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Ephesians 4:13-The Unity of “THE” Faith!
The True Faith Some Christians Have Never Heard!
***What does Ephesians 4:13 Truly Mean?
Here is Ephesians 4:13 from the KJV: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
Notice that Paul is talking about “THE” Faith! This is the very core of Christianity! And yet, some Christians reed right over this verse, without seeing what nearly all of Christianity has DEPARTED from believing.
The core FAITH that the Apostle Paul endeavored to keep is the knowledge, or the understanding of the human Son of God being made PERFECT or COMPLETE after the cross and resurrection.
We can see this TRUE FAITH in Hebrews 2:10. I will add some comments, and emphasis for clarity.
The words highlighted in orange refer to the Father. The word “things” in green font were added by the translators and are not in the Greek text. The word “all” underlined and in bold print refers to the all who believe in God and in His now glorified Son, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior.
The words highlighted in yellow refers to the mortal Son of Man Jesus, to whom God GAVE His GLORY of Divine Nature, which is Eternal Life, after the cross and resurrection.
And the words highlighted in blue refer to the HIGHLY EXALTED Son of man after the cross and resurrection.
Hebrews 2:10.
“For it became Him,(Speaking of Almighty God the Father, the God of Jesus) for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto GLORY, to MAKE the CAPTAIN of their salvation PERFECT through sufferings.”
The word “things” in green font is not in the Greek text. And the word “all” in yellow font are believers who will receive the SAME Glory that the God of Jesus gave to the Son of Man, after the Cross and Resurrection.
Let’s read a Paraphrased version with these meanings, so you can truly see what this verse is actually teaching us, in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
“Because it became HimAlmighty the Father, the God and Father of Jesus, for whom are all the New Creation of Born-again Christians, the Saints, and because of whom, the anointed Son of Man suffering and dying on the cross are all the Holy Ones, being GIVEN to him during the world to come, in bringing many sons unto GLORY, to MAKE the CAPTAIN of their salvation PERFECT through sufferings.”
Now, as far as I am aware of, it is only the Biblical Unitarian Christians, who hold to THE FAITH that the Apostle Paul was endeavoring to keep in unity among the church in his day.
Paul teaches us about how the church was DIVIDING in his day in 1 Corinthians 1:11-13.
And in 2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul said there were MORE “corrupting” the truth, than there were teaching the TRUE FAITH.
Yes, they were SINCERE in what they believed and taught. But Paul said they corrupt the word of God.
In my own opinion, due to the translators translating the Greek word “Christos” as the English word “Christ”, it has done an injustice to the body of the ANOINTED ones.
For you see, not every Christian will look up the meanings of the Greek and Hebrew words to learn all the meanings of the Greek and Hebrew text.
The Greek word “Christos” means ANOINTED, the anointing, and the anointed one, depending on the context. It also means the Messiah who was ANOINTED by his God and Father.
I never realized how much deeper the meaning of verses became, until I started replacing the word “Christ” with the word “ANOINTED”.
For you see, the “anointing” is the POWER of God holding the hand of Jesus. The anointing is Almighty God doing the healing, strengthening us in times of temptation to overcome sin.
This is only the brief introduction to the full in-depth Verse-By-Verse Study of Ephesians 4:1through 16.
You can read this NEW study on my website right here at TheChurchoftheFirstborn.net.
I also have it posted on my NEW website at
https://sites.google.com/view/mark-firstborn-of-all-creation/the-firstborn/f-c-1-ephesians-413-the-unity-of-faith-mark-at-firstborn-of-all-creation
You can copy and paste this URL to get this study recognized by Google Search.
The Name of my NEW Website is Mark at Firstborn of All Creation
Video coming soon on my YouTube Channel Mark At AMatterOfTruth
To read the CONTEXT click on the link on the verse link.
To read the VERSE STUDY scroll down for the CONTEXT.
Ephesians 4:13-The Unity of the Faith!
The True Faith Most Christians Never Heard!
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Let’s read through the context of Ephesians 4:13 by reading verses 1 through 16. I will use the KJV but change the Old English to how we speak today. I will also add my comments after each verse if I have a comment.
