The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Ephesians 4

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Ephesians 4:1

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

(a) Prisoner. Paul was under house arrest in Rome; see entry for Eph. 3:1.

(b) Implore. Beseech, exhort, entreat, urge. The original verb (parakaleo) is made up of two words that mean call (kaleo) near (para). In the old covenant we were commanded to walk in the way of the Lord, but in the new covenant we are called or invited to walk.

(d) Worthy of the calling. Walk in response to the call of God. Bear his fruit and grow in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). Don’t conduct yourself like the unbeliever you used to be, but walk as a child of the light (Eph. 4:17, 5:8).

To be worthy of the calling does not mean “try to be moral” or “keep the rules.” Nor does it mean walk like a soldier following orders. We are sons, not soldiers. Worthy means deserving or suitable, and what is a more suitable response to the call of the gospel but to receive it and to live as a believing believer? You are light in the Lord, so walk as children of the light (Eph. 5:8). You have been adopted by God, so imitate your Father as a beloved child (Eph. 5:1). You are part of the body of Christ, so grow in Christ (Eph. 4:15).

(e) Calling… called. Those who have responded to the calling of the gospel are known as “the called” (1 Cor. 1:24, Jude 1:1) or “the called of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:6). This is not the specific vocational type of calling (e.g., Paul’s call to be an apostle to the Gentiles), but the universal call of the gospel to believe in Jesus (Eph. 1:18). This call goes out to all, both Jew and Gentile alike (Rom. 9:24–26).

Ephesians 4:2

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,

(a) Humility. Let us prefer one another, not thinking of ourselves too highly (Rom. 12:3, 10).

(b) Gentleness is a fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). It’s not something to produce, but something to bear. As we rest in Christ, he will express his gentle character in us and through us.

(d) Tolerance means putting up with others. It’s bearing up and showing restraint, as Jesus often did with the faithless disciples (Matt. 17:17). It is regarding one another as more important than yourselves (Php. 2:3).

(e) One another in love. When we have received the unconditional agape-love of the Father, we are able to love others with the same love (1 John 4:7). Note that the exhortation to love others comes after Paul’s many affirmations of God’s great love for us (Eph. 1:4, 2:4, 3:17–19). If you hear the second part (love one another) without the first part (God loves us), you will feel an unholy pressure to do that which is impossible.

Ephesians 4:3

being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

(a) Diligent. Be intentional about this.

The New Testament church was a multiracial family of Jews, Arabs, Romans, Greeks, Galatians, Asians, Phrygians, Cypriots, and more. The world had seen nothing like it. The modern church is even more diverse with members drawn from every tribe and nation. We are a gloriously motley bunch joined and fitted together by the Holy Spirit. Yet there are pressures pulling us apart. We disagree on theology. We neglect the needy. Our leaders stumble and fall. The powers of darkness are arrayed against us. For these reasons, we must take care to protect the fellowship we share with the Holy Spirit and each other.

(b) Preserve the unity. The Holy Spirit creates the unity. Our part is to preserve the unity.

Spiritual unity is not something we manufacture. Spiritual unity is what happens when the Spirit of Christ takes up residence in the hearts of believers. Yet there are things we can do to cultivate and preserve that unity as Paul explains in the previous verse.

(c) The unity of the spirit is the spiritual bond all believers share in fellowship with the Lord. This bond can be damaged by quarrels and strife that lead to division within the body of Christ. The unity of the Spirit is something to preserve, or guard, while the unity of the faith is something to attain (see Eph. 4:13).

(d) The bond of peace. Peter exhorts us to pursue peace (1 Pet. 3:11), and Paul encourages us to preserve it. Peace in our relationships is a precious commodity worth pursuing and protecting. How do we experience peace? By bearing with one another, being kind and tender hearted to one another, and being quick to forgive each other (Eph. 4:32, Col. 3:13–14).

(e) Peace or harmony; see entry for Eph. 2:17.

Ephesians 4:4-5

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

(a) One body. The body of Christ is the church of which Christ is the head (Eph. 5:23). Although there are many different denominations and expressions of the church, there is only one body. See entry for Eph. 3:6.

(b) One Spirit. The Holy Spirit, a.k.a. the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) and the Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29). The same Holy Spirit dwells in every believer everywhere in every age, regardless of race, language, or culture. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). The same Spirit that dwelled in Paul when he wrote these words, dwells in you as you read them.

