How do the gifted ones in the Body of Christ perfect the saints in the
divine dispensing?
Eph. 4:15-16: "But holding
to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head,
Christ, out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit
together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in
the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building
up of itself in love."
Gen. 2:9: "And out of the
ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food, as well as the tree of life..."
Matt. 16:18: "...I will
build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
1
Tim. 4:12: "Let no one despise your youth,
but be a pattern to the believers in word, in conduct,
in love, in faith, in purity."
1 Pet. 2:5: "You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house
into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ."
|
Aspect |
How to Perfect the Saints |
Related Scriptures |
|
Meaning |
The intrinsic
building up of the Body of Christ is through the gifted ones (apostles,
prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers) perfecting the saints in the
divine dispensing, enabling all saints to do the work of the New Testament
ministry, which is to build up the Body of Christ. Every saint is a gift to
the church, and every member of the Body is a gift to the Body. |
Eph. 4:11-12: "And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and
some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of
the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of
Christ." 1 Cor. 12:28: "And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers..." |
|
Ways |
1. According to the tree of life, feeding the saints with the supply of
life 2. Causing the saints to grow in life 3. Enabling the saints to do what the gifted ones do, to directly build up
the Body of Christ 4. Holding to truth in love, growing up into the Head, Christ |
1 Cor. 3:2: "I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you
were not yet able to receive it..." 1 Cor. 3:6: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth." 1 Tim. 1:16: "But because of this I was shown mercy, that in me,
the foremost, Jesus Christ might display all His long-suffering for a pattern
to those who are to believe on Him unto eternal life." |
|
Purpose |
1. That all saints may arrive at the oneness of the faith and of
the full knowledge of the Son of God 2. At a full-grown man 3. At the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ 4. That believers would no longer be infants tossed by waves and
carried about by every wind of teaching 5. That every member of the Body would become a building member in love |
Eph. 4:13: "Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the
full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:14: "That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves
and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in
craftiness with a view to a system of error." John 17:23: "I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into
one, that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even
as You have loved Me." |
|
Examples |
1. Apostles like Paul and Peter perfecting the saints 2. Historical gifts like Martin Luther and Darby 3. Gifts in the local churches perfecting the saints |
1 Cor. 12:28: "And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps,
administrations, various kinds of tongues." Acts 13:1: "Now there were in Antioch, in the local church, prophets and
teachers: Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian,
and Manaen, the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul." Rom. 12:4-5: "For just as in one body we have many members, and all the
members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one Body in
Christ, and individually members one of another." 1 Cor. 12:12: "For
even as the body is one and has many members, yet
all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ." 1 Cor. 3:6b: "but God caused the growth." |
|
Application |
1. Every saint should recognize themselves as a gift, not considering themselves too small 2. Avoiding the Christian practice of one person speaking and many
listening, which kills the function of the saints 3. Receiving perfecting, growing to maturity, being able to directly
participate in building up the church 4. All believers should be living, functioning members of the Body of
Christ 5.
Holding to truth in love, growing up into the Head, Christ 6. Receiving supply from the Head, Christ, functioning to build up the
Body |
Conclusion:
The gifted ones in the Body of Christ perfect the saints
in the divine dispensing for the building up of the Body of Christ. This perfecting is not
direct building but equipping the saints to build.
The Head, Christ, has given different gifts to the
Body so that every saint can grow in Christ,
reach maturity, and function according to their
measure with the supply from the Head, so that the
Body of Christ may be built up.
*Please refer to the July
2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting
Christ (II) Week 24 The Giver of Gifts and the Composition of the Armor of God
