The
American
Wisdom Series
Presents
Pamphlet #5168 KCEphesians8
While
Jesus was in the tomb He "knocked on Satan's door" and preached (offered
salvation now that He had paid the price) to those held captive by Satan,
even those from all the way back to Noah's time (1 Pet 3:18).
We have just concluded the parenthetical chapter 3 of
this truly incredible Book of Ephesians.
Paul will now pick up in chapter 4 where he left off at
the end of chapter 2 with verse 22, which is the reason he begins with
"I THEREFORE", to connect the two verses.
Ephes.
4:1
I therefore,
the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called,
It is the one building "fitly framed together", "the
holy temple" (Eph. 2:21-22).
It is the one body which is likewise "fitly framed together"
(Eph. 3:16).
THEREFORE, endeavor (vs 3) to keep this unity of the spirit,
i.e. the spiritual unity, which God HAS MADE in Jesus Christ.
The word translated "vocation" actually means "calling"
in the Greek, your calling.
Paul exhorts us to walk in a manner worthy of that calling.
In order then to give diligence and keep the spiritual
unity which God has made, it will require us to walk...
[2]
With
all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another
in love;
With all humility and gentleness, exercising patience
with one another in the love of Christ..
[3]
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Endeavoring means to do diligence, labour, study.
We must "endeavor" and be doers of the Word, not just
hearers of the Word.
Else what good are we to others, or to Christ and His
body for that matter?
James says it best:
James
1:22-24
But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. [23]
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man
beholding his natural face in a glass: [24]
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was.
Unfortunately many leave their churches after services,
being hearers only, and do exactly that... forget what manner of man of
woman he/she was, or should be.
Here's the good news:
[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,
There is only one baptism, the baptism of the Spirit,
by Whom we are baptized into the one body.
Baptism symbolizes the death and resurrection.
How many times was Jesus crucified?
He went into the earth only once!
So why are some baptized again each time they change churches?
I don't get it.
[6]
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all.
Let there be no doubt Who is in charge over all...
some man?... a bishop?... a pope?... a church system?
It is our Father, thankfully.
[7]
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the
gift of Christ.
It is Jesus Christ who measures out the gifts.
Are you happy with yours?
Do you exercise it, endeavoring to keep the unity of the
faith?
Do you recognize your gifts?
Remember we are all one body in Christ.
We can't all be mouths (though sometimes I marvel).
If you have the faith to know that (that we are all of
one body) then you should never be jealous or envious of another's gift.
The toe is as much a part of the body as the mouth (and
for some may even "carry more weight").
Know and appreciate that your gifts are measured to you
by Christ.
[8]
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men.
Christ received gifts for men from the Father.
Paul here is quoting the 68th Psalm:
Psalm
68:18-19
Thou hast ascended
on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for
men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among
them. [19] Blessed
be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Selah.
So Christ ascended, but He also descended. What does
that mean?
Ephes
4:9 (Now that He ascended, what is it but
that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
That Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross and was
buried in the tomb, we know.
But while there, He "knocked on Satan's door" and preached
(offered salvation now that He had paid the price) to those held captive
by Satan, even those from all the way back to Noah's time (1 Pet 3:18).
[10]
He
that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,
that he might fill all things.)
He fulfilled all things, i.e. "that all things might
be fulfilled" in Him.
[11]
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;
Apostles are ones "sent forth".
Prophets aren't called prophets because they foretell
the future, but because "they speak the words of God" (John 3:34), like
the prophets David and Moses.
Evangelists preach and bring forth new believers
to be given over to the pastors and teachers to be fed "meat" from God's
Word.
Why the different gifts? ...
[12]
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:
Hey, so we can be perfect.
Wrong!
Perfecting means "maturing", i.e. becoming full grown.
So grow-up.
Rightly dividing note: The original
texts weren't punctuated, but it seems all editions place the commas in
verse 12 in the locations as above, making three objects: the perfecting,
the work, and the edifying. This would be correct if the word "for" was
the same in each three clauses, but they are not. The first "for" is "pros"
marking the subjective purpose originating the gifts, and the second and
third "for" are "eis", marking the objective end for which the gifts
were designed.
Eph 4:12 For4314
the3588 perfecting2677 of the3588 saints,40 for1519
the work2041 of the ministry,1248 for1519
the edifying3619 of the3588 body4983 of Christ:5547
H4314
îé æäá
me?y za?ha?b
may zaw-hawb'
From H4325 and H2091, water of
gold; Me-Zahab, an Edomite: - Mezahab.
H1519
â?å?ç
â?éç
gi?yach gu?ach
ghee'-akh, goo'-akh
(Chaldee); corresponding to H1518;
to rush forth: - strive.
The punctuation should be "For
the perfecting of the saints, with a view to the work of the ministry,
with a (further) view to the building up of the body of Christ."
So we have one proposition "The
perfecting of the saints", which is twofold, the
work of the ministry, which itself is for the
building up of the spiritual body of Christ.
[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:
How do we come to the unity and knowledge?
By endeavoring!
We become mature man and women measured by the full stature
of Jesus Christ, measured by the Word of God!
[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;
If we don't "endeavor" we are
doomed to remain Biblically illiterate.
And guess what?
Ignorance can be tossed about like
a little row boat upon the surging waves.
Many Christians are so shallow in
their beliefs and faith that they do not want to discuss, nor do they question,
the doctrines that they have been and are being taught.
Shame on us all!
We, as mature Christians, need to
hold our ministers, our politicians, and the teachers of our children accountable
for what they do and what they teach.
Have you ever read in the New Testament what those audacious
Bereans did?
They had the "nerve" to "check out" the Apostle Paul himself,
the man who wrote the majority of the New Testament!
Acts
17:10-11
And the brethren
immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither
went into the synagogue of the Jews. [11]
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so.
They searched the Bible to
see if what Paul was teaching them was SCRIPTURAL.
They are called "more noble" for
doing so.
God likes it.
It helps keep the unity!
So (here
comes common sense again) if the Apostle Paul
is not above the scrutiny of scripture by "laymen" then should your minister,
or the bishops, or the popes, or anyone else be?
I think not.
Start "endeavoring" wherever you
attend and whomever you listen to!
(Tell them you are treating them
with the same respect given the Apostle Paul.
But be gentle, do it in love, exercising
wisdom.)
What shall we say then?
Don't be a baby Christian.
Endeavor and become mature in the
Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
1 Corinthians
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them {the
ancient Israelites} for
ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come.
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