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CONNIE: United we stand, divided we fall. We’ve all heard that adage. But what’s the key to unity in the church? Join us today as we study Paul’s letter to the Ephesians—a call to unity in Christ

Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I’m Lonnie Melashenko. Connie, I don’t think there’s a Christian anywhere that isn’t in favor of unity in the church. And there are many churches that are united in the Spirit, with all the members working together toward the same goal of spreading the gospel. But then, you’ve probably experienced it. There are other churches where something has gotten between the members—divided them—and there just doesn’t seem to be any way to put the pieces back together again.

CONNIE: Kind of like Humpty Dumpty after his great fall.

LONNIE: It’s sad when we see churches in that condition, because the goal is unity, under the leadership of Jesus. The Apostle Paul emphasized that point in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

CONNIE: It’s interesting that he would do that in this particular letter, isn’t it? I mean, isn’t there a place in Acts where Paul warns the Ephesians that staying united would be a problem for them?

LONNIE: Yes, Paul understood that one of Satan’s greatest strategies for weakening the church is to divide and conquer. In Acts 20 we find a speech he gave to the Ephesians leaders, and he says “ ‘For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.’ ”
From that, you get the picture of a wolf coming in and separating the weaker sheep from the rest of the flock. But then he goes on to warn them that “ ‘Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves’ ” (Acts 20:29-30 NKJV).
So it’s no surprise that when Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, a lot of what he had to say centered around how to stay unified.

CONNIE: As we get into this topic of unity and the message to Ephesus, we’ve invited Professor John Jones to share some of his insights into the book of Ephesians. Ken Wade spoke with him, so let’s listen to that interview.

KEN: Professor John Jones, I want to welcome you back to our studio and to our microphone for our program here today.

JOHN: Thank you Ken, it’s always a pleasure.

KEN: John, today we are digging into the book of Ephesians and I have to confess; now I’m thinking back to my days in the seminary, and having studied Ephesians and having felt like it floated past me on some level that I never fully understood, help me here. What is the book of Ephesians all about?

JOHN: You’re right, it does jump around a bit, but the interweaving scene that stitches it all together of course, moves on two levels. First of all, the wonderful way in which we’ve all been so gifted by God’s grace and in the implication of that, which makes us all one in Christ.

KEN: We’ve picked up on that on our program today, this idea that unity is a very important concept in Ephesians. Paul is writing to church that perhaps…Maybe there was a little problem with that.

JOHN: Apparently so, they had a number of factions beneath the surface it looks like.

KEN: His concern now is; he’s writing from prison and he has probably heard some reports of what was going on over there, and his concern is to bring them back together again. What is the basis on which he wants them to be united?

JOHN: The simple fact that whether they are Jews or Gentiles, and of course that plays out in our lives whether we are one ethnic group or another, and no matter what background we may be, we all are one in Christ.

KEN: And he uses the metaphor quite a bit of the body of Christ doesn’t he, here.

JOHN: That’s very important, and in fact this is the place where he builds on that metaphor more fully than in any other place in his writing. The point is that none of us has any business going it alone.

KEN: So, a number of the passages that come to my mind, for instance in chapter 1, where he has this great hymn of praise. He speaks about how everything is brought together under one head and he also praises them for their love towards one another. So he’s building them up to start with and then he goes into the topic of grace, doesn’t he? I like the way you put it, you said, we have all been graced.

JOHN: Yeah, it’s true. Out of that then comes all of these various other gifts that come under the gift of grace. The spiritual gifts follow and come to us as a witness or testimony of Christ’s great victory. That’s why in chapter 4: 7, he ascended on high, Christ did, who led all of these captives in his train, and the sign of that is all of these spiritual gifts that have sort of fallen back from heaven onto us. That’s the guarantee of the victory that will enable us to all sing that great hymn under God’s headship in the hereafter.

KEN: That’s a very big concept with Paul, this idea of the oneness of the gifts being given as a sign that we have received. How do we deal with that? I mean, what is Paul trying to teach us here as far as the importance of the gifts in uniting the church?

JOHN: I think that he is acknowledging that there are various gifts to various people, but they somehow all manifest grace don’t they. So the divine open-heartedness to all of us, variously manifested is still that which unites us all. And it’s something that we can’t boast about, be proud of, or earn. As he reminds us again in chapter 2:8, where, by grace we’re saved through faith, that faith, even, is not our doing. Even the faith to believe is itself a gift of God.

KEN: You know, another one of the great metaphors that Paul used in Ephesians is that of the soldier putting on his armor, and something made me think of that, because I’ve done a little reading about Greek history and how the Greeks in their day; and of course he’s writing to Greeks as well as Jews here, the Greeks in their day were the greatest fighting machine because of the way that they would all put on their armor, and all hold their shields to form this Phalanx, or whatever they call it, and march forward. They simply terrified, I mean they just scared the rest of the warriors right of the battlefield by that very fact of their unity, that untied front that they put on. I wonder if that isn’t why Paul appeals to this whole armor of God image.

JOHN: That’s right! It’s more than individual armor, isn’t it? It’s also got to do with strategy and tactics.

KEN: It sure does.

JOHN: Standing shoulder to shoulder. That was a new idea in ancient warfare, we won’t dwell on the details now, but the fact of the matter is people had never seen that kind of discipline, fighting before.

KEN: And that’s what Paul is encouraging us to do, not fighting in the church I’m sure, but the discipline and the marching shoulder to shoulder. Well, I appreciate your sharing with us, you know I think that the book of Ephesians is becoming clearer to me, and perhaps in some time maybe after a thousand years in heaven I’ll get it all straightened out, but thanks for sharing with us on this topic and on the unity that Christ wants to bring us too.

JOHN: Thank you, Ken. And may it all come true in our own lives.

KEN: Amen!


CONNIE: Amen! Knowing Jesus as your Savior does bring peace into your life. That was Christian Edition singing “Wonderful Peace.”

LONNIE: The Apostle Paul speaks of the “peace that passes understanding” in his letter to the Philippians.

CONNIE: I know you’ll be saying more about the peace between Christians in your message today, Lonnie, but right now I’d just like to mention that the Discover Bible lessons that are available on our website, or through the mail, have a great lesson called “The Secret of Growth Through Christian Fellowship.” That lesson follows up nicely on our theme for today.

LONNIE: And that’s only one of the 26 topics covered in the lessons. So, we’d just like to remind you—in case you haven’t heard us mention it before—that you can take these Bible lessons right at home, either by hooking up to VOP.COM on the Internet, or by calling our toll-free number and asking to be enrolled in the Discover Bible Lessons.

CONNIE: That toll-free number is 1-800-872-0055, and we urge you to call today, or log on to VOP.COM to begin studying your Bible in this fascinating way.

LONNIE: Join the thousands who already are studying and growing in their relationship with the Lord.

CONNIE: Right now, though, let’s listen to Lonnie’s message for today—“Ephesians—United in Christ.”

Ephesians—United in Christ

What must it be like to sit, day after day, week after week, until the days and weeks extend into years, in prison—uncertain of your fate. Waiting to hear your sentence—will you be declared innocent? Or will you face the death penalty? Fortunately, most of us have not had to live through an experience like that. But the apostle Paul was going through just such a time when he wrote the letter we know as Ephesians.

You know, here at Voice of Prophecy, we often receive letters from men and women who are serving prison terms, and our Bible correspondence school instructors share some of the letters with us in our weekly Worldwide Prayer Circle that meets on Thursday mornings. Many prisoners tell us that they’ve given their hearts to the Lord there in that prison setting, and that they’ve found new hope and new direction for their lives as they’ve studied the Bible. We praise the Lord for that.

But what if you were in prison charged with the crime of being a Christian?

What if you were a prisoner for the sake of Jesus, and you kept praying every day for deliverance—so that you could get out and go back to spreading the gospel? And what if it seemed those prayers were never answered?

That’s the situation Paul found himself in, at the time when he wrote the letter we’re studying today. He’d been arrested in Jerusalem in the summer of AD 55. After a few days in a Jerusalem jail cell, he’d been transferred to Caesarea, down by the Mediterranean. He languished in prison there for two whole years, without ever having a formal trial or sentencing, then finally appealed to have his case heard in Rome. Which led to his being transported under guard across the Mediterranean, and of course to the famous shipwreck on the island of Malta. Then on to Rome, where he lived under house arrest, under constant guard, for another two years—all the while waiting and wondering whether Caesar would acquit him or have him killed. (And by the way, the man who was Caesar at that time was none other than the infamous Nero—the man accused of playing his fiddle while Rome burned!) Paul’s life literally hung in the balance, waiting for judgment to be passed by a madman!

With that setting in mind, listen carefully now as I read a few verses from the opening of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. You’d expect to hear a note of worry or stress in his words, wouldn’t you? Listen, and see if you can detect such emotions here:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. In Christ he chose us before the world was founded, to be dedicated, to be without blemish in his sight, to be full of love; and he destined us . . . to be accepted as his sons . . . in order that the glory of his gracious gift . . . might redound to his praise. For in Christ our release is secured and our sins are forgiven through the shedding of his blood” (Ephesians 1:2-7, NEB).

Do you detect any note of worry or complaining here?

I can’t detect a single negative note—can you?

In fact, in my mind’s eye, I can picture the scene at Ephesus—a church where Paul had spent nearly three whole years laboring—when word went around that a letter had arrived from prisoner Paul. The membership gathers around to hear the words of this man whom they admire so much. People are looking downcast and worried, wondering what horrors and injustices they’ll hear about. They’re looking forward to having word from Paul—but not sure whether they want to hear how bad things really are for him.

