The Spirit also establishes the elders in the churches. In Acts 20:28 Paul tells the elders of the church in Ephesus that the Holy Spirit had placed them among the flock as overseers. It was the apostles who had appointed the elders in every church (Acts 14:23). But here Paul, the leading one, who did the appointing says that the Holy Spirit had placed the elders as overseers to shepherd the church. This indicates that the Holy Spirit was one with the apostles in their appointing the elders and that the apostles had done this according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This indicates that those who establish the elders in the churches must do so by following the indwelling Spirit in their spirit. In this way the arrangement of the eldership will be according to the leading and directing of the Holy Spirit.
From Paul’s word concerning the Holy Spirit placing overseers among the flock we see that the existence of the churches is altogether due to the Holy Spirit, not due to the apostles. Although the apostles had appointed the elders, Paul says that this was the work of the Holy Spirit. This reveals that a church comes into existence only through the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the work of the apostles concerning the churches should be absolutely the work of the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit establishes the elders, it is the Holy Spirit who establishes the churches.
The Spirit works in the believers to distribute gifts to them as members of the Body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:4 says, “But there are distributions of gifts, but the same Spirit.” “But” here indicates a contrast between verses 3 and 4. Verse 3 says that when we minister by speaking in the Spirit of God, we all say, “Lord Jesus,” exalting Jesus as the Lord. But there are differences in the gifts for the manifestation of the Spirit; there are diversities in these gifts. The Greek word rendered “distributions” in verse 4, as well as in verses 5 and 6, can also be translated diversities, varieties, distinctions.
The gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4 refer to the outward gifts, the abilities or enablings for service. Some of them are miraculous, and some are developed out of the initial gifts mentioned in 1:7. In 1:7 “gift” refers to the inward gifts issuing from grace, such as the free gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23) and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) as the heavenly gift (Heb. 6:4), not the outward, miraculous gifts. All the gifts in chapter twelve are different from the initial gifts.
Hebrews 2:4 speaks of distributions of the Holy Spirit. The distributions of the Holy Spirit are the things, including the Spirit Himself, which the Holy Spirit distributes to those who receive salvation by believing in Christ. This also includes the imparting of the divine life into the believers. All of us who have believed in the Lord Jesus need to realize that the divine life has been distributed into our being with the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. This is the first basic distribution of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is a distribution into us. In our experience there are also other distributions of the Holy Spirit.
In order for the church to be built up, there is the need for all the saints to exercise the spiritual gifts in the church meetings, in the big meetings and especially in the home meetings. If we meet without the exercise of the spiritual gifts, our meeting will simply be a social gathering, not a proper church meeting. Today many Christian meetings are in the nature of a social gathering because of the lack of spiritual gifts. This means that most Christians have lost their spiritual function. Few saints come to the meetings with the concept of exercising their gifts.
No believer should think that he does not have a spiritual gift. Just as we have gifts because we have human life, we also have spiritual gifts because we have the divine life. With the divine life there are certain gifts, certain abilities. According to our experience and observation, the first such gift or ability is speaking. Our God is a speaking God, and His life is a speaking life. Therefore, it is altogether contrary to the spiritual law for a Christian not to speak. We need to use our speaking ability, our speaking gift. If we learn to speak spiritually, our gifts will be developed and increased. In all meetings, large or small, we need to exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church. It is for this purpose that the Spirit distributes different gifts to the members of the Body of Christ.
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