Ephesians 4:7-13 (NIV)
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
There is much emphasis today on spiritual gifts. But the gifts Paul is referring to here are callings, abundant grace to fulfill those callings, and spiritual leaders and guides to help build the body up so that it can accomplish its God-given mission.
To begin with, Paul assures the Ephesians that Jesus Himself is the one who determines the specific grace or gift that is needed by each person to fulfill the calling that God has put on their life. And everyone in the Church has a calling, a role to fill, just as every part of the human body has a vital role to play in the health and mission of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-29).
In addition to the grace needed for each person to fulfill their calling, Jesus also gifts the Church with five categories of anointed leaders:
- Apostles are those who take the gospel out to people who have not heard it, to start churches in those lands, and to assign leaders to those churches. The word apostle is a Greek compound that means “one who is sent out”. Today’s missionaries who take the gospel to lands and people who have not yet heard it, including those communities in their own countries who have been unreached, and who help build them into strong communities of faith fulfill the apostolic role today.
- Prophets are those who speak God’s word to His people, whether that word is convicting, comforting, or merely informative. Today’s anointed preachers, who spend time in God’s presence and then bring His word to the people, fulfill that role in the modern Church.
- Evangelists are those who take the good news to the people wherever they are, at home or abroad. This focus of the evangelists is more on bringing people into the kingdom, and less on the subsequent discipling, equipping and building into congregations that are the hallmarks of the apostles.
- Pastors are shepherds of congregations, whether the congregation meets in a church building, a house, or in some other place. Like shepherds of literal sheep, the pastor is tasked with keeping the flock together and safe from outside enemies, to provide sustenance, and to provide optimum conditions in which the sheep can reproduce, thus growing the flock.
- Teachers are those charged with helping the Church to know and understand God better through the Scriptures. As such, anointed teachers must be firmly grounded, not in “theology” or in personal ideologies, but in the Scriptures themselves. They must always be sure that what they teach is clear, accurate, and in accordance with the context of the whole Bible, so that they do not lead the people into error. Because they have such great influence, James tells us that teachers will be judged by God more harshly (James 3:1).
All five of these types of leaders and equippers are called to accomplish the same kingdom goals in the unique ways that their calling gives them. Those goals are unity and maturity of the people. Unity is vital as Paul just wrote in Ephesians 4:1-6, because only a Church that is united in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus can accomplish the key mission of the Church: to grow God’s kingdom through the making of disciples. And maturity, Christlikeness, is essential to that task, as only mature, Christlike disciples can stand strong in the midst of the trials and temptations that are sure to come.
Father, I wonder how many Christians today see these leaders and equippers, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, as Jesus’ gifts to them as Your people, as Paul clearly teaches that they are. It is clear that your goal for every Christian is growth to full, Christlike maturity, unity in the faith, and abundant fruit in the form of lives saved and disciples made. And so, Jesus has called out of His body those whose responsibility it is to help us to grow and mature to the point that we are able to accomplish all that. Thank You, Lord, for those who have helped me in those ways throughout my life. Help me to help others to grow in turn. Amen.