Home Bible Study©
Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established November 2008 Published
Weekly on Friday AM
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Ephesians (4:11-16)
(Lesson 17)
Welcome to HBS.
It’s significant
that the apostles and prophets are listed first among those
to whom Jesus Christ "gave spiritual
gifts." We see this same order
repeated in 1 Corinthians 12:28: "And God has appointed in the church, first
apostles, second prophets....." The Ephesian passage, however, defines God’s purpose for all these gifted men: "....for
the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the
body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge
of the Son of God, to a mature man...." Wherever the Body of Christ exists, the saints must look to the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors
and teachers to equip them to serve
so that the Body of Christ may be
enlightened and built up.
An apostle was one who had seen Jesus
Christ “alive” after His death, i.e. an eye-witness of His resurrection and who
could perform miraculous signs (Acts 1:21-22; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The term prophet
was always used to describe a miraculously-inspired individual or in the case
of a false prophet - one who claimed
inspiration (1 Corinthians 13:1; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John. 4:1). True apostles
and prophets do not live among us
today. Yet, the Lord designed that they
equip and edify us today.
Both apostles and prophets were men who received new revelation:
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I
taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus
Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
To the twelve Jesus
said: "I
have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13). Paul affirmed this truth in Ephesians 3:4-5
saying: "...the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has
now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the
Spirit."
This passage explains why the apostles and prophets
are listed first in God's plan for the equipping
of His people. Revelation of the Lord's will as to what Believer’s should be and
how they should live is crucial in equipping
the saints to serve. What would the evangelists preach and what would the pastors and teachers
teach were it not for God’s revelation
administered through the apostles
and prophets?
The very existence of the church necessitated the foundational work of these men. Of God's household, the church, Paul wrote: "...having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). The image utilized by Paul is that of a building. The cornerstone of the building is the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20). While the work of evangelists and pastors and teachers is important, only the apostles and prophets are described as being the foundation upon which the church is built.
The very existence of the church necessitated the foundational work of these men. Of God's household, the church, Paul wrote: "...having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). The image utilized by Paul is that of a building. The cornerstone of the building is the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20). While the work of evangelists and pastors and teachers is important, only the apostles and prophets are described as being the foundation upon which the church is built.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers
in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days
has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He (Jesus
Christ) made the world (Hebrews
1:1-2).
********
In
Ephesians 1, our Apostle Paul highlights the spiritual blessings God bestows
upon all those in Christ. In chapter 2,
salvation by grace through faith is described in terms of being raised from spiritual death; being brought near by the blood of Christ; reconciled to God in one body, and being added as living stones to
a spiritual house that will last an eternity (1 Peter
2:4-8). In Ephesians 3, communication is
emphasized, that is, the revelation
of all of God’s truths to man; which Paul called The Revelation of the Mystery.
Paul described himself as "the prisoner of Jesus Christ," because this was his current situation at the time of this writing. He refers to his detention in verse 3:1, in 4:1 and again in 6:20. Paul suffered incarceration for “the cause of Christ Jesus.” He did not break any law; he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel to Gentiles. Therefore in Ephesians 3:1 he describes himself in terms of his present condition, and reveals his dedication to the Gentiles writing: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles."
In verse 3:2, Paul said to the Ephesians: "if indeed you have heard of the stewardship (dispensation - KJV) of the grace of God which was given to me for you (insert your name here if you’re a true Believer). The root word for "dispensation" is the English word "dispense." All through the book of Ephesians, Paul speaks about what God is willing to dispense to the true Believers in Christ. Let’s be clear, this is about God's generosity in what He is willing to dispense to every true Believer, in Christ, in the Dispensation of Grace.
Now the information and instruction about what a gracious God is willing to dispense was given to Paul by revelation. Note the phrase in verse 3:2: "given to me for you." The gospel was given to Paul, but not just for his edification. It was given to Paul, to communicate to the Gentiles. Listen again to these first two verses: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the stewardship (dispensation) of the grace of God which was given to me for you."
Paul described himself as "the prisoner of Jesus Christ," because this was his current situation at the time of this writing. He refers to his detention in verse 3:1, in 4:1 and again in 6:20. Paul suffered incarceration for “the cause of Christ Jesus.” He did not break any law; he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel to Gentiles. Therefore in Ephesians 3:1 he describes himself in terms of his present condition, and reveals his dedication to the Gentiles writing: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles."
In verse 3:2, Paul said to the Ephesians: "if indeed you have heard of the stewardship (dispensation - KJV) of the grace of God which was given to me for you (insert your name here if you’re a true Believer). The root word for "dispensation" is the English word "dispense." All through the book of Ephesians, Paul speaks about what God is willing to dispense to the true Believers in Christ. Let’s be clear, this is about God's generosity in what He is willing to dispense to every true Believer, in Christ, in the Dispensation of Grace.
