Ephesians 4.4a-Christian Corporate Unity in a Positional Sense is Defined by One Body
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday November 16, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:4a-Christian Corporate Unity in a Positional Sense is Defined by One Body
Lesson # 202
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore, I myself, the prisoner because of the Lord’s will, exhort and encourage each and every one of you as a corporate unit to live your lives in a manner worthy of your effectual calling with which each and every one of you as a corporate unit have been effectually called 2 with the fullest expression of that which characterizes humility resulting in that which characterizes gentleness. Specifically, by each and every one of you as a corporate unit continuing to make it your habit of tolerating one another with that which characterizes patience by means of the practice of divine love. 3 In other words, by all of you without exception continuing to cause yourselves to make it a habit of making every effort to maintain the unity produced by the Spirit by means of the bond, which produces a peace, which is divine in quality and character. 4 It is defined by one body as well as one Spirit just as each and every one of you as a corporate unit were also effectually called into the state of experiencing one confident expectation of blessing which was produced by your effectual call. (Lecturer’s translation)
In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul continues to discuss with the recipients of this epistle, who were Gentile Christians living in the Roman province of Asia the subject of corporate unity in the body of Christ.
However, in these verses, he discusses the basis for this corporate unity among members of the Christian community and specifically, the unity that exists among Jewish and Gentile church age believers in a positional sense.
In these verses, Paul presents seven essential fundamental elements or spiritual realities that serve as the basis for corporate unity in the body of Christ in an experiential sense with all seven centered upon the three members of the Trinity.
Ephesians 4:4-6 presents the basis for the three exhortations, which appear in Ephesians 4:1-3.
Ephesians 4:4 presents the first of three seven essential fundamental elements of Christian corporate unity in a positional sense.
In other words, in Ephesians 4:4-6, the apostle Paul presents seven basic fundamental and essential spiritual realities that unite all church age believers in a corporate sense regardless of denomination or lack of denomination.
These verses contain yet another triadic pattern which is indicated by the fact that it contains three triads.
The first appears in Ephesians 4:4 which mentions the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the church age believers effectual call, which took place the moment of their justification.
The second triad appears in Ephesians 4:5 which mentions the Lord Jesus Christ, followed by the Christian faith and then the baptism of the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:6 speaks of the Father as the member of the Trinity whose sovereign authority every creature and all of creation are subjected to including both His Son and the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:1-28).
In fact, the first two triads centered upon the Spirit and the Son respectively are united under the third which is centered upon “one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.”
As was the case in Ephesians 1:23 and 2:16, the noun sōma (σῶμα) here in Ephesians 4:4 is used in a figurative sense to describe the church as being like the human body in that it has diversity among its members but yet they possess a unity.
The word refers to church age believers who are joined together as a corporate unit with the implication of each member having a distinctive function within this unit.
The referent of this word is of course the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities emphasizing not only the diversity between the two but also the unity that exists between the two as a result of both being declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Simultaneously, the Holy Spirit placed them in union with Him and identifying them with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
The noun sōma (σῶμα) is modified by the nominative form of the adjective heis (εἷς), “one” pertains to a single unit or thing and not two or more or in other words, it pertains to one in contrast to more than one.
It is ascribing to this body of Jewish and Gentile Christians as being a unified single human entity despite the diversity between the two.
It refers to church age believers who are joined together as a corporate unit with the implication of each member having a distinctive function within this unit.
Thus, this is a spiritual reality which unites all church age believers in a positional sense, which help to serve as the basis of Christian corporate unity in an experiential sense.
The noun sōma (σῶμα), “body” functions as a predicate nominative which means that is making the assertion that Christian corporate unity in a positional sense is defined by one body, i.e., the body of Christ, the church in the sense that it is one of the essential features of Christian unity, which serves as the basis for Christian unity in an experiential sense.
Like the human body, the church has diversity among its members (R. 12:4 f.; 1 C. 12:12 f.).
Christ is said to be the head of the Body (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:19) and each church age believer is a member of His body (Rm. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:27).
The head and body metaphor is one of eight metaphors used in the New Testament to describe the relationship between the church and the Lord Jesus Christ:
(1) The last Adam and the New Creation (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 5:17a).
(2) The Great Shepherd and the Sheep (Heb. 13:20).
(3) The True Vine and the Branches (John 15:5a).
(4) The Chief Cornerstone and the Stones in the building (Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:5-6).
(5) The Great High Priest and members of the Royal Priesthood (Heb. 4:14a; 1 Pet. 2:9a).
(6) The Groom and the Bride. (Our wedding occurs at the Second Advent) (Rev. 19:7).
(7) The King of Kings and the Royal Family of God (Rev. 19:14-16).
J. Hampton Keathley III writes “The figure of the church as the body reminds us of a number of elements: (1) Submission—the church is always to submit to its head. (2) Union—every member of the body is in vital union with Christ who is its source of life. (3) Unity—the church is one body of mutually adapted parts that are to be working together as a team, as one. (4) Diversity—the church is a diversity of abilities and gifts varying in function, in strength, and in honor, yet all are vital to the body. (5) Mutuality—each member is dependent on one another as are the members of our body. No man is an island. (6) Necessity—the growth, care, function, and submission of each member of the body to its Head is vital for the effective function of the body.”
