| Chapter 12 |
So then, my brothers, because of God's great mercy to us I
appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God,
dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him.
The words <so then> or <therefore> tie this verse back to what
Paul has previously talked about. Paul appeals to the Gentiles,
or the few Jews that God would call, because of His mercies. As
he had shown before, God had determined to temporarily
forsake the Jews so the Gentiles could come in. From that point
on, God would be calling individuals, not a whole nation to
repentance. Therefore, anyone who had been called was
receptive of the mercy of God. So in view of God's great mercy,
one should respond accordingly.
And how was that individual to respond? He was to present
himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. How
does one do that? How does one become a living sacrifice for
God? One does not take himself to the temple and become a
blood sacrifice by having his throat slit. A living sacrifice in the
Old Covenant was an animal brought before the priest, which
had its throat slit. The blood gushed out. The blood and the
animal were used in some way as a sacrifice for God.
But Paul is saying that we need to become a sacrifice of greater
value than a living animal that cannot reason. We are to be holy
and acceptable to God. What does it mean to be holy? Peter
answers that question in the passage of Scripture below. We are
to be <obedient>, not building our character according to the
lusts that we had before when we were ignorant! In all conduct
we are to be holy, for God is holy. And it was the holy sacrifice
of His Son that purchased us. We are to be holy because God is
holy. Peter is explaining that we must keep the law in order to
be holy. All vices are to be overcome. We are to become
perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect, as the Messiah
explained.
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Paul said that this is acceptable to God and beyond that, it is
your logical duty to God. There is nothing over-bearing about
this request. It is reasonable and furthermore it is pleasing to
God. It is exactly what God would have us do. It takes about
the same amount of energy to be good as it does to be evil. God
has not asked us to do something beyond our means. With the
holy spirit, we can keep the law in the spirit, and it is our rational
duty to God.
Paul had two different audiences and therefore, two different
perspectives from his listeners on this statement. The Jews
would have seen this statement in light of the Temple Worship.
The Gentiles would have seen this statement in light of the pagan
and idol worship they had come out of. In either case, it would be
the rational thing to worship God and live their lives with godly
character according to the royal law.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.
Do not be conformed to the standard of this world, but allow God
to transform your mind. In that way, you will come to know first-
hand what is good and acceptable and perfect according to God's
standard.
Paul is now getting down to the nuts and bolts of how the
believer is supposed to live. He told us above that it was
reasonable for us to live holy lives before God. Here he tells us
that we are to forsake the world and all its corruption for God's
standard of living. We are to allow God to renew our minds.
This word <renewing> means a renewal, a complete change for
the better. If you are still clinging to the world and its ways, you
have not gotten the picture. There is to be a <complete change>
from what we were to what we are to become! If one forsakes
the world's standard, and allows God through His holy spirit to
completely change his mind, he is then a new creature - as Paul
says in another place.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This is not something that happens to us without any thought on
our part! This is something that takes place, as we yield to
God's way and battle against the wrong way. God does not do
these things for us, but He helps us to overcome sin. If God does
these things for us, why are we not all perfect already? No!
God helps us just as little as possible so we can win against sin.
It is much like a body-builder lifting a weight to build his body. It
has been found that if someone is standing by that will give just a
small amount of help the weight lifter can become stronger and
stronger until the weight he could not lift earlier is now within his
reach. You wonder why you have to come back to God so many
times for the same sin? It is because God is not standing there
lifting the weight for you, but He is just adding a small touch so
you can grow stronger against this sin. One day, if you persist,
you will overcome that sin! And persistence is what God is
looking for. God wants sons who have tenacity against sin!
After our minds have become changed completely, or only to a
certain point, we see proof that what is good and acceptable and
perfect to God is right. God's standard becomes our standard
and we are well on our way to becoming holy before God. This is
our reasonable service to God. This is the rational conduct we
are to have in our lives.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of
you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.
Instead, appraise yourself with self-control, according to the
degree of faith God has imparted to each man.
Beginning with verse 3, Paul turns his attention to gifts in the
church and how we are to respond and relate to one another with
these gifts.
In this passage, Paul begins by mentioning the gift that God had
given to him. Paul is not speaking of the grace of loving-kindness
of God in respect to justification for his sins, in this verse.
Rather, Paul is referring to the gift of his apostleship, which
came from God. He has acknowledged before that God called
him into this apostleship and we have the story related in the
Scriptures of this occasion.
Paul is exhorting the brothers to be circumspect about the gift
that God gives to each one of them individually. He began with
the acknowledgment that his gift was from God. In other words,
Paul gives God the glory for his gift as an example to others who
had, or would be given, a particular gift.
Paul then gives exhortation concerning how one is to think of
himself when God's gift to him begins to blossom. There would
be the temptation to feel that one was <somebody> because of
the gift. One is to be sober, thinking with self-control in regard
to a gift that God has given to him. God determines to whom He
will give any particular gift. We do not all have the same gift!
And those who have similar gifts do not have them to the same
degree. In relationship to a gift, God measures out the amount
of faith He will allow the person to have.
You see, in God's wisdom, He realizes that the man's salvation is
more important than any gift beyond the gift of justification. A
gift is given to any man because it will help to edify (build up) the
church. If the man can remain humble, so that his own salvation
is not in jeopardy, then God can use him to continue to edify the
church. But if he gets puffed up, thinking more of himself than
he should, God will see that he is diminished for the good of his
own salvation.
1Cor 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts,
seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Another thought we should see in this verse is that one should not
measure himself with others in regard to gifts. The gift is God's
doing. God determines how much faith one can have in
relationship to his gift. Faith in one's gift determines how far
that gift will go to edify the church. We should look to God for
our salvation and if any man can help us to do that we should be
thankful that God has provided such edification for us. In other
words, there should be no competition between gifts that are
handed out to God's people by His grace, favor, or loving-
kindness.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among
you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to
think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.
We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have
different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we
are one body in the Messiah. And we are all joined to each other
as different parts of one body.
In these two verses, Paul is explaining a concept that many have
vocalized, but few seem to correctly understand. The Messiah is
the head of this figurative body. I say figurative, because Paul is
not referring to some local church group, or some large
organization. Paul is speaking of the entire church all over the
world. Paul is speaking of the whole church. Otherwise, we
would have one head, but many bodies!
Paul is using an analogy of the body to explain how the believers
are to relate to one another, especially in the matter of gifts.
The word <members> relates to <parts> of the body. The word
<office> relates to a function. Paul is not trying to establish
offices in the body of the Messiah!
