Characteristics of the Early

                    Church:Ministry in the

                         House of God

"The House of God … is the
pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).

Members of the body of Christ
today are used to the idea of a clergy-laity distinction or of a one- or
few-man ministry in the local church. Is this how it was in the early Church?
What do we learn about ministry of God’s Word in the Church as described in the
New Testament?

In Part V of this series, we noted
the teaching of the New Testament of the priesthood of all believers,
rather than one man in each local assembly leading the worship on behalf of the
entire congregation. Just so, the New Testament stresses the fact that all
believers have received spiritual gifts and all have a ministry to carry
out in conjunction with the body of Christ. The following scriptures bear this
out:

"I say … to every man that
is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to
think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of
faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the
same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members
one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of
faith…." (Rom. 12:3-8).

"The manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit…. All these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as He will" (1 Cor. 12:7-11).

"And He gave same, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11,12).

These passages show clearly that every
believer in Christ has received a spiritual gift. The next verses show that every
believer has a responsible role to play in the assembly:

"The body is not one member
but many…. If the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the
body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where
were the hearing? … But now has God set the members every one of them in the
body, as it has pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the
body? But now are they many members, yet but one body" (1 Cor. 12:14-20).

Those with positions of oversight
and leadership in a local assembly are warned in Scripture not to lord it over
God’s people:"The elders who are among you I exhort…. Feed the flock of
God that is among you, taking the oversight thereof; not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over
God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock" (1 Pet. 5:1-3). 
"Lords over God’s heritage" is a very interesting expression given
subsequent developments in the history of the Church. The Greek word for
"heritage" is kleeros, which basically means "lot"
or "inheritance." The words "clergy" and "cleric"
are derived from this Greek word. Thus, the only reference to
"clergy" in the New Testament applies this word to the flock of
believers as a whole, and not to the leaders.

An early abuse of leadership in
the Church is discussed in 3 John 9-10:"I wrote unto the church, but
Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not …
neither does he himself receive the brethren, and forbids those who would, and
casts them out of the church."

In Part IV of this series we
discussed a type of assembly meeting called the open ministry meeting,
described in 1 Corinthians 14. Here is a meeting where every brother in the
assembly is free, as led by the Holy Spirit, to minister the Word of God for
"edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3).

While elders, overseers (or
bishops), and deacons were appointed in each local assembly in New Testament
times (these will be discussed more completely in the next issue), there is no
hint in the New Testament of one man appointed to be the priest, pastor, or
clergyman of a local assembly.

Who was appointed to be the pastor
of the 3,000 souls that made up the infant church at Jerusalem following the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41)? All 12 of the apostles were part of that company;
their teaching and their wonders and signs were prominent. But there is no
evidence on one being more prominent than another.

How about the assembly at Antioch? Barnabas and Paul spent a year in Antioch establishing the new assembly there in
the Word of God (Acts 11:19-26). Paul and Barnabas, neither separately nor
together, established themselves as pastors of the church at Antioch. Rather,
they spent their time helping the new believers to grow in their knowledge of
God’s Word and to develop their own spiritual gifts. After a year, we read,
"There were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and
teachers, as Barnabas and Simeon … and Lucius … and Manaen … and
Saul." There were now several gifted and devoted brothers in the Antioch assembly. They were all leaders by virtue of their gift and devotion to the Lord,
but there is no indication of any one of them being the pastor or president of
the assembly.

In the apostle Paul’s several
epistles, he either greets or sends greetings from many named fellow believers.
He speaks often of his "fellow laborers" and his "fellow
prisoners" (for example, Philem. 23,24), but never once makes mention of
pastors or leaders of a particular local assembly.

It is not simply the author’s
opinion that the New Testament teaches nothing about a system of clergy and
laity in the Church. The following quotation is from the Schaff-Herzog
Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge edited by Professor Philip Schaff of
Union Theological Seminary along with "Reverends" Samuel Jackson and
D. S. Schaff:"It may be considered settled that there is no order of
clergy, in the modern sense of the term, in the New Testament; that is, there
is no class of men mentioned to whom spiritual functions exclusively belonged.
Every believer is a priest unto God. Every believer has as much right as
anybody else to pray, to preach, to baptize, to administer communion (Rom. 5:2;
Eph. 2:19-22; 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 John 2:27; Rev. 1:6; 5:10, etc.)…. Baptism,
the Lord’s Supper, preaching, and prayer—like singing, taking up a collection,
reading of the Scriptures, and reading of notices—may be performed by laymen
with precisely the same spiritual effect as if the highest or the most godly
minister in the land had been the administrator…. Although, in the New
Testament, there is no clergy in the modern sense of the term, very early in
Church history do we find the distinction between clergy and laity," etc.

