Lesson Outline for Sept 18, 2025
Gifts From Jesus Christ, God the Son
Goal – To introduce the gifts from Jesus Christ
Note – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit provided gifts to us. These gifts are documented in the New Testament. This lesson is meant to discuss the gifts from God the Son, Jesus Christ. the previous lesson looked at gifts from Father God and next week we will discuss gifts from Holy Spirit. These are introductions and will be amplified later in further studies.
- What are the gifts Jesus Christ gave to the church? Why did Jesus give the gifts to His church
- Are the gifts from Jesus Christ still needed today in the church?
- What is the “apostolic age”? What does it mean, and where did it come from?
- Do you know your gifts? See Enclosure 1 below for a full list of spiritual gifts and a link to a spiritual gifts test
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Hebrew and Greek Terms / Definitions
- Equipping #G2677 “katartismos” perfection, perfecting, perfectness, complete furnishing, equipping – a fitting or preparing fully – a derivative of #G2675
- Mend or Repair #G2675 “kartartizo” to complete thoroughly, repair, make complete, to mend what’s broken
- Church G#1577 “ekklesia” “ek” – out of; and “klesis” a calling (kelao – to call); used by the Greeks for a body of citizens “gathered” to discuss affairs of the “state”; by Israel for the gathering of the whole nation; used in both singular and plural to describe a whole body of believers
- Apostle #G652 “apostolos” one sent forth “apo” from – “stello” to send; an ambassador; one sent on a mission, one sent with orders; a delegate, those spoken of regarding the original 11 disciples of Jesus Christ, and Paul (appointed by Jesus after His resurrection), Timothy, Barnabus, Andronicus, Epaphroditus, Apollos, James (Jesus’ brother) and Silus (list not exhaustive)
- Evangalist #G2099 “euangelistes” a preacher of the gospel, bringer of good tidings, a function in churches
- Prophet #G4396 “prophetes” “pro” afore – and “phemi” to speak, say or make known one’s thoughts; NT – proclaimer of divine message, foretelling the purposes of God for the future; one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence His organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation
- Pastor / Shepherd #G4166 “poimen” presiding officer, manager, director of an assembly, Christ is Head of the Church; and, overseer of Christian assemblies; shepherd – committed themselves to the care of others
- Teacher #G1320 “didaskalos” a teacher; in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God and the duties of man; those in the Christian assemblies who teach with special assistance of Holy Spirit
The green is the author’s notations in the verses below. Bold text added for emphasis
Gifts of Jesus Christ
To mature and build up the Church, Body of Christ – Ekklesia
Eph 4:7-8, 11-15 ESV – “7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” … 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children,tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…,”
- These are gifts for building up the “church”
- How do you see this at work today in your life and church?
- Apostles bring big vision, strategy, plant churches are grounded solid in God’s word
- Prophets are not fortune tellers or give “predictions” – they know in part and prophesy in part (1 Cor 13:9)
- Schemes, designs plans, trickery and strategies of Satan are still active against the church and the believers (Eph 6:11; 2 Cor 2:11, 2 Tim 2:26)
- How do you see the enemy at work today against the Body of Christ?
- How can you make a difference? Know Truth – https://advancefreedomministry.com/2025/05/07/truth-advances-freedom/
- The “church” is not a building!
Who and what is the “church”
The “Church” belongs to Jesus Christ – we are His Bride
Matt 16:17-18 ESV – 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Rev 19:7 ESV – “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;”
- Let’s review “ekklesia” – what is meant by this word Jesus Christ used?
- How is Jesus ekklesia influencing – family, government, finance, media, economy, religion and education
- Is the Bride of Jesus Christ ready to receive Jesus Christ?
Understanding the term “apostolic age”
30AD to John the apostle’s death, but who defined this time
What is the apostolic age? It’s a Christian doctrine determined after the 1st Century by Christians more interested in religion than relationship. “Apostolic Age” doctrine tells us the miracles and signs done by the immediate 11 disciples following Jesus Christ and others mentioned above in the “terms and definitions” were needed and operated by the apostles to establish the church. When did it start? Two doctrinal thoughts 1) At Pentacost; and 2) After Peter told Jesus he loved Him three times. When did it end? After the last apostle John died. Or so many are taught by many Christian pastors and teachers
Below is a quote from a poplar evangelical Christian website.
Got Questions.org provides the following (https://www.gotquestions.org/apostolic-age.html) – “The apostolic age ended with the death of John, the last surviving apostle. While today some churches erroneously claim to be a part of a “new apostolic” age, the biblical truth is that, for the last 2,000 years, the church has been continually “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). The foundation was laid during the apostolic age, and a new foundation is not needed.”
