"2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:2-3 (NASB)
Here, Paul defines his appeal for believers to “walk worthy…”. How exactly do we walk worthy of our calling? It’s interesting he mentions humility as number one on the list, because he’s going to delve into the issue of unity in the context of the church; and really the key to unity, among many other Christian virtues, is humility.
The concept of humility is crucial in the Christian faith. This was highly exemplified by Moses (cf. Num. 12:3) and Jesus in the Bible (cf. Matt. 11:29). The apostle Paul also talks a lot about humility in his epistles (see Phil. 2:3; Col. 2:18, 23; 3:12). In Philippians 2:3, Paul tells believers to not do things because they want to show off or be better than others. Instead, he says they should think of others as more important than themselves. This is what humility is all about. In Colossians 2:18 and 23, Paul warns against fake humility and worshiping yourself, and says real humility should come from Christ. Also, in Colossians 3:12, Paul tells the Christians in Colossae to act with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as they deal with each other. This shows how humility should be a part of their everyday lives.
The Christian tradition places a strong emphasis on humility, which sets it apart from Greek stoicism. This virtue plays a key role in shaping the moral and ethical landscape within Christian communities in the New Testament. It not only defines the character of Christian followers but also guides their interactions with others and their approach to life’s challenges.
The 2nd virtue Paul mentions is “gentleness”. “Gentleness” often linked to “meekness” in the King James Version of the Bible. It means having strength under control, like a trained animal. Just as wild animals are tamed to help people, believers are also meant to use their strength to serve others rather than compete with each other (see 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11).
It’s important to note that Paul’s emphasis here is on a corporate mindset, where the collective community of believers is encouraged to operate in a spirit of gentleness, rather than pursuing individualistic pursuits. This matches the idea that God doesn’t want to crush the spirits of believers (see Psalm 139, where He is recognized as their Creator), but to guide and focus their efforts for His own plans. “Gentleness” is a recurring theme in Paul’s writings (see 1 Cor 4:21, 2 Cor 10:1, Gal 5:23, 6:1, Col 3:12, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:25, and Titus 3:2). Gentleness is an important virtue to practice when dealing with challenges in thi church, whether it is restoring someone who has strayed or correcting someone who is in error.
The third virtue Paul cites is “patience”. “Patience” is very important to Paul; he mentions it in several places in the New Testament (see Rom 2:4; 9:22; 2 Cor 6:6; Gal 5:22; Col 1:11; 3:12; 1 Tim 1:16; 2 Tim 3:10; 4:2). In the Old Testament, God is often described as “long-suffering” or “slow to anger.” This means that God is patient and loving toward us. He wants to work with us despite our weaknesses. Therefore, Paul encourages us to be patient with others, just as God is patient with us. Patience is an important quality for Christians, and we are reminded to show patience to each other in the church. Anger can harm relationships within the Christian community, especially when it turns into rage, bitterness, slander, or a desire for revenge. Paul warns against these behaviors (4:26, 31; 6:4). The solution to this problem is to exercise “patience.” Patience is an important quality for Christians. The New Testament identifies both gentleness and patience as aspects of the fruit the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), highlighting their significance in the lives of believers.
Paul goes on to say, “showing forbearance to one another in love”. This phrase is a Present Middle Participle which is a way of saying that we should be patient and understanding with each other, especially when we have faults ourselves. This idea is important in the writings of Paul, who talks about it twelve times. Just as God is patient with people who don’t believe, we should also be patient with each other. We should focus on helping others, just like Jesus did when he sacrificed himself for us. This kind of unselfish behavior manifested in the lives of believers shows the reversal of the fall. We can find more about this in passages like Romans 14:1-15:13, Galatians 5:22, Philippians 2:3 and 4:5, and Colossians 3:12-13, among others.
So, in verse 3, Paul emphasizes that being humble, gentle, patient, and loving are essential ingredients “to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The enjoyment and maintenance of the unity of the Spirit rely on these qualities. While some Christians attribute the lack of unity to differences in beliefs, this reason is inadequate. It is acceptable to have differing beliefs and interpretations of the Bible due to the uniqueness of individuals and their diverse backgrounds. The critical factor is to exhibit humility, patience, and love to sustain the unity of the Spirit within the Body of Christ. The focus is more on our attitude and character than anything else. Jesus himself stressed the significance of humility, as evidenced in Matthew 11:28. Certain Christians grapple with pride, and when faced with adversity, they become distressed and struggle to maintain unity. Humility, patience, and, above all, love are necessary to uphold the unity of the Spirit in peace.
Believers bear personal responsibility for the collective well-being and strength of Christ’s body (the church, see Col 3:14-15 and 1 Cor12:7). This applies to you! Only active dedication to the welfare of the entire body can uphold unity and harmony in the church (see Ephesians 5:21).
#bible, #christianity, #faith, #humility, #jesus
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