FELLOWSHIP. Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Marion, Iowa 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

Transcription

1 FELLOWSHIP Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Marion, Iowa 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

2 Fellowship Introduction Today, in the twenty-first century many Christians do not have a biblical understanding of the concept of fellowship. This article is an in-depth study of the subject. In this study, we will go into great detail regarding this concept so that we can have a well rounded biblical view of fellowship with the triune God and our fellow Christians. The Scriptures teach that Christian fellowship which is biblical has two directions: (1) Vertical: God (2) Horizontal: Body of Christ. Christian fellowship is a relationship and partnership with God and Christ s body and involves sharing His objective of advancing His kingdom on earth by caring for and working together with the body of Christ in this endeavor. The church age believer can experience fellowship with God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father. Fellowship with God and their fellow believer is based upon their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father. There are many synonyms in Scripture which describe the church age believer experiencing fellowship with God. As we will note, it is first of all synonymous with experiencing eternal life. When a Christian is experiencing fellowship with God they are experiencing eternal life. They are also experiencing their salvation or in other words, their deliverance from eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, spiritual and physical death, personal sin, enslavement from the sin nature and Satan and his cosmic system. To experience fellowship with God is also to experience sanctification or in other words, fellowship is experiencing being set apart to serve God exclusively in doing His will. The believer must be filled with the Spirit or more accurately influenced by the Spirit in order to experience fellowship with God which is accomplished by obeying the Spirit s voice as He speaks to the believer through the communication of the Word of God regarding the will of the Father. They must also be operating in the love of God in order to experience fellowship with God. When a believer is experiencing fellowship with God, they will experience undeserved suffering which advances them to spiritual maturity. The believer will pray when they are in fellowship with God. Lastly, the believer who experiences fellowship with God and grows to spiritual maturity will experience intimacy with God William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

3 Chapter One: The Nature of Fellowship A study of two-word groups (koinōnia and metochos) that are employed in the Greek New Testament to denote the concept of fellowship, express four related and essential elements that describe what fellowship involves. The noun koinōnia, this word comes from koinos, which means common, mutual, public, and it refers to that which is held in common. The meaning of these two-word groups can be boiled down to two main ideas: (1) To share together, take part together in the sense of participation and partnership, and (2) To share with in the sense of giving to or receiving from others, sharing what we have with one another. As we will note, there are four critical concepts that are derived from these two meanings according to New Testament usage. The New Testament usage according to sentence construction refers to: (1) the thing shared in common in some way by all parties involved as relationships, blessings or burdens, privileges, or responsibilities (all believers in Christ share many things in common); (2) the person(s) doing the sharing with others; (3) the person(s) with whom there is sharing; and (4) an abstract quality of the concept of fellowship, with no object, used alone as in Acts 2:42. There are several words in the Greek New Testament which describe Christian fellowship and what it entails. First of all, we have the adjective koinos, which means common, common ownership, common property, partner (Mk. 7:2, 5; Acts 2:44; 4:32; 10:14, 28; 11:8; Rm. 14:14; Tit. 1:4; Heb. 10:29; Jude 1:3; Rev. 21:27). The noun koinōnia means partnership, participation, fellowship, close relationship, association, communion, expressing a two-sided relation (Acts 2:42; Rm. 15:26; 1 C. 1:9; 10:16; 2 C. 6:14; 8:4; 9:13; 13:14; Ga. 2:9; Phlp. 1:5; 2:1; 3:10; Phlm. 1:6; Heb. 13:16; 1 Jn. 1:3, 6, 7). The verb koinoneo means to share with someone in something which he has, to take part, to partake in, to participate, to possess together (Rm. 12:13; 15:27; Ga. 6:6; Phlp. 4:15; 1 Tm. 5:22; Heb. 2:14; 1 P. 4:13; 2 Jn. 1:11). The noun koinonos means partner, associate, companion (2 Cor. 8:23; Luke 5:10; Phil. 1:7) or partaker, sharer (1 Cor. 10:18-20; 2 Cor. 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:1; 2 Pet. 1:4). The adjective koinonikos means belonging or appointed to society, generous, liberal in sharing or giving, sharing what is one s own (1 Tim. 6:18). The noun sunkoinonos means partnership, fellow sharer (Rm. 11:17; 1 C. 9:23; Phlp. 1:7; Rev. 1:9). The verb sunkoinoneo means to participate or share in something with somebody (Eph. 5:11; Phlp. 4:14; Rev. 18:4). The adjective metochos means sharing, a partner, a companion (Lk. 5:7; Heb. 1:9; 3:1, 14; 6:4; 12:8). The adjective metecho means sharing, a partner, a companion (1 C. 9:10, 12; 10:17, 21, 30; Heb. 2:14; 5:13; 7:13). The noun metoche means partnership, fellowship (2 C. 6:14) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

