Discovering an Inclusive Operating Framework for Spiritual Gifts

Every successful enterprise, whether that is a non-profit organization or business, uses something called an operating framework.  It’s a strategy used to organize, motivate, and unify people around a common goal and vision. It's a blueprint that outlines how the enterprise operates and what the expected outcomes are to be.  You have some models that use what’s called the 5Ps which are:

·        Purpose

·        People

·        Program

·        Process

·        Performance 

Let’s look at the Bible using these 5 P’s for an operating framework regarding spiritual gifts.  Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it,’ so let’s start with the words of Christ in Matthew 16:18.  The word used for church in the original Greek language is ekklēsia and it literally means ‘called out ones’. The double-k in the word gives it a two-fold meaning, which is called out of the world and called unto God.

The word ekklēsia was a Greek term and it was defined as a ruling assembly of citizens in the Grecian democracies to govern its city-states. The Greek and Roman versions of the ekklēsia appeared in different forms and sizes, the assemblies were not a one size fits all. In like manner, there are no cookie cutters when it comes to establishing the ekklēsia that Jesus is building. We will be looking at certain practices and guidelines the apostles established when it comes to planting and expanding the ekklēsia, but the point is that we have been given a lot of flexibility.

The ekklēsia or a ruling assembly of citizens could be as small as two or three gathered anywhere in the world. [1]It only took 2 or 3 citizens for the ekklēsia to be considered a local expression of Rome. Even though geography may have separated the ekklēsia from the capital of the empire and the emperor; the [2]ekklēsia in the Geco-Roman world denoted an assembly summoned for official purposes. This was the idea of the Roman ekklēsia in a microcosm.

In like manner, Jesus chose this word to show that [3]the church functions as the earthly extension of Christ’s reign.  The ekklēsia is not the kingdom, but the instrument of the risen Christ.

The ekklēsia is a group of people who have been called out of spiritual darkness through the power of the gospel.  It is those who have been brought into fellowship with the risen Christ. The ekklēsia is a group of people who have come under the present reign of Christ’s rule through spiritual rebirth and is made

up of those who have allegiance to Christ as Lord. Jesus ekklēsia is not the kingdom of God, but it is the vehicle of the rule of the risen Christ on the earth today.

In summing up, the ekklēsia is made up of followers of Christ who have received the life of Christ ruling power and are dedicated to the task of using the keys of the kingdom, under the authority of Christ, to unlock those who are bound by Satan.

It can be done in a variety of ways, settings and groups, all you must do is look at the book of Acts.  It’s an inclusive model that uses men, women, young people and those from all ethnic backgrounds.  You can see the micro (small gatherings) ekklēsia and macro (large gatherings) ekklēsia operating in spiritual gifts throughout the book of Acts but what you see is one identifiable purpose. 

[1] Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.87.

[2] Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christians, p. 134.

[3] G.K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology, p. 655.