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Max Anders (Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary, D.Min. Western Seminary) is the author of over 20 books and the creator and general editor of the Holman Bible Commentary. Dr. Anders has taught on the college and seminary level, was one of the original team members with Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, and has pastored for over 20 years.

Ephesians 4:3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
³being diligent to preserve the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity (v. 3)

Why is unity such a major issue? First, it is necessary for Christians to enjoy the richness of relationships among one another. Without unity in the bond of peace, Christians will not enjoy one another. We will not enjoy life. We will not have the mutual ministry to one another that each of us needs for life to be rich and satisfying—without unity.

Also, without unity, the world will look at Christians and doubt, based on their relationships, whether Christ is real. “[I ask that] all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). If the world sees unity among Christians, they have a basis for concluding that Christ is sent from God. If they do not see unity among Christians, they have a basis for assuming that Christ is not sent from God. So the unity issue is a vital, strategic one in the witness of God in the world. It is not incidental.

In verses 4–6, Paul’s next step is to spell out the spiritual unity on which the relational unity is based. There is one body, Spirit, hope, faith, baptism, and God. Therefore, since there is only one of these, since we are unified in this spiritual sense, we should be one in a relational sense. Spiritual unity should be manifested in relational unity.

“one body” means the body of Christ, which is a term used to describe the totality of all believers in Christ from the time of his first coming until he comes again. There is only one body. One Spirit is, of course, the Holy Spirit. There is only one. “One hope” refers to the common hope of heaven, and eternity with God. There is only one. “One faith” speaks, most likely, not of the body of truth which we believe, but rather of the common faith which we exercise in Christ for our salvation. There is only one.

To baptize means “to place into.” To baptize with water means to place into water. To baptize with the Holy Spirit means to place into the body of Christ (meaning “to become a member of”). The term baptism in this verse might refer to water baptism, or it might refer to Spirit baptism. If it refers to water baptism, it alludes to the outward symbol (water baptism) of the inward reality of the believer’s identification with Christ. If it refers to Spirit baptism, it alludes to the Christian’s being placed into the body of Christ, mirroring the meaning in 1 Corinthians 12:13, which reads: “For we were all baptized (placed) by one Spirit into one body.” In my understanding one baptism probably does not refer to water baptism but to our baptism into the body of Christ (Rom. 6:4–7). When we were born again, we were spiritually placed into the body of Christ. This “placing into” is referred to as being baptized into the body of Christ. There is only one.

One God is, of course, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one. He is of all, over all, through all, and in all. Of all means that he is the God and Father of all Christians, not all people (John 1:12, Gal. 3:26). He is over all Christians, as their sovereign God. He lives through all Christians and manifests himself in them.