Today’s reading contains a bizarre Old Testament reference that’s worth slowing down and looking at.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 4:8-16 [day 10 of 20]

8 This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”

9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

Here Paul quotes Psalm 68, which is a victory psalm. In the psalm, God wins the victory over his enemies and, in gratitude, the people give thank-you gifts to God. But in the quotation here, Paul reverses it and has God the victor give gifts to the people! I think the point is that God is just overwhelmingly generous.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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.

14 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 people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

God has given the pastoral offices as gifts to the church so that the church can be built up and won’t be distracted from its mission.

More broadly, every gift is meant by God to be used to build up the church.

How are you using your gifts today?