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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What he said elsewhere, "Wherefore also God hath highly exalted Him," that saith he also here. "He that descended, is the same also that ascended." It did Him no injury that He came down into the lower parts of the earth, nor was it any hindrance to His becoming far higher than the Heavens. So that the more a man is humbled, so much the more is he exalted. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
And it is significant that he said: "He." For He Who so cared for us and Who for our sake did not refuse to descend even to the lowest limits, did not simply distribute the gifts, but undoubtedly with wisdom and benefit. How then do you grieve that the distribution was made unwisely? And in one place he says that the Spirit distributes: "in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers" (Acts 20:28) and: "but one and the same Spirit works all these things" (1 Cor. …
Clement of Alexandria
Such are the preparatory exercises of gnostic discipline. And since the omnipotent God Himself "gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;" we are then to strive to reach manhood as befits the Gnostic, and to be as perfect as …
Western Saints
Jerome
It is not to be supposed that as with the first three … he has allotted different offices to shepherds and teachers. For he does not say "some shepherds, some teachers" but "some shepherds and teachers," meaning that he who is a shepherd should at the same time be a teacher. No one in the church, even a saintly person, should take to himself the name of shepherd unless he can teach those whom he feeds.
Thomas Aquinas
Here the Apostle expounds what was mentioned earlier (4:9) about the bestowal of gifts. The many different states and functions in the Church are designated as the gifts of Christ. Consider how, among the gifts of Christ, the Apostles are conceded the first place: And he gave some Apostles. "And he chose twelve of them whom also he named apostles" (Lk. 6:13). "God indeed hath set some in the church; first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors; after that miracles..." (1 Cor. 12:28). …
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