1 COR. 12:27-31: “God Appoints
Ministries And Offices In The Church”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study we looked
at what it means when the body of
Christ begins to function like a body
1.1.1. Paul began to teach the church
in Corinth about what is the true nature of the Church, the body of Christ
1.1.1.1.We saw that the body of
Christ is an organism consisting of each member whom Christ has called and
placed in the body
1.1.1.2.Each member of the body of
Christ is in communication with and under the direction of the head of the
body, who is Christ
1.1.1.3.We saw that each of us in
the body of Christ is also interdependent upon every other member of the body
1.1.2. We saw that each and every
member is equally important and necessary for the proper functioning of the
body as a whole
1.1.3. We saw that what one member
experiences, good or bad, the entire body experiences and shares in and that we
are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep
1.1.4. We saw that above all we in
the body of Christ are to love one another
1.2.
In our study today we are going to look at the ministries and offices
in the church which Christ appoints, and then we are going to look at some of
the various ‘one another ministries’ that the scripture talks about
1.2.1. Previously we looked at the
gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit as He works through our lives in
the body of Christ, now Paul begins to show how that the Lord appoints people
to specific ministries and offices in the body of Christ. These ministries and offices look similar to
the manifestations of the Spirit themselves, but this is because they are
appointed to us by God as a result of our having those gifts
1.2.2. All of these ‘one another
ministries’ are ministries which we in the body of Christ are given so that we
can tangibly demonstrate the love of God to a brother or a sister in Christ
2.
VS 12:27-28 - “27 Now you are Christ's body, and
individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first
apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, administrations, various
kinds of tongues.” - Paul begins to tell the Corinthians about the
way that God appoints ministries and offices in the church
2.1.
Paul tells the Corinthians in verse 27 that they are ‘Christ’s body’,
which indicates that the local body of Christ is in focus in chapters 12-14 of
this book, and in Paul’s writings in general, when he speaks of the body of
Christ. He is not speaking of the church
universal here, for he views each individual church is a body of Christ in
their community.
2.2.
Functioning as the body of Christ, Christ is to direct and lead us, and
we are then the instruments that carry out His will and the things that He
wants accomplished in this world.
2.2.1. This is a very big
responsibility if you think about it.
God’s working in reaching the lost and perishing of this world (John
3:16-17) is primarily directed and carried out by you and me as we prayerfully
seek and receive our leading from Him.
2.3.
In verse 28, Paul lists for the Corinthians various ‘ministries’ or
‘offices’ within the church. Paul tells
them that it is God who has appointed each of the various ministries and
offices which exist in the church.
2.4.
If it is the Lord who is appointing the offices and ministries that are
to exist within the church, then those who are church leaders must only appoint
those to whom the Lord has raised up for the various ministries and offices in
the church, for it is His work to raise up and appoint them. We in the church are simply to recognize His
appointments.
2.4.1. Some churches don’t
understand the implications of Christ appointing all of the ministries and
offices in the church.
2.4.1.1.Some churches do not pray
about their decisions and before their board meetings, however if we believe
that Christ is to lead in all things in the church then it is of primary
importance that all decisions and meetings be based upon prayer and seeking the
Lord.
2.4.1.2.I belonged to a church whose
pastor felt that they needed to have elders and so he called an all-church
business meeting one night. He said that
we were going to have a vote to determine who should be elders in the
church. The top 5 vote getters would
then be appointed as elders in the church, for the pastor thought that by doing
this we would get the 5 men most qualified for this office. This decision turned out to be
disastrous. The church met and voted and
appointed elders that night, however within a year we had to remove all or most
of those men because their were numerous complaints about the men not matching
up to the Biblical qualifications of an elder and not really doing much
spiritual leading.
2.4.1.3.The choice of eldership must
not be a popularity contest, nor should the church simply choose the best x
number of men, nor should elders be chosen at random or by any other means. Rather, the church is to recognize the men
whom God has already appointed to those positions.
