By Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong
Professor of Religion, Samford University
We Support One Another
Ephesians 4:1–7, 11–16
My calling is to use my God-given spiritual gifts for the unity of the church. (1–7)
The first half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (starting from 1:3) emphasizes all the blessings God has given us by His grace.
The second half of the letter (starting in 4:1) emphasizes how we are to live in light of God’s amazing grace, that is, the remarkable love and mercy we have received in Christ.
The metaphor of “walking” refers to how we live our life before God. We are to “walk in a manner worthy” of our calling in Christ.
Such a worthy response is reflected in humility, gentleness and patience, as we “bear with one another in love” and seek to maintain the unity and the bond of peace.
This is directly related to the exposition of God’s way of treating us in the first half of the letter.
God bore with us in love and is creating unity and peace with and among us (2:14–18), so it is no surprise that we are now called to maintain unity and the bond of peace by the same Spirit.
In verses 4–6, Paul mentions a series of unique realities which all Christians share together, repeatedly emphasizing that there is only “one” of each (body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God).
Paul goes from repeating the word “one” to repeating “all” in verse 6 (God is the “Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all”) and then shifting to refer to “each one” in verse 7.
The overall point is all Christians share the same spiritual realities, experiences and relationships essential to Christian identity.
When we focus on ways in which we are different from each other (or hold to some different interpretations), we tend to become divided.
But when we focus on all we have in common with other believers, we are more likely to find common cause and embrace and grow together with our brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Some people are gifted to equip the church for ministry. (11–13)
Paul quoted Psalm 68:18 in verse 8 and applied it to Christ’s post resurrection ascent to the Father and the distribution of gifts to Christ’s church in verses 9–11.
Christ’s gifts to the church are the result of the victory won on the cross and demonstrated by His resurrection and ascension.
Among those gifts, Paul includes various kinds of leaders whose roles entail the equipping of the church to carry out the work of ministry and the strengthening of Christ’s body so that it may be unified and mature in Christ (vv. 13–16).
God provides (or “gifts”) leaders to the church (such as apostles, prophets, shepherds or pastors and teachers) to help us all do and be what the church is called to do and be.
They are like player-coaches who both do important ministry and help the rest of us work together to carry out the work as well.
All spiritual gifts are used to help believers grow in Christ, in unity and in love. (14–16)
The references to human growth as a metaphor for spiritual growth in verses 12–13 are continued in verses 14–16.
Moving beyond childhood and the awkwardness of the early adolescent body are all also metaphors for the spiritual growth of the Christian.
The follower of Christ must not be easily deceived, like children, but become more and more like Christ by speaking the truth in love as He did.
Building this spiritual body happens by exercising the love Christ modeled for us and empowers within us.
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