which the ministry perform, viz. the edifying of the body of Christ. This last view is perhaps the best.
“ He could not,” says Calvin, “ exalt more highly the ministry of the Word, than by attributing to it this effect. For what higher work can there be than to build up the church that it may reach its perfection ? They therefore are insane, who neglecting this means hope to be perfect in Christ, as is the case with fanat- ics, who pretend to secret revelations of the Spirit; and the proud, who content themselves with the private reading of the Scripture, and imagine they do not need the ministry of the church.” If Christ has appointed the ministry for the edification of his body, it is in vain to expect that end to be accomplished in any other way.
V.13. The ministry is not a temporary institution, it is to continue until the church has reached the goal of its high calling. This does not prove that all the offices mentioned above are permanent. By common consent the prophets were temporary officers. It is the ministry and not those particular offices, that is to continue. The goal of the church is here described in three equivalent forms—1. Unity of faith and know- ledge of the Son of God. 2. A perfect man. 8. The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
1. Till we all come to the unity, &e., μέχρι καταντή- σωμεν οἱ πάντεςς The all here mentioned is not all men, but all the people of Christ. The reference is not to the confluence of nations from all parts of the earth, but to the body of Christ, the company of saints of
CHAP. Iv. VER. 13. 231
which the context speaks. The church is tending to the goal indicated.* Our version has 77 wnity, but the Greek is εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα, and therefore should be ren- dered, ¢o or unio, just as in the following clauses, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον and εἰς μέτρον, κτλ. The unity of faith is the end to which all are to attain. The genitive υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ belongs equally to πίστις and ἐπίγνωσις. The Son of God is the object both of the faith and of the knowledge here spoken of. Many commentators understand knowledge and faith as equivalent, and therefore make the latter member of the clause expla- natory of the former: ‘to the unity of the faith, that is, to the knowledge of the Son of God.’ But this overlooks the καὶ. The apostle says, “ faith and know- ledge.” Thus distinguishing the one from the other. And they are in fact different, however intimately related, and however often the one term may be used for the other. Faith is a form of knowledge, and there- fore may be expressed by that word. But knowledge is not a form of faith, and therefore cannot be expressed by it. Knowledge is an element of faith; but faith, in its distinctive sense, is not an element of knowledge. The Greek word here used is not γνῶσις but ἐπίγνωσις. We have no word to express the distinction as the Germans have in their Kennen and Erkennen. It is not merely cognition but recognition. Faith and knowledge, πίστις and ἐπίγνωσις, express or compre-
* The ministry is to continue until καταντήσωμεν we (all) shall have attained to unity of faith.