Ephesians Study 9:

What Does Unity Look Like?

Introduction 

Hello again to everyone who is joining me today. My name is Sarah Bradbury, and this is Garden to Glory: The Mystery of God.

You are listening to the ninth installment in our study on the book of Ephesians. So far, in the first half of Ephesians, Paul has emphasized the peace that God has brought to believers. 

Paul explained how God bridged the religious, social, and cultural divide between Jews and Gentiles. God eliminated the chasm between humanity and Himself. God even changed the hearts of individual believers, bringing them out of slavery to sin and death and into life and profitable service to God.

All of these things have been rooted in God’s love for us as the chosen children of God and His eternal plan to bring everything together under Jesus.

As we begin chapter four today, we will see that Paul is making a shift here. Using the word “therefore” to refer to everything he has written in chapters 1-3, Paul moves from expounding on the merciful, loving work of God to explaining how believers should live in light of all God has done and is doing.

In Ephesians 4:1-6, we read:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Here we see it again: the emphasis on unity and love. God’s response to all the obstacles that kept us as enemies to each other and to Himself was to pour out His immense love through Jesus. This love overcame every obstacle and brought us into unity with each other and God.

In light of this knowledge, Paul begs these believers in Ephesus to live a life that pursues the unity and love God has called them to. He tells them to be humble, gentle, and patient with each other.

If we are all recipients of God’s unmerited grace, what makes us think we are better than anyone else? Of course we ought to be humble! If God does not hold our sins against us, how can we be impatient with others for their faults? 

Dishwasher Frustrations

Yet I’m sure all of you – if you are truly honest with yourself – realize that getting frustrated with others is a natural part of life. We all know we are not perfect, and we can acknowledge our sins and shortcomings. Nonetheless, the human tendency persists that wants to see ourselves as better than others.

Even when it comes to things that are not sinful, we like to believe that our ways are better and that the transgressions of others are the true offenses in life. 

One silly way this shows up in our modern world is when spouses load the dishwasher. I have heard of many people who passionately debate the love of their lives over the arrangement of dishes in this appliance. I think this is a great example of how we over inflate the importance of our own preferences over those of others. 

While I would love to say that I am too mature to succumb to such silliness, my husband’s recent request that I put the silverware in handle-side up proves that I am not above such debates. 

My husband’s foolish ideas aside, we are all susceptible to allowing small things to create big breaks in our relationships with others. This is what Paul is warning believers to fight against.

Spirit of Love

After Paul tells us to make allowances for each other out of love, he emphasizes that we need to make an effort to keep ourselves united in the Spirit and bonded in peace. 

The love that is required to maintain unity with other believers is not something that is natural to us. Like we have discussed in previous studies, this love is the evidence of the Spirit in us. Paul tells us here that the full experience of the Holy Spirit given to us by God is not one of passive receiving, but rather something we must pursue.

He says something similar in Galatians 5:16-18:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

As Christians, we must be led by the Spirit, but being led means making a conscious choice to follow that lead. As we’ve already explored in past studies, the evidence that we are following the Spirit is love for God and other people.

This is the love that allows us to be humble and gentle with others. It allows us to be patient and bear with each other’s faults, even if we feel we have the right to demand our own way.

Seriously, Our Marriage is Good

Just in case anyone is now worrying about the state of our marriage after my dishwasher comments, I’d like to clarify that the dishwasher debates Ben and I have had were all in good fun. Neither me nor my husband would be inclined to harbor serious anger or resentment towards each other over something as silly and unimportant as dishes. Also, since my husband is editing all of these studies, nothing that would offend him would make it into the final draft of anything I publish, anyway!

The absurdity of having a blow-out argument with your spouse over dishes is founded on the same basic principle that allows us to settle disputes over much more important issues as well.

1 Peter 4:8 tells us:

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Ben and I have a great relationship. We help each other, comfort each other, and we listen and debate each other. At times we have different opinions on what we should do in life or how to accomplish the things we want to do. Those differences are typically much more significant than the question of how to load a dishwasher, but no matter what our differences, there is an underlying truth that holds us together in unity. 

We love each other. We are on the same side. Our ultimate goals are the same even if the paths we’d pick to get there differ. The same is true for the family of God.

One In Christ

There is one body, there is one Spirit, there is one hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. We are inseparably joined together in purpose with all believers in Jesus for all of time. This means that your good is my good and my good is your good. The goal is to remember this and find ways to work together to accomplish the ends we all want to reach.

This is the reason why so many commands in the New Testament are what we call “one another” commandments. They are instructions that do not flow one direction, but are rather responsibilities for all believers to perform to each other. The oneness we have in Christ means we are in this life together.

When we look at the landscape of Christianity today, we see something the Apostle Paul likely couldn’t imagine. In Paul’s day, Christianity was just getting started. If you were a Christian in Ephesus at this time, you wouldn’t have 50 churches of various denominations and worship styles to choose from on a given Sunday. There was one option – one local church – although that church might be broken up into smaller house churches. 

The point is that 2,000 years of variety and division could make a person wonder if the unity of Christ has really stood the test of time. Did we violate Paul’s command for oneness when churches split into different denominations?

