Dr Paul Allen

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” ( Ephesians 5:21 ) Normally in today’s world we are told to strive for the top. Desire to be “Number 1” overshadows the biblical injunction of submission. But when we are truly in a right relationship with God, we will be submitting to one another. Christ taught that servanthood was of much greater value in the eyes of God than mastery. We all know too many examples of churches that have been split by conflicts arising from selfishness among the believers or an unwillingness to serve. “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” ( James 4:1 ). A Spirit-filled Christian ( Ephesians 5:18 ) desires to submit and serve rather than to assert and rule. The same thought is reflected throughout Scripture: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” ( 1 Peter 5:5 ). “Obey t...

In the Greek, the word ministry is “diakonea,” meaning “to serve,” and the word servant is “doulos,” meaning “bondservant.” Matthew 20:26–28 uses these two words when talking about pursuing ministry greatness. “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (ESV). Romans 5:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Then it goes on to list some of the gifts, which include serving, teaching, encouraging, leading, giving, and mercy (see 1 Cor 12; Eph 4; 1 Pet 4 to read more about gifts of the Spirit.) These gifts are usually called “spiritual gifts,” and they are given to us freely by God’s grace to meet the needs of the body of believers. When we use our spiritual gifts, the body is built up, encouraged, and unified. In the past...