Ephesians 4:2-3 – “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”

God is a God Peace

One of God’s name’s in the bible is Jehovah-Shalom which means “Yahweh is peace.”  The Hebrew word “Shalom: means “peace” or “absence from strife.” It means wholeness in all of life, completeness, welfare, safety. God is the source of all these blessings. We all want peace, but there is no peace apart from God.

Isaiah 48:22 reminds us “There is no peace…for the wicked”

God is committed to restoring peace in his world, in his kingdom, which right now, is in our hearts and in the church. (Luke 2:14, Luke 17:21) One day it will include all the earth.

We are mandated here in Ephesians 4:3 to maintain, to preserve, to protect and keep this precious peace and unity that Jesus Christ Himself has purchased for us. God is a God of peace and order and this is why divisions within the church, Christ’s body, are so grievous to God.

If we would learn to walk worthy of the calling to which we are called, then we must learn how to be become peacemakers, reconcilers who are called sons of God.

Matt 5:9 – Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God”

2 Cor 5:18-20 – “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

If we want to maintain unity, the bond of peace in the church then we must intentionally practice and nurture 4 virtues in particular, that can be seen as the pillars which uphold unity. Each pillar is critical.

• Humility
• Meekness
• Patience
• Forbearance

Each virtue is progressive and builds on the previous, meekness requires the practice of humility. Patience requires the practice of both humility and meekness and forbearance requires all three, humility, meekness and patience.

Ephesians 4:2  calls for an embodiment of humility, meekness, patience, and forbearance, not in portions, but in their entirety. ”  Don’t miss the small adjective “all”.  In the Greek (pas) means “all without exception“. This modifies both humility and gentleness. Think about this. It’s one thing to have a little bit of humility and gentleness, but Paul calls us to “holiness” or “wholiness”. We are to be completely humble and gentle. It should not only be predominant, it should be in totality. We do need the Holy Spirit to work this in us as we strive to work it out.  In a world teeming with half-hearted commitments and superficial displays of virtue, Ephesians 4:2 challenges us as believers to a higher standard – a standard of “holiness” or “wholeness” in our pursuit of these virtues. We do not want any fractures to weaken our pillars upholding the unity of the church.  In the broader context of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, this verse is part of a larger discourse on unity in the body of Christ. Paul, writing to a diverse group of believers, emphasizes that these virtues are foundational for maintaining the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.

“God alone is the centre of true unity, and where men are broke off from God, they will be found at the bottom broke off from one another, as altogether selfish, and having their unruly passions unmortified, which make them uneasy both to themselves and others. And hence faith in Christ is the early restorer of true peace and love among men. That peace and love that is between companions in sin, will without peradventure break out in rage and hatred.” – Thomas Boston, Works —

A Closer Look at the Four Pillar Virtues of Unity

All Humility: In biblical terms, humility is not about self-deprecation; it’s about recognizing one’s position in relation to God and others. It’s a posture of the heart that values others above oneself.  It’s about having a right understanding of oneself in relation to God and others. This involves acknowledging our limitations and sinfulness, leading to a dependence on God’s grace. It also involves valuing others and putting their needs above our own, following the example of Christ’s humility and service. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but is really not thinking of ourselves at all.

Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

In the Roman/Greek culture of Paul’s day, lowliness or humility would not have been considered a virtue. Instead it was greatly despised in this ancient world being seen as weakness or cowardness. The predominant values were often honor, glory, and excellence. The Greek term for humility was used in literature but always in a derogatory context. Social status played a significant role in ancient Greek society. Humility was often expected from those of lower social status as a recognition of their place in the social hierarchy, rather than a universally admired trait. The Greeks highly valued the pursuit of excellence in all areas of life, including warfare, athletics, politics, and the arts. This pursuit often involved striving for personal glory and honor, which is somewhat contrary to the idea of lowliness or humility. Even in our day, self-esteem and self-glorification are prevalent and a major emphasis. Humility is critical because Paul knows that humility promotes unity but that pride promotes disunity.

Dwight Edwards (descendant of Jonathan Edwards) observed that “True humility is not putting ourselves down but rather lifting up others. If we concentrate on lifting up others, putting down ourselves will take care of itself. As we go through life exalting Christ and others, then genuine humility will be inevitable. If we exalt ourselves then God will take care of our humiliation for He promises to humble the proud. It is much less painful to do it the first way.”

