Not Beige, But Rainbow-Colored
There is a way that the world speaks of unity that implies sameness—beige.
But—and this is something I’ve been learning over the past year—this is not at all the biblical picture of unity. God’s plan to unite all humanity is not to erase differences, but to unite all people in Christ in the midst of their differences. You might say that God’s plan is for unity in diversity—not beige, but rainbow-colored.
Forgive me for missing on Friday—I needed a bit more time to study this passage.
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 [Friday] and Ephesians 3:1-6 [Today]
2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Paul is addressing the mainly non-Jewish Christian members of the Ephesian church, reminding them that under the terms of the old covenant, only the Jews were part of the covenant people of God—the non-Jewish peoples were outsiders, foreigners. But, because of what Jesus has done, they have now been brought into the family of God.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
How has Christ Jesus brought the non-Jewish believers into the family of God? By fulfilling the Law perfectly and dying on behalf of everyone else. It used to be that the way you were part of God’s covenant people was by attempting to keep the Torah. But now the way you are part of God’s covenant people is just by trusting in the gospel message. This means that it doesn’t matter what culture you come from—people from all cultures can trust the message and be included.
This also means that we don’t have to be the same! Our unity comes from the fact that we all heard the good news and trusted it. God’s plan is not to erase our differences, but rather to erase our sin and bring us all into his family, along with our differences. It’s a rainbow-colored church.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
And now, both Jewish believers in Jesus and non-Jewish believers in Jesus—as Jews and non-Jews—are part of the living Temple that God is building. The Temple is where God’s presence was; it was where heaven and earth came together. Now, that place is where God’s people are.
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation,as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
Paul says that this secret plan of God—to bring back all people into one family—is his special mission, and that God is revealing that plan to the leaders of the early church. You no longer have to be Jewish to be part of the covenant people—now all it takes to be part of the covenant people is not to live by the Jewish law, but to simply trust the gospel message.
Again, it is profoundly important that we understand the implications of what Paul is saying: God is NOT making all people the same; rather, God is bringing ANYONE who believes into his family, no matter what culture they come from.
God isn’t planning on erasing our differences, but bringing us into unity while still being different.
A rainbow of colors, not a drab beige.