"HE gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ, till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ; That we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him—Christ—Who is the head." (Eph.4:11-15a)

"Therefore exhort one another and build each other up, even as you do." (1Thes.5:11)

Clearly, the instructions given in Eph.4: gives us the basic outline of God's plan for each individual Christian.  The overseers within the Church (the Ekklesia) were established by God for the perfecting of the saints: And all of the saints are given unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ—the invisible Church (the Ekklesolia).  This is the growth process for all Christians: Until we all attain unto the unity of the faith, unto the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure and stature of the fullness Christ. (To become more Christ like.)  Unity and knowledge are then prerequisite to our becoming full-grown: No longer children.

-FINDING THE PATH-

The apostle Paul writes in Gal.1:15 and 16-"When it was the good pleasure of God... who called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach among the Gentiles." (Ref. Chapter VI of this study)

-SPIRITUAL GROWTH-

In the first epistle to the Church of Corinth, the apostle Paul writes in some detail on the subject of Spiritual growth.              

Beginning in 1Cor.1:10, the apostle Paul exhorts the Church to contend against divisions: That they be perfected together in the same mind, and that they all speak the same thing.  Now that exhortation from Paul sounds like an impossibility even now within the many denominations of today’s Church.

Paul informs them in 1Cor.1:11, that he was writing because it was rumored that there were contentions among some brethren in the Church.

Paul continues in 1Cor.1:12-"Now this is what I mean, that each one of you is saying, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ." 

The picture Paul presents here is a picture of divisions—DENOMINATIONS.

Paul asks in 1Cor.1:13 : Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Then in 1Cor.1:14-17, Paul discloses the names of those he actually baptized, but he then goes on to define his primary mission: It was to preach the gospel of Christ.

Paul continues: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual (full-grown /or mature Christians) but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with meat; for you were not yet able to bear it, no, not even now are you able; for you are yet carnal.” 

(Paul then goes on to elaborate in even more detail on the contentions sighted in 1Cor.1:11.)     

“For there is among you jealousy, and strife, and divisions; are you not carnal and do you not walk after the manner of men?  For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal (men)?"  (1Cor.3:1-4)                    

The carnality of divisions shown here by the apostle Paul can be seen to some extent in the various denominations of today’s Church.  We pridefully boast of our religious origins and affiliations: I am Methodist, I am Catholic, I am Baptist, or I am Reformed.  But no matter what denomination we might claim, it still represents divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ. 

This divided condition within the Church (Denominations) is clearly the manifestation of the flesh.  "Now the works of the flesh are manifested, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness... idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you... that they who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Gal.5:19-21) 

"For if you have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom is not a wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where jealousy and strife are, there is confusion and every vial deed." (Jas.3:14-16)

(Warnings about these conditions are also given in 2Cor.12:20 and 21.)

"(So) let us walk properly, as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and jealousy." (Rom.13:13)

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.  For they that are such serve not the Lord Christ, but their own belly, and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent." (Rom.16:17,18; Ref. Phil.3:17-19) 

"(For) when you come together in the Church, I hear that divisions exist among you: For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you." (Only to distinguish between the visible called out ones and invisible chosen ones within the institutional congregations—Ekklesolia en Ekklesia) (1Cor.11:18,19; Ref.Mat.22:14)

***The divisions/ or denominations in today’s Church serves to expose the immature nature we have.  I will say this once again: many times we refuse to call sin—sin, and go about either accusing or excusing one another.  We must learn how to remove the plank from our own eye, that we might then be able to help our brother remove the splinter from his eye.

Meat (solid food)= Doctrine (theology)

"Overthrow not for meat's sake, the work of God." (Rom.14:20)

For Christians to argue over the hair-splitting interpretations of doctrine is somewhat meaningless, and serves only to expose our lack of a broader understanding in the Scripture.

Heb.13:9 speaks to the issue of doctrine:

"Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings.  For it is good that the heart be established by grace, and not by meats; Wherein they that occupied themselves, were not profited." 

