The Gifts of Christ  to His Church (4:7-11)

11

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (4:7-11)

The essence of the gospel is not in what men should do for God but in what He has done for men. The New Testament, like the Old, contains many commands and requirements, many standards to be met and obligations to be fulfilled. But important as those things are, they are not the heart of 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 Christ. 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. God gave the supreme gift of grace and His children are to respond in faithful obedience (see Eph. 2:10).

Paul begins this passage by referring to what God has done for those who have trusted in His Son. The worthy Christian walk he has just described (4:1-6) is carried out through the ministry of the gift He has given us. In verses 7-11 the apostle first assures us that every believer has been individually gifted; then he shows us how Christ obtained the right to give gifts; and finally he mentions some of the specially gifted men through whom the Lord blesses the whole church.

THE GIFTS OF CHRIST TO INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (4:7)

It is important to note that the term but, with which this verse begins, is used here as an adversative rather than as a simple conjunction. It could be translated “in spite of that” or “on the other hand,” contrasting the previous subject matter with what is about to be said.

This interpretation of but brings together the emphasis of unity that has been the echoing theme of verses 3-6 with the parallel emphasis of diversity, which is the theme of verses 7-11. It sets the individual (each one) over against the “all” (v. 6) in regard to unity in the Body of Christ. The reading of but as adversative is strengthened by the emphatic use of hekastos (each one). Unity is not uniformity and is perfectly consistent with diversity of gifts. God’s gracious relation to “all” is also a personal relation to each one (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7, 11) and a personal ministry through each one. Thus Paul moves from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of believers.

Grace is a single-word definition of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of God’s grace to sinful mankind. The nature of grace is giving, and the Bible tells us much more about giving than getting, because God’s nature is to give. God is a God of grace because He is a God who freely gives. It has nothing to do with anything we have done or have failed to do; it can only be received.

God is gracious because of who He is, not because of who or what we are. His grace is therefore unmerited, unearned, undeserved. It depends entirely on the One who gives it, not on those who receive it. Grace is God’s self-motivated, self-generated, sovereign act of giving.

God’s grace has another dimension that places it still further above every other kind of giving. The greatest gift of grace is self. Grace is therefore God’s Self donation, His Self giving. He not only gives blessings to men, He gives Himself. Infinitely more important and precious than any blessing God gives us is that gift of Himself. The incomprehensible and staggering truth of the gospel is that the holy God of the universe has given Himself to sinful mankind! God grants us His salvation, His kingdom, His inheritance, His Spirit, His throne, His wisdom, His love, His power, His peace, His glory, and every other “spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). But far more than all of those blessings, He blesses us with His personal presence. God owes nothing to sinful men except judgment for their sin. He does not owe men the smallest blessing or favor. Yet in His grace He has given us the blessing of all blessings, the immeasurable blessing of intimate shared life (cf. 2 Pet. 1:3-4).

When we choose a partner with whom we plan to spend the rest of our life in marriage, we are careful to pick someone who is worthy of the self-giving that marriage demands. That person is the one above all others to whom we will give our love, our time, our thoughts, our devotion, our loyalty, and our resources—in short, all that we have.

Yet when God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), He did so out of pure grace and not for anything He saw in us that made us worthy of His care. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). All God can see in the world is sin, yet He gave Himself to that sinful world through His own Son in order that the world might be redeemed. The Son also gave Himself, emptying Himself of His own glory that He might offer glory to fallen men and giving His own life that spiritually dead men might live.

Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus continually 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 Sychar He offered the water of eternal life (John 4:14), and He Himself was that water (6:35; 7:38). “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). To those who receive His grace God will continue to “show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” throughout the ages to come (Eph. 2:7).

The grace in which we stand (Rom. 5:2) not only saves but enables (cf. Eph. 6:10; Phil. 4:13; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:17), and that is the sense of the term here. Paul makes it clear that grace was given to every believer. The definite article (he) is used in the original text, indicating that this is the grace, that is, the grace unique to Christ. The term for grace is charis and signifies that what is given is not the charismata (the special gifts indicated by this word in Rom. 12:6-8 and 1 Cor. 12:4-10) but the subjective grace that works in and shows itself through the life of a believer. This grace is the enabling power that makes the special gifts function to the glory of God.

