How does Ephesians 3:6 connect with Galatians 3:28 on unity in Christ? Ephesians 3:6—The Mystery Unwrapped “ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.” • “Through the gospel”—unity is anchored in the finished work of Jesus, not in ethnicity, credentials, or works. • “Gentiles are fellow heirs”—everyone who believes receives the same full inheritance as Israel’s believing remnant. • “Fellow members of the body”—no first-class and second-class seating in the church; one shared identity. • “Fellow partakers of the promise”—every covenant promise God made in Christ belongs equally to every believer. Galatians 3:28—The Equality Clause “ There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” • Paul moves from Jew/Greek to every social divide—economic, gender, cultural. • The phrase “you are all one” carries the same thought as “fellow” in Ephesians 3:6; both destroy hierarchies that once seemed unmovable. Threading the Two Verses Together 1. Same Author, Same Revelation • Paul is explaining the “mystery” in both letters—God’s plan, kept hidden, now revealed (Ephesians 3:3-5). • In Galatians he defends that mystery against legalism; in Ephesians he celebrates it as cosmic victory. 2. Heirship + Oneness • Ephesians emphasizes legal status—“heirs.” • Galatians emphasizes relational status—“one.” • Put together: we share both the family inheritance and the family identity. 3. Body Language • Ephesians 3:6: “members of the body.” • 1 Corinthians 12:13 echoes: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free.” • The body metaphor underscores indispensable interdependence. 4. Promise Fulfilled • Ephesians 3:6 links unity to “the promise.” • Galatians 3:29 continues: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” • Unity isn’t a side benefit; it is the promised blessing to Abraham that “all families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Why This Matters Today • No believer can claim privileged access to God; Christ alone is the door (John 10:9). • Cultural, racial, and social tensions are answered by gospel reality, not human negotiation. • Church ministry must resist any structure that recreates the very barriers Jesus tore down (Ephesians 2:14). • Unity is not sameness; diverse gifts (Romans 12:4-5) flourish within one body. • Our evangelism gains credibility when outsiders see reconciled relationships inside the church (John 17:21). Living the Unity We Already Possess 1. Recognize: see every believer as a “fellow heir.” 2. Receive: welcome brothers and sisters without qualifiers (Romans 15:7). 3. Rejoice: thank God aloud for the different stories He has grafted into His family. 4. Respond: step across cultural or social lines in practical service (Galatians 5:13). |
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