Unity in Ephesians 4

What is Paul’s purpose in writing Ephesians 4:4-6? The passage is often examined and sometimes misapplied. To achieve an adequate understanding of these verses, let’s consider them in light of the earlier context of the letter.

The Book of Ephesians is about Jesus and His church—not to mention the spiritual growth of Christians who are part of the church. The word church appears 77 times in the King James Version of the Bible; 18 of those are found in Acts; 16 in 1 Corinthians; 9 in Ephesians; 7 in Revelation, and other references are scattered throughout the New Testament. The plural, churches, appears 6 more times (out of 37) in 1 Corinthians, 8 times in 2 Corinthians, and 13 times in Revelation. A synonym for the church, the body, is found 9 times in Ephesians. That the church/body is found 18 times in the 6 chapters of Ephesians is remarkable.

Unity

The word unity can only be found 3 times in the entire Bible, and two of those are in Ephesians. The Old Testament verse is Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Isn’t this the concept that Paul is pushing in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:3, 13? Can we fail to remember that Jesus repeatedly prayed for His disciples to be one (united)? We usually cite John 17:20-21, but also note verses 11, 22, and 23.

That unity existed at first in the church. Note that after Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles “continued with one accord in supplication and thanksgiving” (Acts 1:14), “were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1), were “continuing daily with one accord in the temple and in breaking bread from house to house” (Acts 2:46), “did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46), “lifted up their voice to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24), “were of one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32) and “were all with one accord on Solomon’s porch” (Acts 5:12).

Many churches contained both Jews and Gentiles. Paul stresses the importance of unity in Christ in spite of the fact that both groups had different backgrounds and traditions. Prior to their obeying the gospel, the Gentiles were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Because of the blood of Jesus, that situation changed (v. 13). Jesus made peace between the Jews and the Gentiles and broke down “the middle wall of separation” (v. 14).

Jesus “abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” From these two diverse groups, then, He made one new people, thus making peace between them (v. 15). The enmity was put to death and both groups are reconciled “in one body through the cross” (v. 17). Whereas before the two groups were divided, they now “have access by one Spirit to the Father” (v. 18).

If Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) can be united together in the body of Christ, then citizens of all nations and races, can likewise enjoy the unity that God designed for there to exist in the church. Both can be members of the household of God (v. 19), which is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (v. 20).

That these two groups should be fellow heirs, part of the same body, “and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” was a mystery, which God made known to Paul and which he, in turn, made known to others (3:1-7). In response to all these things (and more), Paul begs the Corinthians “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (4:1). How are they to accomplish that goal? Paul lists five characteristics they need to possess in order to succeed.

First, they must walk humbly before their brethren (lowliness). Pride (whether in one’s race, accomplishments, or wealth) will stand in the way of unity. Second, we must not yell or lose our tempers; we should treat one another with gentleness. Third, let us not forget patience. What we ourselves need, we must be willing to grant. Fourth involves “bearing with one another in love” (Matt. 22:39). Adopting these attitudes will go a long way in maintaining unity in the church.

The fifth prescription involves “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). The first definition of the word translated “endeavoring” is “to hasten” or “to make haste”; the second definition is the more likely for this text: “to exert one’s self, endeavor, give diligence.” In 2 Peter 1:10, it’s translated: “give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” We might be tempted to think that it is not that difficult to have peace in a congregation, but as long as the church contains human beings, peace will be at risk. So, efforts must be expended to make sure that harmony prevails.

One Body

Paul then lists seven concepts upon which all Christians (whether from Jewish or Gentile backgrounds) are united. The first pertains to the church—we are one body. Paul has already dealt with that back in chapter 2, as noted previously in this article. There is not a Gentile body and a Jewish church. Both meet together for worship of God “in spirt and in truth” (John 4:24).

Jesus only established one church (body), according to Matthew 16:18. Our Savior purchased with His own blood only one church (Acts 20:28). He is the head of only one body—one church (Eph. 1;22-23). He is the Savior of the body (the church) (Eph. 5:23).

