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`And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them
openly, triumphing over them in it'.
As the triumphant Victor, the Lord gave gifts to men.
(2)
The Lord gave some gifts to men while He walked the earth but the
gifts of Ephesians 4 are definitely associated with the Lord in His Ascension
`far above all heavens that He might fill all things' (Eph. 4:9,10). Where
Ephesians stresses the glorious fact that Christ fills all things (Eph.
4:10), and `filleth all in all' (Eph. 1:23), Colossians emphasizes the
equally glorious fact that `In Him should all fulness dwell' (Col. 1:19), and
that `In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily' (Col. 2:9). In
the context of the former reference to the fulness we have the deliverance
from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13), and in the context of the latter
reference we have the `completeness' of the believer and his total exemption
from `meats, drinks, new moons', etc.
This ascended and victorious Christ gave a specific ministry with a
specific work to do:
`For the perfecting ("re -adjusting" after the dispensational rupture
of Acts 28) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ' (Eph. 4:12).
This brings us to the second measure, which is itself a sevenfold
composition,
(1)
The Unity of the faith;
(2)
Of the knowledge;
(3)
Of the Son of God;
(4)
Unto a perfect man;
(5)
The measure of the stature;
(6)
Of the fulness;
(7)
Of the Christ.
To some at first sight this extreme subdivision may seem trivial. The
seven times repeated `of' creates in the mind a figure something like those
Chinese puzzle boxes we knew as children, and if this figure of the sevenfold
unity of the faith be in mind, the repeated `of' will be but the sign of ever
unfolding fulness. This unity of the faith leads on to the immediate context
of our present `Selah' as follows:
A
Unity
a
of the faith.
b
of the knowledge.
c
of the Son of God
d
the perfect man.
A
Measure
a
of the stature.
b
of the fulness.
c
of the Christ.
d no longer children.
The character of children, when thus employed, is one of instability,
of lack of discernment, and so the apostle proceeds: