Eph 4:7-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 4:7-16: 4:7-16 Though believers share a common faith, God has given different special abilities to each individual believer for building up the church. 4:7 He has given each one of us a gift of his grace for building up the community of believers (see 1 Cor 12:7 ; cp. Rom 12:6 ; 1 Cor 12:11 ).

Summary for Eph 4:7-16: 4:7-16 ^a Though believers share a common faith, God has given different special abilities to each individual believer for building up the church. 4:7 ^b He has given each one of us a gift of his grace for building up the community of believers (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^c; cp. Rom 12:6 ^d; 1 Cor 12:11 ^e).
4:8 ^f He led a crowd of captives may refer to Christ’s victory over spiritual powers (see 1:21-22 ^g; Col 2:15 ^h), or to his capture of disobedient sinners and making them believers through the power of the Good News message.

• Christ gave gifts to his people (see Eph 4:11-12 ⁱ).
Summary for Eph 4:9-10: 4:9-10 ^j to our lowly world (or to the lowest parts of the earth): Some understand this phrase as referring to the tomb, to the world of the dead (cp. Matt 12:40 ^k; 1 Pet 3:18-20 ^l), or to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Instead, it probably refers to the incarnation, when Christ . . . descended from heaven and became a man (see John 1:14 ^m; 3:13 ⁿ; Phil 2:7-8 ^o).
4:11 ^p In his letters, Paul has four different lists of God’s gifts (see also Rom 12:4-8 ^q; 1 Cor 12:8-10 ^r, 28 ^s), none of which is comprehensive. Here the focus is on the gifts of leadership most needed for the growth of the church.

• Apostles are divinely commissioned missionary evangelists.

• Prophets speak messages from God for his people.

• Evangelists proclaim the Good News.

• Pastors (literally shepherds) care for God’s people (see 1 Tim 3:1-7 ^t).

• Teachers expound Scripture and God’s truths to the church.

• Pastors and teachers might refer to separate ministries or to two aspects of the same ministry.
4:12 ^u God’s gifts are given so that believers will build up the church (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^v; cp. 1 Pet 2:5 ^w).

• to equip God’s people to do his work: All believers are called to active Christian service.
4:13 ^x The goal of ministry is for the whole Christian community to understand and experience the Christian faith more deeply and gain a deeper knowledge of God’s Son. In this way, believers will be mature in the Lord (see 1 Cor 2:6 ^y; 14:20 ^z; Phil 3:15 ^aa; Col 1:28 ^ab; 4:12 ^ac; cp. Heb 5:14 ^ad; Jas 1:4 ^ae; 3:2 ^af). The standard of maturity is Christ himself; the Spirit’s transforming work is to make people fully like Christ (Rom 8:29 ^ag).