Supporting Texts: Psalm 68:18; Acts 11:28; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 2:7; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:3-4, 13:20; 1 Peter 4:10, 5:1-3.
It’s that time of year again; the time when many people think about giving gifts to others. Some of our shopping lists are short, while others are much longer. What shall we give? I asked Google about it and for $165, for mom you can purchase a multiple name necklace. For $49, you can turn a photo from your phone into a 3D image in crystal. For $30, you can buy an ice cream maker that will make one serving of home-made ice cream in minutes. For $16, you can give a child a squishmallow. If you are slightly more daring, you can upgrade your paper airplane with a smartphone-controlled paper airplane kit for only $60.
Whatever gifts you choose, I am certain giving will bring you joy and bring blessings to others. It should not surprise us that God has given gifts to people. The verses I read moments ago tell us that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us the gift of His grace. God’s giving is the essence of the gospel. It is not in what men and women should do for God, but in what He has done for us. The New Testament, like the Old Testament, contains many commands and requirements, many standards to be met and obligations to be fulfilled. But as important as these things are, they are still not the heart of true Christianity. They are simply what God calls and enables us to do for His glory in response to what He has done for us through our Lord Jesus. Every New Testament book teaches what Christ has done for believers, and every New Testament exhortation is built on that foundation of God’s gracious provision through the Savior.
Jesus is our example in giving. Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus constantly gave Himself to others. He gave Himself to His disciples, to those He healed, to those He raised from the dead, released from demons and forgave of sins. To the woman at the well in Samaria, He offered the water of life and was Himself that water. The Bible reminds us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Here, in the book of Ephesians, we find that those who receive His grace, God will continue to “show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
We have already discovered that the book of Ephesians is divided into two parts. The first part, chapters one through three, tell us what we must know and think. The second part, chapters four through six, tell us what we must do. We must first learn the doctrine, then we must put that biblical doctrine into practice. We have now entered the second part of the book and have learned that the first thing we must practice is unity in the body of Christ – the church. That idea is captured in verse three, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
In order to enable this divine unity, God has provided gifts to the church. It is that gift we will explore today in three parts. First, the Lord Jesus gave gifts to individual Christians. Second, He personally authorized the giving of these gifts through His miraculous victory. Third, and finally, the Lord gave gifts to the church so that it would accomplish the mission He intends. Let’s begin with the Lord’s individual gifts.
JESUS’ GIFTS TO INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS. Ephesians 4:7
Jesus Gives Each Christian a Gift. The overall theme of Ephesians 4:7-16 is that unity in diversity leads to spiritual maturity in the church. Paul begins defining this diversity with the adversative conjunction, “but.” In this he contrasted the “all” of verse six, with the “each one” of verse seven. His message is that each believer (not just a select few) is sovereignly and graciously given a gift. Paul takes us from the unity of the body to diversity within the body.
Unity is not uniformity and is perfectly consistent with the diversity of gifts within the church. God’s gracious relation “to all” (verse six), is also a personal relationship with “each one” (verse seven). In His grace and wisdom, God has chosen variety instead of sameness. In the church there is unity and uniqueness. In His grace, God has given to every Christian a measure of His grace. None are left out. All of us have received this gift from the Lord. That includes you and me. This is in addition to saving grace: it is equipping grace.
The Giving of Gifts is Based on Grace and Not Merit. Notice, this gift that each one of us possesses is based on grace, and not on our own merit, talents, skills, or abilities. It rests in God’s choice to give. I am sure you recall the Lord’s parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. In that parable, a man going on a journey gave to one five talents, to a second, two talents, and to a third, one talent. No reason is given for this distribution except the man’s choice. In the case of these gifts, the amount of the gift is determined only by grace. In this context, grace is a particular enablement given to each believer in order to empower each one for ministry. “Grace” is a single-word description of the gospel. God’s grace is unmerited, undeserved, and unearned. The gift of grace is entirely dependent on the One who gives it. “Give” emphasizes that each believer in Jesus Christ receives the gift of enablement from the Lord and is to use it to minister for His glory.