Ephesians 1:1-16.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called,
Beseecking means to implore the brethren with a strong desire to walk worthy of the invitation of the salvation that we are called by the Gospel.
Paul teaches us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 that salvation comes THROUGH the Sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the TRUTH, which is a continuing process throughout our walk with Jesus.
Ephesians 4:2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Paul is teaching that brotherly love is a two way street. The lowliness, meekness with great patience is to be on both sides of any controversy.
Neither side is to be so high-minded that it is not possible for them to have been deceived.
Let us reason together and allow the WHOLE of Scripture to speak for itself.
Ephesians 4:3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Not the unity of church traditions, but the unity of what the Holy Spirit teaches.
And endeavour to keep peace among the brethren during this process of reasoning together.
Ephesians 4:4. There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as you are called in ONE HOPE of your calling;
The ONE body is the call to NOT be divided into the many denominations that have resulted from NOT endeavoring to keep the unity of THE FAITH, to core faith that the Apostles actually taught.
The ONE Spirit speaks of trying the voices we hear to see if they are of God or if they are of the enemy of God.
The one HOPE is the promise of Eternal Life, which is what being made PERFECT literally means.
The Greek word literally means COMPLETE and carries the meaning of the root from which it came that means the completion of the act. And it the Christians faith it means RECEIVING our glorified IMMORTAL bodies and the second death having no more power over us.
Ephesians 4:5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
The ONE Lord here is referring to Jesus AFTER the Cross and resurrection, according to the Gospel in Acts 2:22-36.
You can read the study by clicking on the link.
The ONE faith is the Doctrines of the Apostles and NOT man-made Church TRADITION added to turn God’s Truth into a lie.
And the ONE Baptism to me, is true repentance and confession of faith to be baptized into the ONE Body of Jesus Anointed. Water baptism follows as obedience. And the Baptism of the Holy Spirit can be instantly the moment one first believes, or at their baptism in water, or after seeking the fulness of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.
Personally, I believe that every true born-again believer receives the Holy Spirit when they first believe. The Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we are indeed saved. I had a hunger to know more about God. I hungered for everyone to have what I felt in my heart. But I did not speak in other tongues for another six months after learning more about the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
This is one of the many verses that clearly defines the ONE God as being the Father.
This is what I mean by ALLOWING the Scriptures to speak for themselves.
The “portion” of the Holy Spirit who begins dwelling in is when we first believe is called the ANOINTING. The Holy Spirit is our teacher who leads and guides us into all truth.
The God and Father of Jesus is ABOVE Jesus. God then made Jesus the HEAD of the BODY, the Church.
Ephesians 4:7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
The Grace God gives to all is without measure. It is unlimited to the extent that God will never leave or forsake us.\Grace is not just an unmerited favor of forgiveness. Grace is also power and strength to overcome the enemy.
So then, depending on the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received is how much Grace we need. Grace does not run out, but we have to use the Grace we have in order to receive more Grace.
God’s grace is sufficient when we USE the Grace we already have.
For example: You have a plate for setting before you and you cry out to God, I am hungry, feed me, I am starving.
You are seeking what you already have. USE what God has given you. When your plate is empty, there is more food waiting for you to finish that plate first.
Ephesians 4:8. Wherefore he said, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
The Prophecies in the Old Testament all speak of the Messiah ASCENDED UP to God.
But Church TRADITION dogmatically demands that God came down from heaven and became flesh.
Yet there is not one prophecy even hinting at such a claim. In fact, two verses clearly teach that God did NOT become a man nor the Son of Man. Numbers 23:19 and Hosea 11:1,9 are very clear on this matter of God NOT become flesh.
You can read those two studies by clicking on the links.
Paradise during the Old Testament times was in the heart of the earth. It was the holding place for the righteous who died. Those were the captives that Jesus led out of captivity after preaching the Gospel to them in Paradise, called the bosom of Abraham is one of the Parable of Jesus.
For all of the Scriptures, please read the study titled G-21. What and Where is Paradise?
Ephesians 4:9. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
The lower parts of the earth is Hell that used to be divided into two parts with a great gulf separated the Bosom of Abraham from the wicked side of Hell,
For all of the Scriptures, please read the study titled G-21. What and Where is Paradise?
Here is a verse that I have not yet written a study on.
Please read Psalm 139:13-17, which is a prophecy of Jesus,
Psalm 139:13. For You have possessed my reins: You have covered me in my mother's womb.
Psalm 139:14. I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Your works; and that my soul knows right well.
Psalm 139:15. My substance was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psalm 139:16. Your eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:17. How precious also are Your thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
Clearly, the BOOK teaches us that Jesus is the FULFILLMENT of the Prophecies written in God’s Book, the Holy Bible.
Ephesians 4:10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
When Paul says Jesus “ascended so that He might fill all things,” it means Jesus completed the final step of God’s plan. By finishing His mission to die on the cross and descending into Hell.
God raised him from the dead and he ascended to the Father. Jesus not only received the Divine Nature of Immortality and a glorified body, he also received the fullness of God’s Spirit, the power, and the authority to pour out that same Spirit on everyone who believes.
Jesus was the first human to receive this fullness of Deity, and now He is the One who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and power. His ascension was not a pre-existing God returning home as Trinitarian Christians have been dogmatically taught. But rather it was the moment that the Son of MAN was crowned with glory so He could share that glory with us.
John 1:16 says that we have RECEIVED OF his GLORY. Everything God planned for the Messiah was completed, and because of that, every believer can now receive the same Spirit that empowered Jesus during His ministry.
Ephesians 4:11. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
With each gift comes responsibility. The greater the gift in the eyes of man, the greater the responsibility in God’s eyes.
In other words, self appointed Apostles tend to lord over the flock and expect the flock to serve them. Those Church denominations are more of a cult where the Apostle is never to be questioned.
That is not a gift from God’s Son, Jesus. Test the spirits.
These five gifts are for the building up of the saints to train Christians first and foremost to hold fast to the Apostle Doctrines. Secondly, to make disciples to continue the work of the ministry and also expand the ministry.
An Apostle can and should operate in all five gifts. The evangelist can and should operate in four gifts. And if God calls them, they can become Apostles.
Pastors and teachers usually lead a small congregation. But modern Churches have become mega ministries.
However, some are moving back to the small congregations, which provides a closer fellowship with each member of the congregation.
These five offices of ministry have the purpose laid out in the next verse.
Ephesians 4:12. For the PERFECTING of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The Greek word translated as “perfecting” means to completely furnish the saints. This means to train them for the work of the ministry and prepare them to edify the body.
But it also means to root and ground them in the word of God to not need to be hand fed the word of God by a pastor or a teacher.
In other words, completely furnish them with how to interpret the scriptures and always come to the correct God intended understanding.
Now, one of the CORE teachings that Pastors and teachers are to PERFECT in the saints is in the very next verse.
Ephesians 4:13. Till we all come in the unity of THE FAITH and of the KNOWLEDGE of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the FULNESS of Christ:
Some Christians have never read or ever heard that the Son of Man, Jesus, was MADE PERFECT by his God and Father.
They have always been taught that an always existing God the Son came down from heaven and became flesh. And after the resurrection he returned to his throne in heaven. And the whole purpose of Jesus was to die for the sins of the world.
But that is not what the Apostles teach.
The context shows something far more beautiful. The faith we are growing into is centered in the perfect man—Jesus Himself.
He is the one who became perfect first, the firstborn from the dead, the completed Son.The first human that Almighty God made PERFECT, according to Hebrews 2:10. We grow into His fullness, not into our own perfection apart from Him. Let’s go ahead and read Hebrews 2:10 so you can see this more clearly.
The word “things” in green font is not in the Greek text. The word “all” refers to all who believe. Orange refers to the Father, Yellow refers to the mortal human Son of God before the cross. And blue refers to the glorified Son of Man after the cross and resurrection.
Hebrews 2:10.
