The New Testament mentions a wide variety of leaders in the church:
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, bishops, elders and
deacons. What are these offices? Are they commanded for the church
today? Let's examine the evidence. We'll begin with the titles given in
Eph. 4:11.
Apostles
Doesn't everyone know what an apostle is? Isn't that the highest rank
of church leadership? That may be how the word is sometimes used, but
the word had a different meaning before the church existed. It
originally meant "one who has been sent" — an ambassador or
representative. This general meaning is seen in some New Testament uses.
Jesus used the word in a general sense when he said that a "messenger" is not greater than the one who sends him (
John 13:16). Similarly, Paul referred to some apostles whose names were not given; the NIV calls them "representatives" (
2 Cor. 8:23). That was the general function of an
apostolos. When Paul called Epaphroditus an
apostolos,he may have meant simply that Epaphroditus was a messenger of the church at Philippi (
Phil. 2:25).
Jesus, who was sent by the Father, was an apostle (
Heb. 3:1). The 12 disciples, who were sent by Jesus, were also apostles (
Mark 3:14,
etc.). The disciples are not in the same category of authority as
Jesus, but the same Greek word is used. Barnabas and Paul were also sent
out, and they were called apostles (
Acts 14:4,
14).
The 12 disciples and Paul used the term
apostolos as the name of their leadership office in the church (
Acts 15:23;
Rom. 11:13;
Gal. 1:1; etc.). Authority came with the sending — a messenger sent by Jesus Christ had an authoritative understanding of that message.
James may have been an apostle, too — in one verse he is distinguished from the apostles, and in another he is included (
1 Cor. 15:7;
Gal. 1:19). Similarly, Timothy is excluded sometimes (
2 Cor. 1:1;
Col. 1:1) and included once (
1 Thess. 2:6) — but in this latter verse Paul may have been using the term in a general sense of messenger or representative.
The reference in
Rom. 16:7
is debated. Some say that Andronicus and Junias (or Junia)1 were
apostles; others say that the verse simply means they were esteemed
highly by the apostles. Even if they were apostles, however, it is
likely that they were messengers rather than having a permanent position
of authority in the church. (If they were apostles in the same sense
that Paul was, it is odd that we know almost nothing about them, either
from the Bible or from church history.)
Some people falsely claimed to be apostles (
2 Cor. 11:13;
Rev. 2:2). Paul facetiously called them "super-apostles" (
2 Cor. 11:5;
12:11). Although he was the least of the apostles, he was not inferior to the self-proclaimed apostles (
1 Cor. 15:9).
God appointed some people to be apostles (
1 Cor. 12:28;
Eph. 4:11). This was part of the foundation of the church (
Eph. 2:20;
3:5).
What role did apostles have in the church? The Twelve and Paul were
instrumental in beginning the church. Soon after Jesus had ascended to
heaven, the disciples said that a requirement for their "apostolic
ministry" was to have been with Jesus during his ministry (
Acts 1:21-25).
These apostles not only preached, but also exercised some
administrative leadership. They laid hands on deacons whom the people
had chosen (
Acts 6:6) and they made decisions with the elders (
Acts 15:22).
Paul mentioned some of his qualifications to be considered an apostle: seeing the Lord and raising up churches (
1 Cor. 9:1).
His converts were the "seal" of his apostleship — evidence that he had
been sent, at least to them (v. 2). He noted characteristics that marked
an apostle: "signs, wonders and miracles" (
2 Cor. 12:12).
An apostle preaches the gospel as a faithful messenger of the Lord. He
is an official representative of Jesus Christ, more exclusive and
authoritative than elders.
Prophets
Isn't a prophet somebody who predicts the future? That may be one
meaning of the word, but that's not the only way the word is used. When
the Samaritan woman perceived that Jesus was a prophet (
John 4:19),
it was not because of a prediction about the future, but because of a
revelation about the past and present. When the guards told Jesus to
prophesy (
Matt. 26:68), they were asking for a revelation about the present, not the future.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus made some predictions about the future.