(d) One hope. The one hope that unites all believers is the confident expectation we have regarding the Lord’s return and the eternal age to follow. The one hope is also known as “the hope of his calling” (Eph. 1:18) and “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). This glorious hope includes the hope of salvation (1 Th. 5:8), the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23), our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:19–22), eternal life (Tit. 1:2, 3:7), a glorious inheritance (Eph. 1:18), and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21, Eph. 1:10).

(e) One Lord. Jesus Christ is not one lord among many. He is the Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). He is far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named (Eph. 1:21).

When Jesus walked the earth, he was known as Jesus of Nazareth or the Son of Man. But after he ascended to heaven, he was honored with a new name and that name is Lord (Php. 2:9–11). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood and preached the new name of the Lord. “God has made him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2: 36). Towards the end of the first century, there was growing pressure to refer to the Roman emperor as lord. But in Asia, the saints refused to call anyone Lord but Jesus (see entry for Rev. 3:8).

(f) One faith. The world has many faiths but the body of Christ has just one—the common faith or belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Lord of all. Faith is not merely intellectual assent; it is living from the persuasion that Jesus is Lord with all that implies.

(g) One baptism. Several baptisms are mentioned in scripture including: John’s baptism of repentance (Acts 19:3–4), water baptism done in Jesus’ name (Acts 10:48, 19:5), Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 11:16), Jesus’ baptism of suffering (Matt. 20:22), and baptism for the dead (1 Cor. 15:29). Since there are different baptisms, why does Paul say there is only one baptism? He is referring to the baptism that happens to every believer when they are put into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12–13).

The moment you came to Jesus, you were baptized, or placed in him, by the Spirit. To be baptized means to be dipped or immersed or whelmed. To whelm something is to bury it in dirt or sink it in water. Your old self had issues that you could never resolve. The Holy Spirit’s solution was to whelm or bury your old nature with Jesus. This is what it means to be baptized into his death (Rom. 6:3). But the Holy Spirit didn’t leave you in the ground. Just as he raised Jesus, he raised you (Rom. 6:6–7). Because of that one baptism you are now free to live in Christ.

Further reading: “What is the baptism that saves?”

Ephesians 4:6

one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

(a) One God. There is one God, not many, as the pagans believed (Mark 12:29, 1 Cor. 8:4–6). “Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?” (Mal. 2:10).

(b) Father of all. God is the Father of all believers, whether Jewish or Gentile. God is known by many names, but to the believer he is known as Father (1 John 2:13). This is the name of God that Jesus reveals to us (Matt. 6:9, John 14:7).

(c) Over all and through all. God’s presence pervades, permeates, and inhabits the church through his Spirit (Eph. 2:22).

Ephesians 4:7

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

(a) Grace. God gives us grace so that we might be forgiven and saved (Eph. 1:7, 2:8), but he also gives us grace so that we might be a blessing to others. We have all been “graced” or gifted by God in different ways (1 Pet. 4:10). “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Rom. 12:6). Your gifts are those special abilities God has given you that enable you to experience his divine life and reveal his heart to others. It is those things you do that reveal Christ in some special way (see 1 Cor. 12:7). Paul’s gift was the ability to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:8).

(b) Grace was given. For the fifth time Paul tells us that God’s grace is a gift (Eph. 2:8, 3:2, 7, 8, 4:7). You cannot earn it through your good works or moral excellence (Rom. 11:6, Gal. 2:21). You can only receive it through faith (Rom. 5:2).

(c) The measure of Christ’s gift. Just as God was generous in giving us his Son, he has been generous in giving us spiritual gifts. Indeed, the two are connected. Spirit gifts are expressions of the life of Christ.

Ephesians 4:8

Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

(a) It says. The poetic image of the Lord ascending to the high places and showering us with gifts comes from Psalm 68:18.

(b) Ascended. Several weeks after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9).

(c) A host of captives. Jesus captured our captors and led them captive. “When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them” (Col. 2:15).

Just as a conquering general would march his captives in triumph through Rome, Paul portrays Jesus as returning to heaven in triumph with captives in his train. These captives were his disarmed and defeated enemies. But if sin and death have been defeated, why do we still have sin and death? Christ has won the victory, but his victory is being enforced through the church. Jesus has all the power and authority, but it is up to us, his body, to execute his will here on earth (Eph. 3:10).

(d) He gave gifts. Just as a conqueror distributes tokens of his triumph, Jesus has showered us with gifts. After he ascended into heaven (Acts 1), the gift of his Spirit was poured out on the church (Acts 2). Through the Holy Spirit, we receive a variety of spiritual gifts and ministries (1 Cor. 12:4–5). Paul lists five such ministries in Ephesians 4:11.

