Romans 12:7
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
July 14, 1999
Introduction
Paul has moved through his doctrinal section in Romans and now has moved on to the practical side of things. We now have moved into a section where he is encouraging the church in Rome to realize that they are a living organism, a "body". They all have a function in the body, they all have a part to play. That part in the body is determined by the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given each one.
(Rom 12:6 KJV) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering:
ministry … ministering – diakonia ("deacon") – service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others. We’ve made the word to seem to talk about some kind of special religious person, but it really just speaks of a servant. Its focus isn’t on the relationship between a servant and master (doulos), but its focus is on the work that the servant is doing.
(Rom 12:7 NASB) if service, in his serving
let us wait
– this phrase is not in the Greek text, but was added by the translators. The idea is simply, "If your gift is ministry, then do ministry"We would classify this as the gift of "helps".
(1 Cor 12:27-28 KJV) Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. {28} And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
helps
– antilepsis – a laying hold of, apprehension, perception; in NT, to aid, help; it comes from antilambanomai, to lay hold of, hold fast to anything; to take a person or thing in order as it were to be held; to help, to be a partaker of, partake of (the benefits of the services rendered by the slaves)What is the gift of "helps"?
It’s simply being a servant to others.
An example in the early church was with the seven "deacons" –
(Acts 6:1-6 KJV) And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. {2} 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. {5} And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: {6} Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
We can see it in those who are always doing things for other people. It could be in the person who likes to cook meals for their friends, or in the person who enjoys fixing things or cleaning around the church, or the person who assists another person in their ministry.
Lesson
Some things we are all called to do.
Some of these spiritual gifts are things that can only be done by those "gifted" by the Lord to do them. But some of them are also things that we all should be doing. Some will be more "gifted" than others, but we are all to do them.
"Serving" is something we are all to do.
(Mat 20:20-28 KJV) Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. {21} And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. {22} But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. {23} And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. {24} And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. {25} But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. {26} But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; {27} And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: {28} Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
At that same night, another thing took place:
(John 13:12-17 KJV) So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? {13} Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. {14} If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. {15} For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. {16} Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. {17} If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Jesus is Lord of all. Yet He was a servant to all as well.
No one is beyond being helpful to another person. We are all called to follow Jesus’ example in serving others.
Lesson
The Holy Spirit is practical.
If we’re not careful, we can fall into the trap of thinking that the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to give certain people in the church the ability to read your mind and come up with amazing bits of knowledge.
But Jesus said that the one true result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was power:
(Acts 1:8 KJV) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The word "power" is dunamis in the Greek. Though we can get caught up in saying that this is the root word for "dynamite", it’s also the root word for "dynamo" and "dynamic". Its root meaning is simply that of "ability".
When the Holy Spirit fills you, He will give you "ability". Sometimes it is the ability to speak in an unknown tongue. Sometimes it is the ability to have a special word of knowledge. Sometimes it’s the ability to be a witness for Jesus. Sometimes it’s the ability to weed a neighbor’s yard or vacuum the church carpet.
:7 or he that teacheth, on teaching;
teacheth – didasko – to teach; to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses; to explain or expound a thing
What is the gift of teaching?
The ability to explain the Word of God.
Often as a person is speaking, there may be actually several gifts as work. There may be times when a word of knowledge is mixed in, other times when the words are purely prophetic, sometimes there is exhortation going on.
But the part that is "teaching" involves the explanation of God’s Word. It’s the ability to help another person gain understanding about what God’s Word means.
We see an example of this in the Old Testament:
(Neh 8:7-9 KJV) Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. {8} So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. {9} And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
They not only read the Word clearly so it could be heard, but they gave the "sense", they helped those listening to be able to understand the implications of what was being read.
If you have the gift of teaching, you will learn to love that look in a person’s eye that shows you that they understand.
I think there are things we can do to improve our ability to teach others like learning the art of illustrating a point. Jesus often told stories or parables to help the people understand what He was saying. But the bottom line in teaching is that it must be a gift from the Holy Spirit.
Lesson
Use your gift.
The gift of teaching is to be used by teaching.
If God has given you the ability to explain His Word to other people, you NEED to be using that gift.
When we left a denomination church years ago in order to become involved with Calvary Chapel, I had been teaching about three times a week for six years. We went through a period of time where I didn’t teach for six months. It was horrible.
I finally started a home Bible Study, just so I could teach. For a while there was only four or five of us, but it was so wonderful to get back to my ministry.
If you have the gift of teaching, you need to be teaching. It might be a Home Bible Study, it might be a Sunday School class, it might be a small Bible Study at work. It might be discipling a new believer from the Harvest Crusade. Just teach.
Don’t worry about the size of the group. Don’t worry who comes and who doesn’t. Just stay faithful and teach.