But even before that, the people considered him a prophet (
Matt. 21:11). It was because of his teaching and his miracles (
Luke 7:16;
24:19;
John 6:14;
7:40;
9:17). Moses had predicted such a prophet — "a prophet like me" (
Acts 3:22-23)
— and Moses was known much more for teaching than for prediction. Jesus
was a prophet like Moses, speaking the words of God. The role of a
prophet might include predicting the future, but it didn't necessarily
require predictions.
God appoints prophets in the church (
1 Cor. 12:28;
Eph. 4:11). In the early church, some prophets made predictions (
Acts 11:27;
21:10). Others served in encouraging and strengthening (
Acts 15:32). In Antioch, they worked with teachers (
Acts 13:1). Philip's four daughters prophesied (
Acts 21:9). Paul referred to a prophetic message that accompanied Timothy's ordination (
1 Tim. 1:18;
4:14).
On the Day of Pentecost, when people spoke in tongues, Peter said it fulfilled a scripture about men and women prophesying (
Acts 2:17-18; cf.
Acts 19:6). God was causing them to speak.
Paul listed prophecy as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (
1 Cor. 11:5). A prophet is "spiritually gifted" (
1 Cor. 14:37).
Paul urged the Corinthians to desire the gift of prophecy (vv. 1, 39) —
but, judging by the way that Paul used the word, this rarely means
predicting the future. "Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their
strengthening, encouragement and comfort.... He who prophesies edifies
the church" (
1 Cor. 14:3-4). Prophecy is also for instruction (v. 31). God inspires prophetic messages to build and help the church.
Prophecy, although a very helpful gift, has its limitations. "We know in part and we prophesy in part" (
1 Cor. 13:9).
Prophecies will cease (v. 8). Love is much more important (v. 2). Every
Christian should love, but not every Christian has the gift of
prophecy. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us" (
Rom. 12:6).
Paul gave some instructions about how prophetic speaking should be
done decently and in order. In keeping with social custom, women were
told to cover their heads when prophesying, and men were told they
should not (
1 Cor. 11:4-5). Instead of everyone speaking at once, people should take turns (
1 Cor. 14:29-31).
If God inspires a second person to speak, the first person should be
silent (v. 30). The result of such prophecies would then be "that
everyone may be instructed and encouraged" (v. 31).
In summary, prophets help the church by comforting, edifying,
encouraging, instructing, strengthening and sometimes by predicting.
Evangelists
Some people use "evangelist" as an administrative rank, but Paul was probably not describing a church-government hierarchy in
Eph. 4:11.
Although the apostles had more authority than prophets did, Paul does
not use this verse to say that. He does not say that prophets had
authority over evangelists, or that evangelists had authority over
pastors and teachers. He is not prescribing a hierarchy.
Paul seems to be concerned with order only in
1 Cor. 12:28,
where he numbers the first three gifts: "first of all apostles, second
prophets, third teachers." However, we do not have any evidence that
prophets exercised any administrative authority over anyone — and the
category of evangelist is not even mentioned in this verse.
In most of Paul's lists of spiritual gifts (
Rom. 12:6-8;
1 Cor. 12:8-10),
he does not seem to be concerned about which gift is most important.
Even in v. 28, after the first three gifts are numbered, Paul does not
seem to attempt to rank the gifts. Indeed, he seems to argue against
that idea, saying that one's gift doesn't make anyone more important
than others. Every gift is given for the common good; every person
should use his or her gift to serve others. In
Eph. 4:11,
Paul is simply saying that Christ puts all these types of leaders in
his church for the same reason: to equip the saints for the work of
ministry.
We still need to ask, what is an evangelist? The New Testament uses
the word only three times, which in itself suggests that the word is not
a formal title in the church. Philip was called an evangelist (
Acts 21:8). That means he did evangelism — he preached the
euangelion, the gospel (e.g.,
Acts 8:5-40). But there is no evidence that he had any administrative authority.
Paul exhorted Timothy to "keep your head in all situations, endure
hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your
ministry" (
2 Tim. 4:5).
Paul was not conferring a formal title on Timothy — nor is there
evidence that Timothy ever had a formal title like that. Paul was simply
listing things for him to do.
"The work of an evangelist" was evangelism — preaching the gospel. A
deacon such as Philip could do the work of an evangelist; so could an
apostle, such as Paul, or a pastor, such as Timothy. Paul said "do the
work of an evangelist" as a way of exhorting Timothy to do evangelism.
