 When it comes to leadership within the church, we always look to the Pastor. He is the one who is charged by God to lead congregants into all truth by preaching (exhorting) from the Scriptures. In Romans 12:8, Paul says, “He who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” The Greek word used for “lead” is proïstēmi and is translated as “rule or set over,” but it literally means “to stand before, to lead, or attend to.” This word proïstēmi is also found in 1 Timothy 5:17, in reference to elders, “let the elders that rule….” It is also used regarding family, where a man “rules” over his household (1 Timothy 3:4, 12; 1 Timothy 3:5), with the understanding of what the word means - “to stand before, lead, or attend to.” In other words, ruling is not dictatorial.
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 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:6-8, NKJV). One would think that the spiritual gift of giving would require the person with this gift to have lots of money so that they may distribute it liberally. But if they thought that, they would misinterpret the “gift” of giving. In fact, one would almost have to question whether the act of giving was a spiritual gift because then only wealthy Christians would have it, which would be ridiculous. Therefore, It is necessary to first look at Paul’s Greek words when he said, “he who gives, with liberality,” and then take what he said in the context of his letter to the Romans.
 Previously, we established that a teacher is not a gift and that the “gift of teaching” is a combination of several gifts that give one the ability to teach from Scripture. However, to keep things simple, I will refer to teaching as a gift because it is a blessing (a gift) God has given to certain people to edify the church.
Teachers usually have the spiritual gifts of prophecy, exhortation, wisdom, knowledge and discernment, which help them to expound on the Scriptures and, in turn, help the church to grow.  One problem that needs to be addressed before we get too deep into our look at Spiritual Gifts is the issue of what makes a spiritual gift a “gift” rather than a talent, calling, or position. How do we differentiate between them?
First Corinthians 12:28 says, “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.” Notice the word “appointed.” In Greek, it is tithēmi and means “to put in place.” Jesus used it in John 15:16 when referring to his disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” According to Paul, the first three gifts he discusses here - apostles, prophets and teachers – are by appointment. These first three appointments were instrumental in building up the church and establishing it in the early years. Jesus himself appointed those we know as apostles. He blessed them and sent them out to establish his church. But were these appointments spiritual gifts as well?  One of the greatest wonders concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit is not in how many gifts are available but in how they are used within the body of Christ. As we learned previously, all gifts are for building up the church. The gift of prophecy is one of the best (according to Paul) in edifying the church. But another gift that is just as important is the gift of ministry or serving.
The word “ministry” comes from the Greek word diakonia, meaning “servant.” You often hear people within church circles say endearingly, “He (or she) has such a servant’s heart,” and in truth, people with this gift really do! They love to serve others. They take great joy in it. In fact, the first people to be recognized with this gift were those appointed in Acts 6:1-7. The word “ministry” should not be confused with what a pastor does. The gift of “pastor” differs from the gift of “ministry.” While a pastor does “serve” his congregation, his principal gifts would be prophecy, teaching and exhortation (although I’m sure they have more). But as the Apostles pointed out in Acts 6:2, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables,” so like the Apostles, a pastor would be more concerned with shepherding his flock. He “serves” the congregation better by preaching from the Word of God and not having to worry about the administrative aspects of running a church. However, one would usually find that the two go hand in hand. If the word “ministry” literally means servant, then a pastor could not do his job if he did not also have the gift of ministry. So, to keep things simple and less confusing, I will refer to the gift of ministry as the gift of servanthood or serving for the rest of this post.  The Apostle Paul once said, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1, NKJV). Why did he stress the importance of the gift of prophecy? He answers in 1 Corinthians 14:3 when he says, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” From that verse alone, we see three crucial aspects of prophecy that make it a meaningful gift:
The word “edification” comes from the Greek oikos, meaning “a home,” and demo, meaning “to build.” So it literally means to “build up” and is used figuratively in regards to the spiritual body of the church. To prophesy, then, is to build up or edify the church body. “Exhortation” comes from the Greek words para, meaning “beside,” and kaleo, meaning “to call.” Put together, it means “calling to one’s side,” offering comfort, encouragement and aid. The NIV translates exhortation into the word encouraging. The word “comfort” comes from the Greek para, meaning “near,” and muthos, meaning “speech.” It literally means “speaking closely to anyone.” It has the connotation of offering practical comfort and encouragement to another. So it is an “act” of helping or meeting a need. All three of these aspects of prophecy – edification, exhortation and comfort should be present in those who prophesy. Why? Because the main reason behind prophecy, indeed behind all spiritual gifts, is to build up the church (Ephesians 4:11-16).  I don't usually like to pick one topic and expound on it. I much prefer reading an entire book of the Bible and going through it verse by verse. You learn so much more that way. However, several topics within the Bible deserve our attention. One of these is the subject of Spiritual Gifts. So for the next little while, we will be looking closely at the gifts God gives us. We will examine how they are supposed to work within the body of Christ. Since so many new Christians (and sometimes older ones) question whether they have any gifts at all, I think it is essential to properly understand what gifts God has given us and how we are to use them. And we will also examine the touchy subject of whether or not some gifts no longer exist. While some say they all currently exist, others say they don't. So I hope you will join me on this journey as we examine what the Bible says about Spiritual Gifts.
 Read Ephesians 6:1-9And now, we come to the last chapter of Ephesians. After instilling in the Ephesians the importance of submission and what that looks like for married couples, Paul continues to instruct these new Christians on how they should treat their children and their servants and how they should respond to those in authority over them. Interestingly, Paul's underlying submission theme can still be seen in his instructions in three little words, "in the Lord." For it is in the Lord we abide, and through our reverence for Him, we submit to one another and learn to live in peace with each other. For children, this meant obeying their parents, and it came with a promise from God "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." Their act of submission to the Lord was by obeying their parents. But there was an added warning from Paul when dealing with children. It is specifically addressed to the fathers, "Do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." In the pagan world of Paul's day, most men ruled their families with rigid and domineering authority. The feelings of wives and children were seldom considered. But Paul is showing them a new way to raise children. The word "admonition" is nouthesia in Greek and means "the training by word," whether of encouragement or, if necessary, by reproof, so Paul is showing the fathers the importance of being the spiritual head of the home. For it is through the Word of God that we find our peace. Putting God first above all in the home had a "trickle-down" effect. Women would submit to their husbands out of reverence for God, and children would obey their parents out of reverence for God. The same principle was put into practice for those with servants. Servants were to serve their masters as they would serve Christ, and masters were to do the same thing. The only exception is regarding a command that involves clear disobedience of God’s Word, as illustrated in Acts 4:19, 20. In today's world, we are to serve our bosses (however disagreeable they may be) as we would serve Christ and vice-versa. Submission to each other "in the fear of the Lord" (reverence for God) is how peace within the body of Christ is established and the only way the church will survive in this turbulent world. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. - Colossians 3:15  Read Ephesians 5:22-33This will be a long post but stick with me because, in the end, you will never have a problem with the word "submission" again.
Today we will carefully examine a section of Scripture that most women have struggled with for centuries. The modern woman of today finds it highly offensive, and some Christian men misinterpret it and use it as an abusive form of control over their wives. It stems from this verse: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Let's look into the Word of God and find out precisely what it means to submit to our husbands. And how some churches use it as a form of control over the women in their congregations.  Read Ephesians 5:8-21Paul has laid out the basics for the converted Ephesians on how a Christian should live and behave. In today's reading, he reminds them again who they are now in Christ. He seems to be really trying to get this concept of who they are now across to them. It must have been hard for the Ephesian converts because their former lifestyles were so completely and utterly dark. Yet, Paul repeatedly assures them that's not who they are now.
Sometimes we must be reminded that what we were is not who we are now. Some new Christians are so hard on themselves that they find forgiveness for their former lifestyles hard to accept. They have a hard time forgiving themselves, so they reason Jesus must also have a hard time doing it. We come out of the darkness, yet it somehow still clings to us in the form of regrets. Paul's words in today's verses remind us and encourage us to walk in the light of Christ and in reverence of Him. |
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