The Gift of Christ
A word of Knowledge
On the Gift of Christ
Ephesians 4:7 KJV
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
[12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The Church has much neglected and even resisted the gift of Christ for a very long time.
It is time we surrender our wills and self-efforts to Him and let His will be done according to His Way and not our carnal, intellectual ways.
The purpose that Christ gave the five-fold gifts to the Church is to empower us to be vessels for Him whereby every one of us be able to come onto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Himself, onto a perfect man.
Yes, each one us to be a perfect man (or woman) just as Christ is.
Each of these gifts is really a part of Christ Himself that we are to represent and manifest Him to minister in His Body.
In order to restore the Church and to fulfill our predestination in becoming a perfect man, every one of us, we need to understand these five-fold gifts according to God's perspective and not men's opinions.
Let us examine an unlikely source that gives us a framework of the responsibilities of the five-fold ministry working together in unity in the Church as well as in the individual believer.
Psalm 23:1-6 KJV
[1] The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The believer must absolutely surrender to Christ as our Lord the Shepherd, and ensure that not our will but His will be done in all things.
It is Christ who is leading us and guiding us and it is not of our own gifts or works.
We must submit to the Shepherd in the same manner as sheeps.
~~~
1) Teacher
[2] He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
The responsibility of a teacher is not to teach the Word,
For only the Holy Ghost is qualified to do this work.
John 14:26 KJV
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
It is also not the responsibility of the teacher to make disciples,
For only the power of God can do that, so that you are not puffed up.
The work of the teacher is simply to teach us to observe all things Jesus has commanded us.
i. e. how and when to lie down in green pastures, where the still waters reside.
Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
~~~
2) Pastor
[3] He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
The responsibility of the pastor is to serve tables and not the ministry of the Word
Acts 6:2-4 KJV
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
[3] Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
[4] But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The task of the pastor is to comfort and take care of the daily donestic life of His sheeps as well as to lead us to walk in the paths of righteousness in our Christian journey.
~~~
3) Evangelist
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
The responsibility of the evangelist is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God; heal the sick. raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, sickness and disease are really a form of death, the ultimate goal is to kill you.
The evangelist protects and delivers the sheeps by the rod of the Lord which is Christ the Healer and our Victory, against death and the devil.
Therefore, we fear no evil.
The evangelist preaches the gosotl of the Kingdom of God that we may be born again and receive eternal life and be filled with the Holy Ghost and power.
This is the staff of the Lord that comfort us against the wiles of the devil, when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
1 Corinthians 15:54 KJV
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
~~~
4) Prophet
[5] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
The prophet speaks for God to the Church by the power of the Holy Ghost before the presence of the enemies.
Acts 2:18 KJV
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
The work of the prophet is to edify, exhort and comfort the Church.
It can be in forthtelling against sins or the approval of God or in foretelling of what is to come for comfort.
1 Corinthians 14:3-4 KJV
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
[4] ... but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
~~~
5) Apostles
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The responsibility of the apostle is to oversee the churches to ensure orderliness in the Church and to ensure that we do not stray from the teachiings and commandments of Christ.
Acts 6:4 KJV
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The work of the apostle is to devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word for the churches so that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life: and we will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
On the Gift of Christ
Ephesians 4:7 KJV
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
[12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The Church has much neglected and even resisted the gift of Christ for a very long time.
It is time we surrender our wills and self-efforts to Him and let His will be done according to His Way and not our carnal, intellectual ways.
The purpose that Christ gave the five-fold gifts to the Church is to empower us to be vessels for Him whereby every one of us be able to come onto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Himself, onto a perfect man.
Yes, each one us to be a perfect man (or woman) just as Christ is.
Each of these gifts is really a part of Christ Himself that we are to represent and manifest Him to minister in His Body.
In order to restore the Church and to fulfill our predestination in becoming a perfect man, every one of us, we need to understand these five-fold gifts according to God's perspective and not men's opinions.
Let us examine an unlikely source that gives us a framework of the responsibilities of the five-fold ministry working together in unity in the Church as well as in the individual believer.
Psalm 23:1-6 KJV
[1] The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The believer must absolutely surrender to Christ as our Lord the Shepherd, and ensure that not our will but His will be done in all things.
It is Christ who is leading us and guiding us and it is not of our own gifts or works.
We must submit to the Shepherd in the same manner as sheeps.
~~~
1) Teacher
[2] He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
The responsibility of a teacher is not to teach the Word,
For only the Holy Ghost is qualified to do this work.
John 14:26 KJV
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
It is also not the responsibility of the teacher to make disciples,
For only the power of God can do that, so that you are not puffed up.
The work of the teacher is simply to teach us to observe all things Jesus has commanded us.
i. e. how and when to lie down in green pastures, where the still waters reside.
Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
~~~
2) Pastor
[3] He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
The responsibility of the pastor is to serve tables and not the ministry of the Word
Acts 6:2-4 KJV
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
[3] Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
[4] But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The task of the pastor is to comfort and take care of the daily donestic life of His sheeps as well as to lead us to walk in the paths of righteousness in our Christian journey.
~~~
3) Evangelist
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
The responsibility of the evangelist is to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God; heal the sick. raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, sickness and disease are really a form of death, the ultimate goal is to kill you.
The evangelist protects and delivers the sheeps by the rod of the Lord which is Christ the Healer and our Victory, against death and the devil.
Therefore, we fear no evil.
The evangelist preaches the gosotl of the Kingdom of God that we may be born again and receive eternal life and be filled with the Holy Ghost and power.
This is the staff of the Lord that comfort us against the wiles of the devil, when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
1 Corinthians 15:54 KJV
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
~~~
4) Prophet
[5] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
The prophet speaks for God to the Church by the power of the Holy Ghost before the presence of the enemies.
Acts 2:18 KJV
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
The work of the prophet is to edify, exhort and comfort the Church.
It can be in forthtelling against sins or the approval of God or in foretelling of what is to come for comfort.
1 Corinthians 14:3-4 KJV
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
[4] ... but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
~~~
5) Apostles
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The responsibility of the apostle is to oversee the churches to ensure orderliness in the Church and to ensure that we do not stray from the teachiings and commandments of Christ.
Acts 6:4 KJV
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
The work of the apostle is to devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word for the churches so that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life: and we will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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