Just as our physical body is made up of many different parts,
some seen and some unseen, even so the entire body of the
Messiah is made up of the many believers. And we are not
scattered with one part over here and another part over there!
How could Paul make such a statement? Today, some can not
accept Paul's concept. The reason some have difficulty in
accepting this concept is because they don't recognize the
Messiah as the head of this body!
God is the one doing the work of God. That is the reason that it
is called the <work of God>! If it were the work of man, it would
be called the work of man! God gives gifts to those whom He
chooses and gives a degree of faith to the person that has the gift
so he can exercise that gift. The degree of faith given to the man
is based on how much the man can be given without it going to his
head! The gift is the basis of the body's edification.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the favor
that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we
should do it according to the proportion of our faith.
Paul says that we are to exercise the gift according to the loving-
kindness given to us from God. In other words, we should not try
to be a preacher unless God has given us that gift! We should
not try to teach if God has not given us that gift! Each one of us
has been given a gift from God. We should find out what that
gift is and exercise that gift.
If our gift is to "prophesy" we should prophesy! The word
<prophecy> can refer to just plain preaching, or it can refer to
foretelling the future. It could also be a gift of understanding and
explaining prophecy of the Bible. Some have this gift - some do
not. Every teacher cannot explain prophecy. Some teachers try
to do so and their explanations do not materialize according to
what they preached! This is what we call a false prophet. And
prophecy is not given so we can foretell the future in all of its
details.
Each person must exercise his gift according to the proportion of
faith given to him. A person's faith will determine how far he will
go, how bravely he will proceed in using his gift.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
If our gift is to serve, we should serve. If our gift is to teach, we
should teach. If our gift is to encourage others, we should do so.
Whoever shares with others should do it generously. Whoever
has authority should work hard. Whoever shows kindness to
others should do it cheerfully.
In this section, Paul continues with the different gifts in the
body. The word <ministry> is better-translated <service>. Some
people have the gift of serving others. If that is the case, he
should serve according to the proportion of his faith. The
translators added the words “let us wait”. The sense is that if
service is our gift, we should exercise that gift. Of course, this
can be broken down into two different categories: Service that
has been appointed and natural service. Deacons were appointed
to do service for certain areas, such as taking care of the
widows. When the believers are scattered in the physical sense
as we are today, if one has been given the gift of serving he
should exercise that gift according to his proportion of faith.
A person that has been given the gift of teaching should teach.
One thought we should mention here is that none of these gifts
are to be voted on by the “church”. One does not vote on
whether a person has been given a gift from God! God expects
the person to exercise whatever gift has been given to him. A
teacher may have to go to the world in order to exercise his gift.
Paul's gift was an apostleship to the Gentiles. He didn't do much
good when preaching to the Jews. He finally realized where his
gift was and turned to the Gentiles and left the Jews alone.
The gift of exhortation is singled out as a particular gift. This is
a gift to encourage others. It has the connotation of being able
to entreat others, to instruct them in a comforting way. It has an
element of begging and beseeching in the definition. Some of
these gifts overlap to a degree. One may be a teacher and do so
in an exhorting sort of way. One may teach in a prophetic sort of
way. The prophet is one who is dreaded because he lays down
the law in no uncertain terms and leaves the individual to
determine whether he will go the right way or the wrong way.
The teacher who exhorts may teach the law, but he does so in a
pleading sort of way to get others to respond. Both types are
needed, and we should be appreciative of all these gifts.
Some have the gift of giving. They are to do that giving with
simplicity. In other words, one is to give with honesty, sincerity,
and generously according to the proportion of faith given to him.
If one has been given the gift of authority, he should be diligent
in his gift. I know that many in the church today don't like to
hear about authority. But the church cannot function properly
unless some are given this gift. We know that the Messiah
admonished His disciples that they were not to be over-lords of
each other. There is a difference in having the gift of authority
and using it for the edifying of the believers and doing so for
one's own gain. Remember that Paul has already admonished
that each is to not think more highly of himself then he should.
He has told each recipient of a gift to be careful to not over-
estimate himself in his gift.
But we can see what has happened to some believers. Because
there is no authority, each is going his own way; each is doing
that which is right in his own eyes. Nothing is being
accomplished, and nothing will be accomplished because no one is
willing to recognize the gift of authority! God's work is
continuing, but the gifts are not being accepted very well because
we are fighting against each other rather than otherwise. Among
the Independents, this gift seems to be lacking. Perhaps God has
not administered this gift for the present so we can all take stock
of ourselves and realize that He is the head, not some man.
After the abuse of this gift in the recent past, perhaps we need
an absence of this gift for the time being. There is a time to
gather, and there is a time to scatter! In any case, the Messiah is
the head. He is the one in final authority and any gift of
authority must be administered in love under Him.
Any gift of authority in man would be for the good of the
believers, not for some personal gain. Because those in the
organized groups are using this gift for their own gain, God is not
giving very much faith to them and their gift is not going very far.
Those who have the gift of compassion, or mercy should exercise
that gift with cheerfulness or readiness of mind. In other words,
he should be ready to use his gift.
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on
teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with
cheerfulness.
In this section, Paul exhorted us to become holy before God. He
explained that this was a very rational expectation for the
believer. In other words, we are to live according to the law of
God. Notice that this is something that we must do, <with>
God's help. God does not live our lives for us. We are expected
to do our part.
We are expected to <allow> God to change our minds
completely. God will not do this against our will and desire.
Furthermore, God does not do this in some sort of magical way
for us. There is a working relationship that we develop with
God. Prayer and desire must be a part of our psyche in order to
learn how to yield to God. It is a continuous, lifetime process. It
is an ebb and flow process in our life. Sometimes we are close to
God and sometimes we are farther away. But as time goes on
we should be getting closer and closer to God. We have been
given a mind that can think and reason for a very real purpose.
We should use it to think about how we can overcome sin, how
we can become righteous with God's help. If we don't think
about something we can be sure that we will not find answers.
Only if we are willing to think about and meditate on God's ways
will we improve in our character. David said, Oh how I love your
law, it is my mediation all the day! It is even more important to
think about how to be righteous than to think about how to
<avoid> evil. For the way to avoid evil is to be righteous.
With verse 3, Paul begins an exhortation to those who have a gift
from God. They are to realize where that gift came from so that
their self-value will not get out of proportion to reality! All
should realize that if we do well with what we have, God would
give us more. But if we allow the senses to become tainted with
self-importance, God will begin to take away our gift.
