Unity And Diversity In The Body

INTRO

In chapter 3, Paul explained Christ was The Head of the church and both the Jews and the Gentiles were united in Him to be His body—the church. Ephesians 4 builds on this foundation.

TEACHING

Ephesians 4:1-6: In verse 1, Paul calls the Ephesians to “walk worthy” of what God had called them to do. They were to walk with humility, gentleness, patience, accepting each other in love, and with the unity and peace that binds us all (vv. 2–3). Paul lists three virtues: humility, gentleness, and patience. Constable explains humility as “a proper assessment of oneself in God’s program,” gentleness or meekness as “the opposite of self-assertion . . . one whose emotions are under control,” and patience or longsuffering as “endurance even under affliction.”¹ The result of these virtues is “accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us” (vv. 2b-3) (Matthew 5:9). We are not called to be peacekeepers but to be bound by peace. This has to be intentional!

In verses 4–6, Paul lists seven ways that we have unity. We have one body in Christ (Ephesians 1:23); we have one spirit in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:22); we have one hope of eternity through the resurrection (1 Peter 1:3; 3:15); we have one Lord (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18); one faith (Ephesians 2:8–9); one baptism through the death of Christ (Romans 6:3); and one God who is Father of all (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Kings 19:15). We are united through all of these.

Ephesians 4:7–11: Paul then moves from unity to diversity. All believers received God’s grace according to Christ’s gift (v. 7). Harold W. Hoehner explains, “For Christ to have ascended to heaven, He first had to descend to ‘the lower parts of the earth.’ This is probably a reference to Jesus’ tomb or grave.”² Constable continues, “In His death, Jesus Christ gained the victory over sin, and He redeemed those whom He would give as gifts to the church.”³ Jesus descended to us to save us and then ascended back to heaven where He personally gave each of us gifts (vv. 8–11). Note that verse 11 is one of TTR’s key verses.

Ephesians 4:12–14: These gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) were given for (1) the training of the saints in ministry and (2) the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12). These gifts are given for a specific time—“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son” while we grow in the stature of Christ’s fullness (v. 13). All of these things will continue until these conditions come to fruition.

According to Cindy Jacobs’ ministry site ministry site www.generals.org:

• Every month, 1,800 pastors leave the ministry.
• In ten years, 40 percent of pastors will no longer be in ministry.
• 50 percent of all pastors feel they are not able to do the job.
• 80 percent of pastors believe their ministries affect their families negatively.
• 40 percent of pastors have experienced depression or burnout that required a leave of absence from their ministries.
• 33 percent experienced burnout within their first five years of ministry.⁴

Please understand that we’ve said to the pastor, “We want you to do it all.” But Paul tells the Ephesians that if they want the work of the church to continue, he needs multiple voices, not just the voice of one man (the pastor). So let’s talk about some of these other voices using he fivefold ministry.

Apostle: Visualize a drawing of your hand. The position of the apostle is represented by the thumb. The thumb does not work in opposition of the rest of the fingers but rather works with the fingers to do the work assigned to the entire hand. Apostles function in administration and (together with prophets) lay the foundation with proper doctrinal and spiritual structure (Ephesians 2:20). An

Hoehner, Harold W. "Ephesians." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, pp. 613-45. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1983, quoted in Constable, p. 90; available online at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/ephesians.pdf apostle is a foundation layer, pioneer, or entrepreneur within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10). The term apostle or Apostolos in the Greek means “one who is sent out” and was originally used by the Romans to describe someone who was sent out to acculturate newly acquired land. They ask: “Are we leading the people of God to the new place God is calling them?”

Prophet: The prophet, is the first or pointer finger, functions in revelation, and points the way for believers. The office of the prophet is different from the gift of prophecy—it carries a governmental authority and role of higher responsibility. The gift of prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and comfort, whereas the prophet flows in areas of guidance, instruction, rebuke, judgment, and revelation. Prophets know God’s will and are particularly attuned to God and His truth for today. They question the status quo and ask, “Are the people of God hearing His voice and responding appropriately?” The title means “one who hears and listens to God.”

Shepherd: The ring finger or wedding ring finger symbolizes the shepherd’s commitment to and care of his flock. The pastor is bound to the local saints in a shepherding relationship to nurture and protect. They are caregivers of the community, focusing on the protection and spiritual maturity of God’s flock, cultivating a loving and spiritually mature network of relationships, and making and developing disciples. Their title means, “one who shepherds God’s people,” and they ask, “Are the people of God being protected and prepared for a Christian lifestyle?

Evangelist: The middle finger signifies the Evangelist and represents the outreach ministry extended to evangelize the world. They are soul winners, but there are also many in the body of Christ who have a burden to win souls who do not hold this office. Evangelists are not primarily soul winners but are called to stir up the church and move the people into action. Evangelists recruit others to the cause. Their title means “one who brings good news.” They ask: “Are new people entering into God’s kingdom?”

Teacher: Teachers are the littlest finger, which is essential and provides balance. The teacher grounds the church in truth through instruction in the principles of the Word of God. The teacher’s heart is for truth, and their desire is to dissect the word of God to make sure the church thoroughly understands the truth of Scripture. They are often expositors, theologians, or have a specific burden or emphasis in some special area of truth to teach the body of Christ. Teachers understand and explain. They help others remain biblically grounded to better discern God’s will, guiding others toward wisdom, helping the community remain faithful to Christ’s Word, and constructing a transferable doctrine. Their title means, “one who seeks and shares the truth,” and they ask: “Are the people of God immersing themselves in Scripture and biblical principles? Are they living them out?”

CLOSING

Some of you question if the roles of apostles and prophets are still present today. Based on what I read in the Bible and what I’ve experienced, I think they are.