Ephesians 4:11

This verse explains "gave" (Ephesians 4:8) and begins a sentence that runs through Ephesians 4:16 in the Greek text.

After Jesus Christ ascended, He gave, as victor over death, gifts to the church that enabled it to function. This order of events is in harmony with the revelation that the church is a new entity that came into existence after Jesus’ ascension. [Note: See Fruchtenbaum, p. 117.]

Christ gave gifted people to the church as gifts to the church. He gave some individuals to be apostles in the church. "Apostle" means someone sent as an authoritative delegate. Twelve men plus Paul were official apostles who had seen the risen Christ and had received personal appointment from Him (Acts 1:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:8-9; Galatians 1:1; Galatians 2:6-9). However there were other men who, while not apostles in this limited sense, functioned as apostles. The New Testament writers called them apostles too (1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:19; Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14; 1 Corinthians 9:6; Romans 16:7; cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 4:9). The duty of the apostles was to establish the church and the churches (Ephesians 2:20; Ephesians 3:5). The word apostolos also describes any servant who is sent by his master on any mission (John 13:16). "Missionary" is a modern equivalent term. It is probably according to their spiritual gifts rather than their offices that Paul was thinking of these individuals. [Note: Foulkes, p. 117.]

New Testament prophets (Gr. prophetes, one who speaks forth) provided edification, exhortation, and comfort to the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). Some of them conveyed new authoritative revelation to the church (Ephesians 2:20; Ephesians 3:5; Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10-11). Much of this is the revelation that we have in our New Testament books. Most of the prophets, however, simply "spoke forth" truth that God had previously revealed (cf. Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 1 Corinthians 14:26-33). [Note: See John E. Johnson, "The Old Testament Offices as Paradigm for Pastoral Identity," Bibliotheca Sacra 152:606 (April-June 1995):182-200.] Prophets also led in worship of God, including leading in public prayer (cf. 1 Chronicles 25:1; 1 Corinthians 11:5). This aspect of prophesying was regarded as a less authoritative function in the church than teaching, since a teacher interpreted the written Word of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:5; 1 Timothy 2:12).

"Christians today do not get their spiritual knowledge immediately from the Holy Spirit, but mediately through the spirit teaching the Word." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:37.]

Evangelists preached the gospel both at home and abroad (Acts 21:8; Acts 8:6-40; 2 Timothy 4:5). Paul did not identify these people as foundational to the church as he did the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20). Nevertheless their ministry was and is essential. They equipped people to minister (Ephesians 4:12-13) at least by leading them to faith in Christ.

We might better translate the Greek phrase rendered "pastors and teachers" as "pastor-teachers." The Greek construction suggests that one kind rather than two kinds of people is in view. The Greek article translated "the" occurs only before "pastor." Moreover the Greek conjunction translated "and" between "pastors" and "teachers" is different from the one used elsewhere in the verse (kai rather than de). However, the Greek construction may describe two types of gifted people whose ministries are among settled congregations in contrast to the itinerant ministries of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists. Probably the phrase describes the overseers of local churches who pastor and teach (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1-3).

". . . because the nouns ["pastor" and "teacher"] are plural, it is extremely unlikely that they refer to the same group, but only that the apostle Paul is linking them closely together. It is better to regard the pastors as a subset of teachers. In other words, all pastors are teachers, but not all teachers are pastors." [Note: The NET Bible note on 4:11.]

"In 1 Corinthians 12:8-28) the Holy Spirit is seen as enduing the members of the body of Christ with spiritual gifts, or enablements for a varied service; here certain Spirit-endued men, i.e. apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are themselves the gifts whom the glorified Christ bestows upon His body, the church. In 1 Corinthians, the gifts are spiritual enablements for specific service; in Ephesians, the gifts are people who have such enablements." [Note: The New Scofield . . ., p. 1276.]