Ephesians 4:7-16 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Ephesians 4:7-16. Let’s go!
Ephesians 4:7-8 (NIV)
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 train and gave gifts to men.”
On verses 7-8: Even though God has called all of us to the same hope, the same body, the same Saviour in Jesus, the same faith, the same baptism and the same God (v6), each of us has also been given different and unique gifts, “as Christ apportioned it” (v7). There is both unity and diversity in the body of Christ. To support this idea of Christ giving different gifts to His people, Paul does something puzzling. He seems to be quoting or paraphrasing Psalm 68:18, although when you read Psalm 68:18 and compare it to Ephesians 4:8, there are obvious differences. Why is that? We don’t know for sure.
Ephesians 4:9-10 (NIV)
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.)
On verses 9-10: We often say that we are the reason Jesus came down to earth and then ascended back to heaven. That is, he descended to earth to die for our sins, and then he rose again and ascended to heaven to show us that he is no ordinary man, that he is God. All of that is true. But verse 10 tells us that there is another, not so me-centered reason why Jesus descended and ascended: it was so that he would “fill the whole universe” (v10). In other words, God’s plan in sending Jesus Christ to earth, raising Him from the dead and having Him ascend to God’s right hand was so that in everything Jesus Christ may have supremacy (Colossians 1:18). The reason Jesus descended and ascended was for Jesus’ glory as much as it was for our salvation. It was so that in this universe no name would be lifted higher, and no name would have conquered more, than the name of Jesus.
If that is God’s goal with the entire universe, that is also God’s goal with our own individual lives. God wants Jesus’ name to be lifted higher than any other name in your life, that in every aspect of your life, Jesus Christ would have the supremacy. Is there an area of your life where you have held Jesus down rather than lifting Jesus up? Is there area where you need to give Jesus the throne rather than sitting in it yourself? Maybe it’s in the area of your thoughts, your finances, your time, your goals, your relationships. When Jesus Christ is lifted up high above all other things in your life, that is when God’s will for your life is being done and that’s when God is most glorified.
So if you have gone through a descent in some way, if you’ve hit rock bottom and been humbled, know that God is not finished with you yet. By God’s power, after the descent comes the ascent. If you hang on to Jesus, He will cause you to ascend once again — this time for His glory more than for your own.
Ephesians 4:11-14 (NIV)
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.
On verses 11-14: What does it take to have deeper, stronger relationships, especially in a church family? In verses 11-16, we learn 3 keys to having deeper, stronger relationships in the church. The first key is leadership. Here Paul explains that Jesus Christ Himself gave different types of leaders to His church: apostles (those who plant and establish church communities), prophets (those who communicate God’s heart to people), evangelists (those who have a special gift of leading others to saving faith in Jesus Christ), pastors (those who shepherd God’s people) and teachers (those who teach God’s people the Word of God).
He gave such leaders to His church for the following reasons:
– To keep His church united in “one body…one Spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all” (v4-6)
– To equip the people for works of service which God made them to do (v12)
– To build up the church (“so that the body of Christ may be built up” – v13) so that the people can be united in the same faith and understanding of who Jesus is and “become mature, attaining to the full measure of the fullness of Christ” (v13)
– To protect Christians against false teaching (v14)
From this we learn that following, respecting and submitting to our church leaders is crucial if we want to grow into the people and church God made us to be.
Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
On verse 15: The second key to deeper, stronger relationships is speaking the truth in love. Paul says that we will grow as we speak the truth in love. What does it mean to speak the truth in love? It means to confront each other with the truth in a loving way. For any relationship to go deeper, it is necessary from time to time to speak the truth in love. How do you speak the truth in love, especially when the truth is not easy to hear? Here are 3 basic tips (I call them the ABC’s of speaking the truth in love):
1. Ask the Right Questions: Ask yourself, “Do I understand the situation fully? Have I made any wrong assumptions? Am I missing anything? Am I the appropriate person to bring this up?” As James 1:19 says, before we can speak the truth in love, we must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
2. Believe in the Person: Affirm the person you are speaking to. Acknowledge the positives first. That way the listener knows that you are on their side.
3. Challenge the person: Gently and lovingly let the listener know how they can help improve the situation in a practical way.
We talk about speaking the truth in love in more detail as part of Thrive Discipleship School Level 2.
Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
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.
On verse 16: The third key to deeper, stronger relationships in the church is for each part of the family to take responsibility and be committed to one another. I like that phrase “as each part does its work”. It shows that it’s not just the leaders of the church that are in charge of the church’s growth and health. It’s every member’s responsibility to help grow and build the church in love.
Also, when verse 16 talks about “supporting ligaments”, I think about small groups. According to medical dictionaries, a ligament is a connective tissue that joins one bone to another. A ligament serves to hold different parts of the body together and keep them stable. Small groups are the same way. They keep us connected to one another. That’s why, as a member of Christ’s body, if you’re not yet part of a small group, it’s time to join one!
Heavenly Father, help me to honour and follow my God-given leaders, to speak the truth in love, and to do my part as a member of Christ’s body, so that all of us in the church can grow into the strong, healthy, loving, mature body You made us to be. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
