Opus 2025-539: I Didn’t Say It

A couple years ago we had a contractor in our house who was standing next to me.  I can’t remember if he was actually working or just doing an estimate, but he turned to me and said you are the most patient man I have ever seen.  It may not have been those exact words, but that was the idea.  I had a hard time accepting what he was saying, but then I got to thinking about it.

Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit.  Patience is the first things listed when Paul is describing love and in I Corinthians 13.  The root meaning is a compound word meaning long suffering.  When I thought about what the man was responding to and why he said it, I could see how maybe I could qualify for at least a bit of patience.

What occurred to me today as I was thinking about other things was that if I am patient, it’s obviously not to my credit.  My patience is not a result of some deep-seated character strength that I have.  I don’t think of myself is being patient.  I love the microwave.  I always like to find something else to do if I have to wait for something in the oven or on the stove.  But at the same time as I look back over the years and the things that I have endured, I can see a lot of patience.

This is not to toot my own horn or claim that I am any more patient than anyone else.  I would guess that most people who would have the time to read this have gone through even more than I have, and it’s possible that without even thinking about it, they have exhibited patience.

I think we need to understand that this patience that we have comes from God.  We may have a little bit somehow built in, but when those situations hit where we are devastated or raging or totally numb it is only the grace of God extended to us that gives us that extra spiritual fruit that we need.

One of the great advantages of serving a living God is that He keeps an eye on us and makes sure that when the chips are down that we have the winning cards.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-361: Monday Pulpit: Just a Passing Fad?

I am often agitated by the way in which people interpret the Bible to reinforce the ideas they came loaded with.  It also makes me wonder how often I do the same thing.

My current radar blip is a reference to the passage in Mark 16 that might have been left out of your modern translation or at least put in brackets.  It contains some really strange ideas as well as standard truths.

Our pastor was commenting on it for some reason.  I don’t remember it having anything to do with whatever topic we were on.  He made two mutually exclusive statements.  The first was a response to this.

(Mar 16:17 KJV)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

He said that these signs were only for the disciples.  They do not apply any more.  He says this because his theological system must put the power gifts in a category that has passed away.

For some reason he was okay with the next verse,

(Mar 16:18 KJV)  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

I cannot understand why one is no longer in effect but the other is in force.  There is no note in the text that says one applies and the other doesn’t.

It would seem to me that they are either both still in operation or they are both no longer in effect.

But that is just me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-301: I Am Not Alone

Recently at a family dinner. I was talking with my son-in-law, and he shared his recent experience with lawnmowers.  I opened the discussion by asking if he was using the riding mower that he had picked up second hand.  That got him off on a new mower he had, given to him by a neighbor, which was working.  That seemed a little strange.

He shared with me how his old push mower was being mulish.  He had worked on the carburetor, made adjustments, made changes that I would have nightmares about and it still wouldn’t work.  This struck a resonance in me because I am totally hopeless when it comes to maintenance on the machines.

Why was this a big deal?  He is one of those guys who seems to be able to fix or build anything.  I would go to him for advice on how to get my lawnmower working.  All of his expertise did him no good.  It was very encouraging for me to know that, in his old lawnmower, he had met his match.  I’m not gloating.  I am not rejoicing about his difficulty.  I’m just rejoicing in the fact that I am not alone in submission to the world of mechanics.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-101: Sewer Rats and Spiritual Gifts

I am beginning to believe I have the spiritual gift of interpretation of tongues.  Why?  I am finding that it is necessary to understand my wife.

The spiritual gift of interpretation involves being able to interpret languages that you have never learned.  The context is usually understood to refer to someone speaking in an unknown language or ecstatic utterance. 

(1Co 14:27-8 KJV)  If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

I often act as interpreter for my wife because she can change subject several times in one “sentence.”  When I see people looking puzzled I try to clarify.  The comment that generated this was my wife complaining about our “sewer rats.”  She kept saying this and after a time I quit correcting her.  What she meant was “sewer flies.”  It is good to be needed.

What really scares me is that I might also be developing the need for people around me with the gift of interpretation.  We all use the wrong word on occasion.  As we get older it seems to happen more often.  Sometimes I notice.  Sometimes I don’t. 

I am not sure which is worse.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-52: Mercy Strikes a Blow

Nobody knows the original source of “Know thyself.”  It is still good advice.

One of my weak points is a lack of the spiritual gift of mercy.  I know it.  Sometimes I joke about it.  I know my Bible and myself well enough to recognize it as a weakness.  That doesn’t mean that I have any need to become an emotional basket case.  It does mean that I need to be aware of my lack and compensate for it.

One way is to encourage others in the body of Christ who have the gift.  Let them be what God has made them.  That is the easy part.

The hard part is fighting my tendency to always assume that people need correction rather than encouragement. 

The Holy Spirit cut through my crust this week.  I was getting out of my car at Panera for my morning time of worship and preparation.  A truck pulled up next to me and two young guys got out.  They were obviously going to be working hard that day.  As I followed them I noticed a woman begging at the door.  One of the men walked on by but the other stopped, listened to her a moment, pulled out his wallet, handed her a five, said a kind word and went on in.  She went in and got something to eat.  I noticed that she stopped several times to thank the young man who had helped her. 

That picture has been in my mind all week.  What would I have done?  I generally don’t give out money.  I probably would have invited her in and bought her breakfast.  If I had been in a hurry I would have been polite but not giving.  I have no problem with that.  Maybe I should.  What God was speaking to me about was the attitude I would have toward the person begging.  I would be judgmental no matter how polite I was. 

A couple of quotes come to mind.  It would be good for me to remember, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”  That is doubly true in this day when the economy is so bad, health care is crumbling and so many are out of work.  I am truly blessed and I should be more willing to share that blessing. 

The second that I came across today in my study are the words of Jesus.  You can read the entire teaching in Matthew 25 if you want but the verse that hit me the hardest was the negative statement?

(Mat 25:45 KJV)  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

How often has it been what I did not do that causes me to be disobedient?  I have a million excuses and some logical arguments.  I am not sure that Jesus will be impressed.

Today I need to begin to put this in motion.  I need to be more merciful without giving up wisdom and discernment.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-45, Spiritual Gifts: Who Me?

At our men’s Bible study on Saturday I received a valuable insight.  We were studying the beginning of John 13.  Jesus is washing the disciples’ feet and teaching about servanthood.

I am not gifted in mercy, helps or service.  I really get tired of helping people who are always in need because of what looks to me to be poor planning, bad habits or just plain laziness.  That is not the insight.  A couple of the men present are loaded with the gifts of service and helps.  One of them said something to the effect that there were times when he really did not want to help some people because they did not deserve it. 

I was surprised and asked him if I had heard him correctly.  He said, “Yes, at times it is really hard to help people.”  That was a valuable insight to me.  If merciful people feel that way, I am not so weird.  Of course I need to realize that should not be an excuse for me to not help.  That is another lesson I need to learn. 

Just because I don’t have a gift does not mean I don’t have a responsibility.

It was a morning well spent.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-22, Spiritual Gifts: Geek

I know that your Bible does not list the spiritual gift of geek.  This is one of the places in which paraphrase could come in handy.  What it does list is the gift of “craftsmanship” (NASB) or “workmanship” (KJV).  This is found in the Old Testament.  It is one of the earliest spiritual gifts listed.  Consider the following:

(Exodus 35:31 KJV)  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

We have the ingredients of the New Testament.  We have the Holy Spirit filling people with some things we have seen already, wisdom and knowledge.  If you look a little further down you see teaching added to the list.

(Exodus 35:34 KJV)  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

So I think we are talking about spiritual gifts.  Here we add understanding and craftsmanship.

Think about how this would apply itself down through history.  You have the person with the green thumb helping the person with bad soil.  You have a skilled mason helping build a house.  You develop a labor saving device.  You help a single mother get her car running or fix her broken toilet.  To this I add the gift of geek.

Let’s face it, many of us are technologically challenge.  We can’t even get messages off our cell phones.  Texting might as well be in Greek, unless we live in Greece, then it might as well be in Turkish. 

And so we have the person who has the gift of designing, applying and using the tools that make our everyday existence better.  Today much of that is in technology.

(Exodus 35:35 KJV)  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

This person could held the church reach out through the world through web design or management programs.  They can help the church in outreach.  They can be of assistance to the tech challenged in the congregation.  They can be a witness to those who live in the cyber world. 

We have materials that did not exist in the days of Moses.  We have machines and concepts that would have been beyond their wildest dreams.  In the midst of that we have people who still need to be edified and a church that needs to minister.

