JEWS, GENTILES, AND THE CHURCH OF GOD

JEWS, GENTILES, AND THE CHURCH OF GOD

The Apostle Paul by inspiration divided all of humanity into three categories: “Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32 KJV).

• Jews include the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and converts to Judaism.
• Gentiles are anyone who is not a Jew.
• The church of God is composed of all saved individuals both Jews and Gentiles.
• All of humanity can therefore be classified in one of these three groups.
• Thank God, we can choose to be saved and be part of the church of God!
• This brief study will help provide an overview of God’s plan to save the world!

GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED

Knowing that God loves the world and wants everyone to be saved is both important and very encouraging! The following Scriptures can easily be multiplied.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

God really does love the world!

JESUS WAS DESTINED TO DIE BEFORE CREATION

The death of Jesus for our sins was not an afterthought, but was decided by God before creation. God chose to redeem mankind with the precious blood of Jesus before Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden.

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Pet. 1:18-21)

JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD THROUGH A WOMAN

Bringing Christ into the world was central to the strategy of God. The devil found out about this in the Garden of Eden. After God cursed Satan He promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). Thus began the long battle between Satan and God. This helps us to understand why Satan is devoted to destroying families and killing babies. This also explains one reason why God was determined to preserve the family and save babies. The protection of families and children was essential to bringing Jesus into the world. There are many genealogical lists in the Bible

that enable us to document the family of Jesus. In Luke 3:23-37, for example, is a list that extends all the way from Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, to Adam who was the son of God. These genealogies are evidence that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah predicted by the prophets.

JESUS WOULD ALSO BE THE “SEED” OF ABRAHAM

Abraham was a Hebrew and thus the Hebrew people are descendants of Abraham. As you know, “Abraham” (father of multitudes) was initially called “Abram” (exalted father). God changed his name prior to the miraculous birth of his son Isaac (Gen. 17:5). Abraham came from a family of idolators (Joshua 24:2-4). Therefore, in order to protect Abraham’s family from this corruption, “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:1-3)

This obscure nomad did what God commanded and has become one of the most famous men in history. As you know, he is honored by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Yes! “all peoples on earth” have been blessed through Abraham. It is also a historical fact that Jesus was Abraham’s Seed. The promise that God would bless the whole world through the Seed of Abraham is repeated several times in the Scriptures. Note, for example, what the angel of the Lord said to Abraham after he was willing to offer his son Isaac to God as a sacrifice: “The angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Gen. 22:15-18 KJV).

The “Seed” of Abraham in this passage is a direct reference to Christ. The Apostle Paul confirmed this by writing these inspired words to the Galatians: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16 KJV).

Jesus is not only the “Seed” of Abraham, but also the “Seed” of woman promised by God in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:15)

GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN INVOLVED SAVING BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES

Remember! Everyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile! The promise of God that “all peoples on earth” would be blessed through Abraham obviously included both Jews and Gentiles. Please consider:

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then,

you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 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. 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. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ((Eph. 3:1-11)

THE SALVATION OF MANKIND TAKES PLACE THROUGH THE CHURCH

The “mystery” of what God was going to do was hidden from both men and angels. Even the prophets did not completely understand the plan of God. They only understood that their inspired message was not for them but for a future generation. Peter wrote: “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” (1 Pet. 1:10-12)

THIS GREAT SALVATION, OF COURSE, INVOLVED UNITING JEWS AND GENTILES!

We need to be concerned about our own personal obedience to God because we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses! (Heb. 12:1) These witnesses not only include God and Christ, but also thousands upon thousands of angels, and the spirits of righteous men made perfect (Heb. 12:22-24). The principalities and powers in heavenly realms are also vitally interested in what is taking place on earth. In this regard the plan of God is that “now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:10-11)

Please note that the eternal purpose of God is to display his manifold wisdom through the church! If you are not a part of the church you should be, and can be!

THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST

As you also know, the church is the Body of which Christ is the Head! Please consider:

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and he firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Col. 1:18-20)

“Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:15-16).

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Cor. 12:13)

To say that we are “one” in the church, therefore, is the same as saying we are “one” in Christ! “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29)

In Christ you “Put on the new self, which is renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Sythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Col. 3:10-11)

UNITING JEWS AND GENTILES WAS NOT EASY

For three years Jesus sent out His apostles to preach only to the Jews. Please consider: “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matt. 10:5-6)

Preaching only to the Jews, however, was temporary. After his resurrection Jesus specifically sent his apostles into all the world to preach to all nations. This command is known as the “Great Commission.” It is found in all four gospels, and also the book of Acts (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:45-49; Jn. 20:21-23; Acts 1:8)

Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, preached by inspiration “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are afar off – for all whom our God will call.” (Acts 2:39) This obviously included Gentiles, yet Peter did not understand what he was saying. It took several years and a series of miracles for Peter to reluctantly preach to a Gentile. That story is given in detail in Acts chapter 10 and is repeated in Acts chapter 11.

