Grace is given to each
We must be humble with one another as we grow in godliness
assuming that you have heard of qthe stewardship of rGod’s grace that was given to me for you,
Commentary
Though the members of Christ’s church agree in so many things, yet there are some things wherein they differ: but this should breed no difference of affection among them, since they are all derived from the same bountiful author and designed for the same great ends.
Unto every one of us Christians is given grace, some gift of grace, in some kind or degree or other, for the mutual help of one another. Unto every one of us ministers is given grace; to some a greater measure of gifts, to others a less measure.
The different gifts of Christ’s ministers proved a great occasion of contention among the first Christians: one was for Paul, and another for Apollos. The apostle shows that they had no reason to quarrel about them, but all the reason in the world to agree in the joint use of them, for common edification; because all was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ, in such a measure as seemed best to Christ to bestow upon every one
Indeed, he triumphed over these on the cross; but the triumph was completed at his ascension, when he became Lord over all, and had the keys of death and hades put into his hands.
Which is taken from Christ’s great end and design in giving gifts unto men. The gifts of Christ were intended for the good of his church, and in order to advance his kingdom and interest among men.
There is a fulness in Christ, and a fulness to be derived from him; and a certain stature of that fulness, and a measure of that stature, are assigned in the counsel of God to every believer, and we never come to that measure till we come to heaven. God’s children, as long as they are in this world, are growing.
He now describes the manner in which God establishes and preserves among us a mutual relation. No member of the body of Christ is endowed with such perfection as to be able, without the assistance of others, to supply his own necessities. A certain proportion is allotted to each; and it is only by communicating with each other, that all enjoy what is sufficient for maintaining their respective places in the body
The words grace and gift remind us that, whatever may be our attainments, we ought not to be proud of them, because they lay us under deeper obligations to God. These blessings are said to be the gift of Christ; for, as the apostle, first of all, mentioned the Father, so his aim, as we shall see, is to represent all that we are, and all that we have, as gathered together in Christ.
The meaning of this verse may be thus summed up. “On no one has God bestowed all things. Each has received a certain measure. Being thus dependent on each other, they find it necessary to throw their individual gifts into the common stock, and thus to render mutual aid
To the view of men, when the Church is oppressed, God is in some manner humbled; but, when he stretches out his avenging arm for her deliverance, he then appears to rouse himself, and to ascend his throne of judgment. “Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.” (Ps. 78:65, 66.) This mode of expression is sufficiently common and familiar; and, in short, the deliverance of the Church is here called the ascension of God.
Perceiving that it is a song of triumph, in which David celebrates all the victories which God had wrought for the salvation of his Church, Paul very properly quoted the account given of God’s ascension, and applied it to the person of Christ. The noblest triumph which God ever gained was when Christ, after subduing sin, conquering death, and putting Satan to flight, rose majestically to heaven, that he might exercise his glorious reign over the Church
Now, it is clear that the gifts which David mentions were not received by God for himself, but for his people; and accordingly we are told, in an earlier part of the Psalm, that “the spoil” had been “divided” among the families of Israel. (Ps. 68:12.) Since therefore the intention of receiving was to give gifts, Paul can hardly be said to have departed from the substance, whatever alteration there may be in the words.
A comparison is drawn, not between one part of the earth and another, but between the whole earth and heaven; as if he had said, that from that lofty habitation Christ descended into our deep gulf.
The proper use of the gift, that is, the particular endowment (see on 3:2, 7) which in his grace God has bestowed on anyone, implies the following: a. that the recipient shall indeed recognize it as a gift, and not as the product of his own skill or ingenuity; b. that he view his gift as only one among many and as limited in extent, a measured gift; and c. that he be eager to use it not for his own glory but for the benefit of the entire body, and thus, to God’s glory.
The best commentary on this verse is what Paul himself writes in 1 Cor. 12, the entire chapter. In verses 4–6 he states, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of service, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of working, but it is the same God who works all in all.” And significantly he adds, “But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (verse 7).
It seems that in the early church—as also today—there was a twofold danger: a. that those who had received very special endowments might overestimate their importance, give themselves the credit for them, and fail to use them for the benefit of the entire church; and b. that those who had not been so richly endowed might lose courage, thinking that they were of no benefit to the church
The real comfort and glorious lesson for everyone must ever be: “I have received my gift, be it great or small, from Christ himself.105 I must use it, therefore, as he requires. The Giver will not fail me when I use my gift for the benefit of all.”
The one really important change is this, that the passage from which the apostle was borrowing stated that the One who ascended received gifts, but the apostle himself in referring to it here says that he gave gifts. According to the Old Testament passage God is represented, it would seem, as descending from heaven to wage war against his enemies. He ascends again as Victor, loaded with spoils. What gave Paul the right to apply this receiving of gifts to the activity of Christ whereby he gives gifts to his church?
The one I accept is the following: Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the apostle had every right to make this application, for the Victor receives the spoils with a view to giving them away. The giving is implied in the receiving. When Christ ascended he was not returning to heaven with empty hands. On the contrary, as a result of accomplished mediatorial work he returned in triumph to heaven, in the full possession of salvation for his people. These people were, so to speak, in his triumphant procession. They were captives in his train, chained, as it were, to his chariot. There was a vast host of captives. Among them was also Paul, destined, along with the others, to spread abroad the fragrance of the gospel. Thanks be to God!