Now the information and instruction about what a gracious God is willing to dispense was given to Paul by revelation. Note the phrase in verse 3:2: "given to me for you." The gospel was given to Paul, but not just for his edification. It was given to Paul, to communicate to the Gentiles. Listen again to these first two verses: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the stewardship (dispensation) of the grace of God which was given to me for you."
This
is about the dispensing of the gospel of the grace of God through Paul
originally and then through his coworkers. This is about the process and transition from
the Dispensation of Law to the Dispensation of Grace which eventually produced
the New Testament."
The
Believers in Ephesus were not walking
worthy of their calling, with all
humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another, in
love, which means they were not preserving
the Spirit in the bond of peace (Galatians 6:1-3, 10).
Relationships
cannot exist or thrive absent of (agape; sacrificial) love: And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of
these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; Psalm 42:1). In verse 4:11, Paul’s basically saying, “You lack love. This is why you’re experiencing
discord and disunity instead of the bond
of peace” (Galatians 5:22-23). So
Paul writes to soothe the damaged egos and relationships and to halt the spread
of false doctrine (1Timothy 1:3-7). He does this by revealing these 7 truths:
The
church’s purpose here on earth
The
importance of spiritual maturity
Preserving
unity in the body
Instruction
in areas of maintaining high moral standards
Essential
ministries within the church
Preparation
for spiritual warfare (wearing the whole armor of God)
They
were instructed to “rely on” the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul
spent time (3 years) with the Believers in Ephesus. He taught God’s Word and carefully guided the church leadership (their elders). Then, before Paul left, he brought Timothy there
to serve in his stead and to mentor them in the faith (Ephesians 6:21).
Once
again, please open your Bible to Ephesians 4:11.
Ephesians 4
11: And He gave
some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors, and teachers,
During
his final journey to Jerusalem, our Apostle Paul sought to meet in Miletus with the elders of the Ephesian Church.
When they arrived, Paul warned them about the false teachers who would arrive after he left with a specific
purpose “speaking perverse things,
to draw away the disciples after them.”
The Bible doesn’t say who these false teachers were, but we may assume
they came to this assembly of Believers claiming the office of apostleship, falsely.
Paul
closes his gracious warning to the Ephesian elders with this statement: “I
know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that
night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish (rebuke)
each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word
of His grace, which is able to build you
up (nourish your heart and mind) and
to give you the
inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:29-31; 1 Timothy
1:1-3).
In
1 Corinthians 11:13, our Apostle Paul unmasks these counterfeit apostles: “For
such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading
as apostles of Christ.”
Jesus
Himself labeled these emissaries of Satan as “wolves in
sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15).
There
were two different kinds of apostles
in Paul’s day. There were the twelve apostles called by the Lord Jesus
Christ to serve the nation of Israel (Matthew 10:1-8). They preached the gospel of the kingdom on Jewish soil; they were able to exorcise
demons, and heal the sick (Mark 3:13-35).
These men taught from the Old Testament scriptures to prove Jesus is who
He said He was:
“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48,
51)
“I am the light of the world” (John 812;
9:5)
“I am the door of the sheep” (John
10:7-9)
“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14)
“I am the resurrection and the life”
(John 11:25)
“I am the way, the truth and the life” (John
14:6)
“I am the true vine” (John 15:1).
Then
there is our Apostle Paul who stated: For I consider myself not in the least
inferior to the most eminent apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5; Romans 1:1-5).
In
the Corinthians passage, Paul is referring to Peter, James of Zebedee, his
brother John (Jesus named them the Sons of Thunder), and the rest. Paul’s saying the risen Lord spoke to him and
called him to the office of apostleship on Gentile ground (Syria). But Paul did not preach the gospel of the kingdom to the Jewish nation. Instead he preached the revelation of the mystery, specifically to the heathen Gentiles. So let’s be clear, Paul is not the 13th
apostle! He is God’s apostle to the Gentiles; the first to be baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body
of Christ, and this marks the beginning of the Age of Grace.
Now let’s all turn to 2 Corinthians 8:23. This verse explains there were two categories
of apostles back in the day.
As for Titus, he is my partner
and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the
churches, a glory to Christ.
In
Koine Greek this passage says, “They are apostles of the churches.” Apollos, Barnabas, James (Jesus’ half brother
– Acts 15), Silas, Timothy and Titus all fit this description; they were apostles (messengers) of the churches.
