In our last issue, we saw that God envisions His Church as a New Covenant community where all kinds of people, both Jews and Gentiles, come together as social barriers fall.

In Ephesians 4, Paul reminds us of the basis or foundation for Christian unity:

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. (Eph 4:4-6, NIV)

First, we share a common "God and Father." There is only one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has chosen to relate to us as a loving "Abba Father" (see Rom 8:15-17).

Second, we share a common "Lord." This one God has revealed Himself to us by becoming incarnate in the man Jesus Christ (see Col 2:9). Therefore we shun all idols -- all rival gods -- by worshipping and serving Him alone. As Paul says elsewhere,

We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor 8:4-6)

Third, we share a common "Spirit" as this one God/Christ fills us with His presence and, little by little, transforms us into His likeness (see 2 Cor 3:18; Gal 5:22-25).

Fourth, we share a common "faith" or commitment to God/Christ/Spirit as Lord of our lives. We make Him the center and focus of our existence by allowing Him to shape our goals and priorities, our relationships and lifestyles, our motives and mission. (On "faith" as "commitment," see Bare Roots 15.1.)

Fifth, we share a common "baptism," which is a public expression of our faith-commitment to God/Christ/Spirit as Lord. Jesus went to his death because he was committed to doing God's will. Likewise, we "die with Christ" by doing God's will -- even if it kills us (see Bare Roots 1.3).

Sixth, we share a common "hope" for the promised resurrection of the righteous and the Consummation of God's Kingdom Rule (see Eph 1:18-21; Col 1:5; 1 Thes 5:8).

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Rom 6:5, RSV)

Seventh, we are members of one "Body," with Christ as Head (see Eph 1:22-23; 4:15-16; 5:23) and God's Spirit as its animating force (see Eph 2:22). Through his Body, the Lord continues to impact the world.

Note that all seven of these commonalities bind us to the one God, "who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:6, NIV).

What Christians share in common should surely outweigh any differences between us. For if two believers worship the same God, and are filled with the same Spirit, and serve the same Lord, and seek the best for his Body, then surely they can find some arrangement or compromise that meets the needs of both and enables them to live and work in harmony.

God has given His Church the gift of unity. Paul therefore urges us to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph 4:3). How? Paul shows us the way:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Eph 4:2)

Reflect...

1. In Ephesians 4:6, Paul describes God as "over all and through all and in all." What does this statement mean? For clues, read the following texts where the Apostle uses similar language: Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 8:4-6; 15:28; Eph 1:22-23; 4:10; and Col 3:11. William Barclay paraphrases Paul's statement as follows: "[Christians] live in a God-created, God-controlled, God-sustained, God-filled world." Does this paraphrase capture Paul's meaning, or does the Apostle have still more in mind?
   
   
2. According to Paul, Christians do not die Christ's death. Instead, we die "a death like his [death]." What does Paul mean by "dying with Christ," and how is baptism a public display of this "death"? (See Romans 6:1-14 and Bare Roots 1.3.)
   
   
3. Is there a rift between you and another Christian? How can you restore unity by being "completely humble and gentle...patient, bearing with one another in love"?

Christopher A. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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