THERE IS
ONE BODY AND ONE SPIRIT: en soma kai en pneuma:
(Eph
2:16;
5:30;
Romans 12:4,5;
1 Corinthians 10:17;
12:12,13,20;
Colossians 3:15)
(Eph
2:18,22;
Matthew 28:19;
1 Corinthians 12:4-11;
2 Corinthians 11:4)
Although Paul is
calling for unity, it is important to note that he is not speaking of
unity at any price in which the fundamental truths of the gospel are
jettisoned. If we are to
preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace we need to
know and hold to the truths unite us as a body. Then instead of focusing on the
differences ("majoring on the minors" so to speak), we can concentrate on the positive
doctrinal truths which form the
foundation of Christian unity. And so Paul proceeds to list seven
elements that unite believers in the one body of Christ. When
we are tempted to break unity, we need to remember these
unifying truths.
Eadie sums
it up writing...
All these elements of oneness
enumerated in verses 4, 5, and 6, are really inducements for Christians
to be forward to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
It is plainly of the one holy catholic church that the apostle has been
speaking (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
There is -
these words are added by the translators. Literally it reads "one body
and one Spirit..."
One - the
repetition brings out the emphasis on unity.
One (1520)
(heis) describes that which is united as one in contrast to that
which is divided or consisting of separate parts. Beginning with the
first believers at Pentecost in Acts 2 and continuing through to the
last believers preceding the Rapture of the Church, there is only one
body of true believers, with no class, racial, cultural, national or
language differences.
One body -
The church is one. Every sincere Christian is a brother or sister in
that church, and has an equal right with all others to its privileges.
Being one by the design of the Saviour, they should be one in feeling.
Every Christian, no matter what their "rank", should be ready to hail
every other Christian as a fellow-heir of heaven.
Regarding the
metaphor of one body Boice comments that...
Comparing the church to a body is
particularly appropriate in this passage, however, for a body is
something that works together, even though it is composed of many
diverse parts. Moreover, its unity is organic. That is, it is achieved
not by joining a number of diverse parts or pieces in the way one would
make a machine, but by growth. The church is not a diesel engine or a
watch or an airplane. It is a body. It grows by the multiplication of
cells. (Boice,
J. M.: Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary)
Body
(4983)
(soma) describes an organized whole made up of parts and members.
Here Paul describes the invisible Church, the mystical body of
Christ.
Ephesians 1:22
And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head
over all things to the church,
1:23
which is His body, the
fulness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2:14
For He Himself is our peace,
who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the
dividing wall,
2:15
by abolishing in His flesh the
enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that
in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing
peace,
2:16
and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the
cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Ephesians 3:6
the Gentiles are fellow heirs
and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel
John Eadie explains one body
writing that...
There are not two rival communities.
The body with its many members, and complex array of organs of
very different position, functions, and honour, is yet one. The
church, no matter where it is situated, or in what age of the world it
exists—no matter of what race, blood, or colour are its members, or how
various the tongues in which its services are presented—is one,
and remains so, unaffected by distance or time, or physical,
intellectual, and social distinctions. And as in the body there
is only one spirit, one living principle—no double consciousness,
no dualism of intelligence, motive, and action—so the one Spirit
of God dwells in the one church, and there are therefore neither rivalry
of administration nor conflicting claims. And whatever the gifts and
graces conferred, whatever variety of aspect they may assume, all
possess a delicate self-adaptation to times and circumstances, for they
are all from the “one Spirit,” having oneness of origin, design, and
result. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Ruth Paxson writes...
Having charged us with the sacred
responsibility of keeping the unity of the Spirit, the Lord now tells
how to do it.
The Sevenfold Unity to be Kept - 4:4-6. "There is one body, and one
Spirit, ... one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism;
One God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you
all."
The Lord Jesus prayed for visible
oneness in the Church before the world. Ephesians 4:4-6 interprets for
us the meaning of His prayer. Our Lord never asked for a man-made union
of organized churches into a grand federation, but He prayed for a
Spirit-made, Christ centered, God-controlled unity in the living
organism, the Body of Christ.
One Spirit -- One Lord -- One God
It was to be oneness of fellowship
through oneness of faith; an inward unity expressing itself in outward
harmony.
One Body - Note that it does not say "one Church." Were that so
then each of the three great divisions into which Christendom is divided
would claim that distinction. It is even conceivable that some
denomination or sect, of which there are hundreds, would make this
unique claim. Neither does it say there is one federation of all
organized churches forming, as it were, a "Christianized world trust."
