As a pastor and church leader, I have a responsibility to bring Christians together and promote harmony among them as they worship God. Apostle Paul is known for emphasizing unity among believers and in the church, but what does the Bible say about unity? During our weekly Bible study, we sort to answer this question. But before we dug deeper, we started our discussion with the questions, “What is the Biblical meaning of unity and how many times is unity mentioned in the Bible?”
Unity is mentioned around 10 times in the Bible. It is mentioned in Psalms 133:1 where David said that it was good and pleasant when God’s people lived together in unity. Paul also emphasized to the Ephesians about unity in the church and families in Jesus Christ.
In this article, join me as I delve into what the Bible says about unity. You will also discover examples of unity in the Bible, Bible verses about unity, and the importance of Christian unity, so keep reading.
What is the Biblical meaning of unity?
According to the Bible, unity means bringing together more than one thing in harmony.
In Genesis 2:24, God instructed unity between a man and his wife. After creating them, God said that the man would leave his father and mother and unite with his wife. The two would become one flesh. This implies that the man and woman would come together in harmony and become one.
In Ephesians 4:3, Paul encourages believers to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. This suggests that unity brought the believers together, and the bond between them would be peace and harmony.
In Psalms 133:1, David conveyed that it was pleasant when God’s people lived together in unity. This implies harmony among the entities of unity.
What does the Bible say about unity?
The Bible talks of the unity of God and Jesus, the unity of believers, the unity between Jesus and believers, and the unity in families. The Bible also identifies Jesus as the unifying agent between God, believers, and the church.
- The unity of God and Jesus. According to John 17:21, the unity between God and Jesus is set as an example for believers. Jesus wanted believers to have the same unity that He has with God.
- The unity of believers. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul told the believers to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Philippians 2:2-4 encourages believers to be like-minded and care about one another.
- The unity between Jesus and believers. According to Romans 6:5, believers were united with Jesus in His death. They shall also be united with Him in the resurrection.
- The unity in families. In Genesis 2:24, a man and his wife become one flesh. According to Ephesians 5:21-28, a man is the head of the family and should love his wife like Christ loved the church. The wife should submit to the husband as the church submits to Christ. According to Ephesians 6:1-3, children should obey their parents and honor them. All this is to maintain unity in the family.
- Jesus is the unifying agent, with God as the Father. According to Ephesians 1:9-10, Jesus revealed God’s mysterious will, to gather all things in heaven and on earth. This implies that God is bringing all these things together through Jesus. Without Jesus, these things are disunited.
What is a Biblical example of unity?
Biblical examples of unity include the gathering of believers on the day of the Pentecost and the building of the Tower of Babel.
In Acts 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit came upon believers who had gathered in one place on the day of Pentecost. A violent wind came from heaven and filled the house and they started speaking in other tongues. This implies that the unity of believers is powerful enough to summon the Holy Spirit.
According to Genesis 11:1-9, the whole world spoke one language. The people wanted to make a name for themselves and decided to come together and build a tower that reached the heavens. God was not happy about this. He broke their unity by confusing their language so that they did not understand each other. They stopped building the tower and scattered all over the earth. This implies that unity is essential for the success of any endeavor.
Examples of Unity in the Bible
- In Ephesians 4:3, Paul encouraged believers to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
- In 2 Chronicles 30:12, the hand of God was on the people in Judah to give them unity of mind. It would enable them to do what the king and officials had ordered, according to God’s word.
- Psalms 133:1, David said that it was pleasant when God’s people lived together in unity.
- According to John 17:23, Jesus prayed for believers that they may have complete unity and that Jesus would be in them and God in Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12 talks about unity and diversity in the body. It says that though the body has many parts, they form one.
- Ephesians 1:10 talks about God’s will to unify all things in heaven and on earth under Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 4:1 talks about the unity and maturity in the body of Christ. It encourages believers to bear with one another in love.
- In Ephesians 4:13, Jesus gave the apostles, prophets, and teachers to equip believers in building the body of Christ until they attained unity in the faith and knowledge of Jesus.
- Philippians 4:1 talks about the closing appeal for steadfastness and unity. It pleads with Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in God.
- According to Colossians 3:14, love binds virtues such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness in perfect unity.
What is the importance of Christian unity?
Christian unity is important in that it is Jesus’ will for believers. It brings together all believers to glorify God and enables Christians to be stronger in Jesus.
According to John 17:21-23 in Jesus’ prayer before He was betrayed and arrested, He prayed for the unity of all believers. He prayed that they become one just as He was with God, so that the world may know that Jesus was God sent and that He loved His people just like He loved Jesus. This implies that Christian unity is important to Jesus.
Romans 15:5-7 speaks of harmony among believers in accord with Jesus. Together, they may glorify God in one voice. This implies that Christian unity is important in glorifying God.
In Ephesians 4:11-16, Jesus gave the apostles and teachers to equip believers to have unity of the faith and knowledge of Jesus. With such unity, Christians will not waver and be carried away by human cunning and deceit. They will grow into Jesus Christ, who is the head.
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.