Ephesians 4:11 - Exposition

And he gave some (to be) apostles. Coming back to the diversity of gifts ( Ephesians 4:7 ), He enumerates some of these, as Christ ( αὐτὸς , he , emphatic) bestowed them. The organization of the Church is not a mere human arrangement; its officers are of Divine appointment. The first gift is, his apostles. It is not meant that he gave to some the gifts needed to constitute them apostles, though that is true; but that, having qualified some to be apostles, he gave them to the Church. An apostle had his commission direct from Christ ( Matthew 10:5 ); he possessed supernatural gifts ( Matthew 10:8 ); it was necessary for him to have seen the Lord ( Acts 1:22 ); his diocese was the whole world. The apostles were the constituent body of the Church—they had all necessary gifts for setting it up, and as all Christian history has testified, they were a marvelous gift of Christ to his Church. And some, prophets. Next to the apostles in point of value, as gifts to the Church, having supernatural knowledge of God's will present and future ( Acts 21:11 ). Prophets were indispensable before the New Testament was given as the Church's infallible guide to the will of God, but not apparently necessary after the will of God was fully recorded. And some, evangelists. The nature of this office is known only from the meaning of the term and the work of those who bore the designation ( Acts 21:8 ; 2 Timothy 4:5 )—persons not attached to a particular congregation, but who went about preaching the glad tidings, and otherwise building up the Church, but without the full powers of apostles. And some, pastors and teachers. The more ordinary settled ministers of congregations, called pastors, because they watched over the flock, trying to lead all in right ways; and teachers, because they communicated Divine knowledge. Some have thought that each expression denotes a separate office, but, coupled as they are together, it is better to regard them as indicating two functions of one office (see 1 Timothy 5:17 ; Acts 13:1 ).