Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20091227.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Ephesians: Overcoming Our Insecurities In Christ
Part II: The Believer's Practice Based On His Secure Position In Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6:24
B. Fostering Brotherly Unity By Biblical Church Ministries
(Ephesians 4:7-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. Because of the believer's secure position in Christ, he is admonished to endeavor to keep the unity in the Church that was created by the Holy Spirit, doing so in the sphere of the bond of peace, Ephesians 4:3.
    2. We may wonder exactly how that is to occur, but Paul clarified this issue for us in Ephesians 4:7-16:
  2. Fostering Brotherly Unity By Biblical Church Ministries, Ephesians 4:7-16.
    1. The unity in the Church created by the Holy Spirit is seen in the Spirit's work of giving a spiritual ability for service to each believer (a "gift") for edifying ministry to others in the Body, Eph. 4:7; 1 Cor. 12:4-11.
    2. As these gifts are properly used in Christian ministry, they build up individuals and thus enhance Christian relationships, working to preserve and edify the Body's unity in line with the Ephesians 4:3 command.
    3. Thus, Ephesians 4:7-16 describes this whole program (as follows):
      1. Every believer has been given a supernatural enabling, a "gift" from the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be used to minister effectively to other believers in the Church, Eph. 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:10; 1 Cor. 12:11.
      2. Paul verified this gift distribution work of the Spirit, alluding to Psalm 68 that shows "a military victor has the right to give gifts to those who are identified with him," Bible Know. Com., N. T. , p. 634. In application to the Church, Paul revealed that Christ's conquest of Satan at the cross led to His spoiling Satan of his goods, enabling Him to give spiritual gifts to believers in the Church, Ibid.; Eph. 4:8.
      3. [Ephesians 4:9-10 comments on Paul's reference to Christ's ascension in Ephesians 4:8 (Ibid.), so as the context deals with Christ's victory over Satan at the cross in His death and resurrection, the "lower parts which belong to the earth" (Ephesians 4:9) does not mean Christ went to hell when He died, but that He conquered Satan in His death and burial in the grave and His resurrection, Ibid.]
      4. Accordingly, in giving these supernatural gifts for ministry based on Christ's work on the cross, the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11) has distributed "starter" gifts to ignite the other gifts, those "starter" gifts being apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11.
      5. [We explain some details here: (a) A single Greek article modifies "pastors and teachers," likely implying a single person with two sides to his ministry, one side applying the Word as a pastor where the other side teaches the Word, Ibid., p. 635. (b) Also, the office of apostle and the gift of prophecy we hold ceased in the Early Church, but we still have the gifts of evangelist and pastor-teachers!]
      6. Now, these "starter" gifts influence the other gifts in the Church so that the other believers might use their gifts, too, Ephesians 4:12. The commas in the KJV's rendition of Ephesians 4:12 must be deleted to see the true thrust of the verse, i.e., that all the saints are those who do the work of the ministry, not just the "starter" gifted believers! (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Ephesians 4:11)
      7. The "starter" gifts are designed of God to produce a unity of the doctrinal faith in the Church Body (Eph. 4:13a), leading to a knowledge of Christ in walk of each believer in the Body so that everyone in the Church ideally responds by spiritually maturing in their lives, Ephesians 4:13b,c.
      8. The Church is thus left no longer being tossed about by errant doctrines of false teachers, but is able to speak the truth in love so that it can mature in the Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 4:14-15.
      9. As a consequence of this comprehensive maturity in the Body, the rest of the gifted believers in proper fellowship with Christ can effectively use their spiritual gifts to minister to one another, building up one another in Christ in magnificent, reciprocal and complex ways, Ephesians 4:16!
Lesson: God's call that every believer try to keep the unity of the Church created by the Holy Spirit is FULFILLED as various "starter" gifted believers evangelize the lost and expound Scripture, teaching and applying it to life, so that other believers might discern the truth from error so as to apply it and mature in Christ! They thus end up using their gifts greatly to edify one another in the Church Body.

Application: May we rightly use the gift God gave us to help preserve the spiritual unity of the Church!