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Unity of the Spirit: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians 4:2-3

The Foundation of Christian Unity

In his profound exposition of Ephesians 4:2-3, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unveils the essential nature of Christian unity. "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." These words form not merely a suggestion but the first specific application of what it means to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1).

For the Doctor, this unity is not a human creation but a divine reality. "The apostle doesn't ask us to create a unity," he explains. "What he asks us to do is not to break the unity that is already there and which has been produced and created by the Holy Spirit himself." This insight transforms our understanding of Christian fellowship from something we manufacture to something we safeguard.

The Nature of Spiritual Unity

What distinguishes the unity described in Ephesians 4:2-3 from mere human alliance?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this unity possesses several essential characteristics:

First, it is produced by the Holy Spirit Himself. "It is the unity of the Spirit. It is his creation. It is his work. It is something that he does in us," the Doctor emphasizes. This means our unity is not artificial or mechanical but organic and vital.

Second, this unity flows from within rather than being imposed from without. Like a living organism rather than a coalition of separate parts, true Christian unity grows naturally from shared spiritual life. As Lloyd-Jones describes it, "There is all the difference in the world between a coalition and a true unity. There is all the difference in the world between an amalgamation and a true unity."

Third, this unity cannot be understood apart from the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Doctor insists, "If we haven't a right understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand this unity." Those who view the Spirit as merely an impersonal force rather than the third Person of the Trinity miss the profound relational basis of Christian unity.

Preserving Unity Through Christian Character

How do believers maintain this unity? Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies specific qualities that preserve the "unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace":

Humility stands first: "Humility of mind, having a poor opinion of yourself and of your powers and of your faculties," says the Doctor. This "humbleness of mind" directly contradicts worldly values of self-assertion and self-promotion.

Meekness accompanies humility as its natural companion. Not weakness but "inner mildness," meekness means "readiness to suffer wrong if needs be, committing it all to God." The Doctor reminds us that Moses was both the meekest of men and a strong leader.

Longsuffering and forbearance follow, qualities that sustain relationships through difficulties. "What does the forbear mean?" asks Lloyd-Jones. "It means to hold yourself up against." When others irritate or disappoint us, we resist the impulse to retaliate or condemn.

All these qualities must be exercised in love. "If you only love people," explains the Doctor, "well, then you will be long suffering and forbearing because you'll have their interests at heart."

Contemporary Application

For today's church, this teaching on unity carries profound implications. In an age of polarization, where even Christians divide along political, cultural, and theological lines, Ephesians 4:2-3 calls us back to our spiritual foundations.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones would remind us that unity is not uniformity. The Spirit produces diversity within unity, like fruit that shares essential nature while expressing individual characteristics. "It is always the characteristic of true Christians," he notes, "but it is not the characteristic of the followers and devotees of cults and false religions. They are always the same. They're mass produced."

The Doctor cautions against confusing Christian unity with mere ecumenical arrangements that ignore doctrinal foundations. True unity cannot exist without shared commitment to biblical truth, as found in the first three chapters of Ephesians. "I know of no unity," he states, "except that which is the outcome of, and the offspring of all the great doctrines which the apostle has already been enunciating."

The Peace That Binds

Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that peace serves as the "bond" that preserves unity. As we become peaceable, peace-loving, and peace-making, we strengthen the bond that holds Christians together. This peace-making spirit echoes Christ's beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9).

The Doctor's final warning is sobering: "If my being right means that I break the peace, I'm not right. There's something wrong in my balance or in something about me." For contemporary believers seeking to navigate differences while maintaining fellowship, Ephesians 4:2-3 offers both challenge and hope. The unity of the Spirit requires neither doctrinal compromise nor artificial conformity, but rather character formed by the Spirit himself—humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, and above all, love.

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Q and A

What does Ephesians 4 verse 2 and 3 mean?

Ephesians 4:2-3 reads: "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, these verses address how Christians should preserve the unity that the Holy Spirit has already created. The passage means:

1. Unity is divine, not human-made - The unity discussed isn't something we create but something the Holy Spirit has already established among believers that we must carefully maintain.

2. Character qualities preserve unity - Four essential qualities are necessary to preserve this unity:

1. Humility ("lowliness"): having a modest opinion of oneself
2. Meekness: an inner gentleness that doesn't insist on its own rights
3. Longsuffering: patience with others' faults and weaknesses
4. Forbearance in love: bearing with one another's differences out of genuine care

3. Peace binds believers together - The "bond of peace" is what holds Christians together in unity. Being peaceable and peace-loving strengthens this bond.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this passage represents the first specific application of the general command to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1). It reveals the high priority God places on unity among His people.

Is Ephesians 4:2-3 about marriage?

No, Ephesians 4:2-3 is not specifically about marriage. Dr. Lloyd-Jones interprets these verses as addressing unity within the entire body of Christ—the church—rather than specifically focusing on marital relationships.

While the qualities described (humility, meekness, patience, forbearance in love) would certainly strengthen any marriage, the context of the passage is broader:

1. The "unity of the Spirit" refers to the spiritual unity among all believers, not just married couples
2. Paul is addressing the entire Ephesian church, not just married people
3. The passage follows Paul's doctrinal explanation of how God has united Jews and Gentiles into one new spiritual family (Ephesians 2-3)

Later in Ephesians, Paul does specifically address marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). There, he uses the relationship between Christ and the church as a model for marriage. The principles in Ephesians 4:2-3 certainly apply within marriage, but their primary context is the broader Christian community.

What does it mean to be patient and bear with one another in love?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Ephesians 4:2-3, being patient (longsuffering) and bearing with one another in love (forbearance) are essential qualities for maintaining unity:

Longsuffering means "suffering long"—enduring difficulties caused by others without quick retaliation. As Lloyd-Jones explains: "It means a long holding out of the mind before it gives room to passion or to action." When irritated or provoked, the longsuffering person restrains the impulse to respond negatively.

Forbearing one another in love means actively tolerating differences and weaknesses in others. The Doctor clarifies: "What does forbear mean? It means to hold yourself up against." We resist the temptation to criticize, dismiss, or reject others when they disappoint or annoy us.

These qualities are demonstrated through:

1. Making allowances for others - Lloyd-Jones advises: "Make every excuse you can for the other person, whether it's in conduct or doctrine or anything else."
2. Seeking to understand before judging - "Perhaps that person's irritable because he's been having a very trying time... Perhaps he hasn't had advantages... Perhaps his brain power isn't what it ought to be."
3. Approaching differences with love - "If you only love people, well, then you will be long suffering and forbearing because you'll have their interests at heart."

Dr. Lloyd-Jones compares this patience to how parents treat their children: "Look at the kind of parent who's impatient with a little child. Why, it's terrible, isn't it?... If you love that child, you'll be patient with him. He'll ask you the same question a thousand times and you'll still go on answering."

This patience requires recognizing that God himself has been longsuffering toward us: "Long suffering is attributed to God himself in the Bible. And if God were not long suffering, not one of us would be in this chapel at this moment."

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