Controversies in the Church / Spiritual Gifts

  • The Body of Christ

    1 Corinthians 12:12–31

    In summarizing today’s passage and the communion of saints, answer 55 of the Heidelberg Catechism says that “each member should consider it a duty to use these [spiritual] gifts … for the service and enrichment of the other members.” One ...Read More

  • Gift-giver and Protector

    Ephesians 4:7–12

    “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still” is the cry of the believer’s confidence in the protecting work of Christ. We may suffer in this world, but in Jesus we are kept from everlasting destruction. We ...Read More

  • A Cause to Glory in Christ Jesus

    Philippians 1:25–26

    In saving us from sin, death, and His holy wrath, our God has placed us in a community that, according to His sovereign determination, needs our gifts and talents. To refuse to serve the body of Christ is tantamount to ...Read More

  • Every Member Ministry

    Ephesians 4:12-13

    Do you consider yourself a minister in the church? Although you might never be ordained to a church office, your gifts are critical to the healthy functioning of Christ’s body. Determining your specific role may not be easy, but ...Read More

  • The Gift of Officers

    Ephesians 4:11

    All Christians rest upon the teaching of the apostles and prophets in sacred Scripture, but God has ordained that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are also necessary for healthy spiritual growth. The Lord does not ordinarily bring us to maturity through ...Read More

  • Gifts from the Ascended Christ

    Ephesians 4:8-10

    Christ’s ascension to the right hand of God the Father demonstrates His sovereign authority to distribute good gifts to us as He wills. Because He has conquered death and hell, Jesus can give what is best to each of ...Read More

  • Sovereign Gifting

    Ephesians 4:7

    Christ bestows gifts upon His people as He sees fit, guaranteeing that all of us have an important part to play in the advance of His kingdom (1 Cor. 12:1–11). As Christians, then, we must truly appreciate the ...Read More

  • The Pastor’s Progress

    1 Timothy 4:14-15

    John Calvin writes, “To neglect a gift is carelessly to keep it unemployed through slothfulness, so that, having contracted rust, it is worn away without yielding any profit.” Some of us know what our gifts are but are not using ...Read More

  • Investing God’s Gift

    Matthew 25:14–30

    John Calvin says, “There will be no excuse of the indolence of those who both conceal the gifts of God, and waste their time in idleness.” Far too many professing Christians are content to sit around and not use their ...Read More

  • Fulfilling the Call to Missions

    Matthew 10:40–42

    Only a small percentage of Christians are called to full-time service in the church. Yet even those who do not work in the foreign mission field or hold ecclesiastical office are vital to the extension of the Gospel. Besides working ...Read More