The Assembly: Part 3, Ephesians 4:4

From: The Assembly

Narrator: Chris Genthree

From: Young Christian: Volume 13, 1923

• 4 min. read • grade level: 7

EPH 4:4⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)The Lord met Saul of Tarsus at his conversion with the words, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" For the first time the truth of the believer's oneness with Christ was there told out. The assembly is one with Christ, united to her risen, glorified Head, the Son of man. To Paul was given to unfold this blessed truth, "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus by the gospel; whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power." Eph. 3:4-10⁴Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ⁷Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. ⁸Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: ¹⁰To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, (Ephesians 3:4‑10). And we find in Col. 1:25²⁵Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25), that this subject completes the Word of God, "the mystery hidden from ages, and from generations, but now made manifest to His saints." In Eph. 1: to 2:10, is an unfolding of God's purposes and counsels about Christ. How God has called and blessed those who are to be His companions, and has made His will known to them, that Christ will be the center of all His ways and glories, and in verses 22, 23, "hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the assembly, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”

Here the body is seen in its entirety, not one member wanting. It is that which was the completing of God's thought for His Son, as seen in type in Adam and his wife. (Gen. 1:27, 28; 2:23; 5:2²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27‑28)
²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (Genesis 2:23)
²Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2).) This is what the assembly will be to Him for all eternity-His body and His bride (Eph. 3:21²¹Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:21)). No failure can hinder God in carrying out His purposes. The result will be as God has designed it.

We have seen how the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost, uniting all the believers in Christ into one body. At first it was composed of Jews, then Samaritans, proselytes; and lastly, Gentiles were added. I Cor. 12:12-23, takes them all in, and all on equal ground, and all working together as one body. "We, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Rom. 12:4, 5⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: ⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:4‑5). Everyone ever since then, who has believed the gospel of His salvation, and has been sealed with His Spirit, has been brought into the body of Christ. Those who have passed away to be with the Lord are not looked at as in it just now, as the body is here on earth, but they will be in it when the Lord has taken us all up to be with Him in the glory.