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also to equip believers in Christ with the tools they need to overcome sin and remain free from the
pollution of the world. This is done by biblical teaching and Christian fellowship.

So, what is the purpose of the church? Paul gave an excellent illustration to the believers in Corinth. The
church is God’s hands, mouth, and feet in this world—the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We
are to be doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on the earth. The church
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is to be “Christian,” “Christ-like,” and Christ-following. Ultimately, the church exists to bring glory to
his name through worship, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism and ministry. In this way and so many
others, the local church is God’s plan. It is the hope of the world.

God Equips the Members of the Church to Serve.

The church is made up of people who all have received the Holy Spirit when they believed the gospel by
faith (Gal. 3:1-3). What makes this fact so powerful is that God Himself indwells every believer and will
provide power to accomplish His will. Three main passages in the Bible give us a detailed list of special
abilities God puts into believers to serve Him with supernatural power. These special abilities are called
spiritual gifts.

Romans 12: 6-8 Ephesians 4: 11 I Corinthians 12: 8-10
exhortation *apostle administration
giving evangelism *apostle
leadership pastor discernment
mercy prophecy faith
prophecy teaching *healings
service helps
teaching *knowledge
*miracles
prophecy
teaching
*tongues
tongues interpretation
*wisdom

* some of these gifts were uniquely assigned to the apostles of the early church or to believers during
this time and have ceased to be given today. In I Cor. 13:8, we read, “Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away.” According to church history, these “sign gifts” ceased with the 1
st
century church when the Canon of Scripture was completed.

Romans 12:4-6a Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all
have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all
the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

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