[(comm)unity pt. 4]

‘Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.’ Ephesians 4.25

So what does (comm)unity look like? Sharing levity and gravity, purpose and pleasure, laughter and tears: in a word, life! ‘This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously–no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.’ C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”

To recap, then:

1.) (comm)unity is rooted in the character of God.
2.) (comm)unity is commanded of the Church.
3.) (comm)unity comes from genuine love for one another.
4.) Genuine love for one another comes from valuing Christ supremely.
5.) (comm)unity is a means for reaching the lost.
6.) (comm)unity is, ultimately, a means to joy in God.
7.) Therefore, (comm)unity begins and ends with God’s glory.

All of this rests on the finished work of Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Though (comm)unity doesn’t just ‘happen’ and we must work at it, it depends not on us, whose righteousness is filth and efforts are ineffectual, but on God ‘who cannot fail or fall.’ [George Herbert, "The Holdfast"]

Sources:

C.S. Lewis. The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses.
D.A. Carson. “The Supremacy of Christ and Love.” 2006 Desiring God National Conference.
Francis Schaeffer. The God Who Is There.
George Herbert. The Temple.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
John Piper. “The Supremacy of Christ and Joy.” 2006 Desiring God National Conference.
Jonathan Matthews. Sermons on John 17.1-5 and 17.20-26
Marc Sandhu. Sermon on John 17.6-19.

[(comm)unity pt. 3.B]

3.) (comm)unity is a means, not an end in itself.

B.) It is, ultimately, a means to joy in God.
‘…these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.’ John 17.13
‘Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.’ Philippians 2.2
‘So receive [Epaphroditus] in the Lord with all joy…’ Philippians 2.29a

Jesus says He is telling His disciples these things for their joy in the middle of praying for their (comm)unity and the (comm)unity of all who would believe through their word. Paul said his joy in Philippians would be complete if they would come to complete (comm)unity. And Epaphroditus, whom the Philippians sent to minister Paul for his joy, Paul sends back for their joy. Epaphroditus, like Timothy, is an expression of the mutually-loving, Trinity-displaying (comm)unity between Paul and the Philippians, and the result of his return is joy in the Lord. When we enjoy authentic Biblical (comm)unity, we are enjoying God, glorifying Him in our joy and our obedience. When the Gospel is preached by believers in (comm)unity, God is glorified in His saving purpose, and unbelievers are converted and drawn in to enjoy the (comm)unity of the Church. (comm)unity, then, ends just as it began– with the glory of Christ! ‘For from him and to him and through him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.’ Romans 11.36

[(comm)unity pt. 3.A]

3.) (comm)unity is a means, not an end in itself.
A.) It is a means to reaching the lost.
‘I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me…and loved them even as you loved me.’ John 17.20-21, 23

Our love for each other is an apologetic to the world of Christ’s authenticity as Messiah and God’s love for the Church. In the practice of (comm)unity, we share ‘not only the gospel of God but also our own selves,’ which is the Biblical and effectual method. [1 Thessalonians 2.8]

[(comm)unity pt. 2]

2.) (comm)unity is rooted in the character of God.
‘Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one.’ John 17.11b
God has existed as three mutually loving, mutually glorifying, happy Persons united in one Godhead from all eternity. This is what gives our concepts of love and joy and (comm)unity meaning. As the Body of Christ, the representation of God to the world, we are called to embody this love and joy among ourselves. ‘Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.’ Ephesians 5.1 And it is impossible to display the loving unity of the Trinity as a single individual; it can only be done together.

[(comm)unity pt. 1]

1.) (comm)unity begins with the glory of Jesus Christ.
‘For I have no one like [Timothy], who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.’ Philippians 2.20-21

Timothy, as the Apostle Paul’s loving emissary to the church at Philippi, is a model of authentic Biblical (comm)unity. Timothy does not seek his own interests. The text tells us this plainly. And he does not even have the Philippians’ interests at heart primarily. Timothy’s central concern is the interest of his Lord, Jesus Christ. And He is very interested in His Bride. ‘Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.’ Ephesians 5.25-27 In other words, a focus on (comm)unity will never produce true (comm)unity; neither will a focus on loving one another. The final and only stable foundation for love among the members of the Body resulting in (comm)unity is the glory of Christ and His own love for the Church. So working backwards from the principle of (comm)unity, we see that…

(comm)unity
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genuine love and concern for one another
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a dominating concern for the glory of Christ

This order makes the best sense of the book of Philippians, with Paul’s frequent affirmations of the ultimate value of Christ [1.21, 1.23, 3.7-10, 4.13, 4.20] and his evident joyful love for the Philippians [1.3-11, 1.24, 1.27, 2.12-13, 2.19-29, 4].