“But ...”, Why does Paul say “but” when he has just been talking about unity? It is because unity does not mean uniformity. Grace has been given to each one of us, and Paul is not using grace here in the sense of being saved by grace, but in the sense that he was given grace to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Ie it is an effective grace, a grace which enables us to do things, or more accurately by which God does things through us. Now this grace will show itself in different ways in each person. Paul will shortly outline different ministries in the church, but the principle can also be applied more widely. While there is only one church, each branch may function in a different way. The emphasis of one part may be on social action, that of another on outreach to a certain people group, and so on. We need to recognise the diversity in Christ.
Christ made a spectacle of principalities and powers on the cross (Col 2:15), but He did not just defeat the enemy, He also gave gifts to men. Jesus first came down to earth, He came to be amongst us before He ascended back to be with the Father. He did this so that He could fill all things. Paul is so utterly convinced that Christ is everything, He is the focus of it all.
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