And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.
In verse 11, we find out what the gifts are that were referred to in verse 8. These are men whom Jesus, the head of the church, has given to serve His body.
Apostles – these are limited to the apostles who were alive at the time of Christ. According to Ephesians 2:20, the apostles and prophets make up the foundation of the church with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.
The word “apostle” means “sent one.” These are men, chosen by Christ himself, and who He then sent to announce the good news of the Gospel.
Prophets – These are men who are gifted to proclaim and explain the word of the Lord. It is not just limited to those who foretell the future. It has to do with proclaiming the Word of God in an effective way so that through the Holy Spirit there is conviction and instruction that reaches the heart.
Evangelists – Those who have been particularly gifted and called by God to preach the gospel in such a way that souls are saved and brought into the life of Christ by faith.
Shepherd teachers – Another word for shepherd here would be pastors. There is a different construction in the language here that makes me think that this is one position, not two. Another way to describe it in our language would be teaching pastor.
In the New Testament, pastor and elder and bishop are all the same position. One of the chief qualifications for being a pastor is the ability to teach (1 Timothy 3:2).
These men, and the various gifts that they possess are themselves gifts from God to His church.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:10 AM January 19, 2021.