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mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;} p.extract, li.extract, div.extract {mso-style-name:extract; margin-top:12.0pt; margin-right:.75in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.body-fl-sp, li.body-fl-sp, div.body-fl-sp {mso-style-name:body-fl-sp; margin-top:12.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></div></blockquote>--> “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” <blockquote class="tr_bq">––Ephesians 4:2 </blockquote><div class="heading-1"><br /></div><div class="body-fl">Ephesians 4:1-16 is the paramount text on the “called out ones” (<span class="cs-italic">ecclesia</span>). It is the Magna Carta of the Church. It begins and ends with <span class="cs-italic">unity</span>, which is not the same as <span class="cs-italic">uniformity</span>. In fact, unity amid great diversity is God’s desired intent. He loves diversity, but He also loves unity. This requires a common commitment to <span class="cs-italic">humility</span>. The off-ramp that leads to Unityville is neither “doctrine” nor “agreement.” It’s humility. It is amazing how often we try to make adherence to doctrine the glue that binds us together, yet the result is always division over minutia. Our glue is not a creed or statement of faith, but a common humbling of ourselves.</div><div class="body-fl"><br /></div><div class="body-text">Two humble people may not always agree, but if they are truly walking in humility, they will always get along, despite their differences. When each is more concerned for the betterment of the other, the two will live in harmony and achieve unity. When everyone strives to bless others, everyone is blessed.</div><div class="body-text"><br /></div><div class="body-text">Paul challenges us to live with humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance. These are the qualities that lead to unity amid diversity. Notice what is <span class="cs-italic">not</span> on the list: agreement over doctrine, common practice, church models, heritage, culture, or style.</div><div class="body-text"><br /></div><div class="body-text">Paul says we are to diligently guard the unity that is ours because of the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us. This is not always easy; in fact, it’s hard work. Markus Barth, in commenting on the verb <span class="cs-italic">being diligent</span> says:</div><div class="extract">It is hardly possible to render exactly the urgency contained in the underlying Greek verb. Not only haste and passion, but a full effort of the whole man is meant, involving his will, sentiment, reason, physical strength, and total attitude.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blo..." name="_ednref" style="mso-endnote-id: edn;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[i]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="body-fl-sp">If we ever hope to attain to the “unity of the Spirit” that we are meant for, we must start from a place of humble submission to one another—especially with those who are different from us. Unity in diversity is a beautiful goal that we must press toward with all haste and urgency. It requires that we daily lift the interests of our brothers and sisters above our own.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VSXn4au_01I..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VSXn4au_01I..." height="200" width="133" /></a></div>This post is taken from my new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Fire-Rei..." target="_blank">Primal Fire</a>. </div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blo..." name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[i]</span></span></span></a>Markus Barth, <span class="cs-italic">Ephesians 4–6: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary</span> (The Anchor Bible), (New York: Doubleday, 1974), 428.</div></div></div>
Published on March 24, 2014 12:27
