Reading… and Thinking

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

— Ephesians 4:9-10 (NIV)

God’s purpose for the universe is unity. In the first chapter, Paul says, “He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” (1:9-10)

The unifying process has already begun. For example, in Christ, already the distinction between Jew and Gentile has been eliminated. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (2:14-16, the context shows that “the two” are Jew and Gentile)

Jesus Christ is the unifying factor. All are to be brought into unity, “under one head”, as some translations put it. But it is evident that not everyone will accept the headship of Christ. And this divides humanity into two parts—the part that is being brought into one in Christ, and the part that is going to perish. Judgment fits into the purpose of God, in that it removes all that is not “one” in Christ.

The great fourth chapter of this letter is Paul’s plea for unity among brethren. He begins by laying out just what it is that unifies us: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. These seven unities reflect the unity of the purpose and the character of God. This is about as close as the New Testament comes to a statement of essential doctrine. If you take the time to explore the implications of these seven unities, you will find that they cover everything we sometimes call “first principles”, the essential elements of the true gospel.

Paul’s particular purpose here is to explore the first element—the one body. His points in the rest of the chapter:

• We have been given gifts, for equipping us, and for building up the one body.
• We are growing up together into one head, Christ.
• The body is held together by the contribution of every individual part, when the parts are working correctly.
• “Working correctly” includes speaking nothing but the truth to each other, and loving one another. Truthfulness is particularly emphasized.
• Our former manner of life, characterized by ignorance, hardness of heart, greed, and evildoing, is destructive of the unity God wants. These must be left behind entirely, must no longer be influences.
• How we use our mouth matters. We can use it to build up and give grace, but not if we permit unwholesome communication to come out of it.
• We must be tender-hearted and forgiving to one another. (Which implies that our brethren won’t be perfect—they will need our forgiveness.) The alternative is to harbor bitterness, anger, infighting, and speaking ill of each other. These activities spell defeat for the one body, and those who practice them will perish.

The fact that Paul pleads for the brethren to practice unity is instructive. Alone of all Paul’s letters, this one has not one word of rebuke. It appears that the recipients were in good shape doctrinally and spiritually. Yet they still needed to be begged on this point (the language really does indicate abject begging). I think this tells us that being “one” doesn’t come easy. It takes real effort. Above all, it takes submitting ourselves to our one Head.