APEST in Context
Ephesians 4 in Context
My friend, Keith Giles, “rejects” the five-fold ministry that we are talking about. He has his reasons, and there is a lot of validity in his critique.
You can read his comments here: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/2020/02/why-i-reject-the-5-fold-ministry/
The Apostle Paul, Rembrandt, 1657
Keith highlights that fact that these are not Paul’s only lists of aptitudes, qualities, or skills, that are important for the full functioning of the body of Christ. First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 each, in their own way, speak to the communities to which these letters were headed. But there are some fine points of difference that does make Ephesians stand out a bit.
First, Ephesians 4 is elaborating on the celebrating the differences in the community. First Corinthians was to a community embroiled in conflict. Romans was to a community is an identity crisis. So each letter has a different audience, each receiving a different message, specific to what they needed.
Second, lifting up the Ephesians passage, it comes upon the celebratory remarks of the dividing wall being broken down, and now those who had formerly been apart, may now be together in peace (Ephesians 2.11-16). Chapter 4 of Ephesians is building what this newly united community needed to continue on that path. The path is reconciliation and peace.
And third, none of these texts are meant to be exhaustive. But, in reducing the gifts in Ephesians to five as opposed to many more, in many ways the roles of each become broader and more inclusive. We are each, in one way of another, a participant in one of these five. Yet, even in Paul’s mind, I don’t believe Paul would have said “only” these five.
Nonetheless, with those spoilers out there. I do believe Keith’s article is valuable. One of the key points is that we need to resist the modernist trend to become reductionistic. In other words, we don’t need to reduce everything to small lists which become the only and essential list.
There is an aspect of the list used in Ephesians, that (I could be wrong) is unique. It is the use of the word, apostolous, from which we get the word “apostles”. This term was crucial in the early church to connect the gospel to the different cultures in which presence of God’s reign and realm were announced. In fact, so elevated was this role that the other apostles pushed Paul to justify his calling to apostolic service. But, rather than limiting this role to the original twelve disciples, Paul witnesses to God’s act of opening up of this role, to whomever the Spirit chooses.
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