If not ordered by scripture, how
and why did such a clergy-laity distinction develop. Schaff explains:"It
does not follow [from not being found in the New Testament] that therefore the
clergy are superfluous. Experience has shown that certain persons are by
natural endowment better fitted for spiritual functions than others, and also
that, in the Christian communities, there will be leaders to whom will
gravitate the major part of the work. The clerical order took its rise,
therefore, in the very necessity of the case. Decency, order, and efficiency
demanded that certain persons should make it their business to conduct the
services, and have the oversight, of the congregations."

Notice the human reasoning in the
preceding paragraph that seeks to justify that which has no foundation in the
New Testament. And what has been the outcome of such a human arrangement? In
large measure there has been a stifling of the development and manifestation of
spiritual gifts by the believers in congregations having a one-man or few-men
ministry. The following personal anecdote is one of many that could illustrate
the point:A long-time friend of mine went to seminary and became pastor of an
independent Bible church. Having had some familiarity with assemblies that did
not have ordained pastors, he sought to encourage his congregation to develop
and use their spiritual gifts in preaching and other ministries in the local
church. Because of their long history of being dependent upon the ministry of
one man, my friend’s efforts ended in utter failure.

Coming to present day practices,
what if the appointed pastor of a local church is gifted as an evangelist but
not as a teacher? or what if he is gifted as a teacher but not as an
evangelist? The following are excerpts of two letters written to a Christian
magazine a few years ago:

1. "When we moved two years
ago, my family and I joined a new church. After a year I realized I wasn’t
growing spiritually. The pastor’s sermons are always the same:salvation. That
alone is wonderful, but he never preaches on anything else, morning and
evening."

2. "My church is not
evangelistic. When a few of us talked with our pastor about reaching out to the
community, he answered, ‘Evangelism is just not my gift.’"

I have heard and read many times
about the frustrations expressed by pastors who are expected to have every
spiritual gift and to carry out every possible function of an assembly. To
illustrate this, here, from another Christian magazine, is a job description
for an ideal pastor:"Jack-of-all-trades. Must be strong preacher—deep yet
clear—and simple teacher, capable of instructing adults and children. Expert
counselor; warm, outgoing personality for visiting newcomers and members of
church family; adept at comforting sick, bereaved and elderly. Emcee with great
sense of humor for social events. Top-notch administrator. Pastor or wife must
be gifted secretary; budget does not allow for one. Wife must be able to play
piano (or at least guitar); children should also possess musical talent. Must
be content with salary we are willing to offer." This was written
"tongue in cheek" to illustrate what, too often, are the unrealistic
expectations of a congregation that is seeking a pastor.

The irony and tragedy of these
situations is that while a pastoral search committee is putting advertisements
in papers all over the country, devoted believers possessing a whole range of
spiritual gifts often are already present in that same church.

A properly functioning assembly
according to the scriptures is one in which all the members are assuming
their God-given role and serving and ministering by means of their
Spirit-imparted gift. In an assembly where leadership is granted to the Holy
Spirit alone, there is liberty for all of the gifts to be manifested in
appropriate, Spirit-directed balance. In the assembly Bible studies there is
liberty for those gifted in knowledge and teaching to bring out the doctrinal
aspects of the passage, and those gifted in wisdom, shepherding, and exhorting
to point out the practical applications to people’s lives. Those with other
gifts are likewise free to share lessons from the passage that may have
impressed them and that others with different gifts, different sensitivities,
may have failed to notice. This liberty is not thwarted but is often enhanced
in instances where a brother may take the responsibility to open the
discussion, keep bringing it back on the track of the particular passage or
topic under study, keep the group from bogging down on one verse or part of a
verse, and draw out the participation of others by asking various questions
concerning the passage or topic.

In a local assembly, regular
meetings may be announced for different brothers in the assembly to give
lectures on various scriptural topics. These may include lectures on doctrines
of Scripture, practical applications of Scripture and exhortations, meditations
on the Person and work of Christ, presentation of the gospel of salvation,
etc., according as the Lord may lead the brother.

Other typical activities and
duties usually relegated to the so-called "pastor" or "chief
elder" of a local church, such as visiting the sick, exhorting
backsliders, baptizing converts, conducting weddings and funerals, and so
forth, may likewise be carried out by different ones in the assembly who, by
virtue of spiritual gift and desire to be of service to the Lord, will take
responsibility to see that these needful activities are carried out.