4 Based on the meanings and uses of these words, four key ideas develop that are important if we are to grasp the richness the New Testament s teaching on fellowship. If we understand these four concepts we will begin to have a grasp of the doctrine of fellowship and its implications and demands on our lives. Since fellowship is extremely important and forms an essential foundation for understanding the ministry we are to have with one another, let s look at these four main concepts of New Testament fellowship. Christian Fellowship denotes the following concepts: (1) Relationship with Christ: We are all permanently united together by the common (eternal) life that we share as a result of regeneration and the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2:42; 1 C. 1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3). (2) Partnership: We are to work together for a common purpose to obtain common objectives for the glory of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 1:27; Phlp. 1:5; Gal. 2:9; Heb. 1:9). (3) Companionship: We are to communicate with one another and have fellowship with one another sharing with one another the things (viewpoint and thinking) of Christ (Acts. 2:42; Heb. 10:25; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Thess. 5:11; Philem. 6). (4) Stewardship: We must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. Believers need to be willing to share their material possessions for the promotion of the gospel and to help those in need. Good stewardship stems from recognizing our relationship to Jesus Christ, but it also means recognizing our partnership in Christ s enterprise on earth. (Rom. 12:13; 15:27; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 4:15; Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:13; Heb. 13:16; 1 Tim. 6:18). An English dictionary can shed a lot of light on the Bible if we would use it in our Bible study. The translators chose English words according to their real and exact meanings. When we study our Bibles, we assume we understand the full significance of a word, but often our ideas are very incomplete and this is particularly true of the word fellowship. Webster s English dictionary can add to our understanding of the concept of fellowship. They provide the following definitions for the word fellowship: (1) companionship, company, associate (vb.) (2) the community of interest, activity, feeling or experience, i.e., a unified body of people of equal rank sharing in common interests, goals, and characteristics, etc.; (3) partnership, membership (an obsolete usage but an important one. It shows what has happened to our ideas of fellowship). There are three key ideas that come out of this: (1) Fellowship means being a part of a group, a body of people. It is opposed to isolation, solitude, loneliness, and our present-day independent kind of individualism. (2) Fellowship means having or sharing with others certain things in common such as interest, goals, feelings, beliefs, activities, labor, privileges and responsibilities, experiences, and 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

5 concerns. (3) Fellowship can mean a partnership that involves working together and caring for one another as a company of people, like a company of soldiers or members of a family. Fellowship Means Relationship New Testament fellowship is first a sharing together in a common life, the life of the Savior, with other believers through relationship with God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Fellowship is, therefore, first and foremost a relationship, rather than an activity. Any activity that follows is to flow out of this relationship. Relationship means we are related to God as His children, born into His family by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. Then, as believers in Christ, we are related to Christ and to each other in that we have been joined into union with Him; we are members of His body through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Fellowship means we share this relationship and it is an objective fact regardless of our spiritual condition (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2 with 3:1-3). The believer must always keep in mind that his experience with God and with other believers grows out of the objective fact of his relationship with the Lord Jesus (cf. Eph. 2:5, 6). God s viewpoint of the believer is objective fact. It is a reality. God s viewpoint is in His Word. The believer must trust what God s Word says in order to experience that which is objective reality. Only those who are in relationship with one another (objective fact) can have true fellowship (subjective experience). We must first have a real living relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ before we can have experiential fellowship with God. As this is true with God, so it also becomes true in our fellowship with one another (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Biblical fellowship encompasses both the objective and the experiential. The believer must first trust in the objective, which is found in the Word of God in order encounter the experiential. The believer s union and eternal relationship with God provides him with the motivation, the means, and the confidence he needs to appropriate his new life in Christ, as one who is intimately related to the living Christ. In the New Testament, what is shared in common is shared first of all because of a common relationship that we all have together in Christ. The noun koinōnia was an important word to both John and Paul, but it was never used in merely a secular sense and it always had a spiritual significance and base. The idea of an earthly fellowship founded upon just common interests, human nature, physical ties like in a family, or from church affiliation was really rather foreign to the apostles William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

