Category: Spiritual Gifts

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. His conviction made him always to be willing to proclaim boldly God’s message. His example is one we seek to emulate (2 Timothy 1:8-12).

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After Matthew records the departure of the young Jesus to Egypt (a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1), the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, and finally the death of Herod; an angel appeared to Joseph to return with the child and His mother back to Israel.

However, Joseph was afraid to return to Judea because the son of Herod,  Archelaus was reigning the place of his father.  Apparently Joseph’s fear was legitimate as God warned him in a dream about the danger there, and Joseph instead turned to Galilee.

The city of Nazareth was where Joseph settled, and where Jesus was raised. In fact, he was often referred to and known as Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament.  Nathanael, in John 1:46 asked about Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Indicating the city did not have a good reputation in Israel at the time.

This was also a fulfillment of a prophecy concerning the Christ. “He shall be called a Nazarene”, which was written hundreds of years previously, in Judges 13:5.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul wrote, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

Nothing is surprising about this text. It relates an obligation that we have to support the Lord’s work in a systemic and regular way. It denotes the Lord’s day as the day when the collection will be taken. We know this to be the day that Christians came together to worship the Lord (cf. Acts 20:7). I states an obligation that we help those in our number (other Christians) who have a physical need (cf. Galatians 6:10).

This is the only place in scripture where there is a pattern established for this financial obligation we as Christians are given toward the Lord’s work. There are other places which give authority to practice benevolence, to support efforts of evangelism and to edify the church, but here alone is the passage that tells us how money is to be gathered in the local church.

What remains is for us to do our duty in a manner that the Holy Spirit prescribes. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The apostle Paul gave some important directions to the Corinthians regarding the distribution and use of spiritual gifts in the first century church.  He began in 1 Corinthians 12 by writing, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”  In addition, he made the point that there are “different ministries (5), and that there are “diversities of activities”, but, “it is the same God who works all in all” (6).

So, what is the purpose of noting this?  If God gives diverse gifts, they are all of value to Him.  We should not depreciate them.  That is true as well of any ministry or activity that we are privileged to participate in.  “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the profit of all” (7). Continue reading “Spiritual Gifts and Their Purpose for Christians” →