Chapter – III

Church & Sacraments

Origin and nature of church - mission of the church - Day of Pentecost;
Jerusalem council-Functions of the Holy Spirit; Gifts and Fruit of the Holy
Spirit. Sacraments – Baptism – Communion.
 Chapter – III
PNEUMATOLOGY, ECCLESIOLOGY & SACRAMENTS

3.1 INTRODUCTION:

The subject material that will be expounded in this chapter are Pneumatology (Study of
blessed Holy Spirit and His role play), Ecclesiology (Study of the Church and its
activities), fruit of the Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit. Information related to the Sacraments
that the Lord wanted all His disciples to execute is also dealt with much clarity.

3.2 BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT:

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Blessed Holy Trinity. He is God and is a Spirit
Being with no body. The blessed Holy Spirit is referred as ‘Ruach’ in Hebrew language
and ‘Pneuma’ in Greek dialect.

The Scriptures offer different names to Him and some of them are presented as follows:
• The Helper (John 14:16)
• The Counsellor
• Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
• Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)
• Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)
• Spirit of Glory (I Peter 4:14)
• Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)
• Spirit of Life (John 6:63)
• Spirit of Understanding (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of Revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
• Spirit of the Living God (II Corinthians 3:3)
• Spirit of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of Counsel (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of Might (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of Knowledge (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of the Lord (Acts 5:9)

3.3.1 Personality of the Blessed Holy Spirit:

God the blessed Holy Spirit tends to have the same personality as that of the other two
persons associated with the blessed Holy Trinity namely God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.

Some of the characters that are unveiled in the written Word of God are presented as
follows:
He is
• God (Acts 5:3,4)
• Good (Galatians 5:22)
• Eternal (Hebrews 9:14)
• Self-existent (Romans 8:2)
• Sovereign (Zechariah 12:10)
• Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7–8)
• Omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10–11; John 14:26; 16:13)
• Omnipotent (Acts 1:8)
• Awesome (Romans 15:13)
• An embodiment of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 6:22,23)

3.3.2 Profession of the Blessed Holy Spirit:

The blessed Holy Spirit is engaged in numerous good activities which are reported in the
scriptures and some of them are represented as follows:
• He inspired certain men and women to write the Scriptures (Divine-Human Authorship)
• He was involved in creation of our planet earth and all its contents together with God
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
• He was involved in the conception of the Lord Jesus Christ
• He indwelt the God Who became a Man the Lord Jesus Christ
• He gave His power to our Lord for doing well and to teach the Word.
• He demonstrated His power to raise (Resurrection) our Lord from the dead
• He convicts a sinner and leads them to repentance when the Word is taught
• He also convicts concerning righteousness and judgment to come.
• He enables us to call upon Jesus as Lord to be saved
• He sanctifies the saved and makes us more like Christ
• He makes us understand the Adoption of God the Father and encourages us to call God
as Abba Father
• He works in us to develop the Fruit of the Spirit
• He provides us the needed strength to have victory from sin when we offer Him
necessary space to work.
• He imparts hope within us to face challenges of day to day life
• He makes us understand the viles of the devil so that we can escape from the snares
created by him
• He will be a Helper and provide insights while doing the ministry
• He will be a constant Companion and helps us to wear the armour of God in order to
face the fiery darts of the devil in the evil day
• He will guide us in our prayer to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus.
• He seals every believers for the Day of their redemption.
• Based on the call of God the Father in one’s life He offers certain Gifts that can be
exercised for the blessings of others.
 3.4 CHURCH:

In Greek language the word Church is represented as ‘ek-klay-see'-ah’ and it means

Assembly, Congregation, etc. while in Hebrew language it is denoted as ‘qa-hal’ meaning
assembly, congregation, or gathering.

• It is the body of Christ that was formed on the Day of Pentecost in the 1st century AD.
• Every human being after listening to the Word of God by the work of the Blessed
Holy Spirit understands that he/she is a sinner and that God the Father has planned
redemption for mankind through the freewill submission of Lord Jesus Christ to die
on the cross and to get resurrected, freely submit to the will of the Father to repent
and to pray for redemption is a member of the Church.
• So, it is not an infrastructure.
• Every believer should always understand that they belong to the Universal Church
(Catholic Church) and they attend a local church.
• The scriptures doesn’t support an idea called as ‘Mother Church or Father Church.’

