‘I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you have been called. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.'
Paul continues his theme of the oneness of the people of God. They have been called to be one in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6). All history is devoted to their cause (Ephesians 1:3-12). Thus they must work worthily of this calling by ensuring that this unity in heart is maintained. Paul did not believe in some mystical means by which we ‘merge into the one'. He recognised a robust individualism by which each contributes to the whole. So they must work at unity, maintaining a right attitude of mind and heart.
‘I therefore the prisoner in the Lord.' This may be seen as taking up where he left off in Ephesians 3:1. He is a prisoner on their behalf. Thus he has a right to make requests of them. But there is a difference in emphasis. There he was ‘the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles'. Here he is ‘the prisoner in the Lord.' He may be referring to himself here as a prisoner, yet as not so much within a prison, which is secondary, but as imprisoned ‘in the Lord'. Thus he speaks directly as from Him.
‘Beg you.' He does not presume, his heart is in his request. He is pleading with them as one who, imprisoned for their sakes, has the right to do so.
‘Walk worthily of the calling with which you were called.' They have been called to oneness as they were caught up in that great process from Ephesians 1:3-10, let them then portray that oneness, made strong by the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:14-21). The Christian walk is a continual one, to be maintained step by step, and they must ever keep in mind what they have been called to be with every step they take (see Colossians 1:10 - ‘pleasing in every way').
‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.' There is to be nothing abrasive about the Christian when dealing with his fellow-Christians. He is to be humble, self-effacing, enduring willingly for Christ's sake while still firm (but not ungracious) for truth. Each is to be concerned for the other. They are to be concerned for each other's welfare, for each other's sensitivities, for each other's feelings, in the same way that Jesus Himself was while on earth. How gently He chided, how sweetly He sought to guide, how regularly He said nothing when He might have torn His disciples to pieces. He Who had the right to command ministered humbly to His disciples. There were times when He had to rebuke but it was always with concern and the readiness to console, and never for His own aggrandisement.
‘Giving diligence to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.' Unity does not just happen, it requires diligence. Like marriage it has to be worked at because we are such awkward creatures. Yet for the Christian there is the great assistance of the Spirit. He is the One Who invokes and seeks to maintain unity. As the One Spirit He combines us as one. And to do so He uses the bond of peace.
‘In the bond of peace.' The word for ‘bond' is sundesmos, a word which means ‘something that keeps together the whole'. And this bond is to be ‘peace'. Peace with God (Romans 5:1) and peace from God (Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3), ever linked with His ‘grace', and above all the peace of God ruling in the heart (Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7) will be the bond that will enable us to behave rightly towards each other. Lose that peace and we will begin to behave wrongly. Our source is in God.