080606 Ephesians 4

THE CHURCH IS CREATED FOR GOOD WORKS

Diversity of Gifts in the Service of Unity

August 6, 2006

Ephesians 4:1-14

When God calls us to faith, it is a call to unity and the denial of self in the zealous pursuit of unity. To assist the Church in this endeavor God provides those called with a variety of gifts that are to be used for the full realization of this unity. As the body of believers work together to use their gifts as granted by God, the church matures into a perfectly functioning body of Christ, who is the head—the brains that signal the body to work together.

This Unity of the Spirit is not a product of human effort. It is created and fostered by the Spirit of God, who calls, gathers, and enlightens the body. So the unity that is spoken of here is a given unity—a unity brought about by the work of God’s One Spirit according to verses 4-6.

In these three verses Paul repeats his use of the word ONE seven times—in Scripture, seven is the number of completeness and perfection. So the unity Paul speaks of is the unity of the church. In its present reality it is one body, alive with the creative strength of the one Spirit, and energized by the one hope which the Spirit Himself inspires and guarantees according to verses 13–14. The historical origin of the church is from the Jew, but is made complete with both Jew and Gentile. With the dividing wall of hostility removed by the Cross of Jesus, they are united in one church as they are called to one faith in one Lord. Baptized in His name they become identified as the creation of the one God and Father who from everlasting blessed them in Christ—as we recognized in 1:3 last week.

The list of the gifts given is not exhaustive as is evidenced by passages in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. Here, Paul only lists Apostles … prophets … evangelists … pastors and teachers. A closer look at these gifts is specific to the origins and functioning of the church. The apostles are eye-and-ear-witnesses who provide the foundation upon which the Church is built (2:20, “foundation of the apostles”). Through them Christ speaks and gathers His own. And that is the work of Evangelists who spread the apostolic Word throughout the world. The prophetic voice of the prophets guide and enlighten the church in its works of mission—outreach, and ministry—charity. Today, Pastors and teachers attend to the day-by-day nurture and edification of the church. In this way they carry on the work established by the labors of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists.

Luther once commented about his inclusion into the One Church this way: “There is on earth a little holy flock or community of pure saints under one head, Christ … I was brought to it by the Holy Spirit and incorporated into it through the fact that I have heard and still hear God’s Word.” The point here is this: It is simply not in God’s plan to build the Church by any other means than “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Apart from this work of God, there is no church, no hope, no God to save.