This distinction is clear for the rest of Paul’s statement, according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Enabling grace is measured out to be consistent with what is necessary for the operation of Christ’s gift. The term dōrea (gift) does not focus on the undeservedness of the gift as does charismata (the special “gifts”; cf. Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4; 1 Pet. 4:10) nor on the spiritual source of the gift as does pneumatikōn (“spiritual gifts,” lit., spiritual things; cf. 1 Cor. 12:1), but on the freeness of the gift (cf. Matt. 10:8; Rom. 3:24).

And each believer’s gift is unique. The measure or specific portion given is by sovereign design from the Head of the church. The Lord has measured out the exact proportion of each believer’s gift (compare Paul’s use of the phrase “the measure of faith” in Rom. 12:3). The exact proportion of enabling grace on the part of God is linked with the exact proportion of enacting faith on the part of each believer; and God is the source of both. The sum of this is that God gives both the grace and the faith to energize whatever gift He gives to the full intent of His purpose.

In light of the truth just stated it is clear that since they are sovereignly given (cf. 1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11), no gifts should be sought; that since they are essential elements in God’s plan (cf. 1 Cor. 12:18, 22, 25), no gifts should be unused; and that since they come from the Lord, no gifts should be exalted (cf. Rom. 12:3).

We each have a gift that is measured out to us—with certain distinct capabilities, parameters, and purposes. Each of us is given a specific gift (singular) through which we are to minister in Christ’s name. “As each one has received a special gift,” Peter says, “employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10).

In Romans 12 Paul gives a more detailed explanation of spiritual gifts, which he introduces by emphasizing, as he does in Ephesians 4, that “we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (v. 6). By definition, gifts are something we receive, and we receive spiritual gifts through the working of God’s grace. Believers’ gifts are not determined by their preferences, inclinations, natural abilities, merit, or any other personal consideration, but solely by God’s sovereign and gracious will. We are gifted according to His plan, His purpose, and His measure. We have no more to do with determining our gift than we did with determining what color of skin, hair, or eyes we would be born with. God is the source of electing grace, equipping grace, and enabling grace.

In 1 Corinthians 12 we see a similar explanation and emphasis. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (vv. 4-7). God is the sole giver and determiner of spiritual gifts.

The lists of specific gifts in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, and Ephesians 4:11 are not narrow and strict delineations of the spiritual gifts. There is not, for instance, a single kind of prophetic gift, teaching gift, or serving gift. A hundred believers with the gift of teaching will not all have the same degrees or areas of teaching ability or emphasis. One may excel in public teaching in the classroom or church. Another’s teaching gift will be for instructing children, another’s for teaching one-on-one, and so on. Each believer is given the measure of grace and faith to operate his gift according to God’s plan. Add individual personality, background, education, influences in life, and needs in the area of service and it becomes obvious that each believer is unique.

Nor is it that a believer’s single gift will be restricted to only one category of giftedness. An individual gift may include a number of specific areas of giftedness, in a limitless variety of combinations. Someone with a major gift of administration may also have something of the gifts of helps and of teaching. Believers’ gifts are like snowflakes and fingerprints—each one is completely distinct from all others. Some teachers may emphasize knowledge, some instruction, some mercy, and others exhortation. From the palette of gift colors the Holy Spirit uses the brush of His sovereign design to paint the mixture of each believer so that no two are like.

Christians are not assembly-line productions, with every unit being exactly like every other unit. Consequently, no Christian can replace another in God’s plan. He has His own individualized plan for each of us and has individually gifted us accordingly. We are not interchangeable parts in Christ’s Body, but “individually members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11, emphasis added). When a believer does not minister his gift properly as God’s steward (1 Pet. 4:10), God’s work suffers to that degree—because God has not called or gifted another Christian in exactly the same way or for exactly the same work. That is why no Christian is to be a spectator. Every believer is on the team and is strategic in God’s plan, with his own unique skills, position, and responsibilities.

At weddings, birthdays, Christmas, and other such occasions, we often get gifts for which we have no use. We put them in a drawer, store them in the garage, or later give them to someone else. But God never gives such gifts. Each of His gifts is exactly what we need to fulfill our work for Him. We never get the wrong gift, or too much or too little of it. When the Holy Spirit gave us our gift, He presented us with precisely the right blend of abilities and enablement we need to serve God. Not only does our unique giftedness make us an irreplaceable member of Christ’s Body but it is a mark of God’s great love to single each of us out for unique blessing and ministry.