“For it became Him, (The Father) for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto GLORY, to MAKE the captain of their salvation PERFECT through sufferings.”
This is not an always existing God the Son returning to the Father.This is the human Son of God whom his God and Father made PERFECT or complete through sufferings.
It was because the Son of Man obeyed all of the will of his God and Father, that God made Jesus the Captain of OUR salvation to become a Lord, a King, and a Deity.
Back up to Ephesians 4.3, to remember that Paul ENDEAVORED to keep the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of PEACE.
When the Eternal Spirit reveals His intended Truth to you, then you have PEACE. And no man can ever deceive you to deny the Truth that the Holy Spirit teaches you.
The Christians who teach that Jesus is God Himself in the flesh also teach that only Jesus can live without sin because he is God.
And Christians who can out of Trinitarianism keep that teaching of ONLY Jesus can live without sin. And they use John 3:34 and their prooftext.
John 3:34
“For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
Some excuse their sins by making Jesus have ADVANTAGE over us. He can do God’s will but we can’t, because God gave His Spirit unto Jesus without measure.
But in truth, that FULNESS of the anointing was after the cross when it PLEASED the Father because of his obedience to make the Son of Man a deity. Please read Colossians 1:18-20, which is after the resurrection.
Colossians 1:18-20.
“And he is the HEAD of the BODY, the church: who is the BEGINNING, the firstborn from the DEAD; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:19, For it PLEASED the Father that IN him should all fulness dwell;
Colossians 1:20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things (The Saints) in (On) earth, or things *The Saints) in heaven.”
The context continues into chapter 2 so let’s read Colossians 2:9 kept in context, keeping in mind that the FULLNESS of Deity was GIVEN to Jesus AFTER the cross and resurrection.
Colossians 2:6-10.
“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him:
Read the word “Christ” as ANOINTED, The FAITH is the Gospel in Acts 2:22-36, which teaches that God made Jesus Lord and Messiah. And you therefore received ANOINTED Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him.
Jesus was Anointed TWICE. The first anointing at his Baptism was a partial anointing with a “portion” of the Holy Spirit and Power. And the second Anointing was after the cross and resurrection when it PLEASE the Father to anoint the Son of Man with the FULNESS of Deity, giving him ALL power and authority, according to Matthew 28:18 and many other verses.
Colossians 2:7. Rooted and built up in him, and established in THE FAITH, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Taught by the Holy Spirit the true Gospel of Jesus taught by the Apostles and NOT the man/-made gospel the Church TRADITION teaches.
Colossians 2:8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Or not after Jesus ANOINTED TWICE)
Colossians 2:9. For IN him DWELLS all the FULNESS of the Godhead bodily.
Colossians 2:10. And you are complete in him, which is the HEAD of all principality and power:”
The KJV says the fulness of the “Godhead” dwelt in him bodily. But it actually means Divinity.
G2320
θεότης
theotēs
theh-ot'-ace
From G2316; divinity (abstractly): - godhead.
Total KJV occurrences: 1
It comes from G2316 which means a Deity.
Exactly the way John 1:1 c is translated in some translations, “and a Deity was the saying.”
Some translations of Ephesians 4:13 make it sound like we are becoming “the perfect man” ourselves, but the fuller picture is that Jesus is the FIRST perfect man, and we are being conformed to His image. Both truths work together, but only when we see Jesus’ own journey into perfection.
The prophecy in Psalms says, you have shown me the path to eternal life.
Psalm 16:10,11.
“For You will not leave my soul in hell; neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:11. You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is FULNESS of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
I’m not trying to push anything on you. I’m simply trying to stay honest with the text and keep Jesus at the center of it all. And in Hebrews 12:2 we learn that God set a JOY before Jesus to ENDURE the Cross. You can read that study by clicking on the link.
I am simply giving you, my readers and seekers of the TRUTH, more understanding to better equip you to teach others.
And also to root and ground you in the truth.
Ephesians 4:14. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 4:15. But speaking the TRUTH in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Ephesians 4:16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
I pray that this study has blessed you richly. Please share the link with others.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
Brother Mark.
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