3.4.1 Origin of the Church on the Day of Pentecost

After resurrection from the dead, our Lord Jesus met His disciples and by many infallible
proofs proved that He indeed rose from the dead for about 40 days.

• Before He ascended into the heavens on the 40th day (from the Day of Resurrection),
He personally instructed His disciples (About 500) to wait in Jerusalem until they will
be empowered by the power from the heavens.
• On obeying this instruction, about 120 disciples waited in the upper room in
Jerusalem for 10 days and on the 50 th day (from the Day of Resurrection) received
‘the Promise of the Father’ and the Church was birthed.
• The blessed Holy Spirit came upon the 120 disciples as a rushing mighty wind with a
sound from heaven as tongue of fire so that they were filled in the Spirit and spoke
with an unknown tongue.
• On this day the church was birthed with 120 people being part of it.
• This incident was witnessed by devout Jews who came to Jerusalem from different
nations and were able to hear the disciples praising God (uttering the wonderful
works of God) in their own territorial language which created greater amazement to
them.
• But others, mockingly said that they are drunk with wine and are blabbering.
• In this context, Apostle Peter stood with the eleven and gave an explanation of what
happened on that day with evidence from the prophetic scriptures and the power of
the Holy Spirit to the people who were gathered to listen to him.
• Many among the people who were gathered were convicted by the work of the Holy
Spirit when Apostle Peter spoke so that they approached the Apostles and wanted to
know what they should be doing in order to get saved.
 3.4.2 Characteristics of the Early Church:

The church which was founded on the Day of Pentecost grew in quality and quantity by
displaying the following divine characteristics through sincere devotion to

 Scripture
 Fellowship
 Prayer
 Breaking of Bread
 Generosity
 Evangelism
 Joy
 Worship
 Witnessing and
 Growth

Each church member is called as a disciple, saint, bride, etc. The church in general is referred
with different names recorded in the Written Word of God. Table 4.1 offers information
on the different names of the term referred as ‘Church’ that are recorded in the Word of
God together with their respective scriptural reference.

Table – 4.1: Different Names for Church and their Reference

[Link]. Different Names for Church Scripture Reference

1 Assembly of Saints Psalm 89:7
2 Royal Priesthood Hebrews 8:9
3 Holy Nation Hebrews 8:9
4 Assembly of the Upright Psalm 111:1
5 His Wife Revelation 19:7
6 The Bride, the Lamb’s Wife Revelation 21:9
7 The Flock of God I Peter 5:2
8 Household of God Ephesians 2:19
9 Church of the First Born Hebrews 12:23
10 Golden Lampstands Revelation 1:20
11 Dwelling Place of God in the Spirit Ephesians 2:22
12Heirs of God & Joint Heirs with Christ Romans 8:17
13 Household of Faith Galatians 6:10
14 New Creation II Corinthians 5:7
15 Sons of Light I Thessalonians 5:5
16 Sons of the Day I Thessalonians 5:5
17 Brethren Romans 8:29
18 Salt of the Earth Matthew 5:13
19 Light of the World Matthew 5:14
20 Ambassadors for Christ II Corinthians 5:20
3.4.3 Mission of the Church:

God the Father has made our Lord Jesus Christ as the ‘Head of the Church’ and the
Church also referred as the ‘Body of Christ’ is viewed by the written Scriptures as the
‘Salt of the World’ and as the ‘Light of the Earth’. The church is expected to ‘Make ready
a people prepared for the Lord.’

In this ‘Dispensation of Grace’ before His ascension (On the 40 th day from the Day of
Resurrection) into the heavens after accomplishing all that was destined for Him on this
earth, our Lord Jesus offered a ‘Great Commission’ to His disciples to go to every part of
the earth in order to share the ‘Good News’ (engage in Evangelism) and make disciples,
followed by baptising them and also to teach all that our Lord taught.

