Ephesians                           by Dr. Ralph Wilson

Lesson 10

Equipping, Ministry, and Maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Our passage speaks about

• The purpose of pastors and leaders: to develop ministry
• The purpose of ministry: to develop maturity
• The purpose of maturity: unity with Christ and his church

Defining an Apostle (Ephesians 4:11a)

Q38. (Ephesians 4:11) If there were apostles today, why kind of function might they have?

What needs do our congregations and regional groupings of churches have that an apostle might meet?

How might we detect false apostles? (2 Corinthians 11:13; Revelation 2:2)
 

Defining Prophets (Ephesians 4:11b)

Defining Evangelists (Ephesians 4:11c)

Q39. (Ephesians 4:11) How can we stir up the gift of evangelism among members of our congregations?

What might be the earmarks of a person with this gift?

How can we encourage and stimulate the Spirit-gifted evangelists in our midst?
 

Defining Pastors (Ephesians 4:11d)

Defining Teachers (Ephesians 4:11e)​

Q40. (Ephesians 4:11) How could a person have the spiritual gift of pastor or teacher without having an official position in a church?

What must a church do if its "senior pastor" doesn't have the spiritual gift of pastor?

Who gives these gifts?
 

Purpose of the Ministry (Ephesians 4:12)

Q41. (Ephesians 4:12) What's wrong with the old model of the minister or pastor being the main worker in the Church?

How does it hinder people in the congregation?

How does it hurt the community? What is the purpose of pastors and teachers?

The Nature of a Mature Church (Ephesians 4:13-16)

Look at the description of the healthy, mature church:

• Unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus (13a);
• Attaining to the fullness of Christ (13b);
• Speaking the truth in love (15a);
• Growing up into Christ, the Head of the Body (15b);
• An infrastructure of joined and supporting bones, ligaments, and muscles, which can then support (16a);
• Sustained bodily growth (16b);
• Sustained development of increased strength and new infrastructure as needed (16c); with
• Each part of the body doing its work (16d)

What does this mean in practice?

1. It requires pastors and teachers to concentrate on their primary role of equipping, and to cease doing everyone else's work.
2. It requires members of the congregation to discover their own ministries and begin to practice them effectively ("so that the body of Christ may be built up") and diligently ("as each part does its work")

Prayer

Jesus, your Church on earth sometimes seems like it has a long way to go. Help us not to give up on it, but to equip your saints for the work of their ministry and see the mission completed through the help of many gifted, consecrated hands. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Key Verses

(Ephesians 4:12-13) "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up...."

(Ephesians 4:15) "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."