This is Part 4 (Parts 1, 2, 3) of a series of posts that seeks to answer the question, “Is APEST given to everyone in the church, or just a select group of leaders?” How we answer this question will radically affect the way we go about applying APEST in our contexts.
The best way to answer this question is to let the text speak for itself, which says,
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15-16
In this passage, Paul envisions a network of interactive relationships between the head and its body parts. As the head Christ is both the Source and Goal of all things – both in heaven and on earth (1:10).
It is through our union with Christ in the Spirit that we become “one flesh” with him, and have therefore become members of his body (5:29-32). Practically speaking, this means we are not only members of Christ, we are also members of one another.
If we pay close attention, Paul is outlining this network of relationships as being developmental. In other words, each part of the body actively participates with Christ in the growth of the body.
Connected and Contributing
In this passage, Paul envisions a network of interactive relationships between the head and its body parts. As the head Christ is both the Source and Goal of all things – both in heaven and on earth (1:10).
It is through our union with Christ in the Spirit that we become “one flesh” with him, and have therefore become members of his body (5:29-32). Practically speaking, this means we are not only members of Christ, we are also members of one another.
If we pay close attention, Paul is outlining this network of relationships as being developmental. In other words, each part of the body actively participates with Christ in the growth of the body.
In this diagram, Christ the head is empowering each part of the body. Then, like our own physical body, Paul sees each part of the body contributing something unique to every other part of the body so it can grow and build itself up in love.
The important thing note here is that Paul envisions the body as building itself up in love. In other words, this is something the body does to itself – but notably not by itself. The body is empowered by its connection with the head, but the goal of that empowerment is for each part of the body to uniquely contribute to the body’s internal capacities to repair (equip) itself so it can carry out its function as the body of Christ.
If you haven’t guessed by now, that unique contribution from each part of the body flows directly from the unique measure of grace that Christ has given to each person via their APEST gifting. As it turns out, each one of us is called to participate with Christ in gathering all things back up into his headship.
It’s hard to imagine how someone could work their way through the language and imagery of this text and come out on the other side with the idea that APEST is only given to a select group of leaders in the church. Paul sees each member of the body of Christ connected and contributing to the individual and collective growth of the body. To act as if the fivefold giftings of APEST have been restricted to a select few will only continue to frustrate our capacity to carry out our function as the body of Christ.
Awareness
- Paul says each one of us has been made “one flesh” with Christ. How does this shape the way you see our participation in the new humanity of Christ?
- Paul sees each part of the body connected and contributing to every other part of the body. How can we ensure those connections remain open so we can give and receive from one another?
- How does each APEST gifting empower the body to carry out its unique function as the body of Christ? For example, what body part would you associate the apostle with? Why? What body part would you associate the prophet with? Why? And so on…
