Mike Ratliff makes an excellent point from these Ephesians texts. Paul is really providing a model for Christians to follow. I encourage you to think about these things. It’s amazing how this post dovetails, with his previous one, and my own studies in the Book of Ephesians, which is making that book one of my favorites. It also follows along with my reading in the Unseen Realm, book by Micheal Heiser. In fact the chapter I just finished last night speaks these verses…
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Heiser was discussing Christ’s resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s coming upon men. In summary that is the gift to men, and both Mike and Old John Gill writing almost 280 years ago specifically call it out in the form of empowering the leadership of men in the Church. Gill said it this way..
But unto everyone of us is given grace,…. Which may refer to the saints in common, and may be interpreted of justifying, pardoning, adopting, sanctifying, and persevering grace, bestowed upon them all, freely and liberally, not grudgingly, nor niggardly, and without motive and condition in them; or to the ministers of the Gospel, and so design gifts fitting for the ministry, which every one has, though differing one from another, and all of free grace:
according to the measure of the gift of Christ: either according to the gift of grace to Christ before the world began, and the measure of it, which he communicates to them in time, even grace for grace; or according to that measure of gifts which Christ received from men at his ascension: it may be observed that every member of Christ, and minister of his, receive more or less grace and gifts from him; and that what they receive is all of free grace, and in measure; and though they may have gifts differing one from another, yet all are useful; so that there is no room for pride, envy, and contempt, which would break in upon the unity of the Spirit; for what is said from Eph 4:3 contains so many arguments to stir up the saints to endeavour to preserve that.
and gave gifts unto men; meaning the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and particularly such as qualify men for the work of the ministry; these he received באדם, “in man”;
Ephesians 4:11
And he gave some apostles,…. That is, he gave them gifts by which they were qualified to be apostles; who were such as were immediately called by Christ, and had their doctrine from him, and their commission to preach it; and were peculiarly and infallibly guided by the Spirit of God, and had a power to work miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine; and had authority to go everywhere and preach the Gospel, and plant churches, and were not confined to anyone particular place or church; this was the first and chief office in the church, and of an extraordinary kind, and is now ceased; and though the apostles were before Christ’s ascension, yet they had not received till then the fulness of the Spirit, and his extraordinary gifts to fit them for their office; nor did they enter upon the discharge of it in its large extent till that time; for they were not only to bear witness of Christ in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, but in the uttermost parts of the earth:
and some prophets; by whom are meant, not private members of churches, who may all prophesy or teach in a private way; nor ordinary ministers of the word; but extraordinary ones, who had a peculiar gift of interpreting the Scriptures, the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of foretelling things to come; such were Agabus and others in the church of Antioch, Act 11:27
and some evangelists; by whom are designed, not so much the writers of the Gospels, as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, some of which were also apostles; as preachers of the Gospel, and who yet were distinct from the ordinary ministers of it; they were below the apostles, and yet above pastors and teachers; they were the companions of the apostles, and assistants to them, and subserved them in their work; such were Philip, Luke, Titus, Timothy, and others; these were not fixed and stated ministers in anyone place, as the following officers be, but were sent here and there as the apostles thought fit:
and some pastors and teachers, or doctors; these may be thought to differ, but not so much on account of the place where they perform their work, the one in the church, the other in the school; nor on account of the different subject of their ministry, the one attending to practical, the other to doctrinal points; but whereas the pastors are the shepherds of the flock, the overseers of it, and the same with the bishops and elders, and the teachers may be the gifted brethren in the church, assistants to the pastors, bare ministers of the word; so the difference lies here, that the one has the oversight, and care, and charge of the church, and the other not; the one can administer all ordinances, the other not; the one is fixed and tied to some certain church, the other not: though I rather think they intend one and the same office, and that the word “teachers” is only explanative of the figurative word “pastors” or shepherds; and the rather because if the apostle had designed distinct officers, he would have used the same form of speaking as before; and have expressed himself thus, “and some pastors, and some teachers”; whereas he does not make such a distribution here as there; though the Syriac version reads this clause distributively as the others; and among the Jews there were the singular men or wise men, and the disciples of the wise men, who were their companions and assistants; and it is asked (y),
“who is a singular man? and who is a disciple? a singular man is everyone that is fit to be appointed a pastor or governor of a congregation; and a disciple is one, that when he is questioned about any point in his doctrine, gives an answer:”
wherefore if these two, pastors and teachers, are different, it might be thought there is some reference to this distinction, and that pastors answer to the wise men, and teachers to their disciples or assistants; and so Kimchi in Jer 3:15 interprets the pastors there of פרנסים דישרעל, “the pastors of Israel”, which shall be with the King Messiah, as is said in Mic 5:5 and undoubtedly Gospel ministers are meant: from the whole it may be observed, that as there have been various officers and offices in the Gospel dispensation, various gifts have been bestowed; and these are the gifts of Christ, which he has received for men, and gives unto them; and hence it appears that the work of the ministry is not an human invention, but the appointment of Christ, for which he fits and qualifies, and therefore to be regarded; and that they only are the ministers of Christ, whom he makes ministers of the New Testament, and not whom men or themselves make and appoint.
(y) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 10. 2.
Mike makes great points about how this proper teaching of doctrine is essential to unity and love in the body of Christ the Church.. It’s sad that this is not universally seen.
Here are a few quotes from the Post:
All who are in Christ are one calling. We are all part of those who should be praising God continually “…who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him…” (Ephesians 1:3-4) I firmly believe that the visible church we see is not the definition of this body described here. No, it contains a large number of religious people, but only a subset of them is part of these elected by God. These elected Christians are the invisible Church, the real Church, the real Body of Christ. The call here is for those of us in this body to be unified in the one calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
If you listen with godly discernment very long to the “new” concepts of Christianity in our time, whatever they call themselves, you will clearly see that the push is to a nebulous concept of the truth. There is a call for tolerance for every form of religious “opinion.” There can be no dogmatism to hold to the true biblical form of Christianity is to be exclusive. There is only one truth and all else is not it.
In this passage we see that it is God Himself who gives us our doctrines and leaders whose job it is to teach us the truth in love so that we might arrive together in oneness within this truth.
Those who are not blinded to God’s truth (there are so many today who are obviously blind to what is truth and what is not) will be growing together in Christ on this firm, solid foundation.
The deceit, scheming, and trickery of those who belong to our enemy will have no power over these. Yes, they may persecute and abuse those who are not tricked by them, but God will never lose one of His (Romans 8).
I’ll add….
But this is another study….
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Rainbow Trout 