In order for the believers to work properly together, Paul gave
an analogy of the church as the human body and its many parts.
Each member is to use the gift given to him in the proportion to
the faith given to him for that gift. He is not to compare his gift
with the gift of others. He is just to exercise the gift he has been
given according to the degree given him.
Paul then goes into the various gifts and explains a little about
each one. But, the rules common to all the gifts are #1) God
gives the gift. #2) God determines the degree of the gift
according to the amount of faith given to exercise the gift. #3)
The gift is to be for the edifying of the believers. #4) Each one is
to be diligent in his gift. #5) No one is to compare himself to
another in the same or a different gift. #6) Each one is to be
humble in the execution of his gift. #7) The gifts are for the good
of the whole body.
A question was asked concerning the gift of authority. Many find
it difficult to believe that God would give such a gift. How are
we to understand this gift?
The word used in Romans 12:8 is Strong's #4291. This word
appears in the NT 8 times. Four times this word is used in the
first book of Timothy. It might be good to go back and see what
was said in the Timothy Commentaries concerning the verses
where this word appeared. Let's look at the definition of this
word, first.
Remember that these gifts are for the edifying of the church.
And they are gifts that are given from God, to a human. The
word used for <rule> means to set or place before, or over. To
superintend, or preside over. To be a protector or guardian in
the sense of ruling. To give aid, care for, or give attention to in
the sense of ruling.
It also means to rule over one's occupation with honesty. But in
any case, the word means <rule>. Anyone who rules must have
authority to do so. In today's social climate, it sounds better to
the ears to use the word, leadership. Americans don't like to
hear about anyone ruling over them, or having authority over
them! But even a leader cannot lead unless he has the authority
to do so. In order to lead, one must exercise authority. But this
is authority given as a gift from God. And if God gives the gift,
He would need to also supply those who would be willing to
accept that rule!
As many are fed-up with authority, and fed-up with rule, it will be
unlikely that such a gift will blossom in this climate. However, it
could be that our unwillingness to submit would keep us from
recognizing such an authority.
*******************************************************
4291 proisthmi proistemi pro-is'-tay-mee
from 4253 and 2476; TDNT-6:700, *;v
AV-rule 5, maintain 2, be over 1; 8
1) to set or place before
1a) to set over
1b) to be over, to superintend, preside over
1c) to be a protector or guardian
1c1) to give aid
1d) to care for, give attention to
1d1) profess honest occupations
*******************************************************
In Romans 12:8, ruling is mentioned as a gift and it is to be done
with diligence. In 1Thessalonians 5:12 we are told to know them
that labor among us and are <over> us in the Lord. We are told
that these who are <over> us do admonish us.
Romans 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him
do it with simplicity; he that ruleth <4291>, with diligence; he that
sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labour among you, and are over <4291> you in the Lord, and admonish
you;
In 1Timothy 3:4-5 Paul discusses the qualifications of an elder or
bishop. He was to <rule> his own family well. His children were
to be in subjection with all gravity. Then we are told why this is
to be the case. If he does not know how to <rule> his own family,
how shall he take care of the church of God?
In 1Tim 3:12 we are told that deacons are also to <rule> their
children and families well.
1 Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth <4291> well his own house, having his
children in subjection with all gravity;
1 Timothy 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule <4291> his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling
<4291> their children and their own houses well.
In 1Timothy 5:17 we are told that elders who <rule> well are to
be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in
the word and doctrine. This makes a direct link between ruling
and taking care of the church of God.
The word rule means 1.a. Governing power or its possession or
use; authority.
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule <4291> well be counted worthy of
double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
In Titus, the word is used of one ruling over himself in the area of
good works to others. These references don't directly refer to
authority over the church.
Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm
constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to
maintain <4291> good works. These things are good and profitable unto
men.
Titus 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain <4291> good works for
necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
From what can be seen from the use of the word in the New
Testament, 6 times it is used in reference either directly or
indirectly to the church. An elder is to be a man who rules over
his family well, so he can accomplish the same thing for the
church. The area of rule could be administrative, protective,
doctrinally, etc. Paul shows in Timothy that some elders rule in
the area of word and doctrine. This also lets us know that all
elders do not rule in that area. There should be several areas of
rule possible. However, it is obvious that Paul showed that some
men would be given the gift of ruling or authority! He was to
work diligently in his gift. This in no way suggests a man who has
an iron-tight fist over those that he rules. We are all free-moral
agents and must have freedom to worship God, as we understand
to worship Him. However, it does suggest that there should be
enough likeness to make possible such a leadership gift.
A person given the gift to rule, would not always be a person to
whom one should seek for counsel. Counsel should be sought
according to the problem. If one needs counseling, he should
think about his problem and determine its nature in the view to
select the best counselor possible. If the gift of ruling is
administrative, one would not want to ask such a person a
Biblical question! The area of rule will determine what he would
be knowledgeable about concerning counseling. If I had a
question about the Bible, I would ask a teacher that I trusted to
have more knowledge than myself.
The gift of rule could manifest itself in several different ways. In
today's climate, I would think that the area of administration
needs the gift of rule, in the church. Such a person would work in
concert with other gifted men who had gifts such as teaching,
preaching, and some of the other gifts we have studied about that
are needed in the church. It takes several gifts to make for a
profitable assembly.
Of course, all gifts are ruled over by those who have them. If a
person is a teacher, he would rule over his gift. God inspires him,
not some other person. Therefore, he would not ask someone
else (that did not have the gift of teaching) if his teaching was
acceptable. If a certain congregation would not let him speak
because he understood the Bible a certain way, he would have to
move on in order to be able to rule over his gift as he believes
God would have him to. A person is to rule over his gift. And
whatever he has to do to rule over it he must do. If he has to
preach on the street corner in order to preach, that may be what
he has to do! If you are a ruler, you rule. It just comes natural
for you to rule. But if a person does not rule according to the
guidance of the holy spirit, he will not have anyone to rule! So
there is a balance there, but one does not rule by committee. I
don't think one given the gift to rule would have to go about
telling people that he had such a gift. His approach just causes
people to want to look to him for guidance and protection in
certain areas.
One doesn't have to ask permission to rule, teach, preach, give,
etc., these gifts come natural and as he rules over his gift, people
will gravitate to him. According as God has given him the faith
to rule over his gift, so will his success be in his gift.
Below, I have copied and pasted in what I said about the 4
Timothy verses listed above. I think if we put this with the above
we will begin to get a better picture about the gift of rule, or
authority.
