Equipped Saints

I don’t watch much current television, but when I think back to my childhood during the 70’s and 80’s, there are several commercial jingles I remember. “Be a Pepper. Drink Dr. Pepper” (accompanied by dancing). “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief if its” (Alka-Seltzer). “I am stuck on Band-Aid ‘cause Band-Aids stuck on me.” “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t (Almond Joy). “Calgon, take me away!” (Calgon bath products). “I don’t wanna grow up. I’m a Toys R Us kid.”

These were all slogans that summed up the products they represented. Most of them were set to catchy tunes that stuck in your head. Today, as we continue through Ephesians 4, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us a concisely worded pattern for how the church is to grow in spiritual maturity. It’s not set to a catchy jingle, but it is something we need to know, remember, and put into practice.

⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ 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, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ 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.^[1]

Ephesians 4:7-16 (emphasis added)

In verses 7-10, Paul placed Jesus as the conquering victor ascending to the right hand of the Father and giving grace-enabled gifts to believers. Next, in verse 11, we saw that Jesus specifically gave the apostles, prophets, and evangelists, shepherds^[2], and teachers to the early church. The offices or positions of shepherds and teachers continue in the church today. Jesus gave shepherds and teachers for a purpose – “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry for building up the body of Christ” (vs 12).

John MacArthur divides verses 12-16 into three sections to describe God’s pattern for the spiritual growth and function of the church: the progression (vs 12), the purpose (vs 13-15a), and the power (vs 15b-16).^[3] Today, we will consider the progression:

Equip – The Greek word katartismos means to train, make complete, or restore (2 Corinthians 13:11; Hebrews 13:20-21). It was used in early church times for the restoring of broken bones, and, in Scripture, for James and John mending their fishing nets (Matthew 4:21). In the context of Ephesians, it denotes guiding others in sanctification, putting off sin and putting on obedience, being conformed to the image of Jesus.

This comes through God’s Word being preached and received. Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus gave shepherds and teachers to expound the Scriptures to the saints. For two years in Ephesus, Paul taught, resulting in the word of the Lord mightily increasing and prevailing (Acts 19:9-10, 20). During the Reformation, Calvin preached five to seven days each week. The preached Word of God does not negate the reading of God’s Word by individuals, but the primary means God has designed for the equipping of the saints is through His Word being preached and taught by the shepherds and teachers, as well as their godly example and their prayers for the body.

God’s Word transforms: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Shepherds and teachers proclaim God’s Word: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine you have followed… Command and teach these things… Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:6, 11, 13).

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Spiritual growth isn’t always the result of new teaching but also comes from being reminded of truth we need to apply. We can never be taught too much of God’s Word: “Therefore I intend to always remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder… And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things” (2 Peter 1:12-13, 15).

Shepherds and teachers pray for the body’s sanctification: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).

In addition to God working through the shepherds and teachers, God Himself purposes trials and suffering to equip believers: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Shepherds and teachers are not there merely to organize the church body (although organization is not bad). Nor are they there to entertain as is oft common today. They are given by Jesus to the church to equip believers to grow in spiritual maturity. John MacArthur describes an incident during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 where world leaders wasted time trying to organize help for Egyptian soldiers stranded without water. Meanwhile, thousands of soldiers died before help arrived. MacArthur then made this sobering statement: “How equally tragic it is for churches to spin their wheels in programs and committees while thousands around them are desperately in need of the spiritual water of the Word.”^[4]

Shepherds and teachers are equipping the saints for the work of ministry or service. While I’m writing this, the Winter Olympics are taking place. Many in the church view God’s pattern for spiritual growth in the church like the Olympics. I’ll use the example of ice-skating since I like that event much more than curling or other events. The competitors take their turns on the ice. Their coaches stand on the sideline, issuing last minute advice. The judges sit in their stand along one side of the rink ready to score each competitor. These three groups of people contribute to the activity of the event. Meanwhile, the crowds fill the stand and watch. They cheer, but they aren’t actively involved in the event. In other words, the event could happen without the crowd.

This is not God’s design for the church. God did not give the shepherds and teachers to the church to equip the saints for the saints to sit idly by expecting the shepherds and teachers to also do the work of the ministry. The body is not meant to be spectators. Instead, (continuing the Olympics analogy) the body is the team. The shepherds and teachers are the coaches, and an unbelieving world observes.

Scripture gives us some examples of how the saints do the work of ministry.

In Acts 6:1-7, the Greek widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. The apostles said it was not right to give up preaching, the ministry to which they were called, in order to make sure the widows received the daily distribution. They appointed seven equipped men to do this work of ministry. These men are commonly viewed as the first deacons. Deacons help handle some of the work of ministry in the church, so that shepherds and teachers can focus on preaching and teaching.

In Paul’s letter to Titus, he outlined ways older men and women do the work of ministry in the church: “[Older women] are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, [older men] urge the younger men to be self-controlled” (Titus 2:4-6).

Paul instructed Timothy: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). This is a pattern for discipleship which all believers should emulate in the sense of men can teach and model what they have learned to others as well as seeking out someone by whom they can be discipled. The same goes for women with other women.

The early church regularly did the work of ministry through hospitality. We too can open our homes for small groups, discipleship opportunities, a meal and fellowship, or a place for a guest teacher or missionary family to stay. Caring for widows is also a work of ministry (James 1:27).

Because the early church met in homes, there wasn’t the need for many of the ministry opportunities in the church today. Whether or not your church has many programs, ministry opportunities can include volunteering with children’s ministries, greeting, cleaning the church, singing or playing with the worship team, folding the bulletin, visiting those in the hospital or that are homebound, taking a meal to someone after surgery, a death in the family, or the birth of a child, praying with someone, or sharing with another what has been convicting, comforting, or encouraging from Scripture. There are numerous more ways that the saints carry out the work of ministry.

The point of it all is for building up the body of Christ. This is the image of a house being built. Building up is the spiritual edification of the body. The betterment of the body. Spiritual maturing. An individual believer’s spiritual growth contributes to the church body’s spiritual growth (Acts 20:32; 2 Peter 2:2). It is the internal building up as “all believers are nurtured to fruitful service through the Word.”^[5]

I have been reading through the Gospel of Mark. Today in Chapter 8, Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Jesus willingly gave up His own life, suffering and dying on the cross, for the church, that we might be saved. Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-16). If we belong to Him, then we are called to do likewise.

Reflection

1.    How are you or can you encourage, support, and make it a joy for your pastor, elders, and teachers to equip you?

2.    How are you currently being equipped spiritually (teaching, being discipled, church involvement)?

3.    Are you a spectator or are you participating in the work of the ministry? What fears or excuses prevent you from serving?

4.    Are your words and actions strengthening or weakening your local church body? How?

5.    What is one practical way you can serve this week?

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 4:7–16.

^[2] Also translated as pastors.

^[3] John F. MacArthur Jr., Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 152.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 155.

^[5] John F. MacArthur Jr., Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 156.