If geek is your gift, use it.  Blessings.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-8, Spiritual Gifts: Pastor

(Ephesians 4:11 KJV)  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Years ago when I first taught on spiritual gifts there were tests available designed to suggest what your spiritual gifts might be.  They are still available.  I was pastoring at the time and could set my own schedule of teaching so I took the time to have people take the test.  Everyone took it for themselves and then we began to take it for each other.  An interesting and surprising trend emerged.  The most common gift in our little congregation seemed to be the gift of pastor.

At first this seemed to be some kind of mistake, but the more I looked at it, the more I could see it being true.  We tend to think of the pastor in terms of leadership, administration, knowledge and so forth.  In reality the word means shepherd.  The pastor is one who helps, nurtures and protects those weaker than themselves.  A pastor in the Biblical sense is one who cares for and about the people around him. 

This made sense when I looked at this little church.  They were people who were concerned and helpful.  If one had a problem, others would reach out.  They took care of each other.  It is possible for this to become ingrown, but the up side is that the gift of pastoring is much more common that most people think.  It is not a profession, it is a gift.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-372, Spiritual Gifts: Hospitality

(1 Peter 4:9 KJV)  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

I believe that hospitality (5382) is a spiritual gift.  It is not on all lists, but I think it is part of the building up of the body of Christ.  One reason I can see this as a gift is because of the verse that follows this one,

(1 Peter 4:10 KJV)  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Hospitality is an interesting word.  It is a compound word in the Greek made up of two words you would be familiar with.  The first is philios, or brotherly love.  We see it in words like filial and names like Philadelphia.  The second part is xenos which means stranger.  We use the word in xenophobia and such.

I think this word would be the direct opposite of xenophobia which is directly out of the Greek.  Xenophobia means “fear of strangers.”  philoxenos means “love of stranger.”  One is the standard of the world; the other, the church.  They are only a few letters apart.

There is a bit of confusion on this gift.  Once when teaching on spiritual gifts I had the class take a survey on spiritual gifts.  A large number of them came up with the gift of hospitality yet one of the big weaknesses of that church was that they did not reach out to new people.  Something did not add up.  Much of the incongruity came from understanding the meaning of the gift.  Hospitality is not knowing how to set a table and which fork to use.  It is more an attitude toward reaching out and caring about others.

A good example would be Mary and Martha.  The gift of hospitality is not the person who knows how to use the good china and who knows how to put a meal on time.  That was Martha.  She was concerned with the production.  Hospitality is in the hearts of people who make others comfortable in their home.  That was more Mary. 

When you are greeted by someone with the gift of hospitality, you come, you sit and you feel like you belong, not like you are an imposition.  If someone has the gift of hospitality the people eating with you don’t worry about the right fork or the quality of the food, but enjoy the fellowship that has been established along with the food.  Tuna casserole is enough when the gift of hospitality is present.  Of course the person with the gift would be sensitive to the fact that you hate tuna casserole and would not serve it, but that is another story. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-340, Spiritual Gifts: Evangelism

(Ephesians 4:11 KJV)  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

If you are around evangelical churches you have probably had some contact with the concept of a full time evangelist.  They are preachers who work full time in the field, going from church to church holding revivals.  Probably the best known to my generation would be Billy Graham.  Today we might look to Greg Laurie or someone else who hold regular crusades around the country.

Some of these might be demonstrating the gift of evangelism, some might just be good at persuasion and organization.  I don’t say that in judgement, just as a statement of reality.  The gift of evangelism is not limited to professionals who can sway crowds. 

The word “evangelist” is a compound word in the Greek.  The first part means “good.”  The second part is the word used for “angel” and means “message” or “messenger.”  Thus “evangelism” means “good message” or “good news.” 

One of the early evangelists was Philip. 

(Acts 21:8 KJV)  And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

The word “evangelist” is the same as the word for the gift so Philip had the gift.  He did do some traveling and was the one who spoke to the Ethiopian eunuch and led him to the faith, but notice the reference to the “seven.”  That refers to his official role in the early church.   He was one of the original seven deacons chosen by the church to supervise the food given to the widows. 

Paul brings up the gift when he is writing to Timothy.

(2 Timothy 4:5 KJV)  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Was this instruction to all pastors or just a word for Timothy to use the gift he had?  You can provide your own answer.

I think some people have a special knack for sharing the good news with others.  They have a timing and choice of words that are very effective in sharing about Jesus.  That does not relieve the rest of us though.  The role for all believers is the role of witness.  Only some have the gift of evangelist.  All have the responsibility to witness.

