Ephesians 4:1–24 Bible Study Notes
(avg. read time: 5–10 mins.)
Translation
4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all humility/humble-mindedness and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 by being diligent to observe/keep the unity/single-mindedness of the Spirit in the bond of peace: 4 [there is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.
7 Now to each one of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Therefore it says, “When/After he ascended on high he led captivity captive, [and] he gave gifts to humans.” 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order that he might fill all things. 11 And he himself gave/designated some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as shepherds/pastors, and teachers, 12 for the completion/training of the saints, for the work of service/ministry, for the edification/building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all arrive at the unity/single-mindedness and the knowledge/recognition of the Son of God, at a complete/mature man, at the measure of the stature/development that belongs to the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we will no longer be infants, being tossed about by waves and turned about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of humans, by malice towards deviating deception, 15 but being truthful in love, let us grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ, 16 from whom the entire body, being fitted and held together by every joint’s contribution/provision according to the operation in measure of each single part, produces the growth of the body for its own edification/building up in love.
17 Therefore, this I speak and testify in the Lord: you are no longer to walk just as the gentiles walk in the futility of their minds, 18 because they are darkened in understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of hardness of their heart, 19 who, having become callous, have handed themselves over to insolence for the practice of all impurity in/with greediness. 20 But you did not in this way learn Christ, 21 if indeed you [have] listened to him and were/have been taught by him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 you are to strip off what accords with your former way of life, the old human/self that is being ruined/is perishing in accordance with fraudulent lusts, 23 now to be renewed in the spirit/Spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on/be clothed with the new human/self which is in accordance with God, having been created in righteousness and holiness of [the] truth.
Observations
In his exposition on unity, Paul makes clear that changing our way of thinking is in a crucial relationship to our actions, especially as it concerns unity. At the beginning and end of this first list of key characteristics are terms that could be translated as “humble-mindedness” and “single-mindedness.” In between, he also exhorts gentleness and patience in bearing with one another in love, which are crucial to maintaining unity. The bond of “peace” that the Spirit establishes is shalom. Cornelius Plantinga provides a great description of what shalom is: “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” (Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, 10)
In the list of vv. 4–6, there are seven “ones” that constitute the unity of the Church. One, the Church is one body, being united by one head. Two, they are united by one Spirit, as the same Spirit of God unites people with Christ. Three, God’s people have one hope, the common hope that unites them across nations and times as purposed by God’s will. Four, the Church is united by allegiance to one Lord who is the head of the one kingdom to which they belong. Five, this is also signified by being united in one faith, that allegiance to the one Lord, which includes faithfulness, loyalty, trust, and so on. Six, they signify their membership in this people by the one baptism by which all signify their participatory, identifying, and incorporative union with Christ. Seven, the unifier is the one God and Father whose will, purpose, work, and wisdom envelops all unity in him.
Verse 8 and the surrounding text are built off of Paul’s use of Ps 68. The use of this text presents the major gospel events through the framework of Ps 68 as the climactic (thus far) instantiation of how that psalm presents God as the Divine Warrior. Likewise, the events are presented as bringing about the divine triumph, hence the imagery of leading captivity captive. When we make the gospel story our story by faithful union with Christ, we are also participants in God’s victory. He is the one who achieves it; we simply benefit from it by our participatory union. It is unclear if the descent referenced is into the grave (thus pointing specifically to resurrection as manifesting God’s victory) or to the earth (thus pointing to the incarnation and Jesus’s life as a whole as manifesting God’s victory). The gifts that God gives for ministry are also portrayed as spoils of victory, whereby we participate in the benefits of God’s victory, which will yet be consummated, by participating in the ministries he gifts us for. Our ministries have purpose for one another and for the bigger picture of unity, recognition of the Son of God, completion, and stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ.
We also see here how unity is part and parcel of the fulfillment of God’s purposes and our participation in it. We are to reach a maturity that keeps us from being carried away and tossed about by human trickery and malice that leads to deviating deception. Once again, the transformation of our minds is crucial to our overall transformation. The command to be truthful in love further reinforces both sides of this as we are to be united by the truth of the gospel we proclaim and we are to speak the truth in love. Both truthfulness and love are essential to unity, and they cannot be properly divided. One cannot be truthful without being loving and one cannot be loving without being truthful. Verse 16 in particular drives the point home about how unity contributes to God’s purpose for us, as we are united by the one head, who is Christ, “from whom the entire body, being fitted and held together by every joint’s contribution/provision according to the operation in measure of each single part, produces the growth of the body for its own edification/building up in love.”
I will have much more to say about vv. 17–24 when I post my sermon on the text, but I will settle now for a couple of notes. We see again how “enlightenment” is crucial to Paul’s teaching here, as he presents it in contrast with being darkened in understanding. The latter state leads to being excluded from the life of God. But the former state means to “learn Christ,” which includes learning to live in Christ and like Christ by making the gospel story our story. The one way leads to ruin or perishing from the lusts of the world that are ultimately fraudulent. The other way leads to being renewed by the Spirit in the new self that is made in the likeness of God for it bears the image of Christ to whom the Spirit is conforming us.
Reflection Questions
What does this text say about God the Father?
We are one because our God and Father is one. God is over all, through all, and in all. Deception can exclude from the life of God, meaning that the truth leads to sharing in God’s life. The new human/self that we are to be clothed with is in accordance with [or likeness of] God, meaning that it fulfills the purpose for which God created us.
What does this text say about God the Son?
We are one because the Lord is one. We have received grace according to the gift of Christ. He fulfills Scripture. His ascension into heaven followed his descent into the grave, implying his resurrection. He gave gifts to humans as a result of the victory he implemented. He ascended to fill all things (once again, temple and kingdom imagery here). He designated people for different ministries. He has gifted us for divine purposes of arriving at the unity/single-mindedness and the knowledge/recognition of the Son of God, at a complete/mature man, at the measure of the stature/development that belongs to the fullness of Christ. The knowledge/recognition of him and unity in him defines our larger reality, as the is the head of the body that consists of us. In other words, he defines our larger reality that is “in him.” Likewise, the truth is “in him.”
What does this text say about God the Holy Spirit?
Our Christian unity is defined as the unity of the Spirit. The Spirit constitutes our bond of peace with one another. We are one because the Holy Spirit is one. The Spirit and his work make us one body. We are to be renewed in/by the Spirit.
What does this text say to or about the people of God?
How we think matters to how we walk. We are to walk worthily of the calling of the gospel. We are to be characterized by humility, gentleness, patience/bearing with one another in love, and diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit. Our oneness should come from God’s oneness and our oneness with God. We are part of one body. We have one Spirit. We have one common hope. We serve one Lord. We live by one common faith. We have entered into our community with each other and with the Lord by one baptism. We have one God and Father. We were made to complement each other in ministry. Our gifts are for the purposes for the completion or training of the saints, for work of service/ministry, for the edification/building up of the body of Christ. We are to be truthful in love so that we may grow up into the head that is Christ. We are to be distinct in holiness, declaring our allegiance to Christ rather than become assimilated to our environment. Our old self was doomed to ruin in accord with fraudulent lusts, but our new self—created in righteousness and holiness of the truth—is destined for the age to come.