For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: |
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, |
for the equipping of the saints (holy ones) for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; |
to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up |
His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the ekklesia), |
for the equipping of the saints for ministering work with a view to the building up of the Body of Christ, |
His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, |
for the immediate equipment of God’s people for the work of service, for the ultimate building up of the body of Christ, |
For 4314 the 3588 perfecting 2677 of the 3588 saints, 40 for 1519 the work 2041 of the ministry, 1248 for 1519 the edifying 3619 of the 3588 body 4983 of Christ: 5547 |
- No cross references or parallel passage have been cited for this verse.
- Against the Night; The “Church” Paradigm (a la Colson); Neil Girrard Chuck Colson’s excellent spiritual and political analysis of a decade ago are marred by his own presupposed paradigms.
- Almost There: The “Church” Paradigm (a la Wilkerson) - Neil Girrard A comparison of messages from David Wilkerson and Watchman Nee reveals some important truths for the body of Christ today.
- 1. The Apostles; The Normal Christian Church Life - Watchman Nee God has chosen to work through His servants. Among the servants of God the apostles are the most important ones.
- The Basis of Unity - Neil Girrard The basis of our unity today is not to be found anywhere else but in Christ.
- Ben Shapiro and Phil Robertson Interview - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Ben Shapiro asks a wonderful, much-needed question and Phil Robertson gives an answer that surprisingly comes up a bit short.
- But I Met God There - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The fact that God has met many a soul within the walls of a “church” building should not be a source of confusion as to who the real architect of the “church” is.
- But the Building Is Just a Tool - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) A Scriptural look at the deceptive practice of “church” buildings.
- Catch 22: The American “Church’s” Dilemmas - Neil Girrard A penetrating look at the numerous self-imposed dilemmas which keep the “church” from being the body of Christ.
- Christ and His Kingdom - Abraham Varghese A brother’s exploration of what the Scriptures say about Christ and His kingdom.
- Christ In - Set Man Out! - Darryl Samuels & Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Is the “set man” principle still applicable to New Covenant believers today? This article may challenge some of our sincerest beliefs.
- 6. The Christian Life in a United Church - Part 3; The Unfinished Reformation - An Analysis - Neil Girrard Morrison unleashes, to the best of his ability (and for his time and season – 1951!), his imagination toward what a unified ekklesia would look and be like.
- Church; The End Time Men - W.W. Fischer What is the paramount thing a church group should be accomplishing in their fellowship?
- A Clever Scheme - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Getting us to go to “church” is perhaps the most clever way the devil has yet concocted to keep us from assembling together.
- Common Usage - Neil Girrard Sometimes it benefits us to read a familiar passage in the Greek because we, without ever realizing it, have often experienced a subtle shift in meaning simply because the New Testament we read is in English.
- Completing the Revolution - Neil Girrard Andrew Strom’s statement of his withdrawal from the “Out-of-Church” movement (what George Barna calls “The Revolution”) advocates for yet another form of deception. Beware!
- Counting Heads - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) One of the most obvious features of any particular “church” can be used to easily and immediately assess its character and quality and this requires no spiritual discernment whatsoever – so why isn’t this method used more often?
- Critical Blockage - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Paul told us what the manifold grace (mercy and power) of God would do – why don’t we see it in our corporate assemblies?
- The Do Nothing Gospel; - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Some are teaching that any work whatsoever is “self-effort” so as to be saved or a return to law as a way to earn one’s salvation. But is this so?
- Doing the Will of God - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) A study in the New Testament about the importance of doing the will of God.
- Ephesians: Paul’s Time Capsule - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Some Bible scholars insist that Ephesians is merely a general letter for all believers - others question the authenticity of Paul’s authorship because Paul’s usual inclusion of eschatology (the study of prophesied end-times events) is absent. What is the real story and why is it so vitally important for us to understand Paul’s intent today?
- Follow Me - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus makes it abundantly clear what it takes to gain eternal life.
- Follow or Duplicate? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus and Paul both said “Follow me…” Didn’t they?
- Fractured Building Blocks: Or, Where the Apostles and Prophets Movement Failed - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Remember the old computer adage, “garbage in, garbage out”? It applies to our work for Christ too.
- From the Word – Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Apologetics is a good thing, right?
- 5. The Function and Harmony of the Members; The Body of Christ: A Reality - Watchman Nee There is no one having the life of God who is not a member of the body of Christ, and no member is so small as to have no function of his own.
