And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Parallel translations
- WEB He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
- KJV And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
- NKJV And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
- NASB And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,
- NLT Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ascended Christ gives the church leaders: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherd-teachers. These gifted people are themselves Christ's gift to his people.
Overview
Christ equips his church not merely with abilities but with gifted persons for ministry. Apostles and prophets laid the foundation (2:20); evangelists spread the gospel; shepherds (pastors) and teachers nurture and instruct. Christians debate whether some of these offices were foundational and temporary, but all agree these ministries exist to serve the body, as the next verse explains.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Jer 3:15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
- 1 Cor 12:28–29And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
- Eph 2:20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- 2 Tim 4:5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
- Acts 20:28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- Matt 28:20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Rom 10:14–15How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?
- Eph 4:8This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
- Eph 3:5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
- 2 Chr 15:3For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.
- 1 Pet 5:1–3As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:
- Rom 12:7if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
- Heb 5:12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
- Rev 18:20Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
- Acts 21:8Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
- Acts 13:1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
- Jude 1:17But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
- Rev 21:14The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 4:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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