6 In the New Testament, believers can have fellowship and share together because they first of all have a relationship with Christ and share Him in common (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3). First and foremost, fellowship is believers sharing together in a common life with other believers through relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This common life is eternal life, the life of God. One must have the life of God in order to experience fellowship with Him. Believers can experience fellowship with each other because they have eternal life. The believer must possess the eternal life of God in order to experience fellowship and intimacy with God. This has been made possible through the incarnate Word of eternal life, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Finished Work on the cross of Calvary 2000 years ago. One of the purposes of the incarnation is that men might have fellowship with God. God wants to have a relationship and fellowship with mankind and this can only be experienced through the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Mediator between God and mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ who is the eternal, incarnate Word God came into the world in order that He might give eternal life to men and He did this so that men could have fellowship with God. Eternal life is an attribute of God. Since each member of the Trinity is co-equal, co-infinite and co-eternal, each member of the Trinity is eternal life: (1) God the Father is eternal life (Jo. 5:26; 6:57; 1 Th. 1:9). (2) The Word of God is eternal life (Jn. 5:26, 6:35 Phlp. 2:16; 1 Jo. 1:1) (3) The Holy Spirit is eternal life (Jn. 6:63; Rm. 8:2). It has no beginning and no end and is the life of God. It transcends time, matter and space. Eternal life is received as a gift at the moment of justification when the sinner expresses faith alone in Christ alone. It gives one the capacity to experience a relationship with God, which involves intimacy and fellowship with God. It is received through faith alone in Christ alone (Jn. 3:1-36) and is appropriated after conversion by being obedient to the Spirit who reveals the Father s will through the communication of the Word of God. At the moment of regeneration, God the Father imputes eternal life to the human spirit that was created simultaneously at regeneration by the Holy Spirit. This act of regeneration makes the believer a new spiritual species or in other words it gives him a new Christ-nature that can never sin and that is described in Scripture by many phrases such new self, new man, newness of life, new creation. No one can have a relationship and fellowship with God apart from having the Lord Jesus Christ as one s Savior. This is clearly stated by our Lord in a famous passage that reports to us our Lord s encounter with Nicodemus (John 3). This leads us to the study of the second concept that is related to Biblical fellowship, namely, partnership William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

7 Fellowship Means Partnership The two-word groups that we studied, koinonia and metochos mean to share together in the sense of a partnership. Believers automatically become a jointpartner of our Lord s enterprise here on earth to establish His kingdom because they are in union with the Person of Christ and share His life. In secular usage, koinonos (a form of koinōnia) and metochos were both used by Luke to refer to the partnership of Peter with James and John (Luke 5:7, 10). Koinonos stresses the fact of having something in common, metochos, the fact of sharing ; the latter is less thorough in effect than the former. In the spiritual realm, koinonos was used by Paul of Titus (2 Cor. 8:23). It was used of Philemon (Philemon 17). Paul ascribed koinōnia to Titus, Philemon and the Philippians because he viewed them as partners in the ministry of the gospel, as co-workers who shared in ministry (cf. Gal. 2:9). In the spiritual realm, metochos was similarly used by the author of Hebrews to express the concept of our partnership with the Lord because we are also sharers of His life and calling (Heb. 3:1). The word relationship describes what we are: A community of people bound together by eternal life and blessings that we share together as a result of our union with Christ. The word partnership describes how we are related to each other in that relationship: We are partners in a divine enterprise and calling in which we are to work together as a team in a common purpose to obtain common objectives for the glory of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 1:27). Fellowship Means Companionship and Communication Companionship is the interchange or the communication (communion) that exists among companions, those associated together through a relationship they hold in common. The key ingredient in companionship is communication. Communication is the interchange or the sharing of concepts, feelings, ideas, information, needs, burdens, etc., through words or other symbols like body language and actions so that all members of the relationship can share and thus minister to each other as they have opportunity and are sensitive to the needs of one another. In the Christian community, fellowship means learning to communicate on a spiritual level through a mutual sharing of the things of Christ by means of the Word, the Spirit-empowered and motivated life, and the ministries and gifts of the various members of the body of Christ William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