If any reader would like to learn
more about gatherings of believers that do not have clergy-laity distinctions,
and where they might find such a gathering in their locale, please write to the
editor at the address given on the inside front cover of this issue.

I have purposely avoided reference
to the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6 and 15. Certain writers, notably F.W.
Grant, H.A. Ironside, and John Ritchie, believe that the Nicolaitans were the
originators of the clergy-laity system. They base this on the meaning of
"Nicolaitan," which is "victory over the people" from nike
("victory") and laos ("people"). (In Greek
mythology, Nike was the winged goddess of victory, and the manufacturers of the
athletic shoes take their name from this Greek goddess.) In some churches, a
clergyman may indeed exercise an almost tyrannical control over the
congregation, thus having "victory over the people." However, in many
others cases, such as the one I described earlier involving my friend, it may
be the laziness of the congregation, or ignorance of what is expected of them,
that by default compels one man to "do it all." So this is not
"victory over the people" but "negligence of the
congregation."

Other writers, such as William
Kelly, Hamilton Smith, Walter Scott, Charles Stanley, T.B. Baines, Edward
Dennett, and A.J. Pollock, believe that identification of the Nicolaitans with
the origin of the clergy-laity movement is tenuous; rather they believe it more
likely to apply to an immoral sect that used the grace of God to indulge the
lusts of the flesh. Because there is such uncertainty and disagreement as to
the exact sin of the Nicolaitans, it seems unwise to use these scriptures
concerning the Nicolaitans as an argument against the system of clergy and
laity. There are enough scriptures that provide clear teaching on the
subject to render unnecessary the resorting to unclear scriptures to
make a point.

Finally, let those assemblies that
practice a "many-man ministry" rather than a "one-man
ministry" beware of falling into one of two extremes:

1. Let no brother become a
controller like Diotrephes (3 John 9,10). I have known assemblies where, in
principle, there was renunciation of the clergy-laity system, but in
practice, one man had arrogated to himself almost absolute control over the
assembly. He was "King of the Hill." No decision could be made by the
assembly unless he agreed with it. Any teaching in a Bible study that he
did not agree with was summarily denounced. This is the spirit of Diotrephes.

2. Let us not so neglect our
spiritual gift (1 Tim. 4:14) and our responsibilities in the local assembly
that other, less qualified but more devoted persons, are compelled to do the
work that could better be done by ourselves.

This article began with a
quotation from 1 Timothy 3:15. The House of God will not succeed as
"pillar and ground of the truth" when only one person, or even a
small subset of the local assembly, has total responsibility for ministry of
God’s Word. (See Part III of this series for more on the meaning of
"pillar and ground.") It is when the spiritual gifts of all
the believers are exercised under the control and leading of the Holy Spirit
that the House of God will in practical reality be the pillar and ground of the
truth.

 

As long as the Church is upon
earth, as long as sinners are to be brought into it and saints are to be
edified, there will be the absolute necessity for ministry, and that of a most varied
and complete kind. Let us see what Scripture teaches as to the source,
character, and power of true ministry.

                   
The Source of Ministry

The Source and Author of all true
ministry is the glorified Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ. "When
He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men….
And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints," etc. (Eph.
4:8-12). We are reminded in verses 9 and 10 that all gifts are the purchase of
the death of Christ, and that His ascension was preceded by His descent first
into the grave. So is our adorable Lord ever contemplated now:"I am He
who lives, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen" (Rev.
1:18). As glorified, He has bestowed gifts upon men. The Church that He loved
and for which He gave Himself has not been forgotten or neglected by her absent
Lord. He has sent down from the glory all that is needed for the ingathering
and upbuilding of His beloved people. As we enjoy the varied gifts of ministry,
let us ever remember their source. In this way we gain a clear perception of
two things:the love and care of Christ and the dignity of Christian ministry.
In every gift, whether more or less prominent, we see the love of Christ. There
could be no true ministry apart from His gift. The effect, then, of enjoying it
should ever be to lead our hearts up in grateful love to Him. But if on the one
hand His love is manifested in the gift bestowed for ministry, on the other we
see the dignity and the responsibility attaching to it. "Neither count I
my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the
ministry that I have received of the Lord to testify the gospel of the grace of
God" (Acts 20:24). "For I neither received [the gospel] of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal.
1:12). Such and many other scriptures show the dignity attaching to a Christ-given
ministry.