- The Greatest Dangers to The Final Reformation - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) If we believe “the last reformation” is truly a genuine move of God, what are the greatest dangers facing such a movement?
- In the Way - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The parable of the wheat and the tares holds a unique place in the New Testament.
- Inside Out - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) By failing to preserve the unity of the Spirit we turn the gospel of Christ inside out.
- Kingdoms in Conflict: A Review - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Kingdoms in Conflict is probably best viewed as a conversation starter – but just how does one grapple with so vast and deep a subject and not fail somewhere?
- The Last Call - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Is it accurate to call the latest move of God in northern Europe “the last reformation”?
- Maturing in Christ: Advice to New - and Old - Believers - Neil Girrard The path to spiritual maturity is not just a walk up an aisle or even an overnight journey. There are many things we need to observe in our spiritual journey toward God to be certain we don’t get off the path that leads to life.
- Mighty in the Scriptures - Neil Girrard William Beck, a translator of the New Testament, called for men like Apollos who were mighty in the Scriptures. But will that really help us?
- Missionaries - Neil Girrard “Missionary” is not a word used in the New Testament. So why are we so insistent on sending out missionaries?
- Multi-Denominationalism - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Some people are promoting the idea of “multi-denominationalism.” What’s that about?
- Old Covenant Vs. New Covenant (Set Man Vs. Jesus Christ) - Darryl Samuels & Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The “set man” of the Old Covenant is no longer applicable to today’s New Testament sincere believers in Christ.
- On the Basis of Scripture - Neil Girrard A brief look at the many “church” notions and practices which have no place in Scripture.
- One Hundred and Seven Theses - Steve Camp Christianity today is increasingly dominated by the spirit of this age rather than the Spirit of Christ. We call ourselves to repent of this sin and to recover the historic Christian faith in the arts again.
- The Open Church – A Review - Neil Girrard A good book to read - with the understanding that it represents some serious compromises to the vision that God tried to give.
- 11. Organization: Necessary and Dangerous (Part 3); The “Church” Paradigm (a la Tozer) - Neil Girrard Tozer gives a classic example of the slippery slope method of reaching false conclusions, an error he does not often make.
- Our Heavenly Calling in Christ - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Our heavenly calling in Christ requires a balance of deeper and more accurate knowledge of exactly what God has done for and given to us accompanied by our diligent obedience and spiritually mature attentiveness to the responsibilities He has placed upon us.
- The Paradigm Shift - Neil Girrard A response to some of Steve Camp’s 107 Theses addressing the issues of what it really means to be the church.
- A Part of Christ - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The people who are “the Church,” are part of Christ, right?
- Pastors - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) What is a pastor? Why is the “pastor” so central to “church”?
- Paths of Righteousness - Neil Girrard Quotes from Philip Keller, an experienced shepherd, provide an excellent view into the role of sheep and shepherds.
- 16. The Perils of the Preacher (Part 3); The “Church” Paradigm (a la Tozer) - Neil Girrard Even in saying that Satan doesn’t rest in devising pitfalls for “the ministry,” Tozer betrays the separation in his mind between “the ministry” and the rest of the people.
- Pleasing Men - Neil Girrard Few recognize just how subtle pleasing men can be – and how it keeps us from obeying God.
- The Purpose of America - Neil Girrard Who said America can’t be found in the end-times prophecies? And who said God invented democracy?
- Pyramid or Team Yoking - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) One of the most damaging paradigms in the spiritual realms is that of authority.
- 14. The Responsibility of Leadership (Part 1); The “Church” Paradigm (a la Tozer) - Neil Girrard Tozer overlooks two details in his underlying premise and misses some obvious points about the Israelite’s rebellions.
- Saints or Sinners - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) What is an individual after a genuine conversion? Why does it matter?
- 2. The Separation and Movements of the Apostles; The Normal Christian Church Life - Watchman Nee The church in Antioch is the model church shown us in God's Word, because it was the first to come into being after the founding of the churches connected with the Jews and the Gentiles.
- Sight - Neil Girrard An unusual Greek word points to the need to see with God’s eyes and not our own.
- Sitting at the Master’s Feet - Neil Girrard Mary’s choice to sit at Jesus’ feet gives us a picture of how what is most important in the genuine Christian life.
- Spectator Sport - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) In the face of the many multiplied thousands of “churches” proliferating around the world, the world grows swiftly darker and more evil. Are God’s methods actually ineffective and impotent?
- Spectrums: “Church” or Ekklesia - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Any individual, whether the worst kind of evil villain or the best kind of saint or hero, is a combination of both good and bad characteristics – so why are led to believe that an assembly, which is made up of many individuals, must be either merely “good” or “bad” and not some mixture of both?
- The Spirit of Religion or the Spirit of Truth? The Devil’s Counter-Offensive - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) How can you address a complex issue with simplicity?
- Spiritual Fathers – 1 Corinthians 4:15; Twisted Scriptures - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) From a very scant Scriptural base, a whole system of teaching has evolved that concocts a “one size fits all” false doctrine that results in tyranny, oppression, persecution, exclusion, favoritism and a host of other evils.
- 8. Surmounting Three Major Obstacles; The Unfinished Reformation - An Analysis - Neil Girrard Morrison again looks ahead to “a united church,” offering his ideas (compiled in the late 1940s) as to how to overcome what he saw as three major obstacles to “ecumenical unity.”
- Tag Team; Lords of Darkness - Neil Girrard The demonic excels at what it does precisely because they do work together in their vast scams against humanity.
- Taking the Place of Jesus - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Why anyone would want to take the place of Jesus is simultaneously difficult and simple to understand.
- Teachings of the Spirit - Neil Girrard It is most important that the Holy Spirit, and not some man, be our real teacher. Here’s why.
- Those Who Despise and Reject Authority - Neil Girrard Though many people leaving the “church” are accused of rebelling against authority – and Peter’s and Jude’s prophecies are used - this is only a misrepresentation of the real meanings in these prophecies.
- Three Lies - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Three lies currently in vogue in various “Christian” circles, at first, seem to be unrelated to one another but in reality share very similar roots.
- Traditions of Men; The End Time Men - W.W. Fischer If anyone tries to go further in the Lord than those around them, a man-made tradition of some nice born-again Christian people will employ various techniques and traditions (including prayer) to stop this type of progress toward holiness and perfection in Christ.
- The True Body of Christ - Neil Girrard Just what is the true body of Christ and in what manner does one go about seeking to find those that are like-minded?
- Unity Is Not Optional - Neil Girrard The words used in the New Testament that speak of the unity of the body of Christ are infrequent and precise – and they are a necessity.
- A Vision and Confirming Insights - Jim Johnson/Neil Girrard This vision given to Jim Johnson by the Lord is extremely timely for the Body of Christ to hear. Neil Girrard adds confirming insights to Jim Johnson's vision for any who want more Scriptures to consider in light of his vision.
- 2. The Vital Place of the Church; The “Church” Paradigm (a la Tozer) - Neil Girrard Tozer’s teachings exposes his own “church” paradigm and opens up the truth for us today.
- The Voice of Strangers - Neil Girrard The primary element that makes one’s voice that of a stranger is the very subtle strain of presuming oneself better or superior over others and most teachers who possess this strain either deny or justify it!
- War and Responsibility - Neil Girrard The responsibilities of those who are at war.
- 4. The Wasp and the Church Member (Part 1); The “Church” Paradigm (a la Tozer) - Neil Girrard Tozer asks great questions! But if anyone else were to ask them, the most likely response will be “Oh, he’s just bitter – he’s been hurt!”
- What’s Wrong With “Church”? - Neil Girrard A broad question indeed - but a special focus on how to meet brings specific answers.
- Where Did the Prophets Go? - A Review - Neil Girrard The author of this book asks a good question but his answers fall far short of the full counsel of God.
- Where Do You Go To Church? - Neil Girrard This seemingly innocent question covers a whole lot of territory.
- Where Should I Go To Church? - Neil Girrard This important - but ignorant - question deserves to be answered.
- Why Waiting Meetings Are Profitable To Evil Spirits; War On the Saints - Jesse Penn-Lewis Meetings for “waiting for the Spirit” until He descends in some manifested way has been so profitable to deceiving spirits because they are not in accord with the written Word.
- The Wiles of the Devil - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Any soldier intending to survive the day’s battle needs to know what weapons his enemy is using and how to counter those weapons.
- The Work of the Wilderness - Neil Girrard If God is leading us, why are we still in the wilderness?