Ephesians 4:8-14 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (9) (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? (10) He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (11) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
The descent of Christ to the earth as a man and into the earth after his crucifixion is paramount in understanding the ascent in verse 8. He ascended on high having captivated sinful men and women through redemption and has graciously given them gifts according to His measure. (v7)
To some he has given apostles, some prophets, evangelists and so on to equip the saints as they build up the body of Christ through their ministry unto the Lord. As we have seen from the preceding verses, the purpose of these gifts the Lord gives to his body is for the building up of one another to bring glory to God and unity among the believers through the work of the saints. Our work of the ministry should bring us the knowledge of Christ and full maturity so that we are able to withstand the false doctrines that come our way that take us away from the true Biblical message. If the message being taught is not to build up the body to bring glory to Christ, it is a false message.
In our day there are so many that teach a message that is contrary to or contains very little Biblical truth. Just because the name Jesus is being used, doesn’t mean that He is being proclaimed rightly. Paul calls this human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes. Unfortunately it is even in our churches and our neighborhoods. It is the message that sounds something like this… “God just wants to bless you,” or “God wants you to have a great life.” Or when you enter their church you’re going to hear, ‘It doesn’t matter what you did last night, you’re welcome here and we accept you just how you are.”
Now these messages sound great at first, but after close examination they are not a message that you can find any Biblical truth in whatsoever. Yes, it is important to love people and encourage them, but if the message of sin and repentance isn’t a part of the Gospel, it isn’t the Biblical message and all the encouragement in the world will never bring them to a saving faith. Today’s false teachers present a man centered message that brings glory not to God, but to the pastor or the congregants. Church becomes, ‘what can God do for me’ rather than a full understanding of who He is and glorifying His name.
Today I am encouraged to be vigilant in my time with the Lord. The more I seek after Him the more I can spot a fake. I think about the job of a person who investigates counterfeit money. They don’t study the counterfeit cash, they study the real money so when needed, they can spot a fake immediately. False teachers come in many different shapes, styles, and colors but they all have the same basic underlying issue… they don’t preach the entire message of Christ and they don’t handle the Word of God as they should.
Study your Word. Know it cover to cover in such a manner that when you hear a message from a preacher that sounds like he is promoting himself, or trying to ‘butter up’ the congregation with words that tickle the ears or humorous pop culture references, you can spot the fake. God calls us to rightly handle the Word and that includes church goers like you and me too. Knowing and understanding the Bible is not for a select few, but is for all of us to enjoy and be blessed by.
Thank you Lord for the Bible. You are so gracious to us to give us a glimpse of who you are in and through your Word. Please give me the desire and motivation to see the pleasure that comes from reading and understanding it. Please help me though your Spirit to have wisdom and discernment as I hear your Word taught so I can spot the real deal when I hear it. Thank you for the gift of salvation and the joy of spending eternity in heaven with you! Amen…
For more on this topic… https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-traits-of-false-teachers