The first Gentile to be saved, without first becoming a Jew, was a devout centurion named Cornelius. “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (Acts 10:1-6)

Please read carefully Acts 10 and 11 and you will discover that God was precise in saving the Gentiles in exactly the same way He saved the Jews.

• Peter first preached to the Jews and Peter also first preached to the Gentiles. No one can say that the Gentiles were introduced to Christ by some lesser known preacher.
• Cornelius lived in Caesarea which is also where Philip the evangelist lived (Acts 10:40; 21:8). It would have been easy for Philip to preach to Cornelius, but it was important that Cornelius come to Christ in precisely the same way that the Jews did. Hence the angel of God commanded Cornelius to send to Joppa for Simon Peter. Joppa is 63 Km from Caesarea.
• It is interesting that Peter’s vision to preach to the Gentiles came in Joppa. This is the very city where Jonah was when he ran away from his responsibility to preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh (Jonah 1:3).
• Note also that the Holy Spirit came on the Gentiles just as He had upon the Jews! “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:44-46)
• When Peter preached at Pentecost those who believed his message were baptized in water on the same day (Acts 2:41). The same thing happened to the household of Cornelius. “Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.” (Acts 10:47-48)
• When Peter was criticized for entering into the house of a Gentile and eating with uncircumcised people, he explained in great detail about his visions and what happened when he preached to Gentiles. He concluded by saying: “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:15-18)

THE JERUSALEM CHRISTIANS STILL PREACHED ONLY TO JEWS

After quoting Peter that God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life, the very next verse states: “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message only to the Jews.” (Acts 11:19)

• Then we are told- (see Acts 11:20-30)
• The brethren in Antioch began preaching to the Greeks.
• A great number believed and turned to the Lord.
• News of this came to Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
• Barnabas then went to Tarsus and got Saul.
• For a whole year they met with the church and taught great numbers of people.
• The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
• A prophet named Agabus came down from Jerusalem and predicted that a severe famine would come over the entire Roman world.
• The disciples in Antioch sent money to the brethren in Judea by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
• The brethren in Judea needed special help for they had sold their possessions and goods to help their poor brethren when the church began (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-37)

PAUL WAS APPOINTED AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES

• Saul of Tarsus became a Christian around A.D. 33, or approximately three years after the church began. Since the original apostles didn’t obey the Great Commission, God used Paul to set a good example for them. He was God’s chosen instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
• Jesus said to Saul on the Damascus Road: “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:15-18)
• There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision to heal Saul of his blindness. When Ananias was reluctant to do so - “The Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’” (Acts 9:15).
• Paul wrote to the Galatians: “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.” (Gal. 1:15-18)
• Note! The word “apostle” refers someone who is sent. There are three levels of apostles in the Bible. (1) Jesus was sent by God and is therefore the “apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Heb. 3:1). (2) The twelve and Paul were apostles sent by Christ. (3) Men like Barnabas and Epaphroditus and others were apostles sent by the church (Acts 14:14; Phil. 2:25, etc.) Today we call those sent out by the church “missionaries”.
• Paul was an apostle sent by Christ just like Peter and the others. Paul began his letter to the churches of Galatia by writing: “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—.” (Gal. 1:1)
• Paul explained that he did not consult with any man, or go up to Jerusalem, but he went immediately to Arabia, returned to Damascus, and then after 3 years went up to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:15-18). Please consider that Paul spent these 3 years with Jesus, just as the other apostles spent 3 years with Jesus. Since Mt. Sinai was in Arabia (Gal. 4:25), it is possible that Paul’s 3 years with Christ took place where Moses received the Law.
• While we cannot be dogmatic about the dates, Paul was apparently in Arabia from A.D. 33-36.
• Paul was apparently in Tarsus from A.D. 37-44.
• Barnabas brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch about A.D. 45.
• Paul’s first evangelistic tour was approximately from A.D. 47-49.
• This chronology is important in understanding the uniting of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

By A.D. 50 the Christian world was divided into two groups. Those who accepted Gentiles were represented by the church in Antioch. Those who accepted only Jews were represented by the church in Jerusalem. Two groups is one group too many for in Christ there is only “One Body” (Eph. 4:4). This division was a serious problem!