*******************************************************
Paul continued by saying, one who rules his own house well. The
word <house> implies an occupied house. Therefore family
would be more appropriate here. The word <rules> denotes that
he is being an elder to his family already and is well qualified for
the gift of an elder. He has an honest occupation and is providing
for and protecting his family and he is well capable of providing
for and protecting the family of God. This does not describe a
man who has a wife that will not listen to what he has to say, or
children who thumb their noses at him. Rather, his family
respects him because his <deeds> show forth his godliness.
Therefore, his children are in subjection with all gravity.
Subjection as we saw earlier is being under the authority of
another. In other words, they are obedient to both him and his
wife. And this gravity is characteristic of reverence and respect,
dignity, majesty, honor and purity. His children are to be a
model for other children, in the church.
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity;
At this point, Paul interjects that if a man does not know how to
rule or be an elder to his own family, how will he be able to take
care of the family of God. The implication is that taking care of
the family of God is the duty of an elder.
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the church of God?)
*******************************************************
A deacon is to be the husband of one wife, as we saw for an
elder, and ruling his children and household properly.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and
their own houses well.
*******************************************************
Paul begins speaking about spiritual elders who serve the
church. You will recall recently that someone was preaching that
we should put doctrine on a back shelf for unity. It is obvious
that the line has to be drawn somewhere. There are elders who
do not labor in the word and doctrine, but if they do, and rule
well, they are worthy of double honor.
The word <rule> means exactly what it says. One can rule well,
or one can rule poorly, or even badly. But the word <rule>
indicates that the elders are set or placed <over> those who are
not elders. But, in what are they set over others? They are to
labor in the word and in doctrine. They are not to meddle in the
details of one's life, which is between the individual and God.
But the elder is to conduct the affairs of the church according to
the word of God.
We might note here that there is no indication that his every
decision is to be voted on by the majority! He is the one who has
received the visitation from God and he is to conduct the affairs
of the church according to that visitation. If he understands that
something is an offense to God, he is not to conduct a vote to see
if those who have not been visited by God in understanding of the
word and doctrine are in agreement to what he knows is correct.
In other words, if someone says that we need to vote on whether
active gays have the right of membership, he is to set them
straight about what the Bible says in such situations.
We saw earlier in this book that an elder received a visitation
from God. Therefore, we don't have some college grinding out
elders. Rather we have God choosing whom His elders will be,
and God is placing these elders over His people to teach them
the word and doctrine. To rule well is to rule without blame. In
other words, all the rules laid down earlier for an elder would be
involved in determining if the elder ruled well.
Double honor can be in reference to respect, or if God has given
such an elder a group of people over whom he can rule it can be
referring to a salary. Perhaps in all areas, an elder who rules
well will receive reward for his labors. So, the elder is
admonished to rule well and those over whom he rules are
admonished to reward him according to his rule. An elder who
rules badly should also receive a reward, but not one he would
appreciate.
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
*******************************************************
Just because one is given the gift of authority does not mean that
he will always rule honorably. And one must always keep in mind
what doctrines the one in authority is espousing. But the fact
that many people gravitate to and come under a person denotes
that the person has such a gift. It could be that the gift is not of
God, but carnally achieved. The person who allows himself to
come under an authority must determine that.
One must use proper decorum in the exercising of his gift. The
person has complete authority over his gift, but as with all things
one must use discretion. For instance, if a teacher decides to
speak on a street corner where the law forbids people to gather
he is out of order. He must obey the law – unless it is in direct
opposition to God’s law. For the law is given for the good of all –
in most cases.
It is obvious that if three people are all speaking at the same
time, even if they are speaking English, one could not understand
them. Therefore, wisdom tells us that one must use discretion in
all things. But today we would be hard put to have <one>
prophet in a meeting who knew the truth. Although we might
have several who <thought> they knew the truth!
Certain men have carved out a place for themselves. A person
who has the holy spirit must determine if these men teach truth
or error before attaching themselves to their group. Those who
know the truth should be careful who they bring into their
assembly to teach. One should probably not bring in a teacher
who is not approved. In some cases, an established assembly
might bring in a teacher who gives a sermon full of error. What
should the local elders say or do about this? To keep peace, one
could always give a sermon the following week to show why a
certain message was in error. One message is not going to fool
those who understand the truth. And the leader of the group
would know not to invite such a teacher to their congregation
again.
A prophet has both the meaning of an inspired teacher and one
who foretells the future, in the Greek, Hebrew, and English.
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts <01697> of David <01732> the
king <04428>, first <07223> and last <0314>, behold, they are
written <03789> (8803) in the book <01697> of Samuel <08050>
the seer <07200> (8802), and in the book <01697> of Nathan
<05416> the prophet <05030>, and in the book <01697> of Gad
<01410> the seer <02374>,
The word prophet #05030 used above of Nathan has the
following definition:
*******************************************************
05030 aybn nabiy' naw-bee'
from 05012; TWOT-1277a; n m
AV-prophet 312, prophecy 1, them that prophesy 1,
prophet+0376 1, variant 1; 316
1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
1a) prophet
1b) false prophet
1c) heathen prophet
*******************************************************
Notice that it can be a spokesman, a speaker, or a prophet.
The root word, from which the word for prophet comes, means to
bubble forth, in other words “to utter”.
The definition for the New Testament word <prophecy> is given
below. Notice 1a) definition. Comforting the afflicted is part of
the meant of prophecy.
*******************************************************
4394 profhteia propheteia prof-ay-ti'-ah
from 4396 ("prophecy"); TDNT-6:781,952; n f
AV-prophecy 16, prophesying 3; 19
1) prophecy
1a) a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring
the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the
wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden;
esp. by foretelling future events
1b) Used in the NT of the utterance of OT prophets
1b1) of the prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and
its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and
admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine
mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due
1b2) of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers
called prophets
1b3) the gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the
predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel,
will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ
*******************************************************
And the English definition of the word: One definition for a
prophet is: A person gifted with profound moral insight
exceptional powers of expression. The chief spokesman of a
movement of a cause.
In the Old Testament, we see the word <seer> used of Samuel
and others who could get messages from God for the people.
Today inspiration is by the holy spirit rather than more directly
as in the Old Testament.
There is a subtle difference between a teacher and a prophet. A
prophet can be and probably is a teacher. However, a teacher is
not necessarily a prophet. The teacher can pass on knowledge
and skills to others. However, the teacher usually is not the one
who wrote the book! The prophet breaks new ground and the
teacher follows in the path the prophet has cleared.
