Ephesians 4:13

“till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto. full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”

“Till”: “This points to goals or results constantly sought, rather than to some specific duration which would end at. certain expected time. This ‘never-ending' idea in the word ‘until' may be seen in other passages (Matthew 11:23)” (Caldwell p. 184). “In. manner this task never ends because new generations of children and new converts ever require our ministration” (Lenski p. 532). As long as this earth remains, this work is never done. Therefore not only do we need new converts, but every generation needs new preachers, pastors and teachers. “We all”: Every Christian, the whole number of us. Note: Every Christian is commanded to mature and grow (Hebrews 5:12). “Attain”: “To arrive at something so that one comes to possess it, to attain unto, to reach to, or arrive at the goal or destination” (Caldwell p. 185). This "attaining" is not talking about some future generation of "super-duper" Christians, instead these are goals that each Christian must pursue in his own time. "My generation" of Christians must seek to attain these goals in their own lifetime. We must work towards securing unity, knowledge, and maturity among us now! “The unity of the faith”: “Oneness in faith” (Wey). “With the definite article faith refers to the gospel message, the body of truth revealed in the New Testament” (Caldwell p. 185). There is one objective body of truth (Ephesians 4:5), and the purpose of evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to help all Christians at this present time hold. united view (1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 John 1:9).

Hence denominationalism is condemned by this very statement. All movements which argue, “We can't all understand the Bible alike” or “It doesn't matter what you believe, just as long as you are sincere” are working against the above goal, which is God's goal. Yes, all Christians are morally obligated to believe the same thing and embrace the body of truth known as "the faith".

“Knowledge”: Full discernment. “Of the Son of God”: “By. fuller knowledge of the Son of God” (TCNT). “Precise and correct understanding concerning Christ: who He is and what He says. Much disunity is due to immature knowledge” (Caldwell p. 186) (1 Peter 3:10; 2 Peter 3:18). The more we "know" who Jesus really is, the more we become impressed with His character and nature, the more humble and submissive we will become to His will and in turn, the greater chances for unity. Just knowing about Jesus is not enough. “Full-grown man”: “At mature manhood” (Wey). “At full spiritual maturity” (Lenski p. 535). This is what is expected of every member of the body. Remaining spiritually immature or weak is to be working at cross purposes with God. “The Church can never be content that her members should live descent, respectable lives; her aim must be they should be examples of perfect Christian manhood and womanhood” (Barclay p. 150). The costs of spiritual immaturity are too high (Ephesians 4:14).

“The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”: “The full standard of the perfection of the Christ” (TCNT). “And that full measure of development found in Christ” (Gspd). “Measured by nothing less than the full stature of Christ” (NEB). “We reach maturity when we attain the qualities of Christlikeness. Rather than asking how little we can know and remain in fellowship with Christ, how much we can sin and escape judgment, or how much ignorance or weakness God will overlook, all children of God should be seeking full growth” (Caldwell p. 187). What. great quote! It seems that many members of the Church are always asking the same basic question, “How far can we stray from the truth and still be right with God?” What. horrible mental preoccupation! We need to wrestle the church out of the hands of those who are trying to reduce the church of the Lord Jesus Christ down to the lowest possible standard. Christ is the standard for all Christians (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21). We are to love, as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:2); forgive as Christ forgave (Ephesians 4:32); be pure as Christ is pure (1 Peter 1:14); be faithful and loyal to the Father as Christ was. Therefore the "fullness of Christ" comprises all the moral and ethic qualities that are found in Jesus Christ. “This high goal has been set before the church, and spiritual leaders have been given to the church” (Erdman p. 92).