If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to start with 1 (Intro) and then continue in order.
Ephesians 4:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)
"4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Ephesians is all about unity! Back in chapter 1, Paul shares that God's will and purpose "which he set forth in Christ" was "to unite all things in him [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth." (1:9-10). That focus on unity is seen here as Paul exhorts us to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Then he shows this unity by stating there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God; all of these "ones" just emphasize this unity. And then, to really seal the deal, he goes on to say that God is the Father of all, over all, through all, and in all; which is another way of emphasizing this unity! Right before this, Paul shows us how to keep our unity when he urges us to walk with all humility and gentleness. We can easily see how pride, selfishness, and harshness would be divisive; and how important humility is if we are eager to maintain unity! Patience here would be better translated as long suffering, with the idea that others are going to do things that we don't like. And when they sin against us, we need to bear with them in love, loving them with our actions even, or especially when we don't feel like it!
Another aspect to this unity is the diversity of gifts Christ has given us. "11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry." And the purpose of the gifts was "for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." So Christ gave different gifts to people in the church so that we could be one, be unified and attain to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (4:13)
Finally, Paul gives us a picture of this unity when he compares the saints to a body: "15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Which reminds us of Ephesians 2:
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Here Paul is comparing the saints to a building. What do these two sections have in common? They both talk about being joined together, growing (4:16 and 2:21) and the body either being built up or built together! (4:16 and 2:22)
God had been using the book of Ephesians to show me how important the unity of the body of Christ is, how I am tempted to come against this unity, how I need to be "eager to maintain" this unity, and how I can do that!
Ephesians 4:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)
"4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Ephesians is all about unity! Back in chapter 1, Paul shares that God's will and purpose "which he set forth in Christ" was "to unite all things in him [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth." (1:9-10). That focus on unity is seen here as Paul exhorts us to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Then he shows this unity by stating there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God; all of these "ones" just emphasize this unity. And then, to really seal the deal, he goes on to say that God is the Father of all, over all, through all, and in all; which is another way of emphasizing this unity! Right before this, Paul shows us how to keep our unity when he urges us to walk with all humility and gentleness. We can easily see how pride, selfishness, and harshness would be divisive; and how important humility is if we are eager to maintain unity! Patience here would be better translated as long suffering, with the idea that others are going to do things that we don't like. And when they sin against us, we need to bear with them in love, loving them with our actions even, or especially when we don't feel like it!
Another aspect to this unity is the diversity of gifts Christ has given us. "11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry." And the purpose of the gifts was "for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." So Christ gave different gifts to people in the church so that we could be one, be unified and attain to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (4:13)
Finally, Paul gives us a picture of this unity when he compares the saints to a body: "15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Which reminds us of Ephesians 2:
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Here Paul is comparing the saints to a building. What do these two sections have in common? They both talk about being joined together, growing (4:16 and 2:21) and the body either being built up or built together! (4:16 and 2:22)
God had been using the book of Ephesians to show me how important the unity of the body of Christ is, how I am tempted to come against this unity, how I need to be "eager to maintain" this unity, and how I can do that!
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