All Members of Christ’s Body are to Serve out of Love.
In verses 12-26, Paul explains that every believer is a member of the one universal body, the Church; and God has provided everything we need, through a variety of spiritual gifts, that we might work together to further the kingdom of God, while blessing one another out of love.
Paul begins (v. 28a) by reminding us how God has sovereignly and abundantly equipped His church. First there are those men of God who have been set in place [appointed] to serve: apostles, prophets, teachers.
The basic meaning of apostle (apostolos) is, “one sent on a mission,” this is primarily used of the twelve disciples, including Matthias, who replaced Judas (Acts 1:26), and of Paul, who was uniquely set apart as an apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15-16), “God, [set] me apart from birth and called me by His grace... that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.”
Apostles were chosen personally by Christ and they had to be witnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22; Romans 1:1). Paul was the last one to meet those qualifications (1Corinthians 15:1-9), and when the NT was completed, the office of apostle ceased.
There was also Barnabas (Acts 14:14), James, Jesus’ brother (Galatians 1:19), and a few others who are implicated, through their association with Paul, to be apostles; but one thing is clear, all the apostles were authenticated as being sent by God “by signs, wonders and miracles” (2Corinthians 12:12).
NT prophets were specially gifted men appointed by God, for the purpose of proclaiming God's Word, either by revelation (prior to the completion of the Bible) or by reiteration (explaining what had already been revealed).
When Paul ministered locally in the Antioch church he was referred to as a prophet (Acts 13:1), but elsewhere he is always called an apostle (Galatians 1:1).
The prophets messages were judged by the apostles (1Corinthians 14:37), “If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.”
So, there were apostles and then prophets to proclaim God’s revelation for our redemption from sin; and these men were authenticated by signs, wonders and miracles, giving testimony that they indeed spoke on behalf of God.
This third office in verse 28, “teachers,” became very important for equipping and exhorting the church; for after the Bible was completed, there were no longer any apostles or prophets.
The OT prophets disappeared from the landscape when the OT was completed, about 400 years before Christ, and the NT apostles and prophets also ceased to exist after the NT was completed, for the church was established (Ephesians 2:20), “upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.”
Ephesians 4:11-12, “It was He (Jesus Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, to the building
up of the body of Christ.”
Evangelists were given to preach the message of Christ to the lost, while pastors and teachers (grouped as one calling, pastor-teacher) were given to the church, for the purpose of nurturing, protecting, equipping, and sending out believers.
Pastor-Teachers are called by three different terms, pronouns, in the NT (see Acts 20:17, 28; 1Peter 5:1-3).
Elders, Who they are to be [spiritually mature, morally straight, men of integrity]. Overseers, What they are to do [manage and direct the affairs of the church]; Pastors/Shepherds, How they are to serve -[feeding (teaching), protecting, and caring for God’s Flock.
These men are not authenticated by miracles and signs and wonders, like the apostles and prophets were (before the Bible was completed); these men are validated by God (1Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), in order to accurately and comprehensively teach God’s Word, serving (1Peter 5:3) as “examples to the flock.” 2Timothy 4:2-5, “Preach the Word,; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
Paul (v. 28b) notes several categories of spiritual gifts - miracles, healings, helps, administrations, and speaking in tongues. Some of these are temporary gifts: miracles and healings, as we discussed last week, and tongues, which we will discuss at length in the upcoming chapters.
The gift of helps is similar to the gift of service (Romans 12:7), it is the ability to take upon yourself the burdens of others; this is an important gift for the church.
The gift of administrations (to pilot a ship), is to manage or govern diligently (Hebrews 13:7, 17).
Verses 29-30... The importance is that God doesn’t intend for everyone to have the same gift; all spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the whole body of Christ, we each ought to use whatever gift we have for God’s sovereign purpose. 1Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
Verse 31... The depth of this verse is unwrapped in chapter 13, the more excellent way being love [agape].
Seeking showy gifts or being unwilling to serve as God has gifted you, displays a failure to understand that you are perfectly gifted by Christ; but you must obey by serving in the church where God has place you.
Ephesians 5:1-2, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Colossians 3:15-17, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”