Not to use our gift is an affront to God’s wisdom, a rebuff of His love and grace, and a loss to His church. We did not determine our gift, deserve it, or earn it. But we all have a gift from the Lord, and if we do not use it, His work is weakened and His heart is grieved. The intent of the text before us is to reveal the balanced relationship between the oneness of believers and their individuality which contributes to that oneness. (For further explanation of spiritual gifts, see the author’s commentary on 1 Corinthians, noting the material on 12:1-31; cf. Rom. 12:3-8.)

HOW CHRIST WON THE RIGHT TO GIVE GIFTS

Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) (4:8-10)

Paul is set to delineate some of the gifts Christ has given, but before mentioning specific gifts bestowed on the whole church, he uses Psalm 68:18 as a comparison passage to show how Christ received the right to bestow those gifts. The obvious differences between both the Hebrew and Greek (Septuagint) Old Testament texts of Psalm 68:18 and Paul’s citation of it suggest that he is probably making only a general allusion to the passage for the sake of analogy, rather than specifically identifying it as a direct prediction of Christ.

Psalm 68 is a victory hymn composed by David to celebrate God’s conquest of the Jebusite city and the triumphant ascent of God (represented by the Ark of the Covenant) up Mount Zion (cf. 2 Sam. 6-7; 1 Chron. 13). After a king won such a victory he would bring home the spoils and enemy prisoners to parade before his people. An Israelite king would take his retinue through the holy city of Jerusalem and up Mount Zion. Another feature of the victory parade, however, would be the display of the king’s own soldiers who had been freed after being held prisoner by the enemy. These were often referred to as recaptured captives—prisoners who had been taken prisoner again, so to speak, by their own king and given freedom.

The phrase when He ascended on high depicts a triumphant Christ returning from battle on earth back into the glory of the heavenly city with the trophies of His great victory.

In His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered Satan, sin, and death (cf. Col. 2:15), and by that great victory He led captive a host of captives, who once were prisoners of the enemy but now are returned to the God and the people with whom they belong. The picture is vivid in its demonstration that God has yet-unsaved people who belong to Him—though they are naturally in Satan’s grasp and would remain there had not Christ by His death and resurrection made provision to lead them into the captivity of His kingdom into which they had been called by sovereign election “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). Compare Acts 18:10, where the Lord tells Paul to stay in Corinth and preach because there were people in that city who belonged to Him but were not yet saved from bondage to the king of darkness (see also John 10:16; 11:51-52; Acts 15:14-18).

Upon arriving in heaven, He gave gifts to men. Paul here uses yet another term for gifts (domata) to express the comprehensiveness of this gracious provision. Like a triumphant conqueror distributing the spoils to his subjects, so Christ takes the trophies He has won and distributes them in His kingdom. After His ascension came all the gifts empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 7:39; 14:12; Acts 2:33). When the Savior was exalted on high, He sent the Spirit (Acts 1:8), and with the coming of the Spirit also came His gifts to the church. Before Paul identifies the gifts he has in mind, he first gives a brief parenthetical explanation of the analogy he has just used.

In explaining the application of the Old Testament passage, Paul says, Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? The He of whom Paul is speaking is the One who will fill all things—Jesus Christ, “who fills all in all” (1:23). Ascended refers to Jesus’ ascension from earth to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). He ascended from earth to heaven to forever reign with His Father.

Paul is quick to explain that the expression He ascended cannot mean anything except that He … also descended. If, as seems clear, ascended refers to our Lord’s being taken up to heaven, then descended must refer to His coming down from heaven to earth. The captain of our salvation was first abased and then exalted. Divestiture came before investiture, incarnation before glorification (see Phil. 2:4-11). This truth is repeated in proper chronological sequence in verse 10: He who descended is Himself also He who ascended.

The depth of Christ’s descent in incarnation is said to be into the lower parts of the earth. This reference is presented to provide a striking contrast in terms of His ascent far above all the heavens, emphasizing the extreme range of our Lord’s condescension and exaltation. To understand the phrase the lower parts of the earth we need only examine its use elsewhere in Scripture. In Psalm 63:9 it has to do with death, being related to falling by the sword (v. 10). In Matthew 12:40 a similar phrase, “the heart of the earth,” refers to the belly of a great fish where the prophet Jonah was kept. In Isaiah 44:23 the phrase refers to the created earth containing mountains, forests, and trees. Psalm 139:15 uses it in reference to the womb of a woman where God is forming a child. The sum of these uses indicates that the phrase relates to the created earth as a place of life and death. In the majority of the uses it appears in contrast to the highest heavens, as here and in Psalm 139:8, 15 and Isaiah 44:23.

