Gifts Given to God's People: Pastors

This episode continues the study of Ephesians 4:11. Some have called this the five-fold ministry, trying to duplicate the plan of God in the last days of the Jewish era. In the culminating work of redemption, Christ gave these gifts to equip the saints for their work.

This work was never intended to describe the work of local churches with these listed gifts serving in that organization as corporate staff members or officials. The work that these men were equipping saints were to be implemented individually.

This episode completes the treatment of evangelists and proceeds in discussing the "pastors/teachers." In introducing it, we presented the possibility that Paul has one gift in mind due to the commission of the article "the" in front of "teachers." However, Acts 13 specifically mentions "teachers" along with prophets who served as the foundation of revelation along with the apostles. This reference to teachers may be similar to their mention in 1 Corinthians 12 that describes a broader meaning to include evangelists and pastors. Differentiating "preachers" as pulpiteers from "teachers" who are not public speakers does not appear to be the intended contrast. People who make that point are reading back into the text the modern tradition of pulpit preachers as paid hireling of local churches. Instead, "teachers" would include those all those involved in teaching except the apostles and prophets whose work distinctly involved revelation. "Teachers" expounded and exemplified what was revealed so that the meaning and application could take place.

We also begin to define the verbs which are more common than the nouns to define the work of these shepherds. Shepherding involves the care given to sheep and that these shepherds are accountable to the "chief shepherd" who hold His shepherds accountable. It is imperative that we see the significance of these men being "soul watchers" not local church overseers/administrators.

We will continue in the succeeding episodes to describe their work.