All Meekness: The Greek word for meekness is prautēs /praotēs means gentleness and mildness.  In ancient Greek, “prautēs” referred to a virtue that combines elements of gentleness, humility, and self-control. It was often used to describe the ideal state of balance between too much and too little anger; a person with “prautēs” was someone who could be angry when appropriate, but who mostly chose a gentle response in difficult situations It does not imply weakness or passivity, but rather strength under control. A gentle person is one whose emotions are under control.

Meekness is often misunderstood as weakness, meekness in the biblical sense is strength under control. It is the power to endure injustices and insults with patience and without retaliation. Jesus described himself as “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29), and he demonstrated his own meekness as the ultimate example:

he could have called ten thousand angels,
to destroy the world, and set Him free;
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone for you and me.

Jesus had the power of the universe at His command, yet instead of being vindicated in that moment, he held his strength under control and redeemed the lost with meekness and humility.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). “Meekness” is a fruit of the Holy Spirit mention in Galatians 5:23.  It’s a grace-filled quality that reflects a strong and disciplined character, one that trusts in God’s sovereignty and responds with gentleness and humility, even in difficult situations. It is an uncomplaining disposition of mind that allows us to bear without irritation or resentment the faults or injuries of others. It is an important quality for us to cultivate as Christians.

All Patience:  The Greek word “makrothumia”  is translated into English as “patience” or “longsuffering.” Another “fruit of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5:22-23.   This word combines two elements: “makros” (long) and “thumos” (temper, or more broadly, passion or emotion). It means to be long-tempered in contrast to being short-tempered and irritable. It is the prolonged holding back of anger or the ability to endure discomfort without retaliation or negative reaction.

“Makrothumia” is often used to describe God’s slow-to-anger, patient nature, especially in the face of human sin and failure. It reflects His steadfast grace and mercy toward us who give him every reason to be irritable and impatient every moment of every day.

Longsuffering is about maintaining a steady and patient attitude in the face of provocation, injustice, or hardship, without giving way to anger or frustration. It’s a refusal to retaliate or seek revenge. This patience is not a passive resignation but an active, disciplined choice to hope and trust in God’s timing and providence.

All Forbearance: The Greek word for forbearing is “anechomai.” It is often translated as “bearing with” or “forbearing”. It has various meanings depending on context. It can be translated as “to bear,” “to endure,” “to forbear,” or “to suffer.” It implies the idea of enduring something with patience or tolerance, often in the face of difficulties or adversities or tolerating certain conditions or behaviors for the sake of peace and unity within the Christian church especially when facing misunderstandings, problems, and conflicts.

In Ephesians 4:2, “anechomai” is associated with the idea of showing tolerance and patience towards fellow believers. These last two virtues, longsuffering and putting up with one another, is a reminder and a warning that we are going to have to deal with difficult relationships within the church body itself. We are going to need to be humble and meek in our response to keep the unity and the peace of the church body which is our mandate and is required if we are to walk worthy of the calling to which we are called to by God.

“In love” – describes the spirit in which such forbearance was to be exercised, because to forbear without love could result in resentment. This mutual forbearance must not be affected coolness or simple courtesy; it must have its origin, sphere, and nutriment “in love”. Remember how Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we “may be ‘rooted and grounded in love’ .

Our call to forbearance with all love is about genuinely loving and sacrificing for one another, not just enduring challenges while harboring internal resentment. True bearing with is rooted in love. Imperfection is a common human trait, necessitating the need to ‘bear with’ each other. Without such love and patience, unity breaks down, which can significantly impede God’s work. History is full of churches torn apart by such divisions. Churches that split over the color of new roof shingles, color of new carpets, paint, worship music style.  Small trivial matters can disrupt unity and worship. Small disputes escalates to further division as congregants chose sides based on shingle preference and carpet color. Whether it’s a church-wide disagreement over a minor issue or a personal disagreement between individuals, the answer lies in bearing with one another in love.

Ephesians 4:2 is not just a call to individual virtue but a divine mandate for unity. It reminds us that our spiritual walk is not in isolation but in unison with others, bound by love and peace. By fully practicing these virtues, we not only grow closer to God, become more like Christ  but we also forge stronger bonds with our fellow believers strengthening unity. Our pursuit of holiness is not just for ourselves but for the edification of the entire body of Christ.