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The author is a cessationist, which means he believes the "supernatural" activities and gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today. His entire thinking process is colored by this, so much so that he uses words incorrectly, overlooks key Scriptures right in the middle of passages he references, and teaches more to his tradition than he does the Scriptures.
In addition, the author repeatedly uses the Christian vernacular "Word" to refer to the Scriptures. This is a continual irritant to us, because the "Word" is not the "Scriptures." We will explain below.
The Apostle Paul uses the imagery of a building and a body to illustrate the network of leadership and service in Christ’s church. The building is the new temple indwelt by God’s Spirit (Eph. 2:19–22)—not a static structure of stone and wood, but a dynamic community of people, made alive by their union with Christ, the life-giving stone (1 Peter 2:4–5). Consequently, alongside the picture of the church as building, Paul employs the body image to illustrate the church’s organic and interdependent life (1 Cor. 12:12–31). These images—body and building—together portray the interconnected framework of leadership and service that sustains the church’s life and mission in the world.
Today we are familiar with “body builders” who flex muscles and lift weights. Almost two millennia ago, Paul strikingly merged organic (body) and architectural (building) pictures, in order to reveal the link between leadership and ministry:
Paul starts by listing five (or maybe four) groups of leaders: (This passage does not discuss or mention leaders.)
In Ephesians 4, as we have seen, Paul begins with the leaders whom Christ gives to His church. But then he introduces the ministries of all believers, of every member of the body: “the whole body, joined and held together by every joint . . . when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4:16, emphasis added). In contrast to the medieval church, which generally viewed ordinary (lay) Christians as passive recipients of grace mediated through popes, bishops, and priests, the New Testament teaches that all believers belong to “a holy priesthood,” so we all offer spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5) and function as arteries to convey His grace to other members of the body. (Quite right.)
How does this life-sustaining, growth-producing “circulatory system of grace” work? Leaders who teach the Word (today, pastors and elders) (The Bible does not tell us that pastors teach the "word" [he means the Bible.] Pastors are not necessarily even elders, Scripturally speaking.)
The Apostle Paul uses the imagery of a building and a body to illustrate the network of leadership and service in Christ’s church. The building is the new temple indwelt by God’s Spirit (Eph. 2:19–22)—not a static structure of stone and wood, but a dynamic community of people, made alive by their union with Christ, the life-giving stone (1 Peter 2:4–5). Consequently, alongside the picture of the church as building, Paul employs the body image to illustrate the church’s organic and interdependent life (1 Cor. 12:12–31). These images—body and building—together portray the interconnected framework of leadership and service that sustains the church’s life and mission in the world.
Today we are familiar with “body builders” who flex muscles and lift weights. Almost two millennia ago, Paul strikingly merged organic (body) and architectural (building) pictures, in order to reveal the link between leadership and ministry:
[Christ] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. . . . Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:11–16)
Paul starts by listing five (or maybe four) groups of leaders: (This passage does not discuss or mention leaders.)
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (or “pastors who are teachers”). These leaders communicate God’s Word to others. (Well, no. We don't see anything in this passage that indicates that these are all supposed to "communicate God’s Word to others.")
In other letters, Paul speaks of overseers (also called elders) and deacons (Phil. 1:1). Because these leadership positions involve responsibility for others and accountability to the Lord, they require noteworthy spiritual maturity. Men with good reputations as “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” were called by the church to oversee ministries of mercy (Acts 6:1–7). Likewise, Paul lists qualifications—focusing mainly on character—both for overseers/elders, who shepherd saints spiritually, and for deacons, who care for their material needs (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; see also 1 Peter 5:1–4). (When the author stays on topic he does well.)
Some elders are gifted and called to “labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17), so “teacher” fits their role well. But all elders must be “able to teach,” to speak the word of God (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9; Heb. 13:7), (The "word" is not "Scripture." The word is things spoken [logos], while Scripture [graphē] is the things spoken that were written down. We see this in one of the author's cited verses:
Apostles and prophets received special revelation (This phrase is not found in the Bible. In fact, it's a pejorative phrase that presumes the author's cessationism. That is, the author thinks the Bible is "special revelation," so because the canon is closed "special revelation" has ceased, i.e., God is not now speaking to His church.
