Ephesians 4:1-16.
The leading aim of this portion of the Epistle to the Ephesians is, surely, to make known God's mind that in the Church, viewed as the Body of Christ, there should be set forth "the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13); and this, not only in the day of glory, but, even now, in this world during the night of Christ's absence. Thus, though Christ is no longer personally present, it is God's thought that Christ should be seen in His people in so far as they set forth the moral excellencies of Christ.
In connection with this great end, it is important to keep in mind the order in which the truth is presented in the Epistle. In the first part of the Epistle to verse 11 of chapter 3, we have the unfolding of the counsels of God, more especially in connection with the great Mystery concerning Christ and the Church. Then, from Ephesians 3:12 to the end of chapter 3, we have the prayer of the Apostle that there may be wrought in the saints a right spiritual condition in order that they may apprehend the great truths concerning the Mystery. From Ephesians 4 to Ephesians 6:9, we have the practical exhortations that present the walk that is consistent with the great truths of the Mystery. Finally, from Ephesians 6:10 to 20, we are warned as to the conflict that the truth will entail.
Thus we have set before us the ministry of the truth; the condition of soul that is necessary for its apprehension; the walk that is consistent with it, and the conflict that it will entail.
In Ephesians 4:2 and 3 the Apostle sums up the walk that is worthy of the truth as characterised by seven moral qualities — lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, love, unity, and peace. These marks set forth the moral perfections of Christ in His pathway through this world, and thus, if these beautiful qualities mark the walk of the saints there will be seen in them the reproduction of the fulness of Christ, the perfect Man.
Lowliness expresses the humility of mind that should characterise believers in their thoughts of themselves, in contrast to the vanity and pride that marks the flesh. Meekness is the spirit of gentleness that should mark us in our bearing towards others — the readiness to give place to others in contrast to the self-assertiveness that seeks a place of prominence. Longsuffering suggests the patient spirit that should mark us in relation to the trying circumstances that we may be called to pass through forbearance, the patience with which we should meet all that is trying in others. Further we are warned that love is to be the true motive in showing forbearance. It is possible to show great forbearance in the presence of insults and yet be acting in a spirit of pride that treats the offending brother with silent contempt. Furthermore, the Christian company is to be marked by unity; but this unity is "the unity of the Spirit," which we are to endeavour to keep. The unity of the Spirit is not the unity of a company of people held together by common opinions, or by a unanimous judgment, which may be far from the mind of the Spirit. It is the unity that is the outcome of being members of the body of Christ and is maintained by the saints walking together according to the one mind of the Spirit. Moreover, this unity of the Spirit is to be maintained in the uniting bond of peace. The danger is that if we are not agreed as to the mind of the Spirit we may fall into contention instead of prayerfully searching the word to learn His mind in the spirit of peace.
These are the qualifications that should characterise the whole Christian company and which are alone worthy of our high calling. No amount of gift, or intelligence in the word, will make up for the lack of these moral qualifications. The Corinthians were enriched in all utterance and in all knowledge, and came behind in no gift; but, alas! they sadly lacked these lovely qualities, which alone would have secured a walk worthy of the Christian calling, and made them witnesses for Christ (1 Cor. 1:5-7). Lacking these qualities they were marked by contentions, divisions, and were not of one mind (1 Cor. 1:10-11).
In this day of ruin there may be little in the way of outstanding gift that would make us prominent in the world or before one another, but, it is still possible for any little company to bear these lovely traits and thus walk worthy of the calling by expressing something of the character of Christ.
In the verses that follow (Eph. 4:4 to 6) the Apostle presents a comprehensive view of Christianity in which three circles of unity are set forth, the light of which is to govern our walk and ways.
First, there is one body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling. This unity brings before us the immense fact that believers are united together in one body by the one Spirit, and enjoy the same glorious hope. This is a vital and abiding unity into which nothing unreal can enter.
Secondly, there is a unity of those who own one Lord, confess one common faith, and submit to one baptism. This is the unity of a common profession which may be true and real, and yet, alas, may be mere profession. This circle of unity is then obviously larger than the unity of the one body formed by the one Spirit.
Thirdly, there is a unity that binds believers together as having one God and Father whose power and claims extend to the whole creation, for God is above all and works through all, though as regards believers He is in us all. This is the widest circle as embracing all men and affecting the whole creation.
