Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV) ‘And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.’
There is no such thing as a “Lone Ranger” as it pertains to a person’s place in the kingdom. At least, not if they desire to be an effective contributor.
No man is an island, or shouldn’t be.
In this passage we see Paul briefly describing some of the spiritual gifts bestowed upon the saints. Not everyone will receive the same gifts, in the same measure. The example of the church as a body and Jesus as the head is found over and over again. It’s important because it illustrates the necessity of each part doing their part for the sake of the kingdom.
In this passage, Paul takes it a little deeper. “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. In 13-16 he is illustrating that in order for the individual to mature, become well rounded, well versed, wise and discerning, it takes the collaboration of all the members to strengthen and refine the individual. In turn, the overall health, strength and effectiveness of the body is greatly improved.
It’s very important to spend time alone with God, daily. It’s important to read His word, converse with Him and learn and absorb what He reveals to you. However, as Paul shows us here, it’s crucial that you do not isolate yourself to just that. There has to be a balance, a time of singular fellowship with the Lord, but then a dissemination of what you learn with other brothers and sisters, so as to strengthen the body as a whole. Have a blessed weekend.
In full pursuit of the greatest Trophy,
Scott Pace
