Abstract
Before going any further, it is admitted that the use of the word “deleted” is probably too strong. Additionally, it is conceded that what you will read next is presented from an extreme point of view. The underlying purpose of this particular article is to promote thought on something that I believe has gone unnoticed (or at least heavily under represented) in Ephesians 4:11-16.
In fact, I am not sure I would have never noticed what I am about to share if it had not been for the very particular path I have had in life.
In my career, I have been an blue collar laborer, an intern, a white collar employee, a business owner, a business partner, a contractor and a consultant. In summary, I have worn many hats in my career. It is was in the roles of contractor and consultant that I began to experience something that was both a challenge for me and an important life lesson. I have come to believe that the life lesson I learned has some bearing on this passage of Scripture (Ephesians 4:11-16).
This article will look at two more aspects of this passage:
- How the central purpose of this passage is not on ones leading, but rather on the growth of the Body of Christ and how leading ones relate to this central purpose.
- Consider this passage of scripture in context of the rest of the New Testament and understand it as it fits in the larger landscape of all New Testament scripture.