As you know already, there are altogether six chapters in the Letter to the Ephesians. When I consider Ephesians, I like to visualize the letter in two parts: Ephesians 1–3 and Ephesians 4–6. Ephesians 1–3 is packed with doctrines of the Christian faith, and I mean packed. After the Apostle Paul wrote sentence after sentence of Christian treasure, he became overwhelmed by God’s glory from his own writing, so much so that he went right into doxology even though he was only half finished with his letter.
While you will find only doctrine, and not one imperative, or command, in the first three chapters in Ephesians, you will find them in chapters 4–6. Beginning in Ephesians 4:1, Paul wrote, “I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” But how is the church able to do just that? Did Christ simply say go and do it? Well, no, Christ is going to begin by giving gifts to some people in his church. Ephesians 4:11–13 says,
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 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 fullness of Christ.
This is a picture, as beautiful as any, of what Christ would like his church to look like.
This Sunday morning, we continue in our message series on the fourth wall of the church, or the Commission Wall. I ask you to please read ahead Ephesians 4:11–13 before you arrive. Let’s come and think together what is the goal(s) Christ has set for his church? How is he going to achieve that goal? Most importantly, what is the role Christ has put on you? See you Sunday!
Your Friend,
Alvin