EPH 4:11 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And he himself gave the apostles, and the prophets, and the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers,

UST As gifts to his people, he appointed some of them to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to seek out people to tell them the good news about Jesus, and some to care for and to teach the groups of believers.

BSB 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,

BLB And He gave some indeed to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers,

AICNT And it is this one who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

OEB And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,

WEBBE He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds[fn] and teachers;

4:11 or, pastors

WMBB He gave some to be emissaries; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds[fn] and teachers;

4:11 or, pastors

NET It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

LSV and He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] proclaimers of good news, and some [as] shepherds and teachers,

FBV The gifts he gave were so that some could be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers,

TCNT It was he who appointed some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

T4T He appointed some people to be apostles. He appointed some people to be ◄prophets/ones who reveal messages that come directly from God►. He appointed some people to be ◄evangelists/ones whose work is to tell others the message about Christ►. He appointed some people to lead and teach the congregations.

LEB And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers

BBE And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching;

Moff he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach,

Wymth And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,

ASV And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

DRA And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors,

YLT and He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] proclaimers of good news, and some [as] shepherds and teachers,

Drby and he has given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers,

RV And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

SLT And truly he gave the sent; and the prophets; and the bearers of good tidings; and the shepherds, and the teachers;

Wbstr And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

KJB-1769 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

KJB-1611 And he gaue some, Apostles: and some, Prophets: and some, Euangelists: and some, Pastors, and teachers:
(And he gave some, Apostles: and some, Prophets: and some, Euangelists: and some, Pastors, and teachers:)

Bshps And he gaue some apostles, and some prophetes, and some euangelistes, and some shepheardes and teachers,
(And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some euangelistes, and some shepherds and teachers,)

Gnva Hee therefore gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some Pastours, and Teachers,
(He therefore gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some Pastours, and Teachers, )

Cvdl And ye same hath set some to be Apostles, some to be prophetes, some to be Euangelistes, some to be shepherdes & teachers,
(And ye/you_all same hath/has set some to be Apostles, some to be prophets, some to be Euangelistes, some to be shepherds and teachers,)

TNT And the very same made some Apostles some prophetes some Evangelistes some Sheperdes some Teachers:
(And the very same made some Apostles some prophets some Evangelistes some Sheperdes some Teachers: )

Wycl And he yaf summe apostlis, summe prophetis, othere euangelistis, othere scheepherdis and techeris,
(And he gave some apostles, some prophets, other euangelistis, other shepherds and teachers,)

Luth Und er hat etliche zu Aposteln gesetzt, etliche aber zu Propheten, etliche zu Evangelisten, etliche zu Hirten und Lehrern,
(And he has several to/for apostles set(v), several but to/for prophet(s), several to/for Evangelisten, several to/for shepherds and teachern,)

ClVg Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem apostolos, quosdam autem prophetas, alios vero evangelistas, alios autem pastores et doctores,[fn]
(And exactly_that/himself he_gave some indeed apostles, some however a_prophets, others indeed/however evangelists, others however shepherds and teachers, )

4.11 Prophetas AMBR. In Novo Testamento, prophetæ dicuntur explanatores Scripturarum, tamen fuerunt quidam in primordio fidei futura prædicentes, sicut Agabus, septemque filiæ Philippi. Evangelistas. Qui et diaconi, quia etsi non sacerdotes, tamen evangelizare possunt.

4.11 Prophetas AMBR. In Novo Testamento, the_prophets are_said explanatores Scripturarum, nevertheless they_were some in/into/on at_firstrdio of_faith the_future beforesaying, like Agabus, sevenque daughters Philippi. Evangelistas. Who and diaconi, because even_though not/no priests, nevertheless to_evangelise they_can.

UGNT καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,
(kai autos edōken tous men apostolous, tous de profaʸtas, tous de euangelistas, tous de poimenas kai didaskalous,)

SBL-GNT καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,
(kai autos edōken tous men apostolous, tous de profaʸtas, tous de euangelistas, tous de poimenas kai didaskalous,)

RP-GNT Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,
(Kai autos edōken tous men apostolous, tous de profaʸtas, tous de euangelistas, tous de poimenas kai didaskalous,)

TC-GNT Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκε τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους,
(Kai autos edōke tous men apostolous, tous de profaʸtas, tous de euangelistas, tous de poimenas kai didaskalous, )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–16: Believers are united in Christ

In the previous sections, Paul taught the important truths of the Christian faith. In this section, Paul showed how those truths should affect the way we live. He urged the Ephesian Christians to behave in the way that would keep their unity. He explained in detail the basis of this unity. He also explained that Christ gives believers power to do different tasks so that the church may become strong and mature. Mature believers should no longer be influenced by false teaching. Instead, they will proclaim the truth, and the church, with Christ as its head, will grow as it should and become strong.

Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:

Unity of the body of Christ

Christ’s gifts to the church

Live in unity, using God’s gifting to strengthen believers

Paul urges the Ephesians to live a life of unity in Christ

Believers in Christ should live in unity, strengthening each other

Paragraph 4:7–16

In 4:4–6 Paul talked about the things that unite Christians. These are things that we have in common. But in 4:7 he talked about special abilities that some Christians have and that others do not have. We all have the same Spirit, we all worship the same Lord, and so on. But to each of us, Christ has given different special abilities.

4:11a

And it was He who gave some to be apostles,

It was he who gave some people to the church to be apostles,
It was Christ who appointed/chose some people to be his ambassadors.

In this verse Paul resumes the thoughts he was expressing in 4:7–8.

And it was He who gave some to be apostles: In this clause, Paul continues his thought in 4:8 of giving gifts to men. According to Paul, Christ gave the church these apostles as a gift to benefit the church. So it was Christ who chose or appointed them to their different positions.

apostles: The Greek word that the BSB translates as apostles is literally “sent ones.” See how you translated apostles in 2:20a and 3:5c. See apostle in the Glossary for more information.

General Comment on 4:11–12

Some English versions have made explicit Paul’s reference to “gifts to men” in 4:8d to Christ’s giving officers to the church in 4:11. For example:

¹¹Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers (NLT)

¹¹He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts [ to his church ] (GW)

¹¹It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. (GNT)

You may want to follow one of these examples in your translation.

4:11b

some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,

some people to be prophets, some people to preach the gospel;
He chose others to speak God’s messages, others to proclaim the good news,

some to be prophets: The word prophets refers to people to whom God gave a special spiritual gift. This gift enabled the person to speak a message from God. See how you translated prophets in 2:20a and 3:5c. See prophet in the Glossary for more information.

some to be evangelists: The word evangelists refers to people who preach the good news. See evangelist in the Glossary if you want more information. Another way to translate evangelists is:

people who preach the good news

some to go and tell the Good News (NCV)

4:11c

and some to be pastors and teachers,

and he gave some people the power to care for the believers and teach them.
and others to care for the believers and instruct them about God’s Word.

some to be pastors and teachers: The word pastors literally means “shepherds.” Here, it refers to people who look after and care for the believers.

pastors: The Greek word that the BSB translates as pastors literally means shepherds, that is, people who take care of sheep. Here it is used figuratively to refer to leaders of the church who care for their fellow believers.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

leaders who care for other believers

spiritual overseers

leaders who oversee their congregations

teachers: The word teachers means spiritual teachers, or people who teach God’s truth. They are not school teachers.

The word teachers does not mean a completely separate group of people from “pastors.” Paul linked “pastors” and teachers together because they do similar jobs. You could translate “pastors and teachers” as:

people who care for the believers and teach them