In
Eph. 4:11,
Paul says that God gives evangelists to the church. God gives us people
who can preach the gospel with extra effectiveness. People gifted at
evangelism do not have to be ordained or given any administrative
authority. Ordination and administration involve other gifts, which may
or may not be present in someone with the gift of evangelizing. In fact,
if administrative duties are assigned to people who do not have a gift
for handling them, then those duties would decrease their ability to use
their true gifts.
Pastors
The word
pastor appears only once in the NIV (
Eph. 4:11). The Greek word is usually translated "shepherd."
Luke 2:8
uses the word in its literal meaning: "There were shepherds living out
in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."
Shepherds take care of sheep.
"Shepherd" is often used metaphorically for spiritual leadership. Jesus considered himself a good shepherd (
John 10:11-14). The people were "like sheep without a shepherd" (
Matt. 9:36). His own disciples were "sheep of the flock" (
Matt. 26:31;
Luke 12:32) — but Jesus had other sheep, too (
John 10:16). He is the great shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture (
Heb. 13:20;
1 Pet. 2:25).
Jesus, using the verb for shepherding, told Peter to "take care of" his sheep (
John 21:16).
Paul told the Ephesian elders that the Holy Spirit had made them
overseers of a flock; he exhorted them to shepherd the church (
Acts 20:28). Peter also told elders to shepherd the flock, serving as overseers (
1 Pet. 5:2).
Lifetime or Temporary?
Christians sometimes view the pastoral ministry as a lifetime
calling. This is not necessarily true; there is no verse that requires
it. God calls every member to serve, but the way in which he wants us to
serve may change through the years. God may call a person to serve as a
pastor for several years, to serve as a professor for a few more years
and then to serve as a business manager for a while. He might serve as a
pastoral supervisor, and then as an assistant pastor a few years later,
depending on the needs of the church and changes in the person's
family, health or other personal circumstances. He might serve as a
full-time employee or as a self-employed or retired elder.
Due to changing circumstances in their lives, pastors may resign from
the pastoral role entirely, depending on what they understand God to be
calling them to do. They may need to minister (serve) as laypersons
rather than as elders. People who see leadership solely in terms of
authority might view this as a demotion, but when ministry is seen in
terms of service, a resignation might be seen as a spiritually mature
response to God's call to serve in a new way.
On the other hand, a resignation could also be a refusal to serve in
the way that God wants. Ministers must make their own decisions, without
peer pressure or fear of criticism.
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How should pastors "shepherd" their flocks? The verb has a range of
meanings. On one end of the spectrum, it can mean to rule with great
power, as Christ will upon his return (
Rev. 2:27;
12:5;
19:15). Christ "will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats" (
Matt. 25:32). Some will go to destruction, and others to eternal life.
However, Christ will also be a shepherd of great gentleness: "The
Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd [note the irony
of a lamb being the shepherd]; he will lead them to springs of living
water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Church pastors are told to imitate Jesus' gentle style: Serve
willingly, Peter admonishes, "not greedy for money, but eager to serve;
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the
flock" (
1 Pet. 5:2-3). This is the kind of leaders Christ wants in his church. "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (
John 10:11). "Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all" (
Matt. 20:27;
Mark 10:44).
We will say more about pastors below.
Teachers
Jesus is the perfect example of every category of church leader. He
is an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a shepherd, an overseer, a
servant and a teacher. He called himself a teacher, his disciples called
him teacher, the crowds called him teacher, even his enemies called him
teacher. "Teacher" is the Greek equivalent of "Rabbi" (
John 1:38;
20:16).
One of Jesus' chief activities was teaching. He taught not only his
disciples, but also the crowds — in the temple, in synagogues, in towns
and villages, on mountains and at the lakeside. "I have spoken openly to
the world," Jesus said. "I always taught in synagogues or at the
temple" (
John 18:20).
Jesus commanded his disciples to teach (
Matt. 28:20),
and they did. "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to
house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that
Jesus is the Christ" (
Acts 5:42). Paul taught in Ephesus "publicly and from house to house" (
Acts 20:20). He called himself a teacher, and he told Timothy to teach (
1 Tim. 2:7;
4:11-13;
2 Tim. 1:11;
4:2).
