All Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible 1995 Ed. (NASB95)

In the New Testament explanations of how believers must serve each other, there are again three important features. First, the apostles urge their assemblies to understand, recognize, and appreciate each member’s individual giftings and necessary role in the body. Second, they instruct in how to understand each other, as to their needs, and how to meet them. And third, they usually leave a final spot for describing how to speak to each other for their neighbor’s encouragement and upbuilding.

Understand and Recognize Your Unique Giftedness within the Body

There are three main passages that outline how believers are to properly understand their inestimable value in Christ’s body, and what gifts they may possess to serve their brethren. They come from Romans, Ephesians, and 1 Peter:

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” – Romans 12:6-8

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift . . . for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ . . .”

– Eph. 4:7, 12

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ . . .” – 1 Pe. 4:10-11a

There are three truths I want to bring to your attention from these passages. None of them will have anything to do with discussing which spiritual gifts I believe God still uses in His people, and whether there are any that are no longer in use. My purpose here is to show how universal, diverse, and essential God’s gifting of His children is. That is, these passages emphasize that every believer is gifted for service; that these gifts are as different as they need to be for specific needs; and that the gifts of believers are needed to carry on the works of service, so that the local fellowship is constructed and developed.

At the outset, notice again that these passages aren’t written to any one sub-section of the Christian community, but to all the believers in their respective locations. Thus, the apostles are addressing the whole body of believers, and not specific parts. Hence, it should be remembered that the service of the Assembly (and I mean “service” in the biblical sense) is the responsibility of each believer, and not a select few or several.

As in all things about the Christian life, Paul begins his treatment of gifts in Romans by emphasizing that these gifts come from God’s grace, or His undeserved favor. And since their recipients are different, their character and purposes are different. From this Romans passage, we can also observe that these gifts cover seemingly all areas of service and need. He starts with prophecy; then moves to “service,” or menial labor; then to teaching; then to encouragement; then to donating; then to leading; and finally to relieving suffering, or showing mercy. From this order, it’s also noteworthy that he doesn’t seem to be giving any priority to gifts that should be possessed by elders, such as “teaching,” “exhortation,” and “leading”. Rather, they seem to be randomly listed.

From the verses in Ephesians 4, we see similar elements. As in Romans, Paul remarks that “each one” has been given “grace,” so that the purpose in verse 12 can be carried out. Skipping over his description of the Lord’s gifting of leadership and speaking roles, he explains that each one’s giftedness and equipping by the leaders is “for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”. As I’ve already pointed out, the giftedness and equipping are for all the saints to work at serving one another. This is the work that will build up the whole body.

Finally, Peter provides us with another facet of the body’s giftings in his passage by motivating his audience to serve each other with their gifts “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pe. 4:10). Therefore, it’s not only a privilege to use our gifts to serve our brethren, but it’s a God-given responsibility and trust. This means to neglect the service of the saints through our giftedness is contrary to our identity as God’s children, and parts of the Lord’s body. Still another purpose for believers using their gifts is brought out by Peter when he concludes the passage in 1 Peter with the goal that “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pe. 4:11). This bars us from any idea that our gifted service should glorify, or display, us as being worthy of praise, since all our gifts and ability to serve are from God.

But how do we know how and when to use our gifts? The apostles have ample words that pointed their brethren in the right direction for their service.

Look Out for Each Other’s Needs and Meet Them

Second, we’ll look at several passages that outline what it takes to discern how believers need to serve each other, so they can meet their needs quickly:

To the Romans:

            “. . . contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” – Ro. 12:13

To the Ephesians:

            “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” – Eph. 4:28

To the Hebrews:

            “. . . and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds . . .”            – Heb. 10:24

To the scattered Jewish believers:

            “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” – 1 Pe. 4:9

To the Galatians:

            “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” – Gal. 6:2

In these passages, it’s clear that serving and filling needs had no bounds in the early assemblies. It ranged from spiritual needs, to emotional needs, to physical needs. Although only two of three passages are included from the New Testament that touch on hospitality, I hope that you’ll notice this repeated concern for believers to open their homes to each other for their benefit. Again, it bears repeating that these instructions are given to whole congregations, and not to special groups of believers. Hence, all believers that were able to serve the brethren through hospitality were expected to do so.

