One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

“The more, therefore, you see the bishop silent, the more do you reverence him. For we ought to receive every one whom the Master of the house sends to be over His household, as we would do Him that sent him. It is manifest, therefore, that we should look upon the bishop even as we would look upon the Lord Himself, standing, as he does, before the Lord. For "it behoves the man who looks carefully about him, and is active in his business, to stand before kings, and not to stand before slothful men." And indeed Onesimus himself greatly commends your good order in God, that ye all live according to the truth, and that no sect `has any dwelling-place among you. Nor indeed do ye hearken to any one rather than to Jesus Christ, the true Shepherd and Teacher. And ye are, as Paul wrote to you, "one body and one spirit, because ye have also been called in one hope of the faith. Since also "there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all." Such, then, are ye, having been taught by such instructors, Paul the Christ-bearer, and Timothy the most faithful.”

“His only aim in alluding to it was) that he might all the more firmly insist upon the resurrection of the body, in proportion as they who were vainly baptized for the dead resorted to the practice from their belief of such a resurrection. We have the apostle in another passage defining "but one baptism." To be "baptized for the dead" therefore means, in fact, to be baptized for the body; for, as we have shown, it is the body which becomes dead. To be "baptized for the dead" therefore means, in fact, to be baptized for the body; for, as we have shown, it is the body which becomes dead. What, then, shall they do who are baptized for the body, if the body rises not again? We stand, then, on firm ground (when we say) that the next question which the apostle has discussed equally relates to the body.”

“But as far as he is concerned, let us leave him; let us rather deal with that concerning which there is the greatest question. They who contend that persons baptized among the heretics ought to be received as if they had obtained the grace of lawful baptism, say that baptism is one and the same to them and to us, and differs in no respect. But what says the Apostle Paul? "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God." If the baptism of heretics be one and the same with ours, without doubt their faith also is one; but if our faith is one, assuredly also we have one Lord: if there is one Lord, it follows that we say that He is one. But if this unity which cannot be separated and divided at all, is itself also among heretics, why do we contend any more? Why do we call them heretics and not Christians? Moreover, since we and heretics have not one God, nor one Lord, nor one Church, nor one faith, nor even one Spirit, nor one body, it is manifest that neither can baptism be common to us with heretics, since between us there is nothing at all in common. And yet Stephen is not ashamed to afford patronage to such in opposition to the Church, and for the sake of maintaining heretics to divide the brotherhood and in addition, to call Cyprian "a false Christ and a false apostle, and a deceitful worker." And he, conscious that all these characters are in himself, has been in advance of you, by falsely objecting to another those things which he himself ought deservedly to hear. We all bid you, for all our sakes, with all the bishops who are in Africa, and all the clergy, and all the brotherhood, farewell; that, constantly of one mind, and thinking the same thing, we may find you united with us even though afar off.”

“There are many kinds of baptisms, but one baptism, declares the Apostle. Why? There are baptisms of the Gentiles, but they are not true baptisms. They are washings, but they cannot be baptisms. The body is washed, but the guilt is not washed away; indeed, in that washing it is contracted. However, there were baptisms of the Jews, some excessive, some symbolic. And the symbol itself benefits us, because it is a messenger of truth.”

“When the blessed Paul exhorts us to anything of special importance, so truly wise and spiritual as he is, he grounds his exhortation upon things in Heaven: this itself being a lesson he had learned from the Lord. Thus he saith also elsewhere, "Walk in love, even as Christ also hath loved us." And again, "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God." This is what he is doing here also, for whenever the examples he is setting before us are great, he is intense in his zeal and feeling. What then does he say, now he is inciting us to unity? "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Now what is this one body? The faithful throughout the whole world, both which are, and which have been, and which shall be. And again, they that before Christ's coming pleased God, are "one body." How so? Because they also knew Christ. Whence does this appear? "Your father Abraham," saith He, "rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad." And again, "If ye had believed Moses," He saith, "ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me." And the prophets too would not have written of One, of whom they knew not what they said; whereas they both knew Him, and worshiped Him. Thus then were they also "one body." The body is not disjoined from the spirit, for then would it not be a body. Thus it is customary also with us, touching things which are united, and which have any great consistency or coherence, to say, they are one body. And thus again, touching union, we take that to be a body which is under one head. If there be one head, then is there one body. The body is composed of members both honorable and dishonorable. Only the greater is not to rise up even against the meanest, nor this latter to envy the other. They do not all indeed contribute the same share, but severally according to the proportion of need. And forasmuch as all are formed for necessary and for different purposes, all are of equal honor. Some indeed there are, which are more especially principal members, others less so: for example, the head is more a principal member than all the rest of the body, as containing within itself all the senses, and the governing principle of the soul. And to live without the head is impossible; whereas many persons have lived for a long time with their feet cut off. So that it is better than they, not only by its position, but also by its very vital energy and its function.”

