Spiritual Gifts

B The Baptism

A The Body. Illustration - eye, hand, head, feet.

The apostle in verse 18 says of the gifts "But now hath God set" and resumes his argument in verse 28 with the

words "And God hath set"; the eye, hand, head and feet, giving place now to apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles,

gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues, of which they were figures; the members of a body.

Any reader who possesses one or more of these "gifts" may have a basis upon which to rest his claim to be

represented here, but how can an honest believer, who is entirely destitute of any such spiritual gift deceive himself

and attempt to deceive his fellows? We note one more feature in this chapter. These gifts are enumerated in a

special order:

"God hath set some in the church,

SECONDARILY Prophets,

... then gifts of healings etc." (12:28).

Whereas in Ephesians 4:11 this order is given:

"He gave

SOME,

apostles; and

SOME,

prophets; and

SOME,

evangelists; and

SOME,

pastors and teachers;

for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ".

There are three items of importance here:

The One Who gave THESE gifts is the ASCENDED Lord. The "twelve" were appointed on earth (Matt. 10).

(2) The addition of the "evangelist" suggests that a different order of ministry is in view.

(3) There is a notable omission, miraculous gifts in the church are entirely foreign to the epistles of Paul written after

Acts 28.

Neither 1 Corinthians 12, nor Romans 12:4-8 can be explained satisfactorily apart from the presence of "spiritual

gifts" concerning which the apostle said "I would not have you ignorant" (1 Cor. 12:1). The title of the church "The

body of Christ" is unknown outside of Paul's prison epistles, and its introduction elsewhere can result only in

confusion. The epistles which use this and similar titles are Ephesians and Colossians, and while both epistles speak

of Christ as Head, Ephesians lays stress upon the Body and Colossians lays stress upon the Head. This is but to say

that both epistles bring the same truth to light but view it from two points of view. The bulk of the references in

Ephesians are found in the practical section (Eph. 4 to 6). The first reference in Ephesians flows out of the

revelation that the apostle received of the supreme position occupied by Christ at His Ascension. He is set forth as

"Raised from the dead, and set at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and

power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is

to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which

is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:20-23).

While "heaven" and "heavenly" are met in other parts of the New Testament, this expression "in heavenly places"

en tois epouraniois occurs only in Ephesians, and for those who appreciate the note, it does NOT occur in the LXX.

From these references, we learn among other things that these heavenly places are "at the right hand of God" (Eph.

1:20); that they are the sphere in which the blessings of the church of the one Body are to be enjoyed (Eph. 1:3); and

that it is the extraordinary privilege of this company to be reckoned to be seated together in this glorious sphere

(Eph. 2:6). Of no other company is it said that they were chosen in Christ "BEFORE the foundation of the world",

and nowhere throughout the whole range of Scripture has a church ever been called: