When we consider the ministry gifts of Jesus Christ, that He gave to His Church, as the fingers of a hand it does not allow us to see the full intent of the gifts. The gifts are given, “with a view to the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 LITV). The idea of the fingers of a hand leads one to think that the gifts are for a section of the body or exclusive to one part of the body. One cannot fully understand the, “perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry” or one may get the idea that it is the bodies task to perfect the finger among them. The gifts are for the body, all of the body.
Before we move on, let’s look at the positive lessons we can glean from the concept of the fingers of the hand. The hand can reach the entire body and serves the body. If one part of the body has an itch, it is a finger that scratches the itch. The hand brings food to the mouth and dresses the other body parts. The fingers of the left hand helps the right hand and the right helps the left. The body parts also help the fingers by breaking down foods and helping the blood along to feed and warm the fingers. In the body of Christ we are all called to be servants. We are none called to be the head. We are not called to be lords over the other, but to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).
In the scriptures Jesus used examples of fields ready for harvest as an example of the world. The stalk of corn or shaft of wheat that produces good fruit is likened to a person that loves the Lord. A Church fellowship can be compared to a garden or field where chops are planted. The ministry is mature fruitful plants. Some of the fruit is daily bread, to be eaten to maintain the workers health, and some is for seed, to be planted. Some seed is planted in the field and some is taken to a new field. Some of the daily bread is eaten by the workers that work the field and some is taken to be eaten by the workers in a new field. Again this illustration can only go so far in helping us to understand, because we need to also understand the workers as ministers of Jesus Christ.
Before we get so caught up in gardening that we miss the point, let’s move on. There is no such things as ministers and lay ministers or ministers and member ministers. We are all members of one Body, Christ. We are all members of one ministry, the Church. Some are mature producing ministers (seed producing like seed) and some are tender young plants, just pushing out of the ground and some at differing points of maturity. We are all ministers of the Body of Christ and members of the Church.
Be aware and know that there is an anti-Christ and a false church and false ministers. There is an enemy. There are also tares planted within the Church (read Matthew 13:24-26). The Lord has warned us not to try to remove the tares lest we harm the young wheat (read Matthew 13:27-29). While we may recognize the enemy that is outside of the Body, we cannot rightly judge what the enemy has planted in the Church. In trying to determine the ones called of God and the ones planted by the enemy, we may offend and do harm to the young in Christ. We may not be able to determine the tender young Christian from the fake and cast a tender Christian into the fire. Once the Christian is mature and begins producing fruit, then they can be separated from the fake.
Does that mean that we cannot allow the young to share, for fear that they may be a fake planted by the enemy? Did Jesus stop the young disciples from ministering? Did Jesus separate Judas the betrayer from the others? But Judas did not go into the fullness of the ministry. Judas did not mature into a seed producing minister. What is the difference? A young plant does not produce seed (reproduce); a mature plant reproduces. If there is a full grown tare in a field of tender plants, it needs to be pulled or it will reproduce tares (seed after like seed). “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” (Revelation 2:2).
The enemy (false Church) will use the doctrine found in the last paragraph to persecute the ministers of God. False doctrine is used to judge the ministers of God in an attempt to keep them from reproducing. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-3). Knowledge of the scripture alone is not proof. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
“And indeed He gave some to be apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; with a view to the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all may come to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, being blown and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the sleight (skillful trick) of men, in craftiness to the deceit of error, but speaking the truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, the Christ” (Ephesians 4:11- 15 LITV). We, ministers and members, are all of the Body, the Church. We are all members and we are all ministers. We are all at some point between the infant and the stature of the fullness of Christ. We all need a Savior. We all need our “Head, the Christ.” We all need to replace the “wind of doctrine” with “the truth in love.”
© 2006, Tim D. Coulter Sr.