Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Chapter 4
Unity in the Body
Therefore, I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to embrace the calling you have received.Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.
Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit among you through bonds of peace.
Let there be one body and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God, the Father of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.
But to each of us, divine grace is granted in proportion to Christ’s gift.
Regarding his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles; to others, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers.
So, he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry to build up the Body of Christ,
until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. In this way, we will become complete persons upon reaching maturity and sharing in the fullness of Christ.
Commentaries
Unity in the Body.
Paul begins the encouraging part of the letter by speaking with the authority given to him by his sufferings and imprisonment for Christ. If God has brought all men and women together in a single plan of salvation, at the heart of the Christian calling is a commitment to unity. This is expressed through concrete and practical behaviors such as humility, modesty, patience, and mutual endurance—virtues that promote love. Paul also shares essential messages. First, the leaders of the community are not chosen by the community; the Lord appoints them.
Second, being a bishop or a priest is not a position of privilege that allows one to live apart from others, but a ministry of ongoing service to the community.