Reflections on Ephesians 4

Ephesians 04 (Contemporary English Version)


1. As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own.
2. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.
3. Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.
4. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people.
5. We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
6. There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.
7. Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us.
8. As the Scriptures say, "When he went up to the highest place, he led away many prisoners and gave gifts to people."
9. When it says, "he went up," it means that Christ had been deep in the earth.
10. This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe.
11. Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers,
12. so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong.
13. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.
14. We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place.
15. Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head
16. of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.
17. As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people.
18. Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right,
19. and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.
20. But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him.
21. (SEE 4:20)
22. You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits.
23. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking
24. and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.
25. We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth.
26. Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry
27. and don't give the devil a chance.
28. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.
29. Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.
30. Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.
31. Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude.
32. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.
    
    

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    Paul explained in chapter three the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers. This was a mystery that had not been previously revealed. In chapter four and following Paul addresses practical applications of the doctrines he mentioned in the first three chapters. The first of these is how to maintain the unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. This unity involves changes in attitude that reflect the fruit of the Spirit. They are to demonstrate "humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love." (4:2) They were to take on these attitudes recognizing that they are united as believers in one and the same body, and in one Spirit, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." (4:5-6)
    
    Another contribution to the unity are the gifts given to the church. Christ gave to the church gifts such as apostles, prophets, evenagelists, pastors, and teachers "For the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith." (4:12-13) This unity is attained or maintained as they come to unity of understanding in the faith. Thus they will no longer "be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit." (4:14) Such volatility in their faith will not attain or maintain unity. While this unity is built on a mature understanding in the faith it is founded on "speaking the truth in love." (4:15)
    
    This is the positive side of Paul's exhortation to unity. On the negative side, their unity will be destroyed if they should revert to walking "as the Gentiles walk, in the fultility of their thoughts." Those who walk in this lifestyle "are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts." (4:18) Paul reminds them that they have been "renewed in the spirit of your minds" and they should no longer walk in this lifestyle. They have now put on the new man that is created in God's likeness. It is important to note that while man is created in the likeness of God, this likeness is not fully realized until an individual puts on "the new man" with the regeneration that takes place through faith in Christ Jesus.
    
    The chapter concludes with a list of negative behaviors to avoid. No stealing, no rotten talk, and don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. Do away with bitterness, anger, wrath, insult, and slander. Paul does concede that anger has its place, but it should not be allowed to lead one into sin. A good rule is to not "let the sun go down on your anger." (4:26) Finally, the Ephesians will not go wrong if they are "kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ."