EPHESIANS: ETERNALLY ENCLOSED IN GOD’S PLAN

Part XIII: Christ’s Agenda In Giving Spiritual Gifts

(Ephesians 4:11-16)

I. Introduction

A. Paul wrote Ephesians to encourage believers of God’s work to edify the Church regardless what happened to him in his imprisonment (Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1672: “Intro. to the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians”).

B. Ephesians 4:11-16 thus teaches Christ’s edifying agenda in giving spiritual gifts to the Church (as follows):

II. Christ’s Agenda In Giving Spiritual Gifts, Ephesians 4:11-16.

A. Paul had stated in Ephesians 4:7 that every believer has been given a spiritual gift for ministry in the Church.

B. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul then explained how and why these gifts were given (as follows):

1. First, Christ gave the “starter” gifts that are meant to equip other gifted believers to minister, Eph. 4:11-12:

a. Christ first gave only the Early Church the foundational “starter” gifts of apostles and prophets, Eph. 4:11a,b; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 634-635:

i. Christ gave the Early Church apostles, authoritative delegates from Christ Himself, Eph. 4:11a; Ibid. Some men like Andronicus, Junias (Rom. 16:7) and Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6, 9) had the gift of apostleship but not the office, where the Twelve and Paul had the gift and office of apostleship, Ibid. The apostles edified, exhorted and comforted believers in giving God’s Word, Ibid.

ii. Christ also gave the Church prophets (Ibid.), those who foretold future events to the Church. The messages of the prophets were validated as being of God by their test against the truth of previously established canonical Scripture, Ephesians 4:11b; Romans 12:6 (NIV ftn.).

b. Christ has also given and today continues to give the “starter” gift of evangelist where evangelists are “engaged in spreading the gospel, similar to present-day missionaries,” Ephesians 4:11c; Ibid., p. 635.

c. Christ has also given and today continues to give the “starter” gift of pastor-teacher, Ephesians 4:11d:

i. The nouns “pastors” and “teachers” are governed by one article, implying that both characteristics of shepherding (by comforting and guiding) and teaching (God’s Word) are exhibited in the ministries of believers who have this gift, Ephesians 4:11d; Ibid.

ii. Thus, pastor-teachers follow the ministries of evangelists and use the Scriptural content of the Old Testament and the New Testament that was authored by the foundational apostles and prophets in providing comforting guidance and instruction for the edification of the rest of the local church.

2. Second, the effect of these “starter” gifts is the equipping of the rest of the body that it might use its gifts for the mutual building up of the entire body of Christ, Ephesians 4:12-16:

a. Ephesians 4:12 KJV is better understood if the commas in that verse are deleted, op cit., Ryrie, ftn. to Eph. 4:12. In other words, the “starter” gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers are given to the Church for equipping the rest of the believers in the Church to exercise their spiritual gifts for the work of their ministries in the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:12 ESV.

b. Thus, Christ’s aim in using the “starter” gifts in the Church is to bring the whole Church into the unity of the Christian faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God in spiritual maturity, Ephesians 4:13.

c. The result of this maturity is to keep believers from being insecurely tossed about by every wind of false doctrine that comes from crafty, deceitful, scheming teachers who afflict immature believers, Eph. 4:14.

d. Rather, Christ wants all believers to speak the truth in love that they might mature in every way in Christ, the Church’s Head, from Whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped of God, when it all works properly, causes the whole Body to edify itself in love, Eph. 4:15-16.

Lesson: Christ’s agenda in giving spiritual gifts was first to form the Bible’s canonical truth by the foundational gifts of the apostles and prophets. Having thus established the Scriptural canon, God wanted evangelists and missionaries to spread the gospel of Christ that people worldwide might believe in Christ to be saved. These new believers were then to be comforted, led and taught by pastor-teachers who expounded Scripture so the rest of the Church might mature in Christ as they adhered to God’s truth. In turn, “spiritually fed and led” believers would then be equipped to use their other gifts to edify one another for the continual building up of the Body of Christ.

Application: (1) May we value the foundational gifts of the apostles and prophets who completed the canon of Scripture (2) that today’s evangelists and pastor-teachers might minister for and to the Church. (2) May all other believers respond to upright pastor-teachers’ ministries by holding to the truth to minister to build up each other.