The Fullness of Christ
AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR STUDY I WANT TO REMIND YOU that Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4:11-16 is one sentence in Greek, the original language of the New Testament. It is admittedly difficult to mentally grab ahold of Paul’s run-on statements and continue to hold all the way to the end of v. 16. Because of this fact, our English Bibles have divided the Greek sentence into several shorter sentences in order to attempt to keep it clear throughout. But because of the structure of the text it is easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Consequently, it is, I think, wise to approach vv. 13-16 a little differently than the way we have studied this passage to date, which has been generally to take a close-up look at clauses, phrases, and even words. In this particular blog I believe it is most expedient to approach Paul’s words in two steps. One step is to get an overview of the passage, which I have begun to do in these introductory words, and the second step will be to recognize points of application, trying to take Paul’s words and bring them into our own situation here at Barabbas Rd. today. – Taken in part from Garner
OUR PASSAGE THIS WEEK FROM THE GREAT BOOK OF EPHESIANS DEALS WITH the building of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ, of course, is the term the N.T. often uses to describe the Church. We might venture to say that all churches are interested in growing. We here at Barabbas Rd. are, of course, concerned with Church growth. While I would grant that all churches are interested in growing, I would add that this focus on growth – in order to be legitimate, biblical growth – must be growth in accordance with the words of the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the words of Ephesians 4:13-16…
NAS Ephesians 4:13-16 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
THIS MESSAGE ALSO DEALS WITH GROWTH, MATURITY, AND CHRISTLIKENESS. Building the Body of Christ, growth, maturity, and Christlikeness are not antithetical. You could say building the Body involves and requires growth; growth leads to maturity, which in turns leads to Christlikeness. Or you also rightly say, growth, maturity, and Christlikeness are three words that refer ultimately to the same thing, and result in the building of the Body of Christ.
“THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST” IS REALLY ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING GROWTH, another way of saying maturity, and another way of saying Christlikeness or completeness… Maturity, completeness in Christ, Christlikeness is the triangular goal of our Christian lives…
NKJ 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
IN OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW, GOD IS TRANSFORMING US INTO THE IMAGE of Christ. That is what Christlikeness means. Ultimately, the Church is to be filled with souls who have been transformed into “The Fullness of Christ.”
TO EMPHASIZE THIS KEY FEATURE OF OUR PASSAGE in Ephesians 4, please look again at vv. 13-16 and Paul’s words, tis time emphasizing the clauses and phrases that emphasize growing into “The Fullness of Christ”…
NAS Ephesians 4:13-16 until we all attain (attain [καταντάω {ka-tan-ta-o}] means to reach, arriving at a destination, which may be seen mean to grow, mature) to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
IT IS HARD TO MISS, IS IT NOT? There are at least 5 references to growth in Christ. Clearly it is God’s will that we are meant to grow into “The Fullness of Christ.”
“THIS BUILDING UP OF THE REDEEMED INVOLVES A TWOFOLD ultimate objective, which Paul identifies as the ‘unity of the faith and ‘the knowledge of the Son of God, out of which flow spiritual maturity, sound doctrine, and loving testimony.” – MacArthur…
SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT PAUL HAS IN MIND HERE A FUTURE SCENARIO, but that view just doesn’t seem to fit the context. “The apostle is not describing the final work of Christ on behalf of the Church in heaven; he is talking instead about the work of gifted men in the Church on earth.” – MacArthur…
THE ONLY MENTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE GOSPELS CAME FROM the mouth of Jesus Himself in Matthew 16:18…
NAS Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.
SCHOLARS HAVE DEBATED FOR CENTURIES AS TO JUST WHO OR WHAT is the “the rock.” Is the rock Jesus Himself? Is it Peter? Or is it Peter’s declaration in v. 16?…
NAS Matthew 16:13-16 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
WHATEVER THE ANSWER, ONE THING IS OBVIOUS, AND it this obvious fact that I want to stress here at the beginning of our study this week:
“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.”
IT IS JESUS, AND JESUS ALONE WHO BUILDS THE CHURCH. He works through us, yes, but it is ultimately He and He alone who is the Builder, and for that reason, the Church will ultimately, irrevocably prevail.
