Wednesday: Gifts of the Exalted Jesus
Drawing on Psalm 68:18, Paul has just described the risen, exalted, conquering Jesus as giving gifts to His people from on high. What “gifts” does the exalted Jesus give, and for what purpose? Ephesians 4:11-13.
Paul identifies four groups of “gifted” people as part of the treasure trove of the exalted Jesus that He gives to His church: (1) apostles; (2) prophets; (3) evangelists; (4) shepherds (ESV) and teachers (the structure of the Greek phrase suggests these are a single group).
Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com
Christ gives these gifts to accomplish important work: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, ESV) and “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, ESV).
This last point was of special importance to early Adventists, who were reflecting on the spiritual gifts of Ellen G. White. Does the Bible validate the functioning of the gift of prophecy in the church only during the time of the apostles? Or does the gift continue until the return of Christ? The early Adventists found their answer in Ephesians 4:13 and shared it through a story about the captain of a ship who was bound to follow the instructions provided for a voyage. As the ship neared port, the captain found that the instructions informed him that a pilot would come on board to help guide the vessel. To remain true to the original instructions, he must allow the pilot to board and obey the further guidance offered. “Who now heed that original book of directions? Those who reject the pilot, or those who receive him, as that book instructs them? Judge ye.” — Uriah Smith, “Do We Discard the Bible by Endorsing the Visions?” Review and Herald, January 13, 1863, p. 52.
We should be careful when we identify “shepherds” (or “pastors”), “teachers,” and “evangelists,” since we think of these positions within our own context and time. As far as we are able to determine, in Paul’s day these would all have been lay leaders who were serving the house churches of Ephesus (compare 1 Peter 2:9, Acts 2:46, Acts 12:12).
| Read Isaiah 5:4: “What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?” (NKJV). Think about this verse in the context of what God has given us in the ministry of Ellen G. White. How does it apply? |
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When I first became involved in personal computers we typically made them from parts that we bought separately. We would buy the case, the power supply, the motherboard, the floppy disk drives (who remember those), the hard disk, the keyboard, the monitor the interface boards, and the mouse, often from separate suppliers. We would spend hours putting them all together and making them work. I enjoyed it, and it was very satisfying to turn it all on and see it come to life. The interesting part, for the purposes of this illustration, is that all the parts are necessary for a functioning computer. You could stop the whole process in its tracks if a bit or wire did not have the right end on it. Or, if you found yourself a couple of nuts short when mounting some hard disks.
The point is that every bit is important for a fully functioning computer. Ok, it might just limp along without some of the bits, but for a really functional computer that works continually day after day, you need all the bits.
Paul mentions a number of spiritual gifts, apostles, prophets, shepherds, and teachers. But these are examples only and are not limiting. In the computer metaphor, some of us are "nuts and bolts" and don't have a high-sounding name. In our church, we have people who stand at the door and greet people. They have happy cheerful smiles. They say "Hello" with a positive door-step personality that makes you feel glad you have come to church that day. Who is the most important: the greeters of the preachers? When we understand that in Christ, "importance" is not a descriptor of us or our station, then we are coming to a better understanding of what it means to love our fellow man.
Some of the things God has done to His Vineyard through the ministry of Ellen Gould White:
1.Advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Her advice has also been validated by science.
2.Spreading of the Gospel-She advised the church not to limits its effort in North America only. The Gospel had to be spread to the whole world. When the Gospel is spread to all the corners of the Earth, then the end will come.
3.Her writings are a guide to the Bible-“The written testimonies are not to give new light, but to impress vividly upon the heart the truths of inspiration already revealed. Man's duty to God and to his fellow man has been distinctly specified in God's word, yet but few of you are obedient to the light given. Additional truth is not brought out; but God has through the Testimonies simplified the great truths already given and in His own chosen way brought them before the people to awaken and impress the mind with them, that all may be left without excuse. The Testimonies are not to belittle the word of God, but to exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of truth may impress all.”-Counsels For The Church Page 92 by Ellen Gould White.
Thank God we are all different! And we all have different talents! When talents are used to do good, especially for others, we accomplish what these gifts were given us for. According to the Word, these exceptional gifts we all have (some 1, some 5, or even more) can be multiplied, and for that, it is necessary to use first what we have intensively and let the Giver guide us through. Ultimately, we want to be called "good and faithful servants"!
As I study the lesson this week, the question that comes to my mind is, "why am I a member of my church, or more specifically, why do I go to church?" In 1 Cor 12:11, Paul goes into more details about spiritual gifts in the church. The important point that he makes is that the Holy Spirit looks at the needs of the church and He gives the gifts. When the church embraces these gifts, the members will come up to God's standards. So as a member of the church, my status in church must be a dynamic one, meaning, that I can't be the same person year after year without spiritual growth. According to the lesson, this spiritual growth is designed to be fertilized by the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church. So, the question I have to ask myself is, "am I using my spiritual gifts to fertilize to spiritual growth of other members of my church, and is my spiritual growth being fertilized by the spiritual gifts of other church members?" Notice that Paul did not say that our spiritual growth should be dependent upon one or two spiritual gifts. It is designed to grow on the collective gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to the church. So, back to my original question, "what is my purpose as a member of my church?" Eph 4:14 says that when these principles are embraced, we as members will be solidified in the church and will not be easily tossed to and fro.
There have been times I haven’t understood the Bible but her writings inspired me with the message of hope.
Eph.4:13 gives me an interesting insight into the work by the Holy Spirit to mature the believer. I observe that:
Firstly - this passage indicates that all believers mature after they first believe, which lasts until the time when life comes to an end.
Secondly - this passage describes the reason why we keep on growing in our faith - namely: “till we come to the unity of the faith AND the knowledge of the Son of God.”
Thirdly, this indicates to me that the believer receives increased insight/knowledge as we mature in understanding the Light of Truth revealed by the Holy Spirit which transforms us toward “a perfect man’ measured by “the stature of the 'fullness of Christ'”.
It appears to me that Ellen White was gifted discernment/spiritual insight, as well as knowledge and understanding regading the past, present, and to foresee certain developments regarding the future of the local and universal Ekklesia and its need to mature their faith. All spiritual gifts/abilities gifted to her to benefit the education/maturation of the Ekklesia – the whole Body of Christ, locally and universally.
I see each local Body of Christ to select from its own ranks, guided by the Holy Spirit, gifted man and women having the gifts to “shepherd/pastor”, “teach”, and “evangelize”; all chosen to help with equipping the saints to mature in their faith into the “fullness of Christ.”
These spiritually inspired and practically employed gifts cannot be turned into “offices” and the gifted persons into “office holders”. All remain members of the Body of Christ of the local Ekklesia - all share equally in the spiritual unity which the Spirit of Christ establishes in His Body.
Therefore, all members of the Body of Christ are blessed as the individual member shares its gift and so helps strengthen the whole Body of Christ – locally as well as its universally.
As far as Ellen G. White writings and ministry to the Seventh Day Adventist Church and me specifically, I see her ministry and writings as an addition to "The Testimony of Jesus," of our "Last Days" that we now live in and also to "The Church in the Wilderness," that is spoken of by the Apostle John of his book of Revelation, "The Last book of the Bible." But even in her own counsels she very clearly says to go by "The Bible" and the "Bible only." And also to not make her writings to even come close to that. But that the Bible is and always be our "Greater Light," to guide and light our way till He comes.