My guess would be yes and no. Certainly, Christians over the centuries have not fully followed the commands of love and unity with each other. For example, I’ve heard stories of churches splitting over which color of carpet to put in their buildings. I can’t in good conscience affirm this as a legitimate reason to split!

However, there are more substantive differences between groups of Christians that do affect the way they worship, pray, and even baptize. These differences are normally not substantial enough to deem a group as nonbelievers, yet it does put significant obstacles in the way of two groups worshipping together on a Sunday. 

Whether these groups were originally formed because of a disregard for Christian unity or because they were legitimately called to fulfill a different role in the global church, I really can’t say. But a concern for the unity of Christ pushes me to acknowledge that churches have differences of opinions and practices that do not exclude them from being part of the unity we have in Jesus.

What Unity Does Not Mean

This leads me to discuss a few things that unity in Christ does not mean.

1. Unity does not mean sameness.

During our seventh study on the book of Ephesians, we read this verse regarding Paul’s explanation of God’s mysterious plan to unite Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

Ephesians 3:10:

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

Paul’s encouragement to the believers in Ephesus to maintain unity and peace in the Spirit because of the unity of their faith does not negate the natural differences between individual believers. The variety of the people of God is a big part of what displays God’s wisdom to the unseen rulers of the world. We are not meant to be exactly like each other.

In fact, going back to Ephesians 4, immediately after Paul emphasized the oneness of God and faith in Christ, Paul used the word “however” to make a contrast to the idea of sameness in this unity. 

Ephesians 4:7-8 and verse 11 says:

However, He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say,

“When He ascended to the heights,
    He led a crowd of captives
    and gave gifts to His people.”

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

We will discuss the idea of spiritual gifts in our next study, but the point I am addressing here is that even though there is only one God, one Spirit, and one baptism, there is variety in the individual people who make up the one people of God. Unity does not require complete conformity.

As I mentioned earlier, my husband Ben edits all my written material for me. He makes it better. It’s because of him that all of the English nerds in my audience can read what I write without getting irritated with me. 

I also enjoy having his input and opinion on the content of what I am saying. We’ve learned over the years that our minds work very differently, and we’ve discovered that if the wording of one concept or another makes sense to both of us, then it will likely make sense to most other people. However, if it only makes sense to one of us, there is much more room for confusion on the part of someone else.

However, Ben would be the first to tell you that writing studies on Scripture is outside of his skillset. He is different than me. He can’t do what I can do, and I can’t do what he does. We benefit from the contributions we each make to each other. These differences do not change our unity in purpose and life goals. Instead, our differences serve to move us closer to what benefits our whole family.

The church is the same way. We are all unique, and we are stronger together than we can ever be separated.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

In Proverbs 11:14, we read:

Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
    but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

And Proverbs 15:22 says:

Without counsel plans fail,
    but with many advisers they succeed.

All of these verses convey the same principle: we are stronger together than alone. United diversity is a benefit to everyone.

2. Unity does not always mean you will avoid division.

In Romans 12:18, Paul says:

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

I gotta say, I really love the ambiguity that this verse conveys! If you can – to the degree that you have control over the situation – live at peace. This is one of those commands that acknowledges how little control we have over what happens in life.

The truth is, if we consider others as more important than ourselves, remember the unity we have in Jesus, and strive to work well with others, we can still fail. Paul understood this firsthand. 

In Acts 15:36-41, we read of a division Paul experienced with a close friend and coworker in Christ. It says:

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.

Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.

When we read this passage, we are left with several questions. Who failed here? Perhaps Paul failed by refusing to forgive John Mark for abandoning them earlier. Or maybe Paul failed by not valuing Baranabas’ desire to bring John Mark over his desire to leave him behind.

Maybe Paul was right and John Mark was simply not the best choice for this assignment. Maybe the disagreement itself wasn’t the actual problem, but rather, the sharp words they used to discuss the situation were wrong.

The interesting thing about this argument is that the Bible doesn’t tell us who was right or wrong. In fact, it’s possible that they were both right. Maybe God was showing them that it was time for them to separate. Maybe they did more good apart than they did together. After all, one missionary team just became two!

Years later, Paul refers to Barnabus as a coworker, which is a sign of respect. He also speaks well of John Mark and writes to Timothy to bring John Mark to him, saying that John Mark is helpful to him in his ministry.

It would appear that there must have been some level of reconciliation among these three at some point. However, we don’t know if they ever saw eye-to-eye on the issue of that particular missionary journey.

What we do know is that one argument – even if it results in parting ways for a time – does not need to create enemies. As Christians, we can see things differently. We may argue. We may even part ways for a time or for the rest of our lives, but we are still part of the family of God. We still work toward the same end and should do everything in our power to work together in peace.

3. Unity does not mean unquestioning allegiance to any leader besides Jesus.

I had a pastor years ago who used the concept of unity to immediately shut down any voices that might express a different opinion than the one he had.

According to this man, holding the unity of the church meant affirming whatever decision was made by the leadership. The label “divisive” was a threat that hung over anyone who dared to think differently. 

Years later, we discovered he held that threat not only over the average member, but also over the other members of the elder board. Apparently we not only had to to affirm the decisions of the elders, but frequently the decisions of “the elders” were only the decisions of one elder.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this facade of unity did not last. This was the only church I have attended that has split in two, and it was a direct result of the authoritarian rule of one man who chose to use the Bible as a weapon for compliance instead of a gift of grace.

This is not the unity that Paul describes. In Philippians 2:1-4, he says:

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Notice here that Paul does not use the concept of authority structures to maintain the unity that he desires for the church. He doesn’t say here, “If you disagree, just do whatever the pastor tells you.” There are many churches where the concept of hierarchical leadership is the essential component to maintaining peace and unity in the church.

These structures are less about an abundance of counselors or diversity of thoughts and abilities and more about maintaining order. Instead of this, the passage in Philippians shows us a different picture. It’s not about deciding which position and person has the final say. Instead, Paul describes here a group of people working as equals. He charges each individual to care for the interests of all and for everyone to think of others more highly than themselves.

This destroys the concept of rule by authority, and by doing so, it creates a unity far more thorough and stable than is possible with any hierarchical structure we can imagine.

Leaders in the Church

This is not to say that there are no leaders in a church. Rather, it means that leadership is not the invocation of the right to do whatever he or she wants.

In Matthew 20:25-28, we read:

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

These words of Jesus negate any legitimacy of authoritarian rule by anyone claiming to be a Christian. However, assuming that a leader is operating as a servant like Jesus commands, we do have passages in the Bible that tell us to recognize and listen to leaders in the church. 

For instance, Hebrews 13:17 says:

Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

Yet we also have passages like 2 Corinthians 11:4, in which Paul chides the church of Corinth by saying:

You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

Paul also scolded the church in Galatia for being undiscerning in the spiritual leadership they followed. Galatians 1:6-9 says:

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

Paul says here that even if he or an angel preaches against the Gospel they have been given, they are to consider them cursed! 

At the very least, this requires that followers evaluate and question what message is being preached by their leaders. Therefore, the voice of whichever leader one chooses does not negate the responsibility of the average believer to have a voice in what the church is doing.

Paul Opposes Peter

As another example of this, we read in Galatians 2:11-16 of a confrontation between Paul and another apostle, Peter. It says:

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

This confrontation was immensely significant. Peter was not just some guy off the street; he was an apostle! In fact, he became an apostle before Paul did. He was one of the original 12 that had been handpicked by Jesus. It is significant that a leader with such authority could be so wrong. 

It is also significant that Paul rebukes him publicly. We are required to evaluate and to address leaders that do not preach and follow the gospel of Jesus. In Peter’s case, this wasn’t just a rebuttal to a sermon given. It was a direct condemnation of his lived-out public witness.

There are circumstances and offenses that should be addressed privately, and speaking privately is usually the correct first step in any confrontation. Yet Paul shows us here that when the offense is public, leads others astray, and is directly contrary to the gospel, the rebuke should also be public. 

One could argue here that Peter was only trying to keep the peace. He didn’t want the criticism that would come from eating with Gentiles. He didn’t want to have a big argument. Surely he could appease this group of Jews temporarily by just avoiding the Gentiles for the rest of the afternoon!

However, while we can overlook many failings in our love for others because of Jesus, the importance of declaring the truth of the gospel in all of our lives must trump any attempt at superficial peace.

Peter tried to temporarily distance himself from unity with the Gentiles in order to gain the appearance of unity with this group of Jews. However, the gospel tells us that the people of God are believers from every race. It tells us that the family of God is made up of diverse people. Peter’s choice here was more significant than picking who to hang out with for the afternoon. He was making a statement that denied the truth that believing in Jesus was the one and only requirement to be fully included in God’s family.

This is why Peter’s actions required such a severe public rebuke.

All of this shows us that we shouldn’t blindly follow leaders and that we ought to call out sin in them. This is especially needed if that sin denies the truth of the gospel that all who believe are one with us in Christ. 

Anyone who preaches or lives out the example that race, gender, or social position makes you unworthy of the fellowship of God’s people is opposing the gospel of Jesus, and we ought to call them out for it. 

Since this example is clearly true from Scripture, making this type of rebuke is not a violation of the unity we are called to. Rather, this kind of rebuke, at times, is what is necessary to uphold that unity.

So, let us remember to be unified in our diversity, to seek peace when it is possible, and to rebuke anyone who threatens the unity of the church by denying the truth of the gospel with their words or actions.

Let’s read our passage in Ephesians 4:1-6 one more time:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Dear friends, live a life worthy of your calling in Jesus by showing great love to each other. Do this by the power of the Spirit within you. Let the Spirit of God unite you in peace as you consider each other more significant than yourselves. Let the love of God overflow from you and cover the sins of many so that you can see others as being on your team. And know that we all serve the same God.

As we part ways today, I will give you this blessing found in Romans 15:5-6:

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To help you meditate on the principles we have discussed today, I have made a short Spotify playlist that you can find here.