Biblical Pattern of Teaching Then & Now

This episode is concerned with establishing the differences between teaching under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the imposition of spiritual gifts through the apostles' laying their hands on disciples and the teaching today.

First, the body of Christ in the first century was interdependent on each other as they shared their gifts. The nature of the body is true whether now or then. It assumes the working of each part in unison and harmony. It is more clearly seen then because today, only a select few are teachers and rarely would we describe their function as being "interdependent." The reason may due to the format of a church service that is based on performance where only a select few qualify.

Second, starting with the gifted men of Ephesians 4:11, who were designed to equip the saints for their service, to those with teaching gifts like prophecy, the Holy Spirit directly guided the content of that teaching. Also, given the character of spiritual gifts, they were shared in bits and pieces. Today, we all have access to the completed revelation of God's Word. It's not in bits and pieces shared by those with spiritual gifts. It is revealed in its fullness to be accessed, studied, and shared by all. When this is practiced by all instead of assigning it to clergymen, everyone is accountable to learning and applying it. Plus, we are accountable to bear burdens and share that knowledge with others. No one is exempt from this. In this way, the body is still interdependent.

Third, for the above pattern to be true, the sphere of work for this sharing was not accomplished by being members of a local church. A two or three-week feeding of a diet that is not targeted to meet individual needs is hardly adequate.