Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:14-The Second Purpose for the Lord Jesus Giving the Communication Gifts to the Church
Lesson # 242
Ephesians 4:11 Therefore, on the one hand, He Himself generously gave some to be apostles but on other hand, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, specifically, teachers 12 for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body 13 until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the one and only Christian faith. Correspondingly, until all of us without exception attains to the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son. Until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing a mature man. Until all of us without exception attains to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character. 14 In order that each of us as a corporate unit would no longer be children. Specifically, those who are tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place by means of every wind, that is teaching, by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race because of craftiness according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception. (Lecturer’s translation)
As we noted, the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:14 presents the second purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ gave the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
We noted that the gift of evangelism is excluded because the function of this gift is to benefit the non-Christian community and increase numerically the membership of the body of Christ.
Furthermore, only the gift of teaching is extant since the end of the first century A.D. because the gift of apostleship no longer exists because of the death of the twelve apostles.
Also, the gift of prophecy was no longer needed because of the completed canon of the Greek New Testament at the end of the first century A.D.
In Ephesians 4:12, Paul asserts that the first reason for these three communications and the gift of teaching after the first century A.D. is to equip spiritually the members of the body of Christ in order that they would be able to perform the work of Christian service and to ultimately build the members of the body of Christ.
This equipping involves communicating sound doctrine to the members of the body of Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Then, in Ephesians 4:13, we noted that Paul employs four indefinite temporal clauses, which are not only expressing a future contingency from the perspective of the Lord giving of the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching but they are also presenting the result of the function of these gifts.
In relation to the first indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that unity experientially produced by obedience to the Christian faith in the future is contingent upon the function of the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching and will be the result of the function of these gifts.
In relation to the second indefinite temporal clause, he teaches the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son in the future is also contingent upon the function of these gifts and will be the result of the function of these gifts.
As we noted, first and second correspond to each other because experiencing unity and possessing an experiential knowledge of God’s Son is contingent upon the Christian faith as it is communicated by those with the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
Also, in order to possess an experiential knowledge of God’s Son, the believer must learn and obey the Christian faith, which communicates to the believer the significance of the person of the incarnate Son of God as well as the significance of His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
In relation to the third indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that individual members of the body of Christ attaining to a mature man in the future is also contingent upon the function of these three gifts and will be result of the function of these gifts.
Lastly, in relation to the fourth indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that each member of the body of Christ attaining to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character in the future is contingent upon the function of these three gifts and will be result of the function of these gifts.
Now, in Ephesians 4:14, Paul presents the second purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ gave the communication gifts to the church.
He asserts that He gave these gifts in order that believers would no longer be spiritual children.
He describes a spiritual child in figurative or metaphorical sense as one who like a ship is tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place.
Then, he presents the means by which this takes in the life of the believer, namely, by means of every wind, that is, teaching and which teaching is false doctrine originating from the lies of Satan’s cosmic system.
Paul then elaborates on this means by asserting that a spiritually immature believer is like a ship tossed back and forth by waves by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race.
These unidentified members of the human race are false teachers.
Thus, the trickery of these false teachers describe what Paul means by every wind of teaching.
The apostle then identifies the reason for this false doctrine, namely because these false teachers are characterized by craftiness, which is according to their program, which itself is characterized by that which produces deception.
Therefore, the second purpose of the Lord giving the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching to the body of Christ with teaching the only gift extant today in the twenty-first century, is to protect the members of the Christian community from false doctrine.
The function of these gifts is to stabilize the soul of the believer with sound doctrine and to give them direction in life and a purpose to accomplish their heavenly Father’s will on earth.
So therefore, as we noted earlier, Ephesians 4:12 presents the “positive” purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ generously giving these four communication gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11.
On the other hand, the contents of Ephesians 4:14 present the “negative” purpose for which the Lord gave these gifts.