The Gift is Measured Out by Jesus’ Sovereign Will. The Lord Jesus is the One who gives the grace. This is according to the measure He has determined. Jesus not only gives each believer a gift but He also determines the amount of the gift. This means that each believer has received from the Lord a measure of a gift to be used in a particular function in the body. Each believer’s gift is unique. The “measure” spoken of is a specific portion given by divine design from the Head of the church. Since these gifts are measured out to individual Christians by the Lord Jesus Himself, there should be no jealousy or envy within the body. The difference in the value of the gifts is determined only by the individual Christian’s use of their gift within the body of Christ. Since the gift is sovereignly given, no gifts should be sought, and since these gifts are essential elements in God’s plan for the church, no gifts should be unused. Since they come from the Lord, no gifts should be exalted. They are given by God’s grace and only He should receive the glory.
JESUS’ VICTORY AUTHORIZED HIS GIFTS. Ephesians 4:8-10
Paul’s Use of the Old Testament. You will notice Paul said, “Therefore it says…” He is introducing a quotation from the Old Testament book of Psalms; “You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, even among the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there” (Psalm 68:18). The wording is somewhat different from that Paul used. But there is no mistake or discrepancy. Both Paul and David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so both quotations are God’s inspired word.
In his quotation of Psalm 68:18, Paul was summarizing the entire Psalm. A survey of Psalm 68 shows many examples of God’s gifts to people and in Ephesians 4:8-10, Paul proves why Jesus is authorized to give gifts to the church. In Psalm 68:1-6, God gives His presence and actively protects the widows and gives prosperity to prisoners. In verses seven through eighteen, He gives rain, provides for the needy, and gives victory over enemies. In verses nineteen through twenty-three, God gives deliverance and care for His saints while He scatters the enemy. In verses twenty-four through twenty-seven God’s procession into the sanctuary is described. Verses twenty-eight through thirty-one speaks of kings bringing gifts to God and the removal of those who do unrighteousness. Finally, in verses thirty-two through thirty-five, we find a call to praise God whose power is in the heavens and power and strength He gives to His people.
Clearly, Paul takes this prevailing theme of God’s gifts to His people and applies it to the church. The gifts of which Paul speaks for the Ephesian believers are spiritual in nature. Who are the captives Paul mentions? These are the enemies of the Lord Jesus, namely Satan, sin, and death. The Lord Jesus conquered Satan, sin, and death and gave gifts through the Holy Spirit to those who had been identified with Him. Paul’s point is that Jesus Christ, who came to earth as God incarnate, who died, was raised, and ascended to heaven as victor has the right to give gifts. Satan, sin, and death have been defeated by Christ’s redemption. Those captured by Satan have been freed by His grace and have now been given gifts from their victorious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ Descended: His Incarnation. In verses nine and ten, Paul interprets and applies the Psalm for believers of the church age. First, he specified Christ’s descent. This is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus from heaven to the earth. The Apostle John put it this way, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In the book of Galatians, Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
The Second Person of the Divine Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, descended from heaven, took upon Himself a real human body and lived upon this earth. Then, wicked men crucified Him and completed His descent by murdering Him. And in His death, they placed Him in a borrowed tomb, and rolled a stone over its entrance. His descent into the “lower parts of the earth,” is the grave. His burial substantiates His death.
Jesus Christ Ascended: His Resurrection and Ascension. But, of course, the Lord’s journey did not end in the depths of the tomb. On the third day He was raised from the dead. He arose from these “lower parts,” thus conquering death, sin, and Satan. In His resurrection He is more than a conqueror. And He is more than authorized to give gifts to His church. After His resurrection, He ascended to an authority “far above all the heavens” and today is seated at God’s right hand in complete power and authority. The highest heaven is the location of Jesus’ present ministry and rule. In His ascent as conqueror, He had the right to bestow gifts to the church. Thus, Paul proved that the gifts Jesus gave to the church are given by the omnipotent power of the living Christ.
