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.