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Tools and Tips is a column devoted to offering Bible study aids to the serious student of the scriptures. While the Grace Perspective may make recommendations of books, tapes, software, web pages, or even advice on personal bible study, it does not endorse every view of any author, site, or program.

This month's recommendation is for Bible study software. While there are a lot of good, helpful programs out there (some will be recommended in future articles) none of them can compare to 'e-Sword' for the price...     It's Free!

'e-Sword' is a ministry of Rick Meyers, a Bible Teacher and computer programmer who years ago started to compile Bible versions, Dictionaries, Commentaries, and other books into a software package that he has made available to the general public via his website (see link at the bottom of the article) at no charge. The program can be downloaded piece by piece while online or if you prefer a hardcopy or have a slow download speed, Rick will send you a CD for a minimum donation of $15. As someone who has spent somewhere in the area of $600 on Bible software, I can say confidently that 'e-Sword' is in the top two of all Bible Study software out there, and you cannot beat the price. It's extremely user friendly, quick, and effective, and can save the Pastor, Sunday school teacher, or serious student hours of time by offering a cyber bookshelf that is interactive. Compare versions for a particular passage, break down the words in the original Hebrew or Greek, cut and paste from the dictionaries or Commentaries, scan the illustrations from the Graphics viewer - there is literally too much to brag about this program, so check it out for yourself by following the link at the bottom of this article. If you are as impressed with this site and this program as I am, be sure to drop Rick an e-mail and thank him for his ministry.

http://www.e-sword.net

"'e-Sword' is a fast and effective way to study the Bible. 'e-Sword' is feature rich and user friendly with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package. The fact that 'e-Sword' is free is just one of the blessings and does not speak of the quality of the software. I make my living writing software and I believe I have put forth my best effort in this endeavor. The real work, however, was put in by the godly men and women who devoted countless years creating the texts that have been made available for our benefit." - Rick Meyers

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Would you like to know the secret to having an outstanding marriage, the formula for being a terrific mother and a wonderful wife? The answers are not to be found in 'Ms.' or 'Cosmopolitan'. Would you like your husband and your children, your closest intimates to recognize you as a woman worthy of their deepest respect and admiration? The keys are not to be found on 'The View' or even in Oprah's book club. The solution is found in the world's #1 bestseller of all time - The Holy Bible.

With mother's day upon us, there is no better time to reflect on God's principle for the virtuous woman. This blueprint, found in the 31st chapter of Proverbs, is not solely for women and young ladies to study. This truth easily applies to both men and women, young and old. This prescription is essentially true of all virtuous people, but is especially helpful to the young man to determine the make-up of the ideal mate and to the young woman to separate the important from the unimportant, that which will last from that which is fleeting. While this section is written in Hebrew poetic verse (each verse starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and contains a wealth of information dealing with the domestic attributes of a woman fit for the wife of a king, builds and climaxes with the knowledge put forth from verse twenty-five to the end of the chapter.

This strength does not refer to how much she can bench press, but to a courage and magnanimity that speak to her strength of mind. Her glory is a result of this mindset (strength) coupled with the product of her actions (honor). Divine integrity is an attribute of God and is not dependant on anything in Him or anything that He does but honor or integrity in mankind is dependant upon consistently making the right decisions. It is cumulative and based on personal volition. Doctrine and Intellect play a decisive role in guiding the intellect to take the right choice. Her skills in decision-making are not based on the latest fads in pop psychology or on human viewpoint, but she views natural wisdom in the light of the divine wisdom imparted to her through her knowledge of the Scriptures. Her confidence is not in the wisdom of the age, or in her husband, or even in herself and her own abilities but in the changeless, infinite, omniscient God. Her confidence in God produces a constant state of tranquility - a peace of mind that remains steadfast in the face of life's challenges and difficulties.

Paul, the Apostle, in his second letter to the Corinthians, exhorts Christians to be "pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ" - so the virtuous woman brings every thought captive. It allows her to keep on concentrating on Christ and not on the distractions that lead to failure in her life and ministry. Wesley has said, "She is neither sullenly silent, nor full of impertinent talk, but speaks discreetly and piously, as occasion offers. In her tongue - Her speeches are guided by wisdom and grace, and not by inordinate passions. And this practice is called a law in her tongue, because it is constant and customary, and proceeds from an inward and powerful principle of true wisdom." A wise man upon being asked what the appropriate age was to begin the education of a child remarked, "Twenty years before the child is born, with the education of his mother."

