one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Truth to Learn
All Christians are united under our Father God.
Behind the Words
“God” is translated from the Greek word theos, from which we get our English word “theology,” meaning the study of God. The word theos was originally used by the Greeks to refer to any of their gods. In the New Testament, however, it is almost exclusively used in reference to the one true God. Theos is probably derived from the Greek word theteres, meaning “placers,” for the Greeks thought the gods were makers and disposers of all things. The ancient Greeks believed that elements had their own “placers.” Thus they had the god of fire, the god of the winds, the god of money, etc.
The word patēr is translated here as “father.” Generally in Greek, patēr refers to “the male parent.” In its plural form, however, it can refer to both father and mother or to ancestors in general.
“Above” is from the Greek preposition epi. This word can mean “above,” “over,” or “upon.”
“Through” is translated from the preposition dia, which can indicate motion through (with regard to both space and time) or instrumentality. Here it indicates motion (or presence) throughout all things.
The word translated “you” is not in the best manuscripts, so the end of this verses should read, “and in all.” Some of the older manuscripts read, “and in us all.”
Meaning Explained
As part of his treatise on unity within the church, Paul points out to us a few things about our God. In the previous verse we learned that we have one Lord, and in that context we saw that Jesus proclaimed “the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Even though we know that there are three persons in the Godhead, Paul says that He is our Lord and He is one.
Because both the Greeks and the Romans worshipped many gods and the Roman emperors even proclaimed themselves to be gods, Paul makes it very clear now that there is only one God. Jehovah is the only true God. Keep in mind, Paul is teaching about unity within the church, so his statement that God is the Father of all must be taken in this context. Also, according to Romans chapter eight:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God … The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14, 16)
So, what Paul is teaching here is that God is the Father of all Christians. He also teaches us that our God is above all. Certainly, he is above all creation, but within the context of Paul’s teaching here, God is the supreme authority over all Christians. And, He permeates all parts of all Christians – body, soul, and spirit.
Since God is the Father of all Christians, He is supreme over all Christians, and He indwells and permeates all Christians, we should act like a single unified body.
Application
Are all your words and actions within the church promoting unity within the body? If not, they should be!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.