Judges: Chap 2: The full knowledge of the Son of God is the path to maturity.

Title: Judges: Chap 2: The full knowledge of the Son of God is the path to maturity.         

 

Announcementsopening prayer:

 

 

God's plan is perfectly righteous, and though the believer is not, God through grace enabled the believer to walk in that plan.

 

EPH 4:1 I, therefore [after the doctrine of chaps 1-3], the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you [beseech or beg] to walk in a manner worthy [axios = same weight; experiential sanctification] of the calling with which you have been called,

 

EPH 4:2 with all humility [correct estimate of self - lowly] and gentleness [inward grace], with patience [makrothumia - towards others], showing forbearance [endurance, bearing up under pressure] to one another in love,

 

humility: correct estimate of self (lowly)

gentleness: inward grace

patience: towards others

forbearance: bearing up under pressure

diligent: doing one's best

 

EPH 4:3 being diligent [doing one's best; determined effort] to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

EPH 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

 

EPH 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism [immersion in the body of Christ],

 

EPH 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 

EPH 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift [His inheritance].

 

"Grace" - charis - the grace given to each one in the FHS so that he may function in his unique charisma (spiritual gift) with its ministry and effect.

 

Charis is used here and not charisma, which refers to extraordinary powers in the permanent spiritual gifts. Grace is given to each one in the form of the filling of the Spirit and the word of God so that he may function in the charisma, his supernatural spiritual gift with its unique ministry and effect, that he has been given.

 

A perfectly righteous gift, ministry, and effect can only be carried out in a perfectly righteous manner under the power of the HS.

 

EPH 4:8 Therefore it says,

 

"When He ascended on high,

He led captive a host of captives,

And He gave gifts [doma: gifts in general] to men."

 

"gifts" - doma = gifts in general.

 

EPH 4:9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?

 

Christ released the OT saints from Paradise in order to lead them to heaven since directly after the cross they were finally forgiven judicially and made righteous.

 

It should be noted that some very good expositors believe that the captives in view here are Satan and his demons.

 

EPH 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

 

EPH 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

 

EPH 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

 

Communication gifts are specifically listed as equipping the saints. The "service" of the saints fills in all the rest of the gifts which Christ gave to the church.

 

EPH 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge [epignosis - full knowledge] of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

 

Alford asks: "Have not all Christians the same faith? No doubt they have as regards its substance, but not as regards its clearness and purity; because the object of faith may be diversely known, and knowledge has ever such a powerful influence on faith. Therefore, he adds to this unity of faith, 'and of the knowledge of the Son of God'; true and full unity of faith is then found, when all thoroughly know Christ, the object of faith, alike, and that in His highest dignity as the Son of God."

 

If unity is lacking there is immaturity. Unity is the mature manhood of Christ within the members.

 

The "mature man" refers to each individual believer. Spiritual growth can only be accomplished by the individual through the grace of God. A believer does not need another believer for spiritual growth. God will provide the pastor teacher, the doctrine, and the Spirit of God will enable the growth.

 

The words, "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," further define what Paul means by the mature saint.

 

The expression "the fullness of Christ," refers to the sum of the qualities which make Christ what He is.

 

Maturity can be a nebulous or vague term. One can say that he is mature but by what standard does he say so? When Paul adds "the fullness of Christ" as a standard to maturity, all vagueness is removed. It is precisely the qualities that make Christ what He is and there can be no confusion as to what those qualities are when we humbly study the mind of Christ which is the word of God. So then, no believer should have to lie to himself or be confused as to whether he is maturing or not.

 

These qualities of Christ are to be imaged in the Church, and when these are in us we shall have reached our altitude of maturity, but never a final maturity. We will have attained to the goal set before us, which is not actually a final goal but a function of Christ's qualities in the believer that are always maturing. We are to have full knowledge as well as full experience (walk  in a manner worthy) of that which Christ has imparted to us, but in which we never stop adding more full knowledge and more full experience. It is the embodiment in us, the members, of the graces and qualities which are in Him, the Head. We know that there is no absolute status of spiritual maturity since Christ is the infinite Son of God and we are finite. This does not ever frustrate us as anything else that is never achieved would certainly do. What is unique in us is our position in Christ. In Christ the believer is absolutely perfect and holy and this is always his comfort. We will never, for all of eternity, become Christs, but we will know for all of eternity that we are perfectly in Him and so perfect and fully justified before God. We will always be growing but this in no way discourages us. In fact, our continual growth is a source of excitement and adventure.