You may not be the champion evangelist but look for a chance to put in a good word for Jesus.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-291, Spiritual Gifts: Whistling?

I am teaching a class on spiritual gifts.  At least that is the topic when we don’t get on a tangent.  I love tangents when teaching. 

In our discussion of the gifts we come to one of the questions that are asked about gifts and by implication about the entire spiritual life.  Are the lists of spiritual gifts set in stone or are they suggestive?  On one side you have people who believe that the only spiritual gifts are the ones that are recorded in the lists in Romans, I Corinthians, Ephesians and I Peter.  Some would include the reference in Exodus.  This position says there are no other gifts.  The other side of the argument says that these are just suggestive.  There are other gifts.  Don’t try to limit God.  One of the suggestions that bring this us is music.  Is it a gift of the Spirit?

This becomes a general question about Christian living.  Some people believe that the only things we are forbidden from doing are those specifically listed in the Bible.  A corollary of that is that the only things we are required to do are those listed in the Bible.  Others feel that the Christian life is more open to adapting and that we should always be watching for new potential areas for sin or obedience.  Later on that point.

Today I want to ask, is whistling a spiritual gift?  If you belong to the It-Must-Be-on-the-List crowd, you already have your answer.  But think about it.  What does it say to people when you come to work with an obvious attitude of joy?  Is it just an expression of the fruit of the spirit, joy?  I have run mental video of myself as I get out of my car and progress into the building.  Sometimes I look like I am wading through 30 weight oil on a winter day.  Other days I look like the astronauts walking on the moon.  What does that say to others?

And why the difference?  Sometimes it is purely physical.  End of case.  But more often it has to do with how I have spent my morning.  When I spend time with the Lord it makes a difference.  When I have budgeted time and been in the Word and listening to the Spirit I am different. 

I suggest you try it.  It is not a charade.  It is not faked.  Time with the Lord in the morning does something about my attitude and what I radiate.  Try it, you might like it.

Is whistling a spiritual gift?  I doubt it, but it might reflect my close contact with eternity.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-288, Spiritual Gifts: Apostle

(Ephesians 4:11 KJV)  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

There is some controversy over the spiritual gift of apostle.  Since it is listed, you can’t deny that it exists.  The question becomes, “What does it mean?”

To most people the Apostles were the twelve disciples that made up the inner circle of Jesus.  They were specifically chosen by him.  We see the word used that way.

(Matthew 10:2 KJV)  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Some people say that these twelve were the only real apostles and that the gift is not active any more.  This group would also tend to say that other gifts are not given any more, such as tongues and miracles.

Others believe that all the gifts are still being given by the Holy Spirit and are active today.  Since a person who now has the gift of apostle today cannot be one of the original twelve, what does the gift involve?

The word in Greek means “sent one” and goes back to the root meaning “to send.”  We think of the Twelve as being followers of Jesus.  We see how they were with Him for three years.  All true, but they ceased being The Disciples and became the Apostles at what is called the Great Commission. 

(Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

At this point they became the “sent” or “apostles.”  Beyond this we rely mainly on tradition, not history.  Tradition tells us that many of them spread out across the known and unknown world, preaching the Gospel.  Tradition says that Thomas got as far as India where a group of believers still exists that trace their roots back to the apostle.

What does that mean today?  In reality, your opinion is as good as mine.  It is probably as good as the greatest Bible scholar.  I think that the gift of apostle is given today to people who are called to be missionaries or church planters.  I think it is a special blessing of the Holy Spirit that enables some people to go into areas that are pagan, whether it be in Los Angeles or Delhi, and proclaim the truth in such a way that the church is established. 

I believe the gift is alive and well. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-282, Spiritual Gifts: Exhortation Revisited

One of the great blessings of the internet and blogs is that we can grow spiritually as well as intellectually.  The interaction provided by the comment section allows us to be rebuked and corrected.  It allows the gift of exhortation to be practiced in full voice. 

It could be that you have the spiritual gift of exhortation.  Some of you encourage.  Some rebuke.  Some correct.  These are all expressions of exhortation. 

So get out there and leave comments.  When you read something verging on heresy, let the author know that you are watching and that the Holy Spirit is telling you there are issues.  If someone takes an unpopular position that is right, let the author know you support him.  The body of Christ can extend over the internet.

Perhaps one of the modern “translations” will label the gift of exhortation as “commentator” or “blogger” or even “troll.”

