As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 1:1-3
I admit it. I like to do word studies when I'm deep in a book of the Bible. Doing so gives me 'word pictures' in my mind, helping me remember what the writer has said.
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians he has spent the first three chapters explaining the marvelous and vast riches of God's grace toward us who believe, and the high calling He has placed on our lives.
In the next three chapters Paul tells us how to 'walk worthy' in light of what God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ.
How descriptive are the qualities Paul is calling us to in the original Greek language of the New Testament! I was especially struck by the phrase 'bearing with one another in love'.
We could assume, and rightly so, that bearing with one another in love means to have patience with the errors or weaknesses of anyone. But a further look at the nuances of this phrase provides a more vivid word picture for me. Bearing with one another also means 'to support, carry, to treat with mildness or moderation, to provide a roof over.'
Wow! To provide a roof over!
Think about that for a bit.
Get the word picture in your mind of being a shelter, a roof, for each other.
Then if you are willing, comment on this word picture. I'd appreciate your feedback.
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