“Having set forth their exhortation for preserving ecclesiastical unity, in this part the Apostle suggests to the Ephesians themselves the form of the aforesaid unity. Here it must be known that, since the Church of God is like a city, it is something one and distinct, since it is not one as something simple, but as something composed of diverse parts. And therefore the Apostle does two things. First he shows what is common to the Church; second he shows what is distinct within it, at the place "but to each of us grace was given," etc. Now in any city, in order for it to be one, four things must be common: namely, one ruler, one law, the same insignia, and the same end. And the Apostle says these four things are in the Church. He says therefore: I say that you ought to have one body and one spirit, because you are in the unity of the Church, which is one. First, because it has one leader, namely Christ, and as to this he says "one Lord" — not many, for whose diverse wills you would have to be in discord. For it is said in Hebrews 3:6: "Christ is as a son in his own house." Acts 2:36: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know most certainly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 1 Corinthians 8:6: "one Lord of ours, Jesus Christ." Zechariah 14:9: "In that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one." Second, because his law is one. For the law of the Church is the law of faith. Romans 3:27: "Where then is your boasting now? It is excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith." But "faith" is sometimes taken for the very thing believed, according to that: "this is the Catholic faith," etc., that is, these things ought to be believed. But sometimes it is taken for the habit of faith, by which one believes in the heart. And this can be said of both. Concerning the first, so that the sense is "faith is one," that is, you are commanded to believe the same thing and to work in the same way, because it is one and the same thing that is believed by all the faithful, whence it is called universal or Catholic. Hence 1 Corinthians 1:10: "that you all say the same thing," that is, think, etc. In another way, "faith is one," that is, one habit of faith by which one believes; one, I say, not numerically, but in species, because it ought to be the same in the hearts of all; and in this way the same will of those willing is called one will. Third, the insignia of the Church are the same, namely the sacraments of Christ, among which the first is Baptism, which is the door of all the others. And therefore he says "one Baptism." Now it is said to be one for a threefold reason. First, because baptisms do not differ according to those who baptize; for by whomever they are conferred, they have a uniform power, because he who baptizes inwardly is one, namely Christ. John 1:33: "Upon whomever you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit." Second, it is said to be one because it is given in the name of one, namely the Trinity: "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Third, because it cannot be repeated. Now Penance, Matrimony, the Eucharist, and Extreme Unction can be repeated, but not Baptism. Hebrews 6:4: "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened," namely through Baptism, "and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted nonetheless the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and have fallen away," namely through sin, "to be renewed again to penance." But it is not repeated either because of the character, or because its cause is not repeated. Romans 6:4: "For we were buried together with him through Baptism into death," etc. But now Christ died once for sins, as is said in 1 Peter 3:18. Fourth, in the Church there is the same end, which is God. For the Son leads us to the Father. 1 Corinthians 15:24: "When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God and the Father, when he shall have brought to nothing all principality, and power, and virtue; but he must reign," etc. And as to this he adds, saying "one God," etc., where first the Apostle sets down his unity; second, his dignity, at the place "who is above all," etc. Concerning the first he says two things: the first pertains to the divine nature; hence he says "one God." Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one." The other pertains to his benevolence toward us and to piety; hence he says "and Father of all." Isaiah 63:16: "You, Lord, are our Father and our Redeemer." Malachi 2:10: "Is there not one Father of us all? Has not God created us?" Now he commends his dignity from three things. From the height of his divinity, when he says "who is above all." Psalm 112:4: "The Lord is above all nations," etc. From the breadth of his power, when he says "through all." Jeremiah 33:24: "I fill heaven and earth," etc. Psalm 8:8: "You subjected all things under his feet," etc. Luke 10:22: "All things indeed have been delivered to me," inasmuch as "all things were made through him," John 1:3. But in the manner in which it is said in Wisdom 11:21: "You have disposed all things in number, and weight, and measure." From the largesse of grace, when he says "and in us all," namely through grace. Jeremiah 14:9: "But you are in us, O Lord," etc. But the first is appropriated to the Father, who is the fontal principle of the divinity and excels all creatures. The second to the Son, who is the wisdom "reaching mightily from end to end," Wisdom 8:1. The third indeed to the Holy Spirit, who "fills the world," Wisdom 1:7.”