2.4.1.3.1.These men will become
obvious to the whole body when the Lord has appointed them to an office, for
they will already be godly men and they will already be doing the work in an
elder.
2.4.1.3.2.Any of you who might aspire
to the office of an elder need to realize that day in and day out you are
showing by your actions and heart attitude either that God has appointed you to
the position of eldership or that He has not at this point.
2.5.
The various offices in the church which Paul lists for us are the
following:
2.5.1. ‘apostle’:
2.5.1.1.The word ‘apostle’ means
‘one sent out’. The apostles were ‘sent
out’ to preach the gospel and make disciples of all the nations.
2.5.1.2.There appear however to have
been two different classes of apostles spoken of in the New Testament.
2.5.1.2.1.Those 12 men, minus Judas
plus either Paul or Matathias, who knew Jesus and personally trained for their
work.
2.5.1.2.1.1.These men are unique and
prominent over all for it is promised that they will sit on twelve thrones
judging the 12 tribes of
2.5.1.2.2.Men who are sent out to do
ground breaking work for the
2.5.1.2.2.1.This is a generic kind of
calling that many have perhaps been called to perform. Men like this would be:
2.5.1.2.2.1.1.A Hudson Taylor who at the
age of 16 took a ship to
2.5.1.2.2.1.2.A David Livingstone who was
the first man to begin an inland missionary outreach to the nation of
2.5.1.2.2.1.3.Chuck Smith who pastored the
first Calvary Chapel, from which all of the rest of our churches have sprung,
has been spoken of in this sort of a way since he began what has become a
movement of God based primarily around teaching the whole Bible verse by verse,
and following the other distinctives of our movement.
2.5.2. ‘prophet’:
2.5.2.1.A prophet, as I described
earlier, was either to foretell the future (which seldom occurs today) or to
forthtell the word of God (which occurs often and is very commonly found in the
lives of pastors and teaches in the
church).
2.5.3. ‘teacher’:
2.5.3.1.Teachers exist in various
ministries within Christ’s church. There
are those who minister in teaching God’s word to children. There are those who teach new believers in
discipleship. There are those who can
teach home fellowships. There are those
who can teach men’s and women’s Bible studies.
Then, there is also the need for the teaching of the word of God from
the pulpit, which is usually done by a pastor.
2.5.4. ‘miracles’ or ‘effecting of miracles’:
2.5.4.1.These last several gifts may
not be offices that are held in the same sense as the first three offices.
2.5.4.2.God sometimes works through
an individual in unusual circumstances for the purpose of displaying His
supernatural abilities to people. These
works come as the result of the individual’s prayer and exceptional faith.
2.5.5. ‘gifts of healing’:
2.5.5.1.These gifts occur when God
answers an individual’s prayer for the Lord to heal someone who may have various
physical problems.
2.5.6. ‘helps’:
2.5.6.1.This gift occurs when God
works within an individual’s life to motivate them to simply be willing to help
out when work of various types becomes necessary within the church. It could be work involved in setup for the church
service. It could be work which involves
helping people who have practical needs.
For instance, someone may need help moving their household belongings. There is perhaps the greatest need in the
church for people who are gifted with ‘helps’ for their are so many needs that
people have and so many tasks that should be performed on a weekly basis.
2.5.7. ‘administrations’:
2.5.7.1.This office is needed when
there is organizational work needed. For
instance, there may be a need to maintain the church office and/or bookkeeping
needs, organize youth social events, inform the body of urgent prayer needs,
organize work parties when there are special projects to be done, etc.
2.5.8. ‘various kinds of tongues’:
2.5.8.1.These gifts occur when God works
within an individual gifting him with ministries using unknown tongues. We have seen already that according to 1 Cor.
14:2 the person who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God,
and that this gift is employed in praising the Lord and perhaps at times
speaking to the Lord in prayer when you do not know what you should pray
for.
