Joints – Summary

For the past four days we have been looking at Ephesians 4:11 – 16 (here @ BibleGateway) in some detail.  The reason we did this stems from a recent study in which I participated.  In that study I realized that I had misunderstood the passage which caused me to misapply the content.

In the first post I alluded to the error I had made.

In the second post we looked at Ephesians 4:11 – 12.

In the third we considered Ephesians 4:13.

Yesterday we examined Ephesians 4:14 – 16.

I have lost count of the number of times I have studied Ephesians.  I have been in at least two studies in the letter this year.  I have translated the book from Greek to English.  I have used portions of it in studies with men on the believer’s position in Christ more times than I can count.  Suffice it to say that Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is one of my go to books in the Bible.

That in of itself is a problem.  When we come to the Word in study the method we should be using is inductive.  We first observe the text.  Second, we begin the process of interpretation.  At the same time, we are correlating the passage with other places in the Word that deal with the same topic.  Much of Paul’s writing is parallel with Ephesians, but Colossians is almost a sister book.  Lastly, we apply the scripture.  All four of those steps are needed and essential.

When we are very familiar with a passage, as I am with this book, we can tend to short circuit the observation portion of the study.  After all, we know the passage.  So, it is easy to see what we have seen before.  In fact there are some who once they have studied a book in depth, find no need to return to that book.  

It takes discipline to slow down and look as if for the first time.  That is the mistake I made with Ephesians in the past.  The thing I missed in doing so, is that it is not the individuals that cause the growth of the Body, but the joints.  The joints are the interactions between different groups of individuals or individuals with groups of people, as per the chart yesterday.  It is still absolutely necessary to equip individuals so that their gifts will be engaged.  But it is when those gifts are engaged in relationship in the Body that growth occurs.

It seems to me that the implications of this are far reaching.  How do we as leaders of Bible studies engage the gifts of all of those in the study?  If we are leading a class, how do we engage all of the gifts that are in the class?  Not to do so seems to be ignoring the thrust of Paul’s exhortation.

The lesson for me is that regardless of how well I know a passage, I need to slow down and make good observations.  I feel much like the Psalmist in Psalm 119 (here @ BibleGateway).  I need to spend much more time asking the Lord to help me understand His Word.