There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all… 1 Corinthians 12.4-7

1 Clement 37
Clement of Rome (fl. ca. 90-100 AD)
“Let us, then, men and brethren, with all energy act the part of soldiers, in accordance with His holy commandments. Let us consider those who serve under our generals, with what order, obedience, and submissiveness they perform the things which are commanded them. All are not prefects, nor commanders of a thousand, nor of a hundred, nor of fifty, nor the like, but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king and the generals. The great cannot subsist without the small, nor the small without the great. There is a kind of mixture in all things, and thence arises mutual advantage. Let us take our body for an example. The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without the head; yea, the very smallest members of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body. But all work harmoniously together, and are under one common rule for the preservation of the whole body.”

It is instructive for us to see how Clement, the first of the post-apostolic fathers, worked so hard to keep his counsel in line with Scripture, citing numerous examples from the Word, offering brief explanations of a passage, rephrasing and paraphrasing, and alluding or quoting directly. Here, 1 Corinthians 12 is clearly in view, since the Church in Corinth had returned to its former state of schism. In Clement’s view, you can’t improve on the Word of God when you’re trying to build the Church. It’s tempting, in trying to bring renewal to our churches, to look for successful programs and clever ideas imported from such arenas as education, business, marketing, and even entertainment. But Clement knew that we must not go beyond what is written in Scripture. The Corinthians had learned the truth of this once; now they needed to learn it all over again. What about us?

What temptations do pastors face today when seeking to be faithful to the Word of God in their preaching and other ministries? How do you deal with those temptations?

T. M. Moore

Personal Discipleship Inventory
Where do you stand in your Christian worldview? How confident are you in your vision of the Christian life? In your use of the disciplines whereby we pursue that vision? In the kinds of Kingdom outcomes you should be realizing in your life. Watch this brief video to learn how taking our Personal Discipleship Inventory can help you establish some baselines and begin to make real progress in your Christian worldview.

Introduction to Christian Worldview
We’re pleased to offer our course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, at The Ailbe Seminary. There’s no charge, and all the course materials are free. In 12 diagrams you will gain a perspective and overall grasp of the 1 worldview that can change the world. Click here to register. Here’s a great opportunity for you and your leaders to get on the same page for a vision of the Kingdom that could change your lives and your church.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.