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It will be seen that the word used by the apostle indicates active,
watchful diligence. This sacred trust is our concern. We jealously watch
for any intrusion, any root of bitterness, any faction or element of strife.
We cannot put the responsibility off on to another. Each one must share in
the watch, each must honestly and truly endeavour to keep this treasure.
There are many words translated `keep' in the Scripture:
Bosko
...
to
keep as a shepherd.
Phulasso
...
to
guard as a soldier.
Echo
...
to
hold as the servant did the Pound.
Poieo
...
to
keep as the Passover.
None of these
words is used by the apostle in Ephesians 4:3. The word
used here is tereo,
which means to keep as one would a treasure; diatereo
(Luke 2:51) is used
of Mary who treasured up in her heart the things spoken
of her infant Son.
It is used once more in the prison epistles of Paul
himself:
`I have kept the faith'.
Here then is a sacred trust. We are to keep the unity of the Spirit as
Paul kept the faith. Through good report or evil report, through honour or
dishonour, nothing must turn away our attention; we must be ever diligent in
our duty, ever studying to keep our treasure intact, ever labouring
to preserve this truth complete. Nevertheless, with all this personal sense
of responsibility must be the equally important sense of the Lord's greater
care. The same apostle who so nobly kept the faith was persuaded that the
Lord was able to keep that which had been entrusted until that day. The
unity of the Spirit may be viewed as part of that Good Deposit which is so
wonderfully spoken of in 1 Timothy 6:20 and 2 Timothy 1:12 and 14.
What therefore are we to keep? `The unity of the Spirit'. This
however is an incomplete statement. We are to keep the unity of the Spirit
with or in the bond of peace; that is the full statement. Those who are
joined to the Lord are said to be one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). Some
commentators speak of this unity as being the work of the Holy Spirit; others
look upon it as indicating the unanimity of spirit that should actuate all
the members of One Body. There is no conflict between these two views.
Unanimity of spirit is only possible in that unity made by the Spirit of God.
This unity of Spirit is well illustrated and expressed in such passages as
Romans 15:5,6 and Philippians 1:27; 2:1,2.
This unity can only be kept by the bond of peace. What is this bond?
What is this peace? It is that peace made by Christ Who made the two
conflicting parties one, Who destroyed the enmity between them, Who broke
down the middle wall of partition, Who by creating of the twain in Himself
one new man made the bond of peace which effectually binds together the unity
of the Spirit?
The things that were set aside were the things belonging to believers
as Jews or Gentiles, things that troubled the early church as can be seen in
Acts 15. (See Middle Wall3; Decrees1). None of these things are carried
over. There is no reformation attempted. The unity of the Spirit is part of
a new creation. In exercising our diligence over this, we shall see at once
the attempt of this one to impart some doctrine, or of that one to bring in
some practice that belongs to the time before the middle wall was broken