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appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God,
dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him.
The words <so then> or <therefore> tie this verse back to what
Paul has previously talked about. Paul appeals to the Gentiles,
or the few Jews that God would call, because of His mercies. As
he had shown before, God had determined to temporarily
forsake the Jews so the Gentiles could come in. From that point
on, God would be calling individuals, not a whole nation to
repentance. Therefore, anyone who had been called was
receptive of the mercy of God. So in view of God's great mercy,
one should respond accordingly.
And how was that individual to respond? He was to present
himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. How
does one do that? How does one become a living sacrifice for
God? One does not take himself to the temple and become a
blood sacrifice by having his throat slit. A living sacrifice in the
Old Covenant was an animal brought before the priest, which
had its throat slit. The blood gushed out. The blood and the
animal were used in some way as a sacrifice for God.
But Paul is saying that we need to become a sacrifice of greater
value than a living animal that cannot reason. We are to be holy
and acceptable to God. What does it mean to be holy? Peter
answers that question in the passage of Scripture below. We are
to be <obedient>, not building our character according to the
lusts that we had before when we were ignorant! In all conduct
we are to be holy, for God is holy. And it was the holy sacrifice
of His Son that purchased us. We are to be holy because God is
holy. Peter is explaining that we must keep the law in order to
be holy. All vices are to be overcome. We are to become
perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect, as the Messiah
explained.
1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Paul said that this is acceptable to God and beyond that, it is
your logical duty to God. There is nothing over-bearing about
this request. It is reasonable and furthermore it is pleasing to
God. It is exactly what God would have us do. It takes about
the same amount of energy to be good as it does to be evil. God
has not asked us to do something beyond our means. With the
holy spirit, we can keep the law in the spirit, and it is our rational
duty to God.
Paul had two different audiences and therefore, two different
perspectives from his listeners on this statement. The Jews
would have seen this statement in light of the Temple Worship.
The Gentiles would have seen this statement in light of the pagan
and idol worship they had come out of. In either case, it would be
the rational thing to worship God and live their lives with godly
character according to the royal law.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.
Do not be conformed to the standard of this world, but allow God
to transform your mind. In that way, you will come to know first-
hand what is good and acceptable and perfect according to God's
standard.
Paul is now getting down to the nuts and bolts of how the
believer is supposed to live. He told us above that it was
reasonable for us to live holy lives before God. Here he tells us
that we are to forsake the world and all its corruption for God's
standard of living. We are to allow God to renew our minds.
This word <renewing> means a renewal, a complete change for
the better. If you are still clinging to the world and its ways, you
have not gotten the picture. There is to be a <complete change>
from what we were to what we are to become! If one forsakes
the world's standard, and allows God through His holy spirit to
completely change his mind, he is then a new creature - as Paul
says in another place.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This is not something that happens to us without any thought on
our part! This is something that takes place, as we yield to
God's way and battle against the wrong way. God does not do
these things for us, but He helps us to overcome sin. If God does
these things for us, why are we not all perfect already? No!
God helps us just as little as possible so we can win against sin.
It is much like a body-builder lifting a weight to build his body. It
has been found that if someone is standing by that will give just a
small amount of help the weight lifter can become stronger and
stronger until the weight he could not lift earlier is now within his
reach. You wonder why you have to come back to God so many
times for the same sin? It is because God is not standing there
lifting the weight for you, but He is just adding a small touch so
you can grow stronger against this sin. One day, if you persist,
you will overcome that sin! And persistence is what God is
looking for. God wants sons who have tenacity against sin!
After our minds have become changed completely, or only to a
certain point, we see proof that what is good and acceptable and
perfect to God is right. God's standard becomes our standard
and we are well on our way to becoming holy before God. This is
our reasonable service to God. This is the rational conduct we
are to have in our lives.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of
you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.
Instead, appraise yourself with self-control, according to the
degree of faith God has imparted to each man.
Beginning with verse 3, Paul turns his attention to gifts in the
church and how we are to respond and relate to one another with
these gifts.
In this passage, Paul begins by mentioning the gift that God had
given to him. Paul is not speaking of the grace of loving-kindness
of God in respect to justification for his sins, in this verse.
Rather, Paul is referring to the gift of his apostleship, which
came from God. He has acknowledged before that God called
him into this apostleship and we have the story related in the
Scriptures of this occasion.
Paul is exhorting the brothers to be circumspect about the gift
that God gives to each one of them individually. He began with
the acknowledgment that his gift was from God. In other words,
Paul gives God the glory for his gift as an example to others who
had, or would be given, a particular gift.
Paul then gives exhortation concerning how one is to think of
himself when God's gift to him begins to blossom. There would
be the temptation to feel that one was <somebody> because of
the gift. One is to be sober, thinking with self-control in regard
to a gift that God has given to him. God determines to whom He
will give any particular gift. We do not all have the same gift!
And those who have similar gifts do not have them to the same
degree. In relationship to a gift, God measures out the amount
of faith He will allow the person to have.
You see, in God's wisdom, He realizes that the man's salvation is
more important than any gift beyond the gift of justification. A
gift is given to any man because it will help to edify (build up) the
church. If the man can remain humble, so that his own salvation
is not in jeopardy, then God can use him to continue to edify the
church. But if he gets puffed up, thinking more of himself than
he should, God will see that he is diminished for the good of his
own salvation.
1Cor 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts,
seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Another thought we should see in this verse is that one should not
measure himself with others in regard to gifts. The gift is God's
doing. God determines how much faith one can have in
relationship to his gift. Faith in one's gift determines how far
that gift will go to edify the church. We should look to God for
our salvation and if any man can help us to do that we should be
thankful that God has provided such edification for us. In other
words, there should be no competition between gifts that are
handed out to God's people by His grace, favor, or loving-
kindness.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among
you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to
think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.
We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have
different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we
are one body in the Messiah. And we are all joined to each other
as different parts of one body.
In these two verses, Paul is explaining a concept that many have
vocalized, but few seem to correctly understand. The Messiah is
the head of this figurative body. I say figurative, because Paul is
not referring to some local church group, or some large
organization. Paul is speaking of the entire church all over the
world. Paul is speaking of the whole church. Otherwise, we
would have one head, but many bodies!
Paul is using an analogy of the body to explain how the believers
are to relate to one another, especially in the matter of gifts.
The word <members> relates to <parts> of the body. The word
<office> relates to a function. Paul is not trying to establish
offices in the body of the Messiah!
