But strive for the greater gifts.
- Paul outlines some wonderful gifts given to the church in his letter to the Corinthians. Many still exist in the church today, while some have faded out. They are worth taking a look at.
- God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.
- In a number of his letters, Paul lists the various gifts of ministry found in the church. Here his list appears to be laid out in order to reassure the Corinthian congregation that each and every one of them were part of the body of Christ, even if all did not have the same gifts, something worth saying again today.
- The ministry of apostle is seen as first. Apostles were people “sent with a mission” and originally had been among the company who knew Jesus in his earthly ministry. “Apostle” means “sent with a mission” in its original language. The apostles were charged with spreading the Good News of God's grace in Jesus Christ to people who hadn't heard it yet. This title has been applied to various persons in the later years of the church as the Gospel was spread. Often the first to evangelize certain areas were termed apostles, like Boniface to preached to the ancient German people or the brothers, Cyril and Methodius who preached to the ancient Slavs. Some people feel that the ministry and gift of apostleship is no longer with the church.
- Prophets come next. We have to be clear here. A prophet is not a person who can predict the future; that is another gift. A prophet speaks the Word of God to a specific situation in the present. What they have to say is not always easy and it is not always pleasant. Nor is it easily accepted. The often speak the truth to power and that causes trouble. There are prophets in the contemporary church and they are still seen as trouble-makers even as they speak the truth.
- Teachers are considered the third most powerful and most valuable of the ministries appointed by God. It's interesting that in this list, the ministry of teaching is seen far above leadership. So you Sunday School teachers and Vacation Bible School workers, take heart! Paul values your ministry more than that of pastor or bishop! Teachers might even be seen as “apostles to the future”, taking the Gospel to a land and a people unknown – the future.
- The “deeds of power” and “gifts of healing” might have us stumped. Miracles of the Biblical style and miraculous healings are few and far between in our day. It's not that they don't happen; we just might not recognize them as such. Modern medicine does things daily that would be considered miraculous in Jesus' time, and we take those as commonplace. Maybe it's the same for “deeds of power.”
- Assistance and leadership are further down the list, but are on the list none-the-less. These are wide-open categories which can still be considered God-given ministries within the church. They could be almost anything from pastoral ministry through worship musician to property committee work, acolyte, pot-luck cook, and general helping-out.
- Lastly tongues are listed and at the end of the passage, Paul pairs the gift of tongues with the gift of interpretation, a pairing he encourages elsewhere in his letters. In the New Testament, it usually involves praying “in the Spirit” in some unknown language. Paul insists that it should only be used when someone can interpret the words, so that all present might benefit. If there is not interpreter, they should pray quietly There are some who would argue that this gift is no longer available within the Christian church and some would argue it is. Truth to tell, I don't know.
- Paul writes this list and expands upon it in order to assure the Corinthian congregation that no one is less a part of the church because their gifts are less dramatic. He uses the example of the human body and sets up an absurd argument where various body parts are concerned that they are not part of the body because they are not some other part. As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
- No matter what our gifts or our contribution to the church's good or our calling within the church, it is the grace of God that makes us a part of Christ's church. Any one of us might be more noticeable or more publicly powerful, but none of us are unnecessary and indeed the hidden gifts might just be what makes a congregation exist and thrive. As I've said before, God has given us all we need to be his church here and now... even if we might wish we were something else.
- What are our gifts here? Who can say? It is important to say that God has given each one of us gifts and abilities and whatever gifts God has given each of us, they can serve the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. No one is left out.
- This leaves us with the final line of the passage from Paul's letter. That short phrase, But strive for the greater gifts. cries out for something more to be said. What greater gifts could there be than what Paul has listed?
- The answer could be very surprising. Many of you know the answer and really the answer is easy to find. It will be the epistle reading for next Sunday. It is one of the most well known passages in the New Testament... and it is one of the most powerful.
- Until then, take joy in the gifts God has given you and make use of them for the good of the entire Christian community. That's why they're there. You can never go wrong by offering, since the world around us needs them and needs us to offer them. In the final analysis, what we offer is nothing less than the grace of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment