HELPS (ἀντίλημψις, G516. This word comes from the verb ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι, which means to take a burden on oneself for another, to bear another’s burden.) This noun occurs only once in the NT (1 Cor 12:28), where it refers to one of the gifts God gives to the Church. The RSV trs. the word as “helpers”; “and God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, then helpers (ἀντιλήμψεις), administrators (κυβερνήσεις), speakers in various kinds of tongues.”

It is questionable whether this tr., which understands the word as a personal noun, is justifiable. The personal noun is άντιλ(μ, G3398) πτωρ and is tr. “helper,” “protector.” This noun is really an abstract noun, has reference to that which the helper does, and hence should be tr. “helpful deeds,” “acts of aid,” or “succor.” Like this word, the other four gifts mentioned in the second part of this list refer to gifts and not to separate offices. Only the first three in this list of eight items are clearly officers, i.e., men holding offices. They are the apostles, prophets, teachers. The rest of the list refers to charismatic gifts that may be possessed by various officers. A man may hold one office and have many special gifts that he exercises in the one office.

Although “helps” does not refer to a separate office, it is commonly believed that it does refer to gifts expressed more particularly in the work of deacons, while “administrators” (κυβερνήσεις) refers to elders in their ruling functions.

This interpretation is confirmed by parallel usage. In the LXX, “help” is the aid, succor, or military help one gives to another in need, not the assistance one might lend to a superior (Ps 3:3; 18:2, 36; 83:8; 108:8; Isa 9:6; 2 Macc 8:19, 15:7). A clear parallel in the NT is in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, stating that Christian brethren must “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak.” In the same vein, Paul admonished the Ephesian elders: “In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help (ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι) the weak” (Acts 20:35; cf. Luke 1:54).

Bibliography J. Bannermann, The Church of Christ, II (1960), 229f.; G. Delling, “ἀντιλαμβάνομαι,” TDNT, I (1960), 375f.