                  
The Character of Ministry

 

Apostles and Prophets. As
to the character of ministry, it is most varied and complete, taking in its
range all manner of service needed for the Church. In the list already quoted
from Ephesians 4, we have apostles and prophets:these are connected with the
foundation. "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20).
The apostles were entrusted with the planting of the church and nourishing its
infancy, as well as providing it with an infallible guide (along with the rest
of Scripture) for its whole earthly history. This we have in the apostolic
writings, which are, equally with the whole sacred volume, absolutely and
perfectly inspired (2 Pet. 3:15,16; 1 John 4:6). Thus, while we do not have the
apostles personally with us, we have them in their writings.

Evangelists. These, as
their names suggest, are heralds of the glad tidings, preachers of the gospel
of the grace of God, who awaken the careless and win souls to Christ. It is not
every one who is an evangelist, though all should have the love of souls, and
be ready to point the sinner to Christ. But men who are evangelists by gift
have a true passion for souls, true longing and travailing in birth for them.
They are instructed how to present the gospel, how to gather in the souls, to
distinguish true anxiety from false, and reality from mere profession. It is
their joy to bring sinners to Christ, to see those who were in the world brought
into the Church. The evangelist is a man of prayer, for he realizes that the
work is all of God, and that "methods" are but of little worth. He is
a man of faith, who counts on the living God. He is a student of Scripture,
that he may present only the truth to souls. He is a man of courage, not
fearing to go even where "bonds and imprisonment" may await him, that
he may carry the glorious gospel of the blessed God to the perishing. He is a
man of energy, instant in season, out of season. He is a man of perseverance,
not discouraged if he fails to see immediate fruit from his labor. Lastly, he
is a man of humility, glorying in Another, saying from the heart, "Not I,
but the grace of God which was with me."

 

Pastors. The evangelist, in
his love for the newborn souls as their spiritual father, will see to it that,
as they have through the Spirit been introduced into the body of Christ, they
also may be brought into its fellowship. The true evangelist cannot be
indifferent as to their ecclesiastical associations. And as the evangelist
introduces the convert into the Church, a ministry of a new kind awaits him.
After evangelists, in the passage we are considering, come "pastors."
The word is literally "shepherds," and fittingly designates those
whom the Lord has qualified to "feed the flock of God." The sheep of
Christ need care. The Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for them, will see
that they are not only delivered from the enemy, but guarded, led, and fed as
well. It is here that the importance of the gift of pastor is seen. His it is
to look after the Lord’s people; to see that they do not go astray, and seek to
recover them if they do; to comfort them under affliction; to cheer and
sympathize with them under trial; to warn them if they grow worldly or
careless, watching over their souls as one who must give account. The pastor’s
work is necessarily largely of a private character. He need not be a public
speaker nor take a prominent place. The true pastor’s sphere of service is not
a limited one. How such a one is needed by the Lord’s people everywhere—one who
can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep; ready to give
counsel, encouragement, or correction. Are we sufficiently thankful for
pastors? What would the Church of God be without them? And is it not well for
us to pray that this precious gift of Christ may be more recognized and made
use of? Let those who have the care of Christ’s flock awaken afresh to their
responsibilities.

Teachers. Closely linked
with the gift of pastor is that of teacher. In a distinctive sense, as
contrasted with pastor, the teacher is one gifted to unfold the Word of God.
How important is this gift! It is the truth that makes free and keeps free; and
it is the work of the teacher to minister the truth to the people of God. The
Word of God is to be unfolded, its perfections to be exhibited, its doctrines
expounded, and its difficulties explained. The teacher is the student of this
Book, devoted to it. In days like these when all sorts of error abound professing
to be derived from the Scriptures, when the very foundations are being
undermined, we need teachers, men who turn us back "to the law and to the
testimony" (Isa. 8:20), and show us that, in the midst of the confusion of
tongues, there is still a Voice that speaks with no uncertain sound.

Let us pray for teachers:that
they may be kept dependent, and thus free from error; that they may keep the
even balance of truth and present "the whole counsel of God"; that
the study and impartation of the treasures of God’s Word may never be with them
a cold intellectual task, but rather that all their service may be as the river
that brings beauty and fertility to its own banks while it bears refreshment on
to the country beyond.

There are other gifts mentioned in
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, several of which are closely related to those
we have described from Ephesians 4. While not all are gifted or qualified for
prominent service in any of the ways we have described above, it is still true
that all are needed and none can be ignored—none too insignificant to render
valuable service. Indeed, "those members of the body that seem to be more
feeble are necessary" (1 Cor. 12:22). Every member of the body is a member
of Christ, and is gifted for service to the whole. How can he know his gift and
exercise it? Not by thrusting himself forward, but simply by abiding in Christ.
"Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is
the Head, even Christ:from whom the whole body, fitly joined to together and
compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love" (Eph. 4:15,16).

How beautifully does each member
fall into its place to do its appointed ministry here! And what is the secret
of this harmonious and effectual working? "Holding the Head!"
(Col. 2:19).

                    
The Power of Ministry

 

Having seen the various classes of
ministry, we are now to inquire whence comes the power for its exercise. And
this brings us again face to face with that most evident fact, which is so
constantly ignored, that the Holy Spirit is present in the Church as the power
for ministry of whatever kind. Power in an evangelist is shown in the conversion
of souls; in a teacher, in the divine instruction and upbuilding of the people
of God; and in a pastor, in their true, real shepherding. We repeat—alas that
we all profess to believe it, but so little realize it—that there is no power
apart from the operation of the Holy Spirit. Were this truth acted upon, we
would see less dependence upon man and more upon God. We would see more true
prayer, more deep self-judgment, and we would, as a result, see more divine
power exercised. Man’s power, like Saul’s armor for David, is only a hindrance.
How often must God strip His people, as in Gideon’s day, of all earthly
strength, showing them that the treasure is in earthen vessels—and vessels to
be broken at that—that the excellency of the power may be seen to be of Him
alone (Judg. 7:1-20; 2 Cor. 4:5-10).

We will now conclude this subject
as one upon which we need, not instruction, but exhortation; not theory, but
practice. May God awaken His servants afresh to see where their weakness and
their power lies.

(From The Church and Its Order
According to Scripture.)

 

"Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us … he who exhorts, [let him be
given to] exhortation; he who gives, let him do it with simplicity; he who
rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom.
12:6,8).

                       
He Who Exhorts

The teacher has chiefly to do with
the understanding, the exhorter with the conscience. It requires great grace to
be an exhorter, and equally great grace to receive the word of exhortation. The
gift is now rare in the Church of God. Few have grace to bring the keen edge of
the Word down upon the conscience, and at the same time make the person feel
that love rules, and that his good is the only object in view. Exhortation
includes admonition, consolation, urging to practical duties, dissuading from
the neglect of duty, pointing out shortcomings, applying the promises or the
threatenings of Scripture as the case may be. But we need not dwell on the
difficulties of the exhorter, and the still greater difficulty of submitting to
the exhortation. They must be apparent to all. Personal feelings are apt to
arise and false motives to be imputed; still, the apostle presses the exercise
of the gift as needed and wholesome for the members of the body of Christ. The
Lord grant that in this day of highmindedness, of insubjection to the Word of
God, our lives may be a constant testimony to the will of Christ, and our
diligent attention to the things of the Lord both publicly and privately, a
constant exhortation to our fellow Christians. Then it will be not only,
"Do as I say," but "Do as I do."

                        
He Who Gives

He who has been prospered by the
Lord, and who gives of his substance for the needs of the poor or the work of
the Lord, is to do it with simplicity. Here let us pause a moment and
consider this weighty caution. It is most difficult to distribute money
according to this principle of God’s Word. The word "simplicity" here
is the same as that in the verse, "in singleness of heart, fearing
God" (Col. 3:22; also Eph. 6:5; 2 Cor. 1:12). How searching is the Word of
God! It guards against ostentation, love of praise, wrong motives, and improper
objects. On the other hand, it warns us against all evasive pretexts, such as,
"Not convenient; I have so many calls; I am not able to give." (Ed.
note:Probably one of the more common of these evasive pretexts today is,
"I cannot claim it as a deduction when figuring my income tax.")

 

At the same time, the Christian is
but a steward, whether he distributes what may be called his own, or the bounty
of the church, and he is entitled to look for "simplicity and godly
sincerity" in the applicant as well as in himself. There are many
plausible appeals made for money, which, when carefully examined, are found to
be neither simple nor sincere. He must also watch against the clever pleader
putting his soul in bondage and making him unhappy. There is only one remedy
for all the difficulties connected with giving, as for all other things. The
giver must walk before the Lord with purity of motive, free from all improper
designs, and waiting to do His will with an honest, impartial simplicity. When
the eye is single, the whole body is full of light; perplexity with darkness
flees away, the mind of God is discerned, and the clear light of heaven shines
on the steward’s way.

                        
He Who Rules

Those who are called to exercise
the gift of ruler or leader in the assembly of God are required to do so with
the closest attention and zeal. Much sorrow, alienation of feeling, coldness,
and irregularity in attendance might be prevented by the watchful and faithful
discharge of the ruler’s duties. Prevention is better than cure, and in nothing
more so than in a community of free, intelligent, but sensitive minds
encompassed with many infirmities. He needs a skillful eye to watch the
countenance, to mark the movements, and to notice the first change in conduct.
One may be observed hurrying off rather quickly at the close of a meeting so as
to avoid speaking or being spoken to. Why is this? It was not so lately. On
inquiry, it is found that offense has been taken from supposed neglect, or the
heart has been wounded by the apparent partiality of the ruler himself.
Misunderstanding prevails.

