Date: November 21, 1935, afternoonPlace: ChuenchowScripture Reading: Acts 6:2-4
First Corinthians 12:4-6 says, "But there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are distinctions of ministries, yet the same Lord; and there are distinctions of operations, but the same God, who operates all things in all." Three things are mentioned here: gifts, ministries, and operations. Gifts are of the Spirit, operations are of God, and ministries are of the Lord. These three things are related to the Triune God. In the past many people have paid attention only to gifts and neglected ministries and operations. We have to understand the position of ministries and operations before we can understand the value of gifts and the operations of these gifts. Gifts produce the ministries, and ministries produce the operations.
A gift is the skill of a person. A ministry is the work of a person, and an operation or function is the result of a person's work. For example, in a construction company, there may be concrete workers, stone masons, and carpenters. The three kinds of craftsmen each have their own skill. Actually, there are different skills just among carpenters. Some are good at floor work, and others specialize in making windows or doors. These different skills are like the different gifts mentioned in the Bible. Every servant of God has a certain kind of skill derived from his gift. The gifts are given by the Holy Spirit. There are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit. Everyone has his own gift, but all these gifts must be under the control of the Spirit (v. 11).
The Holy Spirit has not distributed gifts to men for them to work on their own. He dispenses gifts according to a certain plan. We receive gifts from the Spirit for the purpose of participating in certain works according to the Lord's assignment. The works that we receive from the Lord become our ministries. This is like saying that the construction company is building houses in many places, and many people are assigned to various places. Some are experts in floor work, and the foreman will assign them to work on floors. Others are experts at making doors, and the foreman will assign them to various places to make doors. They are still under the direction of the foreman. All the ones who are assigned have their own skills, which are their gifts. The works assigned to them are their ministries. A man's craft is his gift, while the work assigned to him is his ministry. The end result is not for anyone's personal gain but for the achievement of the common goal which the foreman set out to achieve.
What is the difference between the work of Paul and the work of Apollos? Paul planted and Apollos watered, and God caused the growth (1 Cor. 3:6). This is the operation. Paul and Apollos each had their own skill and ability, and the Lord assigned them work according to their abilities and skills. According to their different assignments, they ended up with different ministries. If you have a skill, then you have a gift. When you engage in the work assigned to you by the masterbuilder, you have a ministry. The end result of the works of all the ministries is the operations.
Today we must all ask the Lord what kind of gifts we have received from Him and what our ministry is. If we have received a gift and a ministry, we should ask the Lord to bring out our operation. In this universe, God has a great operation. How is He going to accomplish this great operation? He accomplishes it through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit distributes the gifts, and God directs everyone to use these gifts for the accomplishment of His goal. Our responsibility is to work faithfully in the ministries assigned by the Lord according to the gifts we have received. We do not have to worry about our functions, because we cannot do anything about them. That is God's business.
First Corinthians 12 puts gifts together with the Spirit, ministries together with the Lord, and operations together with God. This reveals that gifts are from the Holy Spirit, ministries are assigned by the Lord, and operations are realized through God. Paul could plant and Apollos could water, but God caused the growth. Paul had the planting ministry, and Apollos had the watering ministry. However, even with the planting and the watering, God still must give the growth. This is entirely different from the work of laying floor tiles or making windows and doors.
The Bible divides gifts into two categories. Based on these two categories, there are two kinds of ministries. The first category includes gifts that enable one to work for the Lord, and the second category includes gifts that enable one to bear local responsibilities. All gifts and ministries belong to one of these two categories. Everyone has his own ministry from the Lord. Those who work for the Lord give themselves full time to do God's work, while those who take responsibility locally handle practical affairs. Even an ordinary brother or sister has a ministry. Acts 6 mentions the difference between these two kinds of ministries. There are two kinds of work in the church — one is spiritual and the other is physical. The former has to do with spiritual things such as the apostolic ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word. The latter has to do with business affairs such as Stephen's ministry of serving tables.
Here I have to say a strong word to the co-workers. You must all be clear about your own ministry. Before you find what your specific ministry is, you should first find which category of ministry you belong to. Do you belong to the ministry that sets itself apart for the Lord's work, or do you belong to the ministry that bears local responsibility? Should you give yourself to prayer and the preaching of the word? Or should you serve tables? Is your ministry spiritual or physical? These are big questions. Peter said that they would give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word; this is the spiritual ministry. Later, they appointed seven deacons to take care of the business side of the work.
We must be clear as to which category of ministry the Lord has called us before we can ask what specific ministry we have. This holds true for all the responsible brothers in all the localities. They have to be clear about the ministry that God has assigned to them. If you are not clear about this, you will have no way to know what your personal ministry is. How many among us are truly clear about the ministry that God has called us into? We must pray carefully before the Lord. We all have our own ministry. The category of our service and our personal function before the Lord depend upon His calling.
If you are clear that the Lord has called you to a ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word, you have to strive towards this goal. If you are not clear, you should remain in the other category of ministry. In the denominations, many preachers are not abiding in the ministry that God has assigned to them. If the Lord has not appointed you to a ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word, you must never put yourself into it by your own fleshly strength. The Lord will only supply His own appointed ministries. He will only bless those who abide in His assigned ministries. If you do not abide in the ministry that the Lord has assigned, He will not supply or bless you. This does not mean that only those who are in the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word can pray or preach the word. Stephen was not in the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word, yet he did the work of the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word wherever he went. The important thing is to be clear about your own ministry and to abide by this ministry.
If someone thinks that he has the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word, and if he sets out to preach and work, the Bible does not forbid his activities. In Philippians 1 Paul said that he rejoiced as long as Christ was preached by whatever means (v. 18). Of course, we cannot call such ones our co-workers or lay hands on them. The local brothers who are responsible should forbid ones who have never received the laying on of hands to preach in their local meetings. Of course, to a certain extent, they should be allowed to work, but they should not be allowed to become too active.
If we cannot decide whether or not to lay hands on a certain person, we can delay the action and wait for the Lord's vindication of his work before we lay our hands on him. If God does not show any clear vindication, we should tell him in a frank way, "We are sorry, but the brothers cannot lay hands on you."
