Church Governance (23)

The most obvious way to understand the role of the ascension gifts is to read what the scriptures say they are given for. Their purpose is fully described in the following verses:

to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ (Eph 4:12-15).

The tasks described in this passage are:

• Equipping the saints for service
• Building up the body of Christ
• Establishing unity
• Imparting knowledge of Jesus
• Helping Christians to become mature
• Binding the body together
• Speaking the truth in love
• Growing up into Jesus.

This is all grass roots stuff that all mature Christians should be expected to do. There is nothing special about these tasks. They are all things that the elders of a church would normally do. This explains the place of the gifts described in Eph 4:11. They are different types of people who operate in a different way when undertaking the eldership role of overseeing and strengthening the body of Jesus.