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We Need to Mature as Christians

Ephesians 4:11, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,

evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” 

This verse does not refer to the gifts He has given to men, although it is true

that it is He who has given the gifts. What Paul is saying here is that Christ

takes certain men who have been given certain gifts and He gives them to the

church.

Now notice the purpose for which these men are given to the church:

Ephesians 4:12, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for

the edifying of the body of Christ:” 

These men, with these gifts have been given to the church for the purpose of

maturing the saints. Then he tells us the following in Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all

come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto

a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”: 

We are to mature in the things of God as we’re told in Hebrews 5:12, “For when

for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again

which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as

have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

God wants believers to grow to the point they can get past the basics, “the

milk of the Word,” to the “meat of the Word,” so that we can obey the

command given in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among

many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to

teach others also.” 

The next few days let’s look at instructions from the Word of God that

reveal to us some areas we need to mature in.