Scriptural References:

 Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
 Mark 16:15-18
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will
be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out
demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means
hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

3.4.4 Functions of the Church:

Church is expected to act as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Some of the
functions that are observed in the written ‘Word of God’ are

•To be in constant Relationship and Fellowship with the Triune God

•To devote in Prayer
•To Preach the Word of God to the gentiles
•To teach the Purposes of God to its members
•To facilitate the act of giving (referred as investment) to the ‘Kingdom of God’ and the
poor or the needy.
•To wait eagerly for His coming.
 3.5 JERUSALEM COUNCIL: (Acts 15:2–35)

When Apostle Paul and Barnabas were available in Antioch, some men came from Judea and
started teaching that unless men are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, they
can never be saved and this created great controversy in the first century church. Paul and
Barnabas had great discussions with them to nullify this perception but it ended in
arguments.

So, the local church in Antioch sent Apostle Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to have
discussions with the apostles at Jerusalem to iron out this controversy.

The Council at Jerusalem gathered (Apostles and Elders) in which there was much dispute
over this issue. In this context, Apostle Peter spoke about the role play of the blessed
Holy Spirit in their lives for the peoples from gentile back ground to hear the good news
and the blessed Holy Spirit offered them spiritual experiences that was enjoyed by the
Jewish converts. He spoke saying that it good not to put a yoke of slavery on the peoples
from gentile life style by insisting on circumcision because he believed that salvation was
attained by a person by grace through faith. He also insisted that it was not good to put
the Lord to test.

Then, the crowd available in this gathering kept silent so that Barnabas and Paul testified
with regard to God performing miracles and wonders through them in order to attest the
‘Word of God’ that they preached.

After this, Apostle James spoke in support of them by quoting from the Old Testament
prophets saying, ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which
has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind
may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD
who does all these things.’ (Acts 15:16,17) In view of this, he said that the gentiles who
come to the Lord should not be disturbed.

Subsequently, the gathering arrived at a consensus with this matter so that they drafted
‘Jerusalem Decree’ for the gentile converts from the Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia to follow:
“It seemed good for the blessed Holy Spirit and to us (Apostles at Jerusalem) not to put
any burden on you but to fulfill the following: Abstain from things offered to idols, from
blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 15:28,29)

3.6 FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: (Galatians 5:22-23)

It refers to the communicable attributes of God which a disciple of our Lord Jesus can
receive from God when submission to the leading of the blessed Holy Spirit is followed
in all sincerity.
It is always portrayed in singular term in the Scriptures and the other name given to it is
love. Love can be represented as a flower while all the other terms from joy to self-
control can be observed as its petals.

3.6.1 Love:

It is a selfless, unconditional and intense affection originating from the Triune God
associated not just with feeling alone but rather displayed in action always by seeking the
best for others even at the cost of one’s owns expense.
It is the Fruit of the Spirit offered by God to His children. This love will not indulge in
‘tit for tat’ experiences.

Characteristics of Love: (I Corinthians 13)

Apostle Paul in His first letter to the Church at Corinth gives a detailed account on the
characteristics of this divine love and they are represented as follows:
• It is patient, kind, thoughtful, forgives and even forgets.
• Rejoices with truth and dislikes injustice
• It is not jealous, proud, arrogant, self-seeking, and provoked.
• It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things
• It never fails.
• Of all the 3 things available faith, hope and love, love is the most important.

Love always gives unconditionally and will not exploit us in any situation.
God the Father loved everyone present on earth and hence gave the heaven’s best the
Lord Jesus as a Gift (Indescribable Gift) so that He can die on behalf of everybody. This
gift ensured that everyone who believes can experience redemption in their life.
Love always forgives anyone very freely and even forgets the evil done.
As God in Christ Jesus forgave us even we are invited to forgive everyone who harmed
us. Our Lord Jesus on the cross prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they
do.” (Luke 23:34)
Even Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” (Acts 7:60)

The different components of this love is joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

3.6.2 Joy:

It is the first of component of divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God
which enables a person to always be pleasant and cheerful in spite of passing through
difficult experiences in life.
Our Lord Jesus did not lose the joy that He received from the blessed Holy Spirit even
during the last three days before He died on the cross.

Scriptural References:

 John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your
joy may be full.
 Romans 15:32
That I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together
with you.

