In
Ephesians chapter four the apostle Paul gives a clear outline for
teaching disciples in every age, including ours, to observe all that
the Lord has commanded. Paul assures us in verse seven that grace
was given to each believer because of the ascension of Jesus.
Specifically, this grace was Christ’s gift that came in the form of
five kinds of ministry.
Here is our Scripture reading.
7. . . .To
each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s
gift.
11. And He (Jesus)
gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of
service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13. Until we all
attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to
the fullness of Christ.
14.
As a result, we are no longer to be children . . .
Ephesians 4:11-14
reveals another unfulfilled prophecy. This passage tells us:
·
What
Jesus
put in place — the five ministries
·
Why He put
it in place — equipping the saints
·
When it
will cease — the Second Coming
Jesus set the five
ministries in place for the purpose of equipping the saints until
the Second Coming. That makes this verse a prophecy and a
commandment. Therefore, until this prophecy is fulfilled, these five
ministries are still valid, are scriptural, and are still intended
to function in the church today, just as it was in the first century
church.
PURPOSE OF THE FIVE MINISTRIES
If Christ’s gift — He being
the consummate gift — is to equip the saints
(vs. 12), is it not self evident that His gifts equip them through
the work of these five ministries? And what is the purpose of the
work of these five ministries if it is not for the building up
of the body of Christ — the Church?
How long did Jesus give His apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip the saints?
Ephesians 4:13 tells us how long:
Until
we all attain to these four goals:
1. The unity of the faith
2. The knowledge of the Son of God
3. A mature man
4. The measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ
How can we casually read this verse and
not observe that the modern church has not aspired to even one of
these four goals of the church? Since this sentence (in verses
11-13) is seventy-eight words long, we can assume that Paul thought
it was of extreme importance and a mandate from Jesus Christ, our
Lord. “As a result, we are no longer to be children,”
but we are — obviously! Read verse 14 again. Two thousand years
later and we are WHAT? Children!
In the first goal, the
phrase “unity of the faith” (in Eph. 4:13) is usually interpreted to
mean “all Christians will eventually be in the same doctrinal
group.” Sadly, to some Christians it is an unspoken assumption that
this doctrinal group is obviously their doctrinal
group; otherwise known as pure, presumptuous pride.
No matter what “unity of the faith” (Eph.
4:13) actually is, it would be difficult to argue that any
significant measure of unity of the faith was ever achieved at any
time in church history. I have devoted most of a chapter in this
book to defining this term.
The second goal
(Eph. 4:13) is “the knowledge of the Son of God.” Not even once in
the entirety of church history has this kind of knowledge existed in
the body of Christ. The reason being is that this experience is
reserved for the time of the Second Coming. At that time we will
know Jesus as He is . . . WHEN we meet Him face to face (1
Cor. 13:12). This, again, tells us when these Ephesians 4:11
ministries will pass away.
“Knowledge of the Son of God,” and
the third goal, the state of being “a mature man,” is an
eschatological state.1 Eschatology, again, is the study
of the age immediately prior to the Second Coming.
This phrase, “a mature man,” sounds like
“When I became a man” in 1 Corinthians 13:11, which was discussed at
length in the chapter: When The Perfect Comes.
The fourth goal
is “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” It is
obvious that all in the church have not reached the same level of
maturity as is evident in Christ. Therefore, “the end” is described
in terms of ultimate spiritual growth of the believer into the
absolute perfection that is found in Christ. The metaphor of a
mature person is used to portray the resurrected body of believers
(cf. 1 Cor. 13:10-12). 2
Plainly spoken, these four goals make it clear to us that these
five-fold ministries will be in place until the Second Coming.
Was
that interesting? There is so much more in this chapter that you will
want to read. Is this a good time to order the book?
