Yet none of these things occupies the first place. The first exhortation in the practical

section after the opening admonition `to walk worthy', reveals the fact that the believer is

first and foremost a custodian, a keeper, before he is a preacher or a teacher.

His first endeavour is directed to the safeguarding of a treasure, to keeping the unity of

the Spirit. To neglect this, to put other service in its place, is to surrender the citadel and

expose the whole revelation to betrayal. The admonition opens with the word of urgency

`endeavour' spoudazo. The root of this word, speudo, means `to hasten', but the word

must not be interpreted as the English `haste' often is, namely a `hasty' action, implying

rashness or precipitate unreflection. The only association of spoudazo with `haste' is its

diligence and zeal that cannot tolerate waste of precious time. Spoudazo has no element

of `haste' in it when employed by the Apostle in II Tim. 2: 15, where it is translated

`study'. The R.V. in both Eph. 4: 3 and II Tim. 2: 15 reads "give diligence".

Ephesians 4: 3 opens with an exhortation to diligent endeavour, and endeavour that is

intolerant of delay, that will not yield to the claims of other things as of "more practical

importance", and endeavour that puts first things first. Every believer is not necessarily a

preacher or a teacher, he is however, a keeper. This responsibility can neither be shelved

nor transferred. We can no more evade the responsibility of being a keeper, than we can

avoid being members of the Body if Eph. 1: 4 is true of us. If we are lax here, we give

the enemy of truth a foothold.

Enotes `unity' occurs but twice in the N.T., in Eph. 4: 3 and 13, "The unity of the

Spirit" which we are enjoined to keep, and "the unity of the faith" unto which we are to

attain. It is possible that the words "the unity of the Spirit" can mean "the unity of which

the Spirit is the author", or it can mean "the spiritual unity, which is composed of the

seven items that follow". The words "the unity of the faith" however, can hardly mean

"the unity of which Faith is the author" but rather that unity which is composed of the

items that follow. In both cases the `unity' is expanded. Thus:

"The unity of the faith"

(1) The acknowledgment of the Son of God

(2) The perfect (mature) man

(3) The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

"The unity of the Spirit"

(1) One body

(2) One Spirit

(3) One Hope

(4) One Lord

(5) One Faith

(6) One Baptism

(7) One God and Father.

This sevenfold unity constitutes the treasure of which we are the custodians. Some of

the items are the cause of much controversy. The distinctive constitution of the church