Truth
On
Tough
Texts
ISSUE 32 –
March/2008
The Grace of
Unity (2)
Ephesians 4:1-3
In part 1, of what will be several
articles on unity, we
first began a look at the grace of unity by considering
its meaning and motive. We now consider
its maintenance, that is, how
we each go about preserving the unity that God has
created in Christ.
III. The Maintenance
of Unity (vs.2-3a,
c)
With all lowliness and
meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in
love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.
We cannot
over-emphasize these two verses. The unity of
Christians has been a perennial problem since the early
days of Christianity. In fact, as early as Acts 6 unity
was threatened. Additionally, in almost every one of
Paul’s Epistles there is something about unity. The most
vivid picture is the analogy of the human body, which is
not only mentioned here but elaborated in I Corinthians
12, where we see three principles: (1) there is one body
but many members; (2) each member has a different
function but still edifies the whole, (3) one member out
of sorts effects the whole.
Tragically, there is
little true unity in the Church, that is, the Body of
Christ, today. There are preachers who break fellowship
over minor points of doctrine and those who practice
“secondary separation,” which means that they won’t
fellowship with one group because that group fellowships
with another group. To illustrate tongue-in-cheek, I’ve
seen this go even further to “thirdary” and “fourthdary”
separation; one group won’t fellowship with another
group because they fellowship with another group that
fellowships with another group that fellowships with
another group. There is also disunity in many Local
Churches, which is caused by petty squabbles over
nothing, which in turn comes from spiritual immaturity.
It is said that it was Spurgeon who first said this
little jingle, and how true it is:
To dwell above with saints we love,
O that will be
glory!
But to dwell below with saints we
know,
Well, that’s another
story!
As we saw in part 1, then,
we are to “[endeavor] to keep the unity” (v. 3). It is
the responsibility of every believer to diligently,
zealously, absorbingly “guard as with a fortress” the
unity that Christ has provided. But now the question
arises: how can we maintain (“keep”) the unity that God
has produced in Christ? The answer lies in our text,
where we see the “Fruit of the Spirit” of Galatians
5:22-23 in action. Let us first briefly examine that
text and then see it applied here in
Ephesians.
The “Fruit of the
Spirit”
At the very core of the
Christian life is the “Fruit of the Spirit,” as Paul
wrote to the Galatian believers:
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law (Gal. 5:22-23).
Here is the very
essence of Christian living because it is the very
essence of Christ’s own character. In his classic
reference Bible, C. I. Scofield
writes:
Christian character is not mere
moral or legal correctness, but the possession and
manifestation of the graces of vv. 22-23. Taken together
they present a moral portrait of Christ, and may be
understood as the apostle’s explanation of 2:20, “Not I,
but Christ,” and as a definition of “fruit” in John
15:1-8. This character is possible because of the
believer’s vital union with Christ (John 15:5; 1 Cor
12:12 -13), and is wholly the fruit of the Spirit.
“Fruit” (singular), in contrast with “works” (plural, v.
19), suggests that the Christian’s life in the Spirit is
unified in purpose and direction in contrast with the
life in the flesh, with its inner conflicts and
frustrations.
Particularly
important is that last statement, that “fruit” is
singular to show the unified Christian life. These are
not the fruits of the spirit, rather the
fruit of the Spirit; they are a unified whole in
the believer’s life. The Galatian believers had been
“bewitched” (3:1) by false teachers into believing that
following the Law was necessary for right living. But
Paul makes it clear here that it is not the constraints
of the Law that produce Christ-like character, neither
our efforts that produce it, but the Holy Spirit working
in us. Just as the
“the works of the flesh” in 5:19-21 fall into three
general areas (sex, religion, and human relationships),
“the fruit of the spirit” also fall into three
categories; personal, social, and philosophical.