Just as our physical body is made up of many different parts,
some seen and some unseen, even so the entire body of the
Messiah is made up of the many believers. And we are not
scattered with one part over here and another part over there!
How could Paul make such a statement? Today, some can not
accept Paul's concept. The reason some have difficulty in
accepting this concept is because they don't recognize the
Messiah as the head of this body!
God is the one doing the work of God. That is the reason that it
is called the <work of God>! If it were the work of man, it would
be called the work of man! God gives gifts to those whom He
chooses and gives a degree of faith to the person that has the gift
so he can exercise that gift. The degree of faith given to the man
is based on how much the man can be given without it going to his
head! The gift is the basis of the body's edification.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the favor
that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we
should do it according to the proportion of our faith.
Paul says that we are to exercise the gift according to the loving-
kindness given to us from God. In other words, we should not try
to be a preacher unless God has given us that gift! We should
not try to teach if God has not given us that gift! Each one of us
has been given a gift from God. We should find out what that
gift is and exercise that gift.
If our gift is to "prophesy" we should prophesy! The word
<prophecy> can refer to just plain preaching, or it can refer to
foretelling the future. It could also be a gift of understanding and
explaining prophecy of the Bible. Some have this gift - some do
not. Every teacher cannot explain prophecy. Some teachers try
to do so and their explanations do not materialize according to
what they preached! This is what we call a false prophet. And
prophecy is not given so we can foretell the future in all of its
details.
Each person must exercise his gift according to the proportion of
faith given to him. A person's faith will determine how far he will
go, how bravely he will proceed in using his gift.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
If our gift is to serve, we should serve. If our gift is to teach, we
should teach. If our gift is to encourage others, we should do so.
Whoever shares with others should do it generously. Whoever
has authority should work hard. Whoever shows kindness to
others should do it cheerfully.
In this section, Paul continues with the different gifts in the
body. The word <ministry> is better-translated <service>. Some
people have the gift of serving others. If that is the case, he
should serve according to the proportion of his faith. The
translators added the words “let us wait”. The sense is that if
service is our gift, we should exercise that gift. Of course, this
can be broken down into two different categories: Service that
has been appointed and natural service. Deacons were appointed
to do service for certain areas, such as taking care of the
widows. When the believers are scattered in the physical sense
as we are today, if one has been given the gift of serving he
should exercise that gift according to his proportion of faith.
A person that has been given the gift of teaching should teach.
One thought we should mention here is that none of these gifts
are to be voted on by the “church”. One does not vote on
whether a person has been given a gift from God! God expects
the person to exercise whatever gift has been given to him. A
teacher may have to go to the world in order to exercise his gift.
Paul's gift was an apostleship to the Gentiles. He didn't do much
good when preaching to the Jews. He finally realized where his
gift was and turned to the Gentiles and left the Jews alone.
The gift of exhortation is singled out as a particular gift. This is
a gift to encourage others. It has the connotation of being able
to entreat others, to instruct them in a comforting way. It has an
element of begging and beseeching in the definition. Some of
these gifts overlap to a degree. One may be a teacher and do so
in an exhorting sort of way. One may teach in a prophetic sort of
way. The prophet is one who is dreaded because he lays down
the law in no uncertain terms and leaves the individual to
determine whether he will go the right way or the wrong way.
The teacher who exhorts may teach the law, but he does so in a
pleading sort of way to get others to respond. Both types are
needed, and we should be appreciative of all these gifts.
Some have the gift of giving. They are to do that giving with
simplicity. In other words, one is to give with honesty, sincerity,
and generously according to the proportion of faith given to him.
If one has been given the gift of authority, he should be diligent
in his gift. I know that many in the church today don't like to
hear about authority. But the church cannot function properly
unless some are given this gift. We know that the Messiah
admonished His disciples that they were not to be over-lords of
each other. There is a difference in having the gift of authority
and using it for the edifying of the believers and doing so for
one's own gain. Remember that Paul has already admonished
that each is to not think more highly of himself then he should.
He has told each recipient of a gift to be careful to not over-
estimate himself in his gift.
But we can see what has happened to some believers. Because
there is no authority, each is going his own way; each is doing
that which is right in his own eyes. Nothing is being
accomplished, and nothing will be accomplished because no one is
willing to recognize the gift of authority! God's work is
continuing, but the gifts are not being accepted very well because
we are fighting against each other rather than otherwise. Among
the Independents, this gift seems to be lacking. Perhaps God has
not administered this gift for the present so we can all take stock
of ourselves and realize that He is the head, not some man.
After the abuse of this gift in the recent past, perhaps we need
an absence of this gift for the time being. There is a time to
gather, and there is a time to scatter! In any case, the Messiah is
the head. He is the one in final authority and any gift of
authority must be administered in love under Him.
Any gift of authority in man would be for the good of the
believers, not for some personal gain. Because those in the
organized groups are using this gift for their own gain, God is not
giving very much faith to them and their gift is not going very far.
Those who have the gift of compassion, or mercy should exercise
that gift with cheerfulness or readiness of mind. In other words,
he should be ready to use his gift.
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on
teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with
cheerfulness.
In this section, Paul exhorted us to become holy before God. He
explained that this was a very rational expectation for the
believer. In other words, we are to live according to the law of
God. Notice that this is something that we must do, <with>
God's help. God does not live our lives for us. We are expected
to do our part.
We are expected to <allow> God to change our minds
completely. God will not do this against our will and desire.
Furthermore, God does not do this in some sort of magical way
for us. There is a working relationship that we develop with
God. Prayer and desire must be a part of our psyche in order to
learn how to yield to God. It is a continuous, lifetime process. It
is an ebb and flow process in our life. Sometimes we are close to
God and sometimes we are farther away. But as time goes on
we should be getting closer and closer to God. We have been
given a mind that can think and reason for a very real purpose.
We should use it to think about how we can overcome sin, how
we can become righteous with God's help. If we don't think
about something we can be sure that we will not find answers.
Only if we are willing to think about and meditate on God's ways
will we improve in our character. David said, Oh how I love your
law, it is my mediation all the day! It is even more important to
think about how to be righteous than to think about how to
<avoid> evil. For the way to avoid evil is to be righteous.
With verse 3, Paul begins an exhortation to those who have a gift
from God. They are to realize where that gift came from so that
their self-value will not get out of proportion to reality! All
should realize that if we do well with what we have, God would
give us more. But if we allow the senses to become tainted with
self-importance, God will begin to take away our gift.
In order for the believers to work properly together, Paul gave
an analogy of the church as the human body and its many parts.