Now Christ received in order to give. He had earned in order to bestow. He received these captives in order to give them to the kingdom, for kingdom-work. Reasons for adopting this interpretation:
1. The prevailing custom that the victor divides the spoil is recognized also in Scripture. Thus, when Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer and his allies he took booty with the intention of giving it away: to Lot, what he had lost; to Melchizedek, the tithe; to Aner, Eschcol and Mamre, their portion (Gen. 14). Did not David also receive the spoil in order to give it away? (1 Sam. 30:26–31). Israel’s enemies, too, were in the habit of dividing the spoil, first taking it and then distributing it (Judg. 5:30).
Now this ascension whereby he, as Victor over Satan, sin, and death, re-entered heaven in the full merits of his atoning sacrifice would never have been possible had he not first descended from the glories of heaven to earth’s shame and suffering. This is simply another way of saying that Christ’s exaltation resulted from his humiliation, a humiliation so deep and ineffable that the apostle characterizes it by saying that he “descended into the regions lower than the earth.” This expression of verse 9 is in direct contrast with “higher than all the heavens” of verse 10. The two expressions can be understood only when they are viewed in their relation to each other.
He furnishes this commentary in Phil. 2:5–11: “He emptied himself … and became obedient even to the extent of death; yes, death by a cross. Therefore God raised him to the loftiest heights,” etc.111
With the gift (Gabe), however, a task (Aufgabe) is at the same time appointed to the recipient: he must use it, gain with it. The gift does not obliterate national, corporate, local, temporal, individual differences, but purifies and ennobles them. Temperament and natural mental powers, talents and inclinations are only refined, directed, moved and used for the Lord’s kingdom and our own salvation. “It is self-evident that the gifts of grace are not mere developments of the natural talents of the man,—but this does not deny that they are planted in a natural talent” (KAHNIS, Lehre vom heil. Geist I. p. 72).
Christ is the Lord, who gives
Only take what Christ gives thee; thou needst envy no one.
Thankfully recognize what He has given to another; it benefits thee also.
Do not be satisfied with the natural endowments of your nation, your class, your family, or your intellect; let them be sanctified, purified, penetrated by grace in Christ. The most highly gifted natural man is always smaller and poorer than a living Christian (GOETHE, TERSTEEGEN
He has descended into the deep as a Redeemer: thy sin is not too deep and thy heart is not too bad: He can fill it.
RIEGER:—No one has all, and no one need be concerned lest he come away entirely empty.—The origin of all gifts is to be found especially in the exaltation of Christ, which began with the victory over the rulers of darkness, over the principalities and powers who held us captive, who were themselves taken captive in the deep path of Christ’s humiliation, and in the moment of Christ’s death, when they believed they had gained the mastery over Him, must find and feel Him to be their Conqueror and Destroyer.
PASSAVANT:—It has ever been the indiscretion and folly of men in the world, that they have forgotten the One Great Giver in the gifts and gifted, looking with especial astonishment to this teacher, with especial love to this benefactor, with especial admiration to this hero;—a virtual idolatry
What is meant by, “according to the measure”? It means, “not according to our merit,” for then would no one have received what he has received: but of the free gift we have all received. And why then one more, and another less? There is nothing to cause this, he would say, but the matter itself is indifferent; for every one contributes towards “the building.” And by this too he shows, that it is not of his own intrinsic merit that one has received more and another less, but that it is for the sake of others, as God Himself hath measured it; since he saith also elsewhere, “But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased Him.” (1 Cor. 12:18.) And he mentions not the reason, lest he should deject or dispirit the hearers.
His descent on earth, though to us the source of abounding joy, was full of pain, shame, and humiliation to him. In proportion, then, ought to be our joy that the shame is swallowed up in glory, the pain is lost in bliss, the death in immortality. Did shepherds sing at his descent, let all men sing at his rising
Further, if Jesus has gone into the glory, how successful must our prayers be. You send a petition to court, and you hope for its success, for it is drawn up in proper style, and it has been countersigned by an influential person; but when the person who has backed your plea for you is himself at court, to take the petition and present it there, you feel safer still. To-day our prayers do not only receive our Saviour’s imprimatur, but they are presented by his own hand, as his own requests. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,” “let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” No prayer which Jesus urges can ever be dismissed unheard, that case is safe for which he is advocate.
Brethren in Christ, everything that makes up our captivity Christ has led captive. Moral evil he has defeated, the difficulties and trials of this mortal life he has virtually overcome. There is nothing in heaven, or earth, or hell, that can be thought to be against us which now remaineth; he hath taken all away. The law he hath fulfilled; its curse he hath removed: the handwriting against us, he hath nailed to his cross. All foes of ours he hath made a show of openly. What joy there is to us in this triumph! What bliss to be interested in it by the gift of faith in him!
Christ descended into the lowest parts of the earth, and thereby he laid the foundations of the great temple of God’s praise: he continued in his life labouring, and thereby he built the walls of his temple: he ascended to his throne, and therein he laid the topstone amidst shoutings. What remained then? It remained to furnish it with inhabitants, and the inhabitants with all things necessary for their comfort and perfection. Christ ascended on high that he might do that. In that sense the gift of the Spirit fills all things, bringing in the chosen, and furnishing all that is necessary for their complete salvation. The blessings which come to us through the ascension, are “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
You have all, my brethren, some measure of the Holy Spirit; some more; some less
Brother, sister, if thou be in the body the least known joint, rob not the body by indolence or selfishness, but use the gift thou hast in order that the body of Christ may come to its perfection. Yet since thou hast not great personal gifts, serve the church by praying the Lord who has ascended to give us more evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He alone can give them; any that come without him are imposters. There are some prayers you must not pray, there are others you may pray, but there are a few you must pray. There is a petition which Christ has commanded us to offer, and yet I very seldom hear it. It is this one. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”