First, “love,”
“joy,” and “peace” are personal. By this we mean that they are the real basis of
our growth in Christ and are the foundation of all the
others. They come only by personal experience of Christ
and are absolutely unique to Christianity. We must never
forget this uniqueness. No other “religion” or faith can
profess, much less manifest, these three. They form the
very foundation of all that happens in the Christian
life.
Second,
“longsuffering,” “gentleness,” and “goodness” are
social. They illustrate the command of our Lord,
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” They describe how we
should appear to and how we then deal
with those around us.
Third, “faith,” “meekness,”
and “temperance” are philosophical. These
are given to demonstrate the basic contrast between the
attitudes of God and the attitudes of the world. These
three philosophical principles are the exact opposites
of the world’s philosophies.
The “Fruit of the Spirit”
in Our Text
It is truly amazing
that four of the nine “fruit of the spirit” appear in
our text and that there is at least one from each
category. The obvious reason for this is that these
are the characteristics that will maintain
unity.
First, from
the personal category, we see love and
peace. There can be no doubt why love is
mentioned first. The first characteristic in Galatians
5:22 is love because from it all the others flow.
As Paul declared
just a few verses earlier, “For all the law is fulfilled
in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself” (Gal. 5:14). We submit, therefore,
that the underlying characteristic of unity is
love. The Greek agape refers to a
sacrificial love, “a self-emptying self-sacrifice.”
God’s love, then, could be defined as, “A self-emptying
self-sacrifice in which God gave of Himself in the form
of His only begotten Son Who gave His life for us.” Now
we read that to maintain unity we are to have and
practice the same kind of love toward other believers. Just think, how can
there ever be disunity when we all have “a self-emptying
self-sacrifice?” To put it in the reverse, when there is
disunity, there is an obvious lack of “a self-emptying
self-sacrifice.” If there is some rumbling going on in
the body, if there is some little fuss brewing, if a
fight breaks out, it is because we are thinking of
ourselves instead of someone else.
We might think that
to speak of love would be enough, but Paul knew
that it would not be enough because he understood human
nature. So he adds that we are also to be forbearing
one another. The Greek behind forbearing
(anechomai) means “to hold one’s self upright, to
bear, to endure.” This is the same word Paul uses in II
Timothy 4:3 to describe people who will not “endure [put
up with] sound doctrine” but will seek teachers who will
tickle their ears. The idea here, then, is that
sometimes we just put up with each other, that we bear
with each other in misunderstandings, problems, and
conflicts, that we love each other and sacrifice
ourselves for others anyway. This does not mean we just
put up with it but still boil within, rather we forbear
in love. Without this kind of love and
forbearing, unity will be
destroyed and God’s work right along with
it.
Paul mentions
another personal characteristic, peace. The Greek
is eirene, “a state of tranquility; the opposite
of rage and war.” This word is related to the Hebrew
word shalom, a common Hebrew greeting. This word,
however, means not so much the opposite of war but
of any disturbance in the tranquility of God’s people.
First, since we are in Christ, there is tranquility and
harmony between God and man (1:2), and second, since we
are in Christ, there is tranquility and harmony between
Jew and Gentile (2:14). We now see the third step in the
progression: there is, and must continue to be,
tranquility between all believers because of Christ.
This is not just the opposite of war, not just the
opposite of “going at one another,” not just the
opposite of suppressing our seething resentment of
someone else, rather a tranquility, a freedom from any
agitation or turmoil. We must allow the Holy Spirit to
maintain this tranquility, because it is the
bond that holds us together.
The word bond
translates syndesmos. In Classical Greek, from
the time of Homer onwards (8th–7th
Century), the root desmos meant “chain.”[i] In the New Testament, it
meant “band, bond, ligament.”[ii] With the prefix
sun (“with”), syndesmos means “that which binds together.” In a negative
sense, we see it in Acts 8:23, where someone is enslaved
by a habit or attitude. Peter says of Simon the
sorcerer, who was not a truly converted man, “I perceive
that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond
of iniquity.” In Colossians 2:19, it refers to a tendon
or ligament of the bones that holds the body
together.