8 The purpose of this is to promote a greater appreciation of our Lord and Savior and the sufficiency of His Word for our lives, regardless of the circumstances (good or bad) and this is to be accomplished imitating and sharing the Lord with one another. Fellowship Means Stewardship The Scriptures teach that each church age believer must present themselves at the Bema Seat in order to have their actions as related to their service evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ to determine if these actions related to his service merit a reward or not. They will be held responsible by the Lord for their service, which involves a four-fold stewardship: (1) Time: Were they profitable in how they used their time on earth that the Lord gave them? (2) Talent: Were they profitable in how they used their spiritual gift the Lord gave them? (3) Truth: Were they profitable in how they used the truth the Lord gave them? (4) Treasure: Were they profitable in how they used their finances that the Lord gave them? They are to be good stewards with their talent (they are to operate in their spiritual gifts) and treasure (they are to financially support each other when necessary) and truth (they are to apply the Word of God in their relationships with each other). Time: Galatians 6:9-10, Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Talent: 1 Peter 4:10, As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Treasure: Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure -- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Truth: Colossians 4:5-6, Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. At the Bema Seat, the believer s service, as expressed through their stewardship in these four areas, will be evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ to determine if they were a faithful and profitable steward in these four areas or not. If they were a faithful and profitable servant and steward with their time, spiritual gift, truth and finances that were given to them by the Lord as trusts, they will receive a reward from the Lord and if they were not, they will not receive a reward William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

9 To give an account to the Lord is making oneself accountable to the Lord in order to have one s service and stewardship evaluated by the Lord to determine if they merit rewards or not. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 reveal that the believer s works as related to service will be evaluated by the Lord to determine if they merit rewards or not. There is nothing in these passages mentioning the believer giving an explanation for what he did since no explanation could justify or change that which the believer said and did in life. When the believer stands before Christ at the Bema Seat it is not to determine their eternal destiny since that was decided when they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior and as a result were declared justified by the Father. There is absolutely never any condemnation whatsoever for the Christian because of a legal decision rendered by the Father the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Father is a perfect judge and once He renders a decision, it can never be rescinded. It is a once and for all, final decision. He never makes a mistake. He saves the Christian based upon the merits of His Son and His Son s deaths (spiritual and physical) on the cross. The Christian has no merit with God. The object of his faith, Jesus Christ has all the merit with God the Father. Therefore, the Christian salvation and the fact that he avoids eternal condemnation is based upon the merits of the Person of Christ and what He did at the cross for sinners. A steward is a manager, not an owner. He is one who manages the property of another. God is the owner and we are the managers of the various stewardships He has given. This includes the whole of life, of course. But to be good stewards of His grace, we must know the precise areas of stewardship for which God is holding us accountable. Good stewardship stems from recognizing our relationship to Jesus Christ, but it also means recognizing our partnership in Christ s enterprise on earth. (Romans 12:13; 15:27; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:15; Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:13; Hebrews 13:16; First Timothy 6:18). We must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. A steward is one who manages the property of another and is not an owner; he is a manager. As stewards, we must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. Believers need to be willing to share their material possessions for the promotion of the gospel and to help those in need. Everything that we are and possess as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, both spiritually and materially, namely, our time, talent and treasure are in fact, trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God s kingdom and glory (1 Peter 1:17; 2:11; 4:10-11; Luke 19:11-26) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

10 Good stewardship stems from recognizing our relationship to Jesus Christ, but it also means recognizing our partnership in Christ s enterprise on earth. In any good partnership, the partners share equally in both privileges and responsibilities, the assets and liabilities, and the blessings and burdens. What kind of partnership would it be if one partner took all the income and enjoyed all the privileges while the other partner did all the work and paid all the bills? No one would enter into a partnership like that, yet that is what goes on in the church today. Partners are to share and share alike in all the aspects of their enterprise. They may not do the same things since there are diverse spiritual gifts distributed to individuals in the body of Christ. In fact, members of any partnership will be much more successful in their enterprise if they work and share according to their abilities, expertise, and training, but still share the load. The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples the importance of being obedient servants of God. He taught His disciples to be profitable rather than unprofitable servants of God. A profitable servant is obedient whereas the unprofitable servant is disobedient (Matthew 24:47-51; 25:14-30). Stewardship of Time The first area of stewardship that we will note that the believer will have to give an account for in that it will be evaluated by the Lord at the Bema Seat is that of his stewardship of time. God has allotted twenty-four hours to each one of us. God has given us days not years. Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. (NASB95) Scripture commands a believer to make the most of his time, to conduct his life with respect toward God and according to the will of God. Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (NASB95) Ephesians 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. (NASB95) 1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (NASB95) Remember, God allots us a certain amount of time on this earth, and we are held accountable as to how we use that time. The principle of our stewardship of time is taught by our Lord in the parable of the minas in Luke 19: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

