Placement in the body of Christ and spiritual gifts; John 15:16.Placement in the body of Christ and spiritual gifts; John 15:16. Prep school meeting after church on Sunday. Tuesday night class. John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, This appointment concerns the place where God set you in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. 1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed [tithemi] the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. An appointment in the body of Christ demands a supernatural spiritual gift that is to be exercised for the common good of the body. 1 Cor 12:28 And God has appointed [tithemi] in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 1 Cor 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 1 Cor 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? In other words, don’t envy a spiritual gift, don’t despise a spiritual gift, but accept your spiritual gift as one that was appointed graciously for you and is perfect for you. 1 Cor 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts [faith, hope, and love]. The normal function of the spiritual gift begins at spiritual adulthood, so we are not commanded to desire a gift; rather, we are to desire doctrine, confidence of the future, and agape love. What God has predesigned for you had begun at salvation and although your position in the body of Christ is quite wonderful, you are entreated to press on from there to develop the virtues of faith, hope and love through your daily intake of BD under the FHS.
1 Cor 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
The following verses show that if I can speak in tongues, have the gift of prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, giving, or even martyrdom, but I don’t have agape love then I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 1 Cor 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial [the gift of knowledge, prophecy, and by inference all other temporary gifts] will be done away. “the perfect” – to, te,leioj [to teleios; adjective, singular neuter] = the complete, the finished, the perfect. This refers to the completed canon of Scripture. The neuter tells us that this cannot be a person, this is not TLJC, but a thing or object. Verse 9 reveals the partial canon and hence the need for certain gifts to fill in the gaps. Verse 10 looks forward to the completed canon when the temporary spiritual gifts, referenced by Paul to be childish, will be done away with. The spectacular temporary gifts were needed when the Bible hadn’t been completed and also they were to serve as a warning to Israel of her impending destruction in 70 AD. This becomes an extremely important verse pertaining to temporary spiritual gifts and the completed canon of Scripture. With the elimination of all temporary gifts upon completion of the canon (96 AD), the only source of divine revelation becomes the word of God.
Any other source of so-called truth from people that are extra-Biblical cannot be from the source of God. This includes the book of mormon, all alterations to the original manuscript copies that we have that certain denominations have falsified, all so-called prophets, apostles, or dreamers all fall a dollar short and a day late.
Rev 22:18 Sure as they just desire what they desire, those who have added extra-Biblical material think this warning only refers to the book of Revelation. What clear thinking, objective person would think that God would ask us to not add to one book and at the same time give anyone the green light to add to any other book? Verse 11 is an illustration. A child is given temporary things to learn from, which things become a representation of temporary spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. The believer or unbeliever who is pretending to have the gift of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, healings, miracles, etc. are still coloring their coloring books and identifying animals and shapes and then presenting them to God or others as a great achievement. Verse 12 is a further illustration similar to the one given in verse 11. As the incomplete canon limited knowledge so does time compared to eternity. Verse 12 is the difference between learning the completed canon in time compared to what you will know in eternity. 1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. Corinth at the time made the best mirrors in the world, but they were still terrible compared to today’s mirrors. They were constructed out of polished metal, so no matter how well they were polished the reflected image was still obscure, therefore this becomes a perfect illustration for the difference between time and eternity. 1 Cor 13:13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Even though we see dimly in time, with the complete canon, now, in time, abides faith [doctrine], hope [confidence in future deliverance], and agape love. Faith, hope, and love encompass the entire spiritual life from spiritual childhood to spiritual maturity. Doctrine first, confidence next [SSE], and virtue love third, the greatest. The believer has been appointed to develop virtue, which depends on his PVTD. His spiritual gift and his place in the BOC are Sovereign decisions by God. 1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed [tithemi] the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. It is prudent here to list the spiritual gifts since this is an important part of your appointment. Remember, they will not be identified until they are functioning and they will not function until you break the barrier to spiritual adulthood.
I. There are two categories of spiritual gifts:
The identification of your spiritual gift is not simple. It demands consistent intake of doctrine to at least the first stage of spiritual adulthood. At the perfect time God will make your spiritual gift very apparent to you. The pastor-teacher is not an administrator. He is a policy maker. It is his responsibility to make sure that all policy in the local assembly is based on sound doctrine. b) Evangelist, Eph 4:11. He has a gift to reach the unbeliever outside of the local assembly and hold his attention for the communication of the Gospel. (men only) The evangelist has the supernatural ability to gain the attention of someone as well as a crowd of someone’s who would ignore the typical religious person and he makes an issue out of the Gospel only. c) Mercy – comforting the afflicted and persecuted with the grace of God and doing so with courage, Rom 12:8. This is different from the gift of exhortation which was temporary. Exhortation is the same word as the title for God the HS ministry as your true mentor. Before the canon was complete others were used to exhort, teach, admonish and stand by to help in time of need, but when the canon was finished, exhortation was to come directly and entirely from the HS. The HS can only use what doctrine is in your heart. d) Government – Leadership and administration in the church, Rom 12:8; 1Cor 12:28 (men only). This is the gift of a deacon and it is up to the PT to recognize it in certain men. Others will have administrative responsibilities, but deacons with the gift of government have authority in the local church delegated from the PT. e) Helps – giving aid inside or outside the local church, 1Co 12:28; Rom 12:8. The gift of helps is the glue or the backbone of the Church, and I don’t mean the local church only. The gift of helps function inside and outside the local church. Not all Christian service has to occur in the local assembly. Helping the sick, the poor, the afflicted and persecuted in hospitals, shelters, homeless shelters, or anyone on the street falls under this gift. f) Ministering or service – Administrative functions without leadership or authority, Rom 12:7. This includes secretarial, board of directors, ushers, prep school leaders or teachers, etc. g) Giving – giving sacrificially whether rich or poor, under free will and not a percentage, Rom 12:8. The one who has the gift of giving always takes care of his family’s needs first and so if he has a family, he is limited, but that does not limit the spiritual gift. Believers who possess the same spiritual gift do not necessarily manifest the gift in the same way. There is no poster child for any spiritual gift. Never try to mimick anyone. You are a believer priest and you will operate in your gift as a priest who represents himself before God and not before men. Spiritual gifts are not human talents. They are supernatural gifts that demand supernatural power and manifest themselves in a supernatural way. You will love operating in your spiritual gift when your motivation is to glorify God, which doesn’t occur until spiritual adulthood.
III. Temporary Gifts are:
e) Discerning spirits. The appointment of the believer at salvation is a part of the baptism of the Spirit in which the believer body is made the temple of God and Christ who indwells becomes the foundation of all spiritual growth. 1 Cor 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. 1 Cor 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. No creature has the ability to lay this foundation or to appoint Christ as foundation and so this completely excludes asking Jesus into your heart or into your life or into anywhere! Jesus Christ as your foundation is synonymous with positional truth; RPT and CPT. Every believer is in union with Christ and can always build on that with sound doctrine. |