Ephesians 4:7-11 Supernatural Abilities
As he started the second half of this letter, Paul urged Christians to walk in a manner worthy of someone who is affiliated with Jesus, someone worthy of being called a Christian. He lists several attributes followed by a plea for us to maintain unity since there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism and one Father. We need to be doctrinally sound and in alignment with the truth, God’s truth! Regardless of our background, education or church affiliation, we are not to wander from the truth.
Paul told us that he had the privilege of revealing God’s plan of salvation through Jesus and His plan for the church. Christians and churches should not feel that they have been abandoned to carry out the Great Commission on their own (see Matthew 28:18-20 and Chapter 7). God will always provide where He guides. One way He does this is through Spiritual gifts. These are special gifts that God provides and gives to each Christian so they (and the church collectively) can have an effective ministry.
Paul addresses the subject of Spiritual gifts in several of his epistles, here he begins by pointing out that every Christian does indeed have something given to them by God, these gifts are another blessing given to us through God’s generous grace. Paul is essentially saying that there is only one true understanding of God (we call it theology) but there are many believers, each given something unique that their local church requires for their unique outreach. Of course if we try to do something that is not related to our gifting then we may end up struggling, in other words, don’t accept a role or position if you do not feel the Holy Spirit is guiding you to!
Paul follows this with a quote from the Book of Psalms. Like most Old Testament quotes found in the New Testament this one comes from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. The Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament to the Greek language compiled during the third century BC. Even though there are a few known minor text variations between today’s Hebrew text and the Septuagint, the text Paul quotes varies even slightly from the Septuagint. Paul’s quote in verse eight reads, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (ESV) and the Septuagint version reads, “Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for man.” (Translated into English by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton, 1851)[1] The quote is from the first half of Psalms 68:18 and you can see that the greatest variation, besides the archaic language, is that the Old Testament references God receiving gifts and not giving them, the Greek is clear. There is some evidence found in early Jewish writings (known as the Targum) to support Paul’s rendition of the quoted verse.
However besides the variations between versions, the text itself in verses 8-10 is another source of several disagreements between Christian theologians and scholars. The first issue is in regard to the location of His ascension. Paul says, “He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth.” Some scholars believe that Jesus went down to Hades (the abode of the dead believed to be in the lower regions of earth to set the Old Testament saints free, please remember that Hades should not to be confused with hell) while others believe Paul is simply referring to when Jesus came down from heaven to earth to begin His ministry. Another issue involves the question of who were the captives. Some theologians believe this was a reference to Jesus taking captive Satan while others believe that the captives are those that Jesus set free from the slavery of sin (people). Since the most important element of interpreting a verse is context we should take a closer look at the point Paul is attempting to communicate.
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
We have seen the word ‘according’ several times so far in this epistle and now we read, “according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (see also Romans 12:3-8). Since each believer’s ministry is unique, a Spiritual gift that is suitable to that ministry is selected by God (not us) and given to the believer to use along with the exact proportion of grace to enable that gift. Every Christian has been given at least one Spiritual gift that is completely appropriate and fully capable to do as required. If a believer is not aware of their unique gift or how to use it they should pray that the Holy Spirit reveal it to them.
As we discussed in Chapter 10, the word ‘therefore’ requires us to explore the previous verses to understand the proper context of the verse before we can understand the point the author is making in the verse we are reading. Here Paul is referring to the fact that since Jesus has returned to His Father He has given us a unique Spiritual gift to use to bring glory to Him and to comply with His Great Commission to bring the gospel to others. Paul uses the variation of this Old Testament quote, “he gave gifts to men,” to point out that God will provide whatever resources Christians and churches need to have an effective ministry (see also 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and Matthew 25:14-30).
It is clear that Paul is referring to Jesus as the one who descended and then ascended. Who Jesus is leading in captivity or whether or not He went to Hades or just returning from earth may be understood by examining the timing in context of these verses. Here in Ephesians chapter four Paul is introducing the concept of Spiritual gifts. Jesus made a point that when He returned to His Father He would leave the Holy Spirit for us (see Luke 24:49a; John 14:16; 15:26 and 16:7) and that through the Spirit we would be guided to understand the truth, to remind us about Jesus’s ministry, to give us power we needed and to be our comforter in time of need (see Luke 24:409b; John 14:26 and 16:13-15). When was all this to occur? The Holy Spirit was available to all believers at the time of Jesus’ ascension (see Luke 24:50-51 and Mark 16:19). So when would the Spiritual gifts be made available to us? Precisely the same time! We can then conclude that Paul is referring to the time Jesus ascended from earth to sit on the right hand side of His Father. There is no need to expand beyond the intended context. When Paul said that when Jesus ascended, “far above all heavens,” (see also Hebrews 4:14; 7:26), the term ‘heavens’ can also be used to describe the sky, the area we call space where all the stars and planets are, as well as the place where God dwells. This term implies that God is above all, responsible for all and ruler of all.