Ephesians 4:9

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?

(a) Ascended; see previous verse.

(b) Descended. After his death on the cross, Jesus went to the depths to preach the good news to the dead (1 Pet. 3:19). “For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead” (1 Pet. 4:6). Some read this as “Jesus descended to earth and then ascended back to heaven”, but Paul specifies that Jesus descended to the lower parts of the earth.

(c) The lower parts of the earth. Hades (Sheol in Greek), the abode of the dead. Hades is described as an underground region (Num. 16:30, Ps. 86:13, Eze. 32:27, Amos 9:2) where the righteous and unrighteous go after death (Gen. 37:35, Ps. 9:17, Is. 38:10, Deut. 32:22). Hades is sometimes translated as the depths or the grave or a pit (Ps. 30:3, Pro. 1:12, 7:27, 9:18, Is. 14:15, 38:18, Eze. 31:16, Matt. 11:23), but Hades is not Hell. At the end of days, death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). See also the entry for Matt. 16:18.

Ephesians 4:10

He who descended is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

(a) Descended; see previous verse.

(b) Ascended; see entry for Eph. 4:8.

(c) Far above. Jesus descended to the lowest depths of earth and he ascended to the highest heights of heaven to show us there is no place beyond his reach.

(d) Above all the heavens. Jesus is not in the clouds or hiding in a distant galaxy. Jesus ascended far above the visible heavens (the sky and stars), beyond the created universe, to the highest heaven and the very throne room of God (Heb. 7:26).

(e) Fill all things with his grace, influence, and divine nature. God is making a new humanity (Eph. 2:15) who will inhabit new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:13). The Spirit of Christ, acting through this new humanity, the body of Christ, infuses creation with the presence of God (Eph. 1:23). In this way, God is making all things new (Rev. 21:5).

(f) All things. All of creation including the heavens and the earth; see entry for Eph. 1:10.

Ephesians 4:11

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

(a) He gave. The five ministry roles listed here are gifts given by God for the purpose of strengthening his church. (Note: This list is incomplete. Paul has a longer list in 1 Corinthians 12:28.) It is a mistake to interpret these ministry roles as ranks or positions of authority. The church is a family, not an army. Nowhere in the New Testament is there any suggestion that some are to rule over others (see Matt. 20:25–26, 1 Pet. 5:3). The church has one Head and no hierarchy (Eph. 1:22). These ministry roles are coaches, not colonels.

The five ministries listed here are expressions of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus is the Apostle (Heb. 3:1), Jesus is the Prophet (John 6:14, 7:40), Jesus is the gospel-preaching Evangelist (Mark 1:15, Luke 4:18), Jesus is the Pastor or Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25, 5:2), and Jesus is the Teacher (John 13:13).

(b) Apostles. The original word (apostolos) means a delegate or ambassador. It is someone who has been sent out as a messenger for God. Along with prophets, apostles attend to the foundations of the church (Eph. 2:20). They plant new churches and strengthen existing ones. Although we are all God’s messengers, those with an apostolic gifting excel in this activity and are able to train others for ministry. See also the entry for 1 Cor. 1:1.

(c) Prophets. Although all believers can prophesy (1 Cor. 14:31), those who excel in this area may be recognized as prophets. A prophet builds the church by calling forth God’s purposes and by helping others walk in their God-given gifts and calling. New Testament prophets include Agabus (Acts 21:10), Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32), and the four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8–9).

(d) Evangelists. The original noun (euangelistes) means a preacher of the gospel. Although all believers can preach the gospel, those who excel in this area may be recognized as an evangelist. An evangelist has a gift for bringing people to Jesus. An evangelist’s job is not merely to evangelize, but to help the church exercise the gift of evangelism. Examples of evangelists include Philip (Acts 21:8) and Timothy (2 Tim. 4:5).

(e) Pastors. The original noun (poimen) means shepherd. A pastor is a shepherd who has been entrusted with caring for the flock (1 Pet. 5:2). They not only feed and care for the sheep, they teach the saints how to feed and care for each other. A pastor is not a CEO or a general or a high priest lording it over others. A pastor fulfils their shepherdly role by watching over the church (Acts 20:28), and by teaching, praying, and setting a good example (Tit. 1:9, Jas. 5:14, 1 Pet. 5:3).

