The Body: Fully Functioning (Ephesians 1:10; Romans 13:9)

EPHESIANS 1:10 says that God's purpose in managing the whole of creation, was/is to "gather together in one", all things in Christ, whether in the heavens or on earth.

ALL THINGS SUMMED UP

The phrase in the KJV, "gather together in one", is all one word in the Greek, (anakephalaioo). In Ephesians, the word is actually in the middle voice (anakephalaiosasthai). The word is a compound from (ana), an emphatic, meaning, "again", or "up", and (kephalaion), "sum", or "total", and (kephalaion) is from (kephale), "head". Meaning, emphatically, that 'all things, will be summed up, again', in Christ, the head.

THREE MEANINGS

In classical Greek, the word had 3 meanings:

MATHEMATICAL SUM

1) It was used as a mathematical term, to sum up lesser numbers into one total, which is termed the "foot" of the account, but called and placed by the Greeks, at the "head" of it, and set at the top.

     (49)

Eg. 13

       11

       16

         9

      ____

       49

SUMMARIZING SPEECH

2) It was used to describe the several parts of speeches, taken, and summarily repeated, in perhaps, a condensed form, to reemphasize, the main points of an argument or oration, so that everything spoken was gone over again, to ensure the message was communicated expertly, to the audience.

GATHERING TOGETHER

3) It was also used of the gathering together of things related, but divided, to once again form one whole, under one "head", whether of people or things.

REPETITION

4) It also contained the idea of repetition, since the general effect of summarizing anything was also that of repeating whatever had gone before.

SUMMED UP

This word is only used twice in all of scripture. It is contained in Ephesians 1:10, but the other use, in the passive sense, is Romans 13:9, where the fulfilling of the law, toward others, is "summed up", in loving your neighbor as you do yourself. If you do this, you have "fully satisfied the law" (Gspd) [Rm.13:8].

LOVE

In other words, if you treat others just as precious as yourself, you have met all obligations of the law, so that the effects of the law are lived out in your life without being constrained to abide by external rules; you naturally meet all expectations through love.

UNDER CHRIST

In Ephesians 1:10, the middle voice dictates, that God the Father, has planned this, for Himself, and organized all things, so that all of creation is to come under the headship of Christ, so that things in heaven or earth, once out of order, will find their place and purpose, under His rule and governance.

THE HEAD

This theme is repeated in Ephesians, where Christ is the head, of all things, and the church is the body (1:22,23), and when we are declaring the truth, we grow up in Christ, the head, when every part of the body is functioning properly (4:15-16), and Christ is the head of the body, giving Himself for the church, as the Saviour (5:23).

HEAD & BODY

Consistent with all of these references, is that the head and the body are one inseparable part, functioning together. The emphasis of Ephesians 1:10, is that all things in heaven and earth are to come under the authority structure of the head, who ultimately performs all actions through His body, with which He is one.

FULLY FUNCTIONING

In a simply natural illustration, it would seem self evident, that it is crucial for the body to be functioning at optimum potential, for the head to carry out and perform it's will and desires. How crucial and emphatically important is it, for the body of Christ; each individual assembly, to be fully functioning in all the gifts and callings latent in her, for the total dominion and domination of the Father, to be evident in the earth?

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours