Shepherds and Instructors

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

SHEPHERDS AND INSTRUCTORS

Eph 4:7-13

7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." 9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

NIV

Now it is time to look into the gifts to the church of pastor and teacher. First, we should consider whether the pastor and teacher are the same person. The way the language in Greek makes it look like they are the same person. After each gift between apostles and prophets and evangelists there is this word, de, which is basically a simple, and, but the word, Kia, is between pastors and teachers. Kia is more than an and, as it connects two words or numbers. This word would be used if we said “Rich and the others, connecting Rich with the others, as they are all together. Therefore, we think that the shepherd and the instructor are the same gifts, to an individual. This seems not to be the case in the modern church as we see many instructors who are not shepherds. We wonder if all the shepherds are instructors, although we think they should be. The Shepherds should be leading their flock, their congregation in the ways of the Lord, leading them to the green pasture, which is the word of God, and the still waters, the peace of Christ, who is the living water. This happens both through preaching the word and teaching the word along with the task of protecting them from the wolves that would decimate the flock. Jesus was the Good Shepherd and as we know, He laid down his life for his flock. The pastors and teachers may not be called to lay down their lives, but in some sense because of the responsibility given to them, it should be their life’s work to prepare God’s people for works of service, as it is also the purpose of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists. But it is the pastors and teachers who are with the congregation daily. The shepherd and instructor must prepare God’s people for works of service and this can only be done through daily leading. Let us pray these people who God has given to the church stand strong and serve the church as God intended them. They serve on the front lines against the enemy, those wolves that come in sheep’s clothing. Every one of them leads us and instructs us in the way we should go. We will examine in more detail about preparing God’s people and why that is needed, but for now let us thank God for all these gifts He has given the church, His people.