The Body Of Christ Series

THE BODY OF CHRIST (EPHESIANS 4)

I accepted Christ when I was 17 in a mid-size church. Our church did not have a pastor since the last one left a few years ago before I accepted Christ. I was baptized by a former pastor. In the third year of my faith the church hired a pastor who traveled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to stay 10 days over two weekends and then return to Singapore on Sunday night for 11 days of rest.

My preparation for service was mostly on the job training, learning on the fly, from choir to Sunday school and Bible study. The Tyndale New Testament Commentary on Acts was the text of choice passed from one young people to another as each was expected to lead one week. When my turn came, I just explained what the commentary wrote and invited others to comment. Sometimes others sneak in a question but others usually come to the rescue.

By the time I was 19, I became the first Sunday school teacher to the 10-12 years old. I was in charge of selecting and buying the books. We each took a chair and to the tree by the parking lot for our lessons.

What do you think of the church? Is the church weak or strong? Healthy or unhealthy? United or divided?

Live Compassionately, Not Contentiously

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high,he led captives in his trainand gave gifts to men." 9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

Father O’Malley, who had been invited to show that God was on the side of the Democratic Party, found himself sitting next to a disbeliever.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for saying so, Father,” said the miscreant, opening up a conversation, “but I never go to church.”

“Why not?” asked the priest.

“Frankly, sir, the reason I don’t go is because there are so many hypocrites there.”

“That shouldn’t keep you away,” retorted the good Father, smiling blandly. “There’s always room for one more.”

Paul begins the chapter addressing attitudes and action, but attitudes before action. The infinitive of purpose “TO live a life worthy” (v 1) is “TO walk worthy” in Greek. It means that our conduct, character, and conversation, among other things, to be compatible, congruent and consistent with our calling. The three nouns (not imperatives but related to verse 1 by the preposition “with”) “humble and gentle (v 2), patient” (v 2) are attitudes (being) of the mind (humble = tapeino-phrosune), the heart (v 2, gentle), temperament (v 2, makro-thumia = patient). The two actions (“how” participles) or behaviors are bearing/forbearing (v 2) one another in love and “make every effort” to preserve the unity of the Spirit. One is IN (“en”) love and the other is THROUGH/IN (en) the bond of peace. Our testimony is not lived in a fable, fiction or fantasy, but with people, their personality and problems.

The seven unity (v 3) is divided this way:

V 4 ONE (heis) body Fellowship/ family Church/community

V 4 ONE Spirit Fruitfulness Company

V 4 one (mia) hope Future /frontier Certainty

V 5 ONE Lord Following Christ

V 5 one (mia) faith Foundation Confession

V 5 ONE baptism Flock Commitment

V 6 ONE God and Father Father Creator

The most obvious “people” or “number” involved to the eye is “one” (heis 7x, mia 2x) in verses 4-7, but an incredible 16 occurrences for “all” - 16 in the chapter. “All” means it is a collective, corporate and cooperative effort. We have no lack or limitation when we put our talents, time and treasures together. There is one “us” (v 7) but no “I” from verses 4-17! The best formula for teamwork, however, is not “us,” but “each of us” – each before us (v 7). “Each/every one of us” means uniqueness in unity, not “one” but “one another,” to be distinct, different and diverse.

Live Consistently, not Childishly

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 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.