Ephesians 4:14 continues with the result of our reaching this goal: “That we may be no longer babes tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.” Paul used the phrase “that we may be,” indicating that he included himself. Even Paul himself had the possibility of being a babe. How can we be so confident that we are no longer babes? If we are tossed by waves, this is a sign that we are babes. A babe is unsteady and easily shaken. “Tossed by waves” indicates that the church life with all the saints is sailing on the stormy sea. Every sea has waves and storms. The church is sailing like a boat on the sea, and the sea has many storms. I have been in the church life for over fifty years, and I was with Brother Nee for eighteen years. Throughout these years in all the places that I have been, I have seen storm after storm.
When I began to see these storms, I had some doubts about the work. Among all the churches that have been raised up through my ministry there were always storms. Then I realized that according to Paul’s Epistles, there were not any good churches. If the churches were as good as we imagine, Paul would not have needed to write his Epistles to them. His Epistles were written to churches with problems. When I was young, I heard someone say that the church in Philippi was the best church. The first chapter of Philippians talks about the bountiful supply of the Spirit for magnifying and living Christ. But in the second chapter Paul charges them to do all things without murmurings and reasonings. This shows that among the Philippians there were murmurings and reasonings. When I considered the situation among the churches recorded in the New Testament, I was comforted. Even among the churches that Paul raised up, there were problems and storms. I could not expect to do better than he did. No sea can avoid the storms. We are sailing on the sea. At one time the weather may be fine. Suddenly a storm, a problem, arises. When a storm comes, would you be tossed by the waves? If you would, this is a strong indication that you are babyish.
The stormy sea is stirred up by the wind. The goal of the wind is to carry us away from God’s central purpose. Paul says that we can be carried about by winds of different teachings. In 1 Timothy 1:3 Paul told Timothy to remain in Ephesus and charge certain ones not to teach differently. By that time, Ephesus was an established church with elders. This can be proven by Acts 20 which tells us that Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church there (v. 17). Paul’s calling for the elders and his fellowship with them proves that once the elders had been established, the apostle still had the position to charge them to do things. Paul charged, warned, and advised them to shepherd the flock because wolves would come in among them (vv. 28-30). Later he asked his co-worker, a young apostle, to remain in Ephesus where elders had already been established, to charge certain ones not to teach differently. First Timothy 1:3 and 4 indicate that these teachings were different from God’s economy. To teach anything other than God’s New Testament economy is to teach differently. Paul would not allow different teachings to be taught within the limit of his work. He would not allow anything to be taught that was different from God’s New Testament economy.
Three major categories of heretical things invaded the early church to distract the saints from God’s economy: Judaism, Gnosticism, and Greek philosophy. These three major items are dealt with in Paul’s Epistles. In Galatians, Judaism was dealt with. In Colossians, Paul deals with Gnosticism and Greek philosophy. These three items were troubling the saints and distracting them from God’s New Testament economy, which centers on Christ and His Body, the church. Today there are many different teachings distracting the believers. The winds of different teachings are teachings that deviate from the all-inclusive person and the full redemptive work of Christ and from the church. Any teaching that would cause us to deviate from Christ’s redemption and His wonderful person and from the church should be considered as a teaching different from God’s New Testament economy.
These different teachings are in the sleight of men. “Sleight” indicates a deceiving method. The word in Greek signifies the cheating of dice players. The different teachings are used by the evil one, Satan, through man’s deceiving method. These teachings are in the deceiving doctrines instigated by Satan in his subtlety with the sleight of men to frustrate God’s eternal purpose to build up the Body of Christ in the growth of life. We need to check whether what we hear is making us alive to grow in life or deadening us. Anything that makes us alive to grow in life is organic and is something of God. Anything we hear or read that deadens our spirit is something satanic in the sleight of men to carry us away so that God’s eternal purpose to build up the Body of Christ is frustrated.
These winds of teaching are also in craftiness with a view to a system of error. “Sleight” is a deceiving method. “Craftiness” is a subtle activity. The different teachings are of a system of error. We may feel that these teachings happen only occasionally, but in actuality they take place according to a satanic system. Satan has systematized the crafty, dividing teachings, causing errors that damage the practical oneness of the Body life.