(f) Teachers. Although all believers may teach (Heb. 5:12), those who excel in this area may be recognized as teachers. Teachers come in many varieties, but their main purpose is to help the church grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet. 3:18). They unpack the written word to reveal Jesus, the Living Word of God (Acts 4:2, 15:35, 18:11, Col. 3:16). Before Paul and Barnabas were commissioned as apostles, they were numbered among the teachers of Antioch (Acts 13:1–2).

Ephesians 4:12

for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

(a) Equipping or perfecting. The moment we were born again, we were complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). But as a baby needs to grow, we need to grow and learn how to walk in the grace that God has given us. To help us grow, God provides coaches and trainers (see previous verse).

(b) The saints or believers; see entry for Eph. 1:1.

(c) Work of service or ministry. The original noun for service (diakonia) is related to the word for servant or minister (diakonos; see entry for Eph. 3:7), and is sometimes translated as ministry (e.g., 1 Cor. 12:5).

Ministry is not something to delegate to a few hired hands. It is the saints who minister and the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who teach the saints how to minister. Ministry is not something that happens solely in church on Sundays. Ministry can happen anywhere at any time.

Ministry is what you do when you exercise your spiritual gifts in ways that reveal the heart of the Father. Since God’s grace and wisdom comes in countless varieties (Eph. 3:10, 1 Pet. 4:10), there are nearly infinite types of ministry.

(d) Building up. The purpose of ministry is to build up the body of Christ. Body and building. Like the babies and boats of verse fourteen, this is one of Paul’s mixed metaphors.

(e) The body of Christ is the church; see entry for Eph. 3:6.

Ephesians 4:13

until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

(a) Attain. The unity of the faith doesn’t just happen. It is something to attain or arrive at.

(b) Unity of the faith. “Until the church is spiritually mature, sharing a common faith and walking in the fullness of what it means to know Jesus.”

Believers who have little understanding of what Christ has done remain immature and susceptible to bad teaching (Eph. 4:14). The remedy is to crave the pure milk of the word so that you may grow (1 Pet. 2:2). Jesus is the Living Word and the Bread of Life, and the more we feed on him the more we grow.

(d) A mature man. The full-grown body of Christ (the church) will walk and talk just like Christ.

In the Gospels, Jesus walked the streets of Judea in the flesh. Now he appears to the world in the form of his body, the church. But this portrayal is distorted for as long as the church remains immature and divided on matters of faith. It is not essential that believers become part of one great big denomination. But to attain unity of the faith, we need to be like-minded on the seven attributes Paul listed in Eph. 4:4–6.

The original adjective for mature (teleios) is sometimes translated as complete (e.g., Jas. 1:4) or perfect (e.g., Matt. 5:48). It is the same word Paul uses when he says, “we admonish and teach everyone so that we may present everyone complete in Christ” (Col. 1:28). It means to be fully developed and mature.

(e) The measure of the stature. The full dimensions of Christ. In many ways, the church falls short and does not measure up to Christ. With so much division within the body, it may seem that we will never reach the full measure of Christ. Paul writes to encourage and inspire us. By the grace of God, we will attain maturity and harmony within the body, and it will happen as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus the Head.

(f) The fullness of Christ. We (the church) will be like him in every way.

Ephesians 4:14

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

(a) Children. Infants in the faith. The original word (nēpios) describes someone who is unacquainted with the word of righteousness (Heb. 5:13). Spiritual maturity is not measured in how many verses we quote or how many years of service we’ve put in. Maturity is about being established in righteousness and standing firm in the grace of God (1 Pet. 5:12).

(b) Tossed here and there. Blown about like a boat on a stormy sea.

(c) Every wind of doctrine. An immature believer is distracted and turned around by every new teaching and fad. They may hear many sermons, read many books, and participate in many discussions, but because they are often changing directions, they make little progress. Because they are not established in righteousness, they do not grow.

(d) Trickery. The original word (kubeia) means cube as in die as in a grifter throwing loaded dice and taking your money. False teachers may talk a good line, but their purpose is to enrich themselves by robbing you (2 Pet. 2:3, 15). Don’t let them delude you with their clever talk and manmade logic (Col. 2:4, 8).

(e) Deceitful scheming. Tricky and cunning methods that distract you from the love of Christ. The original word for scheming (methodeia) is the same word used to describe the devil’s schemes (Eph. 6:11).

Ephesians 4:15

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ,

(a) Speaking the truth. We refute the lies of tricky men by speaking the truth. If someone tells us we must perform and produce to please the Lord, we remind ourselves that we are God’s dearly loved children and he is already pleased with us. If we hear that we need to work to make ourselves righteous and holy, we remind ourselves that one with the Lord, we are as righteous and holy as he is.

