Teachers of God's Word Are God's Gift To Us

We've been taking another look at spiritual gifts in the body of Christ, the church. We turn now to the second pair of texts commonly used in any discussion of gifts. However, before we go further it is vital that we take a look at the several Greek words translated into English as gift.

• Charisma—What is usually called a spiritual gift (1 Cor. 1:7, 12:4-31), including faith, healing, prophecy, tongues, etc. Love (Agape) is the greatest of the three eternal gifts that include faith and hope (1 Cor. 13:13). 
• Charisma—Also used to speak of salvation. The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 5:15-16, 6:23). Refers to God's mercy toward both Jews and Gentiles. He is the Giver of all things (Rom. 11:29-36). 
• Dōma—Gifts parents give to their children (Matt. 7:11). Sometimes gifts are given and receivers are expected to return the favor (Phil. 4:17), something Paul did not seek. 
• Dōsis—Gifts churches give to support others (Phil. 4:15). A good thing, like Doma, that comes down from God the Father (James 1:17; Matt. 7:11). 
• Dōron—God's free gift is that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8; Rom 3:24). Because we have received this gift by grace (charis), in gratitude and praise we offer back our lives (bodies) to God as as living sacrifices  (Rom. 12:1). 
• Dōrehma—Any free gift, also called a complete or perfect gift, from the heavenly Father (James 1:17; Rom. 5:16). 
• Dōrea—The Holy Spirit, the living water (John 4:10; Acts 2:38). Grace is also called a Dōrea (Rom 3:24, 5:15). 

The Apostles and Evangelists exhaust their vocabulary in speaking about gifts in order to emphasize that everything, everything we have is a gift, undeserved, unearned and certainly something that can never be given back to God as a way of earning His mercy and forgiveness. As Paul says, 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. - Rom 11:33-36 ESV (cf. Job 41:11). 

With this clearly in mind, we turn to Ephesians 4. We have each received God's grace, says the Apostle. How and when God measures out that grace is in God's hands. Whatever gifts we have are truly gifts, unearned and undeserved (Eph.4:7). We are therefore urged to use our gifts to serve one another as stewards or managers. So Peter writes, confirming what Paul has said,

As each has received a gift (charisma), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: - 1Pe 4:10 ESV

 Paul continues, 

Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts (Dōmata) to men." (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) - Eph 4:8-10 ESV

What particular gifts (Dōmata) does the ascended Christ give to His people, His body, the church? He lists four groups of people:

1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Evangelists
4. Shepherd-teachers (pastors)

Remember how Paul emphasizes the importance of Apostles, Prophets and Teachers in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12:28)? These people bring the Word of God to the Body. The Spirit works through that Word to create, sustain and strengthen faith in Christ (Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 4:15). Faith in Christ is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God's gift. All and everything is God's gift. And since God does everything through His Word, those called to proclaim and teach God's Word are
absolutely essential to the body. Their task, writes the Apostle, is

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 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, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. - Eph 4:12-16 ESV

The body is how Christ manifests Himself here on this earth (1 Cor. 12:27). This body is a living organism made up of many members. The head of the body is Christ Himself (Eph. 5:23). We each are members of His body, joined and held together by the joints, the places and times where and when we come together. Nurtured and nourished by the Spirit through the Word, we grow together into Christ. And as the body of Christ we strive together to share the message of God's love so that others too may receive the grace of God.

Part of the difficulty we face in dealing with this particular text in the context of our discussion of spiritual gifts is the disagreement about this list of four gifts. Are they offices in the church? Are the bishops or overseers (Acts 20:28) the people who have inherited the office of the apostles? Did Christ establish a distinctive ordering of those called into these offices? And what about those spiritual gifts discovery tools that suggest that any member of the church may potentially have the gift of pastor or teacher or prophet or apostle?

To answer these and related questions would take us far, far afield. We'd have to review the long history of clergy vs. laity, the teaching about vocations and callings and the distinctions between various levels of clergy. I'm not going there. Perhaps another day.

Suffice it to say for now that in Ephesians 4 Paul emphasizes the vital importance of those who proclaim and teach the Word of God in the body of Christ. Through those gifted by the Holy Spirit and called to these tasks the Spirit strengthens and grows the body to maturity. These people are gifts for which we give thanks and praise to God. We could not survive without them.