unity – Three Minute Bible

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024

Colossians 2:9 – Full of Jesus

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form …

Summary: Sometimes we have to experience something to know what it is. When it comes to understanding the spiritual reality of Jesus, tasting is believing.

It is interesting how God’s Spirit weaves patterns in the fabric of our lives (John 3:8). Today, before writing this meditation, I was at a Bible Study discussing a similar question. In this passage, Paul writes:

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The last part of his sentence reads, “… attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

December 18, 2024December 18, 2024

Colossians 2:8d – The Path to Unity

…rather than on Christ.

Summary: As we come to the end of this verse, Paul points us, once again, to the only one who can save us: Jesus.

Wait a minute! How did we get here again?

Let’s review:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

In this one sentence, Paul has outlined a major threat to those of us who believe in Jesus. A “hollow and deceptive philosophy” is a persuasive argument that looks substantial on the outside but inside is empty, void of any real value.

July 12, 2024July 12, 2024

Galatians 5:20e – The Acts of the Flesh Part VI: The Mark of Jesus

The acts of the flesh are obvious: … dissensions, factions …

Summary: Dissension and factions are not only “acts of the flesh,” they are also an indicator of the absence of our Lord when they infect the church.

February 7, 2024February 8, 2024

Galatians 2:12b – Group Think

… because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

Summary: There is a thing called “group think” that occurs when people stop thinking for themselves and just go along to get along with the group. This isn’t a problem unless the group is thinking wrongly.

January 17, 2024January 17, 2024

Galatians 2:1b – Barnabas

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem …

… this time with Barnabas.

Summary: The Bible tells us a lot about Barnabas, but the information is scattered throughout the New Testament, so we have to do a little digging to learn about him.

June 26, 2023June 26, 2023

Ephesians 4:13a – Forgive Like Jesus

… until we all reach unity in the faith …

Summary: Looking at the question of unity causes us to ask, “What causes disunity?” The answer could include a million things, but today we look at the need to forgive.

June 15, 2023June 16, 2023

Ephesians 4:3 – Unity & Peace

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Summary: The bond of peace is not to be taken for granted. We were given the gift of peace at great cost to our Creator. To keep it requires effort.

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023

Ephesians 1:22b – Growing Up

… and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

Summary: The church that is the body of Christ has grown considerably since Jesus ascended into heaven.