The Seven Ones

Ephesians 4:4-6

Jeremy Northrop

            Frequently throughout the Bible, symbolism is used through the certain colors, numbers, and events which are recorded. Purple was the color of royalty. Black symbolizes death in the book of Revelation. Jeremiah was asked to ruin a sash as a symbol of how God would destroy Israel. The number seven is the number of completeness or perfection. Paul spoke of seven different things in Ephesians 4:4-6:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The passage points to the finality or definite nature of the things about which Paul writes. This is the singular nature of the word ‘one.’ This is emphasized when Paul introduces each concept with the phrase, “There is….” The concept is there is one and only one. When inspiration says there is only one, then this is one of which followers of God should seek to be a part.

            The one body of which Paul speaks is a reference to the New Testament church. Paul defined the body in Colossians 1:24, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church….” Jesus spoke of how He would establish the church in Matthew 16:13-19 and spoke of it in singular form. The body or church is compiled of believers who have obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:47). Thus, being saved and being added to the church is one and the same. The one body is composed of a group of people who will do things in a biblical way. The standard or creed of the church will follow the Bible as a pattern. This is what Paul exhorted Timothy in 2Timothy 3:14-15).

            The one Spirit is a reference to the Holy Spirit or the third part of the God-head. In both Acts 2 and 10, it is recorded how the Holy Spirit descended on those who obeyed the gospel. The members of the first-century church were endowed with miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. John explained the purposes of miracles was to point to the authenticity of Christ (John 20:30). These signs (both those Jesus did and those the first-century Christians did) showed God’s approval of the actions which took place. Today, the Holy Spirit does dwell in the Christian (1Corinthians 6:19-20). The Holy Spirit seals the salvation of the Christian (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit makes it possible for Christians to have hope (Romans 15:13). Paul says there is one Spirit.

            The one hope of which Paul writes is the hope which is found in Christ. The key phrase to the book of Ephesians is ‘In Christ.’ Ephesians 4:4 speaks of the hope of eternal life which Christ offered. Without the hope of Heaven and longing to be with God, there is simply no purpose for people to live. Hope is desire and expectation together. The expectation part of hope is something which is very different from the way people use the word ‘hope’ in the 21st century. The Bible describes hope differently. Paul spoke of this extensively in Romans 5:1-5. Jesus said it in a different way: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the only hope for eternal life which people have. There is no other way but through Him.

            Next, Paul says there is one Lord. Because the Holy Spirit is already spoken of in this passage and because Paul will speak of God, the Father in the next verse, then the Lord spoken of in this passage is the Son or Jesus Christ. The emphasis here is there is only one Lord or one Jesus. This Christ became a man according to Philippians 2. The fact that He lived a sinless life made Him the appropriate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The war between good and evil was won by one. In short, Christ died for all, resurrected from the grave to show His power over death, and lives today. The fact that He died is significant but that fact that He lives means more.

            The Bible speaks of faith as the universal system of belief and the personal conviction which a person has (see Romans 1:16 and Matthew 6:30; 8:10). It is the first usage of the word which is under consideration in Ephesians 4. The idea is there is only one system of belief whereby mankind can be saved. This emphasizes again the singular nature of salvation. This idea is emphasized yet again in the next item about which Paul writes.

            There is only one baptism. Some might point out the Bible speaks of the baptism of suffering (Luke 12:49-53), the baptism of John (Mark 1:4), the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11-12), the baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11-12), and the baptism of salvation (Matthew 28:18-20). The first four have reference to different ones only some of which might refer to Christians in the 21st century. The baptism of salvation, however, absolutely has reference to mankind today. There is only one baptism. The one baptism adds one to the church (Acts 2:47). The one baptism is immersion (Colossians 2:12). The one baptism is absolutely necessary for anyone to have salvation (1Peter 3:21). God says there is only one.

            Paul lastly writes of the one God. Paul describes there is only one God. This is again emphasized in the way Paul says He is God and Father of all. There is nothing over which He is not God. Some exclaim there are other gods but God proclaimed how He wants exclusivity (see Exodus 20:3). It is interesting how Paul describes God’s relationship with His children. He is above all or greater than all. He is through all in that without Him nothing would exist. He is in all or still alive and active in the world.

            The singular nature of the body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and God is the teaching of the Bible. Certainly, the pluralism present in western culture would like to advocate otherwise. The words of Paul show the Holy Spirit accounted for such a culture long before it ever came to fruition: “...let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4.