I N D E X
to whether this phrase means a gift that Christ gives, or that Christ Himself
was to be considered as the gift.  Ephesians 1:22 decides this for us:
`The gift of Christ' (Tes doreas tou Christou).
`And gave Him to be Head' (Kai auton edoken kephalen).
We may now read Ephesians 4:7-10 again:
`But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the
gift of Christ, i.e. God's gift as Head of His Church, and that church the
fulness of Him that filleth all in all.  Seeing that the members are the
fulness of Christ, as Christ is the fulness of the all things, we are
again reminded that in His ascension, and in the capacity of the One Who
fills all things, the gifts of ministry to the One Body were given'.
What a different aspect this gives to ministry, to that one of `taking up
the profession'!  What an unspeakable privilege to receive the very lowest call
in this glorious order!  Even the humble pastor and teacher of this church is
seen to be vitally connected with the great purpose of the ages.  His ministry
is a part of the great pleroma, the all things, that which Christ is making to
accomplish the glorious goal of the ages, and to undo the works of the Devil.
We can understand the apostle's allusion in 3:7-11 the better by seeing this:
`Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of His power.  Unto me, who am less
than the least of all saints, is this grace given ... according to the
eternal purpose (purpose of the ages) ...'.
If every servant of God realized his stewardship like this, what a difference
there would be!
The gifts of the ascended Christ to His Church may now be noted.
A  Apostles
Inspired and as foundation.
B  Prophets
A  Evangelists
Uninspired and subsequent.
B  Pastors & Teachers
Who are these apostles?  We may first of all reply negatively: they cannot
be the twelve, for the twelve were appointed by the Lord whilst He was on earth.
Their names are given in Matthew 10, and the one who fell, Judas, was replaced
by Matthias who was `numbered with the eleven', who received the selfsame
enduement of the Holy Spirit as they did (Acts 2:3).
It goes without saying that Paul was one of this new order of apostles,
and the chief.  We need not labour this point.  Who are the others, for it says
`apostles'?  We shall find that even during the Acts period and before the
revelation of the Mystery, there are others besides the twelve and Paul who bear
the title `apostle':
`When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of' (Acts 14:14).
If Barnabas was not an apostle of the One Body, he was an apostle to the
Gentiles in a way the `twelve' were not.
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