Embracing Diversity within the Body of Christ
One in Christ Ephesians 2:11–22 / 3:1–13
LAST WEEK:
We are to Embrace Unity in Diversity
Actively seek to break down barriers within the church community, whether they are racial,
cultural, socio-economic, or denominational.
Which looked like establishing community with those different from us.
All for God’s Eternal Purpose and Glory
We are to proclaim the Inclusive Gospel demonstrating God’s wisdom through unity
This is a core biblical issue:
Romans 3:28-29
28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of
Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
Colossians 3:11 (ESV)
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,
free; but Christ is all, and in all.
John 13:35 (ESV)
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 17:20-23 ESV
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their
word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they
also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory
that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are
one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world
may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Unity and uniformity are not the same.
There were natural differences and Spiritual Differences
Unity = the state of being united or joined as a whole.
Uniformity = the state of being uniform or invariable (being exactly the same)
Natural differences
The early jews and gentiles were from completely different cultures
Cultural Background:
Christian Jews: Came from a Jewish cultural background, familiar with Jewish
customs, laws, and traditions.
Christian Gentiles: Came from various non-Jewish cultural backgrounds, often
influenced by Greek, Roman, or other local traditions.
Scriptural Knowledge:
Christian Jews: Had a deep familiarity with the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh), which
were foundational to their faith and understanding of the Messiah.
Christian Gentiles: Often lacked prior knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and had to
learn about the Jewish background of Christianity.
Observance of Jewish Law:
Christian Jews: Often continued to observe Jewish laws and customs, such as
circumcision, dietary restrictions, and Sabbath-keeping, seeing these as part of their
cultural and religious identity.
Christian Gentiles: Were not required to observe the Jewish Law, following the
decisions of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), which allowed them to join the Christian
community without adopting all Jewish customs.
Religious Festivals:
Christian Jews: Continued to celebrate Jewish festivals such as Passover, Pentecost,
and Sukkot, but now with a Christian understanding and significance.
Christian Gentiles: Typically did not celebrate these Jewish festivals and instead
developed their own Christian practices and observances.
Identity and Community:
Christian Jews: Maintained a strong sense of Jewish identity and often participated in
Jewish community life, while also being part of the Christian church.
Christian Gentiles: Developed a new Christian identity that was distinct from their
previous pagan practices and integrated into the broader Christian community.
View of the Law:
Christian Jews: Often saw the observance of the Mosaic Law as important for their
identity and as a way to honor God, though with a new understanding through Christ.
Christian Gentiles: Viewed the Mosaic Law as fulfilled in Christ and focused more on
the ethical teachings of Jesus and the apostles rather than on ceremonial laws.
Apostolic Guidance:
Christian Jews: Often looked to apostles like Peter and James, who had a strong
Jewish background, for leadership and guidance.
Christian Gentiles: Were significantly influenced by Paul, who emphasized that faith in
Christ alone was sufficient for salvation and downplayed the necessity of following
Jewish customs.
Church Practices:
Christian Jews: Their worship and church practices were often influenced by
synagogue traditions, including reading from the Scriptures and communal prayers.
Christian Gentiles: Developed new forms of worship that might include different
cultural expressions and were less tied to synagogue traditions.
Integration and Unity:
Christian Jews: Sometimes struggled with integrating Gentile believers into the
community, as seen in the conflicts addressed in Acts and Galatians.
Christian Gentiles: Faced challenges in understanding and respecting Jewish customs
and traditions while also asserting their freedom in Christ.
Perception by Broader Society:
Christian Jews: Were often viewed by fellow Jews as a sect within Judaism and
sometimes faced persecution for their belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
Christian Gentiles: Were seen as converts from paganism and faced different kinds of
social and religious opposition from their previous communities.
Galatians 2:11-21
Paul Confronts Peter
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very
wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised.
But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles
anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of
circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even
Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in
front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living
like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
Spiritual differences
We have some Spiritual differences
And this is where a lot of schism come from.
Romans 12:3-6 (ESV)
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the
measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,
and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one
body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our
faith.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (ESV)
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less
a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not
belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole
body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear,
where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the
body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the
body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
We have a responsibility to stand up for every person who is being discriminated against and to
every person who is doing this wrong
Why because Jesus desires every worship from every nation!
Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every
nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 and
crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and
to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the
elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a
dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Acts 10:34-35 (ESV)
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but
in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
We are called to live in harmony, valuing others above ourselves, and looking out for
each other’s interests. This means actively working to understand and appreciate our
differences, seeing them as strengths rather than obstacles.
