Unity – The Centrality of Humility
As you may know, our faculty and staff have adopted the theme of Christian unity for the 2018-19 school year. At Knights Unite on August 14, 2018, I provided a brief overview of our in-service study of Ephesians 4, verses 1-6 and 11-13. We learned that verses 1-6 refer to a “unity” shared by all believers, but verses 11-13 reference a form of unity for which we must strive in community. By drawing near the Lord in regular prayer and Bible study, and by sharing our gifts in community, we grow each other toward maturity, where we find unity. In short, Christian unity starts on the inside and blossoms in an atmosphere where believers humbly and sacrificially share their gifts. As I pondered Ephesians 4, I noticed that the first imperative from Paul in this section on Christian unity occurs in verse 2, “Be completely humble…” (NIV).
That got me thinking about humility, and another of Paul’s prison epistles, Philippians, specifically chapter 2, Paul’s “humility” chapter. I know this chapter well, as I struggle with pride, but I wondered if Paul said anything about unity at the beginning of Philippians 2. I’d never read Paul’s “humility” chapter as a call to unity, but it is! Consider Philippians 1:27, and 2:1-2, and you’ll find a clear call to unity in Philippi. Only Paul lands much harder on humility here, in 2:3-4, followed by the “why” in 2:5-11.
“… that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:27, ESV)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself.” (Phil. 2:3, NIV)
Why? Because Christ humbled himself for us. (Phil. 2:5-11)
My prayer all summer has been that God would expand our territory, so that we may proclaim Him. I wonder what would happen if I actually did this… if our community really did this… if we began serving each other selflessly, using our gifts to edify our community, offering the glory to God. I suspect Christian unity, and blessings beyond belief.
We’re off to a terrific start to the 2018-19 school year. Please get involved! The PTF would love to use your gifts (see Volunteer Hub or Blackbaud), as we humbly strive together toward maturity and unity.