In the first circle all human organisations are shut out by one body; the flesh and its activities are excluded by the One Spirit, and earthly hopes give place to the heavenly hope of our calling. In the second circle, the independency and activity of our own wills is excluded by believers coming under the direction of one Lord; error is excluded by the confession of the one faith, and the world shut out by one baptism which separates us from the life of the world in order to have part in the Christian circle apart from the world. In the third circle all the anxious care of the natural man is met by the realisation that as believers we are united together as having one God and Father Who is "above all" that we have to meet down here; Who is working out His ways "through all" circumstances, and who is "in us all," seeing that, as His children, we are partakers of His nature.
How blessed is the perfect standard set before us in these verses! It presents the Christian company in the realisation of the presence of one Spirit, under the direction of one Lord, and cared for by one God and Father, with the result that, walking together in lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, love, unity, and peace, the fulness of Christ is set forth.
Alas! in the great Christian profession today we see the practical denial of these three circles of blessing. The one Spirit is set aside by human arrangements; the one Lord is set aside by self-will and independency; and the one God and Father is set aside by the infidel reasonings of modernism. Thus a walk in consistency with these great truths demands separation from every system of men which, either in principle or practice, denies these truths.
The instructions and exhortations that follow have in view a godly walk in consistency with these three spheres of blessing. First, in verses 7 to 16, we have special exhortations in view of the walk that becomes us as members of the one body. Secondly, in verses 17 to 32, we have exhortations that refer to a godly walk as individuals that confess Jesus as Lord. Thirdly, in Ephesians 5 to verse 9 of chapter 6, we are exhorted as to our walk in all the relationships of life under our God and Father.
(Eph. 4:7). In the consideration of the Apostle's exhortations in connection with the one body, we see, first of all, that Christ Himself is working for the blessing of the body. In different measures He gives grace to "every one." As believers we are united to form one body, but as members of that one body we each have our individual service according to the sovereign grace of Christ. Each has a niche to fill in the service of the one body.
(Eph. 4:8-10). The One Who gives the gifts is the One Who is in the place of supreme power, after having broken all the power of the enemy. The Apostle alludes to Psalm 68, which speaks of Jehovah being exalted in the midst of His earthly people after having delivered them from all their enemies. Having delivered them He blesses them with gifts. Here the Apostle makes an application of the Psalm to Christ Who has ascended to the place of supreme glory after having redeemed His people from the power of the enemy, and, from His place in glory, blesses them with gifts. In two parenthetical verses the Apostle gives the full implication of this Old Testament Scripture. If Christ has ascended on high it necessarily means that He has first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He has been into death, and from that lowest place He has ascended far above all heavens. Thus He has passed through "all things." So doing He has acquired, as Man, perfect knowledge of every circumstance of life and death that the believer may be called to pass through. In His path from the glory to the cross, and the grave, and in His ascension to a place far above all heavens, He has met temptation and needs, has endured suffering and opposition from men and devils, and has passed through death and the grave. With His perfect knowledge of "all things" He is able to give gifts that will meet our every need as we pass through this world of sorrow and trial on our way to glory.
(Eph. 4:11). Not only has His grace given to "every one" some special service, but He has also given to "some" special gifts — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Here there is no mention of the sign gifts of healing and tongues, which were used in connection with the introduction of Christianity, and more especially in relation to the Jew. Here we have the gifts that abide to the end. Apostles and prophets were used to lay the foundation of the Church; so we read that we "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20). We have these gifts preserved to us in the different Epistles. The evangelists go out into all the world, not only for the salvation of souls, but, to bring believing souls into the circle of blessing, thus they too have their part in the service of the one body. The pastor has to do more especially with individuals; they shepherd the sheep. The teacher is more directly concerned with unfolding the truth.
(Eph. 4:12). The gifts each have their special service, but all are in view of the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. The exercise of these gifts has in view first of all the blessing of individual saints — the members that compose the body. The individual saints being helped and blest, they will be fitted to take up their special ministry for others, and thus the great end will be reached — "the edifying of the body of Christ."
(Eph. 4:13). Then the Apostle sets forth the great end in view in the edification of the body of Christ. It is that all the saints may "arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (N. Tn.). "The faith" is the whole system of Christian truth. The "unity of the faith" is the unity that results from holding in common the truth of Christianity and having the knowledge of the Son of God, the One in Whom God has been made known and by Whom Christianity has been revealed and established (Matt. 16:16-18). The unity of which the Apostle speaks is not a human alliance formed by common agreement or holding a common creed, but a unity that draws saints together in affection through the knowledge of the faith and of the Son of God as revealed to us in the Word of God.