"There is one body," which Ephesians
teaches is eternal in calling, heavenly in conception, divine in
creation, and supernatural in constitution. The living members of this
Body have been called out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation.
They differ in nationality, color, language, education, training,
ability, temperament, and outlook. Through the human blood running in
their veins they have inherited dislikes, prejudices and animosities
that separate them as far as the east is from the west. But through the
blood of the Saviour and the baptism of the Spirit they are united to
Christ as living members of His Body.
Ephesians 5:30.
"For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones."
Being organically united with Christ, the Head, each member is then made
one with every other member of the Body. The oneness is so complete that
we are literally a part of the life of each other. United to the Head
there is one mind, one heart, one spirit. (The Wealth, Walk and Warfare
of the Christian. Page 89-90).
One Spirit (4151)
(pneuma) in this context most observers agree refers to the Holy
Spirit. The same Spirit has awakened all; enlightened all; convicted
all; converted all.
Every believer
possesses the Holy Spirit, Paul explaining that...
For by one Spirit we were all
baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free,
and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1Cor 12:13)
Every believer is
indwelt individually by the Spirit...
Or do you not know that your body is
a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and
that you are not your own? (1Cor 6:19) (Comment: Paul
draws a sharp contrast which he readers would have readily
discerned...the contrast is with the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth
where the priestesses were prostitutes!)
Similarly the
corporate body is indwelt by the Spirit...
Do you not know that you are a temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1Cor 3:16) (Comment:
Here the local church is viewed as a temple of God inhabited by the
Spirit.)
Paxson comments...
On the day of Pentecost the Holy
Spirit descended to form the Body of Christ. The hundred and twenty
individual persons in the upper room were fitly joined together into one
Body through the Spirit's baptism. This same Spirit took up His abode in
the Church and in each Christian, and by His indwelling and inworking He
maintains a visible, vital unity in the Body of Christ. "Every impulse
of the Spirit is toward unity. He cannot suicidally lead against
Himself." (The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian. Page 90).
JUST AS ALSO YOU WERE CALLED IN
ONE HOPE OF YOUR CALLING: kathos kai eklethete (2SPAI) en mia elpidi tes
kleseos humon:
(Eph
4:1;
Ephesians 1:18 (note);
Jeremiah 14:8 -
"Thou Hope of Israel...";
Jer 17:7 -
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and
whose hope the LORD is.";
Acts 15:11;
Colossians 1:5 (note)
-
"because of the hope laid up for you in
heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,";
2 Thessalonians 2:16
- "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and
good hope by grace";
1 Timothy 1:1;
Titus 1:2 (note)
-
"in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised
long ages ago";
Titus 2:13
(note on the "blessed hope");
Titus 3:7 (note)
- "that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life.";
Hebrews 6:18;
6:19 (notes)
- "18 in order that by two
unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may
have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of
the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters
within the veil";
1 Peter 1:3
1 Peter 1:4 (note);
1 Peter 1:13 (note)
;
1 John 3:3)
Just as
(2531)
(kathos) introduces illustrative proof of the statement just
made.
Called
(2564)
(kaleo) means to speak to another in order to bring them nearer,
either physically or in a personal relationship. The Gentile believers
were supernaturally called into the kingdom of God and its requisite
duties, privileges, and bliss in this world and the world to come.
One hope of your calling - This would
include all the saints will experience at the Return of the Lord Jesus
and forever thereafter - to be with Christ, to be like Christ, to be
joint heirs with Christ, to be free of the presence and pleasure of sin.
Barnes writes that...
Christians
have the same hope, and they should therefore be one. They are
looking forward to the same heaven; they hope for the same
happiness beyond the grave. It is not as on earth among the people of
the world, where there is a variety of hopes--where one hopes for
pleasure, and another for honour, and another for gain; but there is the
prospect of the same inexhaustible joy. This hope is fitted to
promote union. There is no rivalry--for there is enough for all. Hope on
earth does not always produce union and harmony. Two men hope to obtain
the same office; two students hope to obtain the same honour in college;
two rivals hope to obtain the same hand in marriage--and the consequence
is jealousy, contention, and strife. The reason is, that but one can
obtain the object. Not so with the crown of life--with the rewards of
heaven. All may obtain that crown; all may share those rewards. How can
Christians contend in an angry manner with each other, when the hope
of dwelling in the same heaven swells their bosoms and animates their
hearts? (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
Hope
(1680)
(elpis)
(Click
word study on
elpis) in Scripture is not the world's
definition of "I hope so", with a few rare exceptions (e.g.,
Acts 27:20.)
