Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 12
Vers. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministery, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
THe Apostle, having thus far enlarged himself upon the first branch of that general argument for union, taken from the diversity of gifts in the Church, to wit, because they all came from one and the same author, he doth now fall upon its second branch, inforcing unity notwithstanding the diversity of gifts and offices, because they are all given for promoting one and the same end: which end, is, first, propounded in this verse in three different expressions, all tending much to the same purpose, but with some difference in regard of three sorts of persons, to whom the ministerial function hath reference. First, in regard of the Saints, or people, the end of the Ministery is to perfect them, that is, to bring them out of that disorderly, disjoynted and confused frame, posture and condition wherein they are, and to fix them in a well-ordered, compact spiritual frame and state, which is attained when they are joyned to Christ by faith, and one to another by love: for, the word signifieth to prepare, fit and dispose things in an orderly frame, Rom. 9. -22. and especially such things as were before rent asunder, Mark 1. 19. or out of their own due place and order, as disjoynted members, with allusion to which, the word is used, Gal. 6. 1. Secondly, in regard of themselves who are in office and accordingly gifted: the end of their gifts and office, is, that they may labour diligently in all the duties of their calling, which is only a subordinate end, and relative to the other two as a mean. Thirdly, in regard of Christ, it is that all Believers, being so perfected and joyned together, as stones of a building, by the work of the Ministery, may become His mysticall body, to whom He will perform all the duties of an head. Doct. 1. That severall offices and various gifts are all given for promoting one and the same end, and for promoting those ends in particular, which are expressed in the Text, is a strong argument to keep off emulations and rents, because of those, and to endeavour after unity and peace; seing division and strife do marre the spirituall orderly frame of the Church, divert from the main work of the Ministery, and obstruct the edification of the body of Christ, and so do crosse those main ends in all respects, for which all gifts and offices are given: for, the Apostle inforceth unity from the diversity of gifts and offices, upon this consideration, that all are given for the promoting of those ends, even for perfecting the Saints for the work of the Ministery, &c. 2. That publick gifts and gifted Ministers are sent to, or continued in any place by God, is for the sake of the Elect there, and to bring about their salvation: so that though the Word be preached and Ordinances dispensed, even to reprobates to make them the more inexcusable, and because they are joyned in one civill society and externall Churchfellowship with the Elect; yet if God had none of His own to be wrought upon by the Ministery in a Congregation, Place, or Nation, it is more than probable He should not send His Ordinances there at all: for, all the ends of Christs sending a Ministery, do relate chiefly to the Elect, even for perfecting the Saints, for edifying the body of Christ. 3. Whatever outward, civill order may be among a people destitute of the Gospel; yet as to their spirituall concernments, they are wholly out of frame, rent and torn, even a disorderly confused masse and heap, as being at enmity with God, Rom. 8. 7. and destitute of all sound, solide and spirituall unity among themselves, Rom. 3. 13, 14, 15. for, seing the end of the Ministery is to perfect the Saints, that is, to bring them to an orderly spirituall frame, it is supposed, that before a Ministery be sent unto them they are not perfect, but wholly out of frame. 4. Even the Elect already converted, are sometimes out of frame, their spirituall faculties, as it were, disjoynted and unable to move, or stir, Psal. 51. 10. and one of them rent asunder from another through prejudices, passion, love to self interest, and such like, Act. 15. 39, for otherwise there should be but small need of a Ministery toward them, the great end whereof, is to place those things which are disorderly in a right frame, to joyn together things which are rent asunder, to recover strength and motion to these things which are rendered weak, by being out of their right place, as the word, rendered perfecting, doth signifie; for perfecting the Saints. 5. A publick Ministery and the exercise thereof, is the ordinary mean appointed by the Lord Christ for perfecting the Saints and edifying the body of Christ, whether by converting those of the Elect who are yet in their unregenerate state, Rom. 10. 17. Or, by confirming and establishing those who are already converted, Col. 4. 12. and making them to grow, Col. 1. 28. or restoring them when they are overtaken in a fault, 1 Tim: 5. 20. and therefore it is a most necessary ordinance, without which those great ends in an ordinary way cannot be attained: for, He maketh the ministeriall offices formerly mentioned, the means of perfecting the Saints, and of edifying the body of Christ. 6. The highest office that is enjoyed by any within the Church, is only a Ministery and service, and not a lordly dominion over the flock of Christ: for, he calleth the forementioned offices, even the highest of them (the office of the Apostles it self not being excepted) a Ministery, or service; for the work of the Ministery. 7. Ministers are not called to idlnesse, or to live like lazie drones wasting the Churches revenue, without executing the office for which it is given. They are called to work and improve their talents and gifts in that laborious work of perfecting the Saints and edifying the body of Christ: for, this he maketh the end of those gifts and offices in regard of those to whom they are given, even the work of the Ministery. 8. The gaining of souls to God, and carrying on the work of grace in those who are gained to some perfection, doth meet with so much opposition, what from within, and what from without, what from men, what from devils, and what from a mans own heart, 2 Cor. 10. -4, 5. that the ministeriall office which is imployed for bringing those about, is no easie task: It is a work, and such, as, though it be a worthy work, 1 Tim. 3. 1. yet, it is a weighty and laborious work: a work that will take up the whole man, and being rightly minded, will give the painfull and consciencious Minister little time for any other work, 1 Tim. 4. 15. for, he casteth this second end, relating to the Ministers themselves, in the middle betwixt the other two; because it relateth to them, as a mean to the end; and to shew, it is not naked gifts, or the credit of the office which will bring about those ends, but the painfull exercise and discharge of them; for the work of the Ministery. 9. The work of the Ministery, if rightly gone about, is an uniting work of the Church of Christ: Its great end, and to which all its other ends are subordinate, being to unite souls, as so many stones in a building, or as so many members in the body, first, to Christ the foundation of this building, and head of this body, by bringing them up to believe in Him; and next, one to another, by bringing them up to mutuall love, and all the duties thereof, and especially to mutuall for bearance, and the study of unity and peace: for, he maketh this the great and last end of the work of the Ministery, even, the edifying of the body of Christ, that is, the Church: (See wherefore it is so called, chap. 1. 23.) The word edifying is borrowed from masons, whose great work is, having prepared the stones apart, to joyn them most firmly, both to the foundation and among themselves.