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Gifts in the Church
Gifts in the Church
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Concise Bible Dictionary
:
The
Lord
Jesus
, having led
captivity
captive, ascended up on high and thence gave
gifts
unto men (
Psa. 68:18
18
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalm 68:18)
). These were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Here persons are the gifts,
δόμα
(
Eph. 4:8,11-12
8
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8)
11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11‑12)
). (See under each of the
names
.) Another list is given in 1 Corinthians 12, where
the word
is
χάρισμα
, “
grace
, favor.” They are endowments of the one
Spirit
given to various persons, such as wisdom,
knowledge
,
faith
, healing, working of
miracles
,
prophecy
,
discerning of spirits
, kinds of tongues, interpreting of tongues: “all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man
severally as he will.” Later in the same chapter these persons are seen to be members of Christ’s body, and as such set in the
church
—apostles, prophets, teachers. Other gifts are added: miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Those mentioned in
Ephesians 4:11
11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11)
(except apostles and prophets in the full sense) are gifts for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for edifying 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 the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This perfecting of the saints and building up the body of Christ is being accomplished in the present
time
. The Spirit of God abides, acting in the various members of the body of Christ: hence gifts abide also, though some have necessarily ceased. The gifts are bestowed direct from the risen Lord, and are entirely independent of all choice or professed
authority
from man, and are for the help of the church universally.
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“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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