God gives gifts to his church. Not for display. Not for status. For building up.
Paul writes to the Ephesians about something most churches get backwards. Spiritual gifts are not about the gifted person. They are about the body. The whole body. Every part of it.
The gifts exist so that every saint is equipped. Every disciple is active. Every member is contributing to the work.
Not a few professionals doing ministry while everyone else watches. Everyone. Equipped. Deployed. Growing up together into Christ.
That’s the picture Paul paints. And it changes everything about how we gather, how we serve, and how we make disciples.
Gifts Given to Equip the Saints
Paul names five gifts Christ gave to the church. Apostles. Prophets. Evangelists. Shepherds. Teachers.
Five gifts. One purpose. “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Not five roles for professionals. Five gifts to equip everyone else.
The goal is unity of faith. Knowledge of the Son of God. Mature manhood. The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
That’s a high bar. And Paul says the gifts are how we get there. So we are no longer children, tossed by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
These five gifts work differently, but they aim at the same thing.
Apostles. The sent ones. Missionaries, planters, startup leaders. Not just the Twelve. Paul and Barnabas were called apostles. So was Junia. Apostles go where the gospel hasn’t gone yet and build something from nothing.
Prophets. People who speak for upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. That’s Paul’s own definition in 1 Corinthians 14:3. Not fortune-telling. Not predicting the future. Speaking truth that strengthens the body. And Paul says everyone can prophesy. First Corinthians 14:31. This gift is not reserved for the elite.
Evangelists. Good news bearers. Friends of sinners. Drawn to outsiders the way water finds low ground. They carry the gospel like fire. Not because they memorized a script. Because the good news burns in them and they can’t keep quiet.
Shepherds. Care for the flock. Guard, guide, feed. No title needed. No ordination required. Just a heart that watches over people. The shepherd notices who’s missing. Checks in when things go quiet. Stays close when life gets hard.
Teachers. Help others understand truth they can live out. Not just in a classroom. Teachers show up in conversation, in small groups, one-on-one over coffee. They take what is complex and make it clear. What is distant and make it near.
Ministry is not for professionals. Every saint is equipped for the work. The gifts exist to make sure of that.
Discussion
- Which of the five gifts do you see at work in your own life or in the people around you?
- What would change if every believer in your church saw themselves as equipped for ministry?
Key Takeaways
- The gifts are not for show. They are for building up. Every gift Christ gave the church exists to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
- Ministry belongs to the whole body. Not a few professionals. Every believer is equipped to serve, strengthen, and disciple others.
Desire the Gifts That Build Up
Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 26-32 (ESV)
Paul tells the Corinthians something that should reshape how we think about gathering. When the church comes together, everyone has something to bring.
A hymn. A lesson. A revelation. A tongue. An interpretation.
Not one voice doing all the work. Many voices, each contributing. “Let all things be done for building up.”
That word keeps showing up. Building up. The Greek is oikodomē. Edification. Construction. The picture is a house being built, brick by brick, every member laying something down.
Paul says to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. Especially prophecy. Why? Because the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. It builds the body.
Speaking in tongues without interpretation builds up only the speaker. Paul isn’t against tongues. He speaks in tongues more than all of them (1 Corinthians 14:18). But when the church gathers, the goal is not personal experience. The goal is mutual edification.
“Let all things be done for building up.”
That’s the filter. That’s the test. When you bring something to the gathering, ask: does this build up the body? Does it strengthen someone else? Does it encourage? Does it console?
If it does, bring it. If it doesn’t, hold it.
Paul wants order, not chaos. Decency, not performance. But within that order, he wants participation. Real, active, Spirit-led participation from every member.
Discussion
- What would it look like for everyone in the room to bring something when the church gathers?
- How do you tell the difference between a gift that builds up the body and one that draws attention to the speaker?
Key Takeaways
- The gathering is participatory, not passive. Paul expects every member to bring something that builds up the body.
- Desire the gifts that serve others. The test is not impressiveness. The test is edification. Does it build up?
Every Member Participates
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 (ESV)
Paul uses the human body to explain something the Corinthians were getting wrong. They were ranking gifts. Elevating some. Dismissing others. Paul says stop.
The body is one. It has many members. And every single one is necessary.
“If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.” The foot doesn’t get to quit. The ear doesn’t get to opt out. God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
That’s important. As he chose. Not as we rank them. Not as the culture values them. As God chose.
And notice what Paul says about the parts we consider weaker or less honorable. Those parts are indispensable. God gives greater honor to the part that lacked it. The body doesn’t work when some members sit out because they think their gift doesn’t matter.
“If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
That’s the picture. A body where every part is working. Every joint contributing. No division. No hierarchy of importance. Just every member doing what God designed them to do.
Paul asks a string of rhetorical questions. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? The answer is no. The gifts are different. But they are all necessary. And they all serve the same body.
Then he says, “Earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” That more excellent way is love, which he unfolds in chapter 13. The gifts without love are nothing. But love without the gifts leaves the body incomplete. Both matter.
Every disciple participates. Not just the visible ones. Not just the ones on stage. Every member. Every gift. Every joint doing its part. That is how the body builds itself up.
Discussion
- Why do you think Paul spends so much time on the “weaker” or “less honorable” parts of the body? What does that say about how God values people?
- What would it look like for every member to be actively participating in the life of the church, not just the few who are visible?
Key Takeaways
- God arranged every member as he chose. No gift is accidental. No member is unnecessary. The body needs every part working.
- The parts we overlook are indispensable. Paul says the weaker members receive greater honor. God’s economy is the opposite of the world’s.
Something to Sit With
God gives gifts to every believer. Not to some. Not to the impressive ones. Every single one.
And those gifts have one purpose. Building up the body of Christ. Making disciples. Growing together into maturity.
Not spectators. Participants. Not consumers. Contributors. Not professionals doing ministry while everyone watches. Every saint equipped for the work.
The body has many members. The foot can’t say it doesn’t belong. The eye can’t say it has no need of the hand. God arranged every part as he chose. And the parts we think are weaker? Those are the ones he calls indispensable.
Bring what you have. A hymn. A lesson. A word of encouragement. A prayer. A meal. A conversation that points someone to Jesus.
Let all things be done for building up.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five gifts in Ephesians 4?
Paul lists apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. These are not positions of authority for their own sake. They are gifts Christ gave to the church to equip every believer for the work of ministry and to build up the body.
Is prophecy the same as predicting the future?
Not in the way Paul uses it. In 1 Corinthians 14:3, Paul defines prophecy as speaking to people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. It is truth-telling that strengthens the body. Paul says everyone can prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:31).
What does “building up” mean in the New Testament?
The Greek word is oikodomē, which means edification or construction. Paul uses it repeatedly to describe the purpose of spiritual gifts. The picture is a house being built, each member contributing something that strengthens the whole structure.
Does every Christian have a spiritual gift?
Yes. Paul makes clear in both Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12 that every believer has been given gifts by the Spirit for the common good. No one is left out. No one is unnecessary. Every member of the body has a role.
Why does Paul compare the church to a human body?
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul uses the body metaphor to show that every member is necessary. No gift is more important than another. The foot can’t quit because it isn’t a hand. The eye can’t dismiss the hand. God arranged every part as he chose, and the parts that seem weaker are indispensable. The point is participation, not hierarchy.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.