Hope is defined as a desire for some future good with the
expectation of obtaining it. Hope is confident expectancy.
Hope is the looking forward to something with some reason for
confidence respecting fulfillment.
Earlier Paul had
prayed for enlightenment, that the saints would know (beyond a
shadow of a doubt type of knowledge - When the Holy Spirit opens the
eyes of the heart, one will be able to see all these great truths) what
their possessions were, specifically praying...
that the eyes of your heart may
be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (See
note
Ephesians 1:18)
Paul reminded the
Gentile believers that now in Christ they were "called in one
hope of your calling". The fact that Paul qualifies this "hope"
as "one hope" emphasizes that there is the same ultimate,
glorious reality for all of the church, whether Jew or Gentile! Paul
wants to make certain that both Jewish and Gentile believers fully
understand that there is no differentiation between Christians. This
expectation of seeing Jesus, our "Blessed Hope" [see below] and being
like Him is entertained equally by both groups. All members of the true
church are called to the one destiny of being taken out of this world,
being like Christ [1John 3:2], and sharing His glory forever. )
Eadie
writes that...
The hope is one for it
has one object, and that is glory; one foundation, and that is Christ.
Their call had brought them into the possession of this hope.
(John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Peter
encouraged the suffering saints reminding them that they had a steadfast
hope, writing
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to
His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope
(the link between our present and our future -
living because of the
resurrection of Christ Who ultimately is our "Hope" as Paul states in
1Timothy 1:1 "Christ Jesus, our hope") through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead
(Comment: Our "living hope" guarantees our inheritance - see
notes
1 Peter 1:4-
, our protection until the revelation of our the final aspect of our
salvation - glorification - when Christ returns "in the last time") (See
note
1 Peter 1:3)
"Therefore (on the basis of the
salvation and the "living hope" believers presently possess) gird your
minds for action, keep sober in spirit,
fix your hope (elpizo -
verb form of
elpis - this is a command to do this now, do it effectively
-
aorist imperative) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ." (See note
1 Peter 1:13)
In 1Timothy 1:1
we read...
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus
according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus,
our Hope
Paul states that
our hope is not a plan, not a program, not even a promise, but
ultimately is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most
significant aspects of this "hope" is the absolute certainty that
He is returning to take us home where we will spend eternity with
Him in complete perfection, free from sin and shame and sadness! And so
our Lord promised His disciples...
"If I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you
may be also." (John 14:3)
The hope of our
calling is the absolute certainty of our heavenly destiny and
includes all that awaits the saints at the return of the Lord Jesus and
is what Paul referred to by the phrase the "Blessed hope" writing
in Titus that...
the grace of God has appeared
(reference to Christ's incarnation),
bringing salvation to all men, instructing (child rearing) us to deny ungodliness and
worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the
present age, looking for the blessed hope (which is the
appearing) and the appearing of the glory
of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself for us, that
He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a
people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (See notes
Titus 2:11;
2:12;
2:13;
2:14)
In another passage
that speaks of a hope which should have a unifying effect on all
believers, no matter what their denomination, we read...
Beloved, now we are children of God (we are all in God's family, one
body, the church), and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We
know that, when He appears (not if He appears, but when = certainty
which is the essence of the meaning of the word hope), we shall be
like Him, (this describes the future and final aspect of our
redemption, of which the Spirit now serves as a pledge, see note
Ephesians 1:14) because we
shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed
on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1John 3:2-3)
Hope as the
world typically defines it is a desire for some future occurrence of
which one is not assured of attaining. The ancient world did not
generally regard hope as a virtue, but merely as a temporary
illusion. Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness
covered the ancient world. Philosophies were empty. Traditions were
disappearing. Religions derived man's warped imagination were powerless
to help men face either life or death. People longed to pierce the veil
and get some message of hope from the other side, a message ultimately
found only in the Cross of Christ.
Believers also have the hope of perfect unity in the
future Paul explaining that Jew and Gentile in one body now was
with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times,
that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the
heavens and things upon the earth. (See notes
Ephesians 1:10) (Comment:
When God heads up everything in Christ, one glorious result will be to
bring everything into perfect harmony and the church into perfect unity!
What a blessed hope we have as believers!)
Paxson adds that...
