David Bahn – Reflections

Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. …¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹²  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

In baseball, a five–tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities. In Ephesians Paul lists five gifts that God has given to the church so that the body of Christ is built up and we all attain to the unity of the faith, and spiritual maturity. These gifts, apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers are the embodiment of the several needs followers of Jesus heed in order to stay on the path with Jesus. By these gifts the body of Christ is ever more able to fulfill the mission of Christ and see God’s kingdom come and his will done on earth – just as it is done in heaven.

Apostolic men and women are sent into the world, leading the way, advancing the kingdom’s cause. Prophetic people speak into the world and the church, calling us to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus and pointing us toward a more robust representation of Christ in the world. Evangelists make certain that the Good News of God’s love in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit is declared to one and all. Shepherds guide the people of God, nurturing them in the truth of God’s word and pointing them in the direction of the Good Shepherd. Teachers illuminate our hearts and minds with God’s deeper truths and offer correction, training, insight, and enlightenment along the way.

Some see these as offices in the church. I think of them as gifts to the church. Rather than being exercised by a select few – and certainly not relying on one man (a pastor) to exercise all of these gifts – the body of Christ is gifted with many different people who are God’s gifts to the church and the world. There are stellar examples of these gifts: The evangelist Billy Graham, the prophet Mother Theresa (speaking clearly to us about doing good and honoring the sanctity of life) – to name only two. But there are many more every-day examples all around us. The dad who gives up his vacation time to teach VBS, the woman who offers kind counsel as a Stephen minister (shepherd), the person who says, “We ought to buy this property for future use by the church.”: none of these is ordained or official, per se, but each is a gift.

Perhaps there are some five tool players in the church today. Maybe there are those who can preach, teach, lead, confront, and comfort at a very high level. But these are rare people. And none can do it all at all times. There are only so many hours in a day. And if the church relies on just one person to do all these things, it will be stymied and dangerously immature. Such a reliance on one man will ultimately elevate him to an idolatrous place in the eyes of the church or his own eyes. It may work for a while in that place, but the kingdom’s goals will not be realized by means of a body of believers who can only receive what the one pastor/teacher/apostle/evangelist/prophet offers. In most cases, furthermore, the one officer is a pastor/teacher, and other gifts are dismissed – an even greater limitation.

Rather than expecting a five-tool man or woman to supply all necessary ministry to and for the church, we must look to God and receive God’s gifts with thanks and praise. And as we receive them, we will also discover that we are those gifts – to a greater or lesser extent – to others within the body of Christ. We will all be built up in the faith and love of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:7-16

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ ( In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹²  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.