In the first century, one never reads (with approval) of divisions within the Lord’s church. Corinth had them, and Paul denounced such a situation (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:1-9). It is a mystery that in modern times people are satisfied with denominationalism, although it is completely unauthorized in the New Testament. People act as though it is normal when it clearly defies the very point Paul is making about the one body. To agree that there are two or more churches in existence would be equal to claiming that there are also two (or more) Lords, two Fathers, and two Spirits. If not, why not?

One Spirit

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, there is only one. He has had various tasks since the beginning of the world, but one of the most important is inspiring the Word to be written for all mankind. There are not two Holy Spirits—one for Jews and one for Gentiles. Neither is there one for North and South America and one for the rest of the world. The word revealed by the Holy Spirit is both true and consistent; His inspired Book is a safe guide for all of us (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Many people today are quick to say that the Holy Spirit told them to do this or that. He did not. One way to tell is if He told someone to violate the Scriptures—that we know He gave! He could never contradict what the Bible teaches. People erroneously affirm that the Holy Spirit told them to kill someone or commit fornication with a particular person. Such cannot be. That would make two Spirits disagreeing with each other—and one of them would not be holy.

One Hope

Jesus is our one hope, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27; 1 Tim. 1:1). The resurrection proved, beyond all dispute, that Jesus is the Son of God and that salvation is available through Him (Acts 4:12). He is our living hope, and he has begotten us “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away”: furthermore, it is reserved in heaven for the faithful Christian (1 Peter 1:3-4). Satan has nothing to offer but pleasure in the here and now; he cannot guarantee anything good in the world to come. Jesus and His blood are our only hope.

One Lord

As already pointed out, this one Lord is the basis for our one hope. The word Lord, however, should not be glossed over. To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to pledge obedience and loyalty to Him. Jesus once asked: “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” When a Lord commands, his servants are expected to obey. He has all authority, which Jesus claimed to have in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed “that God has made this same Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). He is the One who has all authority and who must be obeyed. In fact, He is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9). Since Jesus has all authority, there can be no other Lord.

One Faith

The reference here is not to anyone’s personal faith but rather to “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude). In this instance, faith is used interchangeably with doctrine, which encompasses every major teaching of theology and morality. For example, what does the Bible teach about free will? Mankind has it (Gen. 4:7). God told Cain that he had a choice to do good or evil; he chose evil.

What does God teach about salvation? In addition to what everybody agrees to—the necessity of faith; man also needs to repent (Luke 13:3) and be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). Man has no authority to minimize repentance or baptism when these commands were given by the one Lord and the one Spirit through the apostles.

Worship cannot be changed to suit mankind (using Dr. Pepper, for example, as per the article on the front page); the one Spirit revealed what God wants with respect to worship. Likewise, He gives commands governing moral behavior, and they are highlighted in various lists of sins (Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8, et al.). All of these teachings are part of “the faith.”

One Baptism

During Jesus’ lifetime (and not counting the baptism of suffering), there were three baptisms that had been widely practiced. The first was the baptism John administered “for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Many were baptized by Jesus for the same reason (John 4:1-2). Jesus Himself was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 4:13-15), but He was the only one ever to be baptized for that reason. Baptism in the Holy Spirit had been promised, but it was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the apostles received it.

Baptism in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins is the only one of these being used when Paul wrote these words; it is the only baptism that persists today (Acts 2:38). Some wonder about sprinkling, but no one in the New Testament ever had water sprinkled on them. Baptism means “immersion.” So, there is one baptism and only one valid form of baptism.

One Father

All of the Pagan, Greek, and Roman gods and goddesses were merely fiction. Just as the Baals could not beat Jehovah in a contest, neither can any of the deities man has invented conquer the true and living God. Only the Father had the ability to create the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). He is the one to whom we pray (Matt. 6:9-13)—the One Who hears and answers prayer. One did not imagine Him; He imagined us and brought us into the world He created for us. No other being can match His power, love, and benevolence. This “one,” along with the other six, provides the basis for unity in the one body of Christ.