From year to year as churches install new council members there is a struggle on which office to look at together. Today we do something a bit different and look at the unity of the body of Christ as we are all given grace in that body to function as a whole to the body's edifying! God gives gifts and governs His church though means and these offices are instituted as GIFTS to the congregation! The theme here is equipping the saints.

One may ask who governs the church from time to time. The Lord Jesus Christ who is the chief Shepherd of His church. He refers to Psalm 68 which refers to the ascension. The glory of God as He enriches in the land of Canaan after subduing all of Israel's enemies...descending into the lower parts first. The wiping away of our sin (justification) and Paul points out our sanctification (He gave good gifts to those...) He now sheds His grace in the church at Pentecost. We are dealing with the blessings from the reign of our Lord which the Old testament was only a faint picture of.

He is the head over all things and particularly His church. Christ supplies His body though means to strengthen itself! Everyone has gifts that they may function to its edifying. He does thing through gifts...particular gifts through the ascended Lord. Paul gives us a list here (not an exclusive one note) to point out that ALL gifts are gifts of God to the body that it may function to the welfare of the whole body. He has given the church the three fold offices in the church that reflect Christ's very offices! They are reflected in the church offices for the functioning of the church. They are the ministry of the church as they build the church. They are the SERVANTS of our Lord Jesus Christ and are GIFTS (not the elite groups over the church) and we should overlook the person in the gifts of Christ to us! We MUST concentrate on the gift! How does each gift serve me? Read the forms for the installation of each office in the church again! These are the gifts to the members and body of the church so that we are steeped in the gospel of His grace, rebuked when we are not, and so we can be consoled in our very needs.

The offices then look different and it is for the perfecting of the body and the edifying of the whole! It is God's purpose though these gifts to make us mature christians that we no longer act like little children. When sound doctrine leaves...and these offices are NOT exercised then so leaves everything else.