may give.  The gift of Christ, which is the `measure', must not be confounded

with the `gifts' possessed by the early church during the Acts.  If we omit the

parenthesis of verses 8-10, we shall find that the gifts are specially qualified

men, and not gifts to individuals:

`But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the

gift of Christ ... and He gave some, apostles (not apostolic gifts); and

some, prophets (not the gift of prophecy); and some, evangelists; and

some, pastors and teachers' (Eph. 4:7,11).

This fourfold ministry must be looked upon as the gift of the ascended

Christ to the church of the One Body, and viewed in a different light from the

gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit among the saints during the period of the

Acts of the Apostles.  Gifts of persons rather than gifts to persons seems to

express the difference.  There is, however, one thing common to all the gifts,

whether of the earlier or later dispensations.  In Ephesians 4:7 it is indicated

by the word `measure'; in Romans 12:6 the same principle is found in the word

`differing'; in 1 Corinthians 12:11 it is indicated by the word `severally'; in

Matthew 25:15 it is seen in the expression `several ability'.  Let us see these

verses together:

`But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the

gift of Christ' (Eph. 4:7).

`Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,

whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith'

(Rom. 12:6).

`But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every

man severally as He will' (1 Cor. 12:11).

`And unto one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to

every man according to his several ability' (Matt. 25:15).

There is great comfort here in the midst of this atmosphere of

responsibility.  While the Lord expected the man who had five talents to produce

another five talents, He was just as pleased with the man who had produced two

talents with his original two.  And had the servant who had but one talent

produced another one, he too would have received the `well done', and have

entered into the joy of his Lord.  lt is evident that the principle of

percentage is recognized by the Lord.  The apostle is under the great

responsibility of rightly using the apostolic gift, but we, who have no such

gift, need not feel concerned because our experiences and the results of our

labours do not appear comparable with those of Paul.  If we are as faithful as

he was in any small degree, the `well done' is equally assured.  Therefore let

us not merely think of the gift, but also of the `measure of the gift', and

according to that measure seek to fulfil the purpose and good pleasure of the

How often we find those without the necessary qualifications, occupied in

evangelistic work when their `measure' is that of teaching, organizing,

interceding or what not.  Again, let us give a deaf ear to that bane of the

Christian worker, the busybody, who is always telling us what we `ought to do'.

The Lord knows whether He wants us to be preaching to the unsaved, teaching the

saints, ministering to the sick, serving with our hands, or using the pen, or