A Church of Jews and Gentiles

Unity With Diversity

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.—Romans 12:5

A verse by verse study of Ephesians 4

Although the apostle Paul was born a Jew, raised a Pharisee, and sought out the local synagogues for worship on the Sabbath, yet he is best known as the "apostle to the Gentiles" (see Romans 15:16). Undoubtedly this was partly because his Christian missionary ministry carried him to the outlying areas of the Jewish Diaspora. Acts 2:9-11 names some fifteen areas where these Jewish emigrants were living.

Ephesus was a seaport town on the west coast of Asia Minor at the mouth of the Cayster River. Its all-weather harbor brought much traffic from Europe and Africa and gave the wealthy town a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The main religious worship of this diverse city was in the great temple of Diana, a magnificent structure dating back to the times of the Amazons, fabled Scythian warriors from the eighth to the fourth century BC. It was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt in the second century before Christ. It was more than a temple and treasure house; it also served as an art gallery, a sanctuary for criminals, and a major tourist attraction with its attendant horde of dealers in souvenirs, antiques, and relics.

The Christian church in Ephesus, as in so many cities of the Diaspora, was a heterogeneous mixture of Jews and Gentiles. With their diverse customs, varying beliefs, and different economic conditions, there was a natural tendency toward cliques and schisms in the church. It is to these that Paul writes his epistle which was sent at the same time, via Tychicus, as the letter to the Colossians, a sister church with much the same make-up and similar problems.

Principles of Unity—Ephesians 4:1-7

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

The word "therefore" connects this chapter with the previous one, but it is a comparison of contrast and not of similarities. Chapter three ends with an anthem of praise for the glories to follow, whereas chapter four exhorts to lowliness. Emphasizing this theme, Paul emphasizes his own abased state—as a prisoner in Rome. Yet he does not consider himself a prisoner of Nero, but of the Lord. It is with the proper view of all things being of God that he begins his exhortation.

The three fundamental traits urged by the apostle—lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering—are all important in sustaining good relationships. The first two are mental attributes, while the last flows from their attainment. Lowliness is the objective recognition that we are imperfect and therefore in no position to judge another on his deficiencies. It is the same requirement as the first beatitude: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3).

Meekness on the other hand is a fruit of power. The Lord Jesus was meek, not because he lacked resources, but because he was pliable in the Father’s hand to be molded as his Father would desire. Professor Vine expresses it well: "Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all."

Having these characteristics in a diverse and perhaps emotionally-filled church, are the prerequisites Paul saw that the Ephesians needed to "forbear one another in love."

Based upon these fundamentals, it is the "unity of the spirit" which the Ephesians must endeavor to obtain. Such a unity was to have been a present accomplishment, one which they must strive to maintain. This was not a unity of the flesh. That would be impossible considering their diverse backgrounds. The ways of the flesh were to be put away. They were now to act as new creatures. For them "old things" should have passed away and "all things become new" (2 Corinthians 5:16,17). They were not to look at each other "after the flesh" but as coming under the blood of Christ, and him crucified.

This new "unity of the spirit" would contain seven elements:

1. One Body. Their individual standing as "new creatures" is the first basis of their unity. Such unity however does not imply uniformity. "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office" (Romans 12:4).

2. One Spirit. Each of the Ephesians attained that "one body" through the same method. They were all begotten of the same spirit, the holy spirit. Their aims should now be spiritual and they should be looking at each other as pursuing the same goals.

3. One Hope of your calling. As natural men, their goals were different. Some pursued one trade, others a different one. Now they had the same vocation, the same "calling," the "high calling." Now their goals were alike, to live and reign with their spiritual master.

4. One Lord. As their vocations were now the same, so was their leader. As partakers of the heavenly calling their consideration was to be centered on "the apostle and high priest" of their profession—Christ Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).

5. One Faith. The emphasis here is not on unity of belief, but unity of faith. The stages of development of that "one faith" may well vary from individual to individual. As C. T. Russell has well phrased it: "True faith must begin with the one kind of seed-faith in all, no matter what stage of development each may attain" (Reprints, p. 1572).

6. One Baptism. Baptism here is not used in the sense of water immersion, but the deeper baptism into Christ of which water is only a symbol. In this discussion it shows the unity of determination which all true Christians share. It is the positive response to the query of Jesus, "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with."