THAT UNDERSTOOD, I WANT TO CALL OUR ATTENTION BACK TO VV. 11-12…
NAS Ephesians 4:11-12 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
LEADERS, GIFTED PEOPLE, ARE GIVEN AS GIFTS TO THE CHURCH TO SERVE and to equip and to build up. “No community can exist without leadership of some fashion.” – Snodgrass…
JESUS HAS A CLEAR AND PROGRESSIVE METHOD FOR BUILDING HIS CHURCH…
NAS Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
“PEOPLE THAT CHRIST HAS GIFTED, LEADERS, ARE TO MINISTER TILL ALL the church attains the three goals: literally, (1) ‘unto the unity of the faith (cf. Eph. 4:5) and full knowledge of the Son of God, ‘ (2) ‘unto a mature man,’ and (3) ‘unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ As each believer functions in accord with the gift Christ has given him (v. 7) the body as a whole enjoys unity (cf. vv. 3-6) and becomes more spiritually mature (cf. v. 15), more like Jesus Christ in all His fullness (cf. 1:23; 3:19).” – Hoehner (B.K.C.)
“KNOWLEDGE”IS THE GREEK WORD ἐπίγνωσις (e-pi-gnow-sis). This is an important word to Paul in Ephesians. He prayed for this knowledge for his readers back in chapter 1…
NAS Ephesians 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
WHEN ἐπίγνωσις (e-pi-gnow-sis) IS STUDIED IN THE N.T., IT IS FOUND TO MEAN an intensified full knowledge, a complete knowledge that is accurate to the revelation of God. I believe it may be seen that this deep knowledge only comes through the experience gained through faithful obedience and prayerful attention to the commands of Christ…
THIS KNOWLEDGE IS ATTAINED ONLY THROUGH GROWTH IN CHRISTLIKENESS. ἐπίγνωσις (e-pi-gnow-sis) is maturity; it is attaining to the fullness of Christ.
A GOOD POINT TO REMEMBER IS THAT “THE TERM ‘spiritual maturity,’ as applied to a Christian, is ever a relative one, not an absolute one. Paul, in Phil. 3:12 disclaims absolute spiritual maturity.” – Wuest
NAS Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
GROWTH, MATURITY, CHRISTLIKENESS ARE RELATIVE TERMS describing a process, not an achievement.
“THIS PROCESS OF CONFORMING THE BELIEVER to the image of Christ begins in this life in the work of the Spirit in sanctification and is never completed even in eternity, for the finite can never equal the infinite. Christ’s perfections are so wonderful that the saints will ever bear but a reflection of them. This is the distance between finiteness and infinity. – Wuest
“FULLNESS” IS THE GREEK WORD πλήρωμα (play-ro-ma). The word is found 17 times in the N.T. and 4 of those times are used by Paul in Ephesians (1:10, 23; 3:19). “In every N.T. use it maintains the idea of the result is fullness, completeness, entirety. It can be used actively, ‘that which fills,’ or passively, ‘that which is filled.’ In the present verse it is active, namely, Christ is the fullness of God and is actively filling the church.” – Hoehner
THE FOCUS HERE, I BELIEVE, IS TWOFOLD. Paul is speaking about both the individual and the church as a whole. The text implies “we” as the Church are to measure up to the full stature of Christ. I think this is accomplished when individuals use their spiritual gifts from Christ then “we as the Church will measure up to Christ’s full stature.” – from Hoehner
WE “PRESS ON,” “WE REACH” FOR CHRISTLIKENESS INDIVIDUALLY and corporately. We are individually and corporately works in progress. Someone asks you what you are doing with your life you can say that you are attaining to “The Fullness of Christ.”
NAS Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
THIS IS THE RESULT OR PUPOSE (ἵνα [hee-nah]) OF BEING EQUIPPED by the leaders. If you humble yourself to the teaching of the Word by the leaders God has appointed in the Church you will no longer be easily swayed and confused by false doctrines like immature children.
ULTIMATELY, IT IS KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD OF GOD THAT LEADS TO maturity. I cannot think of a better verse to illustrate this fundamental truth than 1 Peter 1:1-2…
NAS 1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
“PAUL WANTS HIS READERS TO BECOME MATURE SO THAT THEY WILL NOT be carried away by erroneous teaching. Immaturity is described as being tossed back and forth and blown like leaves in the wind, that is, being easily deceived.” – Snodgrass
VERSE 14, EMPHASIZING IMMATURITY, UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR maturity.
“WHILE THE SENSE OF THE PASSAGE IS CLEAR ENOUGH, translation in English is somewhat difficult. The Greek says: ‘by the trickery of men, by craftiness with the scheme of deceit.’ The point is that the author is concerned about Christians growing into maturity. He is fearful that certain kinds of very cunning people, who are skilled at deceitful scheming, should come in and teach false doctrines which would in turn stunt the growth of the believers.” – NET Notes
“CARRIED ABOUT” IS A REVEALING TERM. The Greek word περιφέρω (per-e-fe-ro) could perhaps more literally be translated, carried around. The verb has the idea of being carried around in circles. People who do not know the Word of God are like this; they are easily deceived, “carried about,” by false teaching. “Doctrine” is teaching.
