Whatever Happened To Ephesians 4? by Ron Swartz

There are a lot of articles these days that confront the system as we know it. Some simply state it so clearly they must be passed on.

I always ask permission from the authors before sending these articles to you so you know are getting them through a process of (1) my receiving them, (2) my reading them, and then (3) and then, my passing them along to you because I feel they are important to the cause of Simple Church and what God is calling us to do.

Is the body of Christ incapable of taking care of itself? Or is it like a Child who is confined to bed, never allowed to walk or feed itself? Through the years as culture has changed, so has the Church. Are these changes as a result of God's influence, or is the church merely been repackaged?

I continually hear pastors suggest that the people of God are so helpless and weak that, if left to their own devices, they would regress into chaos and anarchy. They suggest that the people of God are incapable of teaching themselves or governing themselves. They suggest that, in fact, it is they (the pastors) who bring order, growth, and success. If so much is attributed to them, is the Holy Spirit even necessary?

It does seem that God's people are incapable of leadership. But it only seems that way. God's people are the product of the bondage that they have been made to endure. It is like a child who is confined to bed. If a child is never allowed to walk or to feed itself, it will never learn to develop these abilities. Therefore, even though the body will physically mature, that child will remain incapable of taking care of himself. This is what has become of the Body of Christ. Christians live shallow spiritual lives, never allowed to operate as God intended. They are like a maturing body lying on a bed with no more functionality in its limbs than that of an infant while all around it are preachers who strive desperately to keep it that way.

The Five-Fold Ministry

Most preachers compare their function to that of the Old Testament priesthood. Did you ever wonder why preachers are selective about which Old Testament practices they bring into the New Testament? Why not circumcision? Why not animal sacrifice? Why not construct a Tabernacle? The truth is that there is no priesthood elite in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, one out of twelve people was a priest (one tribe of the twelve), but in the New Testament, we are all priests (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9). It's the same way with tithing. In the Old Testament, just ten percent of our property belonged to God (a tithe), but in the New Testament, it all does. In short, there is no scripture that supports a priest class of Christians in the New Testament. Jesus made this point clear when He said, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren (Matthew 23:8)." There is one High Priest, which is Christ, and we are all priests.

Ephesians 4:11-12 KJV

11 And he [Jesus] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

This scripture is sometimes used to refer to a "five-fold ministry." Ministers use it to define a sort of priesthood class of Christians. They see themselves as a select cadre, an elite group, and this chapter (Ephesians 4) as a definition of their purpose. Let's consider these verses and their purpose.

Ephesians 4:12-15 KJV

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

If this is the purpose of preachers, then they are a miserable failure. When has even one of the goals set forth in this chapter ever been achieved? For instance, the scripture here says:

1) "That we henceforth be no more children." According to preachers, the Body of Christ is like children who are incapable of taking care of themselves. So how has the elite class of preachers made a difference? 2) "Till we all come in the unity of the faith." Unity is one of the primary themes of the scriptures, yet it is the elite group of preachers who exercise control over the church that prevents and has prevent unity from being achieved. 3) "For the perfecting [maturity] of the saints." Consider the spiritual condition of the Church today. Preachers have had (since the Protestant movement began) about five hundred years, yet can we say that the Church is any closer to (spiritual) maturity now? The contemporary Church is probably worse off now after five hundred years of preacher rule.

I believe that the reason we have not seen these things come about is because the Body of Christ has not been allowed to develop in the manner God intended. How did God intend this growth to take place?

Compare verse 12 that describes the function of the five-fold ministry to verse 16 that describes the function of "every part" of the body of Christ. They are the same. Verse 12 describes the function of the five-fold ministry as being "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Verse 16 describes this concerning the body: "from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

Both verses talk about edifying (growth and maturity) the body, yet one attributes it to the five-fold ministry and the other attributes it to "every joint" and "every part." Therefore, either the body is schizophrenic, or the five-fold ministry and "every joint" (and "every part") are the same.

The body increases (grows and matures) "by that which every joint supplieth." We all know how spiritual growth occurs in our own lives. It happens through our relationships with other Christians. It is these relationships that strengthen and build us up, not the time spent in a church building listening to preachers. These relationships are the "joints." When growth occurs in the body, preachers are unmistakably absent. If you think differently, try summarizing the last four sermons you heard in church. If they are so important, why can't we remember them?

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 KJV

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

We are all called to preach the gospel (to reconcile the world to God) and therefore we are all part of the ministry of reconciliation. The "ministry of reconciliation" is not a sixth ministry. The purpose of any ministry is to reconcile mankind to God (including that of the so-called five-fold ministry). Aside from this, ministry has no purpose. Therefore, the "ministry of reconciliation" and the five-fold ministry are one and the same.

Victim or Villain

There is no question that pastors are responsible for keeping the body of Christ in bondage and not allowing it to develop. But are they alone in that responsibility? The people of God are as much at fault as pastors. Most Christians enjoy the structure that Sunday morning church and even tithing provides. People have come to enjoy the idea that they only have to give a portion on one day (Sunday) to God and a tenth of their income. The rest is theirs. It is less intrusive than obeying the Holy Spirit. With this structure, people don't need to spend any time with God. Sunday mornings are nothing more than meeting with a prophet of Baal at his shrine at the top of a hill and paying homage. Church meetings are designed to allow people to zone out or be entertained. It's a sad commentary, but most Christians like it this way. They want a fast moving and entertaining meeting that is over on time. Consequently, pastors have learned that if they are going to have a church of any reasonable size, they must give the people what they want. Consequently, contemporary churches that focus on entertainment and pleasure are the fastest growing churches in this country. It becomes clear who the real villain is: the people.

Participation and ministry is not for the faint at heart, and therefore it is not the model that the contemporary Christian wants. Churches that encourage participation and ministry by everyone are generally small. What pastor wants the little glory involved with having a small church?

Restoration or Repackaging?

Down through the centuries, the Church has changed. Most preachers attribute this to different moves of the Holy Spirit. They refer to it as a restoration of praise, of spiritual authority, of apostles and the five-fold ministry, and of spiritual gifts and other things. I want to challenge that notion. I do NOT believe that any of the changes the Church appears to have experienced is the handiwork of God. I believe the changes we have seen are a result of pressure from social culture, and that underneath the fa?ade of transformation, there has never been any real change. The Spirit of God brings about true transformation, not mere alterations of a faulty structure. Yet, even after all the changes the Church has been through in the past thousand years, the underlying structure has always been the same. It is a structure that promotes men and has enabled them to have control and power over others. Men's titles may have changed during this time but not their role. They may be called pastors, but they still see themselves as priests, as an elite class. At the foundation, the contemporary Protestant church is still filled with Catholicism.

Let's consider the Protestant movement. It is interesting that the birth of Protestantism coincided with the Renaissance movement. I believe that the birth of the Protestant movement was in response to the social pressure of the Renaissance period. During the Renaissance, people began to explore personal liberty and freedom of expression. Protestant churches were a clear reflection of this. Does it seem reasonable that it would take change in our social culture to prompt God to move or restore something? What then is the stronger influence upon the Church: God or society?

Now consider the social pressure that today's Church faces.

We find everywhere today a grass roots effort to restore the family and family values. It centers on the husband and father being the spiritual leader of the home. It often includes home schooling and home birthing. As a result, many families are leaving traditional churches that split up the family and choosing to focus more on a family worship experience. This is becoming ever so evident in the explosive popularity of house churches. But the traditional church is once again changing to address this new social treat. Should this change be attributed to God?

New churches are sprouting up claiming to support family integration and family focus. In some of the new permutations, families are encouraged to retain the husband/father as a sort of para-leader, and the family operates within the church as a microcosm of the church. Do not be deceived. This is the church once again responding to the social climate of the day. It is not God. Why do I say this? Because underneath is still the same old structure that has existed for over a thousand years. It is a structure that permits and encourages men to operate as an elite class of priest. It promotes men and their agendas. And it is a structure that places men in control, having power over others in the same way that it has been through most of Christian history.

Conclusion:

Has the church really changed through the centuries or has it just undergone repackaging? If you think the church has changed, then consider this: when people consider the money they give to a church (preacher) as giving to the Lord, they are really saying that to them the church and preacher are sacred. That is why so many people are upset by any discussion that would hint of a problem with either the church or the pastor. To them, such utterances are sacrilege. But if the church has really changed, then why do people still view the church and pastors as sacred just as Catholics viewed the church and priests a thousand years ago? Why are we still elevating people to sainthood and places to holiness?

Ephesians 4 tells us that as the Body of Christ matures there will be a corresponding development of unity. However, as each decade passes, the Church becomes more and more fragmented. Therefore, either the five-fold ministry is a miserable failure, or the Church is not allowed to operate as it should. The current form of church structure is in direct opposition to the way Ephesians 4:16 describes how the body is to grow by "every part" and "every joint."

The Body is NOT maturing because it is being held hostage by a small cadre of ministry elite who keep the body in bondage. They surround it like so many nurses trying to convince the body that it is incapable of nourishing itself or walking on its own. It is this elite priesthood class that has convinced the rest of the Body that it cannot minister.

Perhaps the real villain in this is contemporary Christians who crave entertainment and a "good sale." They go where they can get the most while applying the least amount of effort. They have told preachers what they want from church by their absence. They have been responsible for the fall of many good men like Moses and even Saul.

When you put it all together, the ministry elite, the masses of Christians looking for entertainment, and the social evolution of the church, you have the contemporary church. It has little resemblance in substance to the Church we read about in the scriptures, but it is here to stay. The prediction for the Church in Ephesians 4 is a distant memory. Unless radical change occurs, the purpose of the Church will remain only a dream in the mind of the Savior. In this light, the term "you can't get there from here" takes on a whole new meaning. The Church destined for greatness and described in the scripture does not exist today. There are just poor imitations and pitiful "wannabes" that claim the name but are devoid of substance. The only choice now is to start over.

What we are missing from this recipe are people who lead by example rather than by control and who provide freedom and encouragement. What we need are people of courage rather than the masses of preachers who just play it safe. For only then does the Church have a chance of becoming the Church that Christ intended and that the scriptures describe.