DEEP IN SCRIPTURE Verses & Ntes January 2, 2008 Ephesians 4:7-14 (Cntinued) 4: There is ne bdy and ne Spirit, just as yu were called t the ne hpe that belngs t yur call, 5: ne Lrd, ne faith, ne baptism, 6: ne Gd and Father f us all, wh is abve all and thrugh all and in all. 7: But grace was given t each f us accrding t the measure f Christ's gift. 8: Therefre it is said, "When he ascended n high he led a hst f captives, and he gave gifts t men." 9: (In saying, "He ascended," what des it mean but that he had als descended int the lwer parts f the earth? 10: He wh descended is he wh als ascended far abve all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11: And his gifts were that sme shuld be apstles, sme prphets, sme evangelists, sme pastrs and teachers, 12: t equip the saints fr the wrk f ministry, fr building up the bdy f Christ, 13: until we all attain t the unity f the faith and f the knwledge f the Sn f Gd, t mature manhd, t the measure f the stature f the fulness f Christ; 14: s that we may n lnger be children, tssed t and fr and carried abut with every wind f dctrine, by the cunning f men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. 15: Rather, speaking the truth in lve, we are t grw up in every way int him wh is the head, int Christ, 16: frm whm the whle bdy, jined and knit tgether by every jint with which it is supplied, when each part is wrking prperly, makes bdily grwth and upbuilds itself in lve. Intrductin: Far t many Christians d nt realize r d nt believe that they have anything t give r d in the Bdy f Christ, the Church. They g t Church n Sundays and then t ften little else, rather than recgnize that every single baptized believer has received a unique gift f grace, given t them freely and apprtined accrding t the measure r will f Christ, fr the gd f the Bdy. And far t ften lay Christians think that wrk in the Bdy f Christ means nly wrk in the Church, rather than recgnizing that all f life is the arena fr serving the Bdy. Discussin: As we discussed previusly, in chapters 1-3 St. Paul explains the three changes that happen in ur lives by grace nce we have heard, believed, and then been sealed by the Hly Spirit in baptism. Thrugh baptism believers are changed by grace in three ways: up, beside, and within... These changes have already happened, whether they are felt r nt, BUT this is nly the beginning! Thugh these changes are given freely by grace, the baptized must nw live in them, als by grace. 1
In Chapters 4-6, St. Paul gives instructins n hw the newly baptized are nw t live. This secnd half f Ephesians begins with a call (4:1-3) t lead a life wrthy f the calling t which yu have been called, with all lwliness and meekness, with patience, frbearing ne anther in lve, eager t maintain the unity f the Spirit in the bnd f peace. Once St. Paul mentins their / ur need t eagerly maintain the unity f the Spirit, he ges n t enumerate in detail the key aspects f this unity (4:4-6): There is ne bdy and ne Spirit, just as yu were called t the ne hpe that belngs t yur call, ne Lrd, ne faith, ne baptism, ne Gd and Father f us all, wh is abve all and thrugh all and in all. In verses 7-16, St. Paul discusses hw this unity is t be maintained, nt in ckie-cutter unifrmity r cnfrmity, but includes, and in fact depends upn, grace filled, gifted diversity; nt in what Christians are t believe, but in hw they are t serve within and fr the Church. Therefre, the Church cnsists f tw aspects: unity (cmmunin) and diversity (service) [cf. Cantalamessa, pg. 58f]. The Sacraments and their graces are a part f the unity aspect: these graces are shared by all; The charisms r grace gifts, f which St. Paul discusses here and elsewhere, are part f this diversity: each persn experiences this in a unique way. What is this unique calling t which each f us has been called? Fr each f us, this has three basic aspects: Thrugh baptism we all share a similar calling f imitating Christ; Our state f life, whether clergy, religius, laity, celibate, r married; Our persnal unique calling t service. What is this baptismal calling? I made a vw t Gd, binding under [pain f] mrtal sin, t give t Gd anything that He may ask, ʻNt t refuse Him anything.