11 Every believer must use his time wisely if he is to be acknowledged by the Lord as a good steward (Psalm 90:1-17). Colossians 4:5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (NASB95) Opportunity is kairos and again, rather than emphasize a point of time, the focus is on a period of time filled with all kinds of opportunities through the privileges and responsibilities given. In connection with our witness to the unbelieving world, we are responsible for two things: (1) Our conduct, which includes our behavior, must be opportune in relation to the time in its various possibilities; and (2) Our conduct, as it is occurs in our speech, must be appropriately seasoned to fit the person we are seeking to reach for Christ. 1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers. (NASB95) Time in 1:17 is chronos, which simply focuses on the duration of one s life on earth as well as its temporality. On the other hand, the word stay, while also pointing to the element of temporality, focuses our attention on the attitude and the manner of life that should characterize how we should conduct ourselves during that time. We are to live as sojourners. As believers in Christ, we are now citizens of heaven from whence we are to be looking for the Savior (Philippians 3:20-21). In Romans 13:11-14, Paul emphasized with his readers the importance of being good stewards with their time. Paul in Romans 13:11 commands his Christian readers in Rome to continue making it their habit of loving their neighbor as themselves as a result of what he taught in Romans 13:8-10 that loving one s neighbor fulfills the requirements of the Mosaic Law. In this passage, he teaches that they are to continue obeying this command because they are well aware of the significance of the period of history in which they were living in, namely, they were living in the church age preceding the imminent return of Christ at the rapture. This period he teaches is characterized by urgency and opportunity for them, demanding immediate action on their part in that they can gain rewards for obeying the command to love your neighbor as yourself. The apostle also teaches in this passage that it is now already the moment for his readers to be awake spiritually. To awake from spiritual sleep refers to the confession of sins to be restored to fellowship with God and maintaining that 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

12 fellowship by obedience to the Word of God. Lastly, he teaches that it is now already the moment for Paul s readers to be awake spiritually because their deliverance from the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system at the rapture of the church is now nearer to taking place than when they first became Christians. Romans 13:11 So then, all of continue making it your habit of practicing this because all of you are well aware of the significance of this particular period of history characterized by urgency and opportunity, demanding immediate action, namely that, it is now already the moment for each and every one of you to be awake from sleep because our deliverance is now nearer to taking place than when we believed. (Author s translation) Then, in Romans 13:12 Paul informs his readers that the night has drawn to a close and the day is approaching. He then draws an inference from these two statements by exhorting his readers to lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12 The night has drawn to a close. Indeed, the day is approaching. Therefore, let us for the duration continue to lay aside for ourselves the activities, which characterize the kingdom of darkness. Indeed, let us for the duration continue to clothe ourselves with the weapons, which characterize those belonging to the kingdom of light. (Author s translation) This passage contains four sections. The first statement the night has drawn to a close teaches that the period in which the church age believer is not in his or her resurrection body and is living during a period of history in which Satan is the god of this world has drawn to a close. The second statement the day is approaching emphasizes with Paul s readers that the period of time when each and every one of them is living in their resurrection body and is permanently delivered from living in Satan s cosmic system is approaching or is imminent. This period begins for the believer with the rapture of the church and will never end and will go on throughout eternity future. The third statement is an exhortation Therefore, let us for the duration continue to lay aside for ourselves the activities, which characterize those who belong to the kingdom of darkness which is making an inference from these previous two statements. This inferential exhortation involves the confession of sin (1 John 1:9) to be restored to fellowship with God since the noun ergon, deeds refers to activities and the noun skotos, darkness refers to those who belong to the kingdom of darkness. They were to continue to confess their sins, keeping short accounts with God the Father during this interim period prior to being permanently delivered by the return of Christ at the rapture. The fourth and final statement in Romans 13:12 Indeed, let us for the duration continue to clothe ourselves with the weapons, which characterize those who belong to the kingdom of light speaks of the believer appropriating 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