Such a state of things calls for
immediate, faithful, wise, and tender dealing. There may be faults on both
sides; grace must reign; still, that which is right must not be overlooked. But
carelessness or indolence on the part of the ruler at such a moment might be
ruinous to the peace and the prosperity of the assembly. The strong must bear
with the weak, and anything like partiality, especially on the part of those
who have influence in a meeting, must be carefully avoided. Though we cannot
love all alike, we must not manifest our love to some to the grief and wounding
of others. Vigilance and fidelity must be the watchword of the ruler, but he
must not forget to cherish and manifest the love of Him who died for the flock,
and rose again to fold in His everlasting embrace His blood-bought sheep and
lambs.

                     
He Who Shows Mercy

This is a fine gift, and one much
to be coveted by all who visit the poor and the afflicted. We are not only to
show mercy, but to show it with such a cheerful spirit as to manifest that, if
it be a consolation to them, it is a pleasure to us. The value of any service
of love rendered to the children of sorrow mainly depends on the spirit in
which it is done. It should be our watchful study to spare the feelings of the
poor in our acts of benevolence, to soothe the sorrows of the sick, to shed a
bright radiance in the chamber of suffering or death, and always to leave
behind us the sweet fragrance of the name of Jesus.

 

(From Meditations on Christian
Devotedness [Romans 12].)

 

"God has set some in the
Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers … helps
…" (1 Cor. 12:28).

We might easily skip the little
word, "helps," in the list of gifts in the assembly. To us, apostles,
prophets, miraculous powers, and tongues overshadow such a vague, undefined
term as "helps." We are equally liable to pass over as insignificant
the persons whom God is using as "helps" in the gathering.

One with the gift of
"helps" is a kind and gracious person, ready and willing to do
anything needful and useful, often without being asked. He may be a feeble
member of the body of Christ, but yet is "necessary" (1 Cor. 12:22).
By active sympathy and loving concern for others he often exercises a more
powerful influence upon the spiritual well-being of the assembly than those who
occupy a more prominent place.

The "help" is always
busy, but never "cumbered about much serving" (Luke 10:40) which
makes a person fretful, peevish, and unpleasant. The life of Christ is flowing
through the heart of the true helper in the assembly. This person is so full of
the joy of being Christ’s that he cannot help loving all others who belong to
Christ. The helper’s heart is free from selfishness and worldliness and his
spirit is fresh and bright in the presence of the Lord, a cheer and comfort to
the rest of the assembly.

If the labors of the helpers are
so often unnoticed now, they will be fully displayed and amply rewarded in the
day of Christ’s glory. He will remember the cup of cold water given in His
name. A few "helps" are mentioned in Scripture. The apostle Paul
refers to Phoebe, Priscilla, Aquila, and Urbane as his helpers (Rom. 16:2,3,9).
This record is given to encourage other "helps" to continue on their
quiet way.

Let us pray that though we come
behind in the foremost gifts, God may maintain the supply of "helps"
in our midst. Let each helper be diligent in his tasks of living not for self
but for others.

To those of you who are
"helps" is written this word of encouragement:"God is not
unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward
His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister"
(Heb. 6:10).

(Modified and abridged from a
tract published by Moments With The Book, Bedford, Pennsylvania.)

"These signs shall follow
those who believe:in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with
new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing,
it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover" (Mark 16:17,18).

The signs delineated by the Lord
Jesus when He told His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel
have a close correspondence with some of the spiritual gifts listed by the
apostle Paul:"The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man …
the gifts of healing … the working of miracles … divers kinds of tongues
… the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor. 7-10).

It is a point of great controversy
among Biblical scholars whether these so-called "sign gifts" still
exist in the present day or whether they ceased when Holy Scripture was
completed at the end of the first century A.D. (as suggested by 1 Cor. 13:8).
It is not my purpose to enter into this controversy in this article. I believe
that one of the purposes of these gifts was to authenticate the teaching of the
apostles—to get people to pay attention in an era in which the Holy Scriptures
had not yet been completed and were not widely available. In parts of the world
today where the Scriptures and Christianity are as yet unknown, the Holy Spirit
may still be pleased to use such gifts to help missionaries to communicate the
gospel to the people and to get the people to pay attention to what the
missionaries are trying to tell them.

