CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE DIVINE DISPENSING OF THE DIVINE TRINITY CONSTITUTING THE GIFTS FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS UNTO THE BUILDING UP OF THE ORGANIC BODY OF CHRIST

OUTLINE AND SCRIPTURE READING

1. The divine dispensing of the Spirit as the essence of the Body of Christ causing all the members of the Body of Christ to have one hope of glory, which is the redemption of their bodies, that their whole being may enter into the divine glory-Eph. 4:4.
   
   Ephesians 4:4
   One Body and one Spirit, as also you were called in one hope of your calling.
2. The divine dispensing of the Lord as the element of His Body causing all His members:
   1. To have a life-union with Him in His divine element through faith.
   2. And to have a separating transfer out of Adam and the Adamic world through baptism-Eph. 4:5.
      
      Ephesians 4:5
      One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
3. The divine dispensing of God the Father to the Body of Christ in His being over all, as the Father’s overshadowing, in His being through all, as the Son’s care and concern, and in His being in all, as the Spirit’s presence, enabling all the members of the Body of Christ to experience the Triune God and enjoy His rich presence-Eph. 4:6.
   
   Ephesians 4:6
   One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
4. The divine dispensing of the One who descended into Hades, who was raised, and who ascended to the heavens, that is, the resurrected and ascended Head, Christ, constituting His many gifts and making these gifts:
   1. The gifts He gave to His Body.
   2. Who also perfect the saints through the divine dispensing that all the saints:
      1. May be able to do the work of the New Testament ministry, which is the building up of the organic Body of Christ.
      2. That all the members of the Body of Christ may grow up into the Head, Christ, in all things:
         1. And out from the Head receiving the dispensing of His rich supply.
         2. Through every joint of the rich supply, joining the Body closely together.
         3. And through the operation in measure of each one part, fitly knitting the Body together.
         4. Causing the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love-Eph. 4:8-16.
            
            Ephesians 4:8-16
            Wherefore He says, Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men. (9) (Now this, He ascended, what is it except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He who descended is the same who also ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.) (11) And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, (12) for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ; (13) until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) 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; (15) but holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, (16) out from whom all the Body, fitted and knit together through every joint of the supply, according to the operation in measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.