Whether we grow depends on what we hear. If we listen to every wind of doctrine taught by tricky men, we will remain spiritually immature. But if we receive the word of truth, we will mature in the Lord. To speak the truth is to reveal Jesus because the “truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21).

(b) In love. We speak the truth to one another with gentleness and kindness, without being rude or arrogant. The truth can be as divisive as a sword or as harmful as a hammer, but truth that reveals the patient and hopeful love of God helps the church to grow.

Just as you can’t make yourself taller, you can’t make yourself more Christlike. Growth is a natural process (Mark 4:27, 1 Cor. 3:7). The only thing you can do is hinder the process through poor diet (indulging the appetites of the flesh) and lack of exercise (not walking in the new way of the spirit). We “grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” by allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal good things to us about the Lord (2 Pet. 3:18). As we feast on the love and kindness of God, we become more loving and kind. As we spend more time conversing with the Lord, we begin to talk more like him. As we feed on Christ, we become more Christlike.

(d) Grow up in all aspects. Allow every part of your life to become enfolded in the Person of Jesus Christ.

(e) The head. Jesus Christ is the head of his body, the church (Eph. 5:23, Col. 1:18). To grow up into the head is to grow in Christ and bring our thinking into line with what the Lord says.

Ephesians 4:16

from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

(a) The whole body of Christ, which is the church. The church is God’s new creation incubator. It is the place where sinners become saints, thieves become givers, and haters become lovers.

(b) Fitted. The original verb (synarmologeō) is a compound word that means close-joined together, while “held together” (sumbibazo) means forced together or tightly fitting. You have not been stuck onto the body of Christ like an appendage. You have been perfectly and neatly fitted in the very place God wants you to be.

(c) What every joint supplies. The whole body relies on every joint and the proper working of each individual part if it is to enjoy a healthy supply of life.

(d) Causes the growth of the body. The Spirit of Christ works through the members of his body to nourish and bring us to maturity (Eph. 5:29).

(e) Growth. For the body to grow, every part needs to be healthy. For the church to properly function, every believer needs to be equipped for ministry in the area where they have been gifted (Eph. 4:7). The church will never reach its full stature for as long as ministry is seen as the domain of a select few, or if some (e.g., women) are hindered in exercising their God-given gifts.

Ephesians 4:17

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

(a) Affirm together. “As God is my witness, I am speaking the truth.”

(b) Walk no longer. To walk as the Gentiles walk is to walk after the old ways of the flesh instead of the new way of the spirit. It’s living in response to the natural world (what we see, hear, and touch) and without regard for the spiritual world. See entry for Rom. 8:5.

(d) Futility. The original noun (mataiotes) means vain, empty, and devoid of truth. It describes the minds of those who are without God and lacking the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9, Eph. 2:12, Col. 1:21).

Ephesians 4:18

being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

(a) Darkened. The god of this world blinds the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus commissions us to open unbelieving eyes so that people might be delivered from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God (Acts 26:18).

(b) Excluded. The original word (apallotrioo) means to be “shut out from fellowship and intimacy” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon) or a “non-participant” (Strongs Lexicon). The natural or unregenerate person is disconnected from the life of God. In contrast, the Christian lives from their spiritual union with the Lord (see entry for 1 John 1:3).

Two kinds of life are described in the Bible; there is the old life we inherited from Adam, and the new life that comes from the Father (John 5:26). The life of God is eternal, powerful, peaceable, and free from bondage to sin (John 17:3, Rom. 6:6–7, 8:2).

See entry for New Life.

(d) Because of the ignorance. Humanity was put on death row on account of Adam’s sin, but Jesus smashed the prison gates making it possible for us to be free. Yet some, out of ignorance and unbelief, prefer to remain in captivity.

(e) Because of the hardness of their heart. People are not excluded from the life of God on account of sin, but their own stubborn unbelief. People do not have their minds darkened because Satan has a magic wand, but because they refuse to receive the truth by which they may see. By shutting their eyes to the witness of creation and closing their ears to the call of the gospel, they harden their hearts to the goodness of God.

Ephesians 4:19

and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

(a) Having become callous. We are not born insensitive to the things of God, but we become callous or numb by resisting the Holy Spirit and by refusing to trust in God’s goodness. We were all created with a great need for love, but some choose to reject the great love that God offers.

