Ephesians 4:7-10

Rachel Workman: 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
    he led a crowd of captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”[b]

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

There is a difference in “spiritual gifts” and natural abilities. When you were born into this world God gave you certain natural abilities, perhaps in mechanics, art, athletics, or music. In this way we are not all created equally. But in the spiritual realm, each believer has at least one spiritual gift no matter what natural abilities he may or may not possess. A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is glorified and believers are edified.

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Mike Grimm:  ⁷But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,

    he took many captives (Col 2:15)

    and gave gifts to his people.” (Ps 68:18)

In Psalm 68:18, God is pictured as a conqueror marching to the gates and taking tribute from the fallen city. Paul uses that picture to teach that Christ, in His crucifixion and resurrection, was victorious over Satan. When Christ ascended to heaven, He gave gifts to the church as we will see in 4:11-13.

⁹(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? ¹⁰He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) The "lower earthly regions" may be (1) the earth itself, when compared to heaven, (2) the grave, or (3) Hades (many believe Hades is the resting place of souls between death and resurrection). However we understand it, Christ is Lord of the whole universe, past, present, and future. Nothing or no one is hidden from Him. The Lord of all came to earth and faced death to rescue all people. No one is beyond His reach.

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John Burnett:  ⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”^[a]

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?^[b]

God’s grace is a gift that is given to those whom He chooses.  Grace is unmerited favor, which means there is nothing we do or can do to deserve it.  We cannot make a decision that makes us deserve or merit our salvation.  God, through His grace, grants us repentance and a saving faith in Jesus Christ.  The amount of grace required to save this wretch is why it is called Amazing Grace.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ephesians 4:11-13

¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.