3.6.3 Peace:

It is second of the component of divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God
which enables a person to experience inner tranquillity even while passing through life’s
unpleasant circumstances.
The scripture calls this peace as “the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding.”
(Philippians 4:7)

Scripture References:

 Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

 John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

3.6.4 Patience:

It is third component of the divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God which
enables a person to remain calm and composed during waiting for anything in life, and
remain undisturbed even during times of provocation.
It can also be called as long suffering.
Our Lord Jesus exhibited patience during His trial before the High Priest

Scriptural References:

 II Corinthians 6:6
by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit,
by sincere love

 II Timothy 3:10
 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
longsuffering, love, perseverance,

3.6.5 Kindness:

It is the fourth component of the divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God
which enables a person to behave in a friendly fashion displaying generosity and always
remain considerate to others.

Scriptural References:
 Ephesians 2:7
That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ
forgave you.

3.6.6 Goodness:

It is the fifth component of the divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God which
enables a person to exercise this virtue which offers a good testimony from God and
respect from people.

Scriptural References:

 Romans 11:22
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but
toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be
cut off.

 Ephesians 5:9
(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),

3.6.7 Faithfulness:
It is the sixth component of divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God which
enables a person to be accountable in terms of relationship and responsibility.

This virtue will certainly ensure that God will always be given first place in their life at all
times and in all circumstances.
This divine virtue will warrant accountability to family (spouse, children, parents and
siblings), friends, relatives, learning place (school, college, university, etc.), work place,
country of existence, etc.

Scriptural References:

 James 2:22
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was
made perfect?

3.6.8 Gentleness:

It is the seventh component of divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God
which enables a person to display reverence for God and to treat others with utmost
respect irrespective of all earthly credentials. (Race, caste, gender, age, language, ability,
religion, nationality, academic status, monetary status, social status, etc.)

Scriptural References:

 I Corinthians 4:21
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of
gentleness?

 Ephesians 4:2
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in
love,

3.6.9 Self-control:

It is the eighth component of divine love (Recorded in Scripture) received from God
which enables a person to control all the components of a human body like eyes, ears,
tongue, brain, hands, feet and even the skin. This self-control will support both the
concerned person and his neighbour.

It influences one’s perception, understanding, looks, hearing and listening, talking and
eating, actions and reactions and even our travel. It creates advantage not just to a person
who is being influenced by it but brings glory to God.

Scriptural References:

 II Peter 1:6
to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness
3.7 GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (1 Corinthians 12:1-11& Romans 12:3-8)

They are supernatural endowments offered by God for the disciples of Lord Jesus who
are called by God the Father and led by the blessed Holy Spirit to substantiate the Spoken
Word in the cause of Evangelism and His Kingdom extension.
It is offered not to misuse it like making money, seeking favours from others, publicity
stunts, attracting the attention of others, etc. Table 3.1 provides information about the
different gifts of the Spirit offered by God to His flock and their respective scriptural
references. Spiritual gift is certainly different from that of a talent as it is available right
from birth but Spiritual Gift is offered by God when he or she experiences ‘New Birth’ in
order to fulfil God’s call in life. Differences between talent and spiritual gift is presented
in table 3.1.

Table – 3.1: Difference between a talent and a spiritual gift:

[Link]. Talent Spiritual Gift

1 Inherited from God through Received through the
parents blessed Holy Spirit
2 Received by birth Received by
rebirth
3 To benefit mankind in general To benefit the initiates in
the Kingdom of God
4 Must be recognized, developed Must be recognized,
and exercised developed and exercised
5 Should be used for God’s glory Should be used for
God’s glory

The different ‘Spiritual Gifts’ that are reported in the Scriptures are presented in table 3.2
together with their respective Scriptural references.

