In the new covenant, the importance of unity for God’s people is also emphasized. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:4–6: There is one body...one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. That is to say everyone who submits to Christ must be treated as a brother. Whether we are male or female, black or white, rich or poor—if we recognize Christ as King then we are part of his church and we must be treated as such. God’s church is universal. It must be a place where all his children are welcome.

Practically, living in this unity has been a struggle for God’s people throughout history. We see something of that struggle here in Joshua 22:1–34 and we find the same challenges in the New Testament. There you might remember the apostle Peter ashamed to eat with gentile Christians for fear of what some Jewish believers might say (see Galatians 2:1–21). There seems to be an underlying suspicion and assumption that one group of believers are not really part of God’s people, and though we have all been brought near through the blood of Christ, the dividing wall has not truly been broken down. So yes, these gentiles submit to Christ and acknowledge him as King, but are they really our brothers? Can we trust them and treat them as family?

In response to such thinking we had councils like in Acts 15:1–41 making it clear that the gentiles are indeed part of God’s church. Furthermore we also have very significant letters—letters written by Paul to whole churches yet addressed specifically to brothers. I appeal to you, brothers (1 Corinthians 1:10); I want you to know, brothers (Philippians 1:12); and To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae (Colossians 1:2). Brothers, brothers, brothers—have you ever wondered why Paul repeatedly uses this term in his letters when he very well knows that the audience would have included men and women?

It is not because he was a chauvinist who considered men to be superior—it is because he wanted to emphasize that Jew and Greek are now one people who share the same privileges. Russel Moore comments on this in his book Adopted for life: if Paul had talked of brothers and sisters or sons and daughters, the Jewish believers would have used that terminology to distinguish between them and those from a Greek background: We are the brothers. We are the sons who have the true inheritance of God. But you, gentiles, are the sisters. You do not have the same rights and privileges as us. You must still show yourselves to be worthy.

Historically the church has always struggled with ethnicity. It is easy for us to group with those who sound and look like us. It is hard to be part of a church where relationships require more effort. But that is where God has placed us and that is the church to which Christ seeks to gather us. He wants us to be part of a universal/catholic church. A church that is not grounded on a common ethnicity or socio-economic status, but united in submission to him—a church where all his children are welcome; a fellowship where everyone is called brother.