2.5.8.2.We will in chapter 14, that
it is possible for someone to interpret an unknown tongue spoken in prayer and
praise to the Lord in order that the body of Christ might be built up and
edified by understanding what was prayed.
3.
VS 12:29-30 - “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? 30 All do not
have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do
not interpret, do they?” - Paul tells us that everyone in the body of
Christ does not have every single spiritual gift, and everyone does not have
one single gift either
3.1.
Paul asks a rhetorical questions in verse 29 and 30, for he knows that
the answer to each question is ‘No’. In
doing this he wants to make the Corinthians aware that everyone does not have
every gift, or even one special gift.
Rather, everyone has their unique gifting which they are supposed to
use.
3.2.
Some people in the church in
3.3.
It seems that the gift of tongues was considered above most of the gifts,
as is the case sometimes in the Pentecostal oriented churches in our day. However, Paul is clear that not every
believer has received the gift of tongues.
3.3.1. There is one particular
Pentecostal denomination that has always taught that the evidence of a person
having been saved is that they speak in tongues, however Paul tells us that not
everyone in the body of Christ speaks in tongues.
4.
VS 12:31 - “31 But
earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians to desire spiritual gifts but that there is an even more
excellent thing in the church than the use of spiritual gifts
4.1.
Paul teaches in this verse that there are some gifts that are more
valuable to the body than others. He
will say in chapter 14 that the gift of prophecy is the most important of the
gifts in a local church. This gift is
the most important because the church needs more than anything to be built up
and equipped for the work of service, and this gift is the most useful for that
purpose.
4.2.
The more excellent way that Paul is going to show the Corinthians is
that of being filled with and motivated by ‘agape’ love. Paul will define for us in the next chapter
what walking in ‘agape love’ means for us as believers in Christ.
4.2.1. Love is the fulfillment of
the law Jesus taught us, and if we Christians were just walking in love we
would be used by the Lord in the greatest way.
The fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23 is first and foremost ‘love’,
and it is really out of love that all of the other fruits come. The truest evidence that someone has come to
salvation is if they have agape love present in their lives.
5.
The One Another Ministries In The Church:
5.1.
We have already seen in our study in 1 Corinthians that in the body of
Christ we are commanded to love one another:
5.1.1. In John 13:34-35,
Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another and that it would be by their
love that all men would know they were His disciples, “34 “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.35 “By this all men will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another.””
5.1.2. In 1 Peter 4:8, Peter
writes that “above all” they should keep fervent in their love for one another,
“8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love
covers a multitude of sins.”
5.2.
We saw in our last study, and we see in Rom. 12:5, we are
members of one another, and as such it is imperative that we must love one
another as tells us, “5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another.”
5.3.
Plus, we saw in 1 Cor. 12:26 of our last study that what one
member suffers all suffer, and when one rejoices all share in that rejoicing, “26 And if one member suffers, all the
members suffer with it; if one member
is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
5.4.
Besides the many formal ministries and offices within the church, there
are many of what has been called ‘one another ministries’ in the church, and all
of us have been called and commanded to perform these ministries. In fact, there are many more opportunities
for ministry in these ‘one another ministries’ than in all of the formal
ministries and offices in the church.
5.4.1. Many times people want to
have a ministry or an office in the church, and yet they need to first learn to
be faithful to performing the ‘one another ministries’ that are in the church
before they should be considered for other ministries and offices in the
church.
5.4.2. Since the lives of God’s
precious children are at stake, people need to be tested and proven before they
are or recognized for a ministry or office in the church.
5.4.3. If people can’t be faithful
in carrying the ‘one another ministries’ within the church, how could they be
trusted with the formal ministries and offices.
5.4.4. Each of the ‘one another
ministries’ that we are all called to perform are ministries which we will
perform as we are just walking in the love of Christ. They are only the natural result or
outpouring of the love of Christ in our lives.
5.5.
The following is a list of some of the ‘one another’
ministries mentioned in the New Testament which all of us in the church have
been called to perform:
5.5.1. Be devoted to one another:
5.5.1.1.
