Commas Matter pt. 3

Good morning from Kenya!

I have been writing about Ephesians 4:12 and the serial duties of pastor-teachers/ministers listed in that verse… In this endeavor, I am reflecting on T. David Gordon’s handling of the passage, which goes against the flow of most modern translations and modern sensibilities concerning clerical office (Gordon’s article takes the position that the anticlerical sentiment of today informs the interpretation of this verse).

I agree with Gordon, by the way; just clearing that up.

So, the question is, does Ephesians 4:12 say:

A) that He gave … pastors and teachers pastors ‘for the equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…’ (NKJV)

or does Ephesians 4:12 say,

B) that He gave (them) for ‘the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ’ (KJV)

Option A strongly implies that Ephesians 4:12 places the work of the ministry (quite possibly exclusively so) in the hands of the saints (we take this to be all members of the church, communicant and non-communicant) and relegates the role of pastor to that of a mere ‘equipper’ rather than a doer.

Option B simply states the work of ministry as being in the scope of the pastor’s work and calling, without excluding the rest of the church from service appropriate to the general office.

Answering this part of the question involves examining the meaning of the term ‘work of ministry.’ Let’s start by doing some inductive work by listing the joint occurrences of the two terms in question, “work” ergon and “ministry” diakonias.

Paul:

On our passage, Ephesians 4:12, Charles Hodge has commented, “Hence the phrase eis ergon diakonias, may mean ‘to the work of mutual service or kind offices,’ or to the work of the ministry—in the official sense.  The latter is the common interpretation, and is to be preferred not only on account of the more frequent use of the word in that sense, but also on account of the connection, as here the apostle is speaking of the different classes of ministers of the Word.

Besides Ephesians 4:12 there is only 2 Timothy 4:5 (in Paul anyway):

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, 1 do the work of an evangelist, 2 make full proof of thy ministry. (the phrases 1 & 2 are in synonymous parallel, ergo, work = ministry, and clearly refers to the special ministry of the word, the context being Paul’s instructions to Timothy as one so gifted, called, ordained and serving in the office (work) of pastor and teacher.

The idea here is that ‘service’ has a specific context here – Timothy’s ministry of the word. Without such a context, it might be right to see the service as generalized; but with the context here, namely the pastor teacher, gifted special officer holder context, it refers to ministry of the word.

Like Gordon says, the service of an electrician is directing electricity; the service of a physician is practice of medicine; and the service of a minister (i.e. a pastor) is ministry of the Word.

My contention is to air this reasoning which Gordon gives (giving Gordon credit in every way for the argument) and reflect upon it as I recall my own metamorphosis on this point in recent years. Option A is recent innovation borne of suspicion of biblical authority in the church; it is distinctively American and egalitarian.

Continued..,