THERE are three outstanding chapters taking up the subject of spiritual gifts as bestowed by our Lord, viz.: Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4.
Rom. 12 presents the subject of spiritual gift in relation to the house of God, and whilst including the exercise of the very highest and spiritual gifts, goes down to details such as relieving the necessities of saints, and the showing of Christian hospitality in the home. There is room for all to share in these Christian graces. GOD is the prominent name in the Chapter. It is the house of God that is in view.
Corinthians 12 presents the subject of gift in its practical exercise in the assembly. THE HOLY SPIRIT is the prominent name in this Chapter, seeing that all activity in the assembly is by the Holy Spirit of God. So we read of the Spirit " dividing to every man severally as He will." (1 Cor. 12: 11.) " As He will " asserts the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit, an attribute only shared by the Father and the Son in the unity of the Godhead.
Eph. 4 presents the subject of spiritual gifts from the standpoint of the counsels of God, and the working of them out to a glorious consummation till the moment comes when " 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." (Eph. 4:1313Till 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 fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:13).) It is a most wonderful conception, and the working of it out from start to finish is a wonderful tribute to God's wisdom and power. The prominent name in this Chapter is LORD or CHRIST. We read, " When He [Christ] ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." (Eph. 4:88Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8).) Our Lord gave " gifts unto men." The church is not a society intended to be immured between four walls. No, the word of the risen Lord was, " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matt. 28: 19, 20.)
Spiritual power lies in the Christian being here for God, separate in heart and ways from the world that crucified our Lord, yet accessible, like his blessed Master, in being available to meet the sorrows and spiritual needs of this world. The church sadly descends from her high estate when she becomes worldly, and political, merely pledged to social schemes for the betterment of the world, especially when the Gospel of the grace of God and the ministry of the word of God are relegated to the background. Unless these are kept in the foreground there will be a sad lack of spiritual power. A worldly church is a dead church, a stumbling block to the unbeliever, but lives that are truly Christian, lived by men and women going about undoing the works of the devil, will make their mark for God in this world, as nothing else will. General Smuts never uttered a truer word than when he said that we do not need a New World Order, but the teaching of the Bible, truly lived out.
It is interesting to note that in Rom. 12, and 1 Cor. 12, a gift is bestowed on the individual, so that we can say that certain persons have gifts from the Lord. But in Eph. 4 the individual himself is a gift from the Lord to men. Five gifts are specially enumerated in Eph. 4
APOSTLES, specially applied to the twelve apostles, whom the Lord chose, and sent out on their mission, and afterward to the Apostle Paul as " one born out of due.time." (1 Cor. 15:88And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians 15:8).) They first gave their testimony to Israel as to the gospel of the kingdom, but when our Lord was risen and glorified the church came into existence, and was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. So we find the apostles’ work in their oral ministry, and later in the case of the Apostles Paul, Peter and John, in their writings.
PROPHETS, those who speak " to edification, and exhortation and comfort." (1 Cor. 14:33But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. (1 Corinthians 14:3).) We must be careful not to confound these with the Old Testament prophets. They were New Testament prophets, given a special place along with the apostles in the laying of the foundation of the church, as we have shown before.
EVANGELISTS, men, who characteristically announce glad tidings, the gospel of the grace of God, to perishing men in the power of the Spirit of God that results in conversions. Eph. 4 is the only Scripture where the evangelist is mentioned as a gift. One can readily understand why this is so. In Rom. 12 the house of God is in question, which clearly is not the sphere of the service of the evangelist, for all in the true house of God are saved, and do not need the gospel. In 1 Cor. 12 the assembly in its practical working is viewed. The evangelist surely, as a believer, has as much place in the house of God', and in the assembly, as any other believer, but the sphere of His service is clearly outside the assembly, and in the world of sinners. He goes far and wide in his search for sinners for Christ, who, when saved, are " added to the church." (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47).)
Someone has happily likened the evangelist to a pair of compasses with a fixed leg and a movable leg, the latter sweeping in a wide circle. The evangelist, as it were, should have his fixed leg in the assembly. He should be in happy relation to the assembly. Yet he is not the servant of the assembly, but of the Lord, and under His Lord's directions, and not under the control of the assembly. Yet, if the evangelist works under the lordship of Christ, and the assembly is in right relation to the Lord, there will be complete harmony between the evangelist and the assembly. His converts will find their place in the assembly, and help to build it up in a very happy way, and give work to the pastor and teacher.
PASTORS, shepherds, feeders of sheep. A shepherd brings before one's mind the thought of one, who knows each sheep individually, one who loves and cares for the flock' of God. Psa. 23 is a fine example of, this. There we have the example of Jehovah, keeping-the sheep from straying, guarding them from their enemies, caring for them by leading them to green pastures and beside still waters. How good it is that the Lord in glory, the chief Shepherd, puts it into the hearts of one and another of His own to care for the sheep. When He appears He will give to such " a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Peter 5:44And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Peter 5:4).) What is done for Christ abides forever.
TEACHERS, those able to unfold the word of God, to make plain the principles of Scripture. This is a very precious gift. The pastor is more like the nurse, the teacher like the schoolmaster. The Apostle Paul speaks of his own gift as a pastor, when he says, " We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." (2 Thess. 2: 7.) It is good for the saints to grow in the things of the Lord, to grow out of, as it were, the infant's class, and get among the: more advanced pupils, The Apostle Paul seems to show this when he wrote to the Hebrew believers, " When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe, But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (1-leb. 5: 12-14.) Someone has said, that till a Christian understands the seven parables of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13); the seven addresses to the churches in Asia (Rev. 2 and 3), the seven feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23), he has not got far in divine knowledge. How far can we stand this simple test? These gifts are “For the perfecting of the saints, for, the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of. Christ." (Eph 4: 12.)