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#6. The “Recognition” that leads to “Full Adulthood”. “The knowledge of the Son of God”
(Eph. iv. 13).
Epignosis, the word under consideration, occurs but twice in Ephesians, and epiginosko not at all. This of itself should make us hesitate to subscribe to the suggestion that epignosis means the “full knowledge” of the mystery as distinct from the more elementary knowledge of the Pentecostal dispensation. We have looked at Eph. i. 17, where is the first occurrence of epignosis in that Epistle. We must now look at Eph. iv. 13, the only other reference.
We are all doubtless familiar with the fact that the epistle to the Ephesians is divided into two main parts, chapters i.-iii. containing doctrine, and chapters iv.-vi. containing corresponding practice. We observe, therefore, that the word we have translated “acknowledgment” occurs once in the doctrinal and once in the practical section of this epistle.
“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 fullness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro” (Eph. iv. 13, 14).
This passage must not be visualized as one long chain of equal links, but rather as a succession of expansions, each containing a development of the doctrine enunciated. The goal is “the unity of the faith”. This goal is further expanded and explained as “the acknowledgment, or recognition, of the Son of God”. To follow the subdivisions clearly, it is necessary to correct the Authorized Version in the matter of the translation of the preposition eis which occurs in verses 12 to 16 seven times, as follows:
“For the work of the ministry, for the edifying . . . . in the unity of the faith . . . . . unto a perfect man, unto the measure . . . . . may grow up into Him . . . . unto the edifying of itself in love.”
While it is impossible and undesirable to reduce the translation of the Greek original to a lifeless and mechanical uniformity, it is wise, when examining a passage, to realize that where prepositions are repeated, it will seriously influence our understanding if such repetition is hidden by a variety of renderings, however charming they may sound.
Eis answers the question Whither? The idea of a goal or an end in view is always present. Consequently, where the goal is material or physical, “to”, “into” or “unto” is the usual rendering. Where the goal is intangible, “for” sometimes better expresses the idea of moving on to its attainment. Thus we have eis translated in Rom. xiv. 9, “to this end”. While “into” may sometimes be a legitimate translation, it can sometimes be an overstatement. In John xi. 38, “cometh to the grave” is true, “cometh unto the grave” would be true, but “cometh into the grave” would be false (cf. 41). The Lord came unto, but not into, Sychar (John iv. 5, 8, 28). Mary came unto, but not into, the sepulcher (John xx. 1, 11).
For the purposes of study and analysis, “unto” is the safe translation, and the occurrence of eis in Eph. iv. 13 subdivides the goal into three parts.
Till we all come
UNTO (eis) The unity of the faith.
The knowledge of the Son of God.
UNTO (eis) A perfect man.
UNTO (eis) The measure of
The stature of
The fullness of THE CHRIST.
The goal of the ministry given by the ascended Lord, when He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, was “the unity of the faith”. This unity of the faith embraces, and is partly explained by, “the knowledge of the Son of God” which, in its turn, is revealed under the figure of the “perfect man”, and this perfect man is none other than Christ in all His fullness of stature—truly an amazing Goal.
In the epistles of Paul to the Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, both epistles to the Corinthians and the first to the Thessalonians, reference is made to Christ as the Son twenty-seven times, but in the epistles of the Mystery there are but two such references, the one already quoted from Eph. iv. and one in Col. i. 13, “The kingdom of His dear Son”.
The doctrine of the sonship of Christ had been made known before the opening of the dispensation of the Mystery. The sonship of Christ, even as to its human side, forms a definite part of the witness for the present dispensation. This is implied in the exhortation given to Timothy:
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” (II Tim. ii. 8).
However great the difference between the position of the risen Christ as Head of the Church, and the position of the risen Christ as David’s heir, the Person remains unchanged, and consequently the doctrine of the sonship of Christ, so clearly taught in Romans and Hebrews, remains a fundamental of the faith of all times.
We have already observed that the one reference to “the Son of God” occurs not in the doctrinal but in the practical section of Ephesians. In the fourth chapter we are not taught the doctrine of the Divine sonship, but we are told that we shall never attain to full growth and maturity apart from “the recognition of the Son of God”. What this recognition involves is discovered in the expansion of the theme that follows. Christ is “recognized” as “the perfect Man”, and the measure of our growth is “the measure of the stature (or age) of the fullness of the Christ”. Just as in Paul’s early epistles the sonship of Christ is stressed, so also in the same epistles the sonship of the believer is stressed; and just as there are only two references to the sonship of Christ in the epistles of the Mystery, so there is no reference to the sonship of the believer in the prison epistles, except the one passage which speaks of his “adoption”, huiothesia, “to place as a son” (Eph. i. 5).
In the epistles of the Mystery the single reference to Christ as the Son of God is used to encourage growth, and the single reference to the adoption of the believer points not merely to sonship, but to the dignity of the firstborn son, the distinctive title of Christ in Col. i., “Firstborn of every creature” and “Firstborn from the dead” (Col. i. 15, 18), being the counterpart. In Eph. iv. the believer is referred to a “measure”. For the exercise of grace in ministry the believer’s attention is directed to “the measure of the gift of Christ” (Eph. iv. 7-12). For growth and attainment, he is directed to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. iv. 13, 14). For his individual share in the growth of the body, each member is reminded of the “measure of every part”, if the body is to increase and edify itself in love (Eph. iv. 15, 16). The “perfect” man is in direct contrast with the “children” who are tossed to and fro (Eph. iv. 13). The word “perfect”, teleios, is often placed in contrast with “babes” (Heb. v. 14, with Heb. v. 13; and I Cor. ii. 6 with iii. 1 & xiii. 11).
“Be not children in understanding . . . . . in understanding be men” (I Cor. xiv. 20).
Here the word translated “men” is teleios, “perfect” or, as it should be rendered in this passage, “of full age”. The word translated “stature” includes both height and age, the two evidences of adulthood that are immediate to the eye.
“Add one cubit to his stature” (Matt. vi. 27).
“He was little of stature” (Luke xix. 3).
are proofs that the word helikia refers to height.
“He is of age” (John ix. 21).
“When she was past age” (Heb. xi. 11).
are proofs that the word helikia refers to age. Like teleios, the word indicates adulthood, and it is this that the apostle has in mind in Eph. iv. 12. It is the “recognition” of the Son of God by the adult believer which is placed in contrast with the “wind of doctrine” that tossed to and fro the “babe”, and which shows that practical issues are before us.
The secret of spiritual maturity, is NOT introspection, for the holiest saint will be horrified at the evidences of corruption which he will find within. The secret of spiritual maturity is the “recognition” of what Christ means to the believer as the Son of God, the perfect Man, and true growth is “up into Him in all things which is the Head”. Finally, it is “the fullness” which is the goal here, “the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ”.
To appreciate in any adequate degree what is intended by this word “fullness” would demand a life’s study of the Scriptures, and to enter really into its meaning demands resurrection glory as its atmosphere.
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