Table - 3.2: Name of the Spiritual Gifts with their respective Scriptural References
[Link]. Name of the Gift Scriptural References
1 Word of Wisdom I Corinthians 12:8; Luke 6:9
2 Word of Knowledge I Corinthians 12:8; Luke 18:22
3 Faith I Corinthians 12:9; Acts 3:6-7
4 Healing I Corinthians 12:9,28; Acts 28:1-10
5 Working of Miracles I Corinthians 12:10; Acts 6:8
6 Prophecy I Corinthians 12:10;
I Thessalonians 5:20-21; Ephesians 4:11
7 Discerning of Spirits I Corinthians 12:10; Luke 8:29
8 Kinds of Tongues I Corinthians 12:10; Acts 19:6
9 Interpretation of I Corinthians 12:10; 14:13-33
Tongues
10 Helping I Corinthians 12:28
11 Administration I Corinthians 12:28; Acts 6:2-3
 12 Grace Romans 12:6; Ephesians 3:7; 4:7; I Peter
4:10-11
13 Ministry/Service Romans 12:7; II Timothy 1:16-18
14 Teaching Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11-14
15 Exhortation / Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 13:3; Acts
Encouragement 4:32-35
16 Giving Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 13:3; Acts
4:32-35
17 Leadership Romans 12:8; Acts 13:12
18 Mercy Romans 12:8; Luke 5:12-13

3.7.1 Word of Knowledge:

It is a supernatural spiritual gift that operates in a person of God’s choice by the work of
the blessed Holy Spirit so that a particular person receives specific information (with
regard to past, present or even future) in order to receive encouragement, comfort,
warning, rebuke, etc.

The information can come in the form of vision, dream, trance, Word of God,
etc. The person in whom the gift operates is only an instrument in the hands of
God.
Only when the Lord decides to speak to a particular person he uses a specific believer of
His choice in order to be the very spokesperson. In all other contexts, the man of God is
expected to keep quiet as he is not expected to please human beings.

Example: Information shared to Pharaoh the emperor by Joseph with respect to the
Identification of the forth coming seven years of famine in the land of Egypt. (Genesis
41:25-32)

3.7.2 Word of Wisdom:

It is a supernatural spiritual gift that operates in a person of God’s choice by the work of
the blessed Holy Spirit so that the concerned person receives insight and guidance for a
specific situation.
This gift of God normally operates in association with the gift of knowledge.
The person for whom the guidance comes obeys the same then, blessings will certainly
follow.

Example: Solution offered by Joseph in Egypt to Pharaoh the emperor on how to handle
seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:33-37)

3.7.3 Gift of Faith:

It is a supernatural ability provided by the blessed Holy Spirit and offered to a person of
God’s choice which is distinct from saving faith, that involves an extraordinary and
unwavering confidence in God's power and promises so that the church on hearing
receive assurance with regard to God intended act to become a reality in His time in a
remarkable way.
The pronouncement that emerges out of this person’s mouth will certainly increase the
confidence of the hearers on the God for Whom all things are possible.

Example:
Elisha the Prophet spoke “You shall not see wind nor rain; but valley shall be filled with
water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter
in the sight of the LORD;” (II Kings 3:17,18)

3.7.4 Gift of Healing:

It is a supernatural spiritual gift that operates in a person of God’s choice by the work of
the blessed Holy Spirit so that the targeted individual receives healing from chronic ill
health.
Example:
The lady with the flow of blood for twelve years got healed instantly when she touched the
garment of our Lord Jesus. (Matthew 9:20-22)

3.7.5 Gift of Working of Miracles:

It is a supernatural spiritual gift that operates through a person of God’s choice by the
work of the blessed Holy Spirit so that extraordinary miracle happen for a person or a
family or even for a community.

Example:
When our Lord Jesus participated in the wedding in Cana of the Galilee wine was not
sufficient. When it was reported, He stepped in at the God’s appointed time to convert
water into a best wine for people to consume. (John 2:1-11)

3.7.6 Gift of Prophesying:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to speak forth divine
revelation, in order to strengthen, encourage, warn, and comfort others through forth-
telling God's message rather than predicting the future so the targeted audience can be
convicted and give themselves to blessed living.
It can come in the form of a vision, dream, trance, or even through a scriptural verse.

Example:
The Holy Spirit instructed the elders of the church at Antioch to set aside Paul and
Barnabas to travel and do missionary work. (Acts 13:2)

3.7.7 Gift of Discernment of Spirits:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to understand and
state whether a particular issue addressed by a person came from God or from an evil
spirit or from a person out of his own free will.

