The Four Gifts of Persons God Gave the Church - Ephesians 4: 7-16

Last Wednesday I wrote about the triumphant entry Jesus made into Heaven with the spoils of victory and the gifts God gave to men in return.  In Ephesians 4: 11, Paul uniquely shares four of the gifts God gave were different in quality than the other gifts given.  These four were not just abilities and talents embedded into a believer in order to carry out the work of God, but these were actual persons given to the church.

Let's recap these four briefly:

Apostle -  the foundation of the church was built on the person of the Apostles and their doctrine (Acts 2:42) and the fourteen (including Matthias in Acts 1:26 and Paul who was "born out of due time" but was an apostle according to I Corinthians 15:8-9).

An apostle is a "sent one on mission."  Some believe there are no more apostles, and I will agree there are no more like the original who actually saw the resurrected Lord Jesus.  But there are those who are "sent on a mission" to carry the Gospel and plant churches. 

A prophet is one who speaks revelation from God and for God.  These were people (men and women) who were filled with boldness and often pointly to issues within the church.  Most in the Old Testament were so inspired that their messages became Scripture, but not as much in the New Testament.  Their messages were still authentic and to the point.  That is why I believe this person still exists - one who can address issues within the church and/or culture and bring God's revelation on the issue.  They speak with boldness and passion because they have seen an abuse in the church or culture that must be addressed and they go for it.  Due to their very nature, most in the church do not like them and cannot tolerate them for long periods of time.  But their message is needed to "stir up" the church, and that is exactly what they will do in God's time.

An evangelist is one who preaches and explains the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved and unconverted so they might come to the knowledge of Christ.  There is a special anointing on this person in order to do this with ease and understanding, often resulting in many coming to saving knowledge.

The Pastor/Teacher I believe is one person and one gift.  The Pastor here is the word for a shepherd.  He is the one who leads, protects, feeds, and cares for the flock as the man of God.  The Teacher is his primary function as a Pastor.

As I have shared in previous blogs, I believe the Pastor (Shepherd), Bishop (Overseer), and Elder (Presbuteros) are all the same person.  All three are used interchangeably in Acts 20 and he is not speaking of three different persons, but one in three roles.  And all of these are linked to the local church, not a denomination or collection of churches.

It is my purpose to share more about the Pastor in the coming weeks.

Blessings;

David