SERVE ONE ANOTHER

Pr Samuel Joseph

The apostle Peter wrote his first epistle for the purpose of exhorting believers concerning “the true grace of God,” in which they stand (1 Peter 5:12). A large part of this exhortation deals with the duties of a Christian, in light of the grace which he has received ‒ duties with respect to the unbelieving world, and duties with respect to fellow believers. It is the latter of these duties which finds expression in this verse before us: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10).

There are three parts to this verse, which we may consider in turn.

A Gift Universally Received

“As every man hath received the gift…”

The word “gift” here denotes a gift of God’s grace — a gift graciously bestowed. It is used in two senses in the New Testament: firstly, with respect to the gift of salvation (cf. Romans 5:15–16); secondly, with respect to the spiritual gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit as He indwells believers (cf. Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:4–11). The second sense is the one in view here.

What then are these spiritual gifts? Several examples are given in the passages cited above: there are more prominent gifts, linked with offices in the church, such as teaching and ruling; there are extraordinary gifts meant only for the apostolic age, such as tongue-speaking and healing; there are some gifts that may seem quite mundane, such as exhorting, giving, and showing mercy. These lists are not meant to be exhaustive. Clearly, there is a great variety and diversity of spiritual gifts ‒ of all shapes and sizes, as it were. The apostle Peter’s point, however, is simply that these gifts are distributed to every member of the body of Christ: universally received, by every believer, from the indwelling Holy Spirit. Thus, Peter affirms, “every man hath received the gift.”

Dear reader, pause and consider for a moment the wisdom of God’s design! The same God who purposed from eternity to save a people for Himself, and to unite them as many members in one body, has distributed among these members His gifts in such measure and proportion that no one is destitute, but all are dependent. No one can absolve his responsibility to the body, by claiming to have no supply; nor can anyone abstain from fellowship with the body, by claiming to have no lack. No one can say, “I am so small and insignificant in my weakness, that there is nothing for me to do; let me sit here in a corner, and pass the time until eternity dawns.” God forbid! Do you not remember that the mighty Samson, terror of the Philistines, once had need of a little boy, to lead his hands to the pillars of the house (Judges 16:26)? Was not David, that great man of God, beholden to a woman for restraining him from evil (1 Samuel 25:33)? And what of the apostle Paul, whose very life once depended on the courage of his nephew, a mere youth (Acts 23:16)?

At the same time, no one can say, “I am so great and sufficient in my own gifts, that I can serve God on my own; let me cut myself loose from all affiliations, and make a name for myself.” God forbid! The same examples above show that those who may seem the greatest in fact cannot do without those who seem the least. Even the most eminent saint may be in need of correction; in need of counsel; in need of comfort. All have needs, and all have gifts: this is God’s wisdom, and God’s design. As a result of this gift universally received, then, comes a duty to use the gift for its intended purpose.

A Ministry Mutually Enjoined

“… even so minister the same one to another…”

Earlier on in his epistle, the apostle Peter employed two striking images, describing Christians first as newborn infants, growing spiritually through feeding on the “sincere milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2); and then as “lively stones,” built into a “spiritual house,” with Christ Himself as the “chief corner stone” (1 Peter 2:5–6). These two images depict both individual and corporate growth ‒ as Christians, we are babes, growing individually; but also bricks, built up together into a corporate structure. The very act of coming to Christ, as Peter pictures it, is the act of coming “unto a living stone” (1 Peter 2:4), and being joined to the building of which that stone is the foundation and chief of the corner. As we grow and mature in the faith, we are moulded by God as the brick-maker shapes each block under his care ‒ we are God’s workmanship, as the apostle Paul declares (Ephesians 2:10): not formed to be individual works of art, standing solitary and dead, but formed as lively stones each to fit a particular place in the larger structure of that living organism, the bride and body of Christ, the Church.

Therefore, the duty that is enjoined upon believers with respect to their particular gifts is not only individual, but mutual. The gifts of the indwelling Holy Spirit are not ultimately for private, but for corporate use; not merely for personal benefit, but for the edifying of the whole body (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:12) ‒ we are each and every one of us gifted by God, for the express purpose that we should minister those very same gifts to others. Let no one of us enter into the membership of the local church, or remain therein, without a burden to give, and not just to receive!

Christian reader, take note: what you are to minister to the body of Christ is not your own talent or skill, your own wisdom or counsel; no, what you have to contribute is not yours, but God’s, and it is precious and profitable to the body precisely because it does not come from you! It is God’s own gift, to God’s own church, intended for the benefit of His people, but entrusted to you: will you then by your negligence deprive your brothers and sisters of that blessing God designed for them to have? No, we ought rather to see ourselves as stewards, and strive to be “good” in our stewardship even as we recognise the sacred trust bestowed upon us.

A Stewardship Divinely Imposed

“… as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

The primary requirement of a steward is not intelligence, or wisdom, or ability, or talent, for it is God who gives all these gifts, and decides the amount that is given. Instead, as the apostle Paul reminds us, the primary requirement of a steward is faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2). To be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God,” then, we must be faithful: that is, we must be active and accountable in the use of our gifts.

Dear reader, are you active in the use of your gifts? Do not think of spiritual gifts only in terms of pastoring, or teaching, or ruling! Remember, as the grace of God is a “manifold grace,” so there are gifts of grace great and small, distributed to all. Do you realise that you may exercise your spiritual gift simply by speaking a word of encouragement? A good steward would make the most of all such opportunities; but what faithfulness do you display if, comforted by God’s Spirit through sore trials, you utter no word of testimony, and disdain to comfort others who are suffering? How often do we see a brother or sister downcast in countenance, and think to ourselves, “Ah, there is someone to be avoided” ‒ when we should rather think, “Ah, there is someone to whom God wants me to minister!” We need a change in perspective, to see with the eyes of a steward: observing the ways we can serve others, instead of the ways we can be served.

This is all the more necessary, for as stewards of God’s grace, we are accountable to Him. Surely, no one of us wants to hear the Lord say, “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these [my brethren], ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45)! We would rather hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21) ‒ let us then labour, with this end in view.