Glad you asked! If we are to follow the Apostle Peter’s teaching, this raises a few questions. Both of the gifts that Peter highlights, speaking and serving, are actually nonsensical without the presence of other believers, and also,
beyond a certain degree, they require formal recognition. For example, all believers ought to teach the Bible to one another within the bounds of certain gender roles (Col 3:16; 1 Tim 2:12); but those who oversee, shepherd, and model Christian maturity are formally recognized as elders (1 Pet 5:1-4).
We need to look no further than 1 Peter 4:10 to see that Peter enjoins “each one” to service and not merely a select group. Moreover though, serving the church in a unique and visible way is the definition of being a deacon (from διάκονος/
diakonos meaning servant). The fact that deacons are set aside by an act of the church following the Holy Spirit gives us an obvious precedent: certain spiritual gifts in individuals are discerned and recognized by the local church (Acts 13:1-3, Acts 6:1-6).
Summarizing then,
- There must be a group of Christians who benefit from the gifts of teaching and serving.
- A group recognizes individuals who speak and serve well.
- The act of recognition presupposes a group to which individuals belong.
What can this group be other than a local church?