Thinking
this through, the false apostles couldn’t declare they were one of the twelve,
commissioned by the Lord Himself. The
twelve were widely known by the churches, but these counterfeit apostles could
show up stating they were apostles (messengers) of the churches. They came in teaching another gospel,
confusing those who had been taught God’s divine revelation of the mystery of
grace. The spiritually immature Believers
who were “tossed here and there by waves
and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by
craftiness in deceitful scheming,” were easily deceived.
I
pray you are starting to understand God’s purpose for these church
offices. Godly men were called to guide
the new Believers in the faith through
the spoken Word because there was no New Testament.
Now,
let’s examine these three remaining church offices:
Evangelists – last week we
learned the only person formerly called an evangelist
was Phillip. He was not an apostle; he was one of the seven
Spirit-filled deacons of the Jerusalem Church.
From the account in Acts 8 we also learn in the first century church evangelism was performed by going and not by inviting people to the
house church. The evangelist preached the
gospel in those places where it had not been heard, which means it was a
traveling ministry.
In
the passage below, Paul writes to Timothy (a messenger of the churches), instructing him to evangelize:
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and
His kingdom: preach the word; be
ready in season and out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but wanting
to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in
accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth
and will turn aside to myths. But you,
be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
When
God withdrew the church offices of apostles
and prophets, their roles were taken
up by Evangelists, pastors, and teachers;
minus the supernatural activity. God
gave His apostles and prophets the ability to perform “signs
and wonders.” They were not only designed in response to Israel’s physical
needs they were meant to nourish the
Nation’s greater spiritual need, that
is, their faith (Psalm 42:1).
The
supernatural events of “signs and wonders”
recorded in Scripture are acts of God that proclaim His sovereign power over His
creation as well as his commitment to the good of His people. Miracles
are often significant because they serve a larger purpose in God’s redemptive
plan, testifying to the authenticity
of God’s messengers who bring his revelation to humanity. This is one of the primary functions of miracles in the Bible. When they occur, they give evidence that God
is truly at work and they served to advance His gospel. In short, miracles
authenticate God’s message and His messengers.
We
learn from scripture that Paul’s ability to perform miracles had ceased. Paul performed a miracle when he raised Eutychus from the dead in Acts
20:7-12. But later on he couldn’t heal
Timothy’s stomach ailment in 1Timothy 5:23:
No longer drink water
exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your
frequent ailments. In addition, Paul
was unable to remove the painful malady he called “a thorn in the flesh” which
God gave him (2 Corinthians 12).
A
mistake occurred when the churches began to teach evangelism is a spiritual gift and only the spiritually gifted
could and should preach the Word. The
Bible doesn’t indicate this; in fact the opposite is true. Sharing the
gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) is the responsibility of all
Believers. Sadly, many Christians are deceived by this false teaching and many
accepted it as truth (not bothering to examine the Scriptures) because it relieved
them of the burden of sharing the gospel.
Looking
to scripture to correct this error, we’ve already learned Phillip was an evangelist. He didn’t operate from a house church. He took the
gospel of the kingdom to the streets and to foreign lands. We find him preaching and teaching God’s Word
in Samaria, for instance (Acts 8).
Paul
gives us the role of an Evangelist in
the first few verses of 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
They’re not out and about in the world
helping to overcome its social ills.
Their main role is preaching the
gospel to the lost (unsaved) rather than preaching inside a building. But here’s the thing every true Believer should
know. You are Jesus Christ’s ambassador here on earth and the Lord
has entrusted you with the ministry of reconciliation.
Please
turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the
old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these
things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us
(not just evangelists) the
ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the
world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has
committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us…
Every
child of God is called to be an agent of reconciliation,
but the sad truth is the majority never share the gospel with anyone. Francis
of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all
times; when necessary, use words.” Now
some people in the church have labeled this statement nonsensical or foolish,
however, I disagree. Francis of Assisi
delivered a clear message to the faithful.
Far too many Christians believe
they can lead people to Jesus Christ simply by putting their own personal life on
display for all to see. This strategy is
not only not biblical it is doomed from the start. These folks fail to account for the flesh, i.e. our sinful nature. Old Adam makes his presence known at the most
inopportune times. So, in this case, “actions” do not speak louder than “words.”
The “words” Francis of Assisi
declares Believers are to use is the
gospel, which a 4th grader can understand and repeat (1
Corinthians 15:1-4). I know because I’ve
taught children of all ages and they get it!