5.5.1.2.We in the body of Christ
need to be committed and devoted to one another, and considered as family. Everyone desires in their hearts to be part
of a loving family, I believe, and that is what the body of Christ is to be.
5.5.2. Give preference (or honor)
to one another:
5.5.2.1.
5.5.2.1.1.We tend to give honor to
those whom we feel are most honorable, however we in the body of Christ are to
give honor to one another.
5.5.2.1.2.When we honor a brother or a
sister, this opens up both friendship with that person as well as opportunities
to minister to them.
5.5.2.1.3.In 1 Pet. 2:17 we
read that we are to give honor to ‘all’ men, “17 Honor all men; love the
brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”
5.5.2.1.3.1.Showing honor to non-believers
will open them up to our sharing the gospel to them, however if we refuse to
show honor to non-believers this will close the doors for witnessing to them.
5.5.2.1.4.We are to honor the elderly,
grandparents, mothers, fathers, and even children for their respective stations
in life.
5.5.3. Be of the same mind towards
one another:
5.5.3.1.Rom. 12:16, “16 Be of the same
mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the
lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”
5.5.3.2.Many times we Christians out
of pride will not want to submit ourselves to our brothers and sisters and
their opinions of conscience and truth.
However, the Lord calls us to strive to be in unity with brothers and
sisters in the Lord as much as we can as long as we do not sin in doing so.
5.5.3.3.We Christians may have
convictions in certain things and we know that other brothers and sisters do
not share those convictions, and if we are with those brothers and sisters then
unless those disagreements are about things of primary importance in salvation
or our walk with the Lord then it is probably just best not to bring up those
things that we know will only cause friction between us.
5.5.3.4.We need to pray for
discernment from the Holy Spirit as to how He wants us to handle each person
and situation. Sometimes we are to
strive for unity, but at other times he may also lead us to react in some other
way towards, for instance, to admonish them.
5.5.3.4.1.Don’t think that God always
wants you to react in only one manner or with one gift to everyone in the body
all of the time. I have known believers
that got the notion that they were always to exhort others, for instance. However, every one of us should at times be
used in any and all of these ‘one another’ ministries.
5.5.4. Pursue building up one
another:
5.5.4.1.Rom. 14:19, “19 So then let us
pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
5.5.4.2.When we are with our
brothers and sisters we need to try our best to allow the Lord to use us to
impart some spiritual wisdom or insight to them, or in some way do something to
build them up while we are with them.
5.5.5. Accept one another:
5.5.5.1.Rom. 15:7, “7 Wherefore, accept
one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”
5.5.5.2.This is such an important
gift to give someone. We all desire to
be accepted, and we must accept our brothers and sisters in Christ into
fellowship with us just as if we were family with them.
5.5.5.3.I have been to certain
groups where I felt that the people were intentionally not accepting me, and it
was a terrible experience. Sometimes I haven’t
lived up to their legalistic standards.
Other times I didn’t feel accepted because I didn’t express some
spiritual gift the way they felt that all Christians should do. Etc., etc.
5.5.6. Admonish one another:
5.5.6.1.Rom. 15:19, “14 And concerning
you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of
goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another.”
5.5.6.2.Paul writes that all
believers are competent to counsel one another to a degree in the things of
God. Thus, we ought to allow the Lord to
lead us to in love ‘admonish’ others as to the more correct ways of God.
5.5.6.3.Sometimes the Lord calls us
to ‘warn’ a brother or a sister about a certain attitude in their character, for
instance, which they should put in check before the Lord. It is important for us to be faithful to
boldly admonish each other as the Lord leads us.
5.5.7. Greet one another:
5.5.7.1.Rom. 16:16, “16 Greet one
another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”
5.5.7.2.Greetings in the body of
Christ as so key to the body of Christ being healthy. We ought to greet our brothers and sisters as
warmly as we can, just as if they were a family member that we hadn’t seen in
quite some time.
