Tag: logia

1 Peter 4:11 – Speaking and Ministering

Posted on by Will

If anyone speaks, let it be as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

All ministering that we do within the church should glorify God, not us!

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “oracles” is logia. This is related to logos, meaning “a word,” but it specifically refers to “an utterance.”

“Ability” is from the Greek word ischus, which refers to “physical strength or mental power.”

 

Meaning Explained

Now Peter gets specific about two very important types of gifts in the body; the speaking gifts and the serving gifts. The speaking gifts are those which involve the use of words. These could be preaching, teaching, counseling, encouraging, singing, or other verbal functions within the body of Christ. Peter tells us that if we are using any speaking gift within the church we should treat our words as the very utterances of God.

This is an awesome responsibility for those of us who have speaking responsibilities in the Church and is not to be taken lightly. First, we must be sure it is because of God’s gift that we are speaking. Then, we need to be certain that what we are saying is, in fact, the message that God wants us to deliver. It must be consistent with what is taught throughout the Bible. Therefore, the words that come out of our mouths should only be words that would come out of God’s mouth. Think about that the next time you are asked to present special music at your church or the next time you teach a Sunday school lesson.

The other gifts that Peter is talking about in today’s verse are the serving gifts. Though not always as visible as the speaking gifts, they are just as important. For instance, those who serve in the nursery so that others can receive the spoken message without distraction are doing a mighty service to God and to the church. Just because these gifts are behind the scenes doesn’t mean that they are any less blessed, any less important, or any less needful of the enabling gifts from God.

Whatever we do within and for the body of Christ is a type of service, and Peter says something critically important about it. He says that we are to do it with the ability that God has given us. That means that there are things within the body of Christ that you or I shouldn’t do. Unfortunately, there are people within the church who have taken on responsibilities that they shouldn’t have taken on, but they don’t know how to say “no” to those who ask them.

How do we know what areas of ministry we should be involved with in our church? Peter even gives the answer to this question. If we can do it so that God will be glorified, then we should do it. If it is for personal glory, we shouldn’t!

 

Application

We all need to be actively serving the body in one way or another, but we need to be involved

“… so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ …”

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 15:27 – Christian Pay-back

Posted on by Will

Romans 15:27 – Christian Pay-back

It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

Truth to Learn

We should be a blessing to those who have blessed us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “material” is the Greek word sarkikos, which means “that which pertains to flesh and blood.” It refers to material things like food, clothing, and money.

Meaning Explained

Paul starts off this verse with “It pleased them indeed.” The first thing we need to ask is, “It pleased whom?” Does Paul mean that it pleased the ones receiving the gifts or that it pleased the ones giving the gifts? The basic rule of grammar is that if there is a pronoun (them) that could apply to more than one subject, it generally refers to the subject most immediately preceding the pronoun (the saints in Jerusalem). Notice we said “generally” because there are exceptions of which this is one. By looking at the second half of this verse we see that Paul is saying that those of Macedonia and Achaia are debtors to the poor saints in Jerusalem. By context “them” and “they,” therefore, are referring to the same group of people, those of Macedonia and Achaia.

Paul is telling the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome, and us, that the Gentile Christians in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to give the gifts of money to the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. And to Paul it is obvious why they should be pleased to give these gifts, because they (the Gentile Christians) are indebted to the Jewish Christians.

The next question that we have to ask ourselves then is, “Why were the Gentile Christians indebted to the Jewish Christians?” Remember what Paul said back in the third chapter of Romans?

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2)

The Jews were the ones to whom God gave the oracles. The Greek word logia, which is translated “oracles” means “utterances.” In other words, the Jews are the ones who originally received the words of revelation concerning who God is and what He expects from man.

Were it not for the early converts to Christianity, who were Jews, being scattered from Jerusalem, the Gentiles would not have received the message of salvation through faith. And consider this: if Saul (Paul) and others like him had not persecuted the early converts to Christianity, they likely would not have been dispersed after the martyrdom of Stephen. Now we can understand better why Paul felt compelled to spread the gospel after his own conversion since he was one of their fiercest persecutors before he himself got saved.

If the Gentile converts have received spiritual gifts and blessings from the converted Jews, it is only right that they share in their material things with the Jewish converts.

Application

Think for a moment about the people who have provided you with the greatest spiritual blessings in your life. Take a moment to think about who they are and how they have blessed you. You, indeed, are indebted to them! Have you returned the favor by blessing them or other Christians in need?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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