Ephesians 4:11-13
“Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” – Matthew 9:35-38 NLT “like sheep without a shepherd” – Mark 6:34 1 Kings 22:17 Ezekiel 34:5 Zechariah 10:2
Jesus to Peter, “Feed my sheep / Shepherd my sheep.” – John 21:15-17 CSB
Jesus loves us. Jesus gives us gifts. Spiritual gifts given by Jesus, not to be limited (There is no prescribed formula or “gift mix” for any particular office, as God uses different people in different ways in each of these five ministries Christ has given.), not to be confused with gifts given by Father God listed in Romans 12:6-8, or gifts given by God the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.
“And he (Jesus) himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.” – Ephesians 4:11-13 CSB
Ephesians 4:11-13 with context of Ephesians 4:1-16.
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Teachers: Jesus’ agape love = motivation and evaluation.
A person who functions in a particular way for the purpose:
“Jesus gives some a gift for ___ and equipping each of us to be active in ___.”
Equipping – making, preparing, training, perfecting, making fully qualified for service, (in classical language the word was used to describe setting a bone during surgery – The Great Physician is now making all the necessary adjustments so the church will not be “out of joint”)
Shepherds – one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation “pastor or minister”
Pastors – Care-giving leadership
Shepherd understanding from: Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34, Luke 2:8-20, John 10:7-18, Luke 15:4-7, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:1-5, Acts 20:28,
“In Ephesians 4:11 there are four classes of person, not five, for the last class involves two complementary roles, pastor and teacher, in other words, to guide and help a congregation as well as to teach.” – Louw & Nida Greek – English Lexicon
Teachers – feeders
Teacher – one who explains or shows how to do something, one who provides/imparts instruction,
70 times Jesus is referred to as a teacher. “You have one Teacher…one Instructor, the Messiah.” – Jesus in Matthew 23:8-10 CSB (teaching disciples humility when they lead, in contrast to the Pharisees)
Biblical – a spiritual leader who explains God’s Word, guides believers into spiritual maturity, equips them for ministry, and models Christ-likeness, acting as a conduit for divine truth to build up the church and lead people to obedience and worship. This role involves diligent study, sound doctrine, discipleship, and fostering growth.
In the New Testament, this includes the apostles, Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla, Aquila, and Timothy.
Paul – 1 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 1:11 Teachers recognized in Antioch, Acts 13:1.
Elders/pastors are required to be able to teach the local church, in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:9.
How would we describe the pastor-teachers mentioned in Ephesians 4:11?
Jesus-following, care-giving, feeding, serving leaders, equipping the local church members for the work of the ministry, growing into great spiritual maturity, stability, and ability to refute deceptive narratives. Leading you to a place that you may not have been able to arrive at on your own.
If Jesus gives good gifts, for his purpose and our benefit:
What are pastors?
What are pastors NOT?
What is the purpose of our interactions with pastors?
…according to Ephesians 4:1-16
What should we do?
1. Read Ephesians 3:14-21 and 4:1-16.
2. Pray, asking God for guidance.
3. Think about what we are reading.
4. Write down elements of God’s purpose for us.
5. Write down ways in which we should interact.