Tuesday: The Exalted Christ, Giver of Gifts
“However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say,
‘When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.’”
“Notice that it says ‘he ascended.’ This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself” (Ephesians 4:7-10, NLT). What is happening here, and what is Paul’s point in these verses?
Paul here quoted Psalm 68:18, which reads: “When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you” (NLT). Psalm 68:18 portrays the Lord, Yahweh, as a conquering general who, having conquered His enemies, ascends the hill on which His capital city is built, with the captives of battle in His train (see Psalm 68:1-2).
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
He then receives tribute (“received gifts”) from His conquered foes (noting that Paul adjusts this imagery to the exalted Christ “giving gifts,” based on the wider context of the Psalm, see Psalm 68:35).
If we follow the order of Psalm 68:18, the ascent — Christ’s ascension to heaven (Ephesians 1:21-23) — occurs first, followed by the descent in which the risen, exalted Jesus gives gifts and fills all things. This is Paul’s way of depicting the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:1-47). This view is confirmed by Ephesians 4:11-12, which identify the gifts provided by the exalted Jesus as gifts of the Spirit.
“Christ ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. When, after Christ’s ascension, the Spirit came down as promised, like a rushing, mighty wind, filling the whole place where the disciples were assembled, what was the effect? Thousands were converted in a day.” — Ellen G. White, Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 158.
| However deep these few verses in Ephesians may be, how can we learn to draw comfort from what they show Christ has done for us and will do, especially when He will fill “all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:23, NLT)? |
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Jesus Christ empowers the whole church(Ephesians 1:23).He upholds everything in the heavens and on Earth.For us to extend God’s kingdom,Christ bestowed upon us various spiritual gifts in order for Him to “fill the entire universe with Himself”(Ephesians 4:10-NLT).The church will be filled and has been filled with gifts through Jesus.
We were not given the same gifts,but each believer receives his/her gifts according to His measure. We are not each other's clonesThese gifts are also varied,they are not the same.We are nearing the end,and this gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all nations,kindred and tongues.It means that each one of us has a part to play in the great commission.We are not to rely on our power or knowledge.
We are to use the gifts which he gave us as emphasized in Ephesians 4:7,it is stated twice in that verse that each one of us was given gifts or a gift.God has outpoured the Holy Spirit before at Pentecost,He is still doing the same and will do so in the future.
I was thinking of this idea of being a "clone" of others or wanting others to be a clone of us. My mind went to things that often divide us in a church setting. Music came to my mind. It is ok if some of us may enjoy Southern gospel music, some contemporary Christian, some only traditional hymns. It becomes disunity when we think that everyone else should only want traditional hymns, or only Southern gospel , or only contemporary Christian music and all else is wrong. That is where we start wanting to "clone" others into our way of thinking and get off track.
At first, this bit of scripture appears a mess until you realise that Paul is quoting from the Psalms and is reapplying it with a Christ-centred focus to both Jews and Gentiles. It is actually inclusive pastoring, ensuring that on the one hand, the Jews are being reaffirmed because of their heritage and the Gentiles are affirmed because of its inclusiveness.
It is perhaps pertinent for us to reexamine our own interaction with our "Gentiles" to ensure that our presentation of the Gospel is both Christ-centred and inclusive.
The word inclusive is very much misunderstood these days. Paul wanted the Jews to know that the Gentiles were included and welcomed to accept Christ as their Saviour as much as them. That the early church included everyone. However, in the same context, it did not mean that being "included" meant continuing Parasitical Judaism practices or pagan practices in the church setting. Anything that was not in line with God's commandments and the gospel message of Christ cannot be brought into the new church body. It is the same today, "inclusiveness" should not mean that you can bring your old lifestyle or beliefs into the church if it is not in line with God's commandments or gospel truth. We must allow for growth in new believers but newly baptized believers should have forsaken their old sinful practices and lifestyles before taking the step of baptism. We go down the wrong path when we see "inclusiveness" as accepting whatever someone brings with them from their old life and viewing it as unloving if we don't.
So, Maurice Ashton, who are "Our Gentiles"? Do you see yourself because you may have been brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist as therefore anyone who is not like you as being "A Gentile?" I was born and raised a Catholic until I was 21 years old and then I made my own choice to become a Seventh Day Adventist. I was a Gentile as a Catholic and I am still a Gentile as a Seventh Day Adventist. I have traced my genetics to British, Jew, Arab, Spanish, French and Mexican. I tell people that I am a Christian first, Seventh Day Adventist second, and Mexican third. But I am still a Gentile period.
Our Gentiles are anyone who we regard as "them" in the "them and us" divide.
Well, Maurice Ashton, thank you for this "Insight." In all my 58 plus or minus years of my Seventh Day Adventist Journey, I have never seen myself from an "Us and them," perspective at all. I have had an experience of having served as a "Deacon," and "Elder," a "Head Deacon," twice etc. and etc. I have also noticed that Seventh Day Adventist seem to fall into categories of "Off shoots" and also of "Super Conservative," and also of "Liberals," too. There are also "Vegans," and "Vegetarians," and then there are like me that do still eat "Clean Meats." But even here, I try to just deal with each person as being just what they are even though they claim to be Seventh Day Adventists or otherwise.
Am I expecting to get a special gift? If so, what am I preparing for? What has been my investment? Would I find it in studying, work, suffering, or self-denial? Gifts can only be unique when received with an open heart; the most precious gift was already given to us at the cross! How am I receiving it?
When "Christ ascended on high, leading captivity captive, and gave [spiritual] gifts unto men", this is to me one of the most important aspects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, the 'hearer of the Word of God' is enabled to not only hear 'words' without understanding their spiritual implications, but he can, through the outpoured Holy Spirit, spiritually and intellectually perceive in his/her new heart and mind the Spirit's wisdom which offers to guide every action of his/her life.
Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, the believer only knows something about the power of God's Word, but when filled with His Spirit, he will be empowered to comprehend and live the new life of the power of God's Light. I see this to be the real change which comes to fill our heart and mind - we cannot just know 'about' our heavenly Father and His Son, we need to personally experience them.
And this is exactly what the indwelling Holy Spirit achieves in us - a personally experienced relationship based on The Spirit of Truth and His Light revealed to us according to the Father's Will. Jesus Christ's Spirit of Truth, being based on the Will of the Father, reveals to all members of the Ekklesia their individual gifts through faith - John 16:12-14; John14:26; John 14:17; 1 John 5:6; 1 Tim.4:1.
I believe it is a mistake to believe that the Holy Spirit was not active in believers before Pentecost.
We know that the Holy Spirit was active at creation, and the Holy Spirit inspired various prophets. More than that, Jesus taught that being "born of the Spirit" is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5-8) Thus, all believers who have ever lived or will ever lived are dependent on the Holy Spirit for life now and in the eternal Kingdom. When David sinned, he prayed earnestly that God would not take His Holy Spirit from him (Ps 51:11), because he knew that would mean eternal death. Then, as now, the Holy Spirit also enlightened the minds of believers.
What happened at Pentecost was a special outpouring of power on a particular group of people who were united in heart and mind. (But there are also records of the Holy Spirit falling on groups in the time of Saul.) It kick-started the development of the Christian church. It was different insofar as it was given to a whole group, rather than to individual believers as they were "born of the Spirit." It is parallel to the spring rains (early rain) of the agricultural year in Palestine. This rain was necessary for the crops to germinate and grow. It was followed later in the year just in time for the harvest to develop and mature. In the same way we look forward to the Holy Spirit "raining" on God's people in a powerful way a little while before the Second Coming - a time when His people will be a definable group who are of one heart and mind and love one another. I believe Zechariah and James refer to this time in Zech. 10:1 and James 1:7.
The way I see it, that will most likely happen after it becomes difficult to be an open believer because of some form of persecution. Those who do not have a true relationship with Christ will fall away, leaving only those who are truly united with Christ and thus in perfect unity, just like the believers were at Pentecost, at the outpouring of the "early rain."
While the full outpouring "latter rain" appears to be in the future, I believe the Lord is actively raining down His Spirit on earnest believers at this very moment, and He gives them power to fulfill the gospel commission and answers their prayers for healing and other important blessings.
How does God fill “all things everywhere with himself” (Ephesians 1:23, NLT)?
When Paul (then called Saul) met Jesus on the road to Damascus, on his way to capture and imprison Christians, Jesus said to him "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4) This is a very powerful verse because it tells me that Jesus identifies so closely with His followers that He actually turns us into His Body. On Earth 2000 YA, Christ had a human physical body that lived and died for us; now He is in spiritual heaven and still has on Earth another kind of physical body, His church. To hurt one of His followers is to hurt Jesus Himself, and to love of of His followers is to love Jesus Himself. There are some other verses to support this, such as in 1 John 4:20, 5:2: "If you can't love a brother whom you can see, how can you love God whom you can't see?" In Matt. 25:35-36, Jesus says, "I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick...." and then explained that anything done for "My brethren" is done to Himself (Matt. 25:40). 1 Cor. 6:14-17 also shows us that members of Christ - of His Church - join Him to whatever we are joined to. And whoever receives us - His body members - receives Him (Matt. 10:40).
It is for us not to just fill our minds with knowledge of God, but to fill our homes, towns, churches, workplaces with the reality of Christ Himself...to do His works and to be His arms, legs, mouth, countenance, for the reached people and the unreached. God's process and end-goal is to fill the whole world and universes with His Son through us.
The sort-of confusing passage in Eph. 4:8-10 (echoed in Eph. 1:20-22) in this context shows me that Jesus is able to fill all things because He rose from death and ascended into heaven to receive authority as the "conquering general" over all things. Every being - both good and evil - are subject to Jesus whether or not they acknowledge Him right now.... and Jesus, with all that power and authority over evil, is Head of His Body, the church because this is the people who have said "yes" to His authority. The church is already victorious over evil when led by its Head (Rom. 8:37).
To explore a bit more this fact that Jesus filling all things is also saying Jesus rules all things.... Jesus may assert Himself and His powers and rights and authority as much as He pleases in all things. He will make Himself fully known in every place. Eventually every place, even the darkest demon-filled places, will be filled with His authority and wisdom and the knowledge of Him. His character - His glory - will be all, in all. And we, the church, is how Christ is filling all things. We are to be the showcase of all God's perfections. We are on display as the embodiment of Jesus. Is the church to show the exalted King Jesus or the suffering servant Jesus, or both?
Our lesson uses the word "comfort".... Is this a comfort to be the image of Christ in the world? Or an overwhelming responsibility and awesome calling and destiny? Or both? How does this fact that we are Christ's earthly Body motivate us to minister to one another, as the body parts of a smoothly running healthy organism does... and as an equally important work as the outward thrust of evangelizing?
I would venture on to say that aside from Jesus Himself, The best "Spiritual Gifts," are the "Fruit of the Holy Spirit." Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Meekness, Goodness, Temperance, Faith, Honesty, Loyalty, Purity, etc. and etc. for even the Apsotle Paul goes on to say that against these there is no law. And I would also go on to say that towards these we have "A Lfetime to develop them."
So now I have a question: if we do not have "a lifetime" to develop the "Fruit of the Spirit," and somehow we are to develope them before Jesus shows up, I would like to meet all who have already arrived to manifesting these characteristics and without "one single flaw," in their own lives, moment by moment, 8 hours a day, 24 hours a day 365 days a year "Now?"