An Introduction

In chapter four of Ephesians Paul makes some remarkable points to the believers in that day.

In chapter 3 he gave some of the most beautiful words about the Saints knowing the mystery of God in bringing the Good News in that day to Gentiles, and he explains his hope that they would come to understand the length, depth, bredth and height of Christ and His love.

Then this is what he wrote in chapter four, which is a natural continuation of all he said in three, saying,

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

The WNT reads this way,

Eph 4:1 (WNT) I, then, the prisoner for the Master's sake, entreat you to live and act as becomes those who have received the call that you have received—

And then he goes on to describe to them what that looks like, saying,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Look at these words as Paul say that they should live and act as what is becoming of those that receive the call – “with all

“Lowliness”

tapeinofrosunh tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay

Which means with humiliation of mind, humbleness of mind, a low-brow mind.

“Meekness”

Prah-ah-tace

(gentle humility – there is that word again)

“Longsuffering”

makrothumia, mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah

(patient fortitude)

“Forebearing one another in love”

an-ekh'-om-ahee allaylone agapeo

Putting up and bearing each other up in agape love

Endeavoring to keep

Spoo-dad-zo

Making diligent efforts to guard, to protect, and to keep WHAT?

The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The oneness of the Spirit in the joint of peace, stillness of one in rest and quiet.

Again, look at the collection of these words strewn together by Paul as a means to encourage the members of that Bride united -

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

He goes on and adds,

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We are going to begin on this point – the biblical idea of One, of the import of unity, of the factors the Bible present that break up so many facets of the One God and His desire and call on those who seek and love Him to humbly, patiently, and with long suffering forbear “one another” in love as we, strive to retain oneness among our many disparate parts.

And Paul makes is clear that which there is only ONE and because of this, there ought to be unity in the (ready?)

One body.

One Spirit

One Hope

One Lord

One faith

One baptism

One God who he describes as the Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

That is seven Ones mentioned in the three verses and because of this emphasis we are going to embark on examining the Bible content of all the factors in existence that work against unity, that work against this oneness that the living God desired and wanted with His creations from the start and how that which opposes Him is at a constant effort to break the absolute unity up that God desires into opposing factional divided groups.

The number of factors at work will blow your mind. After saying these things then and specifically to that Church Bride of that specific day, he adds a “but” at verse 7, saying

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

He has been talking about unity, and what is required of them to strive to live in such because there is one one faith, one Lord, and One baptism (which I maintain speaks to the baptism of the Spirit which Christ came to give).

But at verse seven Paul admits to a caveat that makes unity and oneness so very difficult – and it is seen in the words,

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Herein lies what may just be at the heart of all things relative to God and His creations – He is one, He is love, He is light, He is peace – but as our creator, He has made all of us, and everything around us in heaven, earth, land, air and sea – different.

In the realms of autonomous, freewilled agents like some angels (because some angels appear to lack free will and merely do what they were made to do) but in the heavenly, earthly, material and spiritual realms of all of God’s autonomous creations there remains the most complex, difficult call – to be unique, different, self-willed but united – if we seek to please Him, and divided if we do not.

Every single group whether is human verse heavenly, species verses species, gender verses gender, color verses color, faces the collective and individual decision in this life and I would suggest in the next, to embrace the beatitudes of the King shared on the mount and including the personal and collective choice to be

poor in spirit

to mourn (over their own faults)

to be humble or meek

to hunger and thirst after righteousness (who is God)

to be merciful

to be pure in heart

to be peacemakers instead of war mongers and to

be persecuted for righteousness sake

And elect to side with unity instead of division OR to side with disunity, unrest, and all the other products of choosing to be divided.

It is of great interest to me, especially in light of right eschatology, that Paul will go on and say to the Bride in Ephesians 4, after saying that Christ came to make everything all in all,

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

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The reason apostles is mentioned ahead of prophets is because that was what God had given the Bride in order of importance, with prophets being an office that was shape-shifting in that age away from thus saith the Lord prophets to those who were spiritually equipped to instruct.

Where the scripture reads, and he gave this is written in the first aorist active indicative of didômee and means exactly that – he gave and not that he gave and will continue to give – there is a difference here.

He gave. To whom? The bride. And what did He give? Some,

“apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”

Why did he give them or to what extent or purpose? Paul tells us saying at verse 12

For the,

1 perfecting of the saints,

2 for the work of the ministry,

3 for the edifying of the body of Christ

Since 1997, I have heard believers use these passages to define their various ministries. Let’s speak to each of these objectives Paul gives for God giving them people with these calls on their lives.

