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In Ephesians, Paul spends the first half of the epistle explaining how all people are united in Christ (taking a bit of an excursus at 3:2-13), culminating his message of unity at 4:1-6. Then at 4:7, Paul refocuses the discussion a bit, from "unity" to "diversity in unity." He explains that Christ has given each of us a "grace," or "gift" (4:7). Cleverly, Paul then alters the terminology he uses, at verse 11, in which he says, "Christ himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers...." His wording switches from the pattern "Christ gave a gift to each individual," to "Christ gave each individual to the Body." Their purpose being, he explains, "to equip"—to enable, to facilitate—"his people for the job of serving, so that the body of Christ may be built up to the point that we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, which means attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (v. 12-13). So, we know these roles continue to function in the Body, because it says "to the point that," "until we all reach/attain" (TNIV, ESV, CSB, NASB, etc.), or "this will/must continue until" (NLT, CEV, NCV, etc.).

At verse 14, Paul says, "Then"—meaning, when these roles are in full and balanced expression in the Body, when diversity is facilitated through the unity of Christ's people—"Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (NLT) At this point, Paul briefly summarizes his point about diversity in the one Body, saying, "As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (NLT)

Now, Paul continues with the epistle, spinning off practical implications of these truths, not diverting from his primary subject in order to explain each of the roles mentioned at 4:11; but, being himself an apostle, Paul already explained the "apostolic" role in chapter 3.

Let's take a look at that section (which we mentioned earlier as an excursus, or digression). It is important to note how he uses the word "oikonomia" at verses 2 and 9. Many words are used for it in different translations, such as: "administration" or "plan." "Oikonomia" etymologically is "house-law," meaning "house agenda," "household management," or "family administration." It is the word from which comes our word "economy." The idea is "God's overall strategy," or, "God's way about things." The way we see it portrayed contextually in Ephesians includes 1) God's plan of redemption for all nations, whether Jew or Gentile, to be united in Christ, through the Gospel, and 2) God's plan for the Body of Christ to be the fullest expression of Christ (the revelation of "the fullness of Christ") on Earth—the embodiment of the Messiah. Paul calls this oikonomia "the mystery made known to me ["for you" (v. 2)] by revelation" (v. 3) and defines it: "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus" (v. 6). Paul explains that his role—the role of an "apostle"—is to further this Gospel globally: "to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and," he says, "to illuminate"—to illustrate—"to everyone the strategy [oikonomia, the way it works] of this mystery" (v. 8-9). Thus, we see that the role of an apostle is stewardship of God's overall plan of redemption, which is two-fold: 1) furthering the Gospel in the hearts and lives of all people of all ethnic groups, which includes 2) constructively correcting and pushing onward the practical strategies of the Kingdom to the furtherance of that Gospel.

We might summarize the "oikonomia" in this way: "the DNA of the Body of Christ." The role of the apostle is to protect that DNA from genetic corruption, thus promoting the healthy, organic growth of the Body. The most central element of the DNA of the Body of Christ is the truth about Christ and how He unites us. As the Gospel unites individuals with Christ, it unites those individuals with each other. This understanding of being "in Christ" or "united with Christ" is where christology (the study of Christ), soteriology (the study of salvation), missiology (the study of the mission of God's people), and ecclesiology (the study of the church) meet and themselves unite into one.

"All peoples one in Christ" might be said to be the theme here in Ephesians, and adeptly presents a unified theology for the church.

Finally, in this discussion of the role of an apostle, Paul ties up with "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." This is how Christ unites us. As we now, in freedom and confidence, approach God because we know we are in Christ, we meet each other at His throne. This what the Gospel is. It is the good news that we are united with Christ, and, if we are united with Christ, we are united with all those who are also united with Him. This is why the term "the Body of Christ" is the perfect, succinct analogy. If I am a part of the Body of Christ, then I am intimately and inseparably connected with Christ, who is the Head of the Body, and if I am a part of the Body of Christ, then I am intimately and inseparably connected with all the other parts under that Head.