What a happy surprise must have rippled through the congregation when the seal on the scroll was broken, the letter unfurled, and a hymn of praise issued from the mouth of the reader!

Despite the circumstances under which it was written, the letter to the Ephesians is anything but a complaint. Paul mentions his imprisonment—which has gone on for nearly five years by now—twice in the letter. But not to complain. In fact, in chapter 3, verse 13, he pleads with the people not to be discouraged by his dire circumstances. “I beg you then,” he writes, “not to lose heart over my sufferings for you; indeed, they are your glory” (NEB).

Paul says little else about his circumstances, until finally at the end of the letter he writes, “You will want to know about my affairs, and how I am; Tychicus will give you all the news. He is our dear brother and trustworthy helper in the Lord’s work. I am sending him to you on purpose to let you know all about us, and to put fresh heart into you” (Ephesians 6:21, 22).

Still no note of discouragement or dismay. In fact, Paul expects that the report of his circumstances will encourage the people!

Was he just a die-hard optimist? Or was there good reason for his positive attitude?

The answer to that question is what Ephesians is all about. Throughout the letter, Paul focuses his attention on the fact that the things of this physical world are not what’s most important to us. Because when Jesus came down to this world and died for us, He didn’t stay here. He didn’t stay in the grave. No. He rose from the dead, and ascended back to heaven. And Paul reminds us that “ ‘When He ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men’ ” (Ephesians 4:8, NKJV).

In other words, Paul says, because of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, my captivity doesn’t really matter. What matters now is the things of heaven. The things of the Spirit. We need to be thinking not so much about our circumstances in this world, but of eternity.

Ephesians has many powerful, well-known passages that affirm this heavenly-minded viewpoint. Perhaps the best-known verses in the whole letter are verses 8 and 9 of chapter 2:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (NKJV). The verses just before this famous passage make it clear that the basis of our salvation is the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, God “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6, NKJV).

When we become Christians, we are resurrected from our old, dead ways. But even more than that, we are united with Christ in a new heavenly life! And all this is the gift of God. Given by His grace to undeserving people! No wonder Paul can’t find any reason to complain about his circumstances, even though he realizes he may receive a death sentence any day now—on the whim of an unstable, egomaniacal emperor.

There are other familiar passages in the book as well. Ephesians 2:14 declares that Christ is “our peace” because He’s broken down the wall that divides us from each other. He has made salvation available to everyone—both Jews and Gentiles—on an equal basis.

This text brings up another of the important themes of Ephesians: Unity. Because of what Christ has done for us in lifting us above the things of this world, we Christians should be united with one another in one body—which is built up and forms a new temple for God to dwell in through His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:21, 22). Paul pleads with the people to maintain this oneness, focused on spiritual things rather than the things of the world. Consider these words found at the beginning of chapter 4:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3, NIV).

Paul doesn’t just plead for unity. He gives practical advice on how to maintain it in this well-known verse:

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26, NASB). In other words, even in this wonderful spiritual fellowship known as the church, there may be times when you get angry at each other. But don’t let your hard feelings drag out into a feud. Settle your differences before the day is over, and you’ll avoid sin!

Ephesians also includes some of the best-known, most-practical advice for maintaining strong, united families. It begins in chapter 5, verse 22, where Paul advises wives to be subject to their husbands, and then continues on by telling the husbands that they shouldn’t lord it over their wives or their children, but should love them and care for them in a self-sacrificing way, just as Jesus gave His life for the church.

There’s a wonderful balance in this passage, when you read it all the way through. Unfortunately, some readers tend to stop right after the part about wives being subject to their husbands, and this throws things out of balance. But the Bible is well balanced, and makes it clear that husbands have important responsibilities to fulfill if they expect their wives to be subject to them.

It’s much easier for a woman to be subject to a man when she recognizes that he’s willing to give up himself—and his will—for her, isn’t it?

Of course no study of the book of Ephesians would be complete without mentioning the powerful passage beginning in 6:11:

“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-12, NASB).

In this precious passage, Paul once again reminds us that since we have become Christians, we’re separated from the things of the world, but united with each other as soldiers of the cross. We need to march together, with our full armor on, recognizing that since we’ve become part of the spiritual kingdom of heaven, the devil and his angels are sure to have a bone to pick with us. But by the grace and strength of God, we can stand against these adversaries, stopping their fiery arrows with the shield of faith, and advancing with the Word of God as our sword and the gospel of peace for our running shoes!

In all of this, Paul the prisoner makes it clear that he is not Paul the imprisoned. Sure, the Roman emperor may be able to restrict him from leaving his house. But Paul’s spirit remains strong, untrammeled, and well able to encourage the saints at Ephesus—and to encourage you and me today—to live for the Lord. With our eyes focused on the things of God, not the things of earth.