in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of *that* teaching [which is] in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error;
Paul has just described the goal of every gift Christ gave His church: full growth measured by Christ Himself. This verse states the other side of that goal — what we are meant to leave behind.
The word rendered "children" describes infancy, and the exhortation assumes movement out of it.
"That from now on we may no longer be children (infants), tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive." (Eph. 4:14.) This exhortation involves the fact of growth. The immature, easily-imposed-upon state is looked at as the one out of which believers should emerge.
The verse does not tell us to become clever. It ties our steadiness to the maturity described in the verse before it.
The first result of this maturity in Christ is a soundness of judgment in spiritual things. It makes even the least educated believer proof against the clever arguments of the human mind. It is important to notice how we gain this ground. It is not by human learning, or by skill in argument. This verse connects with the one just before it. Our stability among the shifting currents of human opinion and speculation is the result of being full-grown in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. That means an intelligent acquaintance with the word of God, and a heart acquaintance with the blessed Lord Himself. Scripture proposes no other safeguards against error and false doctrine, and none that man sets up is of the smallest use.
One commentator, quoting an older translation, shows why ignorance leaves a believer open to deceit.
The effect of this full growth would be that we should no longer be babes in Christian knowledge. While we are ignorant, we are liable to be "tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching which is in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error." Sadly, there are those in the Christian profession who, with sleight and cunning craftiness, are ready to deceive those not established in the truth. Whenever someone in the history of God's people plainly denies a great truth, or puts forward some special error about the Person of Christ, you will usually find a whole system of error behind that one wrong doctrine.
One writer traces this plot back past the men who carry it out.
"The sleight of men" is set in this passage against the wisdom of God, and the method of deceit against the counsel of saving truth in Christ. Men are indeed the actors in this intricate plot of craft and falsehood; but Satan is its first inventor, and the ruling mover of its action.
Christ keeps giving gifts to His church. One writer explains what they are meant to produce.
God wants His saints firmly established in His grace and truth, and in the knowledge of His Son. Then they will be proof against the ever-changing tricks of the enemy. The church of God will never be without souls needing help on to full growth. So the ever faithful Head will continue the gifts of His grace until the end: "till we all come." Christ does not give gifts to make the saints helplessly dependent on them. It is the opposite: by means of the gifts the saints become firmly rooted and grow up into Him who is the Head — Christ.
One writer looks at what good men reached for when false teaching came in.
You are aware that at an early date false doctrines and heresies of all kinds came in. What was the resource of good men in those days? They invented creeds and confessions by which they tried to test suspected persons. But where was the authority for this course? Or was it found that these defences kept the evil out? Never, at any time or place. There is only one power for maintaining truth and love — Christ Himself.
Many people try to master every false system so they can answer it. One writer points the other way.
We do not escape error by enquiring into all the details of the error, but by the knowledge of the truth. The Lord can say of His sheep, "A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers" (John 10:5). Our safety, then, is found not in investigating evil, but in holding the truth in love.
- Childhood — Infancy in the faith is real, but it is a stage to grow out of, not a settled Christian condition.
- Danger — An unsettled believer is easy prey for cunning men. Behind one wrong doctrine there is usually a whole system of error.
- Provision — Christ gives gifts so that saints take root and grow, not so that they lean on the gifted.
- Safeguard — Not learning, debating skill, creeds, or the study of error. Safety is knowing the word of God and knowing the Lord Himself.
- Outcome — The grown believer holds a steady course while opinion shifts. He grows up into Christ the Head.
but, holding the truth in love, we may grow up to him in all things, who is the head, the Christ
Ephesians 4 has just described believers in danger of being blown about by every new teaching. Against that danger stands one short answer: hold the truth in love, and grow up into Christ.
The phrase covers more than accurate words. One commentator says it goes deeper than speech:
It is "being truthful in love," not just "speaking the truth in love." Speaking the truth is a very important part of being truthful, but it is not everything. We all know it is quite possible to be untruthful in thought and feeling while the words are perfectly correct. "Being truthful in love" implies truth in the inward parts.
That inward reality is why holding the truth cannot stop at the mind:
Knowing the truth in your head is not enough. You must hold it in your affections and show it in your life. Only then can we grow up to Christ, the Head, in whom every feature of the truth exists.
Truth and love are not a balance we invent. We take both from the One we grow toward.
The Christian is to grow up in line with all that Christ reveals, and to keep growing more like his Head. He uses love and truth for his own soul — the two things Christ expresses perfectly. Christ is our pattern, and our pattern as One who has overcome and gone up to heaven. He is our Head, and we are members of His body, joined to Him. From this Head, through its members, flows the grace we need to do the work of becoming like Him.
This verse answers the drifting described just before it. How we hold the truth matters as much as how firmly we hold it.
There are plenty of people ready to do Satan's deceptive work. They scheme, manipulate and make excuses, always on the watch to trap others and undermine any honest faith in the living God. But God has made provision to keep us safe from this, in the positive instructions of verse 15... Such growth needs a settled decision to hold the truth God has given us securely, in mind and in practice — not in a harsh, legal way, but in genuine love.
Growing up "in every way into him" sets no ceiling short of Christ Himself. So what is the measure of a mature believer?
The measure of the stature of a full-grown man in Christ is Christ Himself. It is all the fullness that is in Him worked into the soul. The soul is then shaped by that fullness, made like Him, and filled with Christ in all its thoughts. Its inner state is measured and formed by the fullness that really is in Christ, so that there is no gap and no separation from Him. The saint has grown up to Him in everything.
Two limits are removed by the wording. The growth covers every part of life, and it is not measured one believer at a time.
As I understand it, this is a growing together; the "all" of verse 13 growing up to Christ as one. How harmonious! If a man grows on one side only, we call him a hideous sight, a monstrosity... But holding the truth in love we are to grow up to Him in all things, until we come under the influence of the Head in every direction. Private life with God, service in the church, family life, business life — in every circle we learn to own the Lord Jesus Christ as the mind that directs us.
The work is shared out, and no part is too small.
Everybody has his or her part in God's Assembly, the ministry of each member in its place tending to the building up of the body in love... Perhaps you will say, My part is a very small one. Never mind. Do the thing the Lord gives you; it might be only to give a cup of cold water — that would be a very useful thing to a thirsty soul.
- Held — we do not just speak the truth; we hold it inside. Correct words can still hide untruthful thought and feeling.
- In love — truth and love belong together, because Christ expresses both perfectly, and He is our pattern.
- Against drift — God gave this to guard believers from schemers who trap and unsettle them.
- Toward Him — the goal is Christ Himself, not a level of knowledge. He works His fullness into the soul until nothing in us is out of step with Him.
- In every way — the growth is even and shared: every area of life, every member with a part, or the body grows lopsided.