Deep within, even unconsciously, some of us may still be holding on to certain doctrines. These doctrines hidden within us may cause us one day to become dissenting. This can happen to sisters as well as to brothers. Actually, doctrines often have a stronger hold on sisters than on brothers. According to my experience, it is much harder for a sister to let go of a doctrine than it is for a brother. The reason is that, as far as doctrine is concerned, sisters are subjective, whereas the brothers are objective. Hence, it is difficult for sisters to change their doctrine. The trouble in the church life caused by doctrine is often backed, supported, and strengthened by sisters. This tendency for sisters to hold on to doctrine can frustrate, damage, and even destroy the church life.
We have pointed out that although Christ has done everything necessary to produce the church, there is still the need for the church to be built up in a practical way. This involves our cooperation. The last three chapters of Ephesians emphasize human cooperation for the building up of the Body.
Ephesians 2:22 speaks of the building up of the church, but it gives only the principles; it does not give the details. However, the details are found in 4:16. “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.” By growing up into the Head, the members of the Body have something to share with one another. Furthermore, there will be the operation in the measure of each part, and the result will be the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. In order to have the reality of this verse, we must be perfected by the gifts given to the Body by the Head. The saints are not perfected merely by learning doctrine. On the contrary, they are perfected through being fed. This feeding causes them to grow. For example, an infant does not need anything to be added on to his body to perfect him. As he grows, the members of his body develop and begin to function normally. A mother does not perfect her baby by teaching him to use the various parts of his body; she perfects him by feeding him. The more a child grows through receiving proper nourishment, the more the members of his body will come into their function. In the same principle, the members of the Body are perfected not by teaching, but through the feeding that causes them to grow.
According to 4:13, the saints need to be perfected until they arrive at three things: at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, and at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Then we shall be no longer babes tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching (v. 14). Instead, we shall hold to truth in love so that we may “grow up into Him in all things, Who is the Head, Christ” (v. 15). The more we grow, the more we shall drop our doctrines. After someone is saved, he needs to have Christ ministered to him as his spiritual food and drink. This will cause him to grow. As he grows, he will gradually lay aside his doctrinal concepts. Eventually he will realize that nothing is more important than having Christ wrought into him.
As we grow in life, we arrive at the oneness of the faith. However, if we hold to our different doctrinal concepts, we shall not have this oneness. The emphasis on doctrine has destroyed the oneness among Christians. If we are nourished with the element of Christ and gradually lay aside our doctrinal concepts, we shall arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God. The more we grow, the more we arrive at such a oneness.
This aspect of oneness is of two things: the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God. The faith here does not refer to the act of believing; it refers to those things in which we believe, such as the divine Person of Christ and His redemptive work for our salvation. This is the faith spoken of in Jude 3; 2 Timothy 4:7; and 1 Timothy 6:21. The full knowledge of the Son of God is the realization of the revelation concerning the Son of God for our experience. The more we grow in life, the more we shall cleave to the faith and to the realization of Christ, and the more we shall drop all the minor doctrinal concepts which cause division.
In the New Testament faith has both an objective meaning and a subjective meaning. When used in a subjective sense, faith denotes our action of believing. Used in an objective sense, it denotes the object of our belief. In 1 Timothy 1:19 the word faith is used in both a subjective and an objective sense. Here Paul says, “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning the faith have made shipwreck” (Gk.). The first reference to faith in this verse is subjective; it denotes our capacity to believe. The second use of faith is objective; it denotes the object of our belief.
Faith in Ephesians 4:13 refers to those things which all Christians believe. We all believe in the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. We believe that Christ, the Son of God, was incarnated, was crucified for our redemption, was resurrected from among the dead both physically and spiritually, that He has ascended to the right hand of God, and that He is coming again. Furthermore, we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit word by word. This is our faith, the “common faith” (Titus 1:4), the “faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).