Follow The Instructions (Lesson 1)
Follow The Instructions 4:1-6
both bound to him by the chains of love and in custody out of loyalty to his gospel
First, it is ‘one’ people, composed equally of Jews and Gentiles, the single family of God. Secondly, it is a ‘holy’ people, distinct from the secular world, set apart (like Israel in Old Testament days) to belong to God. Therefore, because God’s people are called to be one people, they must manifest their unity, and because they are called to be a holy people, they must manifest their purity. Unity and purity are two fundamental features of a life worthy of the church’s divine calling. The apostle treats the unity of the church in verses 1–16 and the purity of the church from 4:17 to 5:21.
the humble recognition of the worth and value of other people, the humble mind which was in Christ and led him to empty himself and become a servant.
it is the gentleness of the strong, whose strength is under control. It is the quality of a strong personality who is nevertheless master of himself and the servant of others.
The new society which God is calling into being has two major characteristics. First, it is ‘one’ people, composed equally of Jews and Gentiles, the single family of God. Secondly, it is a ‘holy’ people, distinct from the secular world, set apart (like Israel in Old Testament days) to belong to God. Therefore, because God’s people are called to be one people, they must manifest their unity, and because they are called to be a holy people, they must manifest their purity. Unity and purity are two fundamental features of a life worthy of the church’s divine calling. The apostle treats the unity of the church in verses 1–16 and the purity of the church from 4:17 to 5:21.
For ‘the meek man thinks as little of his personal claims, as the humble man of his personal merits
patience (makrothymia) is longsuffering towards aggravating people, such as God in Christ has shown towards us,
bond, that which ties together
there is one body because there is only one Spirit (verse 4). The one body is the church, the body of Christ (1:23), comprising Jewish and Gentile believers; and its unity or cohesion is due to the one Holy Spirit who indwells and animates it. As Paul writes elsewhere, ‘By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.’ Thus, it is our common possession of the one Holy Spirit that integrates us into one body.
there is one hope belonging to our Christian calling (verse 4), one faith and one baptism (verse 5) because there is only one Lord. For the Lord Jesus Christ is the one object of the faith, hope and baptism of all Christian people. It is Jesus Christ in whom we have believed, Jesus Christ into whom we have been baptized, and Jesus Christ for whose coming we wait with expectant hope.
First, the one Father creates the one family. Secondly, the one Lord Jesus creates the one faith, hope and baptism. Thirdly, the one Spirit creates the one body.
