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So we have covered chapters 1-3. At this point Paul enters into what we might call the practical side or the applicable side of his teachings.
This is Paul’s usual approach in his letters. He begins with a teaching or an argument in the first part and once that is exhausted to his satisfaction he adds a practical application part where he instructs the believers of His day (and typically ours) how to live, how to be, how to walk the Christian walk.
Chapter four then is the beginning of the how to walk chapters.
Sometimes he will write his application chapters based on what he presented in his argument chapters, but at other times he will address issues that were pressing in on the church at that time and needed to be fleshed out on how followers or the body of Christ should respond.
We have an example of that in 2nd Corinthians where Paul addresses the specific problem of a man getting involved with his fathers wife and how the body ought to have approached this.
I want to reiterate the point I have touched on before: The New Testament and the church it describes, if Jesus is still coming back, ought to be followed to a T.
This means that ALL the things we read as apostolic directives should be followed TODAY as the Apostles directed them then.
There ought to be zero tolerance for skipping this point of instruction or another.
In other words, IF or since Jesus is still coming back to take His bride, who must be “pure”, then his bride ought to still have
Apostles called by God Himself
Church discipline
Communion constantly
Women covering their heads
The calling of Elders, use of Deacons
Lord’s day activities
Gathering of money to care for other saints
Vetting of true widows
Non marrying should be applauded
Excommunications
And a host of other actions and activities that are plainly established in the epistles we read – especially from Paul.
First of all, I see no church on earth adhering to these orders exactly – though some pretend. But I am serious. And the reason for this is because Jesus is said to be coming back for His bride, and she must be pure, and unspotted from the world, and the New Testament IS clear on what His church bride should look like.
So there is that. The only possibility from the way I see it, for Christians to get off the hook on this is if he came back (as promised) and took His church bride, who was pure (in large part because she was under real apostolic authority) and the gate of hell did NOT prevail against her, and by and through her Jesus helped establish the New Jerusalem above which then welcomes all true believers into it ever since.
If that is the case, then we have fully entered into the Kingdom age (almost 2000 years ago), and all the elements about it are in place AS DESCRIBED in the Old and New Testaments, and the faith is NOT completely under the tenants and dictates of the Apostolic church but is instead constructed of individuals who are God’s by faith in Christ and God leads them by writing His laws on their hearts and minds rather than governing them through institutional demands.
So, remember this view for whatever it is worth. So, using this chapter as the beginning of Apostolic exhortation, Paul begins in verse 1-6 to talk about the need for unity among them.
At verses 7-16 he shows them that God had made ample provision for his people, that they might be sound in the faith, and in unity of life and of doctrine, and need not be driven about with every wind of opinion surrounding them.
And at verse 8-16 he speaks to the fact that God gave THEM THEN different offices in the Bride to assist her in coming forth unspotted, and he names them as apostles, prophets, and evangelists – and the reason for doing so.
He then speaks to the fact that having all this provided them they no longer need to live and act like the heathens live and act – which takes us out to verse 24.
And he wraps the chapter up by exhorting them to performing certain Christian duties which includes the duty to avoid certain practices that the heathens would do and to instead live by the fruit of the spirit.
So lets read our text for the day and get into our verse by verse:
Ephesians 4.1-7
October 20th 2019
Meat
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Okay let’s jump back to the first verse of chapter 4 here.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
We recall in the last chapters that Paul admits to be in bonds, and to suffering for them, and it is supposed, at least by me, that Paul is writing from prison in Rome.
Here he uses a bit of a play on words in my estimation, as he contrasts His being a prisoner and of them walking.
It may not have been his intention but I see and immediate contrast. In any case, as a prisoner of the Lord, and as an Apostles, Paul “beseeches them” the recipients of his letter (which again is believed to be a circular letter which is passed around from city to city and church to church) to
“Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called.”
The word translated to vocation here is KLAYSIS – and it means an invitation or a calling.
“Walk worthy of the calling on your lives, on the Lord’s invitation to you.”
Paul speaks of what this walk of worthiness looks like in the lives of those God has called through His Son in Colossians, saying
Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.
As Christians we are all called, invited, to follow Him. I like the translation choice here of Klaysis being vocation.
The word comes from the Latin, “vocaire,” which means to be called, and a vocation is very different than an occupation in this world.
An occupation is essentially the labors we do for money, to make ends meet. In the United States what a person does to make money is often seen as the best indication of who they are as a person, but this is really not always the case – can be, as some people become what they do – but not always, and especially in the case of a believer because a believers identity is not in what they do to make a living but in Christ.
We have a classic example of this in Paul who learned a trade to earn his keep – tentmaking. But that no more defined the man Paul than the brand of sandals he wore.
