We are one, but we are many
My brothers blog has gently rebuked me. In two ways.
1. It has been used to share some great thoughts.
2. It shows that he is having great thoughts.
Lately this blog has been suffering a little decay, achieving neither of the above. But, good things are on the go. I've been spending a lot of time in Ephesians, a book I've never really gotten into because, I know this sounds childish, everyone one else was always into it. Well, now I can see what all the fuss is about. As great things hit me, I will blog them. (Not in any specific order or importance or chronology).
Jump to Eph 4:1-16
Paul tells us to keep the unity that we have in God's Spirit. Feeble attempts to create unity miss the point that he makes in verse 4. Christians are already one in the faith, and the togetherness of our body (the church) should reflect the one God, one Spirit, one faith we share. But at the same time God is the Father of many, who is over many and through many and in many. Unity with diversity, not uniformity.
In v11 we read that God spreads around the the teaching gifts so that the diversity of the body might prepare people for works of service, which in turn, build up the oneness of the body. How's that for tidy! So God gives these gifts to make the many 'one' in the church as they are alreay one in the Spirit. Or to spin it around, the gifts of v11 are there to make those who are one in the Lord become one in the church.
Cool!
Thoughts:
1. Can someone help me with how v 11 becomes v12. In other words, how does teaching the gospel result in works of service? When I teach the Bible I don't see crowds of people flocking to serve. am I doing it wrong?! (Let's take as a given that God's spirit works to convict people etc. I'm wondering about the mechanics of that conenction, humanly speaking.)
2. How does your church plug into peoples diversity and use those different gifts to build up the body? An good ideas?
Scott
4 comments:
Great post. And liking Leights thoughts too!
Re 1. I have exactly the same question... Any help Scott and I can get from others would be mucho appreciated. One thing to say re the connection, I guess, is simply this: The word gets preached which tells people of the unity they share, the way to serve, and the way not to get tossed around etc. The connection could be that simple. Buuuttt -- why does it happen less than we might like? Hmmmm. Help us.
Re 2. JWWoodhouse is very good on this text. If you can get Woodhouse on Ephesians 4 on the website, do it. He argues that the gifts in V11 are the evangelists, pastors and teachers etc. God gave these (few) to equip the many. In other words, V11-12 is not about everyone having a gift and using their gift. What everyone is called to is "works of service"; "as each part does its work”. But the gifts are not many. They are all really word-gifted people who prepare the "saints".
(There’s also Hoo-Haa about who the saints are...)
Thoughts?
Leights,
Top stuff! Jesus not only brings the gospel but models a response to it as well. Very Tidy!
Justin
As usual, Woodhouse clarity is impressive! So in verse 7, what is the 'grace that has been given to each one of us'? Not the teaching gifts then, if they are only given to 'some'?
And am I sensing a 'tubman paradigm shift'? Do all parts of the body work in different ways to build it up, but only some recieve gifts? Or do we all recieve gifts to work at the building? (we probably have to leae Eph 4 for this)
Woodhouse is that 1 Cor 12 has a different message to Eph 4.
The grace / gifts are the people! The Prophets, Ap, Ev, and Pastor-teachers [one word in Gk].
God gave them as gifts.
TO prepare everyone to do their work as the whole body builds itself.
So everyone is involved, but exegetically, each in its turn.
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