What Are My Spiritual Gifts

You may want to know what gifts the Holy Spirit has given you. That’s quite understandable. But remember, the gifts of the Spirit are given to be used at certain times and in certain ways. He gives them as He wills.

What you really want to know is where the Holy Spirit has fit you into the body of Christ. Gifts are given when needed to make up for our lack. But what do you excel at naturally?

The Holy Spirit may give someone a gift to heal at one point for a specific purpose, but never again after that. However, that person may naturally excel at teaching. Therefore, teaching is where they naturally fit in—not healing.

Some people are quite talented in many areas. I think of them as “floaters” who can help anywhere. But some people may have one specific talent. They would feel miserable trying to do any other task.

God has chosen certain people to do certain things. At the same time, He is telling us that there are some positions we should not try to force ourselves into. A healer trying to be an apostle is not going to fit that role. They may want to, but they are out of place.

A teacher trying to fit into the role of a choir leader is going to disfigure the entire body. If they aren’t supposed to be in that role, it would be like a toe trying to fit into an eye socket. So, it’s important that we know where we belong in the body of Christ.

The Foundations of the Church

In 2 Corinthians 12:28, Paul isn’t listing offices in order of rank, importance, or value. He’s listing them in order of foundation—almost like how movie credits sometimes list actors in order of appearance.

Jesus is the chief cornerstone. He is the very beginning of the church’s foundation. After Him, the foundation needed to be fit together. So He gave apostles first, then prophets, then teachers—in the order of what type of foundational stones were needed and when.

1. Apostles laid the foundation and revealed God’s plan of salvation.
2. Prophets confirmed and guided during that foundational stage.
3. Teachers continued building and establishing believers in the revealed truth.

So, Paul lists them in order to show the progression of how God organized and built His church—from founding it, to guiding it, to instructing it. He didn’t order them by rank, but by purpose.

The Structure of the Church

Jesus has given us instructions regarding the proper structure of the church.

Look again at what Jesus said should not be done: They should not exercise lordship over others, and they should not exercise authority upon them.

These verses shed much-needed light on others that are often used to support the wrong kind of church structure. Let me give you a few examples.

The word used here is not command, not lordship, and not authority, but oversight. That word speaks of supervision or watchful care. Peter is not saying that anyone should exercise lordship or authority over another. He is saying they should care for and watch over others as defenders and caretakers—not commanders.

Here Paul does use the word authority, but look at what kind of authority he describes. His authority is for edification—to build others up. It is not to exercise lordship or command over them. Again, it is the authority of a defender and caretaker, not a commander.

This verse also speaks of elders who “rule,” but over whom, and for what purpose? This one does indeed speak of authority in the sense of being in charge—but if your read the context of the chapter it is about family life, not church governance.

The chapter discusses fathers and mothers having rule over their children. In the secular world, managers have rule over their staff. So, there must be a clear distinction between positions of authority in family and secular life and positions in the body of Christ.

Notice that Paul makes special mention of those “who labour in the word and doctrine” being worthy of even more honor. This tells us that he isn’t necessarily talking about church hierarchy. He is speaking broadly—about everyone (even those not in leadership roles in the church), but especially those who serve faithfully both in their daily lives and as disciples of Jesus.

Again, this is not teaching that there is a “chain of command” in the church, other than Jesus being its head.

Jesus said, “Whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”

The word “rule” used in Hebrews does not carry the same meaning as our modern understanding of rule. The Greek word used is hēgoumenōn—from hēgeomai, which means to lead, to guide, or to go before—not to dominate or command.

Jesus made it clear that the leader doesn’t rule over people as the world does. The leader rules by example. He becomes a servant, not a dictator; a guide, not a taskmaster.

Remember this: It’s not about who you rule, but how you rule.

So when Scripture speaks of those who “rule over you” in the church, it isn’t speaking of having command as a dictator. It refers to those who bring the Word of God to you as humble servants. They are not in command—God is. But they carry His word.

We are encouraged to obey them, not because they have worldly authority, but because we are following them as they follow Jesus. But, when they aren’t then we shouldn’t still follow them blindly. We should lovingly correct them.

As Paul said:

It’s not because we are under the lordship of Paul, but because he is under the lordship of Christ—and we should submit ourselves to Christ, with Paul showing us the way.

Obedience and submission in the church are not meant to be about authority and power—they are about mutual love and care. We all submit to one another. The pastor submits to the layperson, and the layperson submits to the pastor. Not in blind obedience to humans, but in humility and love toward each other.

Otherwise, who could correct the one “at the top” when he needs it?

The Body of Christ

When most people talk about “church,” they are referring to local assemblies where people gather in a building to worship. But the church is not simply a local gathering.

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 and 27 tell us that every Christian everywhere is part of one body. That one body is the church. There are not multiple bodies of Christ—there is only one.

