Ephesians Chapter 4

Ephesians 4:1-3

In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul lays down a powerful foundation of Christian theology. It does this not to show he is smart, or to demonstrate his claim to apostleship, but to prepare his audience for the second half of this letter. The second half of the letter deals with the practice of the Christian life, in terms of its relationship to fellow believers, to family, and to ministry. But Paul, not wishing that the Ephesians water down the faith into a series of do's and don't's -- legalism -- laid the theological foundation in the first three chapters to give understanding to what has been done for us by Christ, who we are in Christ, the grace by which we have been redeemed, and the great intimacy of the relationship we now share with the Father in Jesus Christ.

1 I am a prisoner who belongs to the Lord. I beg you, live the way people should live who have been called by God. 2 Do not be proud at all. Be very humble. Love one another and be patient with each other. 3 The Spirit has made you all one. Try to stay like that. May you be at peace with one another.

Bible in Worldwide English BWE (prepared by a Canadian missionary for work in Liberia)

1 παρακαλω ουν υμας εγω ο δεσμιος εν κυριω αξιως περιπατησαι της κλησεως ης εκληθητε 2 μετα πασης ταπεινοφροσυνης και πραυτητος μετα μακροθυμιας ανεχομενοι αλληλων εν αγαπη 3 σπουδαζοντες τηρειν την ενοτητα του πνευματος εν τω συνδεσμω της ειρηνης WHNU

"I am a prisoner who belongs to the Lord. I beg you, live the way people should live who have been called by God. BWE" παρακαλω ουν υμας εγω ο δεσμιος εν κυριω αξιως περιπατησαι της κλησεως ης εκληθητε WHNU "Therfore, I summon/exhort you, a prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called MP" Paul does not make this statement as a legal doctrine, but rather as encouraging them to avail themselves to the realities of the first three chapters ("Therefore..."). It is easy to rest on grace -- that is a part of our sin nature -- but the power of the Spirit which indwells us and diligence to heed to Its leading enables us to "...walk worthy of the calling...", and grace is every present "...to which you have BEEN called..." (caps are mine, to emphasize the passive voice used).

"Do not be proud at all. Be very humble. Love one another and be patient with each other. BWE" μετα πασης ταπεινοφροσυνης και πραυτητος μετα μακροθυμιας ανεχομενοι αλληλων εν αγαπη "with all lowliness of mind and gentleness with patience bearing/enduring one another in love MP" Paul exhorts the Ephesian believers to be humble, a compound word in the Greek: ταπεινο + φροσυνη (+ mine, for notation): low. put down + mind, thinking; a reminder that the grace received is unmerited and not a reason for boasting in oneself. He also encourages them to "bear up/endure/forbear" one another ανεχομενοι αλληλων, using the middle participle form of ανεχω, which means "to stand firm". A more expanded translation might be "standing firm for yourselves for the sake of one another". In other words, bearing one another is a blessing for the believer, as the believer blesses another, as evidenced by the realm of operation εν αγαπη "in love". Love is the operative realm of the believer, the one who has been called to salvation in Christ.

"The Spirit has made you all one. Try to stay like that. May you be at peace with one another. BWE" σπουδαζοντες τηρειν την ενοτητα του πνευματος εν τω συνδεσμω της ειρηνης "striving to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace MP" Here, Paul acknowledges the role of the flesh. In what should be the natural outcome of the work of the Holy Spirit, Paul further exhorts the Ephesians to continue "striving/laboring/making effort/making earnest exertion to keep/protect/guard/watch over the unity/oneness of the Spirit..." Paul understood that the flesh would war against the Spirit (see Romans 7 for his homily concerning that subject), and that empowered by the Spirit, and applying the resources of the mind to check our fleshly impulses, we should be one. Continuing, he writes that the product of such effort should be peace, and that peace should bind us together. In the construction of the phrase εν τω συνδεσμω της ειρηνης, we find the noun συνδεσμω (dative form), which is a compound of συν (with, together) δεσμω (bond, joined, band) to bring the notion that we are not individually in the bonds of peace, but that we are bonded together in peace.

In the first three verses of Chapter 4, Paul lays before us the practical outworkings of God's working our salvation, with an emphasis on the presence and empowerment by the Holy Spirit -- more grace, grace upon grace.

Our Redeemer, Ephesians 3:20-21

With all the theological riches Paul has expounded upon in the previous verses in this chapter, this last section, beginning with the verses 14-19 of chapter 3, Paul communicates are intimacy with our Redeemer, and concludes his thoughts with a reminder and a description of the majesty of God made manifest in our Redeemer.

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to him who is able to do above extraordinary-above all things that we ask or think-according to the power that works in us, 21 to him is the glory in the church in Christ Jesus for all generations of the age of the ages. Truly. A Conservative Version, ACV

20 τω δε δυναμενω υπερ παντα ποιησαι υπερεκπερισσου ων αιτουμεθα η νοουμεν κατα την δυναμιν την ενεργουμενην εν ημιν 21 αυτω η δοξα εν τη εκκλησια και εν χριστω ιησου εις πασας τας γενεας του αιωνος των αιωνων αμην WHNU

Verse 20: As is often found in Paul's writings, a moment of praise and worship arises based on what is about to be shared, or in this case, what has been shared. This reminds all of us that the study of the word of God, the study of theology as well, are not meant to simply scratch an intellectual itch, but rather to draw us to a clearer view and understanding of the One Who has saved us and redeemed us, by His grace. "Now to him who is able... ACV" (τω δε δυναμενω) this is the indirect object and complete noun for that indirect object of this verse/phrase. Paul is pointing us back to verse 14, where he "...kneel before the Father..." An expanded view of this substantive use of the participle would be "And to Him Who is able, has the power and might...MP", and in this way captures the fullest presence of the participle δυναμενω.

A very interesting construction follows "...to do above extraordinary-above all things...ACV" υπερ παντα ποιησαι υπερεκπερισσου The construction in the Greek places primacy on "above all things" υπερ παντα, followed by the infinitive "to do" ποιησαι which is its verb, which is further modified by a double-compounded adverb υπερεκπερισσου, translated by the ACV as "above extraordinary". The breakdown of the Greek is as follows: υπερ -- over, above, "hyper"; εκ -- out of; περισσου -- abundantly, more than necessary. An expanded English might be; however clumsy, "over and above out of being abundant" == "incomprehensibly more" is the idea. He is the One Who is able to do all things to a degree that is incomprehensible to our minds.

To do, but what? The ACV states "...things that we ask or think-according to the power that works in us,..." ων αιτουμεθα η νοουμεν κατα την δυναμιν την ενεργουμενην εν ημιν "...being [whatever] we ask or think, according to the power, the one that is inwardly working in us...MP" I put brackets around "whatever" because it is implied. The participle ων is from the verb "to be", and is translated "being". In the usage here, it is used in its broadest sense: of what we might ask or think, if it has "being" -- existence (and therefore no limitations), He is able to do it as described in the first portion of verse 20.

Verse 21: As stated earlier, verse 2o opens with an indirect object "...to him...", "To him", what? "...to him is the glory in the church in Christ Jesus for all generations of the age of the ages. Truly." ACV αυτω η δοξα εν τη εκκλησια και εν χριστω ιησου εις πασας τας γενεας του αιωνος των αιωνων αμην "...to him [is] the glory in the ones called out and Christ Jesus in all generations eternity, truly" I have put "is" in brackets because it is implied, the actual verb is not present. I translate τη εκκλησια as "in the ones called out", which is very literal of the Greek, where it is normally translated "in the church". I do this as a reminder that "the church" is not a building, nor even an organization, it is the ones called out unto salvation in Jesus Christ. People today, though intellectually they accept what I have translated, act as though the organization is pre-emminent, or even the building, with all what is spent on such things. The concept of church with its organization and trappings is a product of 4th century thinking, not 1st century thinking, with the 4th century elements being products of the post-Constantine corruption, in my opinion. Regardless of your views on that matter, the focus here in the New Testament is always the assembly, family, gathering of individual believers into the presence of Christ, without barrier or other mediation. Further, the expression τη εκκλησια as "in the ones called out" highlights the grace of God in our salvation, that He is the Provider of that salvation.

This glory to which we ascribe God the Father is everlasting to everlasting, for all generations -- could Paul have imagined how many generations would pass before Christ
s return? No, but it did not matter -- all generations of the age of the ages ACV "all generations of eternity" MP It would always be the same yesterday, today, and forever more -- ALL GLORY is HIS! amen.