What defined Paul more, in terms of his actions here on earth, was his vocation, his call, which typically speaks to what a person does to benefit others, society and therefore the world.
It is the love-thing exuding from the heart, the individuals calling in life – again not to make money, though a person can earn money through their vocation, but to serve and benefit others.
Pauls call or vocation was to preach the gospel to the Gentile world and to serve as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This he did with all his heart and soul, which was probably not present when he made tents.
So what Paul is telling these folks is that they have been called or invited, by God, and they have been called to serve and love Him first, and others second, and in this vocation they ought to walk worthy of this invite.
The word worthy means appropriately. How do we summarize to what these men and women were called to, what vocation, in the end, were the invited to embrace:
To being “Sons and Daughters of God.”
Did you know that? When you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and all He did for the sake of this world, you were called by the Holy Spirit to become a Son or Daughter of God?
I want you to imagine what this means for a minute, what this looks like in this world in a person who is flesh and blood, who has family and friends, who is reaching out to others and living their life with occupations and other things.
What does a son or a daughter look like?
Well, Paul gives us some insights right off the bat, and right after commissioning them to walk worthy of their vocation he says (in the very next verse) (relative to walking or living):
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
This unity was essential to the Bride of Christ in that day and was only going to be kept or maintained when the individual members would approach their walk circumspectly, always looking inwardly at their own culpability and sin and refraining from nit-picking and causing division over things that would break up the body.
In essence, Paul was calling them to be peacemakers, not troublemakers, and this mantle of peacemaker is best worn on shoulders that are lowly and meek and full of longsuffering and forbearance of each other in love.
As verse 3 adds, there would have to be an actual endeavoring on each believers part to keep “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
One of the main issues the early church, the apostolic bride faced was infighting. Paul says in 1st Corinthians that this was the direct result of milk drinkers not maturing on to being meat-eaters of the word.
There were fights between the Jewish converts and the Gentile converts, fights between the more liberal Christians and the more conservative, fights over every wind of doctrine, over who was getting more of the goods collected for the poor, and on and on and on.
So in terms of their actual direct vocation, the very first thing Paul commends them to do is to walk worthy BY possessing all:
Lowliness
meekness,
longsuffering,
forbearance of one another in love
while “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
I have had to really look at these passages and I really want to try and make them necessary then to the bride (which they were) but not so necessary to us to day (which would be wrong. The Spirit clearly says that Christians the world over WOULD embrace this directive as their own whether we are in 45 AD or 2019.
I have found it justifiable to attack other believers for their ways, breaking my vocation from God. And while I think my justifications are sound, they are not justifiable in the walk all Christians have by invitation from God.
I have actually come to see the reality of scriptures like these as necessary for mature Christians to embrace – which caused me to turn the corner on how we approached people who we differ with who claim and love and allegiance to Jesus.
It is one of the MOST difficult things in my life – to endeavor for peace among all men.
And so turning to scripture I have had to LOOK at what Paul recommends as necessary characteristics of the soul who have seriously received the invitation or vocaire from God to be His Son or Daughter.
And what does Paul describe to the believers then? To embrace
Lowliness
meekness,
longsuffering,
forbearance of one another in love
while “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Remembering that when it comes to all who have received the call from God through Christ to be His Sons and Daughters, there is (verse 4-6):
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
And reading these passages over and over and over again, I am brought low in the face of my warring nature, my brash opinions, my unconventional and unorthodox ways.
And so I am convicted and convinced that in my life, I must make a better, spirit-lead effort to incorporate
Lowliness
meekness,
longsuffering,
forbearance of one another in love
while “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Into my life and opinions of believers in and around me.
Lowliness in the Greek is “tap-i-nof-ros-oo’-nay” and it is a compound term that means: “humility of mind,” “modesty and humbleness of mind.”
It is a fantastic word to describe the embraced mindset Christians are to have toward external things, people, and situations.
I have had a lofty mind toward things, thinking that I have out-thought them and am therefore in a position to be critical of them. Not so. Neverso.
The Lord is near to those, who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
It is the lowliness of heart and mind that allows individuals to actually live and believe that God is in charge, that he will bring all things to pass for good, and that He will deal with those who are harming others by putting them in bondage or offering them false doctrine.
This does not mean we cannot address deception, but it must be addressed with more humility of mind, not less.
Of course, meekness is something that the Lord himself says happy are they who are so. It is closely related to lowliness of mind and because so it serves to reiterate the import of such.
Meekness might be described as “a calm temper of mind, not easily provoked.”
And of course scripture describes this trait in Christ, (Matthew 11:29) Abraham
(Genesis 13:1-18; 16:5-6) Moses (Numbers 12:3) David (Zechariah 12:8; 2Sa 16:10,12) and Paul 1st Corinthians 9:19.
Again, hand in hand with lowliness and meekness we have longsuffering.
mak-roth-oo-mee’-ah – forbearance and or fortitude in the face of difficulty. When the mind is actually meek, and lowly, then the ability to forebear difficult situations and people is increased.
Forbearance is a form of humility, of saying to oneself: I have no right to react or judge this person or situation rashly, let’s God take care of this or that.
Patience is another closely related word – and we exercise it only in the face of trying situations or people, right?
But the patient forebearance isn’t simply putting up with someone or something difficult, it is doing so in or with love.
That is why Paul writes relative to the worthy walk of a called Christian that they should have
“forbearance of one another in love” “while endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
What a description. I mean, embrace these elements of your Christian walk and you have control over your ego, your id, and your flesh by the Spirit, eh?
I can personally say that I have this down with the people of CAMPUS in general, and I am pretty solid on these things with my own family (most of the time) but I really lose it with outsiders who I see as predatory – and this is the direct result of ego, failing to be lowly, meek and longsuffering, and forebearance in love which amounts to my tossing unity in the bonds of the Spirit to the wind.
This will not do for the simple reason given in verse 4.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
If someone is in Christ, has Christ, is Christ’s – by faith – though we may differ, we cannot get to lofty of mind to go to war with them. Why? That is almost the definition of cancer, where some part of the body decides to invade and attack other parts of the same body, destroying what is necessary and needed for the health of the whole!
There is only ONE body. In Paul’s day there was only one Bride, on Church, and it could not be divided by strife and infighting.
Today it is no different. One body of Christ around the whole world. And here’s the thing – all members play their part, don’t they?
The only time some members are attacked is when another member thinks (in their lofty not lowly mind) that there are members that really don’t belong!
This is another reason why the Body of Christ has to be made of individuals today and is not an amalgam of churches and institutions.
Individual people are either part of His body or they are not – and this has always been. And it is God himself who knows if the individual is true or not, has been called or not, and is a functioning part of His church.
It is God who decides, NOT other members just as the liver cannot tell the pinky toenail it does not belong, but only God.
In his letter to the church at Rome Paul wrote the following:
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
On the same subject we recall the words from 1st Corinthians 12:12 which say:
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Isn’t it about time to approach every individual claiming Christ with lowliness of mind, meekness, longsuffering and forebearance in love, endeavoring to bring peace, instead of constantly seeking for ways to play the role of judge and jury?
Can’t we at least agree that if a person exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in their lives that they should be given the benefit of the doubt and to let God work out all the details regarding doctrine and practice?
There is one body. It is Christ’s body. It has many members – as diverse and unique from each other as human body parts. Because this is so, there ought to be unity within it, no division.
And key to that peaceful unity is for every part of the body to humbly walk before God and man, and meekly, and with longsuffering for each other – something I need to personally repent of and now.
So Paul says
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Let’s put these on the board for emphasis:
-ONE-
Body (of Christ made of believers)
Spirit (Holy Spirit)
Hope of calling (Eternal Life)
Lord (Jesus Christ)
Faith (in Him)
Baptism (of Holy Spirit)
God and Father (of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
If or since God is “above all and through all and in you all,” there is no reason for division and infighting but every reason for His children to seek and strive for peace through love for all others trusting He is in control of all the facts.
And then Paul adds verse 7:
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Ro 12:3,6; 1Co 12:11
The “us” Paul refers to here, “but to every one of us” is speaking to believers. The letters were written to believers and they were the readers and audience so there is no use in trying to believe that Paul is addressing the world.
“But to every believers is given grace to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
What does this mean?
Grace is the favor of God and the meaning here seems to be that God had bestowed upon each sincere Christian the means of living as he ought to do, and has made ample provision to enable all of us to walk worthy of our vocation.
It seems like Paul describes these gift in the verses we will cover next week, which, of course are all by the Spirit.
And while all these gift are according to the measure of the gift of Christ and all believers appear to have enough to enable them to live a life of holiness, we learn from this that
(1.) these are gifts that are bestowed on us – they are not originating from ourselves.
(2.) they are measured gift – in other words that are not without borders. They are proportionately given and bestowed by God and adapted to our personal nature.
Therefore the same grace (or gifts) are not given to all but enough is given to everyone to enable them to walk the Christian walk.
(3.) Additionally, the way Paul writes this, all the gifts come through Christ – He has purchased or obtained them by and through His merits.
All have enough but they are not all the same. And as we will see in our passages next week some of the gifts have grace given them to qualify them for the ministry; some to be apostles; some to be martyrs; some to make them prominent in other ways.
All because of Christ, all granted by faith in Christ, all bestowed by the love the father has for those who are His by Christ.
At this point Paul adds some intriguing and somewhat cumbersome verses which we will read today but cover next week as he says:
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
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