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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Great Commission, #8
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11,12)
The Spirit gave to some men to be apostles so they would be equipped to minister to the perfecting of the saints. The ascended Lord Jesus gave to Paul the gift of the apostleship so Paul would be equipped to assist in bringing the Body of Christ to full maturity.
The Spirit gave to some men to be prophets so they would be equipped to minister to the perfecting of the saints.
The Spirit gave to some men to be evangelists so they would be equipped to minister to the perfecting of the saints.
The Spirit gave to some men to be pastors and teachers so they would be equipped to minister to the perfecting of the saints.
The writer personally has been given some understanding of the Word of God so he might help bring the saints to maturity. Other ministers and believers helped him as they operated their various gifts, and more importantly perhaps by the witness of their own personalities. But what gift the writer has came from the Lord and is (as is true of every ministry and gift given by the Spirit) for the purpose of bringing the saints to the fullness of maturity in Christ.
The Gifts and Ministries Are Given and Must Be Directed by the Spirit
When we turn to the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, which is the major discussion of gifts and ministries, we find an emphasis on the sovereign action of the Holy Spirit in assigning ministry, and on variety.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. (I Corinthians 12:4-6)
Notice in the following passage the emphasis on the sovereignty of the Spirit:
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Acts 13:2)
Barnabas and Saul were ministering to the Lord. All true gifts and ministries operate as the disciple ministers to the Lord. Until we minister to the Lord and hear from Him, we may be seeking to do God's work in our own fleshly ambition and presumption.
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (I Corinthians 12:11)
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12)
The accent is on diversity. What if the human body were all nose, all eyes, all feet, all hands, and there were no other part? The body cannot be built up until all the gifts and ministries are operating—and they all operate to build the Body. That is their purpose according to the Scripture.
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? (I Corinthians 12:17)
Each disciple is to seek God until he understands where he fits in the Body. There is no member of the Body of Christ that does not have a role to play in the bringing of the Body to maturity.
Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: (I Corinthians 12:22)
To be continued.