Ephesians 4: 4-6 (unity in an all-powerful triune Godhead)

            Summary: Paul is giving grounds for this call to unity.  His evidence are the oneness that had already been seen in the form of the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”  Paul is saying that it only makes sense that the body should be united. 

            Note:  Verses 5 and 6 suggest God’s triune attribute.

Note:  “One hope” hope in Christ Jesus is the one and only hope for a deprived sinner.

Timeless Principle: Paul is simply restating unity here as he will continue do for the rest of the chapter.  He proclaims that the church is one body and one Spirit.  We have been brought together in the Spirit.  This kind of divine union can clearly be personified in the when the early church was said to be of “one heart and soul, and no one said that any of these things that belonged to him was his own.”  The church was being the hands and feet of Christ, longing to sell everything they owned in order to provide for the rest of the body.  They exemplified what it meant to bear one another’s burdens.  In the passage above the word for one is mia which literally means “only one.”  We are of only one heart and Spirit, united only but wholly through the blood of Christ. 

The idea of a triune Godhead is brought up in verse 5, referring to God as one Lord, one Spirit, and one Father.  The three though different and unique are completely one.  Neither is separate from another and can never be considered independent. 

The last and final thought of v.6 is the thought that God is above all things and works in and through all.  Paul always comes back to the overpowering sovereignty of a mighty Godhead.  Every time he mentions any application of the Gospel in the lives of men he must give all glory to the one who is above all.  This relapse into a reverent love for God is seen at least eight times (by my count, possibly more) just in the three chapters leading up to this).  This constant reminder of a mighty God should be seen in our lives in a joyful willingness to embrace death (of the flesh) and humble ourselves to the point of picking up our crosses to continue our ascent know a God whose hand we are already held in.