5.5.8. Show the same care for one another:
5.5.8.1.1 Cor. 12:25, “25 that there
should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same
care for one another.”
5.5.8.2.We must never allow
ourselves to be in any exclusive cliques, nor must we allow ourselves to treat
some brothers and sisters differently than we treat others. Just as a parent should never treat one of
his children as a favorite, so we should not have our favorites in the body of
Christ.
5.5.9. Serve one another:
5.5.9.1.Gal. 5:13, “13 For you were
called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity
for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
5.5.9.2.God wants us to be a servant
to one another. When our brothers and
sisters have various needs then under the Holy Spirit’s leading we ought to be
willing to help them out as we can.
5.5.10.Show forbearance to one
another:
5.5.10.1.Eph. 4:2, “2 with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love.”
5.5.10.2.Sometimes we are called to
admonish or rebuke a brother or sister, however at other times the Lord just
wants us to forbear a brother or sister.
Sometimes we can think that God wants us to fix everything that we find
wrong with everyone, but that just creates a lot of strife in the body of
Christ if we take that approach. At
times we need to just allow the Lord to work out something in the life or a
brother or sister.
5.5.11.Be kind, tender-hearted,
forgiving one another:
5.5.11.1.Eph. 4:32, “32 And be kind to
one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also
has forgiven you.”
5.5.11.2.Christians at times can just
not be kind to one another, however that is not Christ-like at all. We need to be kind to all people in our
lives. We need to even be kind as we are
forcefully admonishing a brother or sister.
5.5.11.3.We need to be tender-hearted
towards people and always willing to forgive.
5.5.11.4.When we observe Jesus in the
gospels we see that to the proud He gave the Law, but to the broken and humble
He gave grace and mercy. To the proud
Pharisee He gave the harshest rebuke, but to the woman caught in adultery who
was humble and broken He gave grace and mercy.
5.5.12.Teach and admonish one
another:
5.5.12.1.Col. 3:16, “16 Let the word of
Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in
your hearts to God.”
5.5.12.2.You may not have the gift of
teaching, nor the ministry of teaching, however the Lord calls us all at times
to be teachers one to another. As we
teach others what the Lord has shown us we are admonishing them into the
correct ways of the Lord.
5.5.13.Comfort one another:
5.5.13.1.1 Thess. 4:18, “18 Therefore
comfort one another with these words.”
5.5.13.2.When someone is hurting,
grieving, realizing their many short-falls before the Lord, filled with sorrow
at their sin which they are repent for, we need to comfort them in the
Lord. We can share with them, for
instance, that:
5.5.13.2.1.That their sins are forgiven
and covered and no longer an issue before the Lord.
5.5.13.2.2.God has everything in
control because He is still on the throne.
5.5.13.2.3.God knew they were going to
fail Him before even the creation of the world, and He made provision for all
of their failures upon the cross of
5.5.14.Encourage one another:
5.5.14.1.1 Thess. 5:11, “11 Therefore
encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
5.5.14.2.We all at times need to be a
Barnabas, a son of encouragement, to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We all need encouragement from time to time,
and God calls each of us in the body to encourage each other.
5.5.14.3.This is a wonderful ministry
and so needed in the church.
5.5.15.Consider how to stimulate
one another to love and good deeds:
5.5.15.1.Heb. 10:24, “24 and let us
consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”
5.5.15.2.This word ‘stimulate’
intimates a certain irritation. We sometimes
need to get under another’s skin, or inside of their head. In doing so we need to allow the Lord to give
a brother or sister a kick in the pants, so to speak, in their spiritual walk
and zeal for the Lord.
5.5.16.Be hospitable to one
another:
5.5.16.1.1 Peter 4:9, “9 Be hospitable to
one another without complaint.”
5.5.16.2.We all at times need a place
to stay the night, or perhaps a meal since we have been going hungry for
awhile, or a ride somewhere when our car has broken down, etc. It is such a blessing when a brother or a
sister will reach out and help us at those times.