Fitly Framed Together
A Sermon on Ephesians 2:20-22
Originally preached June 17, 1956
Scripture
20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of …
Sermon Description
What is the most important part of a building? Some may think the walls or the floor, but it is always the foundation. In the church, it is no different. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:20–22 titled “Fitly Framed Together,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues teaching a further understanding of the nature of the church and the application that truth has for the Christian. Previously, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounded on the importance of the foundation (apostles, prophets, and Christ being the cornerstone), but he turns to the stones being placed on the foundation—the church. First, each stone must be “truly and rightly related to that foundation” and to each other. Each stone (or church member) is different, but is still inseparably tied to the rest of the building. Also, each stone must be connected to the foundation. Ultimately God is the builder, but as Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes, God uses pastors (1 Cor 3:10-15). Dr. Lloyd-Jones issues a warning for pastors that they are careful what they build the church with. Ploys can be used to build big churches, but only those who have a “vital union” with the foundation—Jesus—will last. God is building His church to be “harmoniously fitted together” with true believers of every type of person.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by revisiting Paul's metaphor of the church as a building from Ephesians 2. Paul describes the church as a temple built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone.
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The sermon focuses on our role and position within this building. There are three key points:
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Our relationship to the foundation. We must be built upon and correspond to the foundation of faith in Christ. Anything inconsistent with the foundation will not last.
- Our relationship to the cornerstone. We must be in vital union with Christ, the cornerstone that holds everything together.
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Our relationship to one another. We are fitted together with other believers, like stones in a wall.
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Our relationship to the foundation is crucial. We must be established upon faith in Christ, not just nominal belief. Only those built on the foundation will stand the test of fire.
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Our relationship to Christ is equally important. We must be in vital union with Him, not just believe facts about Him. We are parts of His body.
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The sermon then explores our relationship to one another in depth. We are fitted together like stones in a wall. This involves:
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Choice and selection. Each stone is hand-picked and placed by God. We enter the kingdom one by one.
- Variety. The stones differ in size, shape, and type, like believers. We are not meant to be the same.
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Preparation. The stones must be shaped and fitted to join together. This happens through teaching, discipline, and sometimes chastening.
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The sermon concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding our role in the building and submitting to the shaping and fitting required to join us together. If we do not, we may face consequences in this life and the next.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Church as a Building: Questions and Answers
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teach about the foundation of the church?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the foundation of the church is "the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." This foundation is of absolute central importance, as Jesus illustrated in His parable of the two houses built on rock and sand. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we must never take risks with the foundation of our faith. The chief cornerstone (Christ) is essential because He binds all the subsidiary foundation stones together and supports and unites the entire structure of the church.
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by Christians being "fitly framed together"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that "fitly framed together" is a unique word coined by Paul himself, appearing only in Ephesians 2:21 and 4:16 in the entire Bible. It's a compound word meaning "harmoniously fitted together." The image is of a master builder carefully selecting stones, shaping them individually, and fitting them precisely into place in a wall. This illustrates how believers are individually selected by God, shaped through various means, and placed exactly where they belong in the church. Each Christian has been deliberately and personally chosen to occupy a specific position in God's spiritual temple.
How does Lloyd-Jones address the issue of uniformity versus unity in the church?
Lloyd-Jones strongly critiques the tendency toward sameness or uniformity among Christians. He states: "We are not all meant to be the same as Christians. Our individual characteristics are still to be here." He compares this to stones in a wall that are not identical in size, shape, or function, yet all fit together perfectly. He warns against "mass production" Christianity that produces identical believers who use the same phrases and behave in identical ways. True biblical unity embraces diversity of personality, gifting, and calling while maintaining essential doctrinal unity. Lloyd-Jones calls this "the blessed unity, not the dull, drab uniformity of today."
What process does God use to make believers fit into His church according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, believers must undergo a divine shaping process, like stones that need trimming and chiseling before they can fit properly into a wall. This shaping happens through:
- Preaching and teaching of Scripture
- Personal discipline and application of biblical truth
- Divine chastening when necessary (referencing Hebrews 12)
Lloyd-Jones notes that "some men have needed a lot of chiseling and shaping" while others seem to need less, but all require some preparation. This process removes our "angularities, awkwardnesses" - the rough edges of our character that would prevent us from fitting properly with other believers in God's temple.
Why does Lloyd-Jones express concern about the church only reaching certain types of people?
Lloyd-Jones expresses concern that in his day, Christianity seemed to be "only appealing to a particular type," specifically the middle and respectable classes, while not touching the working classes. He states that this indicates "something wrong radically with our fundamental conception" of Christian ministry. He emphasizes that when the gospel is truly preached, "it touches every section of society." He warns against unconsciously adopting psychological methods that may produce apparent success but fail to build God's true temple. Lloyd-Jones sees this lack of diversity as evidence that the church may be building with "wood, hay and stubble" rather than materials that will endure God's testing.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.