This, then, is the picture
of true unity. It’s not some superficial or sappy
sentimentality, rather a bond, the very ligaments
of the body, which hold us together. One commentator
notes that the American Indians spoke of peace as
a “chain of friendship.”[iii] That is, indeed, what the
true Christian has with other Christians.
This challenges us
that a lack of peace in the
Body is sin, no matter what the reason. A vivid example
of this appears in Philippians 4:2-3:
I beseech Euodias, and beseech
Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And
I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women
which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also,
and with other my
fellowlabourers.
The only problem in the
Philippian church was a single unnamed conflict between
two women, but that one conflict threatened to do
serious damage. Paul obviously doesn’t tell us what the
problem was because it didn’t matter. Whether one
woman’s argument was right and the other wrong didn’t
matter either. Both were wrong because they were causing
disunity in the body.
As Paul wrote the
fractured Corinthians, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the
same thing, and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10). When we
are thinking more about what we think and
what we feel, there will be division. As
Paul writes later, we are being wise in the world, and
that’s foolishness (3:18-20). How many Christians there
are who think they are wise in this age, that is, wise
in contemporary human wisdom. But Paul says that they
are just deceiving themselves. As a pastor, I am
constantly troubled (and quite honestly terrified) about
what disagreements and difference of
opinion over paint color,
carpet fiber, pew design, window trim, and other such
ridiculous matters can do to church unity. Such things
are merely personal taste and worldly wisdom and are
foolishness to God. Such things can destroy unity in a
heartbeat, so we must always be on
guard.
Second, from
the social category of the “fruit of the spirit,”
there is longsuffering. The Greek here is
makrothumia, a compound word from makro,
meaning “long,” and thumos, meaning “temper.” The
idea, then, is simple; we are to be long-tempered in
contrast to short-tempered, to suffer long instead of
being hasty to anger and vengeance. This is one of the
social characteristics of “the fruit of the
spirit” because this is how we are to react to people
and how we are to treat them. To maintain unity, we will
set aside “self,” set aside our own needs, and be
willing to suffer last place instead of first place,
even to look like we’re wrong (in non-essential matters)
if it will maintain unity. Again, we’re not talking
about doctrinal issues here—that is the point in the
next passage (4:4–6); rather we are speaking here of
things that don’t matter, the little things of
personality and human interaction. What a marvelous
testimony it is to be longsuffering, to have the ability to be long-tempered. “Love
suffers long” (1 Cor. 13:4) and we must be “swift to
hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath” (James 1:19).
Chrysostom, that great
4th Century preacher, wonderfully defined
this as the spirit that has the power to take revenge
but does not do so. Commentator William Barclay offers a
homey illustration. Have you ever seen a puppy and a
large dog together? The puppy barks that high pitch
puppy yap, pesters the big dog, and even nips him. But
while the big dog could snap the puppy’s neck with one
bite and a shake, he just bears it with dignity. Perhaps
you have even seen the big dog look up at you with an
expression that says, “Look what I have to put up with.”
That is longsuffering, the attitude that bears attack,
assault, affront, and abuse without bitterness or
complaint.
When we are impatient with
people and when we are short tempered, it is really
because we are impatient with God. We are at that moment
not trusting and not leaning upon Him to give us
strength. A verse, which is not quoted enough and lived
consistently by Christians, is Isaiah 40:31: “But
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall
run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not
faint.” When we wait upon God and allow Him to rule in
our lives, and let Him “right the wrongs” that people do
to us, then He renews our strength in three stages:
1) During the easy times we will soar like eagles. It’s
quite easy to live for the Lord when all goes well, but
it is also during these times that we must lean upon Him
lest we become puffed-up; 2) Then during the
everyday difficulties of life we might not soar as
eagles but we will still run and not grow tired if we
are leaning on Him; 3) And then during the serious
problems and tragedies we will still be able to walk
along without collapsing if we are leaning on
Christ.
