In Ephesians 4:1-6 and 11-16 and First Corinthians chapters 12,13 and14 the Apostle Paul goes into detail concerning the administrations, operations and spiritual gifts that God placed in the church. He makes plain for such assignments in the above-noted Scriptures through His apostle. In Ephesians 4:3 Paul emphasizes God’s desire for “the unity of the Spirit.” The Lord’s true church is populated by true saints who “walk” (do, say and think–the totality of life) as “sons of God” because they are “led by the Spirit of God” (Rom. 8:14) to believe the Word of God upon which their faith is based (Rom. 10:19). The Lord’s goal is for the church to be unified in Him by obeying Him.

In Ephesians 4:3 and 4 God, through Paul, stresses the unity (singleness) of the body (church), noting that there in ONE BODY (CHURCH), ONE SPIRIT, ONE HOPE of salvation, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM (read John’s baptism, key word–Baptism), ONE GOD Who is the spiritual Father of all true saints who are members of His ONE CHURCH. Within His church there are no divisions (denominations, faiths, churches, communions, assemblies, etc. ). Though His church is found throughout the world, all have the same beliefs which come from the same source–His Word. The Lord’s church has only one name–“the Church of God” by which she is identified 10 times in the New Testament. In Romans 16:16 the church is collectively called “the Churches of Christ,” meaning that the church in every location is under ONE Head–Jesus Christ. Any religious system claiming to honor God and Christ but refuses to call itself by the name God Himself gave it is not a true Christian church, but is Christian in name only. The denomination that has taken the correct name is Christian in name only because, like all of the other false churches, it refuses to obey the God it claims to represent.

God’s Very Elect saints are not in any way associated with the Catholic and Protestant religious organizations that call themselves churches. Not only is God’s church uniquely singular in nature, His method of assigning church leadership is unique within professing Christendom. In Ephesians 4:11-16 Paul makes clear the fact that only those whom God appoints to church leadership positions are His true ministers. Those selected by human committees are as false as the churches that call them. In every case they are ministers whom the Lord calls “hirelings” (Jn. 10:12,13) who are selected because they will tell the people what they want to hear–“smooth things, lies and deceits” (Isa. 30:10). How many churches wait for God to send them a leader through whom (His appointed leader) He (God) assigns men to occupy the various offices in the church? Which reveals why all Catholic and Protestant Churches are spiritually dead.

The Lord does not need a committee to select His church leaders. He appoints the pastor through whom He assigns men to other church offices. In the church in which I grew up the head of the deacons was my Sunday School teacher. He was also an adulterer. No problem, all he had to do was repent after each encounter with a local whore and all was well. One pillar of “the church” told my mother that, as a church member, there was no need to be concerned about sin, after all, “God will forgive you.” A friend told me that he knew of 5 sexual affairs going on in his church. In the modern church, sin is not a problem, after all, it’s not the sinner’s fault–Adam, parishioners are assured, is to blame. Fortunately, Jesus died to enable them to sin and get away with it. One female pastor declares that Jesus forgives her parishioners’ sins before the commit them. So-called Christianity is by far the most convenient religion known to man. It is also by far the most corrupt in that It claims allegiance to the Biblical God.

Beginning with verse 11, Paul notes that GOD has ordained the following church leadership positions: APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS AND TEACHERS. Why? FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY AND FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST UNTIL HER PEOPLE ALL COME TO THE UNITY (ONENESS) OF THE (ONE AND ONLY) FAITH AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, “… UNTIL WE COME TO PERFECTION–TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF JESUS CHRIST.“

In verses 13 and 14 Paul calls those who divide themselves into different denominations “religious children” who search for a church which has the doctrines with which they agree. These doctrines are concocted by “the slight of men who excel at religious cunning, deception and religious craftiness.” They take advantage of people who are searching for someone who will tell them what they want to hear, which is never God’s pure Word.

In verses 15 and 16 Paul tells us that God’s true leaders speak the Truth (God’s word–Jn. 17:17) in love so that Truth seekers will grow up to be like Christ in every way, for He is the Head of God’s true church and serves as the people’s only example. In verse 16 Paul reveals that in the true Church of God all members (spiritual parts) fit together in unison so that every part works with all other parts, which serves to edify the church.

In the next posting we will be studying First Corinthians chapters 12,13 and 14. In 12:4-7 Paul reminds us of the different administrations, and operations that are necessary for a well-run church. He also introduces us to another aspect of the church that one rarely, if ever sees taking place–the GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT which the Lord provided to be a normal part of church life. L.J.

Religious Correctness/ The Short-eyed Church/ The Islamic Switch/ Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited/ The Government of God/ Meat Versus Milk/ Passover Versus Easter/ Self-deception/ The Night Draws Near/ All that Glitters/ The Lord’s Supper and Communion/ Replacement Theology/ White Fields/ Christ’s Resurrection/ I’m O.K., You’re O.K./ God’s Holy Days/ Worldly Sorrow/ National Deception/ Freedom of Religion/ The Mission Field/ Biblical Faith/ “We Want Hardship”/ Perversion/ Leaven in–Leaven Out/ Passover Dates/ Easter–A Symptom/ The Rapture/ The Apocalypse/ The Heritage/ The Voice Of America/