Ephesians 4:3
3 Endeavouring [spoudazo] to keep [tereo] the unity [henotes] of the
Spirit [pneuma] in [en] the bond [sundesmos] of
peace. [eirene] KJV-Interlinear
3 being
diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. NASB
Endeavoring, ‘spoudazo,’
means to make an effort, to try really hard, to pursue with earnest, to be
diligent, objective in your work or labor.
Unity, ‘henotes,’ means
oneness, same, unity, consistency, unchanged.
Spirit, ‘pneuma,’ means a
current of air, breathing, inhale or exhale, mental disposition, life entity.
Bond, ‘sundesmos,’ a
joint tie as in a ligament, uniting principle.
Peace, ‘eirene,’ peace,
quietness, rest, comfort, contentment.
The following verses will
emphasize and define the meaning and focus of this verse.
But for now, this verse
speaks to the continuity and uniformity of Bible doctrine as provided by God,
exhale, and learned and understood by man, inhale.
All doctrine is God
breathed. All doctrine comes into the soul by way of the human spirit under the
power and direction of the Holy Spirit.
The same information is
taught, the same information is learned by all when people study the scriptures
under the mandated pattern and method authorized by God.
When God teaches two plus
two, then everyone learns two plus two.
Unfortunately this world
is full of religions, and numerous protestant groups, that all have their own
ideas, rituals, and beliefs, that contain many truths, but have numerous
falsities or invented ideas woven into their belief systems.
This mandate from God is
demanding that believers pay earnest attention to truth, and pursue truth as
directed by the scriptures. Instead there are so many versions and ideas out
there, that the truth seems to get lost in the shuffle.
Satan is the master of
invented lies that simulate truth, but are there to cause confusion and
ambiguity and uncertainty, and therefore doubt and unbelief. His goal is the discrediting of truth, such
that people will disregard God and Christianity, and then pursue something else
that seems more fitting or convenient to their lives.
Therefore, there is only
one means of keeping doctrine clear and perspicuous, and that is through the
one and only authorized method of learning doctrine. Namely through a
legitimate daily study of the Word of God.
Apart from that, people will
go their own separate ways and that is how the many different groups are
formed, each selecting those things that they prefer, rather than the sum total
of Gods truth.
Therefore, you are to
make an effort in learning, in being objective, in listening and in sorting out
what is true and what is not.
You do this by means of
the thing you do without any conscious effort.
You breathe in and you breathe out. You study and learn and you apply to
your life. You listen and you keep on
listening, and you keep on listening and you learn and you keep on learning.
You tie the principles of
doctrine together tight, and you maintain them on a daily basis, with no
preconceived ideas, with no pretense, with no bias, but with objectivity, and
no arrogance or presumption.
The principles of the
previous verses apply.
God makes the rules, you
do not. God provides the clarity of
thought, you do not. God reveals and
interprets, you do not.
Each person is a student
without portfolio. You have nothing to
say, no opinion to state. You have but
only to listen and learn. We all do, for
we are all students.
The repetition of and
repeated exposure of doctrine day after day, will bring understanding and
wisdom.
The reward of all of
this, in part, is peace, a relaxed mental attitude, a quietness of soul and
confidence in that which God has to teach, and you have but to learn.
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