(b) Given themselves over. They have rejected the call of God (the gospel) and chosen the fleshly or sensual life.

(c) Sensuality. To be given over to sensuality is to walk after the flesh without any regard for the things of God. It’s living in response to your natural appetites, leaning on your own strength (your abilities and understanding), and living solely from the basis of your earthly experience (what you see, hear, touch, know, etc.). The sensual life of independence can be contrasted with the spiritual life of reliance on God.

(d) Impurity with greediness are the opposites of holiness and selflessness. “Every kind of impurity” suggests every depraved act a carnal mind can imagine.

Ephesians 4:20–21

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus,

(a) Learn Christ. You did not learn about Christ by hardening your heart towards God.

(b) If indeed you have heard him. Paul does not assume that everyone who reads his letter is a believer. He anticipates that there may be some reading Ephesians who have never responded to the call of the gospel.

(c) Heard him. You did not come to Christ because you heard about him; you heard him (John 10:27). Through the gospel you heard the Lord calling and you came.

(d) Taught in him. In your heart you received the message of truth (Eph. 1:13).

(e) Truth is in Jesus. The truth is defined by Jesus (John 14:6).

Truth is not a manmade construct subject to revision and debate. Truth is in Jesus, which is to say that Jesus is the measure of all things and by him all things are known (1 Cor. 8:6, Col. 1:16). Jesus did not come to lay down the law or preach a new morality. He came to reveal the God who is true (1 John 5:20).

Those whose minds are darkened cannot grasp the truth. They need the Spirit of truth to reveal it to them (1 John 5:6). This he does by revealing Jesus (John 15:26). If you want to know the truth about yourself, the world, or the meaning of life, you will find it in Jesus. The truth that is in Jesus frees us from the illusions of this flawed and deceptive world (John 8:32).

Ephesians 4:22

that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

(a) Former manner. The old life you had when you were enslaved to sin and followed the ways of the world (Eph. 2:2). This old life can be contrasted with the wonderful “life of God” we now have in Christ (Eph. 4:18).

(b) Lay aside the old self. Paul reminds us that we laid aside the old self when we came to Christ. “You laid aside the old self” (Col. 3:9). Like death, laying aside the old self is a one-time event. It is not something you need to repeat.

(c) The old self refers to our “former manner of life” with its old attitudes and mindsets. It’s the person we used to be when we tried to muddle our way through life without God by relying on our wits and limited understanding.

The old self is mentioned in two other places in scripture; in Romans, the old self has been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6), while in Colossians, the old self has been “laid aside” (Col. 3:9). If the old self has been crucified with Christ, why are we exhorted to lay it aside? Because some Christians, unaware that they have died with Christ, are trying to improve their old selves. The old self cannot be improved. That which is flesh cannot give birth to spirit (John 3:6). Far better to reckon the old self dead and lay it aside. We abandon the old ways of the flesh by embracing the new way of the spirit (Eph. 4:24).

(d) Corrupted. The original verb (phtheiro) means to destroy or defile. The sensual life is self-destructive.

(e) The lusts of deceit are the lusts of the flesh or the desires of the old self (Eph. 2:3). Your old self had some destructive desires, including the desire for control, the desire to impress, and the desire to take what you could get. The old self did not hesitate to criticize things it did not understand or attack those who got in its way. It blamed others and indulged in self-pity. Like Adam in Genesis 3, the old self was sinful, fearful, and mainly concerned with self-preservation.

Ephesians 4:23

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Be renewed. Renovate your thinking. Learn to be led by your spirit rather than your flesh. In your former manner of life, you indulged the desires of your unregenerate mind (Eph. 2:3). But now you can walk in step with the spirit (Gal. 5:25). It is a totally new way to live.

On the day you were born again, a lot of things changed, but your way of thinking probably did not change. This is why you need to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Change the way you think so that your thoughts align with the truth of what God says about you.

Ephesians 4:24

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

(a) Put on the new self. You are righteous and holy, so act like it. Be who you truly are.

To put on the new man is to be renewed in the spirit of your mind (see previous verse). It is choosing to walk in the new way of the spirit instead of the old ways of the flesh. We don’t put off and put on to become spiritual; we do this because we are spiritual. Everyone who is born again is born of the spirit (John 3:7–8). Since we are already in the spirit, let us walk after the spirit (Gal 5:25).

(b) The new self is who we are in Christ. We are spiritual creatures, joined to the Lord in spiritual fellowship.

