To help the Ephesians be diligent in preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Paul lists seven facts of unity. This partial list of essential areas will bring about the unity Jesus wants for His church (Ephesians 4:4-6).
These seven facts serve as a foundation to maintain the church Jesus built. All of them have the adjective “one” preceding them, signifying there are not “many,” and therefore, there is to be no denominating, no division.
The first fact is “one body,” which Paul defined in an earlier chapter as “the church.” These are the ones who are called out of the world into the kingdom of God, comprising the universal church, thus eliminating denominations within this universal church.
The second fact is “one Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the only “spirit” people in Paul’s world (and ours) should be listening to. The Holy Spirit delivered only one message, “all truth,” to the apostles and prophets, which they proclaimed to every person.
The third fact is “one hope.” All Christians should be focusing on going to heaven and being with God for eternity. Our hope would also include escaping the wrath of God because of our obedience to God’s requirements to be forgiven.
The fourth fact is “one Lord.” In the Roman world, the emperor was considered “lord,” but Paul told the Ephesians there was “one Lord,” Jesus. Christians must be united in their devotion to this “one Lord.”
The fifth fact is “one faith.” The word “faith,” in this context, is the collection of all the teachings of Jesus given to the apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit to proclaim to the world. For there to be unity among Christians, there must be the same teachings, the same doctrine, the same information.
The sixth fact is “one baptism.” This would be the baptism resulting in the forgiveness of an individual’s sins. There was only one method practiced in the days of Paul, and that was immersion.
The seventh fact is “one God and Father.” Living in a society with multiple gods, Paul states there is only one God. He is also stating that there is only one Father of all creation. By using the conjunction “and,” Paul is tying the two together to make one fact.
As we consider these seven facts, we should conclude that there must be no division among churches as to their name, their doctrine, entrance into the church, and the god we should be serving. There cannot be division if there is to be unity. All Christians should seek unity among all believers because they strongly desire to live God’s way.
Carlton G. McPeak (carlton_mc@msn.com) is an evangelist working in the Florida Gateway region. Scriptural quotations from the NASB.
