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NASB | Ephesians 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful]. |
Subject: denominations. |
Bible Note: Continued from previous post. In keeping the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, what are the seven unifying features among Christians. These are items that establish our common ground as Christians. They are found in verses 4 and 5 of chapter 4. 4There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. There is only one church, the church of Christ. It doesn’t matter what denominational name you place on it. There is only one Spirit that was sent to guide us and mark us. There is only one hope to which all of the believers are called. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. There is only one faith, the faith in Him who does offer us salvation. There is only one baptism in which we are baptized to Christ. There is only one God the Father, creator of the heavens and the earth. The great I Am, who is sovereign over all. These are the items that all Christians have in common that unite us into the body of Christ. Proverbs 6:16, 19 mentions things we are to avoid. Which of those do you think specifically addresses efforts to keep the peace? 16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Look at the last part of verse 19. The Lord despises a man who stirs up dissension among his brothers. They are everywhere. We have all probably done this in some way shape or form. I know I have. Many of us look at our church as being the correct way or the only way. Let me tell you my thoughts, there is only one correct way and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. John 14 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. By focusing on Christ, we can all agree and promote unity, the way it is intended and most assuredly, the way it will be when He returns, one way or the other. Knowing the things in which we should be unified, Ephesians 2:19-22 speaks to where we should be turning for answers by mentioning the foundation of which God’s house (us or the church) is built on. This is specific to us because we because though some of our answers are similar, some are very different as well. However, they should be coming from the same source, a common ground (or foundation), to guide us in our unification with one another and God based on common beliefs. Our answers may be different in application but only because we are all not in the same sphere spiritually and that is to be considered and expected since we are not the same person. We mature in Christ, mentioned in verses 11 through 13 of chapter 4, at a rate and speed most likely determined by Him and how open we are to His word. We mature with the help of those mentioned specifically in 4:11 as well as others. With all of that being said… What is the foundation spoken of in verse 20 of Ephesians 2? And what does each represent? This is a really neat answer, I think. The foundation mentioned in the verse is made up of the Prophets and the Apostles. What do you normally think of when you think of each? The Prophets for the most part are from the Old Testament. The Apostles are from our New Testament. Together, they comprise our Holy Bible. Now when Paul was writing Ephesians, of course there was no New Testament. But they did have the direct teachings of Jesus Christ as He had giving to His Apostles, which is basically our New Testament now. The teachings of the Prophets and the Apostles are our foundation in which we, the Temple is built, with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone, holding us together. So in essence, our answers that we reply with are taken from The Holy Bible. Any answers to question concerning God and Christ and His church have been revealed to us and should be found in The Holy Bible. Finished in next post. |