Ephesians 4 - 2.25.26
Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13, 16
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Observation
The title at the top of Ephesian 4 says, Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ. In verse 1, Paul opens with, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, and throughout the rest of the chapter, he follows up with on instructions on how to live in unity and help one another grow in maturity in Christ. Before we explore the specific ministry gifts outlined in this chapter, I want to point out that Paul is writing to everyone when he references the calling you have received. We all have a calling on our lives – to love Him and make Him known, to continually grow in maturity in Christ, to live in unity, and to serve others. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Application
I wasn’t sure what the differences are between apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. I did some searching and although I’m sure this isn’t exact, I think it’s a good summary:
Apostles go out (think missionaries), establish and build churches, Prophets hear and reveal God's will and message, Evangelists preach the gospel to win souls, Pastors shepherd/nurture the local flock, and Teachers explain and instruct in the Word.
Paul says the purpose of these ministries is to equip the body of Christ. I contend that even though we might not be called to full time ministry in one of these areas, God has placed one or more of these giftings on many of us. I could name so many people in our church! And even if we don’t think we have one of these five specific ministries, God has given each of us unique gifts to serve the body of Christ. If your gift is to encourage others, then go all out – we all need encouragement. If you are a prayer warrior, support us in prayer. If you love to serve others, serve lavishly. We shouldn’t feel that God can’t use us because we aren’t a prophet or evangelist. And we definitely shouldn’t use that as an excuse to sit back! From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Prayer
Thank you that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, designed specifically by You with different strengths to be used to grow the Body of Christ. May no one feel less than, but instead learn to grow in their unique giftings and calling. May we all continue to grow in unity and maturity as we set our focus on You. Amen
- Debbie Dunn
