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I was encouraged this week to join a protest against Pepsi co. about a new Pepsi soda can which omits the words "under God" from the American Pledge of Allegiance. This intrigued me for my kids have recently been on a strange Pepsi kick and with the timing of 9/11 events it seemed strange. I went to Snopes.com, which describes itself as "the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation". It seems back in November 2001 Dr. Pepper introduced a can design featuring the Statue of Liberty with the words "One Nation.. Indivisible" from the Pledge of Allegiance displayed above it. With over 90% of the pledge missing due to space limitations, it did not seem to be a deliberate "God removal campaign". Although Time magazine ran an edition with the exact title in 2001, it seems that some people will take a little truth and develop a whole plot from it. (http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/undergod.asp)
In a time of social media, Photoshop, conspiracy theories and internet scams, people are being deceived wasting time and money by people either paranoid themselves or trying to defraud others. But deception is nothing new.
The Ephesian church had a history of being plagued with heresy. Around A.D. 58, Paul first warned the Ephesian elders of subtle heresies creeping into their congregation (see Acts 20:26–31). According to the book of Ephesians (written in A.D. 61), he warned them again about false teaching, and then he made stronger censures in his epistles to Timothy (written in A.D. 64 and 66), who was working in Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 1:3–6; 4:1–2; 6:20–21; 2 Timothy 1:13–14; 2:14–26). If 1 John was also addressed to the Ephesian church (and many scholars think it was), the church was still fighting with heretics in the 80s (see 1 John 2:18–19; 4:1–3). And even in the 90s, when Revelation was written, the Ephesian church was still testing false apostles (see Revelation 2:1–7) (Barton, B. B., & Comfort, P. W. (1996). Ephesians. Life application Bible commentary (85). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.).
God desires His people to be on a collective people of faith, knowing and living His truth. It is a continual process of maturing together producing a loving testimony. It is a beacon of hope in a dark time. Without truth, we are adrift in a stormy sea of speculation, opinion, vacillating feelings or crashing on the rocks of despair.
Through God’s message of Ephesians 4:13-15, the people of God can have "Hope that Stands in the Storm" though a: 1) Unity of the Faith (Ephesians 4:13a), 2) Knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 4:13b), 3) Spiritual Maturity (Ephesians 4:13c) and 5) Authentic Loving Testimony (Ephesians 4:15)
1) Unity of the Faith (Ephesians 4:13a)
Ephesians 4:13a [13]until we all attain to the unity of the faith (and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ)
As in verse 5, faith does not here refer to the act of belief or of obedience but to the body of Christian truth, to Christian doctrine. The faith is the content of the gospel in its most complete form. It is the body of truth to be defended against false teachers:
Jude 1:3 [3]Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (ESV)
As the church at Corinth so clearly illustrates, disunity in the church comes from doctrinal ignorance and spiritual immaturity. When believers are properly taught, when they faithfully do the work of service, and when the body is thereby built up in spiritual maturity, unity of the faith is an inevitable result. This unity is not dumbed down complacency, but as has been described earlier in verse three that we must be Ephesians 4:3... [3]eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (ESV) Unity of the faith is created by God, because faith itself is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8). We cannot create unity. God creates unity through His truth. Our job is to not disrupt what God has created.
Oneness in fellowship is impossible unless it is built on the foundation of commonly believed truth. The Apostle Paul saw the problem in Corinth and the needed solution:
1 Corinthians 1:10 [10]I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (ESV)
God’s truth is not fragmented and divided against itself, and when His people are fragmented and divided it simply means they are to that degree apart from His truth, apart from the faith of right knowledge and understanding. Only a biblically equipped, faithfully serving, and spiritually maturing church can attain to the unity the faith. Any other "unity" will be on a purely human level and not only will be apart from but in constant conflict with the unity of the faith. There can never be unity in the church apart from doctrinal integrity.
This oneness thus partakes of the tension between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’: it has been proclaimed as a given fact, but is now presented as the goal of Christian endeavour, a goal which can only be reached by all collectively, and will finally occur at Christ’s coming, when he brings his people to complete maturity (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians. The Pillar New Testament commentary (306). Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Illustration: (Church, Unity)
There was a time during the American Civil War, when the rival armies were encamped on the opposite banks of the Potomac River, the Union’s band played one of its patriotic tunes, and the Confederate musicians quickly struck up a melody dear to any Southerner’s heart. Then one of the bands started to play “Home, Sweet Home.” The musical competition ceased, and the musicians from the other army joined in. Soon voices from both sides of the river could be heard singing, “There is no place like home.” In a similar way, (all those with Christ as head), in spite of many divisions, is bound together by that one strong link—we are all going home, and to the same home. We have a common destiny (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (68). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
2) Knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 4:13b)
Ephesians 4:13b [13] (until we all attain to the unity of the faith) and of the knowledge of the Son of God, (to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ)
“Knowledge of the Son of God” refers to experiential knowledge of Jesus attained through day-by-day discipleship; it is what Paul refers to in Philippians 3 where he writes of his desire:
Philippians 3:10 [10]that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (ESV)
• Paul means knowledge that goes beyond what can be packed into the head, knowledge that also trickles down into the heart and flows out into the life in obedient and loving service to the Lord (Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians : An expositional commentary (148). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Ministry Resources Library.).
