Second in Paul’s list of gifts were prophets (1 Corinthians 12:27). We understand those who have this gift as preachers. The prophet’s activity turned into to expound Scripture, to multiply the gift of the apostles, the present of Scripture (the New Testament, but now not the New Testament alone — additionally the Old Testament) by means of illustrating and making use of it to God’s people, to the churches. Once the Scripture become whole and to be had, it changed into to be proclaimed to the nations, to the Gentiles, to all of the people within the world. With the closing of the Canon and cessation of the position of the apostles, the position of the prophets took first region within the church buildings. Indeed, preaching God’s Word remains the number one task of each church.
Teachers
The subsequent gift on Paul’s listing turned into a course in miracles teaching. Teachers had been to help people include Scripture into their lives. Teachers instruct, train and disciple others. Teaching is an outgrowth of preaching. Teaching takes preaching to the subsequent degree. Where preaching is the proclamation of God’s Word, teaching includes the assimilation and alertness of God’s Word. The trainer have to master the challenge before coaching it, and then help others master it. So, the primary task of the teacher is studying.
And each Christian is known as to be a teacher. Husbands are to teach their better halves. Parents are to teach their children. Older students are to help educate younger students, and so forth. Teaching is the primary staple of Christianity. Every Christian wishes to study, not just the necessities of the religion, but the fullness and richness of the religion. Christianity isn’t pretty much the main factors of biblical doctrine, it is about the complete tale of the Bible in all of its first-rate information. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and worthwhile for coaching, for reproof, for correction, and for schooling in righteousness” (2 Timothy three:sixteen).
Miracles
Next on Paul’s listing are miracles. But did not I formerly say that miracles had ceased with the ultimate of the Canon? I did, and what I said is actual. However, it isn’t the entire reality. Why? Because the closing of the Canon was now not the quit of Christianity. Rather, it turned into the start of God’s Christian undertaking to the whole global. Paul’s inclusion of miracles on the present list became the end result of Jesus’ commands in John 14:12: “Truly, honestly, I say to you, whoever believes in me may also do the works that I do; and more works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” James taught the identical element: “You see that someone is justified by way of works and now not through religion by myself” (James 2:24).
You would possibly say that Paul used the word “miracles” in which the verses I even have quoted above use the word “works.” And certainly, they’re no longer the same Greek words. Nonetheless, the which means and rationale of the 2 verses are the identical. Paul used the word dunamis, because of this strength. Paul’s use of the word miracles (dunamis) here noted going out within the power of Christ and changing the arena. Paul became not talking approximately carnival tricks or healing aunt Sally’s sore elbow. Paul become speakme about the use of the wisdom that God had provided in Scripture to alternate human tradition and society into the likeness of Christ. Paul become speakme about the software of biblical concepts and truths to the undertaking of being human in a fallen global. Paul turned into speaking about on foot within the Spirit, approximately residing in regeneration, about being utilized by God inside the accomplishment of God’s functions for His church, to extend the biblical mission to reach the entire global.
With the mild of Jesus Christ and of completion of the Bible, miracles that were like flashlights inside the dark were no longer vital within the light of Christ. Again, it is not a lot that miracles that labored like flashlights within the dark ceased to paintings, but that within the light of Christ flashlights were now not vital. But notice that if the light from the flashlights turned into outstanding, the light of Christ became a miracle of infinitely more share. The flashlights were really deserted in desire of the advanced mild of Christ.