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Ephesians 4:11-13
In Christ we all may have different gifts, but we all make up the same body, Christ, who equips us for the work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. The definition of edify according to Webster’s Dictionary is “to instruct and improve esp. in moral and religious knowledge.” Educate, enlighten, nurture.
We are to (1) educate (2) enlighten (3) nurture one another in the body of Christ, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 (NKJV). We can only accomplish this through salvation in Christ Jesus as we will never be able to accomplish this in our own understanding and finite minds because, as humanity, we could never understand the fullness of Christ (our minds are not capable of it), but being, in Christ, we should strive for this unity and knowledge each and every day as He leads us in our spiritual growth as the Apostle Paul declares in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
This is a command of what we should do “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ as being the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
The Apostle Paul begins this passage in Ephesians 4:11-12 by declaring, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” God’s desired result of the ministry is found in Ephesians 4:13, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
We must first understand that this is not a measure of comparison to one another but to Christ Jesus. To be a perfect man (Ephesians 4:13) is not referring to any of us gaining perfection but that only Christ Jesus is perfect, and the measuring stick is His fullness. Jesus declared in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” We must take to heart the most popular and well-known verse in all the Bible being John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It is not about you or me being “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” as the Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 4:13, but that we all “come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”
Dear Lord,
You have given us all different gifts. Please help us to use these gifts to the best of our ability to carry out Your will for us and those that You put in our daily paths. And help us to “come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ as being the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). In Jesus name I pray, amen.