Ephesians 4:7-10: ‘…He Gave Gifts…’

Paul is a man who loves to contrast things. In Romans 1-3 he gives us the bad news and the good news, the impossibility of sinners being righteous and then using the word ‘But’ talks about the free gift of righteousness that God provides, 3:21-31. In Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul talks about how dead in sin we are, then again in v4 beginning with a ‘But,’ God, by His sovereign grace intervenes and makes us alive in Christ. We have another contrast like this in the portion before us. Paul has been talking about unity, unity, unity, ‘BUT’ v7, diversity. Paul has been talking about the gospel realities that have made us one, therefore we are to act as one. Paul, ever the one to teach by contrast, talks now about our diversity.

Where our oneness implied the humble, loving, unity we were to pursue; our diversity will imply cooperative service. In Ephesians 4:7-16 Paul outlines 3 things about our diversity. In v7-10 he shows us how Christ has given us diverse gifts, then in v11-16 he looks at the nature and purpose of those gifts. Today we are going to look at v7-10 under two headings looking at the diversity of the gifts, and the Giver of the gifts.