JESUS’ GIFTS TO THE ENTIRE CHURCH. Ephesians 4:11
Apostles and Prophets. Because of His resurrection, ascension, and His authority over all things, the Lord Jesus gives gifts of divine enablement to the church overall, and He gives specially gifted men to the church as leaders. That God gave gifts to each believer is corroborated by the Apostle Peter who wrote, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Lists of those gifts are given in the books of Romans and First Corinthians.
In this context in Ephesians, Paul is listing gifts to the church, not offices in the church. The apostles and prophets were given three basic responsibilities. First, they were to lay the foundation for the church as we read in Ephesians 2:20, where the saints, have been built on “the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the corner stone.” Second, they were to receive and declare the revelation of God’s Word. In Acts 11:28, a prophet by the name of Agabus, “stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world.” Their third responsibility was to give confirmation of that Word through “signs, wonders and miracles.” The writer of Hebrews asked, “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Hebrews 2:3-4).
In the sense that they are used here, as authorities in the church, apostles and prophets have passed from the scene but the foundations they built is that on which all of Christ’s church has been built. Dr. R. Kent Hughes wrote, “The apostles and prophets were given to the church to get her established, but now their role is assumed by the canonical writings of the New Testament. The apostles and prophets with their unique endowments did not extend beyond the apostolic age.”
Evangelists. “Evangelists” is a word derived from evangel, which means good news. An evangelist is a proclaimer of the good news, the gospel. The work of an evangelist is to preach and explain the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to those who have not yet believed. He is a proclaimer of salvation by grace through faith in the Son of God. There was a time when there were many known as evangelists in our country. Many traveled to present the gospel message to those who had never heard it before. Many conducted revivals and meetings in various places outside of church buildings. Many of you remember the evangelist, Billy Graham, who was an evangelist who sought to reach people for Christ. His son, Franklin Graham, is carrying on that evangelism. I am always blessed when I see Mr. Graham on TV, praying for people to come to know Christ as Savior.
Paul told Pastor Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). I have always believed that it is part of the pastor’s role to urge unbelievers to receive Christ and be saved. I also think the pastor of a church must be able to lead someone to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is also why I make a gospel appeal in my messages. I never know when someone is here without Christ, and I want to urge them to trust in Jesus as Savior.
Pastor-Teachers. For most scholars the unique grammatical construction of the words “pastors” and “teachers” indicates Paul is speaking of one area of responsibility. The pastor is the one who has the primary requirement of proclaiming and teaching the Word of God. One scholar wrote, “Pastors were entrusted with the nurture, protection, and supervision of the flock.” Another wrote, “Pastor-teachers must open wide the foundational teaching of the Old Testament and the New Testament if there is to be true church growth.”
Other New Testament words speak to the role of pastor: elder and overseer. It is interesting that Paul chooses to list only the pastor-teacher. I think this is because he intends to point to this person as the one who has the primary responsibility to preach and teach. He must determine doctrinal issues for the church and proclaim truth to the congregation. Pastors as shepherds of the congregation provide instruction but is also concerned with administration and various ministries to the flock.
Pastor, translates a word in the original that means “shepherd.” It undoubtedly is related to Jesus’ words to Peter in John 21: “Tend My lambs”, “Shepherd My sheep” and “Tend My sheep.” Many years later this same Peter wrote, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). In considering the importance of the gift of the pastor to the church, we must not forget that Jesus Himself is the Great Shepherd: “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord” (Hebrews 13:20).
As a Christian, God has given you a gift to be used in ministry within the local church. I’m talking about more than just a general you, the all y’all; I mean you personally. Each one of you. Men and women. Young and old. It doesn’t matter if you are a new Christian or one who has known the Lord for many years; the Lord Jesus has given you a unique and special spiritual gift. He has given you this gift for the purpose of serving others. So, how are you using the gift God has given to you? How are you serving the Lord Jesus in this, His local church?
We discovered the gift of the evangelist who seeks to reach people who are not believers for the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you saved by God’s grace? Have you entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by faith? The Bible says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Have you called on the name of Jesus so that He can forgive your sins and grant you eternal life?