If the old self describes the life we had in Adam, the new self is the life we have in Christ. Your old self was a child of Adam and a slave of sin (Rom. 6:6), but your new self is a child of God and a “slave” of righteousness (Rom. 6:18). Your old self had no choice but to walk after the deceitful desires of the flesh, but your new self can walk in the new way of the spirit (Rom. 6:4, 8:4, Gal. 5:24). Your old self was terminally ill and doomed to die, but your new self has eternal life (Rom. 8:6, Gal. 6:8).

Many Christians have no idea how good they’ve got it. They have enough faith to believe or hope that they are saved, but that’s about it. They don’t know that in Christ they are part of a new race and citizens of an everlasting kingdom. There’s a new language to learn, a new culture to embrace, and a new song to sing. This is why the New Testament is bursting with exhortations to put off the old and put on the new. We were in darkness; now we are children of light. We were slaves; now we are sons. We were prisoners; now we are kings.

(c) The likeness of. These words are italicized because they are not in the original text, although they are implied. As children of God, we carry our Father’s spiritual DNA.

(d) Created in righteousness. You have been made into a brand new person, as righteous and holy as Jesus Christ.

Jesus was made to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was not made sin because he was a sinner, and you were not made righteous because you acted righteously. God did it all. The moment you put your faith in Jesus, you were stamped righteous for all eternity. At one time you were unrighteous, but you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were declared righteous in the name of the Lord (1 Cor. 6:9–11).

What does it mean to be righteous? It means you have had a complete renovation, a Holy Spirit renewal, an entire rebuild. You have been straightened out. You are no longer the crooked person you used to be. While in Adam you had inclinations that led you towards sin no matter how hard you tried to avoid it, in Christ you are inclined to walk straight and true. Your desire is to please the Lord. It’s not that you are incapable of sinning. It’s just that sinning no longer appeals. When you sin it bothers you—“I wish I hadn’t done that”—testifying that this sort of behavior is contrary to your new righteous nature.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, “speak truth each one of you with his neighbor”, for we are members of one another.

(a) Therefore. Since you are done with that old way of life.

In the following verses Paul lists four bad habits of the old self—lying, unrighteous anger, stealing, and evil speech.

(b) Laying aside falsehood. To lay aside falsehood is to reject the deceptive reality of a world enthralled to the father of lies. We refuse to swallow the lies and empty promises of this fallen civilization. Instead, we fix our minds on Christ, and gird our loins with truth (Eph. 6:14).

(c) Speak truth. Paul is paraphrasing Zechariah 8:16: “These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates.”

(d) Members of the body of Christ are connected in spiritual union with the Lord and each other. If one member suffers, all suffer (1 Cor. 12:26). In the same way, if one member is blessed, all are blessed. We speak grace and truth to each other so that all might grow into the full measure of Christ (Eph. 4:13).

Ephesians 4:26

BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

(a) “Be angry.” The quote comes from Psalm 4:4 as it appears in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. The second part of the psalm provides a remedy for lingering anger: “Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.” In other words, bring your unresolved anger to the Lord.

“Be angry” means it’s okay to be angry. Righteous anger is an appropriate response to injustice and cruelty. Jesus got angry with the religious folks who opposed his healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5). He got angry with the disciples when they kept the little children from coming to him (Mark 10:14).

(b) Anger is a valid emotion that we need to handle with care. When we are angry, it is easy to stumble and give place to the devil (see next verse). For this reason, we are to be slow to anger (Jas. 1:19) and quick to lay it aside (Col. 3:8). Don’t let your anger fester lest it give birth to bitterness and wrath (Eph. 4:31). Don’t nurse grudges. Imitate your Father whose anger lasts but a moment (Ps. 30:5).

Ephesians 4:27

and do not give the devil an opportunity.

(a) The devil; see entry for Eph. 6:11.

(b) Opportunity. The original noun (topos) is usually translated place and is related to the word topography. “Don’t give the devil a foothold.”

When we yield to sin (e.g., through unforgiveness or unresolved anger), we sow the seeds of death into our lives and relationships (Rom. 6:16). We create opportunities for bitterness, resentment, backbiting, slander, insomnia, discord, hatred, and feuds. Unresolved anger leads to evil, not righteousness (Ps. 37:8, Jas. 1:20).

Ephesians 4:28

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

(a) Steal no longer. Don’t gamble your life away on crime. Get a job. Do something constructive.