The hope of the saint is to be with and to be like his Lord. While he
praises God for the progressive sanctification which goes on day by day
on earth, every truly earnest Christian longs for that day when the
partial will give way to the perfect and redemption will be consummated
in glorification. The one hope that in these days unifies the Lord's own
as perhaps no other is the blessed hope of His soon return to take them
unto Himself. (Ibid, Page 90-91)
Calling
(2821)
(klesis
from kaléo = to call) (Click
for more in depth discussion of
calling - klesis) (Click
for analysis of related word
kletos, and a discussion of who are
"the called") means a call and was used for an
invitation to a banquet. In the NT the metaphorical meaning is that of
an invitation by God to come into His Kingdom with all the privileges of
a Kingdom citizen...and with all the responsibilities of such a citizen!
It's an invitation to come to something special. In the New Testament
it's a special invitation from God to man to accept the benefits of His
salvation.
What is involved
in the calling of the Christian? Your calling involves
everything that God has done, is doing, and wants to do one day
regarding your salvation. Paul is simply saying, "I just told you about
your calling. I just told you about what God has done for you. Now I
want you to understand it deeply, deeply in your heart. It involves not
only the joy of being blessed with every spiritual blessing. It involves
not only the joy of being chosen by Christ before the foundation of the
world. It involves being redeemed by His blood. It involves being
adopted as His Son. It involves being sealed in Him with His Spirit, but
it also involves the hope of His returning, and everything that is to
come after He returns for His church." That is the full payment of which
we have the earnest right now."
In the
present context calling (klesis) refers to those
who have been summoned by God (the following phrases are meant to be
read as one long sentence which gives a Biblical statement regarding
calling)...
"according to His purpose" (see
note
Romans 8:28)
to salvation (see note
Romans 8:30),
"saints by calling" (1Cor 1:2),
"both Jews and Greeks" (1Cor 1:24),
having been called "with a holy" (see note
2 Timothy 1:9),
"heavenly calling" (see note
Hebrews 3:1)
"out of darkness into His marvelous light" (see note
1 Peter 2:9)
"by grace"
(Gal
1:6)
"not from
among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles" (see note
Romans 9:24)
through the "gospel" that we "may gain the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (2Th 2:14)
and be brought "into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord"
(1Cor 1:9)
and return in triumph "with Him" at the end of this age (see
note
Revelation 17:14).
God's
great doctrine of our calling should cause all the "called of Jesus
Christ" to exclaim "Glory"...and to earnestly desire to walk worthy of the calling to which they have
been called, motivated by the "hope of His calling".
The hope of His
calling points to the certain eternal destiny and future glory of
the saints.
Click
for additional
discussion on some of the aspects of the hope of this calling. See
related in depth study of the
Believer's Blessed Hope.
The better we
truly know the "hope of His calling", the more we will be motivated to
"walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called".
It is truth too
magnificent for words to describe which is why even God’s own revelation
requires illumination of His Spirit in order for believers to begin to
understand the magnitude of the blessings of salvation that exist for
saints.
Jon Courson
writes that...
Throughout Scripture, the word “hope”
always refers to that which is coming, to that which is ahead. I’m
convinced the single greatest problem carnal Christians have is that
they don’t know the hope of His calling. They don’t know
the reality of heaven. Consequently, they constantly strive for material
things and are continually caught up in carnal pursuits. They’re
depressed and discouraged because they don’t see the big picture of
eternity. (Courson, J. Jon Courson's Application Commentary. Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson)
Louw Nida
defines klesis as an
"urgent invitation to someone to
accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new
relationship to the one who does the calling; the station in life or
social role which one has." Vines defines klesis as "a calling,
is always used in NT of that calling the origin, nature and destiny of
which are heavenly (the idea of invitation being implied); it is used
esp of God's invitation to man to accept the benefits of salvation
."
(Louw,
J. P., & Nida, E. A. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based
on Semantic Domains. United Bible societies)
Paul does not want these believers
to be like Chief Crowfoot. As the story goes Crowfoot, the chief of
the Blackfoot nation in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific
Railway permission to lay track from Medicine Hat to Calgary, he was
given in exchange a lifetime railroad pass. Reportedly, Crowfoot put the
pass in a leather pouch and wore it around his neck for the rest of his
life—but he never once availed himself of the rights and privileges it
spelled out. What a tragedy when believers do the same thing with the
riches they possess in Christ, failing to really possess their
possessions!
