Maturity In God's Words
Written by: Delbert Magusara Haim
August 26, 2012
One of my friends asked me to answer these following questions expecting we are the saints and audiences of the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
Is the perfecting (maturing) of the saints still ongoing?
Is the work of the ministry still ongoing?
Is the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ still ongoing?
Have we already come into unity of the faith?
Have we have already come into unity of the knowledge of the Son of God?
Have we attained the status a perfect (mature) man?
Have we attained unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ?
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Because Paul said in his letter;
In writings of Paul to the Ephesians, he was telling them that these gifted men given by Christ are the chosen teachers and pastors to educate and to take good care of the members until all are become mature.
We can also say that the phrase “till we all come” is the target date to finish their mission as gifted men as they are bound to fulfill the task given by Christ with corresponding time limit. Thus Paul one of the gifted men, in his first statement in Ephesians chapter four claimed that he is a prisoner of the Lord for their sake.
The gifted men are responsible in tending the chosen believers of Christ and nurturing them to be perfect; to the fullest stature of Christ, about “the Son of God”:
1. the faith
2. the knowledge
They must have faith in the Son of God and must know who he is. Again, they must be united in belief and in knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Everywhere in the New Testament scriptures the Son of God is the concern of the message because it was a mystery and must completely be revealed. Thus, the New Testament book now is the complete revealed knowledge about the Son of God but the Jewish people are still waiting of his coming with excitement and expecting that their world will be changed literally as prophesied.
By this reason, many of the Jews hoped that one day the Messiah will come. They read the prophecy, they knew he will be delivered, and they knew exactly the place but it is sad to know that they don’t believe him when he came.
Why? It is because; they misunderstood the prophecy and expecting a literal king to come, an immortal Messiah, and rich. While prophet Isaiah says;
Probably, they don’t know what the prophet says because they are devils and blinds in the nation Israel.
Now, when all mysteries of Christ revealed by gifted men and written in a book:
1. Do you think that the members, the Christians, and the believers in the first century did not know who Jesus was? Neither believe him as the Son of God?
2. Because you can see today that many of your relatives and friends won’t believe him yet?
Conclusion:
The truth is, we are now just learning from these compiled scriptures, the Bible but not like unto them in the ancient times, they had gifted men who fulfill what God has commanded to be done saying “TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY.”
I believe that this commandment of Christ to his gifted men is fulfilled which was fulfilled by the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the first century. And we have no hold to be a part of their mission. Even the apostle Paul says;
It means his mission is fulfilled as he completely finished the course of edifying and teaching believers.
Therefore, please don’t deny what God has fulfilled in its very own time because of what you see and what you hear in this present time but it should be in accordance to what is written with audience relevance. And one thing, if you are going to judge the scriptures, please don't insert your story in there to prove that it is a unfulfilled book but study diligently instead. For we are the future of the ancient believers and we are the fruits of their sacrifices, the ones who inherited traditions as they did.
August 26, 2012
One of my friends asked me to answer these following questions expecting we are the saints and audiences of the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
Is the perfecting (maturing) of the saints still ongoing?
Is the work of the ministry still ongoing?
Is the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ still ongoing?
Have we already come into unity of the faith?
Have we have already come into unity of the knowledge of the Son of God?
Have we attained the status a perfect (mature) man?
Have we attained unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because Paul said in his letter;
- Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
In writings of Paul to the Ephesians, he was telling them that these gifted men given by Christ are the chosen teachers and pastors to educate and to take good care of the members until all are become mature.
- Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
- Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
We can also say that the phrase “till we all come” is the target date to finish their mission as gifted men as they are bound to fulfill the task given by Christ with corresponding time limit. Thus Paul one of the gifted men, in his first statement in Ephesians chapter four claimed that he is a prisoner of the Lord for their sake.
- Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
The gifted men are responsible in tending the chosen believers of Christ and nurturing them to be perfect; to the fullest stature of Christ, about “the Son of God”:
1. the faith
2. the knowledge
They must have faith in the Son of God and must know who he is. Again, they must be united in belief and in knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Everywhere in the New Testament scriptures the Son of God is the concern of the message because it was a mystery and must completely be revealed. Thus, the New Testament book now is the complete revealed knowledge about the Son of God but the Jewish people are still waiting of his coming with excitement and expecting that their world will be changed literally as prophesied.
- Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
By this reason, many of the Jews hoped that one day the Messiah will come. They read the prophecy, they knew he will be delivered, and they knew exactly the place but it is sad to know that they don’t believe him when he came.
- Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
- Mat 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thoutell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
- Mat 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
Why? It is because; they misunderstood the prophecy and expecting a literal king to come, an immortal Messiah, and rich. While prophet Isaiah says;
- Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Probably, they don’t know what the prophet says because they are devils and blinds in the nation Israel.
- Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
- 1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Now, when all mysteries of Christ revealed by gifted men and written in a book:
1. Do you think that the members, the Christians, and the believers in the first century did not know who Jesus was? Neither believe him as the Son of God?
2. Because you can see today that many of your relatives and friends won’t believe him yet?
Conclusion:
The truth is, we are now just learning from these compiled scriptures, the Bible but not like unto them in the ancient times, they had gifted men who fulfill what God has commanded to be done saying “TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY.”
I believe that this commandment of Christ to his gifted men is fulfilled which was fulfilled by the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the first century. And we have no hold to be a part of their mission. Even the apostle Paul says;
- 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
It means his mission is fulfilled as he completely finished the course of edifying and teaching believers.
Therefore, please don’t deny what God has fulfilled in its very own time because of what you see and what you hear in this present time but it should be in accordance to what is written with audience relevance. And one thing, if you are going to judge the scriptures, please don't insert your story in there to prove that it is a unfulfilled book but study diligently instead. For we are the future of the ancient believers and we are the fruits of their sacrifices, the ones who inherited traditions as they did.