John Bengel Commentary - Ephesians 4:11 - 4:11

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John Bengel Commentary - Ephesians 4:11 - 4:11


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Eph 4:11. Αὐτὸς, He himself) by His supreme power. This αὐτὸς is repeated from Eph 4:10. Ministers have not given themselves. [The apostle, we might think, takes a wonderful leap in descending to these from the comprehensive subject of the whole universe, just now spoken of. He no doubt has regard to the body of Christ. In like manner, ch. Eph 1:22 (after having just before spoken of principality, power, might, etc.)-V. g.]-ἀποστόλους-προφήτας-εὐαγγελιστὰς, κ.τ.λ., apostles-prophets-evangelists, etc.) Inferior offices might be conjoined with the highest grades; for example, the apostle John acted at the same time as a prophet when he wrote the Apocalypse, and as an evangelist in the Gospel; but not the contrary [“vice versa,” the highest offices joined with the lowest grades]. All the apostles had also at the same time the prophetic power. Only that the very high degree of prophecy, by which the Apocalypse was written, was peculiar to John. But prophets and evangelists were not also at the same time apostles. The prophet takes precedence of the evangelist; for the prophet testifies infallibly of the future, the evangelist infallibly of the past: the prophet derives all from the Spirit; the evangelist puts on record a matter which has been perceived by the senses of sight and hearing, and yet he is fitted for an office of the highest importance, by a gift superior to that of pastors and teachers. Workers of miracles are not added here; for their actions have now somewhat less reference to the perfecting, etc. And perhaps already, before the last days of the apostles, the gift of miracles was more rarely exercised; comp. Heb 2:4.-ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, pastors and teachers) The appellation of shepherd (pastor) is everywhere else given to the Lord alone. Pastors and teachers are here joined; for they chiefly feed by teaching, as also by admonition, rebuke.