Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 3 Study # 5
January 5, 2020
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: The "gift" of "summoning" is a special, Spiritual, ability to persuade people to accept the words of God as foundational for one's personal choices and actions.
Introduction: In our studies thus far, we have seen that all believers are "summoned" to accept their responsibility to make their "bodies" fully available to God for His purposes in the world through the concept of "bodies" as "instruments of manifestation" so that the
unseen realities about God can be known by means of the
seen realities of the body's expression of the invisible spirit's "glory".
We have also seen that this occurs as believers are "transformed" internally by the Spirit and His renewal of their "minds". As the "mind" is transformed, the "body" takes actions that are in harmony with that transformation so that people see the impact of the invisible Spirit within.
[This is all in harmony with Paul's declaration in Romans 1:19-20 that God makes His invisible Self known by the physical realities of creation so that observers "know" to a level that leaves them without excuse.]
Additionally, we have seen that this "transformation" is a "grace" development (God acting on our behalf) that occurs according to the standard of "the measure of faith" that is imparted by God to each believer in a specific, and deliberate way that suits the way He plans to use the believer in the accomplishment of His Plan. This is not an impartation that is "universally equal". Some are given "faith" in measure so that they are able to act in ways that are enormously impactful, and others are given "faith" in measure so that they make only small impacts. This, Paul declares, is "entirely up to God" so that whatever the "measure" happens to be, no man can "take credit" for his possession of that measure. Thus, we are not to compare ourselves among ourselves and exalt ourselves, or demean ourselves, because of what we "possess".
From there we proceeded to examine Paul's primary area of "application": how individual members of the Body of Christ are to relate to their individually specific place in that Body. It is in this process that we come to Paul's "third" example in the "first" of his categories of "gifts": what I will call "summoning" because of the large variety involved in the noun and verb that are used to identify this "gift".
- I. Review of the "Pattern".
- A. There are seven "gifts" listed: prophecy, ministering, teaching, summoning, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.
- B. These "seven" are broken down into "three" categories: the basic standard; the basic "arena" of function; and the basic "attending characteristics".
- 1. The first category only has one "gift" that is characterized in terms of "the basic standard", consisting of "grace" and "measure": prophecy.
- a. This "gift" is properly foundational because its "function" is to make known the "words" of God so that believers have specific "content" for "faith" and "renewal of the mind".
- b. This "gift" is illustrated in the Book of Acts as a "relative" function depending upon the individual and God's particular plan.
- 2. The second category has three "gifts" that are characterized by the insistence that they be exercised deliberately in terms of their "identity" and stand as "primary" to the pursuit of the outcomes of the first gift (the words of God produced by prophecy).
- a. "Ministry" is a special ability to discern "needs" and come up with "ways" to meet them because "ministry" is the root reason for God's "words" to us.
- b. "Teaching" is a special ability to explain the meaning of the "words of God to us" so that believers are better able to incorporate His "words" into the process of "mind renewal" because "understanding" is critical to all effective "ministry".
- c. "Summoning" is the focus of our current study, so we will return to this shortly.
- 3. The third category has three "gifts" that are characterized in terms of the attitudes people take who are exercising them so that the "renewing of the mind" actually shows up in the activities of the bodies of those exercising the "gifts".
- II. The Gift of "Summoning".
- A. What it boils down to.
- 1. Paul's use of the verb/noun in this text is used in Romans seven times (12:1; 12:8; 15:30; and 16:17 in its verb form, and in its noun form three: 12:8; 15:4; and 15:5) with a verb/noun overlap in 12:8).
- 2. It is used by Paul only in contexts that focus upon "believers", but it is probable that there is a valid use for "unbelievers".
- 3. It is used in five of the six texts with an additional "implication" beyond its actual meaning.
- a. Its actual meaning is "to call to someone who is some distance away to attempt to get them to close that distance".
- b. In five of the six texts there seems to be the "additional implication": the "distance" is rooted in some form of "flaw" that needs to be addressed.
- 1) The "summons" assumes the "distance", but it also contains a moral imperative that assumes lack of compliance to some inherently necessary "truth".
- 2) Both of these assumptions indicate the dangers that exist for people in this present evil world (i.e., Adam's attempt to hide while in his fig-leaves).
- a) Distance automatically means a certain lack of the blessedness that comes from "being in the immediate presence".
- b) Lack of compliance to necessary "truth" also means, not merely the lack of the blessedness, but the positive taking of actions against "truth" in a cause/effect universe.
- c. The sixth text indicates Paul's desire for the Romans to pray for him: there is no moral imperative failure here.
- 4. Thus, the "gift" of "summoning" is a special, Spiritual, ability to call to people who are afar off with the result that they actually close the distance.
- B. Because this gift has the effect of motivating people to come into the "Presence", it has obvious applications to the life of the Church as its "members" have many issues with a lot of distance involved, but it doesn't take much imagination to see that this "gift" probably includes the "gift" of "evangelism" which Paul does not mention by word in this context.
- 1. This "inclusion" of "evangelism" fills out Paul's "seven gift" summary of the application of his own "summons" in 12:1-2.
- a. The Church's function in the world has two major foci: the world and itself (evangelism and edification).
- b. A complete absence of the focus upon the world would not be what Paul wished for in terms of impact: he wanted every gifted believer to "function" according to "gift" and at least one of those "gifts" had primarily to do with the lost.
- 2. On the whole, however, what Paul is saying is that "summoning" is a specific "gift" that is known by its results (every believer can "summon" others, but those "gifted" to do so will see more positive responses).
