The teachings are more or less ordinary, and certain kinds of gifts are very ordinary, but there are also certain extraordinary gifts. Today too many Christians take things lightly. They talk about gifts, but they may not know what the word gift really means or where in the Bible the gifts are dealt with. We have to study these things. There are several books in the Bible that deal with gifts. Matthew 25 speaks of the parable of the talents and the parable of the virgins. These two parables go together. The parable of the virgins deals with life, while the parable of the talents deals with service. As to life we all are virgins, and as to service we all are servants, bond slaves. These bond slaves were given five talents, two talents, or one talent (vv. 14-15).
After Matthew, there is Romans. Romans 12 speaks of the gifts. In this chapter, the gifts are very ordinary (vv. 4-8). Here, even teaching, extending hospitality to the saints, showing mercy, and giving material things are gifts. In Romans 12 there is nothing extraordinary; there are no miraculous gifts, only the ordinary gifts.
Then in 1 Corinthians we have the miraculous gifts with the governmental gifts. Chapters twelve and fourteen speak of miraculous and extraordinary gifts, such as healing, speaking in tongues, and works of power, and also of the governmental gifts, such as the gift to take care of the government of the church.
Ephesians is the fourth book dealing with the gifts. The gifts dealt with in this book are the persons, the members of the Body, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers (4:11). These are members of the Body, and we all are members of the Body. In Ephesians there are not only these four kinds of members; there are all the members with their functions (v. 16). In this book, the persons are the gifts.
In Matthew 25, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 there is nothing miraculous. Only in 1 Corinthians are some of the gifts miraculous. Which of all these kinds of gifts are important? We may say that all are important, but there is no doubt that the talents, the ordinary gifts, and the persons as gifts are more important. Of course, under certain conditions and in certain places we need the miraculous gifts, but the miraculous gifts are not as important as the talents, the ordinary gifts, and the persons as gifts. At home we have certain kinds of medicine, but are the medicines more important than the ordinary food? Only for sick people are medicines more important than food. However, we do not expect to have a home always with sick people. In a normal family life, we do not serve three meals of medicine. Rather, we always serve meals of food with the proper vitamins.
We should not say that we have only teachings and not the gifts. Praise the Lord, we have many gifts. The question is what we mean by gifts. In the matter of gifts, Matthew, Romans, and Ephesians are more important than 1 Corinthians. In the more important books we do not find the miraculous gifts. Romans is a book on the general sketch of the Christian life. In such a book there are no miraculous gifts. Ephesians is the main book that speaks of the church. In this book on the church we again do not have anything miraculous. In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, chapters two and three contain seven epistles. In those seven epistles there is nothing miraculous. Rather, there is the tree of life, the hidden manna, and the feast with the Lord (2:7, 17; 3:20).
The reason that the more important books do not have the miraculous gifts is that the miraculous gifts are not the main item, just as medicine and drugs are not the main items of our diet. The main items in our diet are milk, bread, eggs, and fruit. When we have trouble, lose our appetite, or catch a cold or something worse, we need a special cure. Consider the book of 1 Corinthians. Was the church in Corinth a healthy church? We have to say that this church was sick. The church in Ephesus, however, was a strong, healthy church. Even the church in Rome at that time was also sound and healthy. The regrettable thing is that the sick church in Corinth took too much “medicine.” They trusted in the medicine more than in the normal food. Therefore, the apostle wrote 1 Corinthians to adjust them, telling them not to take so much “medicine.” Rather, they should take more of Christ as wisdom, power, and their spiritual food and drink (1:24, 30; 10:3-4). Paul told them, “For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified” (2:2).
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