Again, what a testimony it
is to those around us when we can wait upon the Lord and
manifest Him in our lives. This “social grace” comes
only by allowing the Holy Spirit to produce it in
us.
Third, from
the philosophical category of the “fruit of the
spirit,” there is meekness. The common error is
that meekness means “weakness,” but that could
not be further from the truth. The Greek is
prautes
(or praotes), which means gentleness and mildness. It has
been truthfully stated many times that, “Meekness is not
weakness, but strength under control.” The Greek was
used, for example, of horses that were broken and
trained and also of a strong but mild medicine, both of
which have strength but is under
control.
The ultimate example
of meekness is the Lord Jesus
in His humanity. As that well-known song
proclaims:
He could have called ten thousand angels,
To destroy the world, and set Him
free;
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But he died alone for you and
me.
Our Savior had the power
of the universe at His command. Is that not strength?
But still Scripture says He was meek. While our Lord
will one day be vindicated and glorified, instead of
being vindicated at that moment, He submitted to the
greater need of redeeming the lost. Additionally, our
Savior was strong physically. The liberals and the world
would have us believe Jesus was weak and even
effeminate, but could a weakling carry a timber weighing
as much as 150-200 pounds? Jesus did! (see John 19:17).
However, even with all that strength, Jesus was
meek, for His strength was under control.
Again, meekness is
strength and power under control. It is the
opposite of self-interest, self-assertiveness, and
self-direction. What is needed today are Christians who
are meek and humble, Christians who know the power
they have in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and Christians
who are thereby controlled by Christ and His
Spirit.
This word is
inseparably coupled with another word—lowliness.
The Greek here (tapeinophrosune) pictures modesty, humility, and lowliness of
mind, having a humble opinion of one’s self, a deep
sense of one’s littleness. Think of that! Not a false
humility, such as one that is spoken of often, rather a
deep sense of how little we really are.
One of my favorite stories is the one told about
a group of tourists who went in to see Beethoven’s home
in Germany. After the tour guide had showed them
Beethoven’s piano and had finished his lecture, he asked
if any of them would like to come up and sit at the
piano for a moment and play a chord or two. There was a
sudden rush to the piano by all the people except a
gray-haired gentleman with long, flowing hair. The guide
finally asked him, “Wouldn’t you like to sit down at the
piano and play a few notes?” He answered, “No, I don’t
feel worthy.” No one recognized him, but that man was
Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941), Polish statesman,
composer, and celebrated concert pianist. While he was
the only person present who really was worthy to play
Beethoven’s piano, he did not think so.[iv] That is
lowliness. And if a
concert pianist can think that he is lowly in the shadow
of Beethoven, how little are we in the shadow of our
Lord? Are our feelings, views, and opinions important
enough to destroy unity?
The most fascinating
aspect of the Greek word behind lowliness is
that, as Greek scholar Richard Trench points out, “No
Greek writer employed it before the Christian era, and
apart from the influence of Christian writers, it is not
used later.”[v] The reason this was
true was that to the Greek and Roman mind such an
attitude was synonymous with weakness and cowardice. It
was so abhorrent to their mind that they had no term to
describe it. That philosophy still lives in today’s
pervasive “self-image” craze, and that is precisely why
this is in the philosophical category of “the
fruit of the Spirit.” It is the very opposite of the
world’s basic philosophy of life—the exaltation of
self. These words from Martyn
Lloyd-Jones should challenge us:
“Lowliness” is humility, and
especially humility of mind. . . . It means modesty. It
is the opposite of self-esteem, self-assertion, and
pride. Humility is one of the chief of all the Christian
virtues; it is the hallmark of the child of God.