The meat spoken of in this Scripture may be the same meat that the apostle Paul could not give to those in the Church of Corinth because of their immature nature.  This meat would most likely represent doctrinal teachings—of which, many are subjects of great controversy even today within Christ’s Church: Just as they were also controversial in the Church at that time. (e.g. theological issues; the law)

Consequently, this failure to mature was not unexpected nor unpredicted in Scripture:

"For when by reason of time you ought to be teachers, you have need again that someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; And have become such as have need of milk, and not solid food. For everyone that partakes of milk is without experience (in) the Word of Righteousness, for he is a babe.

This passage explains what the apostle Paul meant when he told some in the Church of Corinth that they were yet carnal.  As a result of their backslidden state, they were once again classified as only baby Christians and in need of some additional instruction in the basics.

But solid food is for full-grown men.  Those, who by reason of use have their senses (their organ of perception) exercised to discern good (from) evil/ or both good and evil." (Heb.5:12-14)

Here, the Scriptures have given us insight into the term, full-grown man (spiritual, 1Cor.3:1).  They tell us that growth is achieved through exercise: (a practiced use) in the Word of Righteousness that we may become discerning.

Then Heb.6:1 and 2 tells us to leave the basic doctrine of the first principles of Christ behind: "Milk"

a) Foundation of repentance from dead works.

b) Faith toward God.

c) Baptisms.

d) The laying on of hands.

e) The resurrection of the dead.

f) Eternal judgment.

And to press on to perfection (full growth).  With God's help, we are all instructed to grow up! (Ref.Eph.4:15)

-THE MINISTER and THE MESSAGE-    (1Cor. cont.)

"What then is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Ministers through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him.  I planted, and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but (it is) God that gives the increase." (1Cor.3:5-7)

Here, the apostle has been careful to describe the work they were doing within the Church of Jesus Christ.  They were ministers (diakonio: servants, deacons), workers, planters, and waterers.  Only God caused the Church to increase. 

"For we (ministers, servants, deacons, workers) are God's fellow-workers; you are God's tilled field, God's building." (1Cor.3:9)

The visible institutional Church is God's field and God's building; and God's servants are planting and watering His field, and building up His building. This is the process of the perfecting of the saints—causing them to mature. The apostle Paul, through these passages, is attempting to show a clear distinction between the minister and the message: Showing the absolute insignificance of the minister when compared to the message.

"According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise master builder I (as a minister) laid a foundation, and another (man, minister) builds upon that foundation.  But let each (man, minister) take heed how he builds thereon." (1Cor.3:10)

This could have been written just as easily about farming: As a wise farmer I (as a minister) planted the seed, and another (man, minister) watered the seed.  But let each (man, minister) take heed how he waters that seed.  Here, the apostle Paul is describing the works of the minister (deacon, servant, worker) toward another believer, not the works of the individual Christian as such. These works might be defined as the planting and watering, or the building up, of the individual Christian within the institutional congregation: their sanctification process.  Giving them solid food: The doctrines—the interpretations and principals of the Church of Jesus Christ.  There is no doubt that the disputed areas of Church doctrine would be included: Anything that is built upon the foundation of Jesus.

"For (no) other foundation can (any) man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1Cor.3:11)  No other seed can be planted.  The only thing that really matters is the foundation, the seed, "JESUS": For in Him and only Him is our salvation found.

"But if any (minister, servant, deacon, worker) builds on the foundation—gold, silver, costly stones, hay, wood, or stubble, each man's (minister's, servant’s, deacon's, worker's) work shall be made manifest; For the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; And the fire itself shall prove each man's (minister's, servant's, deacon's worker's) work, of what sort it is. 

If any man's (minister's, servant's, deacon's, worker's) work shall remain, he shall receive a reward. If any man's (minister's, servant's, deacon's, worker's) work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he (the minister, servant, deacon, worker) himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." (1Cor.3:12-15)

"Now he that plants (or/ laid the foundation) and he that waters (or/ builds upon the foundation) are one, but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor." (1Cor.3:8)

The reward here is given to these ministers, servants, deacons, workers, for the gold, silver, and costly stones that were built upon the foundation/ or the seeds that were planted and watered.        