Please turn back to Ephesians 1
There is a knowledge that is directly related to faith. When faith reads the Scriptures it finds treasure after treasure of knowledge which unbelief never finds; when faith is exercised by confession and life it discovers by its own experience more and more knowledge of the saving truth which unbelief cannot know. (Both true knowledge and faith have one object: the Son of God) (Lenski, R. C. H. (1937). The interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians (534). Columbus, O.: Lutheran Book Concern.).
Ephesians 1:16-19 [16]I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17]that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18]having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19]and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (ESV)
• As with Ephesians 4, this knowledge here in Ephesians 1 is put in a communal sense. There is something special when we celebrate together the knowledge of God. We help one another with understanding, become excited together in celebrating what God has revealed in his word and we are filled with hope together because of God’s great promises, and which is a collective inheritance. (cf. Phil. 1:4; Col. 1:9–10; 2:2).
Illustration: ("Strangely Warmed") Fresh out of Oxford, John Wesley was perplexed over England’s complicated social problems: slavery, economic uncertainties, corruption, drunkenness, gambling, and prostitution. This deeply religious, sensitive soul became a parish minister and, subsequently, a missionary to American Indians along the coast of Georgia. His ministries were far from successful. Disappointed and discouraged, he returned to Britain. During the voyage, his ship was raked by a raging storm. Wesley was unashamedly frightened. In fact, the only calm persons aboard were Moravian missionaries. Noticing their behavior, Wesley asked if they were not afraid. “Why should I be afraid,” one answered, “I know Christ.” Then, with disarming directness, he asked, “Do you know Christ?” Wesley was uncomfortable, for in his heart he now realized he did not know Christ. (The only true hope in the midst of a storm is a faith based on "true knowledge of the Son of God") (Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (202–203). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
3) Spiritual Maturity (Ephesians 4:13c)
Ephesians 4:13c [13] (until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God), to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
God’s great desire for His church is that every believer, without exception, come to be like His Son (Rom. 8:29), manifesting the character qualities of the One who is the only measure. Paul’s word for “mature” (τέλειος, teleios) means “full grown” (Phil 3:15) (Boles, K. L. (1993). Galatians & Ephesians. The College Press NIV commentary (Eph 4:13). Joplin, Mo.: College Press.)
Please turn to Colossians 1
It is obvious that believers, all of whom have unredeemed flesh (Rom. 7:14; 8:23), cannot in this life fully and perfectly attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. But they must and can reach a degree of maturity that pleases and glorifies the Lord. The goal of Paul’s ministry to believers was their maturity, as indicated by his labors to
Colossians 1:27-29 [27]To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [28]Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. [29]For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (ESV) (cf. Phil. 3:14–15).
• This is not an individual endeavor. Individually, people tend to strive for a "personal spirituality" that puts the focus on personal fulfillment. The problem is that we tend to be overly generous with ourselves and downplay reoccurring weaknesses.
• Paul addresses the God given objective as a corporate endeavor. We are to encourage one another to maturity in all areas of Christian life: intellectual, emotional, physical and relational. Even the standard of the objective is external: "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ".
Illustration:(Maturity)
As a Christian, you have everything you need to be what you ought to be. Spiritual maturity is not a process of gaining things that you did not have when you became a believer. For example, consider a newborn baby. When a baby is born, the baby has all the physical equipment he or she will ever have. When people are born again they have they will ever need to become mature.
Someone once has asked: What are merits to measure the worth? Not, how did he die? But, how did he live? Not, what did he gain? But, what did he give? These are the merits To measure the worth Of a man as a man, Regardless of birth. Not, what was his station? But, had he a heart? And how did he play His God-given part? (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (238–239). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
4) Sound Doctrine (Ephesians 4:14)
Ephesians 4:14 [14]so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (ESV)
Children are delightful little creatures to have around, but they do have their limitations. Two are instability and naïveté. Children are notoriously fickle. They will be interested in one thing for five minutes; and five minutes later they move on to something else entirely. Again, children may be easily fooled. It is easy to deceive them. That is why parents have a special responsibility for the sound education and careful guidance of children; it is part of what it means to be a child. However, it is an unfortunate thing when those same characteristics hang on into adult life, weakening a person’s character and limiting his or her usefulness (Boice, J. M. (1988). Ephesians : An expositional commentary (149–150). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Ministry Resources Library.)
