And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Parallel translations
- WEB He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
- BSB 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,
- 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 3:15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
- 1 Cor 12:28–29And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
- Eph 2:20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
- 2 Tim 4:5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
- Acts 20:28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
- Matt 28:20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
- Rom 10:14–15How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
- Eph 4:8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
- Eph 3:5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
- 2 Chr 15:3Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
- 1 Pet 5:1–3The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
- Rom 12:7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
- Heb 5:12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
- Rev 18:20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
- Acts 21:8And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
- Acts 13:1Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
- Jude 1:17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
- Rev 21:14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
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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.
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Original language
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