It may well be that these sign
gifts in their original form have essentially ceased in parts of the world—such
as our own—where the Bible is well known. However, I would like to do two
things in this article:(1) for any who believe they possess one of these sign
gifts today, I shall point out from Scripture how such gifts are to be used;
and (2) I shall suggest ways in which modified forms of the gifts of healing,
miracles, tongues, and interpretations may be manifested by believers
today—through the leading and power of the Holy Spirit—to minister to others.

                           
Healing

The Lord Jesus healed people and
so did the twelve disciples and the apostle Paul. We learn a number of things
from their examples:

1. The gift was not used for
personal benefit or gain. The apostle Paul could heal others (Acts 14:10;
28:8,9) but not himself (2 Cor. 12:8,9).

2. The gift included power for the
ultimate healing, namely, making the dead to live again (John 11:43,44; Acts
9:36-41; 20:9,10).

 

3. Neither Jesus nor the apostles staged
healing services, but rather went to where the sick people were, where there
could be ample testimony to the validity of the healing (Mark 1:21-2:12;
5:1-17; John 9:1-11; Acts 3:7-10; 9:38).

4. To my knowledge, there is no
mention in Scripture of anyone failing to be healed because of his or her own
lack of faith. But Jesus rebuked His disciples, who had the gift of healing,
for their lack of faith in failing to bring about healing (Matt.
17:14-21).

5. Illness cannot necessarily be
attributed to Satan. Satan could not touch Job without the LORD giving him
permission (Job 1:12; 2:6). Some illness is a result of a person’s own sin
(Jas. 5:15,16; 1 John 5:16). Some trials come directly from the Lord, "for
whom the Lord loves He chastens" (Heb. 12:5-11). And sometimes, the healer
may even be led of the Lord to call down sickness upon a sinning person in
judgment (Acts 13:11). Therefore one with the gift of healing must understand
that it may not be God’s will for a particular person to be healed (2 Cor. 12:8,9;
2 Tim. 4:20), at least for the present.

There is a kind of healing needed
in the Church today that, no doubt, is much more important than mere physical
healing. I refer to healing the backslidings of God’s children (Jer. 3:22; Hos.
14:4) by faithful appeals and admonitions (Matt. 18:15; Gal. 6:1). I refer also
to the healing of conflicts and breaches among Christians by those gifted as
peacemakers (Matt. 5:9).

                     
Working of Miracles

"They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them" (Mark 16:18).
This does not mean we are to tempt God (Matt. 4:7) by purposely playing with
cobras and drinking poison (as some way-out cults do today, often with dire
consequences). But the life of a missionary can be made very hazardous by
scorpions, tigers, polluted water, and hostile people. King Darius feared that
Daniel would be killed by the lions (Dan. 6:19-22) and the people of Malta expected the apostle Paul to die from the snakebite (Acts 28:3-6). While neither
Daniel nor Paul set out to perform miracles in these instances, the Holy Spirit
was pleased to work miracles through them.

How might the working of miracles
be applied today? Have you ever heard it said, "It will take a miracle for
X to become saved [or for Y to be restored to the Lord; or for Z and his wife
to be reconciled]"? Thank God for those of his faithful children who are
willing to challenge "the impossible" and accomplish, through
ministry of the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit, that which—humanly
speaking—is impossible (Luke 18:27).

                     
Speaking in Tongues

Here are some principles and rules
from Scripture for any who claim to speak in tongues, particularly in the
setting of the local church:

1. The tongues are real languages
(Acts 2:4,6,11), not repetitious nonsense syllables like
"ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ba-ba."

2. No more than three men are to
speak in tongues in a given service (1 Cor. 14:27).

 

3. Those who speak in tongues are
to do so one at a time (verse 27).

4. They are to make certain there
is an interpreter; if none, they are to be silent (verse 27).

5. They are to pray for the gift
of interpretation (verse 13), in which case, if everyone in the room speaks the
same language, it would be preferable to skip the tongues and go straight to
the interpretation (verses 19,24).

6. The women are not to speak in
tongues but rather keep silence in the assembly meetings (verse 34).

The gift of tongues was given, in
part, to bridge communication barriers, as was evident on the Day of Pentecost
(Acts 2). Today, by studying foreign languages, we can prepare for the
possibility of being led into foreign missionary work. Even if we all speak the
same language, there may be cultural, social, economic, and educational
barriers to be bridged in an assembly. Suppose there are blacks, whites, and
Hispanics in an assembly; persons with Ph.D.’s and third grade dropouts;
teenagers and centenarians; Canners and non-Canners. These diverse groups, even
though every one is a born-again Christian, may tend to gravitate into cliques.
So the Lord may raise up someone with the gift and ability to bridge the
communication and fellowship gaps among the diverse groups.

