In this lesson we want to consider what the apostle Paul indicates will lead to the building up of the body of Christ at Ephesus, so that we learn as well. Let’s take a look…
READ TEXT: Ephesians 4:1-16
ATTITUDES WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING(4:1-3)
There are few things as significant to the growth of the church as our unity. Jesus thought so (see Jn. 17:20-23). Hopefully that is empowering to us. We can take part in the growth of the church by being the people we ought to be… that we are called to be.
Interestingly, he begins this short character list with: “all humility.” It seems to me that this is an intentional beginning point. Humility has to do with the way we see ourselves. If we don’t see ourselves from the right vantage point, we cannot see others the way we ought to. I suppose that one can struggle with the gentleness, patience, or bearing with one another in love, but it is humility that unlocks the potential for being what we ought to in these other areas.
While humility leads to unity, pride, the opposite of humility (see 1 Pt. 5:5), leads not only to division and discord in the body of Christ, but also to discouragement. Christians seek to give preference to one another (Phil. 2:3-4) from a sincere and true heart before God, and in so doing, they take on the mind of Christ who humbled himself by coming to this world to die for the sins of the world (see Phil 2:5-11). He did what He did for the sake of making peace between us and His Father.
Our attitudes and character are of untold value to growth of the kingdom!
THE DOCTRINE OF UNITY (4:4-6)
A superficial view of Scripture, and the Christian’s call, could easily lead to the conclusion that it’s all just about being at peace with one another and with the world, but that certainly is not the case. Paul lists what is sometimes referred to as the “Seven Ones” here.
Unity is in the “one body” (see Mt. 16:18), the church of our Lord that He died for (see Eph. 5:25). The church at Corinth was condemned strongly by Paul for merely starting to divide, or become denominated (see 1 Cor. 1:10-13). The “one Spirit” is He who calls Christians through the Word to be unified both in attitude and doctrine (compare Jn. 17:17). Likewise, we are called to the same “hope,” by “one Lord,” in “one faith” (see Jude 3), in “one baptism” (see Mt. 28:18-20), and there is but “one Father” over all.
These seven ones should not be seen as the totality of what really matters, but they certainly show that the teaching and practice of the church matters! In fact, related to this concept, as well as what Paul said earlier about humility, note what he said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:2-4: “… Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.”
THE MINISTRY THAT BUILDS UP THE BODY (4:7-16)
In the context here Paul is speaking of miraculous gifts that were bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, in the first century (see Acts 8:18; 19:6). Remember that those gifts were especially for revealing and confirming the message of God (see Heb. 2:3-4; Mk. 16:20). Through the teaching of the Lord’s Word (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pt. 1:3), God’s people were prepared for their work together for His cause.
Today we have the complete and confirmed revelation of God, so we don’t need miraculous gifts (compare 1 Cor. 13:8-12). But nonetheless, there is much to glean from this section concerning the importance of being unified in God’s work. Notice just a few additional points:
1. Though not through supernatural means, the word of God continues to prepare God’s people for His work.
2. A part of building up of the body has to do with it being made strong, so not to be disturbed by false doctrine (see v. 14). It doesn’t matter how much “good” the church does if it goes astray from Christ! (See examples from the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3).
3. Rather than the church giving into “crafty” doctrine, it is to “speak the truth in love” (v. 15). The truth is what sets men free (Jn. 8:32) and it is also the truth that causes all of us to grow in the Lord.
4. Note that the body functions at full capacity when “each part is working properly” (v. 16). There are no useless parts in the body of Christ! (See 1 Cor. 12.)
Let’s work on our attitudes; be unified in the Word; and seek to contribute properly in the church that it might be built up in love!
Daren Schroeder
