Bible Study 13th June

Ephesians Ch. 4 vs 1 to 16  -  Unity

Introduction

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,
and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 4:14 [NIV]

What signs do you see in your life that you are maturing as a Christian,
no longer a child in Christ?  See Ephesians 4:14

• Increasing wisdom, knowledge of God and his word
  together with the fruit of the Spirit

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature
with its passions and desires.
²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  
Galatians 5:22-25 [NIV]

The Unity of the Spirit
                       Growing in Christian Grace

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy
of the calling you have received.
²Be completely humble and gentle;
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
⁴There is one body      and one Spirit
- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -
⁵one Lord,      one faith,      one baptism;
⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.   
Ephesians 4:1-6 [NIV]

In verses 1 & 2 what sort of life does Paul want us to live?

• Worthy of our calling
• Humble, gentle, patient,
  bearing each other up (understanding & coping with each other)
• These four Christian graces are all part of our love toward each other

In verses 3 to 6 Paul speaks of the unity which we have in the Lord Jesus.     What are the 7 aspects of unity that Paul speaks of?

• One body (the body of Christ), one Spirit, one Lord,
  one God and Father, one hope, one faith, one baptism.
• All held together as we live in peace, verse 3, and love verse 2.

Why does Paul include baptism in this list?

• It is an outward expression and public testimony
  to what God has done for us spiritually

In this passage, verses 1 to 6, Paul speaks about our lifestyle
       and Christian relationships in the first two verses
       and our spiritual unity in verses 3 to 6.
Why does Paul bring these two different aspects of our faith
       together in these verses?

• The way that we relate to each other flows
  from the way that we relate to God and our faith.
• Unity in spiritual things helps in unity in personal relationships & love.

The Unity of the Faith
        Growing in Understanding in Christ Jesus

⁷But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
⁸This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”
⁹(What does “he ascended” mean
except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? ^1
0He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens,
in order to fill the whole universe.)
¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,
and some to be pastors and teachers,
¹²to prepare God’s people for works of service,
so that the body of Christ may be built up
¹³until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:7-13 [NIV]

This is a long passage. In verse 8 Paul reminds us
             that God has given gifts to the church
                         and in verse 11 he writes about the ministries
                                      that spring from those gifts.

What is the main purpose of these gifted ministries of apostle, prophet,         evangelist, pastor, and teacher (verses 12 & 13)?

• To prepare us for works of service
• To build up the body of the Lord Jesus Christ
• To bring us to unity of the faith
• To increase our knowledge of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God.
• To bring us to maturity in our faith
• To lead us into the fullness of all that is available to us in Christ Jesus.

Do we see these ministries at work in our own church?

Are we learning from the ministries that God has given us?

Note that grace has been to all of us, verse 7,
             and each of us have been gifted through this grace, verse 8. 
                         See also 1 Corinthians 12verses 1, & 4 to 10 & 30to 31.

Are we ministering grace to one another through the gifts which we have?

• Gifts such as hospitality, healing love and prayer,
  administrative gifts,
  gifts of wisdom and knowledge etc.

Our pastors, teachers etc. are preparing us for service?
       Are we entering into that service as team members,
       or are we standing on the sidelines watching others do all the work?

• It has often said that we are saved to serve!

The Unity of the Body
               Growing in Christian Service

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,
and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love,
we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
¹⁶From him the whole body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love,
as each part does its work. 
Ephesians 4:14-16 [NIV]

Paul wants us to grow in faith and knowledge.
       Why (see verse 14) ?

• So that we can discern truth from error
• So that we won’t be tossed around by deceitful teachings.

How do we grow in faith and knowledge?

• Speaking the truth in love and building on and in love
• Growing up into Christ who is the head of the Church
• Becoming an interactive body as we minster to each other
  as ligaments, muscles, limbs and organs of that body
• Being faithful in doing our part

Respond

Questions to think about

Are we actively receiving the gifts and ministries that God has given us?

Are we growing towards maturity?

Do we wisely judge the ministry that is given?

Do we then submit to the teachings we receive from God’s word from our pastor, teachers, evangelists etc. ?

Do we fulfil our individual callings to service in the church?