Grow Up – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

We are no longer to be children,

Tossed here and there by waves,

And carried about by every wind of doctrine,

By the cunning of men,

By their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

But speaking the truth in love,

We are to grow up in all aspects into him,

Who is the head, into Christ,

From whom the whole body,

Being joined and held together

By what every joint supplies,

According to the proper working of each part,

Causes the growth of the body,

And builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:14-16

Paul says “according to the proper working of each part” which means that we aren’t supposed to close our eyes since the proper work of the eyes is to see. He also says that we are to “speak the truth in Love.” If we put both of these concepts together then we are supposed to keep our eyes open and when see things that aren’t “building us up in love,” then we are to speak the truth in love since we have a mouth and it is supposed to speak. Therefore it is not the proper work of the body of Christ to keep our eyes shut to evil and sin. Nor is it the proper work of the body of Christ to keep our mouths closed and to not speak the truth about these things. For if our eyes are shut and our mouths are closed then we are like those who are already dead, but since we are alive we should speak about what we see.

I had a dream last night and I saw a person clothed like Saint Peter. He was in the driver’s seat but he fell and he chose to close his eyes and he chose to close his mouth. If those who “lead” the church refuse to see and refuse to speak the truth about what they see then we will not grow and the church will stop being built.  

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament