What is the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10)?

As to helping others, each also has different abilities, and each is to his gift as being directly answerable to God, who has given It. "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful," and it should be a continual exercise of each believer to rightly dispense that with which he has been entrusted "of the manifold grace of God." This is grace in its many various aspects, such as can supply every believer with more than enough to minister for his entire life.

The word grace (charis) is one of those employed by the Spirit of God to convey a truth which is exclusively divine, and in consequence all human language is inadequate to express its meaning; to seek to define it is to seek to set bounds to the infinite. We may only by assiduous comparison of its varied usage in Holy Scripture obtain some glimmerings of the vast truth communicated by the word "grace." In its many occurrences it has many shades of significations, as indeed we may gather from Peter's expressive phrase — "the manifold (poikiles) grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10).

Great Grace, Acts 4:33. The day in which we live is rightly called the day of grace. The grace is commensurate with the power. Power without grace would be misused. The yachts that have the biggest masts and carry the heaviest weight of canvas have the deepest keels, to keep them from heeling over. The more the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested in connection with our testimony, our walk, and our service, the more we shall need a supply of that great grace from God's inexhaustible storehouse. It is "manifold" grace (1 Peter 4:10), many-sided and applicable in a multitude of ways. And the One from whom it comes is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10). There is assuredly no lack with Him.

Whatever we may have received from God we are to hold it in trust for the benefit of all saints. The grace of God is very manifold and various. This one may speak, that one may serve. He who speaks is to speak as God's mouthpiece. He who serves as in strength that God supplies; and thus those who benefit by the speaking or serving will trace all up to God and glorify Him and not the one who happens to be the vessel or channel of supply. Speaking "as the oracles of God" does not mean, "according to the Word of God," though of course we always should so speak. It means, speaking as a mouthpiece of His word. If a speaker comes to us telling us what he thinks, what are his impressions and conceptions, we end by thinking him a very wonderful man, and doing him homage as a kind of spiritual hero! If he, on the other hand, just gives us what really is the word of God, we are subdued and we glorify God instead of glorifying him.

A very complete presentation of the character of all true service is found in this scripture. Its various features may be briefly indicated. We learn, first, that "the gift" is received from God, and consequently that His people are as stewards responsible to Him for its use. Grace bestows the gift, and the exercise of it is to be an expression of grace. It should be remarked in this connection that the gifts of which Peter speaks are more general than those which Christ, as the ascended Head, "gave … unto men." (Ephesians 4:8-11.) This may be seen from verse 10, and it seems to point to the fact that all believers, as in Romans 12:4-8, have some special function, some distinct place to fill, or some service to be rendered. Then, secondly, passing by for the moment the first example given, the "ability," or rather the strength, for the service is also divinely given. Human energy and natural abilities have therefore no place in the Lord's service nor in any thing to which we are called of God. Thirdly, the object to be kept in view is, "that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." The source of the gift, as well as the object of its exercise, is God Himself, while the strength to meet our responsibility as stewards is also given to us of God. How completely therefore man is displaced in our path as servants. The time is coming when God will be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:28.) It is our privilege to anticipate this time while serving down here according to His will. Moreover, if called upon to "speak," we are to speak as oracles (not the oracles) of God; that is, as those who have learnt His mind, and hence as channels for the expression of His thoughts and not of our own; for "he that speaketh of himself (from himself, originating his own thoughts) seeketh his own glory," and thus could not have the end before his soul that God in all things might be glorified.

Gift too (vers. 10, 11), used according to God, subserves the same end as well as much greater ones, even the perfecting of the saints, for ministerial work, and for building up the body of Christ. But our apostle as usual is eminently direct and practical. "As each received a gift," they were to minister it toward each other, "as good stewards of God's varied grace." This is just what human organising hinders. How sad for saints to sanction any meddling with God's will and ways! It is not the right of each that is pleaded, but the obligation from gifts of God to use whatever it be in responsibility to Him. "It is required in stewards that one be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2) from the greatest to the least: else God's rights are infringed, and His grace is thus far suppressed.

The apostle divides gifts into two general classes, speaking or service otherwise. "If one speak [let it be] as oracles of God." This does not merely mean according to scripture; which might be misdirected, and thus even do harm; as e.g. encouraging, when reproof was due, or the inverse. Not even a gifted man ought to speak without the assurance of God's mind for the moment and case in hand. How much would be spared, were this divine rule truly felt! Then again, "If one ministereth, as of the strength which God supplieth." Creature advantages might be a snare on both sides. Even in temporal service, which is thus distinguished from the word, the right strength is that which comes from God, and not human ability, attainment, rank, or wealth. We may compare with this latter "ministry," "giving," and "showing mercy" in Rom. 12, and "helps" in 1 Cor. 12. It is remarkable how scripture in this differs, as usual, from the thoughts and language of Christendom. For so ignored is scripture, even by men zealous in dispensing it in all possible versions throughout the world, that they confine "ministry" to public speaking, and never consider that God thus dignifies all real service which is not of that oral character.

In the passage in Peter we have a very important principle indeed on this subject, which seems to me to preclude altogether the reasonings of the writer of the tract. As every man has received the gift, let him so minister the same, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Thus, whatever manifold grace may be, it is to be ministered as a charisma; for the simple fact it, whatever charis (grace) gives is a charisma, no matter what. If any man speak, let him speak as oracles of God; if any man minister (i.e., serve in any way) let him do so as of the strength God supplies. That is, he sums up the whole matter into general parts which embraced the general good of the Church as in ordinary exercise, speaking and serving; if any man speak, he must do it from God — as expressing what God gave him; if he served, as of the ability which God gave him: that God in all things may be glorified. All was to be presented as coming directly from God, "that God might be glorified." Now this is the very thing the tract sets aside. It is perfectly clear that the reasoning of the apostle is null, if it be translated "according to the oracles." Besides, that is not what is said; it is as oracles, not even as the oracles. What the apostle is speaking of is the source to which it is to be attributed, in order that this source may have the glory, and not man's attainment. That is, charisma is the source of speaking (charisma being simply the expression for all that the manifold grace gives) and it is forbidden to speak in any other way: it is to be ascribed to the gift of God. And I apprehend that if saints, one and all, were honestly thus to wait upon God, there would be a great deal more real gift, and gifts of less human attainment would be better appreciated; while many a person would be kept in healthful silence, because he could not say that he spoke as of God: and if this were demanded, the flesh would be more easily detected, if he pretended to do so. At any rate, such is, I have no hesitation in affirming, the only true meaning of the apostle.

Then follow the Christian graces - sobriety, watchfulness, prayer; these are Godward. And then among ourselves love in divine energy and fervency, love which hides another's fault rather than exposes it (while seeking none the less its correction), and that hospitality which is ungrudging. After these come exhortations as to service. Every receiver of a gift is responsible for its exercise to edification. He is a steward of the manifold grace of God. God is the alone source, and so much so, that if anyone speak he is God's mouth, and must speak as such; that is, as for God and from God. So if he be a distributor of God's good things to others, it is according to the competency of God to bless. Whatever the nature of our service, do we sever it from its source, not only its lustre, but its very character is violated; for how, then, can God in all things be glorified through Jesus Christ? Again, the apostle forewarns the saints of suffering - the fiery trial of persecution loomed luridly ahead, and the devil, their arch-adversary, as a roaring lion was pacing threateningly around; but they were not to be surprised nor affrighted. They had only to take care that their sufferings were of the right sort; that is, not for evil-doing, but for well-doing. If partakers, or having the fellowship, of Christ's sufferings, how much reason have we to rejoice! If reproached for His name's sake, how much cause to be happy! If suffering as Christians, how much occasion to glorify God! for to us suffering is the converse of judgment. But all that is merely nominally right will, so far from escaping judgment, be the first to fall under it. God will bring all His own through the arrayed opposition, but it is no little thing; let us not think lightly of it. He who died for our eternal salvation is the ever-living Captain of our present salvation, and He will bring us through, but only He can; for with difficulty are even the righteous saved from the phalanx of evil against them here. But if by the will of God we suffer in well-doing, we can commit the keeping of our souls to our faithful Creator. Even a Jew could do this; how much more we!

Gifts come next after the exercise of grace. All comes from God. As every one had received the gift, he was to serve in the gift, as a steward of the varied grace of God. It is God who gives; the Christian is a servant, and under responsibility as a steward, on God's part. He is to ascribe all to God, in a direct way to God. If he speaks, he is to speak as an oracle of God; that is, as speaking on God's part, and not from himself. If any one serves in things temporal, let him do it as in a power and an ability that come from God, so that, whether one speaks or serves, God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him, the apostle adds, be praise and dominion.

This beautiful picture of the Christian circle presents a company of believers marked above all by love for one another, where hospitality meets temporal needs, and where the varied gifts of the manifold grace of God are used for the spiritual blessing of the company and the glory of God in “all things”, all being bound together “through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”.