Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. I Corinthians 14:12

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1 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. I Corinthians 14:12 The next word in our theme verse is, edifying, which is to build people up, not tear them down. It implies careful and systematic growth toward a goal. What is our goal? Colossians 1:28,29 I Peter 2:1-5 To present everyone mature in Christ is God s growth plan for all. Growth and edification both appear in this passage. In order to properly grow we must lay aside things not conducive to growth. All malice [all forms of evil], all guile, [any ulterior motive], hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking [backbiting] needs to be laid aside so we can grow unimpeded. 43 Backbiting means to speak evil of someone when no evil has been committed, as its other use in I Peter 2:12 shows. Backbiting is not pointing out evil or warning of evil if evil is actually present We don t cover for evil. When we see it, we who are spiritual deal with it with wisdom. I Peter 4:8 James 5:20 What does it mean to cover a multitude of sins? This is how you cover a multitude of sins. The Word explains its terms. Remember Galatians 6:1? When something evil appears in someone s life, those who are spiritual choose to get involved and restore. That s walking in love and how love covers. It doesn t mean we play favorites, and let the entitled do whatever they want. This is important to understand. We do not reprove and restore to show ourselves better than the offender. No. We need that person to stand so the body, and thereby we too, are better. Matthew 7:24-27 Matthew 6:28 Matthew 13:31,32 First use of edify. We make sure it is on the right foundation. First use of grow. Growth without compulsion arises from within. Mustard is a tiny seed with great potential. Can we make someone else grow? No. We could yell and scream and apply pressure, but to no avail. However, we can make conditions right for growth so that it happens of itself. 43 See also James 1:21. There are things which must be avoided for growth to occur. Growth is implied by the word engrafted. 47

2 Colossians 2:6-10 Get the foundation right: Jesus Christ. Who is responsible to edify? Romans 15:1-3 Ephesians 4:11,12 Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 4:15,16 The mature Gift ministers Anyone who speaks Everyone in the body of Christ What are the conditions for physical growth? Physical growth occurs when life is present and there is warmth, water, food, and light. It will occur until impeded by the least present constituent. What are the conditions for genuine spiritual growth? I Corinthians 8:1 Acts 20:32 Romans 14:19 I Corinthians 3:6 Love The Word Peace God We cannot make anything grow. Growth arises of itself if conditions are right. We cannot make believers grow, for it is God who gives the increase. What can we do to help others grow? We edify them so they can grow. Some believers develop an adeptness at edifying believers in the body of Christ. They need to take heed how they build. I Corinthians 3:9-11 Our rewards will be based on building upon the right foundation. Ephesians 2:19-22 Hebrews 6:1,2 Acts 6:1-7 Colossians 2:19 I Corinthians 3:5-7 Genuine apostles and prophets lay foundation and promote growth. Paul had a set of foundational concepts he taught in his culture. Growth occurred after the needed ministers were added. Pivotal people and unifying people help (joints and bands). Ministers minister, but God gives the increase. Leaders are important for proper growth, because there are some things which cannot be achieved without them. But leaders can either make it or break it. They have the power to either edify or destroy. 48

3 II Corinthians have striking repetitions of an entire phrase. This kind of repetition is what I call a bookend. It sets off contexts into distinct parts and strongly influences the passage. In between is content directly relating to what is book-ended. II Corinthians 10:8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: II Corinthians 13:10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction. Someone in a position of leadership has the potential to edify, but they also have the potential to destroy. The Word does mention guidelines to protect the believers. First, there are the qualifications of leadership given in Timothy and Titus. Then there is the practical application that can be seen in the Gospels by studying how Jesus handled the apostles. But there also is this section in II Corinthians which lays out a number of categories which a leader should never violate if they want to edify. Sandwiched in between these two repetitions is another repetition which bookends items especially for top leaders. II Corinthians 11:5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. II Corinthians 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. These are the types of behavior by leadership which can either make or break a Church or ministry. The following behavior will destroy it, so it must be avoided. II Corinthians 10:12 Commending one s self or one s ministry is not right. Let your fruit commend you. God confirms genuine ministers with signs and wonders. II Corinthians 10:14, 15a Intruding upon another man s or woman s ministry can result in destruction. I believe that the body of Christ is congregational. For it is impossible for one man to be the head of all Christians unless that man be the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the first Century church had two divisions divided along cultural lines: The Judean church, whom Peter, James and John were the top leaders for, and the gentile church which Paul led. 49