The virtuous woman is authentic; she is not a hypocrite. If there is one thing that intimacy exposes, it is hypocrisy. The outside world may only see the mask and may praise the unworthy, but a persons intimates, in this case the children and the husband, see the real person and they recognize her as sincere and genuine. Great athletes, who have received recognition on countless occasions from many different sources, almost unanimously agree that upon serious reflection, it was the recognition that came from their peers and teammates that ultimately meant the most. You see an athlete may receive recognition from sportswriters who have never even seen them play. Their votes and accolades may be the result of sheer numbers they viewed in a sports column or heard of through the grapevine. A high school athlete may win All-state honors and when it is said and done the Team MVP award, voted him by his coaches and teammates was considerably more precious, for the very fact that it was more personal. His coaches see him get to practice everyday hours before the others to be treated for his injuries and they see him stay hours after the hours in dedication to excellence. His fellow athletes have seen him give his all, day after day, in a seemingly insignificant practice, when their were no cameras on and little chance of glory, and they have seen him sweat, and they have shed blood in the same mud as him, when there was no game on the line. His peers see behind the mask and their view is unobstructed. When praise comes from ones intimates it matters not what others may think, and it is a true honor.

Many a young person never sees past outward beauty. She looks great in a bathing suit - the rest is either unimportant or can be "worked out." He has great hair, a fine build, a "well-dressed" man and the life of the party - I can round over the rough edges. It's been said that many a man gets married thinking his wife will never change, and many a woman gets married thinking her husband will - and usually they both end up disappointed. A physically attractive person, an individual with a charming, engaging personality can oftentimes be very shallow. It's been said that charm gives a false representation of the person, being often a cover to a deformed soul. Of course there are exceptions, this does not necessarily have to be the rule, but the point is that in choosing a mate one should have a loftier perspective than that of looking up from your beach towel on Oak St. Beach. Solomon tells us, "Like a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman who turns aside discretion" and "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." So you see, the virtuous woman reveres God. She is not self-absorbed nor is she dependent on her husband, her children, or even herself; but because of her dependence on God and his word she is a wonderful wife, she is a devoted mother. She is not self-deceived so she has clarity of vision that is beyond pettiness; and because she doesn't lie to herself or about herself, she refrains from gossip and maligning others.

Finally, the virtuous woman is confident and is worthy of praise but she does not praise herself. Her confidence is wrapped in humility and therefore devoid of arrogance and the entrapments that come with it. Matthew Henry has put it, "She looks well to the ways of her household, that she may oblige all to do their duty to God and one another, as well as to her. She is intent upon giving as upon getting, and does it freely and cheerfully. She is discreet and obliging; every word she says, shows she governs herself by the rules of wisdom. She not only takes prudent measures herself, but gives prudent advice to others. The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, and shows itself in the tongue. Her heart is full of another world, even when her hands are most busy about this world. Above all, she fears the Lord. Beauty recommends none to God, nor is it any proof of wisdom and goodness, but it has deceived many a man who made his choice of a wife by it. But the fear of God reigning in the heart is the beauty of the soul; it lasts forever. She has firmness to bear up under crosses and disappointments. She shall reflect with comfort when she comes to be old, that she was not idle or useless when young. She shall rejoice in a world to come. She is a great blessing to her relations. If the fruit be good, the tree must have our good word. But she leaves it to her own works to praise her. Every one ought to desire this honour that cometh from God; and according to this standard we all ought to regulate our judgments. This description let all women daily study, who desire to be truly beloved and respected, useful and honourable."

I would only add that this study is for all who desire to be governed by Christian virtue, not just the Godly woman, however, whether you be mother or father, part from these principles and you will have failed as a parent. You may provide a beautiful home for your children; it may even be filled with filial love, with laughter, and with support. You may provide a fine wardrobe for your children and allow them to experience the best things in life; you may provide for the best education that money can buy and the finest preparation for their future careers, but if you haven't seen to the appetite of their souls, you have left them spiritual orphans. Scripture speaks of the things of this world as that which is passing away and we are reminded, "What profit a man who gains the whole world, but loses his soul." While there is no guarantee that this seed will take root in every child (each soul must decide of his own volition), one would be grossly negligent not to impart that which is the most vital information to all humanity - the very Word of Life. The written word that makes manifest the Living Word, that which when accepted takes a person at a point of time and shapes his eternal destiny, establishing a personal relationship with his creator and his savior. This passage in Proverbs 31 puts strength and honor in perspective; it distinguishes the important from the unimportant, the eternal from the temporal.

