The Summation of All Things in Christ

Studies in Ephesians with a Local Church Emphasis

Lesson 84 : The Ascended Christ Gives Gifted People to His Churches  (4:11)

Paragraph structure of 4:11-16  –  vv. 11-16 IS ONE SENTENCE  –  CONTEXT:  AUTHORITY OF JESUS TO GIVE, ‘He Himself, He and no other’  –  CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE NOT SELF-APPOINTED  –  THE GIFTS ARE NOT OFFICES BUT MEN  –  MEN GIVEN TO HELP NURTURE MATURITY AMONGST BELIEVERS  –  GIFTS GIVEN FOR ALL, THEREFORE THERE IS NO ROOM FOR BOASTING NOR ENVY  –  CHRIST’S GIFT OF MINISTERS IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN TO UNITE ALL THINGS IN HIM  –  SIMILAR LISTS ARE MENTIONED ELSEWHERE:  The New Testament contains five such lists: Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10, 28-30; Eph. 4:11-12; cf. 1 Pet. 4:10-11  –  PAUL DID NOT EXPLAIN TITLES, HIS READERS MUST HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THEM  –  THE GIFTS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE (PAUL WAS BOTH APOSTLE AND TEACHER)  –  WE MUST NOT READ OUR MODERN DAY UNDERSTANDING INTO THESE VERSES  –  NOT ALL GIFTS WERE PERPETUAL  –  NOTE THIS DESTROYS THE PAPACY