13 by faith his union and identification with Christ. This statement speaks of the act of the church age believer exercising faith in the Spirit s revelation in the Word of God that they are crucified with Christ, died, buried, raised and seated with Him. The expression armor of light refers to the Christian s union and identification with Christ but from the perspective that it gives the believer victory over spiritual and physical death, personal sins, the sin nature and Satan and his cosmic system. The believer s identification with Christ in His crucifixion, spiritual and physical deaths, burial, resurrection and session when appropriated by faith gives them the victory experientially over spiritual and physical death, the sin nature, personal sins and Satan and his policy of evil promoted and propagated by his cosmic system. In this final statement in Romans 13:12 Paul is contrasting those who belong to the kingdom of light and those who belong to the kingdom of darkness. This antithesis between light and darkness used often by the apostle in his writings (2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:8, 11; Colossians 1:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, 8) and is used by John (John 1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35; 1 John 1:5; 2:8-9). The apostle Paul in Romans 13:13 exhorts his readers to unite with him in conducting their lives properly as those who exist in the day, not by means of drunken parties, licentious promiscuity and jealous contention. Romans 13:13 Let us for the duration continue to conduct our lives properly as those who, as an eternal spiritual truth, exist in the state of being in the day, not by means of drunken parties, not by means of licentious promiscuity, not by means of jealous contention. (Author s translation) The day refers again to the period of time when each and every church age believer is living in his or her resurrection body and is permanently delivered from living in Satan s cosmic system. This period begins for the believer with the rapture of the church and will never end and will go on throughout eternity future. Therefore, when Paul exhorts his readers to unite with him in conducting their lives as those who exist in the day he means that they are to conduct themselves as those who are positionally resurrected with Christ and delivered from the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system. They are also to conduct themselves as those who exist in the day ultimately meaning they are to conduct themselves as those who will ultimately be resurrected and will be permanently delivered from the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system at the rapture. Then, to complete the verse he lists three pairs of vices that Christians are to avoid. They are not to conduct their lives by means of drunken parties, licentious promiscuity and jealous contention. In Romans 13:14, the apostle Paul in this passage issues a command and a prohibition William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

14 Romans 13:14 But rather, I solemnly charge all of you to make it your top priority to clothe yourselves with the Lord, who is Jesus, who is Christ. Also, all of you continue the discipline of not allowing yourselves to make provision with regards to the lusts produced by the flesh. (Author s translation) In the command, Paul solemnly charges the Roman Christians to clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. This refers to appropriating by faith the teaching of the Spirit in the Word of God that the Christian is union with Christ and identified with Him in His crucifixion, His spiritual and physical deaths, His resurrection and session. Then, in the prohibition, he wants his readers to continue not allowing themselves to make provision with respect to the desires produced by the flesh, i.e. the sin nature. Stewardship of One s Spiritual Gift The second area of stewardship for the believer that the Lord Jesus Christ will evaluate at the Bema Seat is that of his spiritual gift. The Scriptures teach that at the moment of conversion, each and every believer has been given a spiritual gift for the purpose of serving other members of the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7). The Scriptures teach that at the moment of conversion, each and every church age believer has been given a spiritual gift for the purpose of serving other members of the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7). The distribution of spiritual gifts was authorized by the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of His strategic victory over Satan at the cross during the dispensation of the hypostatic union (Ephesians 4:7-10). However, the actual appointment of the believer s spiritual gift is made by God the Holy Spirit as per 1 Corinthians 12:11. Spiritual gifts are stewardships for which the believer will have to give an account to the Lord. They are also assignments of position within the body of Christ. Identification of one s spiritual gift and production from this gift is a direct result of spiritual growth which can only be achieved through the consistent and persistent learning and applying of the Word of God which in turn enables the Holy Spirit to identify for you, your spiritual gift. Just as a car operates on gas so the believer s spiritual gift operates on God s love. This is indicated in that in Romans 12 after Paul discusses spiritual gifts in verses 6-8, he then discusses loving one s fellow believer in verses Also, after discussing spiritual gifts extensively in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul then discusses the importance of the believer operating in the love of God in 1 Corinthians 13 and even teaches that loving one s fellow Christian is more important than spiritual gifts since they run on love. The believer discovers for himself or herself and manifests to others their spiritual gift by loving God and their fellow believer William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

