This is the second part of the study in Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 17-24. The focal passages in the study begin where Part I ended, which is verse 20, and continues until verse 24, describing the new life in Christ.
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. English Standard Version (ESV)
20 υμεις δε ουχ ουτως εμαθετε τον χριστον 21 ει γε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου 22 αποθεσθαι υμας κατα την προτεραν αναστροφην τον παλαιον ανθρωπον τον φθειρομενον κατα τας επιθυμιας της απατης 23 ανανεουσθαι δε τω πνευματι του νοος υμων 24 και ενδυσασθαι τον καινον ανθρωπον τον κατα θεον κτισθεντα εν δικαιοσυνη και οσιοτητι της αληθειας WHNU
Verse 20, the overlap from Part I, reminds the Ephesians, after describing the old life in the verses preceding to verse 17, declares "But that is not the way you learned Christ!" , which uses the Greek verb μανθανω, which is "I learn", though it is in its aorist form in this verse. It is from this verb we get the word for 'disciple', which is μαθητης in the Greek. The emphasis here is put on the individual to strive for understanding, to devote oneself to study. To be a disciple of someone is to study and learn about them, and from them. the onus is on the student.
Verse 21 brings an expanded comment and challenge, "assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus" ESV; ει γε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου. The conjunction particle ει is 'if', as in "if it is a fact that". The other form of 'if' in the Greek language is εαν, which is used to reference future events. Here, ει is used with the enclitic particle γε, which draws attention and intensifies ει, "if it really is/indeed true...". Further, the Greek construction of αυτον ηκουσατε is "him you heard", but with the use of the accusative, and its position at the beginning of the phrase, brings emphasis of Christ specifically in being about whom they heard. Following with "and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus"; και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου. The phrase "and were taught in him" is rendered in the Greek "in him you have been taught", the "in him" portion referring to the whole realm of Christ -- the person and his teachings, again, taking the pre-eminent position in the clause. We have combined, building upon the notion of learning, both hearing -- the student's responsibility, and being taught, which implies a teacher, whether Paul, another teacher of Christ, or the Holy Spirit. Someone has to provide instruction, and the student must listen and apply himself to learning. The second part of this phase καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου (even as truth is in Jesus), harkens us back to John 14:6, when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."
Verses 20 and 21 form the basis for understanding what is to follow both in verses 22-24, and also the rest of chapter 4.
Verse 22 "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires"; αποθεσθαι υμας κατα την προτεραν αναστροφην τον παλαιον ανθρωπον τον φθειρομενον κατα τας επιθυμιας της απατης. The first thing the learner, the disciple must understand and do is to "put away. discard, abandon the former behavior and life conduct of the old man" (expanded translation, MP). We must recognize that the trappings of the old life are the trappings of enslavement to sin, not deliverance in Christ. We must therefore shed those trappings, renounce them, recognizing them for what they are and what they had done to us. Continuing, "...the old man, the one having been corrupted and defiled on account of the desires/lusts of deceitfulness..." (expanded translation, MP). Again, recognizing our condition from which we have been redeemed is an important base level of understanding for the disciple of Christ.
Verse 23 "and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds"; ανανεουσθαι δε τω πνευματι του νοος υμων It is not often I find myself parting ways on interpretation of the Greek with the great AT Robertson, but I disagree with him here. The infinitive, which is the verb form which opens this clause or phrase, requires the accusative form of the subject noun, and none is found here, so we go back to the infinitive of verse 22, as these are connected by the conjunction "and", and we find αποθεσθαι υμας, infinitive with the accusative. The subject υμας, "you" plural is, by virtue of the "and" conjunction, the subject of ανανεουσθαι by ellipsis: "[you] are to be renewed". What follows is where the great ATR and I disagree: τω πνευματι του νοος υμων. He, and one or two others, see this as "in the spirit of your mind" (mostly literal translation), though the word "in" (εν) is not present, they are assuming the locative of "the spirit" τω πνευματι. The locative and the dative/instrumental have the same form, so I am inclined, and I think is consistent with Paul's writings throughout Ephesians and especially this section, "[you] to be renewed of your mind by the [Holy] Spirit", with the word order of infinitive--instrument--genitive (kind or type of renewing). This translation, I think, fits best with the themes Paul has been addressing until now, and follows his pattern in this passage of placing the Godhead in a position of primacy in the clauses.
Verse 24 "and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness"; και ενδυσασθαι τον καινον ανθρωπον τον κατα θεον κτισθεντα εν δικαιοσυνη και οσιοτητι της αληθειας. I translate this a little differently (I am also not restricted in economy of words): "and to put on/clothe with the new man, the one having been created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth". The verb, in its infinitive form here, ενδυσασθαι puts forth the idea the whatever one is putting on, it covers completely, even "hides" its wearer. Putting on the new man should hide/overwhelm any portion of the old man. This "new man" is not our own idea, but has been created by God (...we are His workmanship...Ephesians 2:10), and therefore represents His holiness and righteousness in Truth.
Let us envelope ourselves in Him, that we might be "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).
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