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:14-The Second Purpose for the Lord Jesus Giving the Communication Gifts to the Church
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday April 1, 2025
www.wenstrom.org
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:14-The Second Purpose for the Lord Jesus Giving the Communication Gifts to the Church
Lesson # 242
Ephesians 4:11 Therefore, on the one hand, He Himself generously gave some to be apostles but on other hand, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, specifically, teachers 12 for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body 13 until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the one and only Christian faith. Correspondingly, until all of us without exception attains to the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son. Until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing a mature man. Until all of us without exception attains to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character. 14 In order that each of us as a corporate unit would no longer be children. Specifically, those who are tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place by means of every wind, that is teaching, by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race because of craftiness according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception. (Lecturer’s translation)
As we noted, the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:14 presents the second purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ gave the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
We noted that the gift of evangelism is excluded because the function of this gift is to benefit the non-Christian community and increase numerically the membership of the body of Christ.
Furthermore, only the gift of teaching is extant since the end of the first century A.D. because the gift of apostleship no longer exists because of the death of the twelve apostles.
Also, the gift of prophecy was no longer needed because of the completed canon of the Greek New Testament at the end of the first century A.D.
In Ephesians 4:12, Paul asserts that the first reason for these three communications and the gift of teaching after the first century A.D. is to equip spiritually the members of the body of Christ in order that they would be able to perform the work of Christian service and to ultimately build the members of the body of Christ.
This equipping involves communicating sound doctrine to the members of the body of Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Then, in Ephesians 4:13, we noted that Paul employs four indefinite temporal clauses, which are not only expressing a future contingency from the perspective of the Lord giving of the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching but they are also presenting the result of the function of these gifts.
In relation to the first indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that unity experientially produced by obedience to the Christian faith in the future is contingent upon the function of the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching and will be the result of the function of these gifts.
In relation to the second indefinite temporal clause, he teaches the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son in the future is also contingent upon the function of these gifts and will be the result of the function of these gifts.
As we noted, first and second correspond to each other because experiencing unity and possessing an experiential knowledge of God’s Son is contingent upon the Christian faith as it is communicated by those with the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
Also, in order to possess an experiential knowledge of God’s Son, the believer must learn and obey the Christian faith, which communicates to the believer the significance of the person of the incarnate Son of God as well as the significance of His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
In relation to the third indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that individual members of the body of Christ attaining to a mature man in the future is also contingent upon the function of these three gifts and will be result of the function of these gifts.
Lastly, in relation to the fourth indefinite temporal clause, Paul teaches that each member of the body of Christ attaining to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character in the future is contingent upon the function of these three gifts and will be result of the function of these gifts.
Now, in Ephesians 4:14, Paul presents the second purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ gave the communication gifts to the church.
He asserts that He gave these gifts in order that believers would no longer be spiritual children.
He describes a spiritual child in figurative or metaphorical sense as one who like a ship is tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place.
Then, he presents the means by which this takes in the life of the believer, namely, by means of every wind, that is, teaching and which teaching is false doctrine originating from the lies of Satan’s cosmic system.
Paul then elaborates on this means by asserting that a spiritually immature believer is like a ship tossed back and forth by waves by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race.
These unidentified members of the human race are false teachers.
Thus, the trickery of these false teachers describe what Paul means by every wind of teaching.
The apostle then identifies the reason for this false doctrine, namely because these false teachers are characterized by craftiness, which is according to their program, which itself is characterized by that which produces deception.
Therefore, the second purpose of the Lord giving the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching to the body of Christ with teaching the only gift extant today in the twenty-first century, is to protect the members of the Christian community from false doctrine.
The function of these gifts is to stabilize the soul of the believer with sound doctrine and to give them direction in life and a purpose to accomplish their heavenly Father’s will on earth.
So therefore, as we noted earlier, Ephesians 4:12 presents the “positive” purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ generously giving these four communication gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11.
On the other hand, the contents of Ephesians 4:14 present the “negative” purpose for which the Lord gave these gifts.