When He Ascended…

Pastors are gifts of the ascended Christ to His church. As Alistair Begg points out, Paul employs the imagery of a triumphant king sharing the spoils of war to describe what Jesus has done to enable the church to become what He wants it to be. Having triumphed over sin, judgment, death, and hell, the Lord Jesus gives pastors to shepherd and teach the Word of God to His people, leading them to maturity, unity, functionality, and effectiveness.