...so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Eph 4:14).
"There's a mighty wind a-blowin' and it's blowin' you and me." You won't find these words in Proverbs or the Psalms. It's not from the Sermon on the Mount. These are the lyrics from the title song of the mockumentary "A Mighty Wind." OK, maybe it's a stretch to compare Paul's warning to his Ephesian friends to a Christopher Guest comedy. But can you give me a moment? Thanks. The apostle sounds the alarm for the people of Ephesus. A storm's coming. A huge hurricane of heresy. And it's going to make landfall in their city. He wants them to take all the proper precautions by remembering who Jesus is and what He's done "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (v14).
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'!
In many ways, this verse reveals Paul's purpose in writing to this church. These are his friends. He spent three years in the big seaport city telling folks about Jesus (Acts 19; 20:31). But during his time in Roman custody waiting for his appeal, he's gotten word of a nasty heresy that's hit believers just down the road in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea. Epaphras, the Colossian pastor, needed Paul's help and pleaded with him to get his church back on the rails. It seems a team of spiritual snake oil salesmen had rolled into the region and duped Jesus' followers with a little scriptural slight of hand. They fooled folks into believing Jesus was good but not God. He might have saved them but they had to make sure they stayed saved through a complicated list of religious rules (Col 2:16-23). And these believers were in luck! These hucksters had the list and were happy to sell it to them for 12 easy payments of $199.95!! (OK, I may have made that last part up, but it's not too much of an exaggeration.)
After writing the letter of correction to the Colossians, Paul fires off another note to the Ephesians. If the note to Colossae is a treatment for the disease, the letter to Ephesus is an inoculation against it. Or think of it this way. The storm has already slammed Jesus' followers in those churches. Paul gives them instructions on rebuilding. Now the apostle acts as a spiritual version of the National Hurricane Center. A storm's coming. A BIG storm. A cat 5 hurricane. Take cover. If the Ephesians hang on to the unmovable Rock of Jesus, they'll be safe.
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'!
This heretical hurricane is pushing a large storm surge out ahead of it. If we're not careful, we'll be "tossed to and fro by the waves" (v14). Paul uses the Greek verb kludonizomai, which means to be thrown around by the waves, a violent agitation of the sea that’s rapidly fluctuating. It describes when someone frequently changes their way of thinking. It's only used one time in the Bible. You're looking at it. Massive swells. Huge storm surge. And it's headed our way!
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'!
If we don't take proper precautions, we'll be "carried about" by the winds and storm surge that's on the horizon. Paul doesn't jack around when it comes to hurricanes, whether they're meteorological or doctrinal. He knows firsthand what it's like to ride the storm out on a ship on the ocean (Acts 27:13-44). And he's seen the damage that wicked and evil winds can do to a local church. It's happened in Galatia. Now it's happened again in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea. And it's headed straight for Ephesus! "Wind" is rather mild translation. The original Greek term means a violent, gale force wind. Put up the storm shutters! Tie everything down! This is gonna be bad!
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'!
But wait a minute. Maybe this storm's not so bad. Maybe what happened just 100 miles down the road was simply an honest mistake. Maybe someone just has a difference of opinion. Maybe this is just a different interpretation. The apostle makes it absolutely and perfectly clear that this is NOT the case. There's evil intent behind all of this. He wants to make sure that we won't be blown around about "by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (v14). Take another look at Paul's warning. Cunning. Craftiness. Deceitful. Schemes.
There's no honest mistake here. These are bad men with evil intentions. Don't believe me? Let's drill down on the original text. "Cunning" is the Greek noun kubeia. It means trickery, slight of hand, cheating while gambling. Think loaded dice and marked cards. These hucksters have done everything to insure they'll come out on top. What we believe can't be a crapshoot! Next is "craftiness" (Gr. panourgia), which is trickery, cunning, treachery and willingness to do anything to gain an advantage. These snakes will pull out every trick in the book. They are "deceitful" (Gr. methodeia). This describes trickery, a crafty strategy, cunning attack, scheming with the intent to deceive. There's no honest mistake being made. They have a plot. They have a plan. It's no mistake that just bit later the apostle will warn us of "the schemes (Gr. methodeia) of the devil" (Eph 6:11). And if you're not convinced yet, next we read of their "schemes" (v14). This is the Greek noun plane. A delusion or deception which leads to deceit or fraud or leading someone astray. This demonic deception has drawn a bead on Ephesus. It's not a matter of if, but when.
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'!
I've got bad news and I've got good news. The bad news: a heretical hurricane is headed for your church too. The good news: Jesus is STILL unmovable and unshakable. The best place of refuge and safety will always be the Rock of our salvation. He never changes. Ever. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings" (Heb 13:8-9).
There's a mighty wind a-blowin'! But there's a Rock that will not be moved.
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