“in the communion of the saints”
Ever notice how we tend to define people by their differences? As in, he’s a jock, she’s a nerd. Or her parents are poor, his are rich. Or even, he’s a Methodist, she’s Baptist. In New Testament times, people did the same thing. She’s a Hebrew Christian, he’s a Gentile Christian.
Focusing on differences tends to divide people. When we define someone by their difference from us, we feel uncomfortable around them. Actually, defining by differences is society’s way of creating distance. We don’t want to get close to someone who’s “not like us.”
Paul takes on this approach to relationships in Ephesians 2:11–22. The differences are real, but for Jesus’ followers they no longer matter. When Jesus died for our sins, he broke down the barriers that society puts up between groups of people. He did it by making all Christians “fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (verse 19).
“The communion of the saints” means that we’re now to emphasize what we have in common with other Christians, instead of following the world’s approach of emphasizing differences. We no longer see a poor Methodist jock, or rich Baptist nerd. What we see is a brother or sister in Christ, someone to care about and to worship with, someone to draw close to and to be a friend.
This doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get over real differences. But it does mean that it’s possible, and a goal true Christians work toward.
Don’t you hate it when someone says, “Be patient?” Hey, we want what we want now! The trouble is, for most things everyone has to wait. Farmers have to wait for crops to grow. Kids have to wait to get a driver’s license. We can get all upset and impatient, but that won’t change a thing. Crops will still grow as slowly. Our days will still pass 24 hours at a time. Maybe the best thing to do is to be patient and use today to prepare for tomorrow. After all, God probably had a good reason to build waiting time into the way the world works.
Debauchery. The sound of the word is almost as disgusting as its meaning: “orgies; extreme involvement in sensuality or sexual immorality.” The Bible uses it only five times, four times in relation to sexual immorality and once, in this verse, in relation to drunkenness. Paul wants the Ephesian Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit instead of wine. Sounds like good advice for today too. Drinking alcohol loosens inhibitions and leads to acts that you’d never consider when sober. Think about it. Is it worth the risk?
Ephesians
Lonely.
God’s people—who make up the church—are family for you. This book shows you how to fight loneliness and how to find love and support in the family of God.