Ephesians 4.12-The Purpose of Jesus Christ Giving the Gifts of Apostleship, Prophecy and Teaching
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday February 13, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:12-The Purpose of Jesus Christ Giving the Gifts of Apostleship, Prophecy and Teaching
Lesson # 228
Ephesians 4:7 Now, however, to each one of us grace was given corresponding to the incomparable Christ’s proportionate gracious giving. 8 Therefore, it says, “When he ascended to the highest place, he captured captives. He generously gave gifts to certain members of the human race.” 9 In other words, what is the meaning of the statement, “he ascended?” Namely that, he also descended into the lower regions, which are part of the earth? 10 He, the very one who has descended is the one who also has ascended above each and every one of the heavens in order that He would enter into the state of bringing to completion each and every animate and inanimate object. 11 Therefore, on the one hand, He Himself generously gave some to be apostles but on other hand, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, specifically, teachers 12 for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:12 is composed of three prepositional phrases:
(1) pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn (πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων), “for the purpose of equipping the saints” (Author’s translation)
(2) eis ergon diakonias (εἰς ἔργον διακονίας), “for performing the work of service” (Author’s translation)
(3) eis oikodomēn tou sōmatos tou Christou (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ), “in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body” (Author’s translation).
Now, these three prepositional phrases have presented great difficulties for expositors over the years with regards to the syntactical relationship between them.
I believe these prepositional phrases as presenting a progression with one building upon the other.
The first prepositional phrase pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn (πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων), “for the purpose of equipping the saints” (Author’s translation) presents the purpose of the action of the third person singular aorist passive indicative conjugation of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι), which appears in Ephesians 4:11.
This would indicate that the first prepositional phrase presents the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ giving spiritual gifts to certain members of the body of Christ.
The second prepositional phrase eis ergon diakonias (εἰς ἔργον διακονίας), “for performing the work of service” (Author’s translation) presents the purpose of the action of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι) in verse 11 and the first prepositional phrase.
Lastly, the third prepositional phrase eis oikodomēn tou sōmatos tou Christou (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ), “in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body” (Author’s translation) presents the purpose of the action of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι) in verse 11 and the first two prepositional phrases here in Ephesians 4:12, which preceded it.
Therefore, the following is the progression of the action of this verb didōmi (δίδωμι) in verse 11 and these three prepositional phrases in verse 12.
First, the Lord Jesus Christ generously gave the spiritual gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching to certain men in the body of Christ at the moment of justification through the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of equipping the saints.
Secondly, the Lord generously gave the spiritual gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching for the purpose of equipping the saints for these saints being able to perform the work of service.
Lastly, the Lord generously gave the spiritual gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order that ultimately they would have the capacity to build each other up.
Thus, the work of equipping the members of the body of Christ is the sole responsibility of the apostles, prophets and teachers.
However, the work of the ministry and building up the body of Christ is the responsibility of every believer.
Notice, that the function of the gift of teaching equips the members of the body of Christ to use their gifts, which is not only made clear in the second prepositional phrase but also in the third prepositional phrase.
Just as the work of service speaks of believers using their gifts to serve each other, so the building up of the body of Christ is to be accomplished by the members of the body of Christ employing their gifts to serve each other.
Thus, Paul is teaching in these two verses that those who possess the gift of apostleship, prophecy and teaching are not the only ones in the body of Christ who possesses a spiritual gift, which they are to employ to minister to their fellow believer, because all believers have been given a spiritual gift at the moment of justification through the omnipotence of the Spirit.
Like those who possess the gift of apostleship, prophecy and teaching, every believer is gifted and is required to employ their gift in order to build up spiritually their fellow members of the body of Christ. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 4:16.
Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love. (NET)
However, Paul also teaches in Ephesians 4:11-16 that the function of these communication gifts were essential in order for the other gifts to function.
It is important for the reader to understand that in Ephesians 4:12, the gift of evangelism is not related to these three prepositional phrases in this verse.
This is clearly indicated by the fact that the gift of evangelism was given to evangelize the non-Christian and for the numerical growth of the body of Christ.
In other words, the function of this gift would add to the numerical growth of the Christian community.
Secondly, these three prepositional phrases are all related to those who are already members of the body of Christ.
The first prepositional phrase speaks of equipping the saints, which is a clear reference to believers.
The second is the work of service, which is on behalf of the Christian community.
The third is building up the body of Christ, which is again a clear reference to the Christian community.
Lastly, the contents of Ephesians 4:11-16 addresses the spiritual growth of the body of Christ and not its numerical growth.
Furthermore, one must remember that the gift of apostleship is no longer extant since the death of the last apostle John in approximately 98 A.D.
Also, the gift of prophecy is no longer extant as well because of the completion of the New Testament canon in approximately 96-98 A.D. when John penned the book of Revelation.
Therefore, since the death of John and the completion of the book of Revelation, only the gift of teaching has been used by the Holy Spirit to equip the saints spiritually for performing the work of service and to build up spiritually the members of Christ’s body.
Thus, the gift of teaching is the only extant communication gift since the end of the first century A.D.
It is also the most important gift because without the function of this gift, the other gifts cannot function because the function of the gift of teaching is employed by the Holy Spirit to provide spiritual nourishment and capacity to function in one’s gift.
The Holy Spirit reveals the Father’s will to the church age believer through the communication of the Word of God by the man with the gift of teaching.
Through the communication of the Word of God by the man with the gift of teaching, the Holy Spirit communicates the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’s love for the believer, which was manifested in time when the Father sent His Son to the cross to suffer His wrath for the believer and non-believer.
Through the communication of the Word of God by the man with the gift of teaching, the Holy Spirit also communicates the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’s love for the believer.
This was manifested in time when the Father through the Holy Spirit placed them in union with His Son and identified them with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
Also, through the communication of the Word of God by the man with the gift of teaching, the Holy Spirit communicates the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one another as He has loved the believer.
Therefore, by the Holy Spirit communicating the Father and the Son’s love for the believer before and after their justification through the communication of the Word of God by the man with the gift of teaching, the believer receives the capacity to function in their gift.
This is indicated by the fact that all spiritual gifts function through the practice of the Lord’s command to love one another.
Secondly, the believer receives the capacity to obey this command by exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching concerning the Father and the Son’s love for them, which is received by the believer through the communication of the Spirit inspired Scriptures by the man with the gift of teaching.
