0623 THE FIVEFOLD GIFTS

JUNE 22 = EPHESIANS 4

THE FIVEFOLD GIFT

When the church started, Jesus was already departed into heaven for ten days. He had been with a dozen men or so for about three years. Other than that, without his direct supervision anymore, how was Christ to bring his church to be built up, to do his work and to no longer be immature like children? What was to keep them unified and growing? 

It sort of seems like the Lord left too soon, doesn’t it? But Jesus knew something. He knew how his work was going to continue. He had taught men to be discerning, and then he sent the Holy Spirit to guide. What’s more, he equipped certain people with certain gifts, so that they would be able to carry out the leadership that the Holy Spirit could bring.

We know that Jesus left the 11 faithful disciples together, and he had them wait in Jerusalem “until” power from heaven came to them. And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, he launched the church with an amazing sign.

But Jesus wasn’t done giving gifts to guide his church. He gave out special gifts to the eleven, and on for many generations. The eleven were to be with him. Then they were to go into all the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that Jesus had commanded. He said that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, then in Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Then he left. But he sent his Spirit to abide with them, to teach them, and to guide them, to remind them of all that he had said, to comfort them and counsel them. And the Spirit imparted gifts to them, and then on to the rest of the church. Some of the gifts implied offices or roles, and that’s what we find here in Ephesians 5.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: 

the apostles, 

the prophets, 

the evangelists, 

and the pastors and teachers. 

Let’s talk about what each of these roles might be. They all seem sort of like the same thing from this distance, but since Paul didn’t provide definitions or descriptions, we have to conjecture based on what scholars are able to piece together.

Apostles. We think of the original 12 when we see the word apostles. Originally they were disciples, meaning followers. Then Jesus sent them, and the Greek word for one who is sent is apostole. But perhaps Paul, who counts himself as among those apostles, was referring to a broader circle than just the original ones whom Jesus sent. We might never know. But today we have church planters and missionaries, which are the same sort of function, but using more universal terms. More than just being sent, though, the office of apostle seems to carry a spiritual authority as being a “foundation.”

The prophets. Prophets seem to also carry a sort of foundational authority about them. And as with the use of the word apostle, so the word prophet could be referring to the prophets of the Old Testament plus those like Agabus of the New Testament whose words carry the weight of inspiration or of revelation from God to mankind. To be a prophet is more than just being someone who prophesies on occasion. The office of prophet seems to carry with it the weight of prophesying so regularly that people put trust in your words as coming from God himself. Philip had four daughters who were prophetesses (literally, “who were prophesying”). Would this circle of people who prophesy be included in this list that Paul is creating? Perhaps so.

The evangelists. Literally it means those who bear good news or bring good news. They are the next circle out, you might say, in the realm of spiritual authority. Philip was called an evangelist. Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist. Could those men also have been considered to be prophets? Did they prophesy? Paul said his goal for the church would be for everyone to prophesy. But he didn’t say that he would have everyone be a prophet. In the same way, could we say that any preacher is an evangelist? Church planters? Must they speak from a pulpit? Could their work be one on one? We all are evangelists in this sense. And yet Christ has given a gift to the church of some who are called evangelists. So they have a specific calling and authority to do the spreading of the good news.

The pastors and teachers. Notice how the first four words included an article “the”, while teachers does not. This is subtle and might not be worth noting, but most scholars agree that the article missing here means that pastors are automatically also teachers. As some translate it, they are pastor/teachers. And again we’re asking the question as to whether a pastor is a professional sent-out person with singular authority in a church, or whether this is more generally a term for elders, shepherds or pastor/teachers.  As with the others, once again we conclude that some in the church even today are called to pastor the people, to shepherd them all, to serve as a plurality of elders in each congregation. And as with the others, in a sense it doesn’t matter, as long as the members also take responsibility for one another’s spiritual lives, to teach them and to shepherd them. Pastor means shepherd.

So, having said all that, what is the purpose of these 4 or 5  offices or callings to serve? Let’s see what Paul says they are to do: 

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work 

An office with a title implying great responsibility implies that there is great work to be done. But, did you notice something important here? The work of those fivefold leaders is to equip, but it is the work of God’s people to do his work. The pastor equips. The people work. Maybe that’s not how we are used to thinking about it. But let us pray to the lord of the harvest asking him to send more workers!

and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

Don’t you love the description of the church as not being an organization, but being the body of Christ. A living, moving organism. With Christ as the head and every part doing its work. This is what moves a church forward!

Then we will no longer be immature like children. 

We will grow up and become mature, functioning like the body of Christ. But I’m afraid that many of us who are in these ministry positions continue to keep the congregation immature. It’s a kind of job security, you might say, to keep the saints immature enough to be dependent on him.

We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 

Imagine church life before the New Testament was complete. There was not a “new testament” that could be read and memorized by the church. So in would come a sheep whose teachings differ from the majority. Having worked out a theological explanation, this new teacher promotes a whole different way of explaining what the members are to do. This is the very reason that God set in place those various offices: to equip the church so that new teachings that come along can be measured by the heart of wisdom.

Don’t be taken in. Be built up. Pray that God will send more workers. Pray that it might be you. Amen!