A Different Unity
Rev. Jefferson Vann, M.Div., Th. M.
A Different Unity
Ephesians 4:11-13 (Legacy Standard Bible)
11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ…
I want to talk for a moment about unity—and how it actually comes about. Paul teaches that Jesus supplied his church with a whole team of people who communicate the gospel. Missionaries first bring the message to unbelievers. Prophets and evangelists continue proclaiming it. And when someone believes, Christ has also provided pastors and teachers who keep unfolding God’s word so that this new believer can grow into maturity. According to this passage, this is not only how the gospel spreads—it is how genuine unity is formed.
But that process can feel slow, costly, and demanding. It requires years of shared labor, patience, and cooperation. Surely there must be a shortcut. And in fact, there is. We can manufacture unity simply by drafting a creed and requiring everyone to sign it—or leave.
Yet that shortcut comes with a cost. Within any group, people—including ministers—are at different stages of understanding and spiritual development. Many might sign a document that claims to define the essentials of unity. But others, who have spent years studying Scripture, may not see every point the same way the creed‑writers do.
So, unity through a creed is simple—until it isn’t. It becomes difficult when it risks sidelining faithful leaders whose convictions do not line up perfectly with the document.
The passage before us shows that God already designed a way for believers to grow in faith and reach unity: through the steady ministry of the word. I admit that we as a denomination have not followed that plan well. But my concern is that instead of repenting of our failure to communicate the gospel faithfully, we are trying to achieve unity by another method. And that kind of unity is not the unity of the faith.
https://youtu.be/Lb6mZTF-Udo