Interestingly, the King James takes a Greek term note used anywhere else in the Record and translates it to, perfecting.

We know from other studies that perfect is translated from telee o-o meaning “completion of” and or mature and that there are different applications of that word assigned for different reasons.

But here we have the word katar-tidz-mos translated in the King James to perfecting but it best means the mending or healing of the Saints rather than the maturing of.

The word is best applied to the medical practice of setting bones so it best describes the healing of the Saints disjointed nature.

In first Corinthians Paul wrote to the church and addressed a very common problem within that little body of believers – disunity.

Here, he reminds the believers at Ephesis that God has equipped them in that intersecting age with people bearing different gifts and calls to mend the Saints into one unified whole caught in the term, for the repairing of the Saints.

Because in the next chapter of Ephesians Paul will describe the Bride that Christ would come and take as being a thing . . .

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present to himself “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish,” and because we maintain that within forty years of finishing His work there was in fact a body or church or bride that was worthy to be taken, after going through the purging fires of tribulation heaped upon them by really egregious forces, we maintain that the Apostles with and through the Holy Spirit were able then to heal the saints well enough for it to be taken in that great and dreadful day.

OF course this would suggest that ever since there remains no call on a corporate body of unified, healed Saints but rather a disparate one of various individuals bearing about their own beliefs, practices and approaches to the point that the need for these specific offices of Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers used to repair a corporate bride are over.

And this means that today, there is another call and objective over the earth that ought to be the aim and focus of believers world-wide which we will get to in a minute.

The second reason Paul gives the church bride for the giving of pastors and teachers is,

2. For the work of the ministry.

The ergon of the diaconos. Paul speaks specifically of his work in the ministry, saying in Colossians 1:20-29 – listen to what he wrote to that church then, as I will emphasize some words for clarity, saying

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

The dating of these words of Paul and the direct application to them/then cannot be denied as he did his apostolic work for the ministry.

And the last reason Paul states for God giving some people in that day besides for the repairing of the saints and the work of the ministry is

3. for the edifying of the body of Christ

The word edifying best means the building of what? The body of Christ.

Folks, that body, in order to be pure, “that he might present to himself “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,” and therefore worthy to be saved from the great and dreadful day, deemed his virtuous bride and taken up into the New Jerusalem above, was of a necessity given all of those offices, during that time, to accomplish this feat – to gather a small body of devout believers, repair them, prepare them, and build them up until when?

Listen to verse 13 of Ephesians 4 where Paul says to them/then

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

What Paul is saying here, in context and to that audience is God gave them those people in those capacities as a means for them (that Bride whom Paul calls “we”)

ALL come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, and unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And what this is saying is that the Apostles jobs, along with the evangelists and pastors and teachers was to help curate a body of believers that were, in effect, equal in their stature to the fullness of Christ.

This suggests that the Bride had to be holy perfect and without spot so that Christ and His bride were not unequally yoked.

And this, by definition Paul describes as when they/then

ALL come in the UNITY of the faith, and until they all came to a unity in the knowledge of the Son of God, and until they all came unto a perfect (holy,blameless, without spot) being/person/bride unto (or equal to) the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

That is describing a perfectly unified body of believers, taught and directed by Apostles and Prophets, pastors and teachers given them in that day as the day of wrath and reward headed their direction.

And then He took her. But listen to what Paul adds to close out the chapter to those believers at Ephesus after saying all the above –

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

These were the works of the enemies against that bride and their crafts used to divide her up and Paul warns them directly of what their labors of division would amount to if the believers fell prey to their ways. So he says, all of this was given

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

And then he wraps up, in contrast to verse 14 what they should be like, saying

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom (meaning Christ as the head) the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Remaining in the setting of that day and that age of apostles overseeing the bride until she had filled up her measure equal to that of Christ Paul writes to the church at Corinth in his second epistle and addresses the unity that they ought to have as His bride and teaches them, in chapter 12 the following:

1st Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Yeshua accursed: and that no man can say that Yeshua is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Remember this when it comes to all the Christ affirming denoms out in the world today – we will come back to this before we wrap up. But Paul continues and says

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Remember these distinctions too – that in that day of the Body of Christ there was clearly just one Spirit, One Lord and One God but the different members of that body were all given different purposes within Him. He goes on and says,

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

In other words, each individual member of the body in that day of a super-abundance of the Spirit was given gifts to profit the Body. Paul continues and says, (and listen how he always adds, by the same spirit after every distinction)

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

Then he adds more, and says,

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Herein we have a universal thought repeated throughout the text and described in so many ways and that is the unity of more than one as a means to be one with the God of unity, peace and love. Paul then illustrates his point that speaks directly against division, disunity and treating each other with respect over others in that day, saying,

5 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant beauty.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I show I unto you a more excellent way.