The intent of the phrase in this letter is not to point to a specific place, but to refer to the depth of the incarnation. It is interesting that each of the uses of the phrase outside Ephesians can also relate to the depth of Christ’s incarnation. He was formed in the womb (Psa. 139:15), lived on the earth (Isa. 44:23), referred to His own burial as a parallel to Jonah’s being in the fish (Matt. 12:40), and His death is consistent with the use of the phrase in Psalm 63:9.

It should be noted further that our Lord’s descent went even beyond the womb, the earth, the grave, and death—to a descent into the very pit of the demons. Peter sheds light on the meaning of He also descended into the lower parts of the earth. In his first letter he says, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison” (1 Pet. 3:18-19). Between Jesus’ death on Calvary and His resurrection in the garden tomb, He was “put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” He was physically dead but spiritually alive. During the three days He was in that state He also descended “and made proclamation [from kērussō) to the spirits now in prison.” This does not refer to preaching the gospel (from euangelizē) but to making a triumphant announcement—in this case Christ’s announcement of His victory over the demons even while they tried to hold Him in death.

The Old Testament refers to the place of the departed dead as Sheol (Deut. 32:22; Job 26:6; Ps. 16:10; etc.). Part of Sheol was a place of torment and evil, occupied by the unrighteous dead and by the demons who had been confined and bound there because of their wicked cohabitation with women during the period before the Flood (see Gen. 6:2-5; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). When Christ descended to Sheol, He proclaimed His victory, because “He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [and] made a public display of them, having triumphed over them” (Col. 2:15; cf. 1 Pet. 3:19). At that time came the announcement to the demons, both bound and loose (the “angels and authorities and powers”), that they all were subject to Christ (1 Pet. 3:22; Eph. 1:20-21). To ascend to heaven, He also passed through the territory of Satan and his demons in the air (Heb. 4:14 uses dia, through) and no doubt celebrated His triumph over them. Whether or not Paul had this event in mind in his reference here is difficult to establish; nonetheless, it does demonstrate the depth of Christ’s descent.

Another part of Sheol, though not clearly distinguished from the other by Old Testament writers, was believed to be a place of happiness and bliss, inhabited by the righteous dead who had believed in God. “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22-23) and “Paradise” (Luke 23:43) apparently were common designations for Sheol at the time of Christ. Early church dogma taught that the righteous dead of the Old Testament could not be taken into the fullness of God’s presence until Christ had purchased their redemption on the cross, and that they had waited in this place for His victory on that day. Figuratively speaking, the early church Fathers said that, after announcing His triumph over demons in one part of Sheol, He then opened the doors of another part of Sheol to release those godly captives. Like the victorious kings of old, He recaptured the captives and liberated them, and henceforth they would live in heaven as eternally free sons of God.

It must be suggested that such a view seems strained in the Ephesian context, because the lower parts of the earth is a general phrase and cannot be proven to refer to Sheol.

Paul’s point in Ephesians 4:8-10 is to explain that Jesus’ paying the infinite price of coming to earth and suffering death on our behalf qualified Him to be exalted above all the heavens (that is, to the throne of God), in order that He might rightfully have the authority to give gifts to His saints. By that victory He gained the right to rule His church and to give gifts to His church, that He might fill all things.

Does all things mean all prophecies, all assigned tasks, all universal sovereignty? Surely the answer is yes in regard to each of those aspects. But the context would dictate that His filling all things primarily has to do with His glorious divine presence and power expressed in universal sovereignty. He fills the entire universe with blessing, particularly His church, as the next verse illustrates.

THE GIFTS OF CHRIST TO THE WHOLE CHURCH

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (4:11)

After his parenthetical analogy (vv. 9-10) from Psalm 68:18, Paul continues his explanation of spiritual gifts. Christ not only gives gifts to individual believers but to the total Body. To each believer He gives special gifts of divine enablement, and to the church overall He gives specially gifted men as leaders (see v. 8, “He gave gifts to men”)—as apostles, … prophets, … evangelists, and … pastors and teachers.

He gave emphasizes the sovereign choice and authority given to Christ because of His perfect fulfillment of the Father’s will. Not only apostles and prophets but also evangelists, … pastors and teachers are divinely called and placed.

APOSTLES AND PROPHETS

In 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul says, “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.” That statement adds weight not only to the idea of divine calling but also to the chronological significance (“first, … second, … third”) in the giving of these gifted men to the church.

