This week’s Scripture is one of those oft-quoted, familiar passages that we are sometimes prone to read in autopilot mode. The message contained in these verses is similar to that found in some other familiar passages written by Paul in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. That message, boiled down to its two main components, is this: The body of Christ is made up of many different parts with different functions, and those parts need to work in harmony for the body to function as it is designed to function.

More Than an Analogy
When it comes to the “maintain harmony” part of the message, I think perhaps the way many of us have heard or read it through the years is that this is just an analogy, a helpful way to think about the church and the way we as individual members of the church should relate to one another. In other words, we read it as, “Act as if you were individual parts of a single body.”

However, Paul never says, “the church is like a body.” Here in Ephesians he says, “There is one body” (v. 4). In 1 Corinthians 12:27 he writes, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” In Romans 12:5 it’s, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

So it may be more accurate to say that Paul’s message is not, “Act as if you were individual parts of a single body,” but rather, “You are all members of a single body, so act accordingly.” That may seem to be a subtle distinction, but it has some important ramifications, which Paul addresses in Ephesians 4.

Natural Manifestations
The first of these is found in verses 1-3. While we tend to go to Ephesians 4 (especially v. 11), 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 12 for lessons or sermons on spiritual gifts, the first three verses of Ephesians 4 focus not on spiritual gifts, but rather character qualities we recognize as being among the “fruits of the Spirit” from Galatians 5—humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

These are not special gifts handed out only to certain members of the body, but natural manifestations of the Spirit’s presence (and increasing influence) in the lives of every Christian. So the first thing Paul addresses in this chapter is not the different gifts distributed throughout the body, but rather the qualities all of us can cultivate in our lives that will allow the different parts to function as a single unit. As we will see below, we have no control over what our spiritual gift or gifts are, but we can work (in cooperation with the Spirit) to develop more humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

No Alternative
Another truth is this: there is only one body of Christ. If this teaching were just an analogy, Christians would be under no pressure to get along. But since there is only one body of Christ, the invisible church on earth made up of all God has added to it, we have no alternative “bodies” to join. This is the point Paul makes when he says, “There is only one.”

In a world where few commitments extend beyond personal happiness or convenience, it is challenging to consider that this particular relationship offers no easy way out. If we are in Christ, we are part of his body, but we are just one part among many, and it is expected that we will put the interests of all of the other parts ahead of our own (see Romans 12:3, 10, 16). How are we doing with that?

Given by God
In verses 7 and 11 Paul makes it clear that Christ is the One who determines the distribution of special gifts among the members of the body. Here in Ephesians, and also in the parallel passages in Romans and Corinthians, Paul makes this point in order to show that the presence or absence of any particular spiritual gift is no cause for pride or shame because:

• Every gift is bestowed as a result of God’s grace (so we can’t take any credit).
• Every gift is important to the overall health and function of the body.
• Every gift emanates from one and the same Spirit.

In worldly organizations, gifts and abilities often serve to draw distinctions among people, but in the living organism that is Christ’s body on earth, this should not be the case.

Unity and Maturity
In verses 12-16, Paul again shows his main emphasis is on the unity and health of the body (as opposed to spiritual gifts) as he reveals the purposes of spiritual gifts in the body, which are:

• To prepare its members for works of service (in order to build up the body).
• To produce unity among us.
• To bring us to maturity (reducing our susceptibility to outside attacks).

Spiritual gifts are not the end, but rather the means to the end of strength, cohesion, and unity in the body. As Jesus prayed (John 17:20-23), it is not the presence of gifts (miraculous or otherwise) in the church that will draw people to him, but rather our “complete unity.”

So remember, you are all members of a single body—act accordingly!  

________

* All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.