Romans 12:3-8 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (4) For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, (5) so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; (7) or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; (8) he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
The second category of gifts that we will discuss, are what we call the function gifts. The reason that they are called function gifts is because these gifts are given to each one in the body so that they can fulfil their specific function as a member of the body of Christ. These gifts are similar to ministry gifts, in that God decides which gift He gives to each one of us before we are placed in the body of Christ. And so ultimately ministry gifts fall into this category as well, because that is their function in the body. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul lists a sampling of different ministry, function and spiritual gifts for us, i.e. prophesy, ministry, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and showing mercy, to give us some idea of the different functions that each saint has in the body of Christ. Paul goes on to explain in this passage that not only does God give the gift to the individual, but that He also then gives them the grace and measure of faith that they need to operate their gift. As we will see later in this teaching, a key difference between function gifts, ministry gifts and spiritual gifts is that the first two can be operated by the individual whenever they choose, whereas spiritual gifts can only operate as the Holy Spirit wills. For example in the list mentioned above, Paul lists the gift of prophecy and the gift of leading. One which has the gift of prophecy can only operate in that gift when the Holy Spirit anoints them to do so. In other words they can only prophecy when God decides to use them to prophesy. But one, who has the gift of leading on the other hand, can operate in that gift all the time and does not have to wait for the Lord to decide when they can lead.
1 Corinthians 12:12-18 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (14) For in fact the body is not one member but many. (15) If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? (18) But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit gives us further insight into the operation of the function gifts, by using the analogy of the various parts of the human body. In the human body the ear cannot fulfil the role of the eye. In other words an ear can only hear, for that is its function. Each member in the body of Christ, without exception, has been given a specific function to perform in the body. God is the one who decides which gift He gives to each one, and He then places the individual in the body to perform that function. One, who has been made an eye in the body, cannot go to God and ask Him to change His mind and make them an ear. The body of Christ would very quickly become deformed if each member could decide what they wanted to be, and then still change their minds when they had had enough of that particular role. And so we see that God decides what we are in the body, and we are then required to fulfil that role in the church. We will not explore these gifts any further in this teaching, other than to say that it is incumbent on every believer to find out what gifting they have received and then begin to function in their gift.
Michael E.B. Maher
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