ʼ Mther Teresa, quted in Cme be My LIght, pg. 28. This is the vw every baptized Christian is t make in bediance t Gd; OUr state f Life is hw we are t live this ut; Our persnal Calling is even mre specific as t hw & where. Mst f what St. Paul explains in the secnd half f Ephesians cncerns the calling we all share by baptism, but in 4:7-16, heʼs referring t ur individual callings. What des St. Paul state abut this imprtant diversity f callings within unity? (1) Each baptised believer is given a grace gift: (vs. 7) But grace was given t each f us accrding t the measure f Christʼs gift. He makes this same emphasis in ther letters: (1 Cr 12: 4-7; Rm 12:4-6) Gd has established tw distinct channels thrugh which He sanctifies the Church: Frm abve thrugh the channels f the Church, thrugh the magisterium f the Church, the ppe, bishps, and priests, thrugh the sacraments, t the members f the Bdy. Als, frm belw r within, the spirit blws where it chses (jhn 3:8). All these are activated by ne and the same Spirit, wh allts t each ne individually just as the Spirit chses (1 Cr 12:11). T be cmplete, truly unified and as Paul describes in tdays text (4:7-16), the Church needs bth channels. At times in histry, there have been imbalances in hw these channels were appreciated / utilized by the faithful... The 2nd Vat Cuncil recnized that imprtance f bth these channels f grace: Lumen Gentium, 12: It is nt nly thrugh the sacraments and the ministries f the Church that the Hly Spirit sanctifies and leads the peple f Gd and enriches it with virtues, but, "alltting his gifts t everyne accrding as He wills, (1 Cr 12:11) He distributes special graces amng the faithful f every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready t undertake the varius tasks and ffices which cntribute tward the renewal and building up f the Church, accrding t the wrds f 2
the Apstle: "The manifestatin f the Spirit is given t everyne fr prfit". (cf 1 Thess 5:12,19-21) These charisms, whether they be the mre utstanding r the mre simple and widely diffused, are t be received with thanksgiving and cnslatin fr they are perfectly suited t and useful fr the needs f the Church. Extrardinary gifts are nt t be sught after, nr are the fruits f apstlic labr t be presumptuusly expected frm their use; but judgment as t their genuinity and prper use belngs t thse wh are appinted leaders in the Church, t whse special cmpetence it belngs, nt indeed t extinguish the Spirit, but t test all things and hld fast t that which is gd. (cf. Jn. 11:52)) (2) This gift f grace is given freely frm Christ accrding t His will: (vs 7-10) Nt because we deserve it r have earned it r inherited it r accrding t ur abilities; But rather...accrding t the measure f Christʼs gift. Rm 12:6, Having gifts that differ accrding t the grace given t us... Jesusʼ Parable f the Talents... Why did St. Paul add his side reflectin in verses 8-10? Therefre it is said, "When he ascended n high he led a hst f captives and he gave gifts t men. (In saying, "He ascended," what des it mean but that he had als descended int the lwer parts f the earth? He wh descended is he wh als ascended far abve all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) Pssibly because there had been discussin / debate n the meaning f this qute frm Psalm 68 in relatinship t Christʼs decent, resurrectin, & ascensin. Hw wuld they knw this verse? (Frm reading Bible at hme? N!) St. Paul was nt prf texting, but referencing the entire Psalm which describes the jurney f Israel frm Egypt t Jerusalem and the Temple by Gdʼs mercy; this was a type f the new Israel, the Church, and their jurney f faith. Nte: St. Paulʼs qute in Ephesians is different than hw it is stated in Psalm 68! Why? Because he was quting frm the Septuagint Greek Versin f OT! Ephesians 4:7-8 7. Ενι δε εκαστω ημων εδοθη η χαρις κατα το μετρον της δωρεας του Χριστου. 8. διο λεγει: αναβας εις υψος ηχμαλωτευσεν αιχμαλωσιαν, εδωκεν δοματα τοις ανθρωποις Psalm 67:19 19. αναβας εις υψος ηχμαλωτευσας αιχμαλωσιαν, ελαβες δοματα εν ανθρωπω, και γαρ απειθουντες του κατασκηνωσαι κυριος ο θεος ευλογητος (3) Sme are given these gifts fr the purpse f leadership (11): 11: And his gifts were that sme shuld be apstles, sme prphets, sme evangelists, sme pastrs and teachers, Lumen Gentium: (Secnd Vatican Cuncil) 32. By divine institutin Hly Church is rdered and gverned with a wnderful diversity. "Fr just as in ne bdy we have many members, yet all the members have nt the same functin, s we, the many, are ne bdy in Christ, but severally members ne f anther"(rm 12:4-5). Therefre, the chsen Peple f Gd is ne: "ne Lrd, ne faith, ne baptism"(eph 4:5); sharing a cmmn dignity as members frm their regeneratin in Christ, having the same filial grace and the same vcatin t perfectin; pssessing in cmmn ne salvatin, ne hpe and ne undivided charity.... 3