Thus there will be produced in the saints "a perfect," or "full-grown man." In the Second chapter the Apostle speaks of Christ having abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile "to make in Himself one new man" (Eph. 2:15). Again, in this chapter, he speaks of the "new man" (Eph. 4:24). He does not speak of coming to "new men," but unto "a perfect man." The thought of "a perfect man" takes in the whole company of saints in the view of God, seen indeed as many saints, but setting forth "one man." This "perfect man" is set forth in Christ, for the measure of the stature of this perfect man is "the fulness of Christ." The "fulness" speaks of all the moral excellencies of Christ. Every moral quality of Christ is to be portrayed in this one perfect man. Thus the saints are viewed as one man to express the loveliness of Christ. These moral excellencies are brought before us in verses 2 and 3 of this chapter, and again in Colossians 3:12 to 15. From the Epistle to the Colossians we learn further that in this "new man there are no human distinctions in which men boast and by which they seek to exalt themselves. There are no political distinctions as Jew and Gentile; no religious distinctions as circumcised and uncircumcised; no intellectual pre-eminence over barbarian and Scythian, and no social distinctions between bond and free, but Christ is all and in all. (Col. 3:10-11).
The passage does not refer to what will be true in heaven but to what God would have seen in His people upon earth. It may be said that this is impossible of attainment. That may be so, but God could not set before us anything less than a perfect standard. And let us beware of lowering the standard because of our failure in answering to it. To look abroad at the present time at what exists in professing Christendom, and amongst true believers, with all the con-fusion, strife and division, will only bewilder. It has been truly said, "The truth as to the church is not gained by looking at the church, or the history of it, as man might describe it, but by looking at it from the Divine point of view." In this great passage we have set forth the Divine mind for all God's saints: it is our business to learn God's mind and seek to answer to it.
(Eph. 4:14-15). Having God's perfect standard before us, and thus established in the truth as set forth in Scripture, we shall no longer be in uncertainty as to the mind of God for His saints. We shall not be like babes tossed to and fro by a strong wind. There are, indeed, adverse influences at work, and men of unprincipled cunning who, with wrong doctrine, are forming systems of error. We have to beware of tampering with this evil. Nothing is more pernicious to believers than occupation with "every wind of doctrine" put forth with the subtlety of crafty men. Our business is to learn the mind of God and grow in the knowledge of the Son of God. We do not escape error by enquiring into all the details of the error, but by the knowledge of the truth. The Lord can say of His sheep, "A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers" (John 10:5). Our safety then is found, not in investigation of evil, but in "holding the truth in love" (N. Tn.). Thus we come under the power of the truth and grow in spiritual intelligence according to the perfect mind of Christ Who is the Head — the One in Whom there is set forth all the mind and purpose of God.
(Eph. 4:16). From Christ, the Head, "the whole body" makes increase in spiritual intelligence and blessing. Here it is not exactly the ministry of gifts, but rather that silent growth of the body through the work of the Lord in all the members, who in different ways and measures can minister to one another in love. This verse sets forth the immense influence we can have on one another, as the result of each one having the mind of Christ through being under the control of the Head. One has truly said, "Many a man has an amount of influence which he never dreamt of, merely because he sought to stand in the mind of God. Many a man that you would have thought was cut out to exercise a great deal of influence, has lost it because he did not continue in the mind of God. As the Apostle said, 'We have no power against the truth, but for the truth' — Stand for the truth and you will find you have great power: — go against the truth, and you will lose the little you appear to have."
Thus in this Scripture we learn, first, that gifts have been given from Christ, the ascended Head of the Church in different measures and forms to "every one" of the members (Eph. 4:7-11). Secondly, the great end for which the gifts have been given is that believers may be united to form one new man to set forth the moral perfections of Christ (Eph. 4:13). Thirdly, that being established in these great truths we may be preserved from error (Eph. 4:14). Lastly, being preserved from error, that there may be spiritual growth in the one body, in the spirit of love (Eph. 4:15-16).
Thus we learn the rich provision that has been made in order that the fulness of Christ may be seen in His people, during the time of His absence, while waiting for the day when the church will be presented to Himself "A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." Then, indeed, it will be altogether like Himself, "HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH."
H. Smith.