THE OLD AND EXCELLENT COMMENTATOR VINCENT SAID, “The different teachings of philosophers or of religious quacks are represented as winds, blowing the unstable soul in every direction.”
“TRICKERY” IS THE GREEK WORD κυβεία (ku-bei-a). It means, literally, “dice-playing” and the thought here is being hustled by people who are slick at trickery. Crafty, deceitful people who lead you astray with their false teaching.
WHAT A VIVID VERSE! What an important verse of warning for us today. Our world is full of cunning, deceitful religious dice-players.
PAUL GIVES US THE ANTIDOTE IN V. 15…
NAS Ephesians 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,
HERE AGAIN, GROWTH IS PROMINENT, BUT THERE’S AN EMPHASIS ON “speaking the truth in love.” The Greek participle here (ἀληθεύοντες [a-lay-thoo-on-tes]) is a bit difficult to translate with assurance. I think it should be seen in its broadest sense, that is, being truthful in one’s talk and walk. Some think it has special reference to sharing the Gospel. I take it back to v. 1 of chapter 4…
NAS Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
I THINK IT IS CONNECTED TO WALKING THE TALK, to living according to the gift of salvation you have been given. Another way of phrasing this is to say that we should live authentic lives.
“AUTHENTIC” MEANS not false or copied; it means genuine, true and trustworthy.
“AUTHENTIC, MATURE BELIEVERS WHOSE LIVES ARE MARKED BY LOVE are not likely to be victims of false teaching but will be living authentically and proclaiming the true gospel to a deceived and deceiving world.” – MacArthur
“THE SPIRITUALLY EQUIPPED CHURCH, WHOSE MEMBERS ARE SOUND in doctrine and mature in their thinking and living, is a church that will reach out in love to proclaim the saving gospel. God does not give us knowledge, understanding, spiritual gifts, and maturity to keep but to share. He does not equip us to stagnate but to serve. We are not gifted and edified in order to be complacent and self-satisfied but in order to do the Lord’s work of service in building up and expanding the body the Christ. ‘In love’ is the attitude in which we evangelize.” – MacArthur
NOTE CAREFULLY THE WORDS IN V. 14. “WE ARE TO GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS into Him, even Christ.” That’s what we are to be doing in our lives; that’s the Christian life in a nutshell.
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS CHRISTLIKENESS. “To grow into Christ’s likeness is to be completely subject to His controlling power, obedient to His every thought and expression of will. It is to personify Paul’s prayers, as found in his letters to the Philippians and Galatians.” – MacArthur
NAS Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
NAS Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
FANATICISM IS GOOD IF IT IS RIGHTLY CENTERED AND DIRECTED. The authentic Christian life is a radical devotion and obedient following of the Lord of the universe, Jesus Christ… I am a proud “Jesus Freak.” I think every Christian should be too.
PAUL ENDS HIS TEACHING IN THIS PASSAGE IN V. 16…
NAS Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
“GROWTH OF THE BODY.” That’s what this passage is all about. Maturity, growth, building up, attaining to Christlikeness…
CHRIST IS “THE HEAD,” WHICH SPEAKS OF HIS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY, leadership, and controlling power, and we are the “body.” He is the spiritual Head; we are His physical body.
“THE PHYSICAL BODY FUNCTIONS PROPERLY ONLY AS each member in union with every other member responds to the direction of the head to do exactly what it was designed to do.” – MacArthur
CHRIST HAS GIVEN LEADERS TO THE CHURCH TO TEACH HIS WORD AND to thereby equip each member for works of service to insure His Word is carried out.
“THESE OFFICERS ARE, ABOVE ALL, CHARACTERIZED BY SERVICE which unifies, which builds up, which stabilizes, and which enables growth toward Christ. Evangelists, pastors and teachers produce unity and maturity as they proclaim, preserve, and apply the apostolic tradition. Paul is particularly concerned with the part each believer has to play in contributing to the unity of faith and knowledge, in providing an antidote to false teaching, and in bringing about a community that proclaims the truth in love.” – Lincoln
LOVE IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT. If we are not loving, we are not growing. If we are not loving, we are not becoming more like Christ.
“AS WE LIVE IN LOVE – love that is not just feeling or sentiment, but a relentless decision to do good to others even in annoying, frustrating, and sometimes downright horrible situations – we will experience something amazing. Day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, we will discover that the Spirit of God is producing a miracle in our lives. We will gradually find that we are shedding our childish ways. We are becoming fully-formed and mature, well-adjusted and stable, faithful and dependable. In short, we are seeing God’s supreme goal being accomplished in our very lives. We are growing more and more like Jesus.” – Steadman
THIS IS “THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST”…
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
