How does this verse connect with Ephesians 4:11-12 on spiritual gifts? The Servant Theme Shared by Both Passages 1 Corinthians 3:5: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.” Ephesians 4:11-12: “And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.” • Both texts stress that every ministry function is a gracious assignment from the Lord. • Paul and Apollos (1 Colossians 3) mirror the apostle-prophet-evangelist-pastor-teacher list (Ephesians 4) as examples of Spirit-gifted roles. • The shared emphasis: gifting never elevates the messenger; it spotlights the Master who appoints. Gifts Are Roles, Not Ranks • “Servants” (1 Colossians 3:5) corrects any tendency to exalt personalities. • Ephesians 4:11-12 identifies five representative gifts whose only purpose is to “equip the saints.” • Together the passages teach: – Function, not fame, defines true ministry. – Authority is delegated; the Lord alone assigns (cf. John 3:27). – The honor belongs to God, never to the vessel (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:7). Assigned for Growth, Not Competition • In Corinth, factions were forming around gifted leaders; Paul redirects their loyalty to Christ (1 Colossians 3:4-7). • Ephesians explains why gifts exist—“to build up the body.” • Cross-reference: Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 echo the same construction theme: diverse gifts, one purpose—edifying the whole. Practical Takeaways • Identify your gift not for status but for service; you, too, are “assigned a role.” • Celebrate others’ gifts as complementary, never competitive. • Measure ministry success by how well believers are equipped and the body is built up, not by the spotlight on individual leaders (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6). |
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