This word (νήπιος, nēpios) can mean merely young children in a neutral sense (Gal 4:1–3), but often the term carries with it the value judgment of “infantile and stupid” (1 Cor 3:1–2; 13:11; Heb 5:13). It was necessary, no doubt, for all believers to begin as babies in their faith, but they are to stay at this level “no longer.” God wants his people childlike, but not childish (Boles, K. L. (1993). Galatians & Ephesians. The College Press NIV commentary (Eph 4:14). Joplin, Mo.: College Press.).
The contrast between ‘the mature person’ of v.13 and the ‘children’ here is pointed. Not only do the latter’s ignorance and instability stand over against the knowledge of the mature adult (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6; 3:1; Heb. 5:13, 14), but also the use of the plural ‘children’ (with its implications of individualism) stands in contrast to the one ‘mature person’ who is a corporate unity (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians. The Pillar New Testament commentary (308). Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
• People often get misled in a quest for a private individual spirituality. In this individualism quest they are either not familiar or intentionally disregard the historic orthodoxy of belief. As a result they are easy prey for either cults or wade into dangerous error that can seriously damage a proper relationship with God and his people.
(Spiritual children ) are defenseless, unable to protect themselves; in the spiritual life they are an easy prey for false teachers and others who would like to lead them astray from the true path. Like ships at sea without adequate means of steering, they are (tossed to and fro/here and there by waves of popular sentiment and are carried about by every wind of new doctrine that seems appealing. It may seem like the author is mixing metaphors with children and sea navigation, but anyone who has used a car carrier would recognize the link. The infant would be strapped in the carrier and then taken place to place just like a storm would carry a small craft on the water from place to place.
Spiritual children, because they are not anchored in God’s truth, they are subject to every sort of counterfeit truth—humanistic, cultic, pagan, demonic, or whatever.) The immature Christian is gullible; and in the history of the church no group of believers has fallen into more foolishness in the name of Christianity than has much of the church today. Despite our unprecedented education, sophistication, freedom, and access to God’s Word and sound Christian teaching, it seems that every religious huckster (cf. 2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2; 11:13–15) can find a ready hearing and financial support from among God’s people. The number of foolish, misdirected, corrupt, and even heretical leaders to whom many church members willingly give their money and allegiance is astounding and heartbreaking. Immaturity on the part of believers cannot be treated as a neutral state which will be outgrown in due course. It is a highly dangerous condition because it lays them open to manipulation by cunning people and the forces of error. But it is for precisely such a situation that pastors and teachers have been provided—to prevent believers in their immaturity from falling prey to false teaching and to lead them from the instability which ends in error to the stability of the truth (Lincoln, A. T. (2002). Vol. 42: Word Biblical Commentary : Ephesians. Word Biblical Commentary (259). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
The cause of this spiritual plight is not hard to find. Presenting an easy–believism or almost contentless message, in many places the Body of Christ has not been built up in sound doctrine or in faithful obedience. Consequently there is little doctrinal solidarity (“unity of faith”) and little spiritual maturity (“knowledge of the Son of God … to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ”).
The false teacher presents their message through cunning/trickery (Kubia) which is the term from which we get cube, and was used of dice–playing. Just as today, the dice were often “loaded” or otherwise manipulated by professional gamblers to their own advantage. The term for dice therefore became synonymous with dishonest cunning/trickery of any sort. What are those loaded dice? They are the way dishonest people use words. A common practice of cults and people trying to deceive is to change the meaning of words:
• Use a term that represents happiness, "gay", for an abhorrent lifestyle, thereby trying to associate previous positive feelings for this action clearly counter to God’s word.
• Or use a term like "faith" which only properly has a rational meaning tied to one alone who can be trusted, God, and apply it to subjective experiences and feelings, thereby devoid it of any meaning.
False teachers also have a craftiness (panourgia; see Luke 20:23; 1 Cor. 3:19; 2 Cor. 12:16) carrying the idea of clever manipulation of error made to look like truth. Methodia (schemes) is used later in the letter to refer to “the schemes of the devil” (6:11). No doubt it has reference to planned, subtle, systematized error. Paul’s point is that neither human cunning/the trickery of men nor the deceitful schemes of the devil will mislead the spiritually equipped and mature believer.