And that leads Paul to writing the alltime chapter on agape love.

The point we make as Yeshuans which we believe ought to be the outlook on earth today among all people of faith – especially those in Christ affirming denominations – ready?

Because the evidences internal to the Bible and external in terms of secular references clearly show that

Yeshua promised to return to rescue His bride and that

He left apostles behind to perfect her to the point that she measured up to the body of Christ before being taken, and that

God gave all of those offices and spiritual gifts as a means to vet, and heal, and fix, and mature her to that she was worthy to be taken by her husband upon into the New Jerusalem above, and that

God, through His apostles worked extremely hard via His Spirit to keep them one, united though very different as members, and that

He gave all of that until they all came to a unity of the faith

We have to see the faith today through a different lens instead of through the lens of what was to them/then.

Since, they had to come to a unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God in equal measure to be part of His Bride we can readily see the demands on them and the purpose behind them having living apostles and prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers to bring about all that Paul has described.

But ever since, instead of seeing believers on earth today as part of this same bride or church, holy and without spot collectively, since He took that qualified bride up to the New Jerusalem, everyone since might be (or perhaps should be) seen as the product of their union.

That the union of Christ to His bride mirrors the initial union of God the Father and His Word, the union of Adam and Eve, the Union of the Nation of Israel to Yahavah, with the ultimate perfect union of Christ to His equally prepared Bride now representing to the world being the PARENTS of God’s offspring that walk in faith.

Put another way, Christ returned to the Edenic state above in what we call the New Jerusalem with his holy and prepared bride and He and His bride have become the parents of spiritual offspring of whom we are a part.

And we would suggest that just as God through His apostles readying that bride to meet her husband until they all came to a unity of the faith, we suggest that the time has come to realize that as offspring of that heavenly union we, today,

henceforth “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But that we accept that fact that God sees all His children as children of faith, that today, people who claim faith ought to be like the Bride of Paul’s day, possessing all sorts of different gifts to bless and help the world of faith filled souls rather than to seek to divide with each other because we are all so different.

Because there truly is

one family, and one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in us all – irrespective of our many differences, Yeshuans ardently maintain that the time has finally come for their to be UNITY in people of faith, not disunity over every wind of doctrine.

Just as the Bride constantly was at war with divisions and difficulties and the Apostles (especially Paul) was constantly telling them to grow up and stop being children, we suggest that in our day where all of us who are genuine share in the same Spirit and Lord and God – though we differ in approach, purview and gifts – that it is high time all people o ever denominational difference and focus unite together by the fruit of the same Spirit and that we so do in and through the better way that Paul mentions at the end of chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians – and that better way is by and through agape love toward each other irrespective of the various genders, colors, denominations, world views, political parties, lifestyles, practices and beliefs;

Remembering that God Himself described our day as not having need of teachers saying Know the Lord Know the Lord for all would know Him, that we are no longer called to collectively represent perfection but . . . individually . . . and that just as Paul described the individual believers of the Bride in his day as possessing different gifts, that perhaps today we ought to begin to see different denominations as doing the same –

Perhaps we can take a mature route, believing all things in love, and start to see each faith promoting denom as serving the ultimate purposes of God and allowing all people within them the benefit of the doubt before their maker, instead of using the text to give reason to divide.

Perhaps the time has come where anyone that lays claim to faith in God can be seen as claiming the Spirit of Christ within, especially when that claim is partnered with the better way of agape love, and that believers today see the Catholics as bringing one element of the faith forward, the Protestants bringing another, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventist, and the LDS bringing another, until we all come to a unity of the faith because if there is one thing clear about God and His people – He desires unity in love.

We are going to continue to discuss this next week.

Questions?

Comments

Prayer

This afternoon we have our third leadership class beginning and then after that you can tune into our call in show where we are going to host another round with the college aged apologist group, Ratio Christi.