And He Gave the Apostles

And He Gave the Apostles.  Running the gauntlet of the four major passages about spiritual gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4), one can find many common details: each Christian has been given a spiritual gift at the moment of conversion, no individual has all the spiritual gifts, although certain gifts are more visible no individual gift is more valuable than the other spiritual gifts, the gifts are given by Christ’s grace instead of by popular demand, the gifts are special empowerments given for the purpose of serving others. That said, the major passages each emphasizes unique aspects of spiritual gifts. 

More than the gift itself, Ephesians 4 uniquely emphasizes the person who has the gift. “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift … and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (Eph. 4:7, 11). In that sense, Christ gave the church more than “the signs of a true apostle” (2 Cor. 12:12), which were counterfeited from their earliest appearance (2 Cor. 11:13), he gave the apostles. The person with the gift is the treasure to the whole church. More than prophecy itself, he gave the prophets. More than the evangelistic, shepherding, and teaching gifts, he gave the evangelists, pastors and teachers. These officers in the church, representative of all offices in the church, are grouped: the apostles, the prophets, etc. They are definite and recognized. From God’s point of view, they are a closed group. He gave these people to his church.

Taken as a whole, crossing time and language and culture, the church has been given its specific people with such generosity that we can sing along with David, “my cup overflows” (Psa. 23:5). Christ has given us the people we need to accomplish the ministry assigned to us. We may lack musicians, but not worshipers. We may lack nursery workers, but not servants. If we lack the people needed for a softball team, then we don’t need a softball team during this season. The people in the church are Christ’s gifts to the church. When we grow, then what we do will grow. But we are not stalling for the right people to show up before starting to make disciples “for such a time as this” (Est. 4:14). We are not waiting for a better tomorrow, for God said, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

The spiritual gifts are meant to direct our attention to the Giver. Conceivably, Christ could have sent the angels or written his gospel in sky-letters, but instead he gave the people!