Brethren, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
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One of the fundamental tenets of the apostle Paul was that every person in the body of the church was valued and played a vital part in its functioning. Being a Christian meant that one participated in love, and lived in the world practising Christian praxis to demonstrate to the world the love of the Son. As a manifestation of that love God has poured out his gifts, through his Grace, most abundantly. These gifts are truly diverse but for all that, they are there to be used and to be used for one’s fellow man whether he be Jew or Greek, free or slave. After all, we are no more than stewards of what we receive and if we are to be good stewards then any gift presented from above must be accepted and received according to one’s measure of faith. This exhortation places the recipient of such gift in humble subordination to God thus emphasising what Paul declares; namely that everyone who receives should not think of themselves more highly than they ought, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned them. In other words, we do not skimp toward the other or keep for ourselves, but share with others our talents for the glory of Christ.
Notice that the first gift presented is prophecy; however this does not imply inequality – that this gift is superior to the others. As Christ and the Father are one and inseparable, so are the gifts – variable though they may be – inseparable. After all, we are all one in the church and even though we may be individually members one of another, the reality is that we are all equally valued.
Likewise with service to our fellow man. Service has great Christological significance. Mark tells us the Son of Man came not to be served but also to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (10:44). It is to be remembered that the apostles wanted places of honour in the kingdom as a result of their witness and service to Christ. Christ made it plain that humility is required by those in service. Without humility one is serving in one’s own name but if one serves with meekness and obedience then one is serving, like Christ, in the Lord.
Teaching was an important talent. After all, Christ was a teacher without peer. The Christological connection with teaching is profound. Although Christ healed he is best known as the teacher. Teaching is fundamental to the survival of the church. Without full and proper teaching there can be no church. Unless one knows what one believes, it is not possible to truly believe. We are all obliged to be teachers to the extent of our capacity. We are exhorted to caution, to advise and to admonish both those who are being led astray and those who lead others astray. Unless teachers teach properly then Christianity is lost. Notice that Paul gives exhortation a charismatic character by enumerating it as one of the gifts given by God. The new life in Christ can only be exhorted by one who exists in and is sustained by the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is a charismatic event revealing the unity in the person of Christ Jesus as a gift given by God to the apostles for the sanctification of God’s people.
Likewise we are obliged to contribute, and we are to contribute in liberality. We are not to be niggardly and rely upon our fellow man to give what we should be giving. After all, what does it profit if we die at the end of our life with a little bit more property than we might otherwise have had? We can take nothing with us, so why do we not use it wisely on this earth? We should give aid and give it with zeal! We want to do this not because we are told to, nor because we have to, but because we do it in joy. Notice that as we develop the blessings given to us by Christ our demeanour begins to change. We become joyful, merciful, cheerful, genuine, lovers of the good and loving of our brothers and sisters, seeking to outdo one another in showing honour to them and to Christ.
All those positive emotions are underpinned by the notion that God loves “a cheerful giver”. In other words, each must do as they have determined and not do it reluctantly or under compulsion. Therefore give alms by all means, give goods by all means, give of your labour by all means but by all means, give cheerfully in thanksgiving and joy.
Now, one of the attributes to be cultivated is being zealous for good works, giving because you want to and aglow in the spirit whilst serving the Lord. Here’s the thing: unless we are prepared to live in the Lord and in the knowledge that we are aspiring to the Kingdom of Heaven and further, knowing that there will be judgement on each and every one of us, only then can we have no fear of the Lord. It is the fear of the Lord that gives us the courage of a lion. The fear is that we will lose the love of the Lord. If you have manifested such love then what can man do to you? – For to live on earth and serve the Lord is profitable to the soul but to die is gain as one will be with the Lord.
I’m reminded of the Epistle to Diognetus, a first century apostolic text written about the Christian life. The writer declares that Christians participate in everything as citizens and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland and every fatherland is foreign to them. They live on the earth but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the laws of the land but in their private lives they transcend the laws. They love everyone and by everyone are they persecuted. They are put to death. They are poor. They are thirsty. They bless and are insulted yet they offer respect back in return. In a word, the soul is to the body what Christians are to the world.
Christians live in this world yet they live beyond the world. This gives them motivation to serve the Lord and they serve with great rejoicing and with great hope. All tribulation is to be endured in patience, and prayer is to be offered constantly. Christians are to bless those who persecute them and not curse them. In short, Christians are called upon to lead an exemplary life. Do you see what high standard the Christian life is called to be? Unless we live our life as true Christians then all that we have done is for nothing. We are called upon not only to participate but to excel, for excellence is demanded of us. So, how do we demonstrate excellence? The reality is that we demonstrate excellence by rejoicing in Christ and demonstrating that joy through good works in his name. Good works have their source in Christ himself. Christ is the prophet, Christ is the servant, Christ is the teacher and Christ is the almsgiver of all humankind. In order to see ourselves as the body of Christ and act in accordance with the will of God we must acquire the mindset of Christ. It is in that way that we lay a foundation for the true Christian community.