As pointed out in Chapter 7, regarding the phrase in Ephesians 1:23, “who fills all in all,” Jesus is literally holding all things together (see Colossians 1:17), however we recognize in the Lord’s Prayer when we say, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” not everything on earth is pleasing to God. We look forward and pray for that day to come soon when not only is God holding all things together but also when His glory fills the entire universe and all recognize Him and exalt Him!
Here’s a news flash…Spiritual gifts are from God! Meaning that these gifts are supernatural gifts, not natural talents as many churches teach. Supernatural in the sense that God gave something that can only be explained by God granting the gift (not something we learned in school or took lessons for). We are to use our Spiritual gifts in alignment with God’s will for the purpose of bringing glory to God, by aiding the church in fulfilling the Great Commission (read 1 Corinthians 12:7).
Paul next introduces some of the gifts that God provides for the church (the purpose and role of the church is discussed in the next chapter). This is not an exhaustive list as he includes several additional gifts in his epistles to the church at Rome and Corinth. However, the gifts listed here in the next verse are indeed vital to every church. Paul often spoke about apostles and prophets (see Chapters 11 and 12) as these were critical in getting the church started. The prophets are those God used primarily in the Old Testament to announce to others the Word of God while the apostles were used by Jesus as the people chosen to proclaim salvation through Him. Jesus spoke, the apostles heard and they in turn taught others who then teach others and so forth. This is why the church is part of what is often referred to as the ‘Apostolic Movement’. Paul explains how this works in his letter to the church in Rome, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14-17, ESV)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Many Christians cringe when they hear that ‘E’ word, evangelism. For some it brings up bad memories when they were unsuccessful in sharing Christ, while for others may simply be too frightened to share. There is a difference between being an evangelist and the directive given to us by Jesus in the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and teach (see Matthew 28:18-20). An evangelist is a person who is gifted with the ability to communicate the gospel effectively, generally to larger groups. The instruction of sharing Jesus in accordance with the Great Commission primarily varies in the approach (more one-on-one). We may be able to witness to a nonbeliever by how we live or what we do as well as talking to someone, while an evangelist is able to present an appealing case to nearly anyone.
The Greek word translated here as ‘shepherd’ is often translated as ‘pastor’. If you ever want to stir up an emotional discussion, ask people from a church what the role of a pastor should be. But the question should be, what is the role of a pastor as defined by the Bible? (see John 10:18; Acts 20:28 and Jeremiah 3:15) The role of a pastor or shepherd in a church is one of guiding their people and encouragement. Jesus referred to Himself as the “Good Shepherd” whose primary duty was to keep the flock safe including risking their own life. A pastor/shepherd should always put the needs of the people ahead of their own.
Many scholars like to append the titles of pastor and teacher together, this is not what the Bible teaches. The role of a teacher is very different than the role of a pastor (they can be the same person but they are very different). So what is the role of a ‘teacher’ and how does that differ from the shepherd/pastor? (read 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11; 4:3; Hebrews 5:12; James 3:1 and 1 Corinthians 12:28) The gift of teaching is more than allowing the recipient to teach, the gift opens the heart and mind to understand God’s Word through the aid of the Holy Spirit. Even though part of a shepherd/pastor’s role is to guide and show the way (often through teaching) that differs from teaching, as Paul would put it, “the unsearchable riches of Christ!”
It should be noted that each of these roles are to be fully dependent on God as there are no 'rogue' apostles, prophets, pastors, or teachers. Each one has a sacred duty to comply with the Holy Spirit and never assert their own feelings, ideas, or agendas into their interactions with others. It should be further noted that in the Old Testament God's Law had a unique way of handling this issue, they were put to death (see Deuteronomy 18:20). While that is not advisable today, any false representative should be turned away and not listened to. Discernment from the Holy Spirit and knowing the truth from God's Word (the Bible), are the best ways to detect lies and errors.
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[1] Brenton, L. (1986). The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. Peabody, Ma.: Hendrickson.