The Amplified Bible puts it this way in it's marginal notes, "It is most unfortunate that this description of God's ideal woman is usually confined in readers' minds merely to its literal sense - her ability as a homemaker, as in the picture of Martha of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. But it is obvious that far more than that is meant. When the summary of what makes her value "far above rubies": is given (in Prov. 31:30), it is her spiritual life only that is mentioned. One can almost hear the voice of Jesus saying, "Mary has chosen the good portion . . . which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). What a glowing description here recorded of this woman in private life, this "capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman" of Prov. 31! In what way did she "excel them all"? In her spiritual and practical devotion to God, which permeated every area and relationship of her life. All seven of the Christian virtues (II Peter 1:5) are there, like colored threads in a tapestry. Her secret, which is open to everyone, is the Holy Spirit's climax to the story, and to this book. In Prov. 31:30, it becomes clear that the "reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord," which is "the chief and choice part of Wisdom", is put forth as the true foundation for a life which is valued by God and her husband as "far above rubies or pearls."

So this mother's day, let us be thankful to God if in our own experience we have had the privilege of such a mother, and let us rise up and call her blessed.

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The story is told of how a wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't very much, I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.

The man died a few months later. Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, going twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection."

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"

God gave His Son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son inherits everything!

Earthen Vessels -

In biblical times earthen vessels were clay pots that had been thoroughly baked in an oven. They were fraught with imperfections, which meant that no two were exactly alike. Archeologists have discovered that those who lived during that period secretly buried their treasures in clay pots for safekeeping. As we shall see, the master illustrator uses this facet of everyday life to illustrate a grand spiritual truth.

Those who have taken the Son are heirs, joint-heirs with Him. As members of the Body of Christ, we are partakers of His glory, His power, and His reign. In short, we are the recipients of the wealth of heaven! While the believing Gentiles will partake of the blessings of the kingdom, they are not said to be heirs. In the kingdom, heirship is a question of nationality. In the present dispensation of Grace, heirship is based upon relationship. We are one in Him. Therefore, what rightfully belongs to Him, we have come into possession of, and will share it mutually with Him for eternity (Rom. 8:17 cf. Eph. 3:6).

Today when men want to safeguard their riches they place them in vaults made of steel and concrete. But God's ways are not man's ways. God has deposited the riches of His grace in earthen vessels. We need not wait until we arrive in heaven to learn what we presently possess in Christ. We have this treasure, that is, the gospel of the grace of God in earthen vessels. Those who have been saved by grace are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. But what we positionally enjoy in Christ must become a practical reality in the Christian experience if we ever hope to maintain a godly testimony among men. For example, we are forgiven in Christ, but grace teaches us that we are to forgive others even as Christ has forgiven us.

In the year 1818, Tamatoe, King of Huahine, one of the South Sea Islands, believed the gospel. He discovered a plot among his fellow natives to seize him and other converts and burn them to death. However, he organized a band to attack the plotters and captured them unawares. Having exposed the plot, he forgave them, and set a feast before his would-be captors. This unexpected kindness amazed the savages, who burned their idols and became Christians.

But why would God place these unspeakable riches in such an unsecure place? We are unworthy sinners, weak and frail, who have the sentence of death within us. Perhaps the hymn-writer, Robert Robinson, has expressed it best, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." The answer to the question is found in the latter part of our passage. "That the excellency [exceeding greatness] of the power may be of God, and not of us." While others usually think more highly of us than they should, essentially it is the power of God working through us that produces results in the Lord's work.

Many years ago I was invited to minister the gospel at a Bible camp in the Rocky Mountains. On the last evening, I spoke on "The Danger of Falling Into the Hands of An Angry God." Earlier that day I hadn't been feeling well, due to altitude sickness. In addition to being exhausted that night, I was short of breath. At ten thousand feet it doesn't take much to get winded. I now understand why it took Moses so long to return from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone. He undoubtedly had to keep stopping on his way down to catch his breath! As I arose to speak that evening I thought to myself, this is going to be an absolute disaster. It was, or at least I thought it was, until I learned two months later that an entire family was saved that night. Brethren, the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom 1:16).

At the Judgment Seat of Christ no one will be able to boast regarding what he or she has accomplished, for the power is solely of God and not of us. "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." In the final analysis, God will receive all the glory and honor and praise and adoration for the great things He has done. We are merely vessels through whom God has poured out the riches of His grace to a lost and dying world.

What is your attitude toward the Mystery? When the final chapter of your life is written and the book is closed, will you be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"? May you have no regrets at that day!

Paul Sadler is the President of the Berean Bible Society, and is the Editor of "The Berean Searchlight".
To contact Pastor Sadler you can send e-mail to berean@execpc.com or you can write to him at:

Berean Bible Society
PO Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

"The Berean Searchlight" is published monthly and is available free upon request. It will also be the subject of an up and coming Tools and Tips column. We are pleased to have Pastor Sadler as a contributing author to the Grace Perspective.

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In the 16th chapter of John, the Lord Jesus Christ was preparing His disciples for what was going to take place very shortly - His crucifixion, and His departure to His Father. They were unable to grasp all that He was sharing with them. The Lord Jesus leaving them was the worst thing that could happen to them, in their perception. In the three years of walking with Him, they had come to know Him, love Him, and depend on Him. He assured them that He was not leaving them without a comforter, or as orphans. He tried to explain to them that the Holy Spirit would indwell them forever, and would testify of Christ.

None of the disciples understood that the Lord had a perfect provision for them, which would not be available to them until He returned to Heaven. When the Holy Spirit was sent, He would indwell every believer. He would meet all their spiritual needs, and for the first time, indwell every born again believer. What a change in the disciples when they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter, who had denied the Lord three times, boldly stood up and addressed the men of Israel, informing them that they had crucified the Son of God, "who God had raised up."

A very important factor in our Christian life is that God does not push us to do anything we don't want to do. In Grace, we make the decisions in our life in every thing we do. What a difference when we serve Christ because we love Him. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." I Love hearing my husband assure us from the pulpit, referring to this verse, that "God Himself could not invent another blessing beyond what he has provided - even if He tried." No matter what we do for Him, He wants us to do it joyfully.

It is impossible to live the Christian life without His help. The Lord Jesus told His disciples in John 15:5, "for without me ye can do nothing." So many of us have tried to do it in our flesh, and have failed so miserably. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Our greatest need as believers is to have a personal knowledge of God. Our most important priority should be the study of the Bible. It is only through His Word that we learn what a great God we serve. The Bible is given to us by a loving Heavenly Father full of wisdom and knowledge to aid us in a world that seems to have gone mad, to help us live an abundant life and to experience His joy and peace. Psalms 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."

The only way we will benefit from His Word is to know and trust Him. His Word is full of promises and instructions to His children, but unless we know and trust Him, they will be of no benefit. When my husband's pastorate was in Streamwood, Illinois, I went to the beauty shop for a haircut. I sat next to a woman who confided in me that she had been in and out of mental institutions, but nothing seemed to help her. I was excited about sharing with her truths from the Bible. I began to quote Philippians 4:6 which has been of great benefit in my life and to countless other believers - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Halfway through the verse the woman interrupted and finished the quote herself. This was true of every verse I knew that would remove her anxiety and bring her peace. How sad! She was well acquainted with the Bible, but did not believe what she read. Just reading or memorizing the Word of God will be of no help until we realize it is God making these promises to us, and He has never failed to keep all His promises - being faithful to every believer that trusts Him.

From Genesis to Revelation, you will find diamonds, golden nuggets, and precious stones as you study His word. Dear believer, do not limit yourself to a small portion of His word. You will come to know Him better each day, and trust Him more and more as you learn about the heart of God and His love for you.

Do you, as a child of God, realize your wealth in Christ? The wealthiest man or woman, whoever that may be, cannot be compared with our wealth as believers. The wealth of unbelievers benefits only in this life, and they must leave all their wealth behind when they die. We, as born again believers, are the children of the King of Kings, but if that is not enough, we are joint-heirs with Christ. The more we know Him, the greater our desire for His will in our life. As loving children, our greatest joy is to please Him. Our goal in life is to walk worthy of Him. There are so many wonderful experiences to look forward to when we get to Heaven. Spending eternity with our Savior is the most important one, and to be there without a sin nature, and to be able to say for the first time, "I do always those things that please Him."

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I recently received an e-mail arguing against the Biblical teaching that each individual, local assembly should have one pastor. The author stated that "God's Word sets forth a positive, incontrovertible testimony for a multiplicity of shepherding overseers." His argument was based primarily on the fact that the Greek word for 'bishop' sometimes occurs in the plural. For example, he quoted Philippians 1:1 where Paul addresses his audience as, "all of the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops (Gr- episkopos: overseers) and deacons." According to the author, this is conclusive proof that each local assembly had two or more overseers. However, what do the Scriptures teach?

First, as was alluded to above, Scripture makes it clear that the elder is the bishop is the overseer is the pastor. They all refer to the same person, just viewing his office from different functions. We see this by comparing Acts 20:17 with Acts 20:28, and Ephesians 4:11.

Elder
Strong's Greek Dictionary has: "presbuteros, pres-boo´-ter-os; comparative of presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter":- elder(-est), old."

When the Holy Spirit uses this word through the pen of Paul, it doesn't necessarily have to do with how long a man has lived on the earth, rather, it has to do with his age in the faith. Neophytes were not to be in the pulpit (1Timothy 3:6). Timothy, for example, was a mature believer who was relatively young.

In Acts 20:17, Paul calls for the elders of Ephesus to meet him in Miletus. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, Ephesus was "the capital of proconsular Asia," and, "In the time of the Romans it bore the title of 'the first and greatest metropolis of Asia.' It was distinguished for the Temple of Diana (q.v.), who there had her chief shrine; and for its theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators." In such a city as this, would there be only one assembly? If so, how many superintendents would this assembly have had? Two? Three? 18? Everyone?

Bishop
The Greek word 'episkopos' was translated 'bishop' and 'overseer' in the KJV. According to Strong's Greek Dictionary, "episkopos, ep-is´-kop-os; a superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a (or the) church (literally or figuratively):-bishop, overseer." The very definition of the word overseer is 'one who oversees'. Just as Paul speaks of elders of Ephesus, the fact that he greets the bishops in Philippians 1:1 only proves that there was more than one local assembly in Philippi, too. In that entire Roman colony, are we to believe there was only one assembly? Of course not. If a church (a local assembly) has more than one overseer, it really has no overseer. Scripture and logic teach us that each local assembly is to have one man who oversees (gives direction, superintends). Nothing is said in Scripture about a co-director, or a co-superintendent.

Concerning the replacement of Judas with Matthias, Acts 1:20 says "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick (superintendence [Gr. Episkope]) let another take.'" In Matthew 19:28, our Lord told the 12 apostles they would "sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Let us note that each tribe in the coming millennial kingdom shall have but one superintendent; not a "multiplicity," but one.

Pastor
The purpose of believers assembling, or gathering, is to study God's word collectively, and we do this under the overseership, or direction of one pastor. God has given the Body of Christ men to aid us in our studies, our pursuit of theology. Ephesians 4:11 & 12 say that the pastor is to equip all saints for the work of the ministry.

The Greek word for pastor is poimen, and it is translated elsewhere (and most often) as shepherd. Figuratively speaking, the pastor in the Body of Christ is a shepherd; a keeper of sheep. How does a pastor shepherd the flock? He does so by teaching us the word of God. Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us how important it is that we choose the right church, with the right pastor. We need to become spiritually mature. Spiritual maturity is:

• Coming to the unity of the faith (vs. 13). (See also Ephesians 4:3 & 5, and Romans 15:5 & 6). Paul is being specific here. The specific faith he's referring to is that line of teaching revealed to him by the Lord from Heaven, and through Paul to us; what scripture calls the manifold wisdom of God; the unsearchable riches of Christ; the mystery of God; the mystery of Christ. Understanding these deep things of God glorifies God and should be of utmost importance to all believers.
• Arriving at the knowledge of the Son of God (vs. 13). The Greek word epignosis means 'full knowledge', or 'advanced knowledge' It refers to all we can know about our Savior through the Scriptures.
• Being made experientially whole or complete (vs. 13).
• No longer being a child spiritually (vs. 13).
• Having stability (vs. 14). The metaphor is of a ship at sea having no control over its course. See also 2 Peter 3:16-18.
• Growing up in all things in Christ (vs. 15).
• Having a cumulative beneficial effect on other members of the body of Christ (vs. 11 & 16). This is an often overlooked aspect of the local assembly. Believers are to minister to each other, "submitting one to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21) See also Romans 15:7

Matt. 9:36 "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

Matt. 25:32 "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."

John 10:2 "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep."

According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, "The wandering character of life, and the dependence upon flocks, rendered the care of sheep among the most important duties of life, from the earliest time in the East. It is the habit of the shepherd, in the East, to walk before his flock, leading by his voice (John 10:4); the dog following in the rear of it (1 Chronicles 30:1). In leading to and from the pasturage, the mothers are led by the shepherd (Genesis 33:13), who also carries the tender lambs (Isaiah 11:11). The custom of giving names to the members of the flock is still in use; the flock recognizing the shepherd's voice, and answering to their names. The shepherd is also exposed to danger of his life, in the protection of his flock against robbers and wild beasts."

Paul may have had 1 Samuel 17:34 in mind when he spoke of grievous wolves not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29)

A flock of sheep has but one shepherd. The Body of Christ has but one Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and clearly, every local assembly ought to have one shepherd.