“Thou shalt not steal” is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:15). But Paul is not preaching law because he prescribes no penalties for non-compliance. The Apostle of Grace does not threaten thieves with divine punishment. Instead, he illustrates the difference between the old self (covetous) and the new self (generous). He calls Christians to live from their true identity (you are a saint), offers them something better to do (work with your hands), and gives them an inspiring goal to pursue (so you can be a blessing to others).

(b) Share. Work so that you will have enough to share with the needy. If the old self was a taker, the new self is a giver because your Father is the Giver (John 3:16, Rom. 8:32, 1 Tim. 6:17, Jas. 1:17). It’s better to be a giver than a taker (Acts. 20:35).

Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

(a) No unwholesome word. Unwholesome talk includes obscenities, jokes that are in poor taste, and foolish speech that leads to strife and quarrels (Eph. 5:4).

Since you have been given a new heart (Eze. 36:26), learn to speak the new language of the new creation. Don’t gossip, backbite, slander, curse, belittle, defame, or mock people. Lay aside falsehoods and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15, 25).

(b) Unwholesome. The original adjective (sapros) means rotten, putrid, and worthless. It suggests language that is foul and polluting.

(c) Good for edification. Be constructive with your speech. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16), and use your words to build people up. Proclaim the goodness of God. Declare his promises. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6).

(d) The need of the moment. The most useful words are those that solve real needs. People need solutions, not sermons. They need practical handles not pithy homilies.

(e) Give grace. Bless people with your words.

We have the power to impart life and healing with our words (Pro. 18:21). Where the world speaks negativity, we speak encouragement. Where others curse, we bless. Where others wound, we heal. Words matter. A kind word spoken at the right time can save a life.

Ephesians 4:30

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

(a) Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Don’t do things that make God sad.

Our choices bring our heavenly Father both pleasure and pain. When we sin, it grieves him because sin hurts his kids. The sins just listed—speaking falsehoods, stealing, unwholesome speech (which would include quarrelling, gossip, and backbiting)—are relational sins. When we hurt our brothers and sisters, it makes our Father sad.

Your behavior matters to God because you matter to God. He wants you to prosper and thrive in every area of your life. He doesn’t want you opening the door to trouble by sowing to the flesh. But even if you do—even if you make one dumb mistake after another—he will still be your Father and you will still be his dearly loved child. Your actions may sadden him, but you will always be the apple of his eye.

Act like a sinner and you’ll grieve the Holy Spirit, but here’s what won’t happen: the Holy Spirit won’t record your sins (he promised not to; Heb. 10:15–17); nor will he send you on a guilt-trip (he’s the Spirit of grace not the spirit of guilt; Heb. 10:29); and he won’t withdraw from you until you get your act together (Jesus said he would never leave you; John 14:16).

When you sin, the Holy Spirit will always point you to Jesus. He knows that as we behold the kindness and compassion of Christ, we become kind and compassionate. As we gaze at his forgiving face, we become forgiving. As we marvel at his beauty, we become beautiful. As we behold Jesus, we are transformed into his shining testimonies of grace.

(b) The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ; see entry for Eph. 1:13.

(d) The day of redemption. The day when Jesus returns in glory to redeem his treasured possession (Eph. 1:14). On that day, our aging and broken bodies will be redeemed and we will be clothed with immortality (Rom. 8:23, 1 Cor. 15:52–53). “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

(a) Bitterness. Resentment that may be expressed in poisonous and hateful words.

(b) Wrath and anger. Rage and temper tantrums.

(d) Put away from you. Put aside the old life, and put on the new self which has been created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:22–24).

(e) Malice. Ill will. To this short list of bad behaviors we could add deceit, hypocrisy, enmity, hatred, drunkenness, immorality, bitterness, jealousy, envy, slander, profanity, and tantrums (e.g., Gal. 5:19–21, Eph. 4:31, Col. 3:8, 1 Pet. 2:1). All these things proceed from a selfish and unregenerate heart and corrupt us (Mark 7:20–23).

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

(a) Kind and tender-hearted. Be gracious and compassionate. Show concern for those in need and bear their burdens.

(b) Forgiving… forgiven. The original words (charizomai) are related to the word that means grace (charis). It is sometimes translated as give, gave, given, or granted (e.g., Luke 7:21, Rom. 8:32, Gal. 3:18, Php. 1:29, 2:9). Paul is discussing the gift of unconditional forgiveness (see also Col. 2:13, 3:13).

Unlike the harsh gods of pagan religion, our heavenly Father abounds in kindness (Eph. 2:7). His kindness and forgiveness toward us empower us to be kind and forgiving to others, even our enemies (Luke 6:35).

Ephesians 4