If therefre in the Church everyne des nt prceed by the same path, nevertheless all are called t sanctity and have received an equal privilege f faith thrugh the justice f Gd. (4) These leaders were called fr a purpse (12a): 12: t equip the saints fr the wrk f ministry, Lumen Gentium: (Secnd Vatican Cuncil) And if by the will f Christ sme are made teachers, pastrs and dispensers f mysteries n behalf f thers, yet all share a true equality with regard t the dignity and t the activity cmmn t all the faithful fr the building up f the Bdy f Christ. Fr the distinctin which the Lrd made between sacred ministers and the rest f the Peple f Gd bears within it a certain unin, since pastrs and the ther faithful are bund t each ther by a mutual need. Pastrs f the Church, fllwing the example f the Lrd, shuld minister t ne anther and t the ther faithful. These in their turn shuld enthusiastically lend their jint assistance t their pastrs and teachers. Thus in their diversity all bear witness t the wnderful unity in the Bdy f Christ. This very diversity f graces, ministries and wrks gathers the children f Gd int ne, because "all these things are the wrk f ne and the same Spirit" (1 Cr 12:11). Tw exaggerated misapplicatins f this that have led t imbalances thrughut histry and have led t the prblems that St. Paul is trying t avid: Clericalism: And his gifts were that sme shuld be apstles, sme prphets, sme evangelists, sme pastrs and teachers,... fr the wrk f ministry. Lumen Gentium, 30: Fr their pastrs knw hw much the laity cntribute t the welfare f the entire Church. They als knw that they were nt rdained by Christ t take upn themselves alne the entire salvific missin f the Church tward the wrld. On the cntrary they understand that it is their nble duty t shepherd the faithful and t recgnize their miniseries and charisms, s that all accrding t their prper rles may cperate in this cmmn undertaking with ne mind. Anti-clericalism: And his gifts were [fr] the saints fr the wrk f ministry. (5) The gal f this diversity f gifts is grwth, maturity, and unity (12b-13): 12b: fr building up the bdy f Christ, 13: until we all attain t the unity f the faith and f the knwledge f the Sn f Gd, t mature manhd, t the measure f the stature f the fulness f Christ; What did he mean by the building up the bdy f Christ? Carrying ut the Great Cmmissin f Matthew 28: And Jesus came and said t them, ʻAll authrity in heaven and n earth has been given t me. G therefre and make disciples f all natins, baptizing them in the name f the Father and f the Sn and f the Hly Spirit, teaching them t bserve all that I have cmmanded yu; and l, I am with yu always, t the clse f the age.ʼ" all the unity f the faith the knwledge f the sn f Gd t mature manhd, t the measure f the stature f the fulness f Christ; (6) This is necessary t avid cnfusin and schism (vs. 14): 14: s that we may n lnger be children, tssed t and fr and carried abut with every wind f dctrine, by the cunning f men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. 4
Sla scriptura, clericalism, and anti-clericalism have all led t cibdusinb and schism. (7) And therefre attain true unity with Jesus Christ (15b-16): 15b. Rather,...we are t grw up in every way int him wh is the head, int Christ, 16: frm whm the whle bdy, jined and knit tgether by every jint with which it is supplied, when each part is wrking prperly, makes bdily grwth and upbuilds itself in lve. Essentially, anther way f saying vs. 13, using imagery f the bdy. Imprtant: when each part is wrking prperly (8) This requires wrking tgether in charitable hnesty (vs 15a): 15a: Rather, speaking the truth in lve,... 5