The first two classes of gifted men, apostles and prophets, were given three basic responsibilities:

There is no mention of the latter two gifted offices replacing the first two, because in New Testament times all were operative. But the fact is that, as they continued to serve the church, the evangelists and pastors and teachers did pick up the baton from the first generation apostles and prophets.

From its inception at Pentecost the church has been indebted to the apostles, through whom Christ established the fullness of New Testament doctrine (see Acts 2:42). Those uniquely called and empowered men recorded God’s final revelation as He revealed it to them.

The prophets, though they did not usually receive direct revelation from God, nevertheless were greatly instrumental in building up and strengthening the early church. Both apostles and prophets have passed from the scene (Eph. 2:20), but the foundation they laid is that on which all of Christ’s church has been built.

EVANGELISTS

Evangelists and pastors and teachers are now in place in God’s plan for the advancement of the kingdom. Evangelists (euangelistēs) are men who proclaim good news. The specific term evangelist is used only in this text in Ephesians; in Acts 21:8, where Philip is called an “evangelist” (see Acts 8:4-40 for details on one of Philip’s evangelistic efforts); and in 2 Timothy 4:5, where Timothy is told to “do the work of an evangelist.” But these limited references describe a vital, extensive, and far-reaching ministry, indicated by the use of the verb euangelizō (to proclaim the good news) 54 times and the noun euangelion (good news) 76 times. God was the first evangelist, since He “preached the gospel beforehand” (from proeuangelizomai; Gal. 3:8). Even the angel evangelized (“I bring … good news,” [from euangelizomai]) in announcing the birth of Christ (Luke 2:10). Jesus Himself evangelized in “preaching the gospel” (Luke 20:1), as did the apostles in “preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).

The work of the 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.

Philip demonstrates that the evangelist is not a man with ten suits and ten sermons who runs a road show. New Testament evangelists were missionaries and church planters (much like the apostles, but without the title and miraculous gifts), who went where Christ was not named and led people to faith in the Savior. They then taught the new believers the Word, built them up, and moved on to new territory.

Timothy illustrates the fact that an evangelist can be identified with local churches in a prolonged ministry for the purposes of preaching and expounding the true gospel, in order to counter false teachers and their damning message and to establish sound doctrine and godliness.

These gifted men are uniquely designed and given to the church to reach the lost with the saving gospel, and every church should consider this ministry as high priority. It is my conviction that each local assembly should raise up evangelists, to send some out in mission enterprises and to have others remain permanently in the church fellowship—to teach, mobilize, and lead others out to fulfill the commission of winning the lost to Christ. Every church should be led by a combination of evangelists and teaching shepherds—men gifted to bring the lost in and men gifted for feeding believers and leading them in the Word to build them

PASTORS AND TEACHERS

Pastors translates poimēn, whose normal meaning is shepherd. It emphasizes the care, protection and leadership of the man of God for the flock. Teachers (didaskaloi) has to do with the primary function of pastors.

Though teaching can be identified as a ministry on its own (1 Cor. 12:28), pastors and teachers are best understood as one office of leadership in the church. Often the word and (kai) means “that is” or “in particular,” making teachers in this context explanatory of pastors. That meaning cannot be conclusively proven in this text, but the text of 1 Timothy 5:17 clearly puts the two functions together when it says: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (lit., “labor to exhaustion in word and teaching”). Those two functions define the teaching shepherd. To fully understand this ministry, some key questions need to be answered about the identity of the elder in the New Testament, and some detail is necessary for proper understanding.

How is the pastor-teacher related to the bishop and elder? Pastors are not distinct from bishops and elders; the terms are simply different ways of identifying the same people. As explained above, the Greek word for pastor (poimēn) has the basic meaning of shepherd. The Greek word for bishop is episkopos, from which we derive Episcopalian, and its basic meaning is “overseer.” The Greek word for elder is presbuteros, from which we get Presbyterian, and denotes an older person.

Textual evidence indicates that all three terms refer to the same office. In the qualifications for a bishop, listed in 1 Timothy 3:7, and those for an elder, in Titus, Paul uses both terms to refer to the same man (1:5, 7). First Peter 5:1-2 brings all three terms together. Peter instructs the elders to be good bishops as they pastor: “Therefore, I exhort the elders [presbuteros] 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 [poimainō] the flock of God among you, exercising oversight [episkopeo] not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.”

Acts 20 also uses all three terms interchangeably. In verse 17, Paul assembles all the elders (presbuteros) of the church to give them his farewell message. In verse 28, he says, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos], to shepherd [poimainō] the church of God.”

