Home -- English -- Ephesians -- 030 (The Victor Jesus Christ endows His church with good gifts . Various offices within the church )
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Part 3 - An Introduction into the ethics of the apostle (Ephesians 4:1 – 6:20)
The Victor Jesus Christ endows His church with good gifts (Ephesians 4:7-10) Various offices within the church (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Ephesians 4:07-13
4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ´s gift. Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended” – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) (Eph. 4:7-10).
Following his expounding on the Holy Trinity, in regard to bringing reconciliation to quarrellers, Paul turned to the realities of the churches in Asia Minor. He confessed that the risen Lord had given gifts of grace to His followers by their being anointed with the Holy Spirit. Within each individual assembly these gifts were often different and not to be confused with the natural endowments of man. Perhaps there was also envy with some church members and intercessory prayers for further special gifting. The apostle made it clear to them, however, that the gifts that had already been bestowed lay in accordance with the measure of a graceful predestination. It was not wise to ask for further special gifting, since now and then strange spirits could also burden envious seekers, by placing upon them certain unspiritual influences. Paul testified that he was one of those gifted, who had received from his resurrected Lord talents and bestowments of grace, from the One who sovereignly allocates to each individual. Decisive was the giving of thanks for the individual gifts and the faithfulness in ministering them. They were not for the personal well-being of the one receiving the gift, but for the spiritual upbuilding of the church.
In order to make this spiritual equipping of the house-churches understandable to the individual members, and to help the Jewish Christians accept, in faith, this action of the risen Messiah, the prisoner quoted Psalm 68:18: “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men”. However, Paul had no Septuagint translation at hand in his imprisonment, and so he quoted this verse by heart as an indication of the ascension of Jesus to heaven: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men”.
According to the Old Testament, when a victorious commander triumphantly returned with captives from the war he had won, his people presented him with many gifts of honor. Nevertheless, the verses from Psalms listed in the letter to the Ephesians make clear that Paul applied them, not to some earthly commander, but to Jesus. He was the one among men most despised, suffered the deepest depths of life, yet went on to conquer, with His love and patience, every sin, death and even hell! He took captive the prison of man and returned triumphantly home to His Father in heaven. There He seated Himself with Him on His throne, in the highest of high, above all other heavens. From there He distributed gifts to all that followed Him. In this way Paul explained the reception of the gifts of grace. He did not go on to name, however, the particular gifts, since these were known to the responsible recipients (1 Cor. 12:1-26; 13:1-13; 14:1-33).
Various offices within the church (Eph. 4:11-13)
4:11 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13)
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul described the various duties and offices in a living church fellowship: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 12:27-13:3 and following).
Whoever compares the listings of offices in the two newly established churches can see that, in the church at Ephesus, the office of pastorate and the duty of Biblical teaching were newly added. In the Roman province of Asia, following the first storm of spiritual manifestation and confusion, the office of pastorate and the preoccupation with teaching God´s word had become dominant. It was there that the spiritual uplifting of the churches became a matter of urgency. The practical consequences of this development can be read in the letters of Christ to the seven church leaders in this Asian province (Rev. 2:1-3, 22).
In the churches that were becoming stable, there were also evangelists who, in collaboration with the churches and supported by their prayers and sacrifices, travelled about, labouring to make the joyous news of the redemption of Christ understandable to unbelievers and idolaters. Their churches were not to be merely rotating about themselves, like a carousel turning in a circle, but were to recognize their task of evangelizing the godless around about them. They were to speak the word of God to them and pray for the calling of witnesses to this service.
In our churches today there lacks, far and wide, those who can give prophetical inspiration and who have the grace gift of miracles. The real gifts of speaking in tongues and of praying for the sick are mostly rejected in unbelief. To be sure, the danger of repulsive, seductive and sectarian false-teaching is ever at hand; nevertheless, we should have the courage to avoid suppressing true Biblical gifting. Speaking in tongues, however, continually needs a careful interpretation, lest the gift be despised. Praying for the sick is a duty of all Christians in the event they can pray at all. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Insufficient repentance and stinking arrogance are often the cause of New Testament gifts dying away.
Paul was right when he wrote that we desperately need the further edifying of the body of Christ, so that all church members may truly be converted, born-again and grow spiritually. For this to happen, the spiritual unity of faith remains indispensable, for there is only one Father, one Son, and one Holy Spirit. For that reason we need to exclude and cast out foreign spirits in the name of Jesus. It is apocalyptic when we recognize that there are over 20,000 separate evangelical church synods on our globe. The orthodox churches continue on in stiff and rigid traditions. In the Catholic Church, with more than a billion members, bishops and cardinals glow in their purple and scarlet robes at festive celebrations – colors that one day will herald the antichrist and the whore of Babylon (Rev. 17:3-4).
The spiritual battle is concentrated more and more upon the faith confession that Christ is the Son of God. It was Jesus Himself who said to Peter that He would build His church upon this confession (Matt. 16:16-18). The Muslims, as well as the majority of Jews, strongly reject this reality. More and more churches speak only of a God in general, and no longer of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yet it is only through faith in the crucified and risen Son of God that we receive the fullness of all spiritual gifts. Only then can we both testify to and live out the gospel in love and truth.
Fundamentally, the gifts of the Spirit and the ministry of spiritual offices in the church can only be correctly carried out when personal activities, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, are limited, so that we can concentrate on service that is in accordance with our calling “in Christ”. Everything that is planned and carried through without Jesus is, in the long run, marked by spiritual death and discord. We need to prayerfully learn, in all areas of our lives, to live with, in and through Jesus. He alone is the true, new and complete man, the beginning of the future spiritual creation (Rev. 21:5). Where He is and remains the “number one” in our private lives and in our churches, there is also where the entire fullness of the living God is at work. It is not in vain that this is called, in the letter of Paul, “the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), for without Him there is neither a “filling” nor a bestowment of the gifts of grace “from His fullness”.
Prayer: We worship You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for You have entrusted to the followers of Jesus priestly gifts and offices, in order to build up, encourage and lead Your church in various ministries. Forgive those in leadership for all their egotistical presumptions, and teach them to practice spiritual self-denial and evaluation, so that Your power will be made mighty through their weakness. Amen (Matt. 16:24; 2 Cor. 12:9).
Questions:
- Which gifts and offices are cultivated and cherished in our churches and which are not?
- How can the fullness of Christ enliven, build up and unite our churches?