How do these ones perfect the saints? They do not tell the saints to learn certain lessons or to endure meaningless sufferings. Rather, they feed the saints and minister Christ to them. The word perfecting in the phrase for the perfecting of the saints (Eph. 4:12a) implies feeding. Perfecting can be understood as feeding. How do we know that the perfecting here refers to feeding? It is because the following verse says that we will eventually arrive at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is the church. The stature of Christ has a measure, and we all must arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In order to arrive at this stage, we must eat. We need to eat, eat, eat! If we eat, we will grow, and we will arrive at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Eventually, we will no longer be little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men. Rather, we will hold to the reality, which is Christ, in love. Holding to Christ in love, we will grow up into Him in all things.
Verse 16, the last verse of this section, says that out from the Head all the Body is being joined together and knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part. At this stage we have the joints of supply among us. Not only are the joints themselves fed, they can also minister to others. Then every part has its measure from which the function is produced. Finally, all the members are gifts, and all manifest their functions. The functioning of all the members causes the growth of the Body.
The members manifest their functions because they have been nourished with Christ. Once they have been nourished, their function is to help others to eat. Hence, this causes the Body to grow and build up itself in love. There is no need to have pastors or preachers. The only need is that all the members be nourished and grow. Then they can minister to others and cause the Body to grow and build itself up in love.
The key to this portion is eating. Eating affords us the supply of grace. What is the supply of grace? It is the riches of Christ and the power of His resurrection. Therefore, chapter one speaks of the Body, chapter two speaks of the new man, chapter three speaks of the supply, and chapter four speaks of the growth and the manifestation of the functions. In this way the church life is brought forth. Hence, the latter half of chapter four says that we should put off the old man and put on the new man to have the church life. This is produced not by being taught, by being dealt with, or by learning certain lessons. None of these things can help us. We need to enjoy the riches of Christ in our inner man and enjoy His power as our supply of grace that each one of us may grow and that our function may be manifested. We also need to minister to others in order to cause the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.
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