Each member is to use the gift given to him in the proportion to
the faith given to him for that gift. He is not to compare his gift
with the gift of others. He is just to exercise the gift he has been
given according to the degree given him.
Paul then goes into the various gifts and explains a little about
each one. But, the rules common to all the gifts are #1) God
gives the gift. #2) God determines the degree of the gift
according to the amount of faith given to exercise the gift. #3)
The gift is to be for the edifying of the believers. #4) Each one is
to be diligent in his gift. #5) No one is to compare himself to
another in the same or a different gift. #6) Each one is to be
humble in the execution of his gift. #7) The gifts are for the good
of the whole body.
A question was asked concerning the gift of authority. Many find
it difficult to believe that God would give such a gift. How are
we to understand this gift?
The word used in Romans 12:8 is Strong's #4291. This word
appears in the NT 8 times. Four times this word is used in the
first book of Timothy. It might be good to go back and see what
was said in the Timothy Commentaries concerning the verses
where this word appeared. Let's look at the definition of this
word, first.
Remember that these gifts are for the edifying of the church.
And they are gifts that are given from God, to a human. The
word used for <rule> means to set or place before, or over. To
superintend, or preside over. To be a protector or guardian in
the sense of ruling. To give aid, care for, or give attention to in
the sense of ruling.
It also means to rule over one's occupation with honesty. But in
any case, the word means <rule>. Anyone who rules must have
authority to do so. In today's social climate, it sounds better to
the ears to use the word, leadership. Americans don't like to
hear about anyone ruling over them, or having authority over
them! But even a leader cannot lead unless he has the authority
to do so. In order to lead, one must exercise authority. But this
is authority given as a gift from God. And if God gives the gift,
He would need to also supply those who would be willing to
accept that rule!
As many are fed-up with authority, and fed-up with rule, it will be
unlikely that such a gift will blossom in this climate. However, it
could be that our unwillingness to submit would keep us from
recognizing such an authority.
*******************************************************
4291 proisthmi proistemi pro-is'-tay-mee
from 4253 and 2476; TDNT-6:700, *;v
AV-rule 5, maintain 2, be over 1; 8
1) to set or place before
1a) to set over
1b) to be over, to superintend, preside over
1c) to be a protector or guardian
1c1) to give aid
1d) to care for, give attention to
1d1) profess honest occupations
*******************************************************
In Romans 12:8, ruling is mentioned as a gift and it is to be done
with diligence. In 1Thessalonians 5:12 we are told to know them
that labor among us and are <over> us in the Lord. We are told
that these who are <over> us do admonish us.
Romans 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him
do it with simplicity; he that ruleth <4291>, with diligence; he that
sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labour among you, and are over <4291> you in the Lord, and admonish
you;
In 1Timothy 3:4-5 Paul discusses the qualifications of an elder or
bishop. He was to <rule> his own family well. His children were
to be in subjection with all gravity. Then we are told why this is
to be the case. If he does not know how to <rule> his own family,
how shall he take care of the church of God?
In 1Tim 3:12 we are told that deacons are also to <rule> their
children and families well.
1 Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth <4291> well his own house, having his
children in subjection with all gravity;
1 Timothy 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule <4291> his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling
<4291> their children and their own houses well.
In 1Timothy 5:17 we are told that elders who <rule> well are to
be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in
the word and doctrine. This makes a direct link between ruling
and taking care of the church of God.
The word rule means 1.a. Governing power or its possession or
use; authority.
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule <4291> well be counted worthy of
double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
In Titus, the word is used of one ruling over himself in the area of
good works to others. These references don't directly refer to
authority over the church.
Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm
constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to
maintain <4291> good works. These things are good and profitable unto
men.
Titus 3:14 And let ours also learn to maintain <4291> good works for
necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
From what can be seen from the use of the word in the New
Testament, 6 times it is used in reference either directly or
indirectly to the church. An elder is to be a man who rules over
his family well, so he can accomplish the same thing for the
church. The area of rule could be administrative, protective,
doctrinally, etc. Paul shows in Timothy that some elders rule in
the area of word and doctrine. This also lets us know that all
elders do not rule in that area. There should be several areas of
rule possible. However, it is obvious that Paul showed that some
men would be given the gift of ruling or authority! He was to
work diligently in his gift. This in no way suggests a man who has
an iron-tight fist over those that he rules. We are all free-moral
agents and must have freedom to worship God, as we understand
to worship Him. However, it does suggest that there should be
enough likeness to make possible such a leadership gift.
A person given the gift to rule, would not always be a person to
whom one should seek for counsel. Counsel should be sought
according to the problem. If one needs counseling, he should
think about his problem and determine its nature in the view to
select the best counselor possible. If the gift of ruling is
administrative, one would not want to ask such a person a
Biblical question! The area of rule will determine what he would
be knowledgeable about concerning counseling. If I had a
question about the Bible, I would ask a teacher that I trusted to
have more knowledge than myself.
The gift of rule could manifest itself in several different ways. In
today's climate, I would think that the area of administration
needs the gift of rule, in the church. Such a person would work in
concert with other gifted men who had gifts such as teaching,
preaching, and some of the other gifts we have studied about that
are needed in the church. It takes several gifts to make for a
profitable assembly.
Of course, all gifts are ruled over by those who have them. If a
person is a teacher, he would rule over his gift. God inspires him,
not some other person. Therefore, he would not ask someone
else (that did not have the gift of teaching) if his teaching was
acceptable. If a certain congregation would not let him speak
because he understood the Bible a certain way, he would have to
move on in order to be able to rule over his gift as he believes
God would have him to. A person is to rule over his gift. And
whatever he has to do to rule over it he must do. If he has to
preach on the street corner in order to preach, that may be what
he has to do! If you are a ruler, you rule. It just comes natural
for you to rule. But if a person does not rule according to the
guidance of the holy spirit, he will not have anyone to rule! So
there is a balance there, but one does not rule by committee. I
don't think one given the gift to rule would have to go about
telling people that he had such a gift. His approach just causes
people to want to look to him for guidance and protection in
certain areas.
One doesn't have to ask permission to rule, teach, preach, give,
etc., these gifts come natural and as he rules over his gift, people
will gravitate to him. According as God has given him the faith
to rule over his gift, so will his success be in his gift.
Below, I have copied and pasted in what I said about the 4
Timothy verses listed above. I think if we put this with the above
we will begin to get a better picture about the gift of rule, or
authority.
