In his inspired letter to the followers of Christ at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul instructed them to be, “eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) But how can people of different ethnic, cultural, social, economic and educational backgrounds truly be unified? Paul points out that those who follow Christ have all entered the body, that is the church, in the same way. In addition they are united in Christ because the Spirit, the Lord (that is Jesus) and the Father (that is God) are One. But this is not all. In order to help Christ’s followers maintain their unity, they have been given gifts of grace. In chapter 4, verses 7 through 10 Paul writes:
“But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” Now this, “He ascended,” what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.”
From this passage we see that in order to help maintain unity in the body of Christ, not merely one gift has been given, but several. In addition, while gifts are given to every follower of Christ, rather than to just a few, they differ from person to person. The gifts are also equated with grace. This means that the gifts are not given because we deserve them, but because of Christ’s goodness.
To establish this proposition Paul refers to Psalm 68. But this raises a question. Paul writes, “…he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” Yet Psalm 68, verse 18 says, “…You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men…” Is Paul twisting Scripture to make it say something it does not? No! If one reads verse 18 in its entirety it is obvious that the Lord received gifts from the rebellious while Paul is referring to the gifts which are given to those who are obedient. If the whole Psalm is read, it becomes clear that gifts were received from the rebellious in order that gifts might be given to those who are obedient. So, Paul is not twisting Scripture, but is giving a synopsis of the Psalm. It is Christ’s victory which results in gifts being given to His followers.
Who is the gift giver? Paul identifies him as the one who ascended on high. This is a clear reference to Jesus’ ascension into heaven and His glorification. But Paul also reminds us that Christ ascended only after He had first descended. As Scripture says in another place, “…he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;” (Philippians 2:8-9) Christlike humility is one of the keys to unity. The pursuit of honor and position leads to competition and strife. Humility promotes love and service to one another. The Apostle Peter writes, “…all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;” (1 Peter 5:5-6)
What are the gifts Christ has given and how do they help his followers maintain unity? In verse 11 Paul writes, “He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;”
From this verse it is obvious that among the gifts of grace which Christ has given to his followers is the gift of leadership. Among these leaders are apostles and prophets. The apostles were appointed personally by Christ to be His representatives. Prophets were divinely inspired spokesmen who communicated God’s holy word to Christ’s followers. In chapter 2, verse 20 Paul wrote that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of God’s household, and in chapter 3, verse 5 he said that the Spirit has revealed the mystery of Christ to them. From this we learn that the true church is built upon the teaching of the apostles and prophets. Any person or group which rejects their teaching is not part of the body. The Apostle John wrote, “We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6)
Christ has also gifted some as evangelists. Their responsibilities include preaching Christ’s gospel to those who have not yet heard it and establishing new congregations of believers.
Paul also mentions shepherds (pastors) and teachers. It is not clear from the text whether he is referring to shepherds who teach or to two distinct groups of people. The ability to teach is one of the qualifications of a shepherd. Yet, Scripture specifically mentions teachers also. While the prophet was divinely inspired to deliver God’s word, the teacher, or teaching shepherd, interprets and explains God’s word. Teaching not only includes exposition but also the practical example of living a life worthy of emulation. Shepherds are also known in Scripture as elders, overseers or bishops, and pastors. It is their responsibility to oversee the congregations and care for their spiritual welfare.
It must be pointed out that the church no longer has apostles and prophets among its living leaders. The completion of the New Testament Scriptures fulfilled the purpose of their lives. While their work continues on through the New Testament writings, the missionary role of the apostle has been taken over by the evangelist, and the shepherd has taken over the nurturing role of the prophet.
For what purpose has Christ gifted these leaders? In verse 12 Paul writes that they are, “for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;” What Paul is saying is that it is the responsibility of the leaders of the church to train the followers of Jesus to serve and to meet the needs of people. This, in turn, will cause the church to progress.
What is the goal of this training? In verse 13 Paul writes, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” The strength and health of the church cannot be measured by the number of its members or by its wealth. It is measured, instead, by how united it is in faith, and by how Christlike the members are. We all need to be aware of how our congregations compare with this standard.