Paul told the Colossians to teach one another (
Col. 3:16). People who have been in the church a long time should be able to teach (
Heb. 5:12). If they have a gift for teaching, they should teach (
Rom. 12:7). Although every member may teach, not everyone has the position of "teacher" (
1 Cor. 12:29).
James warns us, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers...
because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (
Jam. 3:1). God appoints teachers in the church (
1 Cor. 12:28); he gives teachers to equip the saints (
Eph. 4:11).2
The Holy Spirit teaches (
Luke 12:12;
John 14:26;
1 Cor. 2:13;
1 John 2:27). Scripture teaches (
Rom. 15:4;
2 Tim. 3:16). Overseers should be able to teach (
1 Tim. 3:2). Paul warned Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine [teaching] closely" (
1 Tim. 4:16).
We are frequently warned about false teachers and false teachings.
Jesus warned about the teachings of the Pharisees; later, some of them
taught that gentiles had to be circumcised (
Acts 15:1). John warned about idolatrous and immoral teachings (
Rev. 2:14-15;
2:20-24). Keep away from false teachers, Paul warned (
Rom. 16:17). "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him" (
2 John 10).
Using the word for "teaching," Paul warned about "every wind of
doctrine," "human commands and teachings," and "things taught by demons"
(
Eph. 4:14;
Col. 2:22;
1 Tim. 4:1).
"The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great
number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (
2 Tim. 4:3). "Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings" (
Heb. 13:9).
What should be taught? The way of God (
Matt. 22:16). Obedience to Jesus' commands (
Matt. 28:20). The word of God (
Acts 18:11). The Lord Jesus Christ (
Acts 13:12;
18:25;
28:31). A way of life in Christ Jesus (
1 Cor. 4:17). The teachings given by Paul (
2 Thess. 2:15;
2 Tim. 2:2). The elementary truths of God's word (
Heb. 5:12). Specific doctrines (
Heb. 6:2). The true faith (
1 Tim. 2:7). The truths of the faith (
1 Tim. 4:6). The gospel (
2 Tim. 1:11). "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (
Tit. 2:1).
Teachers play an important role in the church. As a simplification,
evangelists bring people into the church, and teachers build on that
foundation to enable members in the church to minister according to
their spiritual gifts. Of course, the categories overlap — evangelism
frequently includes teaching (as seen in the ministry of Jesus and the
sermons in Acts), and teaching must include the gospel — but in general,
evangelism is targeted at nonmembers, and teaching is targeted at
members.
That concludes our survey of the terms found in
Eph. 4:11. We will now look at bishops, elders and deacons.
Bishops
In many denominations, a bishop is a person who supervises all the
churches in a region. The bishop often leads the largest congregation in
the largest city in the region. Hierarchical churches (Eastern
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, etc.) assign a bishop to
each region to have administrative authority over the pastors and
churches in that region. Each city or region has only one bishop.
However, the New Testament does not reveal this particular structure.
There was more than one bishop (NIV: overseer) in Ephesus, and more
than one in Philippi (
Acts 20:28;
Phil. 1:1). Near Ephesus, Paul sent for the elders, called them all bishops, and told them to be pastors of the church (
Acts 20:28). In Philippi, Paul greeted the bishops and deacons without mentioning pastors or elders (
Phil. 1:1). This suggests that bishop, pastor and elder are overlapping terms.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he listed qualifications for a bishop (
1 Tim. 3:2) but not for an elder, even though Ephesus had elders (
1 Tim. 5:17), and presumably Timothy would ordain elders. Paul left Titus on Crete to ordain elders (
Tit. 1:5). The qualifications for elders are brief (
Tit. 1:6)
and blend right into qualifications for bishops (vs. 7-9). It seems
that, although Paul used a different term in v. 7, he was talking about
the same type of church leader as in v. 6. Why would Paul tell Titus
about the qualifications of a bishop if Titus' only commission was to
ordain elders? This again suggests that bishop is another name for an
elder.
Although the terms bishop, elder and pastor may have suggested
slightly different leadership functions, there was a great deal of
overlap in these titles. The difference, if any, between such functions
was never spelled out. Paul does not seem to be concerned about what the
leaders were called, and he does not detail what they did.