• Paul had been preaching to Gentiles for many years but those from the church in Jerusalem continued to preach only to the Jews (Acts 11:19). Note that this happened even after Peter had preached to Cornelius (Acts 10).
• Remember, there were thousands of Jews in Jerusalem who believed and yet were still zealous for the law (Acts 21:20).
• When Peter came to Antioch he ate with Gentiles until “certain men came from James”. At that time “he drew back and separated himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray” (Gal. 2:12-13). Paul opposed Peter to his face for this hypocrisy because he was wrong (Gal. 2:11).
• These differences resulted in a sharp disagreement when Paul and Barnabas returned from their first evangelistic tour: “Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question.” (Acts 15:1-6).
• The decision of the Jerusalem Council was a major step in bringing unity between Jews and Gentiles. This letter from that council reflects their decision: “The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.” (Acts 15:23-29)
• The apostles accepted Paul and his ministry to the Gentiles: “For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” (Gal. 2:8-10)

PAUL’S CONCERN

As Paul delivered the decree of the Jerusalem Council he also received money for the poor saints in Judea. As we have mentioned, they had special needs as they had sold their possessions and goods to feed the poor when the church began.

• “Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.” (1 Cor. 16:1-4)
• The churches of Macedonia also participated in this offering for the poor saints in Judea (2 Cor. 8 and 9). They not only gave their money, but also gave themselves (2 Cor. 8:5).
• Paul, however, was not certain that his Jewish brethren in Judea would accept this money from the Gentiles. Please consider this prayer request to the brethren in Rome (written around A.D. 57 – 58). “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there,” (Rom. 15:30-31)
• These were two very real concerns. As you know, when Paul arrived in Jerusalem, more than 40 Jews too a vow that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him (Acts 23:12-14).
• Neither was Paul confident that devout Jews would accept money from Gentiles. Money from Corinth, for example, may have been considered too corrupt to accept because of the idolatry and sexual perversion there.

PAUL’S PRAYER WAS ANSWERED

The answer to Paul’s prayer is revealed in his letter to the Ephesians (around A.D. 62). Before considering that letter, however, let us briefly review what happened to Paul in Jerusalem.

Even though Paul was constantly persecuted by the Jews, he loved them so much that he could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ if they could only be saved (Rom. 9:1-5). When he arrived in Jerusalem James and all the elders recommended that he join in the purification rites of four Jewish men who had made a vow and also pay their expenses. When he did so some Jews from the province of Asia accused him of bringing an Ephesian Greek named Trophimus into the temple. This resulted in a riot as the whole city was aroused and sought to kill Paul (Acts 21:17-32).

As a result of this riot Paul was unjustly imprisoned for two years (probably A.D. 59-61). Because of the plot by more than 40 Jews to kill Paul he was taken by night from a prison in Jerusalem to a prison in Caesarea. For his safety he was accompanied by 2 centurions, 200 soldiers. Seventy horsemen, and 200 spearmen (Acts 23:23-24). The fact that so many soldiers were needed to protect Paul reveals the magnitude of the Jewish forces wanting to kill him. The Governor Felix knew that Paul had come to Jerusalem with a lot of money and hoped to receive a bribe from him (Acts 24:24- 27). When Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus Paul was left in prison to please the Jews (Acts 24:27).

When the Jews wanted to bring him back to Jerusalem for trial Paul knew they would kill him and as a Roman citizen appealed his case to Rome (Acts 25:1-12). Remarkably, Festus didn’t even know of one Roman law that Paul had broken (Acts 25:27) and would have been released if he had not appealed to Rome (Acts 26:32).

While imprisoned in Rome Paul wrote four inspired letters, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (probably around A.D. 61-62).

AS WE HAVE SAID, IT IS IN PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE EPHESIANS THAT WE LEARN THAT HIS PRAYERS FOR THE UNITY OF JEWS AND GENTILES HAD BEEN ANSWERED!

When Paul wrote the Roman letter four years earlier he was not sure, but now he was absolutely confident that Jews and Gentiles were one in Christ. While the whole letter is devoted to unity, the following passage should be sufficient to prove the point. Please consider: “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)—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. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 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, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Eph. 2:11-22)

The church of our Lord Jesus Christ is now divided over a great many things, but thankfully a division between Jews and Gentiles is not one of them! Let us pray that all divisions in the body of Christ will be resolved as this one was. Let us “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph. 4:3-6)