Permit
me to illustrate. Just the other day I
was traveling a congested road, driving at the posted speed limit, in the far
right lane, when suddenly in my rear view mirror I saw a car speeding up behind
me. The driver got so close to my rear
bumper through my rear-view I could read the exasperation and impatience on his
face. Patient and demonstrating self-control
he was not! I was merely following a
long line of cars in front of me, so I had no idea what this driver was
thinking. Perhaps he possessed the ability
to “leap a line of cars” with a single bound…
He finally sped around me on my left, cutting me off in the process; I
had to brake. As he sped away I was able
to see the emblem of a fish and two decals promoting Jesus and religion on his
rear bumper. I did not witness this young
man displaying any “fruit of the Spirit”
in our brief encounter. However, even a
church deacon has an off day now and again, so I’ll not sit in judgment of this
man’s behavior or character based on one experience. All I’m saying is, if you’re going to drive
around with religious symbols on your car be mindful of your behavior; the world is watching! (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:1)
This
serves to bring us back to the teaching on ambassadors
of Christ Jesus. You are to be mindful
of your walk (how you live in this world).
You can’t walk worthy of your
calling… if you have one foot in the church and the other foot firmly planted
in the world. Jesus Christ was the first to overcome this world (John 16:33), and He has given
each Believer the gift of the Holy Spirit to “help” them overcome “the flesh”
and the constant peer pressure, that is, the pull of this world. We are to be “in the
world,” but we are not to be “partnered with it.”
You
don’t need to memorize the entire Bible in order to evangelize. All you need is love and knowledge of the gospel. Paul instructed Timothy to preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2a).
… be sober in all things,
endure hardship, do the work of (who) an
evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5;Acts 21:8). In other words, Paul was saying: “In order to make full proof of your
ministry, you need to do the work of an evangelist." Timothy was encouraged to be“a messenger of
good tidings;”
one who traveled and preached the gospel. You don’t need
to hop on a plane or train to fulfill your role as an ambassador of Jesus
Christ. We’re not evangelists in that sense;
instead we are to “Bloom where we’re
planted.” Your ministry or “good
work” begins right where you are.
Pastors and
teachers– in
Koine Greek this word is rendered Poimen (poy-mane’),
Noun Masculine, Strong’s Greek #4166, meaning:
shepherd, literally. We have this example from scripture: Then
Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because
of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered’ (Matthew 26:31).
While
the role of the Evangelist is a
special calling by God because he leaves his family and his home to travel the
world to preach the gospel to the
unsaved, the pastor leads and feeds
the Body of Christ, usually in a
building.
For
the sake of order, God has ordained various authority figures to govern the
home, government, and His one
Church. Paul said to Timothy: “The
elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor,
especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching (1Timothy
5:17).
In
this passage Paul distinguishes between the ruling
elders and the teaching elder,
which would be the pastor of the
local assembly of Believers. The
ruling elders provide spiritual leadership for the local church in cooperation
with the pastor. They all strive to work together, in the bond of peace, to resolve any
and all problems that arise. They also
provide a spiritual atmosphere where all Believers can gather and worship in harmony.
Meaning we Believers should all understand the head of Christ Jesus is
God the Father, the head of man is Jesus Christ, and the head of the woman is a
godly man. Pastors are the head of their assembly, but they are not to lord
their position over the faithful.
Instead, they are to set a godly example through their leadership that
any saint in Christ would desire to
follow.
In
addition, the pastor or teacher should be faithful to their
calling. They should be “a friend in need” to the body. They visit the sick and disabled and even
offer spiritual counseling to the body. Sadly
we’re witnessing the opposite of this today for many church leaders have
departed from the one faith, seeking
to “feather their own nests,” or “in pursuit of personal glory.” A man called to fill these positions will
have a heart for those they
serve. They will be more interested in
the spiritual well-being of those souls entrusted to them than advancing their
own career or working to increase their bank account. As I’ve said many a time, I’ve worked with
pastors who held two jobs; a full-time assignment in their church and a
full-time job to support their family.
As Pastor John said to me, “It is
what it is. The work of the Lord requires diligence and sacrifice.”
Let us not lose
heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary (Galatians 6:9).
Then
there’s the third person in a local assembly of Believers Paul called a teacher. Not all pastors
and evangelists are good teachers, and I don’t believe God
expects them to be else we would not need a third church office. So,
these three offices in Paul’s day were filled by supernaturally gifted
men. God does not provide supernaturally
gifted man to His Church today, but these three offices remain with purpose.
To
sum up, there are no new revelations
from God. “It is
finished.” The N.T. is complete
and serves to equip and edify the saints.
No one should be expecting new revelations (Revelation 22:18-19). Therefore, the evangelist, pastor, and teacher are responsible before God to
proclaim the whole council of God in
view of Paul’s revelation. They are to encourage their assembly to study the Word, and rightly divide it. The best teacher will serve as a guide, following along with God’s Word
in order to explain it. The Believer’s
responsibility is to always open their
Bible to see if what they are hearing or reading is actually the truth;
Test the Spirits:
Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
(To
be continued)
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GJ
Heitzman’s ministry
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