We suppose that what remains is unspecial revelation.)
by God’s Spirit and conveyed God’s very words to others, (The author repeats himself in the space of two sentences.)
first in preaching and then in the written Scriptures. Because “the mystery of Christ . . . has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:4–5), Apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church’s faith, for their writings testify to Christ Jesus, “the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). Subsequently, evangelists, pastors, and teachers now build on that foundation by explaining and applying the Bible’s timeless truths, both to unbelievers (evangelists) and to believers (pastors, teachers). (We noted above that the author is a cessationist, and we see it here. He artificially divides up the ministries of Ephesians 4:11 so as to separate the "special revelation" part [apostles and prophets] from the ministries he's comfortable with [pastors, teachers, and evangelists].
How does he do this? By relegating apostles and prophets to the early church only, making their job solely to receive "special revelation" to write the Bible [Which he further supposes is the foundation, but it's not]. By this measure, once the Bible [i.e., the foundation] is completed the apostles and prophets are no longer needed, leaving the three remaining ministries to teach and mature the church.
However, there is no Bible verse that describes what the author is saying. The Bible does not say that apostles and/or prophets write Scripture or that Scripture is the foundation of the church. The verses the author cites, Ephesians 3:4-5 and Ephesians 2:20, do not tell us that the Scriptures are the subject of this passage. Let's quote, but put the passages back in order and expand the quotes a bit:
Eph. 2:19-21 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.Eph. 3:2-6 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Paul was explaining how the cross [2:16] joins Jews and gentiles into one household [2:19], giving both access to the Father [2:18], built on this foundation [2:20]. This foundation is built to join the two into one [2:21], being "built together" into a house where the Holy Spirit lives [2:22].
Paul goes on to tell us that the mystery that was revealed to him [3:3] is this joining of the Jews and gentiles to share in the promise of salvation [3:6].
The author completely misses the point of what Paul was teaching here.)
In other letters, Paul speaks of overseers (also called elders) and deacons (Phil. 1:1). Because these leadership positions involve responsibility for others and accountability to the Lord, they require noteworthy spiritual maturity. Men with good reputations as “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” were called by the church to oversee ministries of mercy (Acts 6:1–7). Likewise, Paul lists qualifications—focusing mainly on character—both for overseers/elders, who shepherd saints spiritually, and for deacons, who care for their material needs (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; see also 1 Peter 5:1–4). (When the author stays on topic he does well.)
Some elders are gifted and called to “labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17), so “teacher” fits their role well. But all elders must be “able to teach,” to speak the word of God (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9; Heb. 13:7), (The "word" is not "Scripture." The word is things spoken [logos], while Scripture [graphē] is the things spoken that were written down. We see this in one of the author's cited verses:
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. that they protect the flock and “care for the church of God”
The "word" here is logos. This is not the Bible, it is the thing spoken. In fact, Jesus the logos [John 1:1], is the very spoken word of the Father.
Graphē is found here:
2 Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness...
Graphē is the Bible, aka Scripture. As Christians, we must stop confusing the Scripture with Word. They are not the same thing.)
since it is by applying Scripture (Acts 20:28). Churches publicly acknowledge God’s call and gifting by ordaining these leaders, laying hands on them with prayer (Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22).
In Ephesians 4, as we have seen, Paul begins with the leaders whom Christ gives to His church. But then he introduces the ministries of all believers, of every member of the body: “the whole body, joined and held together by every joint . . . when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4:16, emphasis added). In contrast to the medieval church, which generally viewed ordinary (lay) Christians as passive recipients of grace mediated through popes, bishops, and priests, the New Testament teaches that all believers belong to “a holy priesthood,” so we all offer spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5) and function as arteries to convey His grace to other members of the body. (Quite right.)
How does this life-sustaining, growth-producing “circulatory system of grace” work? Leaders who teach the Word (today, pastors and elders) (The Bible does not tell us that pastors teach the "word" [he means the Bible.] Pastors are not necessarily even elders, Scripturally speaking.)
are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Then, as the saints are equipped and serve each other, the result is “building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). God’s design is not for pastors, elders, and deacons to do all the work of the church while “ordinary” members sit passively in pews, absorbing but never exercising the capacities to care for others that God’s Spirit conferred when “grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Eph. 4:7, emphasis added). (Quite right.)
This interdependent ministry of all church members, from those with high visibility to those often unnoticed, is the subject of Paul’s deepest exploration of the church as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). His key points are as follows:
This interdependent ministry of all church members, from those with high visibility to those often unnoticed, is the subject of Paul’s deepest exploration of the church as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). His key points are as follows:
- The one Holy Spirit draws all believers—despite our diverse backgrounds—into one body (1 Cor. 12:12–13).
- This one Spirit gives us a variety of gifts, so we can use those abilities “for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:4–7).
- Believers with low-visibility gifts must appreciate how indispensable they are to the health of the whole body (1 Cor. 12:14–19).
- Believers with high-visibility ministries need to know how much they need what often-overlooked fellow Christians can supply (1 Cor. 12:21–26).
Recognized (ordained) leaders—pastors, teachers, elders, deacons—set the pace in teaching the Word, (Again, he means the Bible.)
discipling the immature, and extending mercy to those in need. And by setting the pace, leaders motivate, recruit, train, and deploy all the members of the body, each with his or her own gifting from God’s Spirit, to engage in ministries of speaking, of discipling, and of mercy (Um, sir. What about 1 Cor. 12:8-11, where Paul actually lists the gifts? The author supplies four references to 1 Corinthians chapter 12: Verses 12-13, 4-7, 14-19, and 21-26, but inexplicably avoids 8-11:
1 Cor. 12:8-11 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
(Why did he skip this part? Oh, there it is. Prophecy. Tongues. Healing. Miraculous powers. Hmm. The author avoided it because it's not part of his doctrine.)
Here are two examples:
In Jerusalem, the Apostles ordained seven men to minister mercy, so that widows would not go hungry (Acts 6:1–7). Later in Joppa, a disciple named Tabitha was “full of good works,” clothing widows through her skills as a seamstress (Acts 9:36–39). Deacons organized and motivated by example, while others who had no special office displayed the reality of their faith by caring for “orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27; see Acts 4:32–35; 1 John 3:16–18).
Writing to the Colossians, Paul described his distinctive calling as an Apostle, authorized to preach God’s Word (Again, he means the Bible.)
In Jerusalem, the Apostles ordained seven men to minister mercy, so that widows would not go hungry (Acts 6:1–7). Later in Joppa, a disciple named Tabitha was “full of good works,” clothing widows through her skills as a seamstress (Acts 9:36–39). Deacons organized and motivated by example, while others who had no special office displayed the reality of their faith by caring for “orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27; see Acts 4:32–35; 1 John 3:16–18).
Writing to the Colossians, Paul described his distinctive calling as an Apostle, authorized to preach God’s Word (Again, he means the Bible.)
: “[Christ] we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom” (Col. 1:28, author’s translation, emphasis added). Later, using the same words, he directed all the Christians in Colossae: “Let the word (logos, not the Bible.) of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:16, author’s translation, emphasis added).1 Paul proclaimed Christ, admonishing and teaching others in all wisdom, so that they in turn could teach and admonish each other. The Apostle had equipped the saints for their work of service.
When both leaders and other members of the body together take to heart the countercultural example and instruction of Jesus, their Lord who came to serve (Mark 10:42–45), their synergy deepens the church’s beautiful unity and fuels its growth.
1 The ESV wording of Colossians 1:28 and 3:16 is modified slightly to reflect the Greek vocabulary and syntax. ↩
When both leaders and other members of the body together take to heart the countercultural example and instruction of Jesus, their Lord who came to serve (Mark 10:42–45), their synergy deepens the church’s beautiful unity and fuels its growth.
1 The ESV wording of Colossians 1:28 and 3:16 is modified slightly to reflect the Greek vocabulary and syntax. ↩
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