A study on the five fold ministry from Ephesians 4. Part 4 in the series on spiritual gifts.

1. 1
Please Report to the
Principal’s Office
A
Study
of
Ephesians
4:1-16

2. Big Idea
Christ chose some of us to be apostles,
prophets, missionaries, pastors, and
teachers, so that his people would learn to
serve, and his body would grow strong.
Ephesians 4:11–12 (CEV) 2

3. 3
Please Report to the
Principal’s Office
A
Study
of
Ephesians
4:1-16

4. First things first
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord,
implore you to walk in a manner worthy
of the calling with which you have been
called, with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, showing tolerance for one
another in love, being diligent to
Ephesians 4:1–6 4

5. First things first
preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace. There is one body and one Spirit,
just as also you were called in one hope of
your calling; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all who is
over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1–6 5

6. Unity
Walk worthy
You have a call
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7. An appeal to love
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
Tolerance
7

8. Unity
…being diligent to preserve
the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3 8

9. Stay where the Spirit puts us
Unity is supernatural
Preserving it is our part
Peace is a decision
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10. Unity illustrated
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as also you were called in
one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:4 10

11. Unity illustrated
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all who is
over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:5–6 11

12. Sound familiar?
But to each one of us grace
was given according to the
measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7 12

13. Repetition makes it a doctrine
1 Corinthians 12:11…But one and the same Spirit
works all these things, distributing to each one
individually just as He wills.
1 Peter 4:10…As each one has received a special gift,
employ it in serving one another as good stewards of
the manifold grace of God.
Romans 12:6a…Since we have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us, each of us is to
exercise them accordingly:
13

14. Differing Faith and Differing Grace
Diversity in Unity
14

15. Christology Alert
Therefore, it says, “when He
ascended on high, He led captive a
host of captives, and He gave gifts to
men.” (Now this expression, “He
ascended,” what does it mean
except that He also had descended
Ephesians 4:8–10 15

16. Christology Alert
into the lower parts of the earth? He
who descended is Himself also He
who ascended far above all the
heavens, so that He might fill all
things.)
Ephesians 4:8–10 16

17. Real Spiritual Warfare
Jesus as a conqueror
He descended to the lower parts of the earth (hades)
He defeated dark spiritual forces
Imagery of victorious general with defeated army
Spoils of war given to the victorious troops and
citizens
Ascends to the highest heavens
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18. Church Doctrine since 340 AD
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he
rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the
right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to
judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy universal Church; the communion
of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the
life everlasting
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19. Fill all things
Complete
Fill up
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20. Christ’s Gifts to the Church
And He gave some as apostles, and some
as prophets, and some as evangelists, and
some as pastors and teachers
20

21. Gave us Apostles
Apostle
One who is sent. One who fulfills
the role of a special messenger.
21

22. Still for today
12 Apostles. What about Mathias and Paul? Other
mentioned apostles, Barnabas; Rom. 16:7,
Andronicus and Junias (a woman); 1 Cor. 4:6, 9;
12:28–29; 15:7, Apollos; Phil. 2:25, Epaphroditus;
1 Thess. 2:6, Silvanus and Timothy.
Bible says there will be false apostles. The
Didache mentions them. The Greek tense says it
is ongoing.
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23. Gave us Prophets
Prophet
One who proclaims inspired
utterances on behalf of God.
23

24. A special spokesman for God
one who, moved and filled with the Spirit of God and
hence a spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has
received by inspiration, especially concerning future
events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and
kingdom of God and to human salvation. They are not the
same as OT prophets who wrote Scripture. New Testament
prophets apply Scripture to new and different situations.
They are linked with apostles, evangelists, pastors and
teachers because they all proclaim the gospel, but with
different emphases.
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25. David Wilkerson
The Cross and the Switchblade
Founder of Teen Challenge
Founder of Times Square Church
Spoke with a righteous voice
25

26. Gave us Evangelists
Evangelist
A bringer of good tidings, an
evangelist. The title given to the
New Testament heralds of
salvation through Christ.
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27. Called
Ray Comfort and Billy Graham
Simple message with powerful results.
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28. Gave us Pastors
Pastor
Shepherd. one who is
responsible for the care and
guidance of a Christian
congregation.
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29. Gave us Teachers
Teacher
Those who in the body of Christ ,
undertake the work of teaching,
with the special assistance of the
Holy Spirit.
29

30. Concession and Question
What if I’m wrong and some of the office gifts are
no longer for today?
Is it possible that God calls leaders to specific area
in the universal and local part of the Body of
Christ? Mike Dickenson Network Pastor, A
Divinely called Children’s pastor, Pastor Doug Clay
called to lead the A/G, Called counselors, teachers
30

31. Another Question
Which is most likely to have a greater impact on a
church or an area, a pastor driven church, or a
ministry leadership driven church?
31

32. How are all these gifts, offices and calling work together?
…submitting to one
another in the fear
of God.
Ephesians 5:21 (NKJV) 32

33. The Reason
for the equipping of the saints for the
work of service, to the building up of
the body of Christ;
Ephesians 4:12 33

34. Serving Saints
 Called to serve
 Build
34

35. Which causes
until we all attain to the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13 35

36. A call for us to grow up
Unity
Knowledge
Christ-likeness
36

37. A Maturity Test
As a result, we are no longer to be
children, tossed here and there by waves
and carried about by every wind of
doctrine, by the trickery of men, by
craftiness in deceitful scheming;
Ephesians 4:14 37

38. Leaders doing their job
38

39. How we relate to each other
but speaking the truth in love, we
are to grow up in all aspects into Him
who is the head, even Christ,
Ephesians 4:15 39

40. Look what crops up again
from whom the whole body, being fitted and
held together by what every joint supplies,
according to the proper working of each
individual part, causes the growth of the body
for the building up of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:16 40

41. The Body
 Fit together
 Serving each other
 Growth
41

42. Built up in
42

43. To fill all things
In the context, this is specifically regarding the church. He goes on to explain how Christ
will do this:
 giving apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers (Eph 4:11)
 for equipping the saints for ministry for the building up of the body (Eph 4:12)
 until we attain unity of the faith in the knowledge of the Son (Eph 4:13)
 achieving maturity, the full stature of Christ (Eph 4:13)
 so that we will no longer be children, tossed about by false teaching (Eph 4:14)
 that we would grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head (Eph 4:15)
This would certainly include the filling of the Holy Spirit, which is the way Christ indwells
his body on earth. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ will bring his body into maturity,
evidenced by unity.
43