Elder emphasizes who the man is, bishop speaks of what he does, and pastor deals with his attitude and character. All three terms are used of the same church leaders, and all three identify those who feed and lead the church; yet each term has a unique emphasis.

Episkopos means “overseer,” or “guardian,” and is used five times in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 2:25, Jesus Christ is called the “Guardian [episkopos] of your souls.” That is, He is the one who has the clearest overview of us and who therefore understands us best. The other four uses of episkopos refer to leaders in the church.

Episkopos was the secular Greek culture’s equivalent to the historic Hebrew idea of elder. Overseers, or bishops, were those appointed by the emperors to govern captured or newly-founded city-states. The bishop was responsible to the emperor, but oversight was delegated to him. He functioned as a commissioner, regulating the affairs of the new colony or acquisition. Episkopos therefore suggested two ideas to the first-century Greek mind: responsibility to a superior power, and introduction to a new order of things. Gentile converts would immediately understand those concepts in the term.

It is interesting to trace the biblical uses of episkopos. It appears in the book of Acts only once and near the end (Acts 20:28). At that time there were relatively few Gentiles in the church, and so the term was not commonly used in Christian circles. But as more and more Gentiles were saved and the church began to lose its Jewish orientation, the Greek word episkopos was apparently used more frequently to describe those who functioned as elders (see 1 Tim. 3:1).

The New Testament bishop, or overseer, was in a unique leadership role in the church and was specifically responsible for teaching (1 Tim. 3:2), feeding, protecting, and generally nurturing the flock (Acts 20:28). Biblically, there is no difference in the role of an elder and that of a bishop. The two terms refer to the same group of leaders, episkopos emphasizing function and presbuteros emphasizing character.

Poimēn (pastor, or shepherd) is used a number of times in the New Testament, but Ephesians 4:11 is the only place in the King James Version where it is translated “pastor.” Every other time it is translated “shepherd.”

Two of the three times is appears in the epistles, poimēn refers to Christ. Hebrews 13:20-21 is a benediction: “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd [poimōn]) of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will.” First Peter 2:25 says, “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd [poimōn] and Guardian [episkopos] of your souls.”

In Ephesians 4:11, pastor (poimōn) is used with the word teacher. The Greek construction there indicates that the two terms go together, and we might hyphenate them in English as pastor-teacher. The emphasis is on the pastor’s ministry of teaching.

Poimōn, then, emphasizes the pastoral role of caring and feeding, although the concept of leadership is also inherent in the picture of a shepherd. The focus of the term poimōn is on the leader’s attitude. To be qualified as a pastor, a man must have a shepherd’s caring heart.

The word elder is of Old Testament Jewish origin. The primary Hebrew word for elder (zaqen) is used, for example, in Numbers 11:16 and Deuteronomy 27:1 of the seventy tribal leaders who assisted Moses. There it refers to a special category of men who, much like a senate, were set apart for leadership in Israel. Deuteronomy 1:9-18 indicates that these men were charged with responsibility for judging the people, and Moses communicated through them to the people (Ex. 19:7-9; Deut. 31:9). They led the Passover (Ex. 12:21) and perhaps other elements of worship.

Later, the elders of Israel were specifically involved in leadership of cities (1 Sam. 11:3; 16:4; and 30:26). Their function was still decision making—applying wisdom to the lives of the people in resolving conflicts, giving direction, and generally overseeing the details of an orderly society.

The Old Testament refers to them as “elders of the congregation” (Judg. 21:16), “elders of Israel” (1 Sam. 4:3), “elders of the land” (1 Kings 20:7), “elders of Judah” (2 Kings 23:1), and “elders… of each city” (Ezra 10:14). They served as local magistrates and as governors over the tribes (Deut. 16:18; 19:12; 31:28).

Another Hebrew word for elder is sab, used only five times in the Old Testament, all in the book of Ezra, where it refers to the group of Jewish leaders in charge of rebuilding the Temple after the Exile.

The Greek word for elder (presbuteros) is used about seventy times in the New Testament. Like zaqen (which means “aged,” or “bearded”), sab (which means “gray-headed”) and our English word elder, the term presbuteros refers to mature age. In Acts 2:17, Peter quotes Joel 2:28—“And your old men shall dream dreams.” The Hebrew word for “old men” in Joel is zaqen, and the Greek word used in Acts is presbuteros. Used in that sense, elder does not constitute an official title but simply means an older man.

In 1 Timothy 5:2, the feminine form of presbuteros is used to refer to older women, who are there contrasted with younger ones: “[Appeal to] the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.” In that context the term again simply signifies mature age, not an office in the church.

First Peter 5:5 contains a similar usage: “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders.” As in 1 Timothy 5:2, the word is here used to contrast age and youth. In such a context presbuteros is generally understood to mean only “an older person,” not necessarily an officeholder of any kind, and that was the primary meaning of the term in general Greek usage.

In the time of Christ presbuteros was a familiar term. It is used twenty-eight times in the New Testament to refer to a group of ex officio spiritual leaders of Israel. See, for example: “the chief priests and elders” (Matt. 27:3); “the scribes and elders” (27:41); “officers of the temple and elders” (Luke 22:52); and “rulers and elders of the people” (Acts 4:8). In each of those instances, and in every similar usage, presbuteros refers to recognized Jewish religious leaders who were not defined as priests of any kind. Those elders seem to have been members of the Sanhedrin, the highest ruling body in Judaism in Jesus’ time.

Matthew 15:2 and Mark 7:3, 5 use the phrase “tradition(s) of the elders.” There presbuteros refers to an ancestry of leaders who passed down principles governing religious practice. They were the teachers who determined Jewish tradition, and in that sense elder is equivalent to rabbi and may or may not have signified official status.

Presbuteros occurs twelve times in the book of Revelation, each time referring to the twenty-four elders who appear to be unique representatives of the redeemed people of God from all ages.

The New Testament church was initially Jewish, and it was natural that the concept of elder rule was adopted. Elder was the only commonly used Jewish term for leadership that was free of any connotation of either the monarchy or the priesthood. That is significant for the New Testament use of the term, because in the church each believer is a co-regent with Christ and there could therefore be no earthly king. And, unlike national Israel, the church has no specially designated earthly priesthood, because all believers are priests (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6). Therefore, of all the Jewish concepts of leadership, that of elder best transfers to the kind of leadership ordained for the church.

The elders of Israel were mature men, heads of families (Ex. 12:21); able men of strong moral character who feared God and were known for their truthfulness and integrity (Ex. 18:20-21); men full of the Holy Spirit (Num. 11:16-17); capable men of wisdom, discernment, and experience—impartial and courageous men who would intercede, teach, and judge righteously and fairly (Deut. 1:13-17). All those characteristics were involved in the Jewish understanding of presbuteros. The use of that term to describe church leaders likewise emphasizes maturity of spiritual experience, shown in the strength and consistency of moral character.

Presbuteros is used nearly twenty times in Acts and the epistles in reference to a unique group of leaders in the church. From the earliest beginnings of the church it was clear that a group of mature spiritual leaders was designated to have responsibility for the church. The church at Antioch, for example, where believers were first called Christians, sent Barnabas and Saul to the elders at Jerusalem with a gift to be distributed to the needy brethren in Judea (Acts 11:29-30). It is therefore clear both that elders existed in the church at that very early date and that the believers at Antioch recognized their authority.

Since the church at Antioch grew out of the ministry at Jerusalem, elders probably existed there as well. It is likely that Paul himself functioned as an elder at Antioch before he stepped out in the role of apostle. He is listed in Acts 13:1 as one of that church’s teachers. Elders played a dominant role in the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15: 2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4) and they were obviously very influential in the foundational life of the early church.

As Paul and Barnabas began to preach in new areas, and as the church began to extend itself, the process of identifying church leaders became more clearly defined. And throughout the New Testament, as the church developed, leaders were called elders.

In general usage, therefore, elder seems to be the most appropriate term for our day, since it is free of many of the unbiblical connotations and nuances of meaning imposed on bishop and even pastor throughout much of church history.

As early in the biblical narrative as Acts 14, we see that one of the key steps in establishing a new church was to identify and appoint elders for church leadership. “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23).

Nearly every church we know of in the New Testament is specifically said to have elders. We are told, for example, that “from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church” (Acts 20:17). It is significant that the church at Ephesus had elders, because all the churches of Asia Minor—such as those listed in Revelation 1:11—were extensions of the ministry at Ephesus. We can assume that those churches established their leadership after the pattern in Ephesus, namely, that of a plurality of elders.

Peter wrote to the scattered believers in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, … I exhort the elders among you … shepherd the flock of God” (1 Pet. 1:1; 5:1-2). Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia were not cities, but rather territories. Peter was therefore writing to a number of churches scattered all over Asia—all of which had elders.