- This site is very informative and is a blessing to the ekklesia, but they are reserved in their doctrine and teaching in the mighty works (miracles) still being conducted by Holy Spirit via born-again believers today. When we see these types of emphatic statements, it should cause us to research and seek Holy Spirit revelation. Is this a western Christian mindset, who decided this “age”- are we denying the power sent to us by Jesus as noted by Paul the apostle– “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2 Ti 3:5 ESV)
- Saints, no one is laying a new cornerstone or foundation! We continue to stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and move in what the apostles did and told us to do, and what Jesus Christ commanded us
- One thing is clear regarding God’s word, it is love and faith that moves our Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit – They are always in unity!
- Love and faith are the currency of heaven
Eph 4:7-8, 11-15 NLT – “7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ…, 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”
- Note, these are five gifts from Jesus Christ to His church, not offices or titles
- The gifts are still needed after John the apostle’s death – the “Church” is not in unity, nor measuring up to the “full and complete standard of Christ”
- Apostles and prophets for Christ’s church / ekklesia were needed then, and now
- The church / ekklesia is not matured, not immune to deception today – do we still need these gifts in the church? You choose – based on God’s word as it applied then and applies today
- Numerous Christian doctrines “religions” discard the specific gifts from Father, Son and Holy Spirit and other gifts to us fully documented in the Bible as it applies to apostle, prophet, tongues, miracles, healing, etc
- Many of these religious doctrines continue to maintain the need and NT gifts from God regarding all other areas – leadership, administration, faith, evangelism, teacher, pastor / shepherd, exhortation, giving, service, and so forth – see full list below
- “Jehovah’s Witness” and Mormon Church are two trying to resemble Christianity
- Protestant Christian faiths accepting false doctrines and violations of scripture are not pleasing to God – and we are called to Truth, not partnering with evil
- The “god of this age” – Satan from 2 Cor 4:4 still “blinds the minds of unbelievers” and is the same one who masquerades as an “angel of light” 2 Cor 11:14
- Gifts of the God the Son, Jesus Christ to His church derived from Eph 4:11 – are relevant today
- We bless all Christian faiths who are not violating God’s word – they are part of the “ekklesia”
- We pray for those deceived to come to truth – We love and pray for those deceived
- Don’t fight a spiritual battle with carnal / flesh weapons
Last thoughts and considerations
2 Tim 2:24-26 ESV – “24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
- The “Ekklesia” is still maturing and susceptible to deception – We need all the gifts Jesus Christ gave the “church,” so the Body of Christ won’t be deceived and can mature fully in Jesus Christ
- We don’t get the luxury of redacting God’s word
- Can an Army go to battle and forces synchronized without strategy, leadership, recruiting, care and feeding? NO
- The gifts of Jesus Christ to the church are so the people of the Body of Christ won’t be led astray and can correct, teach and evangelize the people and churches in violation to God’s word
- We pray for them to not be deceived. And, we are always ready to teach and evangelize
- False doctrines are faiths such as Mormon (e.g. they teach Jesus Christ and Satan are brothers), Jehovah Witness (e.g. Jesus Christ is not God, only the Father is God, and deny the Trinity) – faiths that add to, or take away from what Jesus Christ did on the cross; and faiths accepting and promoting scripture violations such us same sex attraction/marriage, gender identity issues, assisted suicide, abortion, etc – We love the people and kindly, gently and firmly correct and teach – standing fast / firm on God’s truth – Jesus Christ will heal and deliver
Decree – Jesus reveal to me more of you – I submit myself as a living sacrifice to You. I need Your wisdom and discernment. Show me the gifts you gave me, show me how to exercise and walk in those giftings
Additional verses for self-study
Eph 4:7-8, 11-15 NLT – “7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” … 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”
Eph 5:23-24, 27 NIV – “23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. … 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
