Today, we delve into the fascinating dynamics of spiritual gifts as they were understood in the first century and how they resonate—or perhaps don’t—with our contemporary practices. One of the main points we tackle is the misconception that teaching and spiritual edification today are merely the responsibilities of the local church, rather than a calling shared by all believers. We explore how, unlike the orderly sharing of gifts among early saints, modern interpretations often miss the mark, leading to a disconnect in our communal responsibilities. It’s all about recognizing that each of us holds a vital role in nurturing our spiritual community, particularly in the absence of first-century prophets and apostles. As we navigate through various scriptural examples, we’ll uncover how loving and serving one another is not just a nice idea; it’s a biblical mandate that forms the backbone of our faith and fellowship. So, grab your headphones and let’s get ready to rethink our approach to community in a way that could very well change the game!

Takeaways:

• In the first century, spiritual gifts were shared among individuals, emphasizing community over hierarchy.
• Teaching was not the responsibility of a single individual but a shared duty among all believers.
• The absence of spiritual gifts today means each saint is accountable for their growth and edification.
• The New Testament emphasizes reciprocity in relationships, urging us to love and serve one another genuinely.
• True greatness in Christ's kingdom revolves around serving others, not seeking positions of authority or recognition.
• The phrase 'one another' is pivotal in the New Testament, encouraging mutual love and support among believers.

And good day to you.

We thank you so much for joining us.

We have been looking at the comparisons between the 1st century condition of spiritual gifts in that era as it compares to our work in today's world.

Even among the saints of the first century, the teaching and the edification of the saints were shared among those who were especially endowed with some teaching gift.

And seeing that all had spiritual gifts, they shared those gifts that they had been given.

Now, not everybody had a gift of teaching or related to teaching, but those that did, even those among the prophets, shared what the Spirit had given them.

The teaching was not given to a hireling with such some ability in public speaking or.

You know, the problem with these descriptions as we look at it, is that most people among us visualize the teaching today as the operation of a local church.

Instead of seeing it as the responsibility of each individual saint, it now becomes the local church's work.

Now, this is a very different setting than the one described in 1st Corinthians 14.

There is no public speech in 1st Corinthians 14.

It resembles nothing like a church service.

The saints had gifts that they shared in an orderly fashion so that all could be heard and therefore all be edified.

And so there were regulations that were set in place so that the Spirit could be heard through these men.

It wasn't like us sharing an opinion about a passage together in a Bible class.

This had to do with allowing the Spirit's work to be heard and thus for all to be edified.

In the absence of these gifts, it would appear that each saint has a responsibility to know God's will and to apply that revealed will of God.

Each of us are accountable to put brethren in remembrance and to provide a living example sharing the Word in whatever form it may require, whether it's to rebuke or reprove or encourage.

But in the absence of first century shepherds, even in particular churches today are attempting to apply these same gifts to an era that has not been applied in the same way that they were.

Some people even claim to be prophets, and few claim to be apostles without handling aright the word of truth.

The same application of the apostles and prophets should be made with evangelists and shepherds.

All the gifts that are referenced in Ephesians 4 were a first century application and a fulfillment of that era.

They stand, and they stand and fall together in the same context.

Today we have what we need in the written word to equip us unto every good work.

It is God's word, it is his inspired word, and it is adequate and sufficient to equip God's man, the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.

This work of revelation has been completed for our reading and for our admonition, and each one of us are responsible for the growth and the edification of ourselves.

A principle that's taught by our Lord is that the kingdom is not like the rule of physical nations, and that true greatness always came in service, and it's only in service.

We find early on Jesus exemplifying this principle as taught in John 13, when he began to wash the disciples feet one by one.

And if I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet, he would say, for I have given you an example that you should do even as I have done unto you.

True greatness comes from service and in serving each other.

We are to live an exemplary life in how we should treat people, how we should handle our own sins, and how we should hold each other accountable.

There are no positions of authority in this.

In Christ's kingdom, to establish such order demands the establishment of something other than what our Lord taught.

And once we leave his teaching to establish our own, we create problems for which there is no biblical antidote.

We see problem upon problem and we try to tweak it here and there when the only true solution is to go back to the New Testament pattern.

There is a phrase in the New Testament that certainly establishes a pattern, and it's the phrase each other or one another.

It is known today as a reciprocal pronoun and it shows a bi directional action so that what one is doing for the other, the other is doing for that one.

They are practicing reciprocity.

Each other carries a similar thought that the phrase one another carries.

However, the phrase one another leaves no uncertainty that whatever is done for another is done for every other person.

And though both phrases are reciprocal pronouns, the phrase one another is certainly more precise when talking about more than just two people.

It is derived from the Greek word that means mutually reciprocal.

It occurs about a hundred times in the New Testament, with over half of those occurrences giving specific commands that teach us how to relate to one another.

I'd like to have you to consider with me some of the usages of this phrase as applied to every member of the body of Christ.

The first one of course, would be obvious to us all, and that's the phrase love one another.

In Ephesians 5.

2 the Bible reads walk in love as Christ also loved us.

Loving one another is an imperative command.

It occurs about 16 times in the New Testament and forms the true basis for community of saints.

It is the largest influence that bore witness to being true disciples of Christ.

John 13, verse 35 Then are you truly my disciples?

Jesus would say, I would like to just go through some of these passages together.

Beginning in John 13, Jesus says in verse 34, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you, so you also are to love one another.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

In the 15th chapter of John, verse 12, Jesus says, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

In verse 17 these things I command you so that you will love one another.

In chapter 13, verse 8 he writes, Owe no one anything except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 10 now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia.

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more in 1 Peter 1:22 having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.

For a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.

1 Peter 4:8 above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 3:8 Love one another deeply from the heart.

John 3:11 for this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning that ye love one another and this is his commandment that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he has commanded us.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whatever loves or whoever loves has been born of God, and knows God first.

John 4:11 12 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

No one has ever seen God.

If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.

2 John 5 and now I ask you, dear lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have heard from the beginning that we love one another.

This is not all of them, but it's many of them.

We could probably notice some more examples of this same commandment of loving one another.

But this will suffice to show the importance of brethren showing reciprocally this love for one another.

All the called out of Christ greet you.

He's talking again individually talking about saints, individual saints.

And we see two things of importance to point out here from this particular text.

First of all, the emphasis of the kiss is on the word holy, not the word kiss.

It's a holy kiss.

Just as he refers to a love that is certainly without hypocrisy, it's a genuine love.

There are cultures still today that would use the kiss as a means of greeting.

And so a culture that still recognizes this form of greeting need not be told to kiss when greeting.

That's just part of their world.

But that's not the point of it.

There may be a need to be alerted and reminded that the kiss is different from an erotic kiss of the flesh.

The difference is not only in where we place the kiss, but how it's applied.

And Peter is writing that we show a love for each other and the greeting that employs a means of demonstrating and showing that affection greet one another with the kiss of love.

Peter would write, peace to all of you who are in Christ.

And when the examples are given like this, we have the ecclesia of God in Corinth or the ecclesia at Jerusalem, the called out class of people in these cities.

And so please be advised that Paul is not describing local church organizations here.

He's grouping the saints by the cities in which they lived.

The example of 1 Corinthians 16 has it all the brothers send you greetings.

And so the called out here in this city of Corinth are called all the brothers.

Furthermore, there should be some other one another passages we'll call them, that show positive attitudes of service and humility toward one another.

For example, in Romans 15:7 Therefore accept or if you please, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God in 1st Peter 4, 9 show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

We are taught to live in harmony and peace with one another.

Never be wise in your own sight.

Then in Romans 15:5, the text reads, may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus.

1st Peter 3:8 Live in harmony with one another.

Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?

Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

And then finally In Ephesians chapter 4, in verse 32, Paul would write there be kind to one another tenderhearted and so we're to be kind to one another.

That heads the list of descriptions in First Corinthians 13 when Paul describes love and that beautiful passage of Scripture.

But we also see the one another passages that can be applied when help is needed in Galatians 6:2, for instance, bear one another's burdens.

This one another passage is similar to the love passages that speak of loving one another in that when he says that, he says, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

In other words, there are things that are attached to this bearing of burdens and loving brothers that would include a number of different activities that fall under that heading.

Finally, brethren, he says, rejoice, aim for restoration, comfort one another.

2 Corinthians 13, verse 11 in Ephesians 4, 2 beginning with all humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:13 Bearing with one another that there may be no divisions in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

In James, chapter 5, verse 16, James speaks of confessing your sins to one another.

All of these passages describe an activity of love for and to one another in time of need.

Then we have in James 5:16, the latter part, James would explain and pray for one another that ye may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its working.

We also have examples of this one another phrase that describe the influence and the persuasion as brethren teach and influence others to do the right thing.

First Thessalonians 4, verse 18 therefore encourage one another with these words, and in that text he's talking about the hope of the resurrection.

Hebrews 3:13 the writer says, but exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

In Ephesians 5:19, a parallel passage to this one, Paul says, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

So you're communicating, you're talking, addressing to one another through these Psalms.

There are many passages that reference serving one another.

Just to demonstrate the emphasis placed in the Scriptures on this phrase, let me note some with you.

How about 1st Thessalonians 5, Paul would say in verse 15, See that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Galatians 5:13 for you were called to freedom, brethren only.

Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another to each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

And then of course, there's many passages that would emphasize the importance of forgiving one another.

As an example of this admonition, we find in Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul, referring to forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you in Colossians 3:13, refers to a situation that one has a complaint against another.

It says, forgive each other.

As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

And so Jesus teaches us that we must all be willing to forgive, no matter what was done or how often it might have been committed.

And when we forgive, we release another from that burden of wrong and remember it no more.

That is to say, never mentions it as ever having occurred.

Then there are other passages that teach the attitude that we should have toward one another.

In First Peter 5:5 Peter writes, likewise, you also who are younger, be subject to the elders.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

So demonstrating humility toward one another In Philippians 2, verse 3, Paul refers to using what it just talks about in humility consider others better than yourselves.

In connection with this, we have passages that speak of honoring one another and preferring one another.

In fact, the ESV has it real close.

It describes this preference to outdo one another in showing honor.

You can just imagine each brother trying to outdo the other by showing honor to them.

If there's any competition to be had, wouldn't that be nice to think that it's the other wants to show the other more honor and show it's reciprocal?

Obviously in that situation Peter would have us to honor all men to love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king.

First Peter, chapter 2:17 we're to honor our parents, we're told Ephesians six masters were to treat their slaves justly and fairly, while slaves were told to obey those who your earthly masters, not by way of eye service as men pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord and whatever you do, work heartily.

As for the Lord and not for men, both were to treat the other with dignity and respect, honoring one another with honest dealings in work and in their treatment to one another.

That is just a wonderful thought.

To honor someone is to hold him or her in high respect and show showing them dignity as a redeemed fellow Christian.

Every brother and every sister shares a unique position in relationship to God and thus to one another.

This sweet fellowship is not forced or in any way abnormal, but a natural thing, very natural reaction.

And as is always the case when we look to Jesus as our example for these things, I want to read a lengthy text in your hearing this morning in Romans chapter 15, where Christ is used as an example of how the saints in Rome should have treated should treat one another.

This is especially application is rather given to the weaker brother or sister.

Here's the we who are weak have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Let each one of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

For Christ did not please himself.

But as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.

Now you'll notice that the reason for our treatment is because our exemplar, our wonderful example, is Jesus Christ.

He writes, for Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

Jesus was and is respectful to the disrespectful and honorable towards the dishonorable.

Why, there is some intrinsic worth in every human soul.

He died for each and every one of them.

This is certainly true in the case of the body of Christ.

Every member of the body has honor and has value.

This is taught by Paul in 1st Corinthians 12, beginning in verse 21 Listen, as I read down through verse 26, the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable, we bestow greater honor.

And our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacks that there be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

If one member suffers, all suffer together.

If one member is honored, all rejoice together.

And then In Romans, chapter 12, the text reads, honor one another above yourselves.

Honoring another above oneself is not because you have a low self image it's just because he or she is beloved by God and is as his child, loved by God, and certainly important to you.

It's similar to Philippians 2, 3, where Paul has it but in lowliness of mind.

Let each esteem other better than themselves.

Sure, a brother or sister is more worthy than ourselves, and is due honor even while being ignored and neglected ourselves, we would rise to show them honor.

The human capacity to love is clear here, but we often elevate others as long as we are given the credit for having done it.

We have no objection to giving honor as long as we are at the helm of it.

The thought of the text, however, is that fellow Christians take the initiative to respect others without any anticipation or any expectation of it ever being given to them in return.

Now, the ideal situation would be that we would it would be reciprocated.

But but that isn't why it's given.

As far as each one is concerned, they will outdo the other in showing honor.

Because the word translated prefer here means to go before it means to take the initiative to take the lead.

It is in hopes that such action would be reciprocal.

But it is not done without any anticipation that we'd receive the same treatment in return.

Similarly, God's people prefer one another.

And the more we know of each other, the better we can outdo one another in giving honor.

We cannot possibly accomplish that this task with only a mere acquaintance as members of the same local church.

Well, our time is up.

I thank you so much for listening.

Have a great day and a pleasant week.