Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
011521
How Can You Edify the Body of Christ?

They are gifts that were given such as the teaching gifts.

  1. Apostles
  2. Prophets
  3. Evangelist
  4. Pastor-Teachers

 

Point 2. Next, there are the natural gifts.

The natural gifts are the gifts for the special empowering for special jobs, such as performing miracles, as in Mat 10:1.

For example, in Mat 10:1  And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

 

  1. When Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection He emptied Paradise.
  1. He transfered His Soul and Spirit of all the Old Testament saints to the 3rd heaven.
  1. Then in Eph 4:8, “He led all the Old Testament saints to captivity”: soul and spirit (no resurrection body).
  1. Then He “led captive” all the Soul and Spirits to heaven, still no resurrection body.
  1. He also “gave gifts unto men” — Eph 4:8, spiritual gifts.
  1. Each believer in the Church-age received a spiritual gift at the moment of salvation; 1Co 12:13.
  1. He did not seek a spiritual gift.
  1. EPH 4:4 {There is} one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling.
  1. EPH 4:5 There was one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
  1. In EPH 4:6  There is one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
  1. EPH 4:7 But to each one was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
  1. EPH 4:8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives.
  1. He give gifts to men.
  1. EPH 4:9 "He ascended and descended into the lower parts of the earth?
  1. EPH 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.
  1. Then He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers.
  1. EPH 4:12 He did this for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.
  1. EPH 4:13 He did this until all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
  1. EPH 4:14 As a result, he no longer became a child, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. 
  1. EPH 4:15 but He spoke the truth in love and He grew up in all {aspects}. 
  1. EPH 4:16 from whom the whole body was being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies.
  1. He did not earn or work for spiritual gifts.
  1. He did not get one gift on the basis of any human ability.
  1. Whatever gift He had was a sovereign decision of the Holy Spirit.
  1. All members of the Godhead were involved in spiritual gifts.
  1. He became the planner and assumer who decided the number for pastors, teachers, helps, etc. 1Co 12:28.
  1. Jesus Christ provided the basis for spiritual gifts; Eph 4:8-11.
  1. Then the Holy Spirit appointed gifts; 1Co 12:13.
  1. Spiritual gifts were Father’s organised witnesses. 
  1. In Heb 2:4, Behind any man’s evangelistic campaign were all kinds of spiritual gifts.
  1. All members were of the same team, but they played different positions.
  1. In Eph 4:12, He gives the purpose of spiritual gifts.
  1. There wis the equipping: “for the perfecting of the saints.”
  1. He was the Production for the work of the ministry”: Every believer represented Jesus Christ.
  1. He supplied the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ.”
  1. He built up the body of Christ by adding new believers and by helping other believers to grow.

Point 3.  All spiritual gifts are not listed in scripture, but merely representative of categorical concepts.

Some require preparation, therefore they are mentioned (teaching type). The Lord’s gifts are for the purpose of some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in Eph 4:8-13.

These gifts include the teaching type of gifts that you hear from both the males and female types that come from both the males and females that you hear from this pulpit; like me, John, Samantha, and other women,

Every believer receives at least one spiritual gift at the moment of salvation; 1Co 12:13.

Your spiritual gift is your position on the team.

It is not necessary for you to recognize your spiritual gift for you to function under it.

Prin: Function is dependent upon the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the erection of an edification complex, rather than your knowledge of your spiritual gift.

For divine production from your spiritual gift, you need the filling of the Holy Spirit and the transfer of Gnosis (knowledge) in the mind into epignosis (full knowledge) in the human spirit.

Spiritual gifts are the Father’s organised witness (not personal witness) to the plan of salvation — Heb 2:4.

In the Old Testament Heb 2:4 says God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Point 4. The attitude toward your spiritual gifts is given in Romans 12:3.

Point 5. One is not to feel inferior or superior because It is a gift.

Possession of a spiritual gift does not indicate merit or spirituality.

And that is because a “Gift” connotes grace. (Paul was the worst sinner, 1Ti 1:12, who ever lived and he had several gifts).

Point 6.  There are two categories of spiritual gifts:

  1. a) Permanent:  Which exist throughout the Church Age.
  2. b) Temporary:  Those between the day of Pentecost and the completed canon of scripture — approximately 35-95 AD. Most were spectacular.

 

Temporary gifts were used by God to focus attention on the message of the Gospel — Heb 2:4.

Point 7. Identification.

No spiritual gifts are given until after the ascension — the Lord Jesus Christ provided spiritual gifts — Eph 4:8-11.

You do not seek spiritual gifts. Be satisfied with the one you have.

Spiritual gifts in order of merit (all spectacular): 1Co 12:28-30.

Apostles: Temporary gift, necessary when the canon was incomplete in order to carry the church through those difficult days.

The gift of absolute spiritual dictatorship was set aside with the completed canon of scripture, the canon now being the absolute authority.

No one now has authority over more than one church.Apostles

  1. Prophets: gift of both: 1. Foretelling - temporary;
  2. Forthtelling — permanent.
  1. Teachers: Permanent.
  2. e) Miracles: Temporary (Person’s faith not involved)
  3. f) Healings: Temporary (person’s faith not involved)
  1. Then there are the following type of gifts.
  2. Physiological;
  3. Mental;
  4. Demon induced illness.
  1. Helps: Permanent — gift of administration.
  2. Governments:
  3. Permanent
  4. Gifts of administration.
  1. Diversities of tongues:

1Co 12:31 introduces chapter 13” “but covet” (as a church) “the best gifts.”

Prophecy verses, tongues, subject of chapter 14. “more excellent way”: This is love produced through the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: The possession of a spiritual gift does not mean spirituality.

Principle:  If the Corinthians, with all their carnality could have more people with spectacular spiritual gifts, then there is definitely no correlation between possessing a certain type of spiritual gift and spirituality.

One of the abuses in the Corinthians church was that there were many people speaking in tongues and they felt that they were the spiritual giants in the assembly.

Point 8.  Spiritual Gifts:  Healings, Miracles, Faith as Temporary Spiritual Gifts.

The purpose of healing and miracles was to call attention to the message given by the person.

Healings:  The ability to heal at will. The recipient’s faith was not required either — Acts 19:11-12.

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