Greetings:
No passages in The Bible deal with the fundamental way a church needs to operate more clearly than that of Ephesians 4:1-16.
What Paul writes about is a church that is not what the Christian needs to create, but one which already exists and must be diligently preserved. It is based upon our sharing life in one body - the universal church, which is the body of Christ.
All Christians are sealed, possessed, and filled by the same Spirit and look forward to the same hope. We possess one Lord, one common faith and one baptism.
Unity does not imply uniformity. It does not mean that all Christians will think alike or perform identical ministries. It does imply a common purpose and interdependence within the body of Christ.
Paul writes that every individual within the body of Christ is given a particular capacity for ministry. This capacity is commonly called a ‘spiritual gift.’
Not too many years ago many churches would have virtually stopped at verse 11, thinking that the work of the ministry was the sole work of the clergy. Thank the Lord many churches have had the courage to study and apply the remaining verses of the passage to their church's daily operation.
One may ask how Christians with different beliefs, doctrines, or theologies can claim equal trust in the same Scriptures?
We need to respect and love our Christian brothers no matter what name is hanging over the doorways to their churches.
The answer is found by gaining the understanding that while Christians are united, or have unity of the Spirit based on faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, each individual Christian is given a gift of the Spirit, a ministry that may differ from the gift given to another. But, even though the gifts, or ministries, may differ, they are all for the good of, and the up building of the entire body of Christ, that is, God's church for greater good of The Kingdom.
Be blessed.
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