The Ecclesiology of Ephesians, Part 4: Eph 4:1–16

When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, in the third paragraph, we confess, “I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints.”

What do we mean when we confess our belief in the communion of saints? We have said it hundreds of times, but do we know what it means? In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, this phrase is interpreted in the context of the veneration of saints who have died and have been recognized by the church as particularly holy Christians. The church on earth can commune with these saints in heaven by praying to them, venerating their shrines, using holy relics for devotional purposes. In short, by making the saints in some sense mediators between God and man.

This interpretation of the Apostles’ Creed is traditional but it has no biblical support. First, we have no reason to believe that the departed saints can hear the prayers of people on earth. To say that they can seems to suggest that they have attained God-like qualities. Only God is described as “thou that hearest prayer.”

Second, venerating the saints obscures the privileged position of Jesus Christ as the only mediator between God and man. He alone can fulfill that role, since he alone, as God incarnate, has satisfied the demands of God’s holiness on our behalf. His priestly office is unique and not shared by any other creature.

However, we should not dismiss the practice of communing with the departed saints as mere pagan superstition. Although the practice of venerating the saints is unbiblical, it is nevertheless based on a valuable insight, namely, that those who have died in Christ are not really dead. Furthermore, the communion of saints both living and dead is based on a theological understanding of the oneness of the church. Both those who are alive on earth and those who are with Christ in heaven are bound together in one body, joined to the same Christ by the same Spirit. We are all brethren in Christ.

The thought is present in Hebrews 12:23, which says that when we gather together for worship on the Lord’s Day, we come not to a mountain that may be touched, but to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. When we thus assemble for corporate worship we are accompanied not only by the angels, but by “the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” When the church gathers together for worship, it isn’t merely the local congregation that assembles, but “the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”

Thus, although the practice of praying to the saints is wrong, the intent behind the practice is valid. It is a desire to express the spiritual unity of the church militant and the church triumphant. The communion that we enjoy as saints includes the saints who have finished their earthly race. The great hymn “For all the saints” reflects this spiritual oneness of the entire company of the redeemed:

Oh, bless’d communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine, Yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleleluia!

What, then, does “the communion of saints” refer to in the Apostles’ Creed? We can begin to get an idea by taking a look at the word “communion” as it is used in the New Testament. In Greek it is koinonia, which means, sharing, participation, and fellowship. It means to have something in common as a shared experience. Frequently the word is used in the NT to refer to a specific kind of sharing, namely, giving to those in need. It is also used in reference to the sacrament of communion. The one loaf symbolizes not only the flesh of Christ but the oneness of the body of Christ. Therefore, koinonia means sharing.

Turning now to Ephesians, as we continue our study in the ecclesiology of Ephesians, we see in our text (chapter 4) that the saints share everything in Christ. The Christian community is one body, since we are all united to one Head, Jesus Christ. Christ himself is the new man, the new Adam, the new creation. By virtue of our union with Christ, we are a new man. We are growing up into him who is the Head. The unity of Christ and his body is such that together, that is Christ together with his church, are growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This organic unity of Christ and his church is an inseparable spiritual bond. It is what I have called the Christ-church.

You see, then, how the communion of saints fits into this. The inseparable spiritual bond that connects us to Christ is the same bond that connects us to one another. The logic is inescapable. And it is captured beautifully in the Westminster Confession:

“All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their head, by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces” (WCF 26:1)

Notice the Pauline logic of this statement. The communion of saints with each other, in the sharing of their gifts and grace, for their mutual edification, is grounded in the prior communion that the saints have with Christ by their union with him through the Spirit. Communion with Christ has the priority. Out of that spiritual union and communion with Christ flows the communion that we enjoy with one another as we share in Christ together.

This Christological basis for the communion of saints is absolutely essential. If you miss that you miss everything. If you remove the Christological foundation, then all that the Scripture calls us to do - whether it be using our gifts in the body, or sharing our monetary resources with needy brothers and sisters, or participating in worship or ministry together - all of these things will be reduced to mere duties. And let’s face it, our brothers and sisters in Christ often are not the ones that we would normally want to associate with, at least in terms of the fleshly and external things that are the basis of most of our human friendships. White middle class people usually like to hang out with white middle class people. Blue collar people like to hang out with blue collar people. Ethnic and cultural differences, socio-economic differences, educational differences, gender, race, political party affiliation - all of these external things have a natural tendency to replace Christ as the basis of our fellowship with other believers.

That is why we must begin with Christ and our union with him. For even if we have nothing else in common according to the flesh, we have something that is far more important in Christ. All other differences are superficial and fleeting in contrast with the surpassing greatness of our common participation in Christ, our common state as sinners, saved by the same cross, washed in the same blood, and sanctified by the same Spirit.

Listen again to the list of things Paul says we have in common:

Verses 3-6.

We share a common bond because we are sharers in the same body of Christ, in the same Spirit. We have in common the same hope of our calling, the same eternal destiny. Paul goes on to say that we share the same Lord, that is, Jesus Christ is our common Lord, Master, and Sovereign whom we all love and obey. We share the same faith, the faith once for all delivered to the saints, the doctrines of the gospel. We not only share the same faith, but we share the same baptism by which we confess that one faith and acknowledge our oneness in Christ. And finally, we share the same God and Father, who is over all and through all and in all.

With so much that really matters in common, how can we ever allow the superficial differences of culture and economics and race to divide us? Our deep spiritual unity in Christ transcends all external distinctions.

The means by which the communion of saints is promoted

In verses 1-6, Paul has exhorted us to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in terms of our corporate life as the body of Christ. Then in verses 7-16 Paul shows us how. Christ has given gifts to the church, by which we are to attain the unity of the faith, to the mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We are to grow up to maturity in all aspects into him who is the Head, even Christ. A each member of the body exercises his or her gifts, we are “being fitted and built together.” We are “being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part.”

When I preached through this section earlier this year, I focused attention on the special offices, the pastors and teachers Christ has given to the church for her doctrinal growth and maturation. In my zeal to emphasize the unique role and ministry of those called to the ordained ministry, I did not develop the aspects of the text in which Paul also speaks of the role of every member.

In verses 11-14, Paul places the emphasis on the special office of those who are ordained to be pastors and teachers. But in verses 15-16, he goes on to speak of the general office of all believers. Notice that the special office is given in order that all the saints might be established in the faith, not tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine. When God’s people are secure in their understanding of the gospel, the stage has been set for the functioning of the general office as all the saints speak the truth to one another in love, “according to the proper working of each individual part resulting in the growth of the body as it builds itself up in love.”

The main point is that the exercise of our gifts within the body is means by which the communion of saints and our mutual edification are promoted.

Let me quote again from the Westminster Confession: “… and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.” In the next paragraph a reference is made to “performing such other spiritual services as tend toward their mutual edification.”

Many Christians are anxious to try to determine what is their spiritual gift. And certainly should recognize that God has given different people different abilities and strengths. But I think that there are some weaknesses with the typical spiritual gift questionnaire or inventory. The primary problem with this approach is the implication that there are so many different spiritual gifts, perhaps dozens. The questionnaire makes it seem that you have to figure out precisely which one is yours. In reality it is much more simple. As we said, the general office and the special office are closely related. The special office differs from the general office in degree not in kind. Ordination is simply the public recognition of that higher endowment, thus placing such persons in positions of greater authority. Therefore, if the special offices arise from the general, then it would make sense to find three general categories of gifts or service in the general office, corresponding to the three ordained offices of minister, elder, and deacon.

Some laypeople in the church have gifts in the area of teaching, doctrinal discernment, evangelism, and exhortation. These are all areas of service that focus on the speaking forth of the word of God. Opportunities for service in this area, for the non-ordained, would include leading Bible studies and Sunday School classes, as well as one-on-one discipleship.

Others have gifts in the area of leadership. To be a good leader you need certain characteristics such as wisdom, godliness, maturity, integrity, and people skills. A leader is recognized by others as having a clear concept of goals and how to bring others along in order to realize those goals.

The third category of gifts is in the area of service. This includes all kinds of things, such as hospitality, taking care of the sick and elderly, helping people move into a new home, etc. It includes the less glamorous tasks that need to be done, like church set up. In general, you probably have a serving gift if you are the kind of person who is always on the look out for ways to help provide for the needs of those within the church. Such service can even extend to those outside the church, since diaconal ministry can play a legitimate supporting role in evangelistic outreach.

It is vitally important that everyone exercise their unique gifts and abilities for our edification and growth in Christ, and for the purpose of serving others and reaching out to the lost. Since we are mission work, such service is even more vital for us, because I can’t do it alone. In addition, those who are taking the initiative to exercise their gifts may demonstrate to the congregation their potential as future elders or deacons.

Now I need to say something to the women in our church in particular. In the OPC only men may be ordained, and that includes all three offices. My own personal conviction is that women ought to be ordained to the office of deacon. The authoritative ministry of the Word is clearly reserved for men, as Paul teaches in 1 Timothy 2. Having said that, we are presently in the OPC and so we have to abide by the rules of the OPC as long as we remain in the OPC. But I do believe that the OPC has an imbalanced view of women’s roles, developed to some degree in reaction to the feminist trends of the broader culture.

My point to the women of our church is this. Do not let the imbalance of the OPC hinder you from exercising your gifts in the body. There are many things that you can do, in all three areas of giftedness. Teaching can occur in any non-worship context, as long as it is under the supervision of the elders. Leadership is also something women can do. A leader does not have to be in a prominent or visible role. A woman with gifts of leadership can serve in a secondary role as one who comes along side to mobilize others for ministry, service, and evangelism. In the area of service, there are obvious needs that women can fill. If you have a particular burden for some sort of ministry or service, talk to me and we’ll arrange it. That applies to the men as well.

So exercising your gifts for the edification of the body, with a view to serving others, is one of the prime ways that we as a congregation can grow in the practical enjoyment of the communion of saints.

Let me give you three specific activities to facilitate the communion of saints here at Redeemer:

Beginning this Christmas we are going to start making ministry opportunities available for the whole church, say on a Saturday or a weeknight. The first ministry opportunity is already in the planning stages. We are going to go caroling as a church to some local hospitals, one is Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital in Watts, and the other is the VA Hospital right here in West LA. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to share the gospel through our singing, and to do good in the simple form of cheering people up during the holidays, especially those who are stuck in drab hospitals. My goal is have ministry opportunities like this throughout the year. We need to spend more time together as a church, but doing something constructive and helpful to others. This will give people a chance to use their various gifts and talents, as well as to unite us together. Another aspect of this will be the goal of sharing the gospel in natural, non-threatening situations. It may not even involve preaching of any kind, but be a tangible way of showing the love of Christ to others.

Fellowship as another tangible expression of the communion of saints. Make a commitment not to leave immediately after the service. Stick around, and make an effort to get to know someone new. Ask him or her if there is something that you can pray for during the week. Another way to enjoy fellowship is make the most of your Sunday afternoons and evenings. I know that many of you already go out to lunch together at local restaurants. Keep it up. You can also invite the people that live in your general area to come over in the afternoon, asking each person to bring something to eat.

The second Sunday of the month is communion Sunday. Recently, instead of preaching another sermon in the afternoon service, I have turned it into a Q&A session. These have been quite profitable. I mentioned in the announcements that I’ve decided to experiment. Instead, of it being an actual worship service, it’ll be a time of open discussion with give and take. One thing I’d like to add is that we often get sleepy in the afternoon. We’ll buy a good coffee maker. We’ll re-arrange the chairs in a circle and have some good discussions about the Christian life, issues you may be dealing with about sharing your faith or your prayer life, or some theological issue - whatever. Everyone can jump in and share as you would in a Sunday School class. The purpose of this time will be for mutual edification as we share our insights with one another.

Let me close with this. Alexis de Tocqueville was a Frenchman who visited the United States in the 1830s. One of the things that struck him about us Americans is our rugged individualism. He said that Americans “owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man, they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their hands.” Let us not be rugged individualists. Let us rather confess and practice the glorious doctrine of the communion of saints in communion with Jesus Christ the sovereign Lord and Head of the church his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.