SOUNDING
OUT:
The Best Gifts
At the end of I Corinthians 12 that deals with
spiritual matters within the church, God commands us to covet
earnestly the best gifts. I Timothy 3:1 also assures us that desiring
to function within the church in the office of a bishop is a good
thing. The heart to serve is beautiful in the eyes of God, and
He is thrilled when we aspire to bless and serve His people. Let’s
look at that final command in I Corinthians 12.
I
Corinthians 12:31:
But covet earnestly the best gifts [charisma, in the
Church]....
This
instruction compels those of us who belong to the Church, to covet
the best gifts. The word “covet” means, when used in a positive
sense as it is here, “to set one’s heart on, be deeply concerned
about; or have or show a great interest in (UBS Lexicon).” The
“best gifts” referred to are the charisma. If we have
the ability, it is up to us to venture forth and serve. If we
do not have this spiritual ability in evidence in the Church we
need to do some earnest desiring so we can rise up with the power
of God to meet needs.
What are the “best gifts?” Are apostles better than prophets?
Are evangelists better than pastors? The word “best” does not
mean that one gift of God is better than all the rest. How could
that be? Every gift of God is good and perfect. “Best” means the
most useful, the most serviceable, or the most advantageous. What
is best or most advantageous varies depending on the local assembly.
What would be the “best” gift of God for one local church
might not be the “best” for another group of believers in another
local church. For instance, if one church fellowship should be
located in an area among many who are unsaved, then that church
fellowship should “covet earnestly” the gift of an evangelist.
Another church in another area may be located among Christian
believers only. This church does not need an evangelist; this
church should “covet earnestly” the gift of a pastor. Remember
this verse deals with gifts of God’s grace, gift ministries of
apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors.
I
Corinthians 12:31:
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a
more excellent way.
That
more excellent way is charity, the love of God in the renewed
mind in manifestation. If and when we apply the principles of
the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation in our lives,
we will no longer need to “covet” or “earnestly desire” anything,
for God knows our every need and He will supply to us most liberally,
even before we ask.
Two of the Greek words in the Bible for love are:
- philia--natural or human love (the corresponding verb is phileĹŤ)
- agapē--divine love or the love of God (the corresponding verb is agapaō)
The
love of God, agapē, comes into a man when he is born again.
Romans 5:5 says that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” When we received the
gift of holy spirit, this wonderful love of God came with it. When
we hold this love of God in our minds and act accordingly, act lovingly,
love people with that love which God poured into our hearts, then
this new kind of love is manifested in the world. The only way people
will ever see God’s divine love is when a born again believer renews
his mind and loves others the way God loves him.
The usage of agapē in I Corinthians 13, which is
called “charity” in the King James Version, is the love of God in
the renewed mind of the believer in manifestation. It is the “active”
love of God. The love of God in the inner man is from God at the
time of the new birth. Once that spiritual reality has been “shed
abroad in our hearts,” we must choose to live that way. To love
like this is a function of our will. We have been enabled by God
to live that way, and we must choose the more excellent way of the
love of God.
The presence of this love in our hearts is by grace. The
manifesting of it takes intentional effort and resolve. It is a
“renewed mind” action. Agapē is a commitment of the will
to cherish another and give of oneself. The more excellent way of
IÂ Corinthians 13 is the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation.
Chapter 13 could just be one word—LOVE! However, God did not just
say love. He goes on at length about it. He does not just casually
mention it. He elaborates on it. He states it and restates it and
goes back again and says it from another angle.
J. Edwin Hartill in Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics,
Chapter 12 defines “The Full Mention Principle” as “that principle
by which God declares His full mind upon any subject vital to our
spiritual life. Somewhere in the Word, God gathers together the
scattered fragments that have to do with a particular truth, and
puts them together into one exhaustive statement.” I Corinthians
13 is one of those places where God, out of such great concern for
our well-being, elaborates extensively on love. The force and impact
of this statement is so powerful that it demands attention. The
force of the statement shocks us from complacency. Sure, we know
something about love, but God wants us to be aware that we do not
know enough about it. Therefore He goes on at-length until we admit
or realize that there is always room for improvement, thereby encouraging
us to practice it more and more. This full–mention principle challenges
us to continue to improve and never become complacent about manifesting
the love of God in the renewed mind.
The point of this grand discourse on the love of God in the
renewed mind in manifestation is to impress upon the mind of the
believer just how magnificent this love of God is. Sure, we all
know something about love, but we do not know enough about it. God’s
presentation at length of this topic illuminates its grand importance.
We may never fully understand it, but God wants us growing into
an experiential awareness of how dynamically important it is.
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