The local assembly of believers in a church building, or any other gathering place, does not represent the complete body of Christ. Think of it this way: the members are like fingers, and the local assembly is like the hand. The hand is still just one part of the body as a whole.

The Local Church

I’m going to be very blunt with you—the common structure of churches we see today is not the structure Jesus gave us.

We often look at positions in the church as if they were part of a ranking system: the pastor is at the top, the prophets are second, the teachers are third, and so on. The result becomes ambition to climb the ladder. But it isn’t supposed to be that way.

The local church isn’t run the way Scripture tells us the church should be run—but there’s a reason for that. It’s a sad but necessary reality.

I hate to say it, but local churches are more like clubs in some ways. A club is an organized local group of people with a common interest, and they operate in a particular way.

Many clubs are selective, meaning you need to become a member. Some require a formal application or interview. Often, there’s also a cost to join or maintain membership; this might be financial or involve contributing time, resources, or skills.

Most clubs have a leadership team—president, treasurer, secretary, or similar roles. They usually operate under a constitution or set of rules and bylaws outlining responsibilities, membership rights, and procedures. Major decisions are typically voted on.

Now, compare that to a local church:

Most churches will let you attend as a visitor, just like many clubs do. But to participate fully, you often have to become a member to receive those “special privileges.” A simple confession of faith is often enough to join, but some require a ceremonial baptism or even a letter from your previous church.

There is also often an expectation of contribution to maintain membership. Many churches keep track of who pays tithes and who does not. Some even “discipline” members who don’t give enough or refuse to let them serve.

Churches also operate under a leadership system with a pastor, assistant pastor, secretary, and similar roles—just as a club would. Members are sometimes given the opportunity to vote on decisions the leadership team has narrowed down.

This is the reality: the local church is run more like a secular club.

It took me a long time to come to terms with that. I expected churches to act like the body of Christ. But I had to learn what the true church really is—it’s every believer worldwide, operating together as one body.

The local church, however, is more like a club filled with people—some who are part of the body of Christ and some who are not. That’s why there is a mix of secular order and spiritual order.

In reality, you cannot organize any group of people without leadership. Because of this, the local church requires organizational structures. And since they have an “image to uphold” in order to fulfill their mission, they must be selective about who becomes a member. They also need financial contributions and volunteers.

These things aren’t wrong—they’re necessary. As long as we remember the difference between the local church and the body of Christ as a whole.

Local churches serve a purpose. It is good for Christians to gather and worship together. It is good to have regular meetings to help us stay focused. It is also good to pool our resources to perform joint tasks that further the gospel.

Just remember: these local churches may contain members of the body of Christ, but they operate under secular structures. The body is in the local church, but not all of the local church is in the body.

As a result, you often end up with people “climbing the ladder,” people not allowed to operate in their God-given roles, people in positions they shouldn’t be in, mixtures of truth and falsehood, and many other things contrary to what Jesus intended.

We must remember that the body of Christ—the actual church—operates without ranking, except for Jesus as the head. The local church, however, operates with ranking. They are different things, but they share similar goals.

A Word of Compassion

I know what I’ve said may sound harsh, but I’m not trying to put down churches. I love the body of Christ, and I love the local churches too. Still, I think we need to be aware of reality.

If we see the club-like local church as a representation of Jesus—rather than recognizing the body as the true representation of Him—we’re going to be hurt when those churches don’t act like it. That kind of hurt can lead some people to leave the faith, as bitterness takes root and slowly erodes the heart.

Writing this was hard for me because I’ve been on both the inside and the outside looking in. I know the pain of seeing wrongs done—and of having them done to me. I know what it feels like to be told that you don’t belong.

The Bible says of Jesus that He came to His own, and His own received Him not. You may have felt this too. But don’t let it make you bitter. Let love cover the pain. Let the comfort of the Holy Ghost, which passes all understanding, sustain you.

You may not belong in some local churches—but Jesus was rejected too, and He still loved them.

As members of the true body of Christ, we should remember that while local churches are good and serve a purpose, they are not the only places where you can fulfill the role God has given you in His body.

You can teach without a classroom. You can preach without a pulpit. You can be the hands and feet of Jesus outside the walls of a church. You need no title, no rank, no building—only the call of God on your life.

I say these things because I love the Church—and because I want it to be what Jesus intended: a servant-hearted, Christ-centered home where everyone can find their place.

Don’t forsake the local church if at all possible. But don’t be deceived into thinking they are run as Jesus intended the body to operate as a whole. The body operates the right way, but the local churches must operate differently by necessity.

That’s why Paul gives certain rules to local churches that don’t apply to the body as a whole. But that’s a topic for another time. In our next course, we will begin to speak on the subject of the laying on of hands.

Continue To Unit 5 – The Laying on of Hands OR

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