15 The nature of spiritual gifts is important for the believer to understand. First of all, they are never merited or earned. Gifts are a special grace-given ability (nature or essence). They are given by the Holy Spirit to each believer in Christ. Spiritual gifts are for service to the body of Christ that it may grow quantitatively (evangelism), qualitatively (edification), and organically (developed ministries and offices in the church). Ultimately, they are for the glory of God. Spiritual gifts are God s special gifts given to believers to enable them for special service to the body of Christ and in the world. When related to the gift of ministry or service or helps, it may include natural talents received at birth. A spiritual gift is not an office in the local church like pastor or deacon. Certain gifts are needed to function effectively in those offices, but an office and a gift are not the same thing. It is not a particular geographical area or a place of service. It is the ability to serve, not the place where one serves. A spiritual gift is not a particular specialty or method of ministry. The gift of teaching may be used through radio or through writing or through the classroom, etc. It is not a certain personality type (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 with 2 Corinthians 10:10). Ephesians 4:8 There are two categories of spiritual gifts: (1) Temporary: Functioned only during the pre-canon period of the Church Age (1 Corinthians 13:8, 10). (2) Permanent: Function during the pre-and post-canon period of the church age. The following gifts were temporary and had disappeared by 96 A.D.: (1) Apostleship (2) Prophecy (3) Miracles (4) Tongues (5) Interpretation of Tongues (6) Knowledge and Wisdom (7) Discerning spirits (8) Temporary gift of faith (9) Healing. The gift of apostleship no longer exists since there are only twelve apostles and the last one went home to be with the Lord in 96 A.D. The gifts of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, faith and the discerning of spirits no longer exist since they were to fill the void until the canon of Scripture was completed. The gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues no longer exist today since they were given to evangelize Jewish unbelievers who were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire and spoke foreign languages. The gifts of healing and miracles were to establish the authority of the apostles and authenticate that the Lord Jesus Christ sent them. The following gifts are permanent: (1) Pastor-teacher (2) Evangelist (3) Administrations (4) Helps (5) Administrations. In Ephesians 4:8, Paul paraphrases Psalm 68:18 in order to teach the qualifications of Christ and His authority to authorize the distribution of spiritual gifts to individuals who have trusted in Him as their Savior William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

16 Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says, WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN. (NASB95) When He ascended on high refers to the ascension of the impeccable human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father as a result of His death on the cross, which was in obedience to the Father s will. He gave gifts to men refers to the fact that when Christ ascended into heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father, ten days later on the day of Pentecost, He first authorized the Holy Spirit to distribute to each individual who trusts in Him as their Savior, a spiritual gift, which is designed to glorify Him. For years, the body of Christ, the church, has been hampered by a clergy mentality that makes a strong distinction between the professional clergy and the lay person. This clergy or minister mentality fails to see and function under the New Testament truth that every believer is in full-time Christian service since every believer is a ministering priest who is to be ministering for the common good of the body of Christ according to the gifts God has given him. Most people view the pastor as a paid professional to preach, teach, counsel, visit, and keep the administrative wheels running smoothly. Believers individually and the church as a whole exist to be good stewards of the truth of God in evangelism and discipleship through the exercise of the gifted members of the body of Christ. We exist for the mission of propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world and building up other believers in the Christian faith so that they become healthy ministering saints. And while other factors hurt this mission, certainly one very large contributing factor is the clergy/layman, retailer/consumer mentality that is so prevalent in our society. The idea of becoming a mission-oriented church with every believer a minister scares people. They are much more comfortable with the concept of paying others to do the work of ministry for them. But the New Testament teaches us that church leaders are to be like coaches who should be training others for the work of ministry according to the spiritual gifts of each believer (Ephesians 4:11-16). This clergy/layman mentality has produced a crisis in the church today that is having serious consequences on the spiritual health of the body of Christ. Romans 12:6a-There Is a Diversity of Spiritual Gifts in The Body of Christ According to God s Grace The apostle Paul in Romans 12:6a teaches that there is a diversity of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ according to God s grace. Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

17 your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith. 7 If service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (NASB95) In Romans 12:6, not translated is the sequential use of the conjunction de, which introduces a statement that follows logically the previous statement. In the apodosis of the comparative clause in Romans 12:5, Paul teaches because all Christians are one body in union with Christ, thus logically speaking they are members individually belonging to one another. Now here in Romans 12:6, Paul continues to advance upon his statements from the previous comparative clause in Romans 12:4-5. In this verse, he teaches that because all Christians are one body in union with Christ and thus logically members individually belonging to one another thus logically speaking they possess spiritual gifts that differ from each other according to God s grace policy. Some contend that the conjunction de in Romans 12:6 introduces a statement that transitions from a discussion that emphasizes the importance of the Christian maintaining a humble attitude with regards to self and other members of the Christian community to a discussion regarding spiritual gifts and their function. Interpreting de as transitional would support the interpretation of the participle form of the verb echo, we have as functioning as an indicative. However, the participle functioning as an indicative is quite rare. Furthermore, it is more likely that Paul in Romans 12:6 is continuing a progression of thought from Romans 12:1-5. In Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul appealed to his Christian readers in Rome on the basis of the merciful acts of the Father on their behalf to offer their bodies as a sacrifice-alive, holy, extremely pleasing to the Father, which their reasonable service to the Father. Then, in Romans 12:2, Paul prohibited his Christian readers in Rome from being conformed to the standards of the cosmic system of Satan. He then issued a command on the heels of this prohibition to be transformed in their character into the image of Christ by the renewing of their minds. He teaches that this 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

