Foundations of Faith
SPIRITUAL GIFTS (II)
“And He gave some evangelists” (Eph. 4:12). Those with this gift have a real love for lost souls, hate the thought of their being separated from God for eternity, and long for their salvation. They see other people first and foremost as those who need Christ, whether they be friends, relatives, or total strangers.
Evangelists have the ability to discern a sinner’s condition of soul, probe the conscience, and answer questions or objections (John 4:5-26). They study the Word to know the best ways to present the gospel clearly and accurately to different classes of people, just as the apostle Paul used different approaches in addressing Jews and Gentiles. (See Assignment 2)
Evangelists are persons with much courage, energy and perseverance (2 Cor. 11:23-27). They realize the tremendous importance of prayer, both before and during each gospel opportunity (Eph. 6:18,19). Once evangelists have delivered their message, they depend upon the Lord to bring fruit from it, and give all glory to God when a soul comes out of darkness into light (1 Cor. 3:6).
Not all believers are gifted as evangelists; however, all of us should “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). The more we grow in our appreciation for the price the Lord Jesus paid to save us, the more earnest we will be in seeking to reach lost souls for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14,15).
This gift is mentioned several times (Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:12), along with a closely related gift called “the word of knowledge” (1 Cor. 12:8).
Teachers are gifted to unfold, expound, and explain clearly and accurately the Word of God to the people of God. They are dedicated students of the Bible. They make themselves familiar with all of Scripture and make use of the many kinds of helps available, such as Bible commentaries and English, Greek, and Hebrew concordances and dictionaries. They seek to interpret each phrase, verse, and chapter of the Bible in a way that fits with the immediate context and is consistent with every other part of Scripture.
Teaching is regarded by many as a prestigious gift; believers with other gifts tend to desire it. Perhaps for this reason, James exhorts, “My brethren, be not many masters [literally, teachers]” (Jas. 3:1). In the list of gifts in Romans 12, emphasis is placed on our being faithful to exercise the particular gift God has given to us. Thus, for example, if we have the gift of “ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he who teaches, on teaching” (Rom. 12:7).
“And He gave some pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:12). The Greek word here translated “pastors” is elsewhere translated “shepherd” and several times applies to the Lord Jesus (Matt. 25:31; John 10:11;14; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25).
Phillip Keller once shepherded a literal flock of sheep in Africa. In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he lists four requirements that must be met before sheep will “lie down in green pastures” (Psa. 23:2):They must be (1) free of all fear, (2) free from friction with other sheep, (3) free from flies or other pests, and (4) free from hunger. The shepherd’s work is to help his flock to achieve these requirements.
The Christian with the gift of pastor applies the Word of God to the “flock” of believers in ways that will relieve them of their fears and anxieties (Phil. 4:6; 1 John 4:18), help them to resolve conflicts and be reconciled with one another (Matt. 5:24; Jas. 5:16), help them to deal with opposition from unbelievers (1 Pet. 4:12-16), and direct their hearts to the Lord in whom is found all rest and satisfaction (1 Pet. 5:10).
The work of an elder or overseer (Nov98) is closely connected with the gift of pastor. The apostle Peter instructed the elders to “feed the flock of God” and then commended them to the “chief Shepherd” (1 Pet. 5:1-4).
While the gift of “the word of knowledge” is associated with the gift of teaching, “the word of wisdom” (1 Cor. 12:8) and the gift of exhortation (Rom. 12:8) are linked with the gift of pastor. The teacher primarily explains the meaning of the scriptures while the pastor has the wisdom to apply the scriptures to peoples’ problems of everyday life. The one cannot do without the other. In fact, the wording in Eph. 4:12, “He gave some pastors and teachers,” suggests that the Lord may sometimes help pastors to develop some teaching skills and teachers to develop some pastoring skills.
Having studied the five gifts listed in Eph. 4:12, let us note what is to be accomplished through these gifts:”For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (verse 13). First, these gifts are to be used for, literally, the “perfect joining together [see 1 Cor. 1:10] of the saints.” This fits in with the value God places on the Church as the body of Christ (Jul98-Sep98). Second, these gifts are used to instruct and train other believers in the Word of God, to equip them to develop their own gifts in service for the Lord. In this way the body of Christ will be edified or built up.
Another of the gifts of the Spirit is “faith” (1 Cor. 12:9). Every believer in Christ must have faith in order to be saved (Eph. 2:8). One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, manifested by every believer, is “faith” (Gal. 5:22). Our entire lives as Christians should be characterized by the exercise of faith, that is, trust and dependence upon the Lord (2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20; 2 Thess. 1:3). The Lord wants us to trust Him for every matter and care of our daily lives and to count upon His guidance and supply for our every need (Phil. 4:19; 2 Cor. 12:9).
Yet above and beyond this, some believers are gifted with an extraordinary measure of faith. The Lord shows them a great work that needs to be done, and they launch out in faith with no idea where the necessary funds and help for this work will come from. All they know is that the Lord who led them into this work will provide for every need along the way. This gift of faith is well illustrated in biographies of George Müller who established an orphanage in Bristol, England and Hudson Taylor who was a missionary in China.
Running the Race
Assignment 2: Read the apostle Paul’s gospel sermons to the Jews in Acts 13:16-41 and to the Gentiles in Acts 17:22-31. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?