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Paul continued by saying, one who rules his own house well. The
word <house> implies an occupied house. Therefore family
would be more appropriate here. The word <rules> denotes that
he is being an elder to his family already and is well qualified for
the gift of an elder. He has an honest occupation and is providing
for and protecting his family and he is well capable of providing
for and protecting the family of God. This does not describe a
man who has a wife that will not listen to what he has to say, or
children who thumb their noses at him. Rather, his family
respects him because his <deeds> show forth his godliness.
Therefore, his children are in subjection with all gravity.
Subjection as we saw earlier is being under the authority of
another. In other words, they are obedient to both him and his
wife. And this gravity is characteristic of reverence and respect,
dignity, majesty, honor and purity. His children are to be a
model for other children, in the church.
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity;
At this point, Paul interjects that if a man does not know how to
rule or be an elder to his own family, how will he be able to take
care of the family of God. The implication is that taking care of
the family of God is the duty of an elder.
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the church of God?)
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A deacon is to be the husband of one wife, as we saw for an
elder, and ruling his children and household properly.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and
their own houses well.
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Paul begins speaking about spiritual elders who serve the
church. You will recall recently that someone was preaching that
we should put doctrine on a back shelf for unity. It is obvious
that the line has to be drawn somewhere. There are elders who
do not labor in the word and doctrine, but if they do, and rule
well, they are worthy of double honor.
The word <rule> means exactly what it says. One can rule well,
or one can rule poorly, or even badly. But the word <rule>
indicates that the elders are set or placed <over> those who are
not elders. But, in what are they set over others? They are to
labor in the word and in doctrine. They are not to meddle in the
details of one's life, which is between the individual and God.
But the elder is to conduct the affairs of the church according to
the word of God.
We might note here that there is no indication that his every
decision is to be voted on by the majority! He is the one who has
received the visitation from God and he is to conduct the affairs
of the church according to that visitation. If he understands that
something is an offense to God, he is not to conduct a vote to see
if those who have not been visited by God in understanding of the
word and doctrine are in agreement to what he knows is correct.
In other words, if someone says that we need to vote on whether
active gays have the right of membership, he is to set them
straight about what the Bible says in such situations.
We saw earlier in this book that an elder received a visitation
from God. Therefore, we don't have some college grinding out
elders. Rather we have God choosing whom His elders will be,
and God is placing these elders over His people to teach them
the word and doctrine. To rule well is to rule without blame. In
other words, all the rules laid down earlier for an elder would be
involved in determining if the elder ruled well.
Double honor can be in reference to respect, or if God has given
such an elder a group of people over whom he can rule it can be
referring to a salary. Perhaps in all areas, an elder who rules
well will receive reward for his labors. So, the elder is
admonished to rule well and those over whom he rules are
admonished to reward him according to his rule. An elder who
rules badly should also receive a reward, but not one he would
appreciate.
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
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Just because one is given the gift of authority does not mean that
he will always rule honorably. And one must always keep in mind
what doctrines the one in authority is espousing. But the fact
that many people gravitate to and come under a person denotes
that the person has such a gift. It could be that the gift is not of
God, but carnally achieved. The person who allows himself to
come under an authority must determine that.
One must use proper decorum in the exercising of his gift. The
person has complete authority over his gift, but as with all things
one must use discretion. For instance, if a teacher decides to
speak on a street corner where the law forbids people to gather
he is out of order. He must obey the law – unless it is in direct
opposition to God’s law. For the law is given for the good of all –
in most cases.
It is obvious that if three people are all speaking at the same
time, even if they are speaking English, one could not understand
them. Therefore, wisdom tells us that one must use discretion in
all things. But today we would be hard put to have <one>
prophet in a meeting who knew the truth. Although we might
have several who <thought> they knew the truth!
Certain men have carved out a place for themselves. A person
who has the holy spirit must determine if these men teach truth
or error before attaching themselves to their group. Those who
know the truth should be careful who they bring into their
assembly to teach. One should probably not bring in a teacher
who is not approved. In some cases, an established assembly
might bring in a teacher who gives a sermon full of error. What
should the local elders say or do about this? To keep peace, one
could always give a sermon the following week to show why a
certain message was in error. One message is not going to fool
those who understand the truth. And the leader of the group
would know not to invite such a teacher to their congregation
again.
A prophet has both the meaning of an inspired teacher and one
who foretells the future, in the Greek, Hebrew, and English.
1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts <01697> of David <01732> the
king <04428>, first <07223> and last <0314>, behold, they are
written <03789> (8803) in the book <01697> of Samuel <08050>
the seer <07200> (8802), and in the book <01697> of Nathan
<05416> the prophet <05030>, and in the book <01697> of Gad
<01410> the seer <02374>,
The word prophet #05030 used above of Nathan has the
following definition:
*******************************************************
05030 aybn nabiy' naw-bee'
from 05012; TWOT-1277a; n m
AV-prophet 312, prophecy 1, them that prophesy 1,
prophet+0376 1, variant 1; 316
1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
1a) prophet
1b) false prophet
1c) heathen prophet
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Notice that it can be a spokesman, a speaker, or a prophet.
The root word, from which the word for prophet comes, means to
bubble forth, in other words “to utter”.
The definition for the New Testament word <prophecy> is given
below. Notice 1a) definition. Comforting the afflicted is part of
the meant of prophecy.
*******************************************************
4394 profhteia propheteia prof-ay-ti'-ah
from 4396 ("prophecy"); TDNT-6:781,952; n f
AV-prophecy 16, prophesying 3; 19
1) prophecy
1a) a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring
the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the
wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden;
esp. by foretelling future events
1b) Used in the NT of the utterance of OT prophets
1b1) of the prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and
its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and
admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine
mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due
1b2) of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers
called prophets
1b3) the gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the
predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel,
will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ
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And the English definition of the word: One definition for a
prophet is: A person gifted with profound moral insight
exceptional powers of expression. The chief spokesman of a
movement of a cause.
In the Old Testament, we see the word <seer> used of Samuel
and others who could get messages from God for the people.
Today inspiration is by the holy spirit rather than more directly
as in the Old Testament.
There is a subtle difference between a teacher and a prophet. A
prophet can be and probably is a teacher. However, a teacher is
not necessarily a prophet. The teacher can pass on knowledge
and skills to others. However, the teacher usually is not the one
who wrote the book! The prophet breaks new ground and the
teacher follows in the path the prophet has cleared.
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Chapter:
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Seven Continued
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Eight Continued
| Romans! |
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| Gift of Authority? |
| What Do We Mean by the Term Prophet? |