7. One God and Father of all. Above all theirs was to be the unity of family—not the old natural family ties, but a new family with God as their father and all of them as brothers—Jesus being the elder brother (Matthew 23:8-10).

Before leaving this section, the apostle has a "but" to add—a caution that within this unity there may be diverse measures of the same spirit. But whatever the measure, it is the same spirit. These words are parallel to that of the same apostle in Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

The Gifts of Christ—Ephesians 4:8-13

"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

This desired oneness, like everything else in the spiritual realm, revolves around the death and resurrection of Christ. It is a unity not attainable alone, but only with divine assistance. And so Paul asserts that when Jesus ascended he provided the means to lead forth from the grave a multitude of captives. Another result of his ascension was the provision of gifts for mankind. These gifts were individuals specially raised up to provide leadership to mankind—to the church at the present time, and to the entire world in Christ’s glorious kingdom. Paul enumerates four of these gifts:

1. Apostles. The "twelve apostles of the Lamb" are the foundation cornerstones of Christ’s provision for his church (Revelation 21:14). These (with the exception of Paul) had personally known the Lord, traveled with him, and learned his teachings first-hand. They alone, of all the church, were inspired in their writings. They alone had the ability to pass on the miraculous gifts of the spirit.

2. Prophets. In the early church Christ saw that it was necessary to supply some especially endowed with the gift of oratory to both simply explain and emotionally motivate those attracted to the Christian message.

3. Evangelists. Evangelists build on the works of the apostles and prophets, making ageless truths relevant to present situations and attracting non-believers to the message of Christ.

4. Pastors and Teachers. These two offices are grammatically linked in the Greek and are for those charged with teaching the church through the study of the word. While a "teacher" focuses more on intellectual matters, a "pastor" makes these truths relevant to daily Christian living. This work is well illustrated by the work of the Levites in Nehemiah 8:8.

Verses 12 and 13 detail the object of this four-fold ministry. In verse twelve we read of two current results while verse thirteen gives the long-range purposes. Looking first at the immediate objectives, we find:

To equip the saints for the work of ministry (RSV). Present lessons, whether learned through instruction or by experience, are all for a future ministry of the church. This is summarized in an oft-quoted expression from the familiar "To Us The Scriptures Clearly Teach" found on the inside cover of this journal. The statement reads: "The present mission of the church is the perfecting of the saints for the future work of service; to develop in herself every grace to be God’s witness to the world and to prepare to be kings and priests in the next age."

The edifying of the body of Christ. Whereas the first objective is external for the benefit of others, this one is internal, dealing with the development of a character that is copied after that of their Lord and Master.

The ultimate goals of these gifts must await the glorification of the church. These include:

Unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. While faith and knowledge are closely related, they are to be distinguished in this passage as cause is to effect. The Greek word here rendered knowledge, epignosis, is an active knowledge, an acknowledgement. It describes the mental assent to and obedience of that which is believed. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22).

A perfect man—the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Likewise, these two terms are meant to build on each other. Not only is the Christian to be developed with the qualities of perfect manhood, but beyond that he is to acquire the spiritual attributes of Christ himself, a sacrificial nature that goes beyond the requirements for earthly life. The latter phrase might be paraphrased, "unto the full mature likeness of the character of Jesus himself."

Stability and Growth—Ephesians 4:14-16

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

Stability was sorely needed in the early church. In fact, it is sorely needed in every period of the church’s history. Truth is not easily interpreted. "The Bible," it is said, "is a harp upon which any tune can be played." More discordant notes have been heard from Christian pulpits than the sweet harmonious sounds of the true gospel. It is for this reason that God has raised up strong teachers throughout the years—those who could discern the true tones of yesteryears and adapt them to the reality of the present.

The New Living Translation has caught the thought well: "Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth." Paul describes them as "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). The certainty of truth is not always open to every new theory. So sure was Paul of his teachings that he wrote, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). It is not surprising that some of these specious theories appear to have the ring of truth for "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Not only does our text warn of the cunning craftiness of the deceiver, it gives a clue as to how to determine the true minister of Christ’s word. He will be the one "speaking the truth in love." It is gentleness, humility, and consideration of others which mark the authentic minister rather than his deep mental reasoning powers. The latter may be nothing more than "worldly wisdom," grounded more in philosophy than in the word of God; but the former can never be truly assumed only outwardly since they spring from the heart and a transformed life.

