Discipleship & the Perfect Man

Ephesians 4 is a key text when thinking about a core-value of "discipleship" and one that we touched on in our launch team meeting on February 28, 2010.

In this passage, we read about a vision for the church in full maturity--Paul uses the image of the people of God, as the body of Christ, growing "unto the perfect man, even Jesus."

This "perfect Man" includes a community of people who have received all of the blessings, gifts, and graces in the Gospel described in Ephesians 1-3. But it doesn't end there.

Not only are they richly blessed in the Gospel, they are living out lives that are characterized by the fruit of the Gospel (humility and peace being two key virtues, see Eph. 4:1).

They are, by virtue of Christ's ascension, called to live as redeemed and rescued saints--even though they struggle with indwelling sin. This calling is to be amplified and exercised through the ministry of the offices in the church, including apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher.

The latter role, pastor-teacher, is one which is particularly to "equip the saints for the work of the ministry." The net result is that the church is built up along the lines of being conformed to Jesus, who Himself is that Perfect Man.

The bottom line, at least in one regard, is that there is no such thing as a believer "on the bench." Every one, as a part of the body, is essential for the progress of the whole.

(That's why Paul uses the phrase, later on in the text, of the body growing through the value and energy added by what "every joint supplies.")

Put another way, every Christian is called to be an active, living, and growing follower of Jesus, one who not only pursues the expression of his or her gifts within the body of Christ, the Church, but one who brings others along.