Equipping the Saints

Draft

In Eph 4:12, the office and gift of pastors (shepherds)/elders/overseers[1] is charged with this task: “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.”[2] While other Scriptures note other activities of this office, this is important. What does this rich phrase mean?

Firstly, notice that it is an every member ministry. While pastors used to be (and sometimes still are) called ministers, every member of the church is indeed a minister (servant) to be involved in a ministry as Christ has gifted them. Neither should the pastor tightly guard ‘his ministry’ nor should members consign their work of the ministry to the pastors. The Reformation, and indeed Baptist thought, recovered and advances an every member ministry. The elders are involved in ministry (and can have a ministry) but their specific ministry is equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. Ministry is service, or the work Christ is calling His church to do in the Great Commission and Commandment. Ministry is multiplied when many are involved. (Saints are those who’ve been made holy through faith in Christ, which through membership and baptism make up the Ephesian church). Every saint has a gift and is called to use in both in the gathered and scattered sense of the Church.  Then and only then can the local body be as effective as possible.

To equip, their calling in this verse, is why they were gifted with teaching (v. 11). To equip is a rich word (translated complete in the KJV, which links it also to the idea of holiness, something mirrored in the character qualifications for elders and deacons). In the ancient world one would equip (outfit) a ship for sailing, equip (supply an army for battle); one might even think of equipping (furnishing) a store to open. Equipping means providing someone what they need in order to do their job. Leaders provide members with teaching, by telling and showing, in order that they may be healthy, fit and able members of the body.  

Teaching binds the wider list of gifts/offices together and is emphasized in “the shepherds and teachers;” with even shepherds feeding their sheep (i.e. or elders ‘being able to teach’). Teaching is not just about knowledge transfer but teaching that sustains and matures and enables. It appeals to the head and the heart. The primary teaching tool in the church is the preached word on the Lord’s Day. There are other teaching opportunities as well from literature, Bible studies, focused workshops, etc. Through these members are fed and their gifts enabled as they apply the wider teaching to their specific giftings.

However, there are other forms of teaching, which fall more into a showing vs. a telling category, or are more pastoral. Shepherds not only feed (teach) but care, guide, discipline, encourage, etc. Here the sheep are taught through prayer, example, visitation, counsel or one-to-one ministry. He helps them to recognize their giftings and then encourage and develop them. Being with the sheep also helps the shepherd better apply teaching to the congregation.
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But not only are these leaders called to ‘equip the saints’ the saints are called to take advantage of the leaders whom the ascended Christ has gifted to its church. The success of the church does not only depend on leaders equipping but the extent to which members take advantage of their leaders. Do they sit under God’s Word, attend core events, ask their counsel, etc. The whole body must equip for and take advantage of the gifts Christ has given.


[1] While the immediate context speaks of gifts the use of the definite article along with other parallel lists of officers conveys that this lists gifts and offices. Truly, these ought to go together, as the church should only appoint to its offices those she believes have been gifted by God.

[2] Their teaching also has the effect of producing maturity that leads to unity.