Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
— Philippians 2:14-15
Among all of Paul’s epistles, only the book of Philippians reveals such a sweet relationship between an apostle and a local church. This is why Philippians is included in our sharing on the living out of the oneness. As we have seen, the oneness is revealed in Ephesians, but the practical living out of this oneness is most clearly seen in Philippians.
Paul tells us in Philippians that we live out this oneness as luminaries (Phil. 2:15). Corporately, the church is a shining lampstand (Rev. 1:11-12), but this corporate expression requires many luminaries for the display of its riches. The Lord Jesus indicated that we, as lights, are to be placed on the lampstand (Matt. 5:15). He, as the Light (John 8:12), lights us all so that we might together become a corporate expression of the light. Thus, as Christians, we should together shine as one light upon the mountaintop for everyone to see (Matt. 5:14).
Adapted from Oneness and the One Accord, page 55.
Tomorrow: “A Corporate Light”