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-237, Spiritual Gifts: Mercy

(Romans 12:8 KJV)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Mercy.  I understand the concept.  I am willing to extend it at times.  I have let spiders live, as long as I am outside on their turf.  I don’t kick dogs.  But I must confess I do not understand people with the gift of mercy.  They confuse me.  That may be their purpose.

I can them mercy people.  They always see the good side of people and things.  If someone cuts them off on the freeway, they assume they are rushing to the hospital with their pregnant wife in the back seat, the baby half way out.  If they get short changed, they assume the person just made a mistake.  You know the kind of person I speak of.  They voted for hope and change.  I once was talking to a teacher about the moral problems of Bill Clinton.  She admitted that she know about that.  Yet she voted for him twice.  When I showed my confusion she said, “I thought he would change.”  That is the gift of mercy.  Perhaps you are one of them.  If you are, I do not understand you.

People with the gift of mercy have one important role in life.  They need to balance out those of us who think that discernment demands we punish evil.  All the time.  Every person.  We have a tendency to get carried away.  Mercy people are what keep the church from becoming what all the pagans claim we are.  It is a part of the balancing act God gave us called the body of Christ.

So I don’t understand.  Fine, but I accept.  Someday the mystery will be clear to me, but don’t count on it happening in this life.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-210, Spiritual Gifts: Leadership

(Romans 12:8 KJV)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The KJV says that some will “ruleth.”  In the NASB it is “leads” (4291b).  We Americans are much more comfortable with the concept of leadership than having rulers but keep in mind that the Bible tends to approach things from the point of view of monarchy, not democracy.

Historically the ruling classes have always claimed God’s approval.  They believed they were in charge because God said so.  The ancient Chinese had the Mandate of Heaven.  If there was a revolution, the gods were on the side of the victor.  You could tell how the gods voted by who won.  In ancient Japan the emperor was divine.  You could not depose him.  So they locked him up, bowed to him and did things in his name.  Europe had what they called the Divine Right of Kings.  They were not God, but they were His representative on earth.  This lead to some conflict with the Pope in Rome who considered himself to be the Vicar of Christ.

We have a variation of that.  We believe that God works His will.  God is able to work through believers and unbelievers.  He is able to work through the obedient and the disobedient.  He is sovereign.  At one end you have Him working through Pharaoh.  At the other end you have the sick woman who reached out to touch the hem of Jesus garment.  One of the ways He works is through gifting leaders.

So Biblically and historically the idea of strong leaders has been taught.  Some people are given a spiritual gift to lead, or rule.  It is not always the type A personality.  It may not always be the pastor of the church or the president of the company.  It is the person who is followed. 

Don’t be afraid of strong leadership.  Look at the heart and the spirit of the leader.  Know your Bible so you know if they are within the covenant of God’s methodology.  We don’t need to vote on everything.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-187, Spiritual Gifts: Giving

(Romans 12:8 KJV)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Giving is a spiritual gift.  This is a gift that officials in the church love to mention.  It comes up when special offerings are being taken.  One reason for this confusion is that the gift of giving is confused with the Christian responsibility of stewardship.  Leaders love it because it lets them lean on the rich people and excuse the poor.  People in the pews like this misunderstanding because they can use it as an excuse to ignore the offering plate.

The gift of giving includes the giving of money but it is not used in terms of the weekly collection of the offering.  It is used of sharing the gospel, of sharing your clothes and of sharing your resources with those in need.  A person with this gift is not moved by the building fund or the Thanksgiving offering for missions.  They are moved by the single mother who is looking at the beginning of school and has no money for clothes or school supplies.  I have a feeling this gift is more common that pastors think.

All Christians are expected to be stewards.  This involves the tithe, offerings, cleaning the church, listening to little old ladies (or men) ramble on and anything else that involves using our resources as God would expect.  Not all Christians have a special gift of giving.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-177, Spiritual Gifts: Teaching

(Romans 12:7 KJV)  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching

The gift of teaching is something that we think we understand.  We have all had teachers who seemed to have a real touch, either through being a student or observing them.

I tend to think that this gift is sometimes focused.  When I am teaching the Bible or theology I sometimes feel like I have the gift.  When I am teaching in the public school I sometimes wonder what I am doing there.  I think it is possible to have a gift of teaching in one and not the other.

Like all gifts there is a responsibility that extends beyond the gift.  You may be called upon to teach even though you don’t feel it is your gift.  You can still do a good job.  Remember that for every Michael Jordan (that dates me) you need four other people to make a team.