Paul clearly shows that this is not the way to present truth:
2 Corinthians 4:2 [2]But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (ESV)
Please turn to Hebrews 5
Maturity brings with it the capacity to evaluate various forms of teaching, to accept what is true and reject what is false. The mature “have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14) (Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (351). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Hebrews 5:11-6:1a [11]About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. [12]For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, [13]for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. [14]But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. [6:1]Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, (not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God), (ESV)
Illustration: If you see a baby playing in the dirt, the baby may be dirty but you pretty much don’t make a big deal about it because it’s understood that babies play in dirt. Babies try to eat dirt. Babies scrub themselves in dirt. Dirt is a toy to a baby. But if you see a twenty-one-year-old man playing in the dirt, rubbing himself with the dirt, or trying to eat the dirt, you know (there’s trouble). The only difference between the two is time. By twenty-one, that man ought to know that dirt is not a toy.
Someone has said that: we have too many Christians who have been saved too long that are still playing in the dirt. They play in the dirt and they have fun in the dirt. You can’t come and listen to the Word of God every week and not realize that the dirt is not where you are supposed to be. [Spiritual Maturity, Lack of] 1 Cor. 3:3; 13:11 (Evans, T. (2009). Tony Evans’ book of illustrations: Stories, quotes, and anecdotes from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking (304). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
5) Authentic Loving Testimony (Ephesians 4:15)
Ephesians 4:15 [15]Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (ESV)
Paul now focuses positively on the ultimate goal towards which he and his readers are moving, he desires that together they may grow up into Christ, who is the head (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians. The Pillar New Testament commentary (310). Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
To speak the truth in love is a mark of maturity, which will enable us to grow up spiritually. Immature people often fall into one of two opposite errors. They speak the truth, but without love, or they love without speaking the truth. When we do the first, we often brutalize others, pounding them with truth but doing it in an unloving way. When we do the second, we don’t tell others the truth, thinking that by shielding them from the truth we are sparing them from pain. We are not, however. All we are doing is delaying their maturation (Anders, M. (1999). Vol. 8: Galatians-Colossians. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (152–153). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman).
Please turn to 1 Thessalonians 2
The verb translated speaking the truth is alētheuō, which means to speak, deal, or act truthfully. Some have translated it “truthing it,” while others say it conveys the idea of walking in a truthful way. The verb refers to being true in the widest sense and is hard to translate into English. Yet in Galatians 4:16 it seems to especially emphasize preaching the gospel truth. Since the reference in Galatians is the only other use of the verb in the New Testament, it seems safe to say that the emphasis in Ephesians 4 is also on the preaching of the truth (within the context of a truthful and authentic Christian life). Authentic, mature believers whose lives are marked by love will not be victims of false teaching (v.14) but will be living authentically and proclaiming the true gospel to a deceived and deceiving world.
1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 [7]But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. [8]So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. [9]For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. [10]You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. [11]For you know how, like a father with his children, [12]we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (ESV) (cf. 2 Cor. 12:15; Phil. 2:17; Col. 1:24–29)
Quote: John Bunyan said of Christians: “When all their garments are white the world will count them His,” and the skeptical German poet Heinrich Heine said to Christians, “You show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”
• The authentic life that speaks the gospel with a spirit of loving sacrifice will be eminently convincing.
While the imagery so far could almost suggest that the church grows towards an independent manhood like Christ’s, the switch of imagery at the end of v 15 (that " we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ") reminds the reader that Christ Jesus is Lord (head) of the whole process, and "we" the church is intended to grow into more intimate union with him. Paul closes the paragraph with a revised form of Col. 2:19, which attempts to sum up everything said so far.
Colossians 2:19 [19]... holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (ESV)
• The whole body’s growth ultimately comes from Christ, but the body grows as each part does its apportioned building work in love (reaffirming v 7, and clarifying that it is not just leaders who build the church). All along, that upbuilding and growth is held in unity and cohesion by every supporting ligament (Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.) (Eph 4:7–16). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.).
This loving, authentic testimony assists believers in growing into the very likeness of Jesus Christ. The phrase in all aspects calls for a comprehensive Christlikeness such as that described in verse 13 (cf. 1 Cor. 11:1; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 5:2; 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6).
Quote: Horatius Bonar expressed this growth in Christ like this: “So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free, But all my life, in every step, be fellowship with thee.” (As quoted in Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 7: New Testament commentary : Exposition of Ephesians. New Testament Commentary (203). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House).
The head … Christ expresses a familiar Pauline analogy indicating Christ’s authority (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18), leadership (Eph. 5:23), and here, as in Colossians 2:19, controlling power. He not only is the sovereign Head and the ruling Head but also the organic Head. He is the source of power for all functions. Human beings are declared officially dead when the EKG is flat, signifying brain death. As the brain is the control center of physical life, so the Lord Jesus Christ is the organic source of life and power to His Body, the church. He is the "Hope that Stands in the Storm".
(Format note: Outline and some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (1996). Ephesians (156–160). Chicago: Moody Press.)
