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All teachings that are different from the unique revelation of God’s New Testament economy are considered by the apostles as winds of teaching—Eph. 4:14.
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As members of the Body, we should no longer be “little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error”—v. 14:
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Little children refers to those believers who are young in Christ, lacking maturity in life—1 Cor. 3:1; Eph. 4:13, 15.
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The waves are stirred up by winds of different teaching, doctrines, concepts, and opinions sent by Satan to entice the believers in order to carry them away from Christ and the church—1 Tim. 1:3-4; Eph. 4:14:
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It is difficult for infants in Christ to discern these; the only way to escape from the waves that are stirred up by the winds of teaching is to grow in life, and the safe way to grow in life is to stay in the proper church life with Christ and the church as the safeguard—vv. 13-15.
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Any teaching, even a scriptural one, that distracts believers from Christ and the church is a wind that carries them away from God’s eternal purpose—v. 14.
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We need to see the intrinsic factor of the winds of teaching—v. 14:
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An intrinsic factor is a hidden factor, a factor that is not apparent.
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To see this intrinsic factor, we need a proper and sharp understanding that can penetrate into the whole situation.
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:14-15 That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error, but holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ.We need to see the intrinsic factor of the winds of teaching for their purpose. An intrinsic factor is a hidden factor. It is a factor that is not apparent. To see this intrinsic factor, we need a proper and sharp understanding that can penetrate into the whole situation. Every wind of teaching apparently is very good. If it were not good in appearance, no one would accept it. However, within the winds of teaching, intrinsically, is something different that is not good.
[In Ephesians 4:14] in the sleight of men is in apposition to in craftiness, which is “with a view to a system of error.” The sleight in this verse is of men, and the system of error is of Satan. Man has the sleight, the craftiness, but man is not able to have a system in the universe. Satan is the one who is able to have a system of error. Man’s sleight, man’s craftiness, is related to the satanic system of error. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 4, “The Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ to Be the Organism of the Processed and Dispensing Triune God,” p. 322)
Today’s Reading
Ephesians 4:14 may be considered as the conclusion of the history of Christianity. Christianity is full of the sleight, the craftiness, of men. The word for sleight in Greek signifies the cheating of dice players. A crafty gambler knows how to play dice in order to cheat his opponent.…The history of Christianity shows us that there can be cheating and deception in a so-called Christian teaching.We need to see what the winds of teaching are. These winds are the devilish blowings of the evil one. The purpose of the winds of teaching is the evil purpose of the enemy Satan, which is versus the eternal economy of God. Their purpose is to overthrow the faith of some believers. Some of the saints’ faith has been overthrown by the winds of teaching. They may not oppose the Lord’s recovery, but they have lost their faith in the Lord’s recovery. They are neutral. They do not come to the meetings regularly, and they are not so concerned about the Lord’s interest as they once were. They have been spoiled.
The purpose of the winds of teaching is to devastate the church life (Acts 8:3). This is what Saul of Tarsus did before he became Paul the apostle. Also, the purpose of the winds of teaching is to frustrate the building up of the organic Body of Christ, to tear down the building up of the organic Body of Christ, and to divide the members of the organic Body of Christ—causing endless divisions (sects) in hatred and jealousy, instead of keeping the unique oneness of the Body of Christ in love and kindness (1 Cor. 1:10-11). According to our past history, the instigators of any storm in the recovery all became very divisive. They even divide among themselves. Their division is endless. There is no love or kindness with them. What they do is full of hatred and jealousy.
Now we have seen the purpose of the winds of teaching and their intrinsic factor, which is the sleight of men in craftiness with a view to bring people, to usher people, into a satanic system of error. Those who get brought into Satan’s system of error are finished with the building up of the Body of Christ in the central lane of God’s New Testament economy. I am so thankful to the Lord that the majority of the saints in the churches have the proper discernment. They will not be shaken, tossed about, or carried away. (CWWL, 1989, vol. 4, “The Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ to be the Organism of the Processed and Dispensing Triune God,” pp. 322, 329-330)
Further Reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 44,70; CWWL,1977, vol. 3, “One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man,” ch. 6