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how does this call for unity compare or contrast with jesus' prayers for his disciples' unity in the gospels?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love; being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Paul, writing from prison, is addressing the Christian community in Ephesus, a diverse city. After spending the first half of his letter laying out foundational theological truths, he now turns to practical instruction on how these believers are to live together in unity.

what might cultivating 'lowliness and humility' look like in today's complex and often divided communities?

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Read alongside it

  • John 17:20-23

    Jesus prays for his disciples' unity, 'that they may be one, even as we are one.'

  • Philippians 2:1-4

    Paul similarly exhorts believers to 'be of the same mind' and 'look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.'

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