The Letters · New Testament
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4: one body, gifts given, and the old life put off
General context
Paul, calling himself the prisoner of the Lord, asks them to walk worthy of their calling with lowliness, meekness and longsuffering, bearing with one another and keeping the unity of the Spirit in peace. He grounds that in a list of single things: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. Grace, he says, is given to each according to the measure of the gift of Christ, supported by a quoted line about one who ascended, led captivity captive and gave gifts to men, with a parenthesis noting a prior descent. The gifts are people: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, given for the perfecting of the saints and the edifying of the body until everyone reaches unity of faith and the measure of the fulness of Christ. The purpose is that they stop being children tossed about by every wind of doctrine and grow up into Christ by speaking the truth in love, with the whole body increasing through what every joint supplies. He then tells them not to walk as other Gentiles walk, with minds darkened and hearts blinded, and sets against it what they learned: put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, put on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness. The chapter ends with instructions, each with a reason attached: stop lying because they are members one of another, be angry without sinning and do not let the sun go down on it, let the thief work so he has something to give, guard their speech, do not grieve the holy Spirit, and put away bitterness and malice in favour of kindness and forgiveness.
Cited passages: Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:3, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 4:5, Ephesians 4:6, Ephesians 4:7, Ephesians 4:8, Ephesians 4:9, Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 4:13, Ephesians 4:14, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16, Ephesians 4:17, Ephesians 4:18, Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:23, Ephesians 4:24, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 4:26, Ephesians 4:28, Ephesians 4:29, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32
Ephesians 4 (KJV)
1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But ye have not so learned Christ;
21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27Neither give place to the devil.
28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
One quotation is marked, introduced only as Wherefore he saith, with no book named: When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Psalm 68:18 prints Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men, so the letter changes the person from second to third and prints gave gifts unto men where the Psalm prints received gifts for men. Two further lines are not marked as quotations at all. Verse 25 reads speak every man truth with his neighbour, close to Zechariah 8:16, Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour, and verse 26 reads Be ye angry, and sin not, where Psalm 4:4 prints Stand in awe, and sin not. The list of gifts at verse 11 names roles and no people. The chapter gives no place, date, companion or occasion, and the phrase the lower parts of the earth is left unexplained.
Cited passages: Ephesians 4:8, Ephesians 4:9, Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 4:26, Psalms 68:18, Zechariah 8:16, Psalms 4:4
Literary context
The chapter turns from what God has done to what the readers should do, and it marks the turn with I therefore at verse 1. Its first move is a list of seven items all beginning with the same word, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, which states unity by repeating it rather than by arguing for it. The body then becomes a working image rather than a title: joints supply, parts measure, and the whole thing makes increase of the body. Growth is set against childhood, and the contrast is physical, children tossed to and fro against a perfect man. The last third changes rhythm completely, moving to short commands. Each one carries its reason with it, so the instruction about lying ends for we are members one of another and the instruction about stealing ends with having something to give away.
Cited passages: Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 4:5, Ephesians 4:6, Ephesians 4:13, Ephesians 4:14, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 4:28, Ephesians 4:32
Key moments
- Walk worthy (Ephesians 4:1). Paul turns from teaching to conduct and asks for a matching walk.
- One body, one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4). Unity is stated as a list of single things.
- He gave gifts unto men (Ephesians 4:8). A quoted line about ascending supports the giving of grace.
- Roles given to the body (Ephesians 4:11). The gifts are named as people with tasks.
- Put on the new man (Ephesians 4:24). The old life is described as clothing to be exchanged.
- Anger with a deadline (Ephesians 4:26). Anger is allowed but not permitted to outlast the day.
- Work in order to give (Ephesians 4:28). The thief is told to labour so that he has something to share.
For reflection
The instruction to the thief is not simply to stop, but to work so that he may have to give to him that needeth. What would it look like to answer a habit you want to drop with something you could give?
