90 JUAN MANUEL GRANADOS ROJAS Ephesians 4,9-10 exposes the identity of the giver as part of a Mid- rashic reading 37. Who is this person that according to the Scripture has given this grace, i.e. the gifts, to humankind? The explanation underlines that the one who ascended is the same as the one who descended, and that the one who descended is the same as the one who ascended. Here is a clear allusion to the death and resurrection of Christ. However, the purpose of the interpretation is not to prove a Christological statement, but rather to demonstrate that all gifts come through only one source. Ephesians 4,11 repeats the verb edwken and enunciates different ¶ “ ministries ” given by Christ. The syntax of the phrase inserts the particles men and de between the definite articles (toyv) and the nouns (apo- ¥ ¥ ¥ ß stoloyv, proφhtav, eyaggelistav, poimenav kaı didaskaloyv) 38. In ¥ ¥ ß ¥ ¥ ù ¥ such a rare construction the articles are used as direct objects and the nouns as appositional terms 39. Why were the ministries not enunciated directly as direct objects of the verb edwken ? This seems not to be ¶ simply a matter of style. Rather, Paul stresses the unity of the gift in the same way he does with the unity of the giver. He has given one gift to the Church, but this gift manifests itself through different ministries 40. Some scholars have suggested the presence of an ecclesiastical orga- nization behind the list: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 41. Does this order point out a hierarchy among them? It seems that the description corresponds to different groups 42. Naming these “min- geraptai or its variants. A discussed reference introduced by dio legei is ¥ ù¥ found in Eph 5,14. The expression to metron thv dwreav toy Xristoy in Eph 4,7 ù¥ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ 37 reminds the reader of the previous chapter (3,7a) where God’s grace is the gift given to Paul. The genitive in thn dwrean thv xaritov toy ueoy is to be ù ù ˜ ¥ ˜ ˜ read in this case as epexegetic. In Eph 3,8 the gift of God’s grace is explained as Paul’s preaching Christ to the Gentiles (toıv eunesin eyaggel¥sasuai). ˜¶ ß ı This is the main reason to consider the gift of God’s grace related to the ministry of the word. See the “Midraschartiger Excurs zum Nachweis der Richtigkeit der 38 christologischen Interpretation des Psalmzitats (vv. 9f) ” in MERKLEIN, Das kirchliche Amt, 68-69. See the whole discussion in MERKLEIN, Das kirchliche Amt, 73-75. 39 See SMYTH, Grammar, 916. A.T. Lincoln neglects the evidence in order 40 to keep his translation of the verse (See LINCOLN, Ephesians, 253), while NAB’s translation, among others, reflects well the nuance of the phrase: “He gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pas- tors and teachers”. These “ministries” reflect the grace according to the measure of 41 Christ’s gift (Eph 4,7b). In this sense, naming the gifts in Eph 4,11 explains the measure of Christ’s gift previously enunciated. Chrysostom’s suggestion could lead in this direction. However he rec- 42