1 Cor 13:8-10 ESV – “8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.”
2 Cor 11:2-4 ESV – “2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.”
- Jesus Christ’s gifts are to assist us, His “church” from being deceived
- All of us are to develop and work in unity – one body
- Satan has a church too, most of its members don’t know they are in it, and many do
Col 2:6-8 ESV – “6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Heb 5:11-14 ESV – “11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernmenttrained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
- We see too many men in churches still on milk
- We see homes where the wife is the spiritual leader of the home
- Men must humbly accept and move in their role and responsibilities
Heb 10:24-25 ESV – “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
- We should not neglect meeting together – to learn, encourage, form spiritual disciplines
2 Tim 1:6-7 ESV – “6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Enclosure 1 – Spiritual Gifts from the Holy Bible
https://giftstest.com – Take this test during the week and pray about the results. This test is meant to determine or dictate your gifts, rather to assist you in hearing from Holy Spirit
Administration – The gift of administration is the divine strength or ability to organize multiple tasks and groups of people to accomplish these tasks. Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:28
Apostleship – The gift of apostleship is the divine strength or ability to pioneer new churches and ministries through planting, overseeing, and training. Acts 15:22-35; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 2:7-10; Ephesians 4:11-14
Craftsmanship – The gift of craftsmanship is the divine strength or ability to plan, build, and work with your hands in construction environments to accomplish multiple ministry applications. Exodus 30:22, 31:3-11; 2 Chronicles 34:9-13; Acts 18:2-3
Discernment – The gift of discernment is the divine strength or ability to spiritually identify falsehood, to distinguish between right and wrong motives and the spiritual forces at work in situations. Matthew 16:21-23; Acts 5:1-11, 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 John 4:1-6
Evangelism – The gift of evangelism is the divine strength or ability to help non-Christians take the necessary steps to becoming a born-again Christian. Acts 8:5-6, 8:26-40, 14:21, 21:8; Ephesians 4:11-14
Exhortation – The gift of exhortation is the divine strength or ability to strengthen, comfort or urge others to action through the written or spoken word and Biblical truth.
Acts 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:24-25
Faith – The gift of faith is the divine strength or ability to believe in God for unseen supernatural results in every arena of life. Acts 11:22-24; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11
Giving – The gift of giving is the divine strength or ability to produce wealth and to give by tithes and offerings for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. Mark 12:41-44; Romans 12:8; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 9:2-7
Healing – The gift of healing is the divine strength or ability to act as an intermediary in faith, prayer, and by the laying-on of hands for the healing of physical, mental and spiritual sickness. Acts 3:1-10, 9:32-35, 28:7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
Helps – The gift of helps is the divine strength or ability to work in a supportive role for the accomplishment of tasks in Christian ministry with the ability to often see the need before others do. Mark 15:40-41; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28
Hospitality – The gift of hospitality is the divine strength or ability to create warm, welcoming environments for others in places such as your home, office, or church. Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:13, 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9
Intercession – The gift of intercession is the divine strength or ability to stand in the gap in prayer for someone, something, or someplace, believing for profound results. Hebrews 7:25; Colossians 1:9-12, 4:12-13; James 5:14-16
Word of Knowledge – The gift of knowledge is the divine strength or ability to bring truth to a situation by supernatural revelation. This is often accompanied by a word from God. Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:8; Colossians 2:2-3
Leadership – The gift of leadership is the divine strength or ability to influence people at their level while directing and focusing them on the big picture, vision, or idea. Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17; Hebrews 13:17
Mercy – The gift of mercy is the divine strength or ability to feel empathy and to care for those who are hurting in any way. Matthew 9:35-36; Mark 9:41; Romans 12:8; 1 Thess. 5:14
Miracles – The gift of miracles is the divine strength or ability to alter the natural outcomes of life in a supernatural way through prayer, faith, and divine direction.
Acts 9:36-42, 19:11-12, 20:7-12; Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28
Pastor/Shepherd – The gift of pastor/shepherd is the divine strength or ability to care for the personal needs of others by nurturing and mending life issues. John 10:1-18; Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-3
Prophecy – The gift of prophecy is the divine strength or ability to communicate God’s truth and heart in a way that calls people to a right relationship with God. Acts 2:37-40, 7:51-53, 26:24-29; 1 Corinthians 14:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5
Service – The gift of serving is the divine strength or ability to do small or great tasks in working for the overall good of the body of Christ. Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:7; Galatians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14
Teaching – The gift of teaching is the divine strength or ability to study and learn from the Scriptures primarily to bring understanding and depth to other Christians. Acts 18:24-28, 20:20-21; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-14
Tongues (and Interpretation) – The gift of tongues is the divine strength or ability to pray in a heavenly language to encourage your spirit and to commune with God. The gift of tongues is often accompanied by interpretation and should be used appropriately. Acts 2:1-13; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:1-14
Word of Wisdom – The gift of wisdom is the divine strength or ability to understand and to bring clarity to situations and circumstances often through applying the truths of Scripture in a practical way. Acts 6:3,10; 1 Corinthians 2:6-13, 12:8