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The apostle Paul adds: "Not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors." (2Cor.10:15a)

"Yes, making it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation." (Rom.15:20)

"And I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, but privately before them who were of reputation." (Gal.2:2)

"(So) let a man so account of us as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.  Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." (1Cor.4:1-2)

"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship intrusted to me." (1Cor.9:16 and 17b)

The apostle Paul was careful where and how he preached the gospel, because he never wanted to build upon another man's foundation nor create any confusion within the Church.  It would appear that a good share of today’s institutional Church has missed these important instructions. As there are many denominations who foolishly rejoice whenever they are able to convert a believer away from another denomination that they believe to be in error.

The apostle Paul also, in explaining their ministry, suggest that the things said or written were not by choice but of necessity.  We can conclude that man has not changed: The conditions that were encountered in the Church of Corinth, were exactly the same as we have in the Church of today; divisions, strife, jealousy, denominations.

"Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us, you might learn not to go beyond the things which are written, that not one of you (should) be puffed up for the one against the other.  For who makes you to differ?  And what do you have that you did not receive?  But if you received it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?" (1Cor.4:6,7)

PUFFED UP, defined:

Inflated, proud, haughty.

-SPIRITUAL GROWTH-cont.

"But for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue, and in your virtue knowledge, and in your knowledge self-control, and in your self-control patience, and in your patience godliness, and in your godliness brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he that lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, and having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.  Therefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble: For this shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." [|] (2Pe.1:5-11)

Spiritual growth in the life of each Christian is mandatory! (Mandated by God Himself.)

-SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING-

(2Pe.1:19) describes the anointing given to the pastors and teachers:

"And we (pastors and teachers) have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto you (of the sheepfold) do well that you take heed as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts."

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation." (2Pe.1:20)

PRIVATE-defined:

Pertaining to one's own self.

"For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but (holy) men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." (2Pe.1:21)

Pertaining to private interpretation: Much of the error in today’s Church is the result of the violation of this principle.  If the Scriptures cannot be interpreted privately, then they must be interpreted by the Word of God: comparing Scripture with Scripture.

"Every Scripture is God breathed, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

(2Tim.3:16 KJ II Interlinear)

-SCRIPTURE UNDERSTANDING-

The apostle Peter, writing to the Church in 2Pe.3:14-17 concerning the eternal promises, and specifically speaks there of the apostle Paul's writings:

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, wherein are some things hard to be understood (interpreted), which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction.  You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness." [|]

These passages are clearly speaking about the interpretation of Scripture, and warning us to beware of the error held by the ignorant and unsteadfast.  Pointing out that some Scriptures are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest.

WREST (strebloo)-defined (Webster's):

3. To distort or change the true meaning; pervert; twist.  Strong's#4761: To wrench, pervert. (wrestle)

-SPIRITUAL WISDOM-

"We speak wisdom, however, among them that are full-grown, yet not a wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing.  But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery; the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory." (1Cor.2:6 and 7)

"(So) let no man deceive himself: If any man thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (1Cor.3:18 and 19a)

When we attempt to understand the Word of God through our own power of reasoning, we must be very careful not to wrestle the Scriptures: Always remembering, we cannot combine Spiritual things with the natural things. 

The apostle Paul surely gives us the clearest insight into this same matter in 2Cor.10:12b:

"They themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding."

Because this person or that person may say, this is what a Scripture means, does not make that interpretation correct.  The Bible requires that the interpretation of Scripture be consistent with all of the other Scriptures, and indicates the need for a second witness:

"At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established." (2Cor.13:1; Ref. Deut.19:15; Mat.18:16; Jn.8:17; Heb.10:28; and 1Tim.5:19)

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of men the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."   “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is within him?  Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned.” (1Cor.2:9-14)    

I now commit these writings to your hearts and to your minds, as I pray that God’s Holy Spirit will now fully enlighten these things to your spiritual understanding.