Pray that God would reveal your gifts and bring forth those who are prepared for the tasks before us.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-176, Spritual Gifts: Nagging

My wife has the spiritual gift of nagging.  The Bible doesn’t call it that, but that is the way most of us feel about it.  It is hidden in the translation.

(Romans 12:8 KJV)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

You don’t see the gift of nagging?  It is hidden in the word “exhorteth.”  Nagging is part of the gift of exhortation.  The Greek word is parakaleo.  It is the root word for the Helper, or Holy Spirit that Jesus promised.  Let me try to explain why I call it nagging.

Parakaleo is a compound word which literally means called to be with.  The best understanding I can come up with is that of a lawyer or advocate.  It means someone who is called along side to be of assistance.  This doesn’t really help because people tend to see what they want to see and translate accordingly.

One way of translated is embraced by the multitudes.  This translation emphasizes what would be called the positive aspects of the word.  In these cases it is translated comfort, help, encourage, invite.  We usually welcome this kind of an advocate.  It is all positive.  It is also part of the meaning.  We need comfort and encouragement when we are on the right track and getting beaten down.

The other way of translated is acknowledged, if not welcomed, by disciples.  This is where the nagging comes into play.  You see, there is some kind of help we don’t welcome.  It is the help that points out we are wrong, lazy, misguided.  We don’t want to hear it.  These cases are translated, appeal, beg, beseech, entreat, preach, urge.  We usually interpret those as nagging.

The word has both meanings and the gift of exhortation includes both.  There are times when a word of encouragement is what we need.  There are times when we need to be hit up side the head.  The person with the gift of exhortation knows which to use.  This only makes them popular half the time, as you can imagine.  I think this is why the word “exhort” works.  No one knows what it really means.

Do you have a nag in your life?  Maybe it is the gift of exhortation and the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you something.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-162, Spiritual Gifts: Ministry

(Romans 12:6-7 KJV)  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

The gift of ministry is also called the gift of service.  The Greek word is one you should recognize, diakonia or deacon.  It means to be a servant even though you might be in a position of authority.  It is where we get terms like Prime Minister. 

A good place to see how this is applied is in Acts 6.  The church in Jerusalem was having problems with administering the help they were giving to widows.  The apostles called for the appointment of seven men to oversee this.  How did the apostles describe the job?

(Acts 6:2 KJV)  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

The word “serve” is our Greek word.  They did not actually hand out the food, but they were in charge of it.  Now look at what the apostles said they were to do,

(Acts 6:4 KJV)  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The word “ministry” is our Greek word again.  Both specialties, serving table and ministering the word, are considered “ministry.”

We have lost some of this meaning by calling the man who preaches the minister.  In reality he is one of many ministers. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-150, Spiritual Gifts and Learning Styles

Just as science has learned the miracle of flight from studying the wings of birds designed by God and has not given Him credit, we find other areas where the secular world has caught on to things that have been revealed for centuries.  I want to look at one that is popular in education known as Learning Styles or Multiple Intelligences.

The basic idea is that people have different ways of seeing the world and understanding it.  They are intelligent in different ways.  An extreme example would be an idiot savant who can work miracles in music but can’t dress himself.  The opposite would be the Renaissance Man (or Mary Poppins) who is highly skilled in almost every area.

The application in education is that people learn in different ways so we should customize our teaching.  We all know people who never read the directions and yet can figure things out.  Others can’t do either but if you show them once they have it.  Some people do well with math but can’t read well.  This is why math and science tend to go together while English and history are interesting to the same people.  Even in mathematics the person who loves algebra will hate geometry because they appeal to different types of learning styles.

I wonder if this is just an application of the Biblical idea of spiritual gifts.  The Bible teaches that everyone is given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit.  When it comes to their area of giftedness, they are something else.  At the same time they might have a hard time understanding each other.  The clearest example of that are the gifts of knowledge and mercy.  Some people are naturally scholars and can lay it all out for you.  Others are very sensitive to people and their feelings and can really relate, but can’t explain how.  They are opposites.

As in learning styles, spiritual gifts can be taken to extremes.  Just because you don’t have one quality does not mean you don’t need some understanding of it.  For instance, just because you are a spacial learner doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn to read and write.  Or just because you have the gift of administration, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to witness.

Believers have nothing to fear from genuine science or other types of scholarship.  Much of what researchers discover we already know.  We serve the Creator.  He is the one who wrote the book.  Truth will win out in the end.

homo unius libri