Oneness, Diversity, Unity
Notes
Transcript
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Oneness
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Diversity
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Unity
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Creation was made and is sustained by the one God in three persons, perfectly united yet distinct in his persons. And so it is only naturally that something inside of us hates disunity and longs for unity.
The current climate of our nation is a lamentable situation for all of us as we bemoan the disunity of our nation. Not only that but we bemoan the disunity of the West in general.
Satan is always at work to create disunity in the individual, family, and society at large, but he does not package it as such—he creates disunity by promoting a false kind of unity:
In our own day we see it in the secular left when it says the only way we can have unity is if everyone looses its distinctive characteristics and becomes one person: look the same, think the same, talk the same, be the same:
There is no man or woman, no role difference in husband and wife, no authority of parents over child, no true distinction in the society at large with master and employee.
We all must think, look, act, be the same under a twisted and wicked unity that promises a lot but never delivers.
Here in Ephesians and continuing to the rest of the epistle, we see that the land of the imperatives is found in the unity Christ provides, and that is not taking away the diversity of his creation, but starting with the oneness of who God is, we see the diversity and appreciate it, and what comes forth is a unity under Christ.
Oneness, diversity, unity.
Example:
False unity is like the unity boot camp brings to recruits—what makes you distinct is done away with.
True unity is like a beautiful painting of a small town on the edge of the woods with the sun rising in the east—one painting, diverse elements, which brings a unified image.
One nation, diverse states, that make together the unified nation.
Or to use a biblical example, a human body. One body, diverse parts, united together.
I. Oneness
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Notice the trinity in those three verses.
Ephesians 4:6 “6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:6 “6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:4 “4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—”
Ephesians 4:5 “5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
Father:
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Father is referencing his special relationship with his covenant children. Father of all who are of he family of faith.
Redemptive Fatherhood
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
over all as Father as he exercises control
through all in Christ our mediator
in all by his Spirit
Spirit:
Ephesians 4:4 “4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—”
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
“Just as it is exactly because the human body is pervaded y the spirit that it is one and is able to function as a unit, every member in co-operation with all the others, so also it is precisely because the church, Christ’s body, is indwelt and influenced throughout by the Holy Spirit that it is single organism and operates as such.” William Hendriksen
Lord (Son)
Ephesians 4:5 “5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
II. Diversity
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Ephesians 4:7 “7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
Gifts of each Christian is given by God thus
not a product of personal skill
his gift is one of many given and in a limited or measured way
He be eager to use it not for his own glory but for Christ’s body and thus his glory
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
“On no one has God bestowed all things. Each has received a certain measure. being thus dependent one ach other, the find it necessar to throw their individual gifts into the common stock, and thus to render mutual aid.”
A danger to glory in the higher gifts—but the gifts he exalts right after this are used in BUILDING UP others, not being exalted over them. (i.e 4:11-12)
Ephesians 4:8 “8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.””
Therefore explains how he gave those gifts to men
18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
Biggest difference being that Jesus is said to have received gifts in Psalm 68 and Paul says he gives gifts in Ephesians 4.
But not totally outside the meaning since in another place in this Psalm it is said God gives to Israel
11 The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host: 12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!” The women at home divide the spoil—
The difference highlights how God works to give gifts to men and not for self since he does not need it.
Ephesians 4:9–10 “9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The same Jesus who descended to death out of love for his people is the same Jesus who reigns in the highest.
that he might fill all things seem to be referring to the church he has given gifts to fill all in all
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Although Jesus went up to be with the Father, far above all things, he is nevertheless very present to his people here on earth (John Calvin paraphrase).
He filled all things before as the Son, but now he fills all things as a Savior.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Notice he goes from gifts to offices, thus showing how inseparable they should be.
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
God could have done this himself but decided to use the instruments of men to preach the word and thus build up his church. How foolish it is for people to seek growth outside the church and on their own.
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
until we all: And it is this way forever, or until perfection. You never outgrow the church and its function.
attain to the unity of the faith: We are objectively one body but it is our endeavor to forever grow into this reality with one another. Thus we have always room to improve our unity that is a reality in Christ.
and of the knowledge of the Son of God is an explanation of what faith is.
Fullness not old age in Christ. “Whatever becomes old has a tendency to decay; but the vigour of this spiritual life is continually advancing.”
Applications
We do not work against people who are different, we work against people who deny the Lord who is the only source of unity.