Unity in Jesus. A study from Ephesians 3 & 4 - Part 2

Introduction

In part one of this study we looked at Paul’s belief that all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, are part of one family. We are all part of God’s family, and as such all sharers in the promises given to Israel throughout the Old Testament. This speaks to us of the importance and power of unity, within both the local and universal church.

Paul now moves on to pray for the believers in Ephesus, and this prayer is valid for us today. Looking closely at this prayer we will find lessons we need to learn, and apply today.

Paul’s Prayer

This prayer has two main parts; that those Paul is praying for would know the reality of the love of God, and the power of having Christ dwell in them. As we read this we can pray this prayer for ourselves and our fellow believers.

Let’s pick out some key points from this prayer.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Ephesians 3: 16-17

Paul, in these two verses, shows us once again the unity within the trinity. We have God, the Spirit, and Jesus all working together in the heart and mind of the believer. What is interesting here, and is often spoken of in modern, individualistic, society is the phrase “Christ may dwell in you”. This is true, as believers Christ comes to dwell in us. However, in the context of the letter so far, and what is to come, this is a small part of the picture of the unified body of Christ. To over emphasise this part is to place too much emphasis on the individual.

“In fact, Paul speaks far more often of Christians being ‘in Christ’ than of Christ being ‘in Christians’. It is important to see our individual experience within the larger picture of membership in God’s family in the Messiah, within the worldwide plan Paul has been talking of in these three chapters.”

(Wright, T. Paul for Everyone, The Prison Letters, 2002, p40)

As we are in Christ and Christ dwells in us, what is the power Paul speaks of?

There are two parts to this portion of the prayer. First, that God may make us strong in power, and second that we may be established in love. The first idea is one Paul comes back to in chapter six as he details the armour of God. We are strengthened by God so that we may stand firm, and live and work for God.

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4: 13

The word for strength in Philippians, and the word for power in Ephesians have the same root in Greek, ‘dynamis’. For Paul part of the work of the Spirit, and the reason we have Christ dwell in us is to enable us to stand firm for Him. A key component of this is that we are established and rooted in love, a point Paul is often keen to make, see 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 for example.

All of this, Paul prays, comes out of God’s glorious riches (verse 16), much like the grace and salvation we have received (Ephesians 1: 17). What is important here is that God gives us not simply out of His stores, but in accordance with His riches. Here in Ephesians we have the Greek word ‘kata’, which is translated as ‘according to’, or ‘out of’. It is the same word used in Philippians 4: 19, where Paul says that His God is enough to meet all needs.

The difference between giving out of the store, and in accordance with the store is subtle but vital. Jesus helps us to see the difference, take a moment to read Mark 12: 41 - 44.

The wealthy gave out of their treasure, not according to it. The woman gave according to what she had and according to who God is. What Paul is praying for is that God would strengthen us according to His riches. This is a request for abundance, that we would receive the abundance of God’s love and power strengthening us and enabling us to stand firm.

Personal Question

• Spend time asking Jesus to dwell in you, and strengthen you to stand firm for Him.

• Confess areas where standing firm is hard.

• Commit again to remaining Jesus.

Unity in response to our calling

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Ephesians 4: 1

The NIV opens chapter 4 with the word “then”, but other translations start with “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called”, (RSV). It is the word “therefore”, or “then” in the NIV, that deserves some attention.

This simple word links all that has gone before with all that is still to come. It is important to understand that because all that is to come is about the challenge of living a life worthy of the calling, of living in response to what God has done, as Paul has detailed in the opening three chapters.

“The temptation to substitute the “therefore” of earned merit for the therefore of unearned grace besets all religion.”

(The Interpreter’s Bible vol 10, 1978, p682)

So remembering all that has been said in the opening three chapters helps us to see this as a “therefore of unearned grace”. This is worth remembering in all our study of scripture; when we read a “therefore” it is often one of unearned grace.

In this context it is key to note this because the exhortation to live for Jesus is challenging us to respond to what has already been given.

“He is referring to the even more basic ‘calling’ of the gospel itself, summoning people to believe in Jesus as the risen Lord and king and to give him complete and undivided allegiance for the rest of their lives.”

(Wright T, Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters, 2002, p43)

We are urged, by Paul, to live in response to the grace and love and mercy we have received through Jesus.

Paul goes on to outline the sort of relationship we ought to have with one another.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4: 2-3

The key part of this, for me, is love and peace. In love and peace we are to think more of others and less of ourselves. There is an effort involved here. Often it can be hard to find peace with people, often it can be hard to think highly of others, and equally hard to think in balance about ourselves. In his letter to Philippi Paul talks about peace.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4: 4-7

Reading these verses we see that the peace, and love Paul writes of in Ephesians, and humility and gentleness and patience he calls us to, is found only when we focus on Jesus. When we rejoice in Him, give thanks to Him, and unburden ourselves with Him. Then we can find this peace, and this peace brings unity to the body of Christ, the Church.

As we read Paul we see a grander picture of unity. Yes, within one local church family there is a call to unity, but more than that.