4 Galatians 2:7,8 Growing in God s Power Each was on its own agenda. Each culture has its own sets of apostles to deal with its strengths and weaknesses. For example, if one were preaching in China, they would not have as much of a problem teaching believers about the renewed mind. Mental discipline is one of Eastern culture s strengths. They also have different weakness and different things that would constitute new light to them which need to be addressed. So that means that they d have their own apostles and prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These ministers would be from their own culture. Galatians 2:8 clearly states that God was effectually working in Peter for the Judean Church. So that means that the Jerusalem believers weren t copped out even though Acts 21:20 says they were still zealous for the law. They were still passing through that stage. The Judeans had a massive cultural background steeped in the law of Moses. After Jesus fulfilled the law, could that background be ignored or changed by the wave of a hand? Could that even be done in a generation? No. Had they been left alone and Jerusalem not fallen in 70 AD, the Judean church ultimately would have caught up with the gentile church in doctrine and practice. That part of the church had the books of James, I and II Peter, and Hebrews written for them. 44 Those are genuine books. But the Epistles also were written to them. You can see the indications that they were catching up to the Gentiles. II Peter 3:15-18 This is proof that Paul wrote Hebrews. This actually is the reason why Paul wasn t supposed to go to Jerusalem. The apostles there were on their own agenda. Paul had just finished writing the books of Romans, Corinthians and Galatians. He was so fixed on that info that he ignored God s warnings. Destruction occurred when he intruded into the ministries of other functioning ministers. II Corinthians 11:3,4 II Corinthians 11:8,9 II Corinthians 11:12-14 II Corinthians 12:5,6 II Corinthians 12:17-19 II Corinthians 13:3 Preaching another gospel will not work. Lest by any means is a key phrase. Not using charitable gifts wisely, or being abusive in that category may cause destruction. Gain cannot influence decisions. False ministers infiltrate and function. Once allowed, self ambition will rule and envy and strife will reign. Vainglory spouted by the top leadership. God will commend and confirm the genuine with signs following. Putting personal gain or ulterior motive above ministering will bring destruction. To not speak for Christ will bring destruction. 44 I do not believe that these books are written only to the 6 th administration. Every administration has had its own sets of prophets. 50

5 II Corinthians 13:5-9 To not work on the perfecting of the saints will bring destruction. Genuine leaders can make a big difference if they use their position to serve and not abuse the believers by being lords over them. That s why they must meet and maintain the criteria for leaders in Timothy and Titus. Both men and women can lead in our culture. In other cultures around the world, a woman leader may be less common, but they have the same holy spirit and all have ministries. We ll have to see who God rises up. Ephesians 4:12,13 John 15:1,2 Ephesians 2:20-22 This is the leaders job description. Purge is to get rid of the plant s suckers so that it brings forth more fruit. Fitly framed together is an architectural term, sunarmologe!. Have you ever seen someone build a chimney from rocks? They fit each rock where it will best fit, and if necessary, occasionally, they chip off a tiny bit so it will perfectly fit. That is this word. That s what genuine leaders can do for us. But we are not just rocks. We are gems. Have you ever seen a gemstone in the rough? Often they look just like common rocks. But the gemologist knows how to bring out the true beauty, which is beneath the crust. Then we as beautiful gems are built together so that we can best reflect God s wonderful light. That is how we get set in our positions in the body. Acts against the body are indicated by dare. This is a one-body signpost word indicating what not to do. Self ambition should never be a factor to embolden someone to venture beyond the boundaries commanded by the Word. II Corinthians 10:12 Dare not to commend one s self. Acts 5:13 Acts 4:36,37 Why is this here? I never understood durst until I understood it was a one-body signpost word. These verses actually should begin Chapter 5. Why did Ananias and Sapphira drop dead? When the apostles gave Barnabus that new name, they actually ordained him. They didn t call people reverend when they ordained them in that culture. They gave them new names to live up to. 45 Barnabas was a Levite. He wasn t supposed to own land anyway. He got so blessed that he donated it to the Church. But Ananias and Sapphira who were intermediate level leaders (indicated by certain man in Acts 5:1) saw an opportunity to advance themselves. They saw the renown gained by the donation of the land, and the ordination of Barnabas so they tried to imitate it to advance into a position in the top leadership circle. But they had ulterior motives being driven by blind ambition. Because of this Satan had a firm grip on them. 45 See Acts 13:1; Mark 3:

6 The issue was not that they lied to God. People do that all the time and don t drop dead. It wasn t over money either. The issue was that Ananias and Sapphira were so blindly ambitious that they were willing to do anything to get a high position, even in the sight of God. Can you imagine the damage such a couple could have wrought had they made it into the top circles of leadership? That explains the passage and especially verse 13. Genuine Leadership in the Body of Christ Romans 13:1 Those in authority are set by God. Ephesians 4:16 The pivotal people in the Body supply, and that fitly joins together and compacts people. As people get blessed by a genuine, functioning minister, they trust that minister and give that minister authority over them. God is the One Who gives the supply to the minister to bless the believer that brings them in, unifies them, and sets them in array and order around the functioning minister. The authority refers to functioning ministers. If ministers no longer function, they no longer deserve the authority. Every body has to have some structure or it wouldn t be a body. There is a need for genuine leaders. They need authority to carry out their job, but the authorities in the body are those who have earned the believers respect by their service and by God confirming their ministries by signs following. Those who are functioning ministers deserve authority. But if they stop functioning or malfunction, they no longer merit it. I Corinthians 9:1-27 It is possible to disqualify a minister if they do not function. I Corinthians 9 contains 6 repetitions of the word exousia, authority. Verses 18 and 19 do say that the authority can be abused. And verse 27 says that it is possible to become disqualified as a minister. Being a minister should be, but sometimes isn t, a position for life. Paul made one big mistake but repented and so he deserved the ongoing respect and support of the believers. Had he repeatedly offended, he would have been disqualified. Romans 13:2-5 Leaders are necessary to overcome evil with good. Genuine leaders are vested with authority so that they can promote good and stand against evil, not the other way around. Romans 13:6-9 Tribute is periodic, repeated payments. Custom is like an honorarium, a one-time payment. Owe no man anything is talking about deference to leaders in the Body. This is not speaking of monetary debt any more than this section deals with secular government. Monetary debt is not the opposite of loving one another. The concept of sharing of abundance, respect, and deference is inherent between the parts of any body for it to be a body. This also is a part of God s provision to meet the needs that go with positions of leadership in the body. Some positions have the right to accept periodic, repeated 52

7 distributions of our abundance as the word tribute suggests. The ruling and/or supplying ministries may be in this position. They should receive the guidance as to the godly way for it to be spent to meet the needs of outreach, sustenance to the structure of the body, and current concerns or interests. Other positions of leadership may only accept an occasional payment as in an honorarium as suggested by the word custom. This could be a traveling teacher. Other positions may just require our respect such as a local deacon. Still other positions of leadership require only our honor such as leaders of different areas, we being outside of their jurisdiction. This sets the arrangement for the handling of the various elements involved in deference to leaders in the body. How do genuine leaders merit authority? II Corinthians 13:10 says God gives it to them. How does that happen? As they serve the body and give of their spiritual abundance, believers are attracted to them. Then as their ministries become pivotal, God provides that supply more and more. That supply attracts the believers, structures them and unifies them. That unifying process and the supply from God develops the believers respect for the minister and that s how he or she is given authority. It all stems from God. He s the One who energizes their supply that blesses the believers so. He s the One who is the ultimate authority. 53