and may the Holy Spirit give you revelation.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have
become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not
behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not
rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are
prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in
part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be
done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now
we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I
shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13).
God richly bless you and yours.
Marilyn Hines
marilyn@powerinunity.com
I would like to conclude this study with the Gifts given by the Father and His
Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of
ministries, but the same LORD. And there are diversities of activities, but it is
the same God, who works all in all. (1Corinthians 12:4-6)
(All emphasis is mine, and all scripture, unless otherwise noted, is New King
James Version)
The word diversities in the above scripture means: variety, varied, absence of
sameness.
We are all different; we look different and talk different. I have a friend who
once told me, “If two people think and say the same thing, then one of you is not
necessary.”
Let me give you example of what happened this morning that will make this
clearer.
I was helping a friend pay his bills, when my other friend joined the instructions
with her way of doing things. It was different from mine, but had the same result.
We may all look and talk different, but there is unity in our diversity. The highest
purpose is to glorify God. Seek with earnestness to know what your gift is. How
do you do that? Study the Word of God, through prayer, and through anointed
teachers and preachers.
You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further
than your own body. Your body has many parts - limbs, organs, cells - but no
matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same
with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and
piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we
entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in
everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were
baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and
sustained at one fountain - his Spirit - where we all come to drink. The old labels
we once used to identify ourselves - labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free - are
no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. I want you to
think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a
single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts
arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand,
embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it
so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve
a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body
was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that
God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. But I
also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting
blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only
because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't
be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its
proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you
imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot,
"You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it
works the other way - the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore
necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach.
When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no
difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it
dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more
concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you
prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? The way God designed our bodies is a
model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent
on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we
see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the
hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the
exuberance. You are Christ's body - that's who you are! You must never forget
this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Message).
The Apostle Paul compares the body of Christ (the church) with our physical
bodies. Every part is necessary and has a different function.
Look at verse 24: If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than
the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-
bodied hair?
If you have ever had an ulcer you know and understand what that verse is
saying. The Pastor is necessary, but there are those working behind the scenes
that are just as necessary. God has given you a part in the body of Christ, and as
you accept it then the body works together in Unity. God knows you better than
you know yourself; after all He created you in His image. He has chosen you.
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets,
third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations,
varieties of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12: 28)
We studied in part one (to refresh your memory, please go to The Archives.) the
gift of miracles, and gifts of healings. In part one, we discovered that the Holy
Spirit gave 9 gifts, God then appointed in the body of Christ: Apostles,
Prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, and administrations,
varieties of tongues. Later we will talk about the gifts given by Jesus, and how
they all work together in unity.
Apostles
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the
gospel of God. (Romans 1:1)
I list below two definitions of an Apostle:
1. “An apostle, (apóstolos), meaning "one who is sent away", is a messenger
and ambassador. The purpose of such "sending away" is to convey messages,
and thus "messenger" is a common alternative translation.” (From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia)
2. “A person sent by another; a messenger; envoy” (Easton's Bible
Dictionary).
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to
Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then having
fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2-3)
Marvin Vincent has written three notable features of an apostle:
1. One who has had a visible encounter with the resurrected Christ
2. One who plants churches
3. One who functions in the ministry with signs, wonders, and miracles.
When we look at the life of the Apostle Paul we see that indeed he is an Apostle.
God gave this gift and the gift still is in operation today. Using the definitions
above and the three features, can you name some apostle today?
Prophets
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb
I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to
the nations." (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
The gift of prophecy is different that the calling of a Prophet. All Christians may
prophecy, but not all Christians are prophets. Both speak as the Spirit of God
wills.
A prophet is a spokesman or spokeswoman for God. The prophet must be able
to hear the voice of God, than speak His message to the world. The message is
of God. Prophets may be used to give a Word of knowledge, a Word of Wisdom,
or to prophecy. There are many examples of prophets in the Old and New
Testament, here is a couple.
Jeremiah is God’s spokesman to bring this message:
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you
turned before Me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? (Jeremiah 2:21)
And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them,
named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a
great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of
Claudius Caesar. (Acts 11:27-28)
Teachers
“The spiritual gift of teaching is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift
given by the Holy Spirit, enabling one to effectively communicate the truths of
Bible to others. It is most often, but not always, used in the context of the local
church. The gift of teaching involves the analysis and proclamation of the Word
of God, explaining the meaning, context and application to the hearer’s life. The
gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and
communicate knowledge, specifically the doctrines of the faith and truths of the
Bible.” Gotquestions.org
The Holy Spirit is the great Teacher; He is given to whomsoever by God. The
Spirit of God has chosen men and women to bring forth the truth of God’s Word.
