Maturity Creates Unity

This is a rich passage. The source of our unity is the grace of Jesus Christ which was given to us freely. We must always begin with Jesus. However, Jesus calls each of us to “orthodoxy” (right doctrine) and “orthopraxy” (right practice). To help us build up the body of Christ, His church, He has given us gifts. The gifts help the church, not as an end to itself, but as a means to reach the world for Christ. The church does not function like a bus, with a driver (the pastor) and passive passengers (church members), but like the human body where we all have a distinct function. Every Christian should be involved in the ministry of the church somewhere. The church becomes “ours” when we get involved. There is a place and need for everyone.

Maturity is stressed here. No church ever reaches maturity because the church should always be birthing spiritual infants. The church has a wide range from the mature “spiritual redwoods” to babies in Christ.

The five groups he lists (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) all have distinct functions and purposes but are unified with the same goal—to help others follow Jesus.