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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Led by the Spirit, #14
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:6-8)
The gifts and ministries are not just dumped on us while we live our ordinary life. We must seek them and attend to them. We must use our talents. If we do not use the talents God has given us we will face an angry Christ in the Day of the Lord. Our talents will be given to someone who has been more diligent and we ourselves will be thrown into the outer darkness.
The purpose of gifts and ministries. The special purpose of the present Church Age is to call out the elect from the world and to build them up in the Head, Christ.
The Holy Spirit has placed a great variety of ministries and gifts in the universal Body of Christ. As far as we know, no gift or ministry is given by the Holy Spirit to a local assembly—always to the Body of Christ. The ministries are placed in the Body and the Body is one whole.
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 [building up] of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto [maturity as measured by] the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The above passage is sometimes interpreted to mean that the task of the five ministries listed above is to equip all the Christians so that they too may minister ("the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry"). This is a possible interpretation. However, this would make the purpose of ministry the creation of more ministry, which in turn would lead to the creation of more ministry, and so forth. The purpose of the gifts and ministries then would become the creation of ministry instead of bringing the saints to maturity, which is the stated purpose of the gifts and ministries.
Another problem here is that there is no evidence in the Book of Acts that the purpose of the apostle or the evangelist was to create more apostles or more evangelists.
After comparing Psalms 68:18 (from which the passage was taken) and thinking about the meaning of Ephesians 4:11-13 I have come to the following understanding.
The passage is saying that to some people it is given to be an apostle so that these people (the apostles) may be equipped to bring the saints to maturity.
To other people it is given to be a prophet so that these people (the prophets) may be equipped to bring the saints to maturity.
To other people it is given to be a teacher so that these people (the teachers) may be equipped to bring the saints to maturity.
To other people is given the gifts of healing so they may be able to bring the saints to maturity, and so forth. This interpretation fits the Book of Acts and all else that is said in the Scriptures on the subject. Also it is logical and sensible.
To be continued.