That They May Be One: Part One

(This is an exegetical article from Eph. 4:1-16 NASB. I have divided it into several parts. For the best reading, get out your Bibles and read the passage, then read these blogs. Enjoy!)

“So, there have been no improvements.” “No sir.” The voice on the other end of the receiver was silent for several moments. Then, I heard the low, drawn out exhale of a sigh of frustration. “Well,” my doctor said, “Let’s stick with the regimen for now. We’ll up your thyroid medication in five days. We may have to increase your cortisol, to keep your adrenal glands balanced. Stay away from all sugar, your blood sugar (pancreas) will get off. Do that, and call me next week.” “Yes, sir. Thank you, Dr. Turner.[1]”

I put down the phone, and stared out my window at nothing in particular. These weekly phone conversations have been going on for weeks and try as we might, my doctor and I have been unable to make much progress with the medication I’ve been taking. I, too, let out a long sigh of frustration, holding back another tear. Oh, I’m not really that discouraged; I know God is in control and He will deliver me, eventually. I’m just weary. Weary of the long drawn out process of attempting to realign a body that is prone to work against itself.

I suffer from a condition[2] that is unique in many ways. My internal organs either work isolated from the rest of the body, against other parts of the body, or just plain don’t work at all. My symptoms are numerous, but some of the most prominent ones are flu-like in nature: extreme fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, dizziness, and nausea. I am confined to the premises of my home and am unable to leave until the doctor gives me his release. In truth, I really don’t have the desire to leave the house; I am just plain too tired. So, I busy myself here, when I have the energy to, and write letters and emails to others, work on my schoolwork, do little chores around the house, like laundry and, on better days, cook a meal for my folks. I would love to do more, but frankly, I just can’t.

Unfortunately, my condition is not an isolated incident. In fact, it is far more prevalent and widespread than most people realize. This condition, in which members of one body work independently of others, work in opposition of others, or just decide to sit back and do nothing, is happening in the Body of Christ today.

How is this manifested; or what are the symptoms of this predicament? We see churches split as a result of a deep offense; daily hundreds of pastors retire from burn out[3]; and missionaries are being forced to return home from their mission field(s) for lack of sufficient funds to keep them there. Hundreds of church hoppers literally “hop” from church to church, trying to find the church that fits their idea of “proper doctrine.”

Then, you have the battle of the denominations, Catholics verses Lutherans, Charismatic verses Evangelicals, Anglicans verses Baptists, and so on. We live in a society where the term “Christian” is the generic word, which refers to a “good moral citizen,” and the term “Church” implies to bigotry, judgment, and legalism. Oh, we have wonderful church bodies that are prospering, but they are few and far between.

The overall lack of unity in the Body of Christ has not completely prevented her from effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission, but she is far less powerful than she could be. Like me, she is able to do a little, but she has the potential to do so much more if only her body would work together just as Christ had designed her to.

Though our church condition seems bleak at present, our tendencies toward religious prejudice is nothing new; the church has seen it in the past. In fact, our Body of Christ has overcome thousands of years of division tracing all the way back to its earliest establishment. This propensity of disunity is exactly what the Apostle Paul is discussing in this text, taken from his letter to the Ephesians.


[1] The name of the doctor has been changed for privacy purposes.

[2] Though I have yet to receive an all-inclusive diagnosis for the root cause of my illness, I suffer from a myriad of conditions including: Adrenal Insufficiency; Blood Sugar Abnormalities (associated with the pancreas); Chronic Fatigue (associated with low function of the thyroid); PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome); POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome-associated with the heart); and Gilbert’s Syndrome (dysfunction of the liver).

[3] Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches. (http://kiwirev.wordpress.com/2006/10/15/pastors-burn-out/)