He Handed It All Out In Gifts to the People

Ephesians 4:7-13 (MSG) But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is,

He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.

Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

καταρτισμός
katartismos
kat-ar-tis-mos'

Complete furnishing (objectively): - perfecting.

A making fit, preparing, training, perfecting, making fully qualified for service. In classical language the word is used for setting a bone for surgery. The Great Physician is now making all the necessary adjustments so the church will not be “Out of Joint.”

The Greek word for equipping implies:

1. A recovered wholeness as when a broken limb is set and mends.
2. A discovered function, as when a physical member is properly operating.

The work of the ministry is the enterprise of each member of the Body of Christ and not the exclusive charge of the select leaders.

Taken together, Eph 4:11,12 reveal that the task of the gifted leader is to cultivate the individual and corporate ministries of those he or she leads.

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues - God’s Purpose

Referring to Isaiah’s words, Paul wrote, “In the law it is written, ‘With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that they will not hear Me, saith the Lord.’ Wherefore”, Paul concludes, “tongues are for a sign . . . to them that believe not” (1Cor. 14:21-22). Notice Paul’s words, “tongues are for a sign”, and then ask yourself, “A sign of what?” Clearly, tongues are God’s designated sign of the way of eternal life. A singular beauty of the New Testament is that God Himself, through the Spirit, speaks when He enters our hearts. In this covenant, we are not dependent upon men to tell us when we are born again.

Speaking in tongues is a misunderstood blessing, but it is part of the reason Jesus suffered and died. How can it not be of God? Is it not clear that only those who have repented and have received the Holy Spirit baptism with the evidence of speaking in tongues have found this REST which God promised to His people?

Speaking in tongues enables God’s children to pray more effectively. Paul wrote, “Likewise the Spirit helps our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26).