For the body of Christ, as for a natural body, to grow healthy and strong, there must be a unified working together of its various organs. It is in this development of Paul’s reasoning that he branches out from the "gifts" of special teachers, to the function of every member, "every joint." The body of Christ is truly interdependent. Paul waxes eloquent on this theme in 1 Corinthians 12:20-27: "But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: and those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

Each Christian is anointed to serve in this body. Each has a talent. Each must seek to use it to influence and assist every other member of the body. And each must recognize his need for the talents of the other and draw upon it if he would be truly spiritually healthy.

Be Not Conformed—Ephesians 4:17-19

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Paul’s reasoning in the next two sections of our chapter closely parallels his thoughts in Romans 12:2, "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The analysis here given of the thinking of the natural mind, while scathing, is most perceptive. The Greek mataioteeti, here translated "vanity" has the thought of emptiness, particularly as producing no satisfactory results. This vanity Paul attributes to the fact that the heart is blinded or hardened, not willing to think of that which benefits others above that which benefits itself. Thus lacking sensitivity, actions become controlled by natural passions, two of which the apostle mentions specifically: the sexual and monetary drives.

Transformation the Answer—Ephesians 4:20-24

"But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

True Christianity begins with a new mind set. Historically the Bible treats one’s attitudes toward others in two steps of development. As a result of the fall, man’s priority is to place self first—the survival of the fittest. Mosaic Law raised this standard one step higher—to "love thy neighbor as thyself." Christ lifted the bar one level higher yet, to sacrifice one’s self for others even as Jesus loved fallen man enough to give life itself for them.

The basis for this new outward-reaching man is within. Before one can truly help others to live productive lives, he or she must develop the necessary qualities within—righteousness and true holiness. While the concept of "true holiness" may seem to be a contrast with the hypocritical holiness of the Scribes and Pharisees, that is not the thought of the Greek expression. It denotes a holiness that grows out of truth, a holiness that is based on laws that even predate those of Moses—the law of God as written in the conscience of man. This is how Sophocles phrases these laws in his Antigonus:

"Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough,
That thou, a mortal man, shouldst overpass
The unwritten laws of God that know not change.
They are not of today nor yesterday,
But live forever, nor can man assign
When first they sprang to being."

Practical Applications—Ephesians 4:25-32

"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you."

Paul begins his list of specific applications by stressing the necessity of an open, sincere, and honest communication within the Christian community because of mutual interdependency —"for we are members one of another."

He continues by showing that there is a proper and an improper anger. All anger is not necessarily a sin, but all anger opens a temptation to sin. In his notes Barnes suggests six areas where anger becomes sin:

"1. When it is excited without any sufficient cause—when we are in no danger, and do not need it for a protection. We should be safe without it.

2. When it transcends the cause, if any cause really exists. All that is beyond the necessity of immediate self-protection, is apart from its design, and is wrong.

3. When it is against "the person" rather than the "offence." The object is not to injure another; it is to protect ourselves.

4. When it is attended with the desire of "revenge."

5. When it is cherished and heightened by reflection.

6. When there is an unforgiving spirit; a determination to exact the utmost satisfaction for the injury which has been done."

In any case, anger is to be temporary and attempts should be made to resolve the issue "before the sun goes down," else there will be the temptation to "give way to the devil."

The contrast in the next admonition is most poignant. Not only were they not to follow a former life style which may have occasioned theft, but they were to be gainfully employed, not merely for their own gain, but to have the ability to give to one in need.

Not only was a Christian to watch his emotions and actions, he was also to watch his words. One of the strongest pressures to conform lies in the area of our speech. Daily we are assaulted with not only vile language, but also with words condemnatory of others. These are to have no place in a transformed life.

To revert to the ways of the world, Paul says, would "grieve the spirit" since it would be a direct renunciation of the purpose of God having bestowed his spirit. Such "grieving" of the spirit, though serious, is to be distinguished from the far more serious "quenching" of the holy spirit, which involves completely extinguishing the new life (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

The chapter concludes with a list of qualities of the new life which must be substituted for the bad qualities of the former manner of living. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil-speaking, and malice are all to be replaced with kindness and tender-hearted forgiveness. In such a way the body of Christ, with all of its beauty of diversity, can grow into the productive unity God designed for it.