In the original hierarchy, Paul was over Titus and Timothy, and they
had authority over the elders, who had some authority over other
members. A similar hierarchy exists in some denominations today, with
denominational leaders providing supervision over pastors, and pastors
supervising elders in the churches. This provides accountability at all
levels.
Just as pastor is a functional title, describing the shepherding role
that church leaders have, bishop is also a functional title. The Greek
word is
episkopos,3 which comes from the words
epi (over) and
skopeo (see). A bishop is an overseer, a supervisor, someone who watches over others (
Acts 20:28).
This implies both care and authority. A shepherd watches over the
sheep. Jesus Christ is both "Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" (
1 Pet. 2:25). Peter told elders to be shepherds, "serving as overseers" (
1 Pet. 5:1-2). Again, we see that the three titles overlap.
What do overseers do? Judging by the qualifications, they must set a good example, both inside the church (
1 Pet. 5:2-3) and in society (
1 Tim. 3:7).
Since they must be able to teach (v. 2), teaching must be one of their
functions. They must take care of the church in much the same way that
they manage a family (
1 Tim. 3:4-5). They are "entrusted with God's work" (
Tit. 1:7).
They should "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who
oppose it" (v. 9). They must teach, rule, encourage and refute (cf.
2 Tim. 4:2). "Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task" (
1 Tim. 3:1).
Elders
"Elder" is the most common translation of
presbyteros, which means "older one." The prodigal son's older brother was a
presbyteros, "the older one" (
Luke 15:25). Patriarchs and prophets were
presbyteroi, which the NIV translates as "ancients" (
Heb. 11:2). The 24 elders in heaven are also
presbyteroi (
Rev. 4:4, etc.). Jewish religious leaders were often called elders. The word was used within the Christian community, too (
Acts 11:30;
15:2, etc.). Peter and John called themselves elders (
1 Pet. 5:1;
2 John 1;
3 John 1).
Since
presbyteros can refer to an older man or to a church leader, we have to look at the context to see which is meant. Since
1 Tim. 5:1-2 deals with younger men, older women and younger women, it appears that
presbyteroi in verse 1 refers to older men, not to church leaders.
Tit. 2:2-3
also seems to be about older men and older women. They need to be
taught basic things that church leaders should already know. Verses 4-6
then address younger women and younger men, so the context shows that
Paul is dealing with older men as an age group, not church leaders.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each of the churches they founded (
Acts 14:23). Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every town in Crete (
Tit. 1:5). In both cases, the churches were young and probably small. Nevertheless, more than one elder was appointed in each church.
In Jerusalem, the elders seem to have had a ruling function in conjunction with the apostles (
Acts 15:6,
22-23;
16:4;
21:18),
just as the Jewish elders had a ruling function when they met as the
Sanhedrin. Paul referred to "the elders who direct the affairs of the
church" (
1 Tim. 5:17).
What does it mean to "direct" the church? The Greek word is
proistemi,
which literally means "to stand before." This word is used to say that
elders and deacons should "manage" their own households (
1 Tim. 3:4-5,
12), which should be done with self-sacrificial love. The NIV translates this word "leadership" in
Rom. 12:8.
1 Tim. 5:17
tells us that elders helped direct the church, but only some of the
elders were preachers and teachers. All preachers4 were elders, but not
all elders were preachers.
The extent and limits of elders' authority is not spelled out in the
New Testament, but it is clear that they do have authority. Members are
told, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority,
because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do
this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden" (
Heb. 13:17).
"Respect those...who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work" (
1 Thess. 5:12). "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor" (
1 Tim. 5:17).
Because elders have a leadership position, they sometimes become the
object of a disgruntled person's anger. For that reason, Paul told
Timothy, "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is
brought by two or three witnesses" (
1 Tim. 5:19).
But if the accusation is true, it must be dealt with publicly: "Those
who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning"
(v. 20).
Although elders have authority that should be obeyed, they should not
use their authority for self-service. Peter told them to serve "as
overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God
wants you to be not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it
over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (
1 Pet. 5:2-3). Like overseers and pastors, they are to take care of the flock (
1 Tim. 3:5). They anoint the sick and pray for healing (
Jas. 5:14). They "watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (
Heb. 13:17, NKJV).
