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NASB | Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:11 And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], |
Bible Question:
Dear Ray V.H. I agree with you that every believer is called to participate in the church. There are no 'spectators.' However, God used Paul to tell us about a specific 5-fold gift (ministry) and I think your 'why?...' was correct. There are, indeed, several other ministries and helps and talents listed throughout the New Testament, and each has purpose and validity, and each is necessary to equip the church. I am not sure what you meant by, "...everything has been done already..." When each member of the body is functioning in his-her appointed gift, then everything will be done? My question, however, was a bit more specific. We have a list of 5 gifts, and I have been told by several colleagues that 2 of them are no longer valid in a contemporary sense. (Actually, I've been told a lot more than that! :-) But no one has made mention of the last 3 gifts. If the first two are gone, are the last three as well? Do we no longer have evangelists, pastors and teachers? In Christ Jesus. charis |
Bible Answer: Dear charis, I just wrote in another tree I guess and said that I thought in essence that the "as" in Ephesians should not have been inserted. In other words, the church is already equipped by the words written by the apostles, the word of God. I just read Ephesians 3:4 where it says,"By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;..." I would say that we have the word of God and we don't need any new revelations. When you read you can understand. If you read the word, and know Him, you will be used. Eph. 5:8 "... for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the (Lord); walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." |