Example:
Apostle Paul understood that the slave girl spoke by the instigation of the evil spirit
which possessed her, cast out the evil spirit from her in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Acts 16:16-18)

3.7.8 Gift of Kinds of Tongues:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to speak in a

particular language to preach or teach God’s Word without the knowledge of that
language.

Examples:
On the Day of Pentecost, when the blessed Holy Spirit came upon the 120 disciples they
started speaking in diverse languages in order to praise God. This was witnessed by many
groups of people. (Acts 2:4-11)

3.7.9 Interpretation of Tongues:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to expound a God
given information presented by a certain individual in a strange language which was not
understood by the hearers.

Example:
If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let
one interpret.
But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself
and to God. (I Corinthians 14:27,28)

3.7.10 Gift of Helping:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be empathetic to

any person who is a particular need. This person will always indulge in supporting others
in their needs.

Example:
Tabitha (Dorcas) a disciple was available at a place called Joppa was involved good
works and charitable deeds. (Acts 9:36)

3.7.11 Gift of Administration:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be proactive in

terms of handling leadership activities in a systematic manner in the kingdom of God.
Example:
James the Apostle played a proactive role in solving the issue connected with the false
notion of making it mandatory for non-Jewish to get circumcised to experience the
redemption from God. (Acts 15:13-19)

3.7.12 Gift of Service:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be proactive in

terms of serving people who are in need.

Example:
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)

3.7.13 Gift of Teaching:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be teach the Word
of Truth in boldness and clarity for the church to grow spiritually.

Example:
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. (II Timothy 4:2)

3.7.14 Gift of Exhortation:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be proactive in

terms of suffering from negative experiences like discouragement, demotivated, dejected

Example:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted,
uphold the weak, be patient with all. (I Thessalonians 5:14)

3.7.15 Gift of Giving:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be lavish in giving
to the Kingdom of God and also to support those who are in need.

Example:
The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
(Proverbs 11:25)

3.7.16 Gift of Leadership:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be proactive when
the need arises in the Kingdom of God or even in the secular world so that people get
benefitted out of it.
Leadership is connected with Servant-leadership, stewardship and Shepherding. It is not
connected with position but rather it is associated with the situation or circumstance that
warrants it.

Example:
Consider the case of young David who rose to the occasion to kill Goliath who was a
professional army person.

3.7.18 Gift of Mercy:

It is a supernatural gift of God which enables a God selected person to be present in need,
show genuine empathy with compassion in times of suffering of a person. The feelings
are converted into useful action so that the person or a group of people are benefitted.

3.8 SACRAMENTS:

The spiritual rites or rituals that are expected to be fulfilled based on the teachings offered
by our Lord Jesus for the disciples to follow is referred as sacraments.

The Scriptures offer two sacraments and they are represented as follows:
 Baptism and
 Holy Communion

3.8.1 Baptism:

It is a sacrament in which a born again person obeys the Lord by immersing in water for
a moment and then comes out of the same with the support of a pastor or an evangelist
(Servant of God).

It can be understood as the outward expression of an inward change of the heart.

By immersing in water the person is associating with the death of our Lord Jesus (Dead
to sin) and emerging out of the water denotes the association with the resurrection of our
Lord Jesus from the dead to be a new creation (To live for God).
Our Lord Jesus instructed that disciples should be led into baptism in the name of God
the Father, and of the Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed Holy Spirit.

Baptism is not meant for children as they don’t understand the teachings of our Lord
Jesus in order to be a disciple but it is necessary only for those who gained the experience
of salvation by understanding the scriptural teaching connected with it and have become a
disciple of our Lord Jesus.

Scriptural references:

 Matthew 28:19
 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 Mark 16:16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned.

3.8.2 Holy Communion: (Lord’s Supper or Eucharist)

It is a sacrament in which a born again person (New Creation experience) who had obeyed in
God in the waters of baptism, partakes in the Holy Communion by eating the bread which
represents Lord’s broken body and consumes the wine (unfermented) which represents
the Lord’s shed blood on the cross.

All born again believers who took baptism were instructed by our Lord to take part in the
Holy Communion as often as possible until His coming in order to constantly remember
Him for His atonement of sacrifice and propitiation of sins.

Scripture References:

 I Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till
He comes.

 John 6:53,54
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day.

 I Corinthians 11:28,29
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body.