Ephesians 4:5

“one Lord, one faith, one baptism”

“One Lord”: Jesus Christ. “This phrase indicates unity of authority and leadership. The term Lord means more than simple acceptance of Christ's exalted position. It means accepting His word and establishing our personal allegiance upon His every command and wish (Matthew 7:21)” (Caldwell pp. 166-167). "One Lord" means that Christians need not only to believe these "ones" in Ephesians 4:4. but everything that this "Lord" has commanded (Luke 6:46; John 12:48; 2 John 1:9; Colossians 3:17). “One faith”: While it is tempting to see faith in this passage as the subjective faith of the individual Christian, especially when we realize that the next "one" is baptism (Mark 16:16).. believe that it is more in line with the context that the "faith" under consideration here is the "objective" faith, that being the teachings that Christians must believe (Judges 1:3). Since everything else in this list is an objective reality, it seems that the faith under consideration should be the same. “One faith suggests unity of doctrinal belief. The fellowship of Christians does not rest on subjective or conjectural information” (Caldwell p. 167). See John 8:32; and 1 Corinthians 1:10. This means that one must believe certain things to be. Christian (Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9). The church does not have. right to create. fellowship based on "potluck theology", where we embrace all views (2 John 1:9; Galatians 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:2). Becoming. member of the "one body" obligates you to defend the "one faith" (Judges 1:3; Philippians 2:27; 1 Timothy 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:6). We do not have. moral right to believe anything we want to believe and still call ourselves Christians (2 Corinthians 10:3).

“One baptism”: “ Indicates unity of obedience and means of entrance into Christ” (Caldwell p. 168). Obviously baptism is essential, because why would Paul say, “one (important) body, one (important) Spirit, one (important) hope, one (important) Lord and one unimportant and unnecessary baptism? Since the word "baptism" means "immersion" (check out any lexicon), the only acceptable "baptism" is by immersion (Romans 6:3). The only "baptism" that we find commanded of all men, is baptism in water (Acts 8:36; Acts 10:47) The only baptism that is essential for salvation is baptism in water (1 Peter 3:21). Therefore, the baptism under consideration here is not Holy Spirit baptism. We must always remember that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was. promise (Acts 1:5), which never applied to all Christians. “The ‘one baptism' cannot be. baptism in the Spirit. Nowhere in the New Testament is anyone ever commanded to be baptized in the Spirit. (How could. person obey such. command?) Furthermore, even after Cornelius had received the miraculous outpouring of the Spirit, Peter commanded him to be baptized in water (Acts 10:44)” (Boles p. 270).