Also, look at the passage written to the Ephesians. It should be mentioned that even believers’ everyday and routine employment were meant to serve their brethren. Paul shows this by explaining that the goal of Christians working, instead of stealing, is that they’ll be able to share with those in need.

As for how believers can discern how best to serve their brethren, the author of Hebrews gives us the answer in his above words. We are to be constantly “considering” how we can “stimulate,” or provoke each other to             be more loving and engaged in good deeds. The original Greek word for “consider” means to “study” or “analyze.” Therefore, the early assemblies, and we today, are called to know and understand our brethren’s situations, so we know how best to motivate them to grow in their love and helpfulness to others.

Lastly, all these instructions are summed up in Paul’s order for the Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). This is one of the most foundational requirements for Christian service among each other in all the Bible. That’s because this instruction not only includes small needs, but impossible needs. A “burden,” in the context of Paul’s use, is a need and problem that simply can’t be solved by oneself. It’s a need that threatens to halt a believer’s obedience to the Lord by tempting him to unbelief and despair. That’s why it’s all believers’ responsibility to help with those unmanageable problems they see their brethren faltering under. And this is exactly what Jesus did on the cross – He bore our burden of sin, guilt, and punishment, so we could go free, and live lives pleasing to God. That’s why the bearing of our brother or sister’s burden fulfill’s that law of Jesus that He perfectly exemplified for us. And if we continually seek to bear our brethren’s burdens, however small they may seem, then we’ll carry out the law of loving our brothers, and meet their needs.

But in the general flow of the apostles’ New Testament instruction, they emphasize an often neglected and effective area of service that meets the deepest needs of our souls and spirits – speaking to each other with truth.

Speaking God’s Word to Each Other

In at least three of Paul’s letters, he winds down his instructions for how believers should interact with each other by focusing on their speech to one another. Looking at these passages, along with one from Hebrews, should leave no doubt in our minds that most of the speaking among a local assembly should be done by those who aren’t leaders, rather than only the elders or pastors. Again, what I want to show you is that most of the speaking that served to build up, encourage, strengthen, warn, and instruct the body of Jesus in New Testament times was from the average Christian, rather than from a select, specially trained, specifically recognized, order of professional speakers.

Thus, we’ll examine Paul’s descriptions of the mutual speaking of the Corinthians, the Ephesians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians, as well as those of the Hebrew Christians:

To the Corinthians:

            “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” – 1 Cor. 14:26

To the Ephesians:

            “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord . . .” – Eph. 5:18-19

To the Colossians:

            “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Col. 3:16

To the Thessalonians:

            “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” – 1 Thess. 5:14

To the Hebrews:

            “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” – Heb. 3:13

Just as we saw in our survey of spiritual gift passages, these ones also convey the universality, diversity, and necessity of all believers in a local assembly using their tongues and voices to speak encouraging and edifying truth to their brethren. Only those who are unable to speak are exempted from this responsibility and privilege.

Although Paul’s words to the Corinthians would contradict what he says later in the letter, and in 1 Timothy 2, if he was giving credence to every individual in the assembly sharing messages to the rest, his words surely at least have general application to everyone. This is clear from the fact that he uses the words “each one”. Each one, he writes, “has a psalm, “a teaching, “a revelation,” and so on. Although some of these spiritual gifts were distinct for those circumstances of the infant body of Jesus, yet the application of this passage has enduring application for today. He’s evidently talking about the “assembly” of the saints, and during their assemblies, many of them would bring an oral contribution for the “edification,” or “upbuilding” of each other. Some would offer a song of praise in a psalm, and some would have a lesson prepared; some of the prophets would have a revelation to deliver to the brethren; and finally, others would have a message in another language that needed to be interpreted. The underlying principle of this standard description of the localized gatherings is that many should be able to offer some message in some form that is useful for building up the brethren.

In Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3, we see this principle applied specifically to the body’s singing. In both the passages quoted, Paul teaches that the congregation’s singing is meant to speak, to teach, and to counsel one another. In the Ephesians passage, it’s taught that one of the main effects of being “filled with the Spirit,” or “controlled” by Him, is that the assemblies of believers will speak to each other “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19). Paul is writing about the same thing in Colossians 3:16, since he says that the results of letting “the word of Christ dwell in you richly” is that the Colossians will teach and admonish each other “with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”. Hence, in this verse, he clarifies what he means by being “filled with the Spirit” and “speaking to one another” in Ephesians.

In these two passages, Paul shows that the way to be controlled by the Spirit is to let the word, or message, of Messiah have abundant and overflowing life in you. And how do you let His teaching live inside of you? By believing, obeying, and learning it increasingly. God’s Word acts in us through our faith in it, which is expressed in obedience to the Lord’s commands. Thus, when an assembly is being faithful and obedient to the teaching of Jesus, it will inevitably speak to each other by teaching and admonishing, or counseling, one another through their singing. From these passages, as well as others in the New Testament which describe the praise singing of congregations (such as Romans 15), we learn the basis for having every member of the fellowship participate in the teaching and counseling of the brethren through their group singing of spiritual songs. Now, of course, these songs ultimately are directed to “the Lord” and “God”, but even if their final audience is Him, they still should at least have some applicability to the Christians listening by teaching them about “the word of Christ” and the Lord Himself.

Finally, I’d like to briefly touch on Paul’s instructions for the Thessalonians, and end with the injunction for the Hebrews. Just as we’ve been seeing, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 is addressed to “brethren” in general, and not to any group of leaders or professional class. And what are they called to do? To “admonish” and “encourage” their brothers and sisters. But again note the types of people that need to receive such words. They are the “unruly,” or “undisciplined,” and the “fainthearted,” or depressed and despondent. These struggling brethren aren’t reserved for the pastors, or even deacons, to take care of. Rather, they are the responsibility of the entire assembly, as each one has good opportunity to help.

Likewise, we see from Hebrews 3:13 that the encouragement of the body is the duty of everyone. Moreover, this encouragement is urged not as a weekly service, but as a daily one. He writes, “encourage one another day after day.” Why? For preventing each other from becoming “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The implication is that neglect of the daily encouragement between these believers would allow them to become hardened by the lies of sin. And in Hebrews, this hardening isn’t mere backsliding, but hardening to the point of denying the truthfulness of the gospel. Therefore, this teaches us as believers that we need daily encouragement to grow in faithfulness. That’s why it’s crucial for us to be reading Scripture daily for encouragement. However, from this verse, we can deduce that regular encouragement from our brethren is also a need.

So, having looked at these passages, how does your life, and the behavior of your weekly fellowship community, compare? When you assemble, does each gifted person take an opportunity to share a song, a lesson, or urgent message from the Lord? When you sing together, are the songs used in a way that’s conducive to the learning and counseling of the congregation? Are there some songs that speak directly to the brethren? How about the sinning and the weary and burdened brethren in your assembly? Are there enough people able and willing to warn and encourage them? Finally, how regular is the encouragement among your assembly? Does it go on several days a week, or only once a week? If there isn’t regular encouragement between the brethren, then we are at great risk of falling into exceptionally deceitful and destructive sinful thinking and behavior.

If neither your weekly assembly, nor the regular interactions among your closest brethren resemble these descriptions of the first Christians, it brings into serious question whether the majority of your fellowship are being filled with the Spirit by letting the Word live richly within them. I urge you to evaluate first how you are doing in using your tongue to teach and encourage your brethren, and then think about the rest of your assembly. What can you do today to cultivate a more active and beneficial practice of discussion and conversation between you and your brethren? The first step will be to pray, which is the last of the main priorities that the apostles universally included in their instructions for assemblies.