If Ephesians is about God’s purpose for his people, then this means that a central focus is on the church. In fact one of the ways that we might express Paul’s overall theme is that God’s people should be united together in love to Christ first and then to one another as his beautiful body.
Unity in grace
Unity starts with the good news of salvation by grace alone. By removing the opportunity to boast, it takes away the opportunity for comparisons, hierarchies and tribalism. It is no surprise then that the first and immediate application of “By grace you are saved” is the good news that Christ has “destroyed the dividing wall of hostility.”
United to and in Christ
Ephesians 1 anchors all the blessings that we receive in God as coming “in Christ.” We are united to him as his beautiful bride. This means too that the unity we have with one another is something that Christ gives to us as he washes and adorns us, making us into that spotless, faultless bride that we one day will be.
Recognising that the church is the bride is also a motivation to unity. If we love Jesus, then we will love the bride. It is impossible for a believer to claim to know and love the Lord whilst dishonouring and dividing from the church.
United in God’s Word
Paul talks about the church being built on the foundation of The Apostles and Prophets. A foundation is a one-time event and so, I take Paul to be referring to The Twelve, the Apostles of Jesus Christ rather than a wider apostolic band here. In other words, the point here is that the church is founded and built up on the message, the revelation that The Apostles and Prophets bring (2:20) . So, later, Paul will add in the gifts of evangelist and pastor-teacher as key to the equipping of the church so it can grow into unity (4:11-13).
The context of Ephesians 2:20 is of course Paul’s description of the unity Christ brings by breaking down “the wall of hostility”. In context this would have first and foremost been about ending divisions between Jews and Gentiles but would have wider application. For example, Ephesians 5:20 introduces us to mutual submission that breaks down gender, class and age barriers as husbands love their wives, parents are careful not to provoke their children and masters reciprocate their slaves’ respect and devotion to them.
United in the Spirit
We are united because we have received the one same Spirit (4:4) and so it is as a result of our being filled with the Spirit (5:18) that this overflows in our praise and worship which as well as being directed towards God is intended to help encourage and build up one another. The command to “submit to one another” also flows out of the command to “be filled with the Spirit.”
Faithroots 