18 transformation of the believer s character into the image of Christ by renovating their mind accomplishes what the Father intended in that it provides the believer the capacity to discern what the will of God is with regards to any situation. In Romans 12:3, Paul forbid his readers from thinking more highly of themselves than they were obligated to think. In contrast to this he commanded that they think properly about themselves, which is accomplished by obeying the command in Romans 12:2 to renovate one s mind. Thinking properly about themselves would be consistent with the objective standard that the Father distributed to each believer by which they can accurately and objectively form an opinion of themselves, namely justifying faith. Then, in Romans 12:4-5, Paul teaches that the reason why it is essential that the believer maintain a humble attitude toward self is that like the human body has many members with differing functions so they are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. There two verses form a comparative clause, which compares the different parts of the human body that have various functions that benefit the body as a whole with the individuals who compose the Christian community that also have various functions that benefit the community as a whole. The comparative clause in Romans 12:4-5 teaches that the Roman believers should obey his command in Romans 12:3 because just as the human body has many members with diverse functions so the Christian community is one body in union and identified with Christ and thus individually members of one another. The implication is that Paul s reader need to maintain a humble attitude about themselves and avoid being arrogant because they need each other to function effectively as a group since they have different functions which benefits the entire group just as the human body has different parts with different functions. Therefore, the implication of this is that maintaining a humble attitude is essential in order to serve the body of Christ. Now, in Romans 12:6, he advances upon the idea by teaching that because all Christians are one body in union with Christ and thus logically members individually belonging to one another, thus logically speaking they possess spiritual gifts that differ from each other according to God s grace policy. It is logical because just as the human body has different members with different functions that contribute to the proper function of the body as a whole so the Christian community has different members with different functions or spiritual gifts that contribute to the proper function of the Christian community as a whole. Therefore, Romans 12:6a is a continuation of the body metaphor in Romans 12:4-5 rather than a new sentence and a transition of thought as many commentators interpret this verse and many English translations do as well. Then, 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

19 in Romans 12:6b-8, Paul goes a step further in the progression and identifies the various spiritual gifts and their function. We have is the first person plural nominative masculine plural present active participle form of the verb echo, which means, to experience one what one possesses which is identified as spiritual gifts as indicated by the accusative neuter plural form of the noun charisma, gifts. Romans 12:6-8 is notorious as being a difficult passage to interpret and translate. One of the difficulties with this passage is tied to a misunderstanding of the proper contextual meaning of the verb echo and how its participle form functions. Nearly, all expositors and English translations consider Romans 12:6-8 elliptical and thus supply imperative verbs (NASB; RSV) or a series of them (KJV; NIV; TEV; REB; NJB). Ellipsis is not uncommon in the Greek New Testament, especially in the Pauline corpus. In fact, we have seen many elliptical constructions in Romans. As we also noted earlier, the statement each of us is to exercise them accordingly in Romans 12:6 does not appear in the original text since the translators interpret Paul as using the figure of ellipsis meaning that this statement is implied. They believe that the qualifications for each gift listed in Romans 12:6b-8 reflect an underlying hortatory sense meaning that Paul is exhorting his readers to exercise these gifts. Also, the majority interpret echo as denoting simply possession. However, the verb can often contain the idea of experiencing something. 1 That echo means to experience what one possesses is indicated when Paul speaks of the seven spiritual gifts he lists in Romans 12:6b-8, he is emphasizing their function within the body of Christ and not merely that the Roman believers possess these gifts. You cannot experience the benefits of spiritual gifts without their function. If echo means experience what one possesses as we contend, then this does away with the idea that the passage is elliptical since this meaning fits nicely with the first prepositional phrase in Romans 12:6, kata ten analogian tes pisteos, according to the proportion of faith. Thus, the verb echo denotes that the Christian community possesses and experiences spiritual gifts: if the function of prophecy, according to the absolute standard, which is the Christian faith. It also goes nicely with the remaining six prepositional phrases that have an instrumental force: en te diakonia, in his serving (verse 7), en te didaskalia, in his teaching (verse 7), en te paraklesei, in his exhortation (verse 8), en 1 See A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition, page 421; (See Dunn, James D.G., Word Biblical Commentary, volume 38b, Romans 9-16; page 726; Thomas Nelson, William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18