However, many of the functions of elders are not restricted to
elders. The New Testament tells members to serve one another, teach
other another, instruct one another, edify one another, admonish one
another and submit to one another. The elders serve in all these areas
to build others up, teach right doctrines, promote spiritual maturity
and equip the saints for works of ministry. Elders preach and direct the
church with concern for the spiritual well-being of the members; they
work to bring out the most in the other members.
Deacons
The word
diakonos means "assistant" — someone who works to
help others. The word is used in a general sense to describe apostles,
preachers, servants and other workers. It is apparently used in a more
specialized meaning in
Phil. 1:1 and
1 Tim. 3:8-13 to denote an office in the church.
The word
diakonos and the verb
diakoneo often mean manual labor.
1 Pet. 4:11-12 makes a contrast between those who serve by speaking and those who serve (
diakoneo). Those who have been given a gift of (manual) ministry (
diakonia) should use that gift (
Rom. 12:7). The seven men of
Acts 6:3 have often been understood as deacons, because they served by
diakoneo — waiting on tables (v. 2). Physical service has traditionally formed the core of the duties of a deacon.
We are given a list of qualifications for deacons, but not a list of their duties. The qualifications suggest that deacons
may have had some teaching and ruling functions. "They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith" (
1 Tim. 3:9).
This concern for doctrinal accuracy may have simply been part of the
concern for a good example (v. 8), but it may also suggest that deacons
helped teach.
Deacons must manage their children and households well (v. 12). The
same qualification was given for bishops in v. 4, with the explanation
given that bishops must manage the church (v. 5). If the same rationale
applies to deacons, it implies that deacons helped direct the church.
However, the New Testament does not mandate the specific duties of
deacons. The church today is free to assign duties based on current
needs.
Summary
The New Testament church had various leaders, who served members
through the word and through physical services. Speaking ministries
include preaching, teaching, instructing, edifying and admonishing.
Physical ministries included food distribution and other internal needs
of the church. Leaders also had a role in directing or managing the
church, and they were to be obeyed and respected.
All service, whether in speaking, serving or decision-making, should
be done for the benefit of those being served. God puts people in the
body as he wishes, all for the common good. He has given the church
leadership roles to help the church function in its upward, outward and
inward responsibilities.
Eph. 4:11-16 gives an overview:
- "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some
to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers" — God has given
various leaders to the church.
- "To prepare God's people for works of service" — leaders exist to
prepare God's people for serving others. Leaders inform, encourage,
train and organize to bring out the most in others.
- "So that the body of Christ may be built up" — the result of this is
that the church is built up. Works of service help build and unify the
church.
- "Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the
Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ" — this process continues until the church reaches
maturity, which means unity in faith and the knowledge of Christ, as
measured by the standard of Christ himself. Although the goal is never
attained in this life, it is still the goal the church is working
toward.
- "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the
waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the
cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" — maturity in
Christ gives us doctrinal stability.
- "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up
into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" — maturity in Christ comes
from combining doctrinal accuracy with love.
- "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part
does its work" — it is from Christ that the church grows, and the church
is held together by its members, who work together in love to build the
church. Church growth comes as each member does his or her work of
service, everyone according to the needs of the church, the place in the
body God has given them, and the spiritual gifts he has given them.
In short, leaders and laity work together for the same purpose: maturity in Christ.
Endnotes
1 The form of the word that Paul used most likely came from
Junia, a woman's name.
2 The Greek construction in
Eph. 4:11 implies that
pastors and
teachers
are two descriptors of the same people. There is one article for
apostles, one for prophets, one for evangelists, and only one for
"pastors and teachers." One of the primary functions of a pastor is
teaching. We see in
Acts 20:28 and
1 Pet. 5:2 that pastors are overseers, and we see from
1 Tim. 3:2 that overseers must be "able to teach." The titles overlap.
3 As the word moved from Greek to Latin to English, it was changed to
episcopus, then
biscopus, then
biscop and then
bishop.
4 Paul here seems to equate preachers and teachers. In
Eph. 4:11,
he seems to equate pastors and teachers. He also seems to equate
pastors with bishops. Although different gifts may be involved, the
gifts often overlap. Paul does not seem to use any one title
consistently.