He chooses those who are willing to study and be taught.
During my early years as a Christian, God placed me in a church and gave me a
godly woman to teach me. She encouraged, pushed, and prayed with me to
seek and then use the gift God had placed inside of me. I have had others, as I
grew in the Lord the teachers became greater.
The Word also says to beware of ‘false’ prophets and teachers:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves….” (Matthew 7:15)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be
false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
(II Peter 2:1)
Helps
I was a member of a church out west and there was an individual who made sure
the lawn was cut, the plumbing worked done, classrooms were cleaned and
everything was ready. I cannot give you his name, but he is the perfect
definition of the gift of helps. Do you have someone in your church like him?
Someone everyone calls when something needs fixed, or chairs need set up,
etc. Think of that person, that is the gift of helps. Usher are in the gift of Helps,
hosts and hostess, anyone who sees something needing doing and then gets it
done.
Administrations
Administration means to govern, pilot, direct or steer. It was used to describe a
person that would steer a ship. A person with the gift of administration is a good
strategic thinker, organized, has supervisory skills and manages people and
projects well. When directions are set by leadership, this person can help
accomplish the job efficiently. spiritualgifts.wordpress.com
Brothers and sisters do you see yourself in any of these gifts? Seek God, ask
Him to show you. If you are not connected to a local body of believers, I would
ask you to seek the Holy Spirit to show you where that local body is you should
join yourself to. Remember there is no perfect church, but there is a place for
your gift.
The word gift is the Greek word: Charisma (Kharismah) Strongs # 5486…
“A divine gratuity, i.e., deliverance from danger or passion, endowment, i.e.,
religious qualification or miraculous faculty, free gift.”
We will bring all this together in just a moment, but first let’s go to Ephesians
and study Jesus’ gifts to the church.
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with
longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to
each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And
gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He
also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is
also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all
things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4: 1-12)
What is the scripture talking about: ‘Christ’s Gift’ I believe it is the finished work
at Calvary. Jesus’ giving His life so that we might live.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not
send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. John 3: 16-17
How can you measure so great a gift? I cannot. That is amazing grace!
The gifts given here by Jesus are referred to as the five-fold ministry gifts.
1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Evangelists
4. Pastors
5. Teachers.
Why were these gifts given? ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ (Ephesians 4:12)
I want to look a little closer at two words in this verse
1. Equipping Strongs # 2677 Katartism (kat-ar-tis-mos’) which is from #
2675 Katartizo (kat-ar-tid’-zo).
Which means: to complete thoroughly, i.e.: repair or adjust, fit, frame, mend, (join
together, liken to setting a bone), prepare, restore.
I have always wanted to teach a class and title it: “I’m saved now what.” That is
what the five-fold ministry gifts are to accomplish. They are to equip or prepare
others to go and do the work of the ministry.
We all, as new Christians, have broken life’s, and pains that need to be repaired,
restored, mended, adjusted and more; so that we are prepared for the ministry.
The church is not a building; it is people. We need to get our life mended so
that we can go to the world and do the work of the ministry. Get out of the
building! Take the gospel to where it is needed; the work place, grocery store,
our neighborhoods. We are not called to warm a church pew, but to seek to be
what God has called us to be.
2. Edifying Strongs # 3619 Oikodome (oy-kod-om-ay’) building up.
Also don’t forget the scripture: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Go into the world, but also come back to your home church; there will be those
who need your gift. That is the edifying, building up.
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
(Ephesians 4: 13)
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
(Psalm 133:1)
Webster’s Online Dictionary defines Unity as: “A condition of harmony: Accord
Continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action)”
As the disciples were in the upper room, so should we be now. In one mind and
one accord each one using the gifts given to us, or seeking to know what those
gifts are;
Encouraging one another; doing the work of the ministry.
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of
the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of
God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that
in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the
glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Reading these same verses in the Message Bible:
Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all
get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help.
That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus,
and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything - encores to the end
of time. Oh, yes!
I want to end this study on the Gifts with a scripture that I believe helps us put it
all in perspective.
First let me say thank you for spending the time with me to read and study. May
God truly bless your studying and may the Holy Spirit give you revelation.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have
become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not
behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not
rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are
prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether
there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in
part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be
done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now
we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I
shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13).
God richly bless you and yours.
Marilyn Hines
marilyn@powerinunity.com