What is the role of a pastor-teacher? As the apostolic era came to a close, the office of pastor-teacher emerged as the highest level of local church leadership. Thus it carried a great amount of responsibility. Elders were charged with the care and feeding, as well as the spiritual guidance, of the entire church. There was no higher court of appeal, and no greater resource for knowing the mind and heart of God with regard to issues in the church.

First Timothy 3:1 says, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer [episkopos], it is a fine work he desires to do.” In verse 5, Paul says that the work of an episkopos is to “take care of the church of God.” The clear implication is that a bishop’s primary responsibility is that of being caretaker for the church.

That general responsibility involves a number of more specific duties, perhaps the most obvious of which is to oversee the affairs of the local church. First Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor.” The Greek word translated “rule” (proistēmi) is used to speak of the elders’ responsibilities four times in 1 Timothy (3:4, 5, 12; 5:17), once in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 (where it is translated, “have charge over”), and once in Romans 12:8, where ruling is listed as a spiritual gift. Proistēmi literally means “to stand first,” and it speaks of the duty of general oversight common to all elders.

As those who rule in the church, pastoral elders are not subject to any higher earthly authority outside the local assembly. But their authority over the church is not by force or dictatorial power but by precept and example (see Heb. 13:7).

Elders are not to operate by majority rule or vote. If all the elders are guided by the same Spirit and all have the mind of Christ, there should be unanimity in the decisions they make (see 1 Cor. 1:10; cf. Eph. 4:3; Phil. 1:27; 2:2). If there is division, all the elders should study, pray, and seek the will of God together until consensus is reached. Unity and harmony in the church begin with this principle.

With elders lies the responsibility to preach and teach (1 Tim. 5:17). They are to determine doctrinal issues for the church and have the responsibility of proclaiming the truth to the congregation. In listing the spiritual qualifications of the overseer, 1 Timothy 3:2-7 gives only one qualification that relates to a specific function: he must be “able to teach.” All the other qualifications relate to personal character.

Titus 1:7-9 also emphasizes the significance of the elder’s responsibility as a teacher: “For the overseer must… be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” The threat of false teachers in the church was already so great that a key qualification for leadership was the ability to understand and teach sound doctrine. “Exhort” in that verse is the Greek parakaleō, which literally means “to call near.” From its uses in the New Testament, we see that the ministry of exhortation has several elements. It involves persuasion (Acts 2:14; 14:22; Titus 1:9), pleading (2 Cor. 8:17), comforting (1 Thess. 2:11), encouraging (1 Thess. 4:1), and patient reiterating of important doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2).

Elders are to be a resource for those who seek partnership in prayer. James wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” Games 5:14).

From Acts 20:28 we learn that another function of an elder is shepherding: “Be on guard for yourselves and for the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God.” Involved in the concept of shepherding are the twin responsibilities of feeding and protecting the flock. Verses 29-30 reemphasize the fact that the protecting ministry of the overseer is essential for countering the threat of false teachers.

The elder acts as a caring and loving shepherd over the flock, but never in Scripture is a congregation spoken of as “his flock” or “your flock.” Believers are the “flock of God” (1 Pet. 5:2), and the elder is merely a steward and caretaker for those precious possessions of God.

As spiritual overseers of the church, teaching shepherds are to determine church polity (Acts 15:22); to oversee (Acts 20:28); to ordain others (1 Tim. 4:14); to rule, teach, and preach (1 Tim. 5:17); to exhort and refute (Titus 1:9); and to act as shepherds, setting an example for all (1 Pet. 5:1-3). Those responsibilities put elders at the core of the work of the New Testament church. (For further study regarding elders, see the author’s book, Answering the Key Questions About Elders [Panorama City, CA: Word of Grace Communications, 1984].)

Every believer today is indebted directly or indirectly to these specially gifted men God has given to His church. Through their preaching, teaching, writing, exhortation, and other ministries, they lead the lost to Christ, enrich our knowledge of God and His Word, and encourage us “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called” (4:1). They are “worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). “Obey your leaders, and submit to them,” the writer of Hebrews tells us, “for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).

All of the gifts that Christ gives to individuals and to the church as a whole are gifts which He Himself perfectly exemplified. If ever there was a preacher it was Christ, if ever there was a teacher, ruler, administrator, servant, helper, or giver it was Christ. He is the perfect illustration and example of every gift, because His gifts to us are gracious gifts of Himself.