                       
Interpretation

Any who believe they have the gift
of interpretation of tongues should bear in mind that a message in a foreign
tongue that is ten minutes long cannot be credibly interpreted in two minutes,
and vice versa. With the abundance of foreign language institutes and
translation services available today, it would be very wise to take tapes of
tongues-speaking and interpretations to be evaluated by language experts at a
Berlitz or similar agency. (See January-February 1976 Words of Truth for
an example of this.)

A modified form of the gift of
interpretation is sometimes helpful even when there is no speaking in tongues.
I refer to an area of ministry in which one may not be gifted as a teacher per
se but is gifted in understanding teaching ministry and making it more
plain to others. Suppose a teacher presents a complex explanation of a
particular doctrine. A listener who understands what has been taught, but who
senses that it might have gone over the heads of simpler souls, may get up and
give some simple examples and illustrations to aid others in the understanding of
that doctrine.

"Covet earnestly the best
gifts" (1 Cor. 12:31).

 

A year ago we took a trip to
Colorado. For much of the way from Denver to Grand Junction, Interstate 70
parallels the Colorado River. A few miles northeast of Grand Junction, the
terrain on the north side of the highway is essentially desert. On the other
side, in the river valley where the land is irrigated, the grass is green and
crops and trees flourish. It was a vivid illustration of what the writer of
Psalm 1 must have had in mind when he wrote of the blessed man:"He shall
be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in
its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away"
(Psa. 1:3,4). This simile of the righteous person being like a fruitful tree is
found several times in the Old Testament (Psa. 92:14; Isa. 61:3; Jer. 17:8),
perhaps because Palestine, like Colorado, is rather arid and flourishing green
trees stand out in the landscape.

The prophetess Anna is a wonderful
illustration of Psalm 92:12-15:"The  righteous shall flourish like the
palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the
house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still
bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat [or full of sap, JND] and
flourishing, to show that the LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no
unrighteousness in Him."  Anna lived in the temple environs and served God
with fastings and prayers night and day. She was "planted in the house of the
LORD" and she "bore fruit in old age."

Anna had been a widow for many,
many years. By the time she is introduced to us in Luke 2:36, any children she
might have had during her brief marriage had long since grown up and she used
her freedom from family responsibilities to serve God. The "empty
nest" should not be a syndrome but an opportunity to use free time in
Christian service.

Older women often have difficulty
sleeping. What an opportunity to serve the Lord in those night hours by praying
or studying the Bible or writing letters of encouragement to friends,
acquaintances, neighbors, or relatives who are suffering in some way.

After Anna saw the Lord Jesus,
"she gave thanks … unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who
looked for redemption in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). Do we who have known and
trusted Christ speak of Him to one another? Too often our conversation is about
other things. I have read that in the Talmud (a book of commentary on the
Pentateuch written by Jewish rabbis) there is the exhortation, "Let not
two Israelites meet and separate without a word about the Law." Do not
Christians who know the Lord Jesus who loved them, gave Himself for them, and
is presently interceding for them, have even more reason to speak of Him than
Israelites have to speak of the Law?

People are living longer and
longer. Women on average, live longer than men. All Christians should stand out
in the dry desert of this world as flourishing green trees. Older Christians
can be even more fruitful in old age than in their younger years since they
have more time to devote to knowing and serving Christ, and have had more years
to become firmly established by the living waters and in the courts of the
Lord.

                             * * *

In producing blossom and fruit, a
branch of a plant sacrifices itself, yields up its own individual
vegetative life for the sake of another life that is to spring from it. And is
it not so in the kingdom of grace? Christian fruit comes from a transformation
of the branch in the True Vine. Instead of growing for its own ends, it
produces the blossoms of holiness and the fruits of righteousness, for the
glory of God and the good of men. The life of selfishness, self-righteousness,
and self-seeking is cut short, and changed into the life of self-denial (Matt.
16:24).

We can bring forth no fruit that
is pleasing to God until we yield ourselves a living sacrifice to Him (Rom.
12:1). In this self-sacrifice all the beauty of the Christian life manifests
itself. The life that lives for another in so doing bursts into flower and
shows its brightest hues and yields its sweetest fragrance. All is given to
Christ, and all is received back a hundredfold.

(From "Fruit" in Help
and Food, Vol. 6.)

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

   Masculine pronouns have been
used almost exclusively in reference to spiritual gifts in this issue, because
the "he/she" structure is cumbersome. Please keep in mind that the
Holy Spirit has gifted every female as well as every male believer in Christ.