30 Days in the Bible, Day 20: Ephesians 4:11-16

When we look at what the Bible says about teachers, we generally focus on the requirements and responsibilities of the teacher. That is incredibly important, especially in our fast-moving media age, but there is one other aspect we should also examine. We not only want to know the qualifications of a teacher, but what they seek to achieve by their teaching.

Ephesians 4:11-16 gives us insight into what we should expect solid Bible teaching to accomplish in peoples’ lives and in the church. If we have godly and qualified teachers bringing out the truth of God’s Word to the members of the church, we ought to expect to see certain changes in those lives and those churches. (By the way, this is also true for apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors, all of whom have a singular charge given here.)

Those who sit under teaching consistent with the Word should themselves become equipped to live the Christian life. If the members of a church are not becoming more like Jesus Christ, or if they are not developing in their ministry and service to others, the teaching misses the point. The goal of teachers in the church is to increase the number of Christians who are actively living out their faith day to day.

Note that this specifically includes becoming equipped to serve. Every Christian has been gifted by the Holy Spirit for service. We each have our own ministry within the church; this passage mentions only a few. (You can go to Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 for more.) However, you can’t just dive in to every possible kind of service that is needed in the church. Teachers help us learn about our gifts and how we can develop and use them for the glory of Jesus.

The church and its members should be built up by sound teaching. If teachers or teachings result in people separating from each other or in churches dividing, there is something wrong with the teacher, the teaching, or both. The goal is to help Christians grow in their life with Christ, and good teachers will assist their students in doing this.

The next goal seems impossible in our world: to bring the church together in unity. This ties in to building up the church. There are so many denominations and churches around that we start to ask which one is the true church. What we ought to be working toward as Christians is showing the world our common Savior and His sacrificial work on our behalf. We will one day all be united when we see Jesus face to face. Until then, good teaching should seek to proclaim the truth of the Word, and look forward to the day when we are all one in the presence of our Lord.

Good Biblical teaching also keeps us from pursuing false teaching. Almost any teaching can sound good if you listen to a teacher who is persuasive and points you to a selected number of passages in the Bible. We need teachers who will proclaim the whole Word of God, so that we may know the truth that God reveals in that Word. Since we’re human, we may not all agree on every point of doctrine, but we should know the central truths of Scripture and be able to detect when someone is straying from them.

The final goal of sound teaching mentioned here is spiritual maturity. As Christians, we want to help each other grow to be more like Christ. That may require correction, which must be done in love and with a goal of helping each other on our path toward full maturity. We won’t reach that final goal until we get to eternity, but we should see ourselves and our fellow Christians getting more and more like Him. Teachers who keep us focused on Jesus and on the Word will help us to grow like this as we journey toward heaven.

A Measure of Faith

No, despite my title I'm not trying to find a way to quantify how much faith I have or to work out an equation for who has more or less faith than I do. I'm referring to Romans 12:3, where Paul speaks about God giving us a "measure of faith." This is a curious phrase, and some have taken it to mean something like what I implied above, while others, looking at the context of spiritual gifts, see it as the way God gives "better" gifts to some than others.

I always try to make sense of Scripture by looking at the context. (Ask my Sunday school classes; they'll tell you my first three rules of hermeneutics are (1) look at the context, (2) look at the context, and (3) look at the context.) Verse 3 reads: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (NIV 1984- which, as an aside, amuses me to write after reading so many posts and articles that refer to KJV 1611.) Paul is speaking here not of the salvation experience or of any sort of comparison, but of our attitude.


The problem addressed in this verse is one of pride. Paul reminds the Roman church that everything they have, and every gift they exercise, is something God has given them. They should therefore not think that it is their inherent quality that allows them to exercise a particular gift, but the Holy Spirit. The "sober judgment" we are to have of ourselves is due to the fact that we have received grace from the Lord, and that "measure of faith" is not due to our own effort, will, or desire but to God's will and calling.


The Greek word for "measure" here is metron, which underlies our English word "meter." A meter is a standard measurement, and metron can have that meaning. Here, however, it more likely has the idea of "a determined portion," a measure of a quantity given out. The gifts God gives to us are a "portion" given to us. It goes against our culture to think this way, but we have nothing to do with what gifts we are given by God.


So what difference do we make? That is in the verses that follow, where Paul tells us to use the gifts we are given. He mentions a few specific gifts, each time urging those with those gifts to use them well. Where we make a difference is not in the acquisition of our gifts, but in their use. We have a calling from the Lord, and He sees to it that we have whatever gift is needed to carry that out. Our responsibility is to honor Him by using our gifts for His glory.


Don't think too much of yourself, then. Notice Paul doesn't say to think badly of yourself, or to put yourself down, but to think "soberly." That means having an accurate assessment of who you are and what you do for Jesus. Basically it means seeing yourself as God sees you. That will prevent us from getting puffed up about our importance, but it also will keep us from thinking we are worthless.


All Christians are gifted, and we all have a place of service to which we have been called. We need to make sure we are fulfilling our roles in expanding Christ's kingdom, and as keeping ourselves humble as we do.

Work Where You Are Placed

Who decides what each member of a church should do? Who decides who the officers of the church are? Depending on your church and denominational background, we could provide many answers to these questions. For example, I come from a congregational background (specifically Baptist). Therefore, on the surface the answer for my church would seem to be, "The congregation decides." Maybe we hold a business meeting and vote, or delegate the appointment of officers and leaders to the pastor, elders, or deacons.

Yet that would be an incorrect answer. 1 Corinthians 12:19 tells us that "God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided." (HCSB) Ultimately it is God who decides where each of us should serve in the church. The Holy Spirit specifically is the one who gifts us and calls us to minister in the way He determines.

What does this mean for our churches? I believe that in many churches too many people are operating outside of the areas to which God has called them. While in a few cases this may be due to a desire to find a place in which the person receives more attention or admiration than they might in the place God has gifted them for (and after many years in the church I've known a few of these!), it is more often due to people realizing "something has to be done" and doggedly volunteering to do it. After a while, working in an area that does not match their gifts, they may burn out, and not only leave that ministry but stop working for the Lord altogether.

I believe it is imperative that our churches look to fill positions of leadership and service with those the Spirit has called to those ministries. Each of us has gifts to be used to build up the body of Christ, and we need to use those gifts. I also believe that if God calls a church to engage in a specific ministry, He will provide the people to carry out that ministry. If we do not see "ministers" to take on the challenge of a ministry, we need to at least pray and ask God if we should be doing that ministry at this time.

Do you know what God has gifted you to do, and where in the body He has placed you? How are you taking your part in the body of Christ? There are no small gifts and no small people. Sometimes those who get the most attention (as a pastor, I speak especially to my fellow pastors) may be far less significant to the healthy service and growth of a church than many who labor in relative obscurity, and probably also less significant than we often think we are. But all of us are called to serve, to use our gifts for the glory of God and the building up of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

As we seek the Lord's will for our churches, let's help each member find the Lord's will for them in our churches. When we all work together as a body which is put together by God rather than by human wisdom, necessity, or desperation, we will see our churches grow and impact their communities and their world for Jesus.