“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: 4-6

One God, one body. The word for body here is ‘sōma’, which means the body as a whole. Paul is referring to the entire collection of believers. This is also written at a time before church streams, or denominations were established. The challenge for us today is two-fold:

1. we should work for unity within our own local church family,

2. we should work for and defend unity within the universal Church; across the whole body.

Personal Question

• Spend time thanking God for your local church family.

• Give thanks for His whole Church and ask for the opportunity to develop unity across the whole body.

Grace to build the body

Having stressed the need for, and calling to, unity in the body Paul now ensures we do not confuse that with uniformity.

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it”

Ephesians 4: 7

This grace, apportioned by Christ, gives out different gifts; we are not uniform. It comes from Christ so no individual may boast. Each person is different so we all need each other. Paul is saying God seeks unity but not uniformity.

What follows, in verses 8-10, is perhaps the most puzzling few verses in the whole letter. It is important to try to understand them as they play a vital role in grasping our freedom in Christ, and this idea of unity not uniformity.

To understand why Paul is quoting Psalm 68: 18 we can revisit the story of Exodus. God rescues Israel from slavery and leads them out of Egypt, destroying their captors as they go. Then Moses ascends Mt Sinai and returns with the law, a gift given by God.

When we consider what Christ has done we can see it in similar terms. Christ has led the great exodus, leading us out of captivity, out of slavery to sin and death, and into the fullness of life found only in Him. He has completely destroyed our captor and brought real freedom. Then He has ascended to heaven, the Spirit then descends and it is through the Spirit the Church receives gifts, power, and life.

Personal Question

• Thank Jesus for your freedom, which is found only in Him.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you more, and empower you to live for Jesus.

Gifts to build the body

Continuing with this idea of the Spirit given out such that there is unity but not uniformity Paul moves on to outline the gifts given to the Church.

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4: 11-13

Our focus here is not on the roles mentioned specifically, perhaps another study will look at what those roles are and how they function in the local church. The main point to draw out here is the variety. Paul made a similar point about the gifts of the Spirit in his first letter to Corinth, 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11. For us it is important to realise that there is great variety; it is good for each of us to have different gifts, different expressions of those gifts, and different places where we use those gifts. Why? So that we may be built up in unity and maturity.

Each of these roles plays a vital part in the life of the early Church and, I believe, a vital role in the Church today as we seek to be united around Jesus and to grow and mature in our faith.

As we are united in and around Jesus, as we know Him we become mature. This deeper connection with Jesus has two out-workings:

1. works of service,

2. steadfastness.

“...to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

Ephesians 4: 12

These works of service help to build the body, but they are also the result of those roles God has given the Church.

“The church is increased and built up, and its members are edified, as each member uses his or her particular gifts as the Lord of the church ordains, and thus gives spiritual service to the fellow-members and to the head.”

(Foulkes, F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Ephesians 2008, p127)

The gifts given out are not for the individual, they are for ministering to the body, to create and enhance unity.

The second outworking is steadfastness.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Ephesians 4: 14-16

Paul is warning the Ephesians, and us, that the world is full of deception, full of crafty teaching; teaching that may sound good but actually is not. This has been the way since the very first deception.

“Did God really say…”

Genesis 3: 1

“You will not surely die.”

Genesis 3: 4

And so on and so on. The serpent speaks half truths, and casts doubt on what God has said. This kind of corruption continues today, and it is easy to fall into and be taken in by. The gifts we read about in verse 11 are to help the body, the church, mature and be able to recognise and resist such deception.

As members of the body Paul calls each of us to action, verse 15.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Ephesians 4: 15

We are to speak truth in love. What does that mean, and what does it look like? We will look at that in the next section.

Personal Question

• Thank God for unity and variety

• Ask God to show you how to use the gifts He has given you to build up the church.

Truth in love

The phrase “speaking truth” is a translation of the word ‘alētheuō’ which means ‘be truthful’; it is more than just speaking.

“It includes such senses as “apprehending the truth,” “living by the truth,” “being true,” not only in speech but even more in the whole inward disposition.”

(The Interpreter’s Bible vol 10 1978, p694)

We are to live out the truth, in every possible way. In John 14: 6 Jesus famously tells us that He is “the way and the truth and the life”. It is the same word for truth here. This means we are to live out and be Jesus to the world around us, we are ambassadors for Him wherever we go. This is what it means to “speak truth”.

A key part of this is that we do it in love. We demonstrate love to those around us, we do not declare Jesus aggressively or dogmatically. Rather, like the love between the Father and the Son, we speak with active love – demonstrating by our actions a love for those around us.

Truth in love is a powerful, life giving combination that we see from Jesus across the Gospels. He loves people enough to meet them in their sin and then speak truth to them. It is this that sets them free. Paul is calling us to the same combination in our dealings with one another and with the world around us. This approach is in direct opposition to the “cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4: 14).

The truth does not change, and love is attractive. Together they bring life and hope where false teaching brings only doubt and fear. Let us be those who bring life and hope.

Personal Question

• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live out the truth in a loving way to the world around you.

• Consider how you might demonstrate the truth and love of Christ to those around in the coming days.