“One Lord,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by right of creation, is Lord of all; and by right of marriage, and redemption, is the one and only Lord of his church and people; he has betrothed them to himself, and is their husband, and so their Lord, whom they are to worship and obey; he has redeemed them, he has bought them with the price of his blood, and therefore they are not their own, but his, and should glorify him both with their bodies and souls, which are his; he is the head of his body the church, the King of saints, and Father and master of the family named of him, and therefore they ought to agree among themselves, and not be many masters, and usurp a domination over one another. The Ethiopic version reads, "one God", but that is expressed in the following verse. One faith; there is but one grace of faith; there are indeed different sorts of faith; there is the faith of miracles, and an historical, temporary faith, but there is but one true grace of faith; and which, though it is in different subjects, and its degrees and acts are various, yet as to its nature, it is like precious faith in all; and has the same author and object, Jesus Christ, and springs from the same cause, the free grace of God, and has equally in all everlasting salvation connected with it, and consequent upon it: and there is but one doctrine of faith; the Gospel is so called, because it consists of things to be believed, is the means of implanting faith, it proposes the object to be believed in, and requires the exercise of it upon it, and should be mixed with faith whenever heard. Now this is but one, and is all of a piece, and consistent with itself, and so should the professors of it be, and love one another in the faith. One baptism, there were divers baptisms under the law, but there is but one baptism under the Gospel; for John's and Christ's are the same: there are, besides, figurative or metaphorical ones, which are so in an improper sense, as the baptism of the Spirit, and the baptism of blood, or of sufferings; but there is but one baptism, literally and properly so called, which is water baptism; and which is to be administered in one and the same way, by immersion in water; and on one and the same subjects, believers in Christ; and in one and the same name, the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and to be performed but once, when rightly administered.”

“This contains some more reasons why Christians should love one another. We are all the servants of the same God, believe the same mysteries, and receive the same sacraments, whoever may be the dispenser of them. — One faith. As rebellion is the bane of commonwealths and kingdoms, and peace and concord the preservation of the same; so is schism, and diversity of faith or fellowship in the service of God, the calamity of the Church: and peace, unity, and uniformity, the special blessing of God therein. St. Cyprian, in his book on the unity of the Church, writeth thus: “One Church, for one is my dove. This unity of the Church, he that holdeth not, doth he think he holdeth the faith? He that withstandeth or resisteth the Church, he that resisteth Peter’s chair, upon which the Church was built, doth he trust that he is in the Church?” And again, Ep. xl. “There is one God, and one Christ, and one Church, and one chair, by our Lord’s voice founded upon Peter. To set up another altar, or to constitute another priesthood, besides the one altar and the one priesthood, is impossible. Whosever gathereth elsewhere scattereth. It is adulterous, it is impious, it is sacrilegious, whatsoever is instituted by man to the breach of God’s disposition. Get ye far from such men: they are blind, and leaders of the blind.” St. Hilary also applies this text against the Arians thus: “Perilous and miserable it is that there are now among them as many faiths as wills, and as many doctrines as manners; whilst modes of faith are written as men will, or as they will, so are understood. Whereas the one truth teaches there is but one God, one Lord, one baptism, and also one faith: hence whilst more faiths are made, they begin by falling from that which is the only faith, and end in having no faith at all.” (St. Hilary, lib. ad Constantium Augustum.)”

“Similarly "faith" and "baptism" (the sacramental seal of faith) are connected (Mar 16:16; Col 2:12). Compare Co1 12:13, "Faith" is not here that which we believe, but the act of believing, the mean by which we apprehend the "one Lord." "Baptism" is specified, being the sacrament whereby we are incorporated into the "one body." Not the Lord's Supper, which is an act of matured communion on the part of those already incorporate, "a symbol of union, not of unity" [ELLICOTT]. In Co1 10:17, where a breach of union was in question, it forms the rallying point [ALFORD]. There is not added, "One pope, one council, one form of government" [Cautions for Times]. The Church is one in unity of faith (Eph 4:5; Jde 1:3); unity of origination (Eph 2:19-21): unity of sacraments (Eph 4:5; Co1 10:17; Co1 12:13): unity of "hope" (Eph 4:4; Tit 1:2); unity of charity (Eph 4:3): unity (not uniformity) of discipline and government: for where there is no order, no ministry with Christ as the Head, there is no Church [PEARSON, Exposition of the Creed, Article IX].”