Connect Ephesians 4:6 with Deuteronomy 6:4 on God's singularity and authority. Placing the Texts Side by Side • Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.” • Ephesians 4:6: “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” One God: Singular and Exclusive • Scripture never wavers on this point; there is one—and only one—true God. • Deuteronomy 6:4 establishes the confession Israel recited daily, often called the Shema. • Ephesians 4:6 carries that same truth into the church age, showing that the apostle Paul stands on the identical foundation Moses laid centuries earlier. • Isaiah 45:5 backs it up: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me.” • James 2:19 reminds us that even demons recognize this reality: “You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Father of All: Authority That Embraces and Rules • The phrase “Father of all” points to compassionate care, yet Paul immediately adds “over all,” highlighting sovereign authority. • Nothing stands outside His jurisdiction—creation, nations, families, churches, individuals. • Psalm 103:19 says, “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” • Because He is “through all and in all,” His presence permeates every sphere of life; we never move beyond His reach or His right to command. How the New Testament Echoes the Shema • Jesus cites Deuteronomy 6:4–5 as the “foremost commandment” (Mark 12:29-30), affirming the singularity of God while calling for undivided love. • 1 Corinthians 8:6 refines the confession for believers in Christ: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” The oneness of God remains, now unfolded in Trinitarian clarity. • John 17:3 ties eternal life to this recognition: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Unity That Flows from His Oneness • Ephesians 4:4-6 forms a chain: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. • The church’s unity is not a human project; it rests on the unbreakable oneness of God. • Divisions among believers contradict the very nature of the God who indwells us all. Daily Implications • Worship: Because God alone is God, He alone deserves the center place in every thought, plan, and affection. • Obedience: His singular authority means His Word is the final word; we submit even when culture pushes back. • Security: The God who holds absolute rule also calls Himself “Father,” assuring care while exercising power. • Mission: A single God over all peoples fuels a single gospel for all nations (Romans 3:29-30). • Humility: Remembering that the same God is “in all” believers checks pride and fosters service. Quick Recap One God—declarative in Deuteronomy, reiterated in Ephesians. One Father—sovereign yet intimate, ruling yet indwelling. When our hearts grasp His singularity and authority, unity and obedience follow naturally. |
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