Humility means having a poor opinion of yourself, and of
your powers and faculties. . . . It is the opposite of
what is found in the so-called man of the world; it is
the opposite of the worldly spirit which urges man to
trust in himself, and to believe in himself. It is the
opposite of all aggressiveness and self-advertisement
and ambition and all the brazenness of life at the
present time. There is nothing sadder about this present
age than the appalling absence of humility; and when
this same lack is found in the Church of God, it is the
greatest tragedy of all.[vi]
Lloyd-Jones said and wrote
that in the middle of the 20th Century, and
look where we are today, how “self” has been enthroned,
just like the Greeks and Romans.
There is one other
observation we should make. Notice Paul says
all lowliness and meekness. The
Greek behind all is pas. When used with an
article, it conveys the idea of the sum total of
something. Used without an article, however, as
it is here, it means “each” or “every.” Paul is saying,
then, “every kind of lowliness and meekness possible, in
each and every situation, we are to be as lowly and meek
as possible.” Someone has said that humility “is the
first, second, and third essential of the Christian
life.”[vii]
Humility truly is
elusive, is it not? Why? Because if we focus on it too
much, it can turn into the very opposite—pride. I
once heard a preacher say from the pulpit, and I’m not
making this up, “I have many shortcomings, but one
virtue I know I have is humility.” Sadly, he missed the
whole point. Humility is a virtue we seek but can
never claim to have. Probably
the best we can ever say is, “God is still working on
me.”
Similarly, the story is
told of a young man who fancied himself a preacher and
who stood up at a pastor’s conference and announced, “I
am against education. I don’t believe in education. I
read no books except the Bible; I don’t profess to know
nothing about literature or anything of that kind; I am
just an ignorant man. But the Lord has taken me up, and
is using me, and I am not at all interested in schools,
or colleges, or education. I am proud to be just what I
am.” An older preacher then arose and said, “Do I
understand that our dear young brother is proud of his
ignorance? If so, all I can say is that he has a great
deal to be proud of.”[viii] To our shame, we have
such men in pulpits today. But as someone has wisely
said, “Knowledge is the discovery of ignorance,” and it
is only the humble mind that recognizes that
truth.
In stark contrast, a story
is also told about John Wesley. After the memorial
service for George Whitefield, a staunch supporter of
Whitefield approached Wesley, who had strongly disagreed
with Whitefield’s Calvinistic views, and asked him, “Mr.
Wesley, do you think you will see Mr. Whitefield in
heaven?” “No,” Wesley answered quickly. “I was afraid
you would say that,” lamented the enquirer. But then
Wesley added, “George Whitefield will be so near the
throne of God, that men like me will never catch a
glimpse of him.”[ix] Oh, that such humility
would characterize us all!
There we have the
Grace of Unity, its meaning, motive, and
maintenance. Without love, peace,
[forbearance], longsuffering,
meekness, and lowliness we will not
keep the unity of the Spirit,
and that will have grave consequences. If our Lord could
bring unity between God and man, between Jew and
Gentile, and now between all believers, is it too much
to ask that we do all we can to guard that
unity?
Dr. J. D.
Watson
Pastor-Teacher
Grace Bible
Church
NOTES
[i]
Colin Brown, The New International
Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Zondervan,
1975), Vol. 3, p.
591.
[ii] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New
Testament (AMG Publishers, 1992), p.
407.
[iii] Albert Barnes, Barnes Notes on the New
Testament.
[iv] Adapted from J. Vernon McGee
(Thru the Bible) and other
sources.
[v] Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament
(Hendrickson, 2000) p.
163.
[vi] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Christian Unity: An Exposition of Ephesians
4:1-16 (Baker Book House, 1982), p.
41.
[vii] Cited in William Hendrickson,
New Testament Commentary: Exposition of
Ephesians. (Baker Book House), p.
183.
[viii] Cited in Harry Ironside, In The Heavenlies: Practical Expository
Addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians (Loizeaux
Brothers, 1977), p.
169.
[ix] Cited in Wayne Detzler, New Testament Words in Today’s Language
(Victor Book, 1986), p.
223.
