Read Ephesians 4:11-16:
- Paul uses words (about church leaders using their gifts in the church) like “equipping”, “building”, “attain”, “mature”, and “grow.” Christians use their talents and gifts to strengthen the body of Christ so that all aspire to the full stature of Christ.
- Some of the spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians 4:12-13 have become, in many instances, “formal positions charged with forming” believers.
- These gifts (sometimes referred to as offices) are for the purpose of spiritually forming other believers.
- What is clear in Ephesians 4 is that spiritual growth is important for the whole community, not just individual Christians. As Paul teaches, the greatest spiritual gifts are those that edify the whole church (1 Cor. 14:2-12; Eph. 4:12).
- Christian spirituality is “conceived, nurtured, and realized within the body of Christ.” True Christian spiritual formation cannot be achieved individually; it can only be achieved in the communal setting where every member utilizes his or her gift to help others mature.
- When every part is “working properly,” the result is both bodily growth and spiritual building up in love (Eph. 4:16). The beautiful reality is that believers are not only united to Christ the head, they are also united, like the physical body, to all other members (Eph. 4:16).
Two pivotal passages of Scripture where Paul addresses the role of the body of Christ in the maturing of Christians are 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Romans 12:
- Paul explains how each member plays a role in building each other up and, by so doing, builds up the entire body of Christ.
- A key phrase for Paul is: “For the body is not one member, but many.”
- According to Paul, God has placed every member in the body “just as He desired.”
- Paul’s view is that one person cannot possess all of the gifts needed to edify themselves. The gifts that belong to individual Christians serve to promote formation of the community of faith.
- He emphasizes the idea that gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ and are not meant for the individual.
Read Romans 12:1-13:
- Paul elaborates on his theology of the body of Christ’s role in spiritual formation. The church members were to be diligent in using their gifts to build each other up and seek “harmonious relations” with one another and those outside the church.
So, what are your gifts and how do you use them for the good of the Body?