Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
EPHESIANS 4
Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Instructions for Christian Living
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Application Notes
4:1-6 "There is one body," says Paul. But unity does not just happen; we have to work at it. Often, differences among people can lead to division, but this should not be true in the church. Instead of concentrating on what divides us, we should remember what unites us: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God! Have you learned to appreciate people who are different from you? Can you see how their differing gifts and viewpoints can help the church as it does God's work? Learn to enjoy the way we members of Christ's body complement one another. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 for more on this thought.)
4:1-2 God has chosen us to be Christ's representatives on earth. In light of this truth, Paul challenges us to live lives worthy of the calling we have received-the awesome privilege of being called Christ's very own. This includes being humble, gentle, patient, understanding, and peaceful. People are watching your life. Can they see Christ in you? How well are you doing as his representative?
4:2 No one is ever going to be perfect here on earth, so we must accept and love other Christians despite their faults. When we see faults in fellow believers, we should be patient and gentle. Is there someone whose actions or personality really annoys you? Rather than dwelling on that person's weaknesses or looking for faults, pray for him or her. Then do even more--spend time together and try to understand them and learn from them.
4:3 To build unity is one of the Holy Spirit's important roles. He leads, but we have to be willing to be led and to do our part to keep the peace. We do that by focusing on God, not on ourselves. (For more about who the Holy Spirit is and what he does, see the notes on John 3:6; Acts 1:5; and Ephesians 1:13-14.)
4:4-7 All believers in Christ belong to one body; all are united under one head, Christ himself (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Each believer has God-given abilities that can strengthen the whole body. Whatever your special abilities, use them in God's service. Ask God to use your unique gifts to contribute to the strength and health of the body of believers.
4:6 God is "over all"--this describes his overruling power (transcendence). He is "through all" and "in all"--this shows his active presence in the world and in the lives of believers (immanence). Any view of God that violates either his transcendence or his immanence does not paint a true picture of God.
4:8 Psalm 68:18 pictures God as a conqueror marching to the gates and taking tribute from the fallen city. Paul uses that picture to teach that Christ, in his crucifixion and resurrection, was victorious over Satan. When Christ ascended into heaven, he gave gifts to the church, some of which Paul discusses in Ephesians 4:11-13.
4:9 The "lower, earthly regions" may be (1) the earth itself (lowly by comparison to heaven), (2) the grave, or (3) Hades (many believed Hades was the resting place of souls between death and resurrection). However we understand it, Christ is Lord of the whole universe, past, present, and future. Nothing and no one is hidden from him. The Lord of all came to earth and conquered death to rescue all people. No one is beyond his reach.
4:11-12 Our oneness in Christ does not destroy our individuality. The Holy Spirit has given each Christian special gifts for building up the church. Now that we have these gifts, it is crucial to use them. Are you spiritually mature, exercising the gifts God has given you? If you know what your gifts are, look for opportunities to serve. If you don't know, ask God to show you, perhaps with the help of a church leader or Christian friends. Then, as you begin to recognise your special areas of service, use your gifts to strengthen and encourage the church.
4:12-13 God has given his church an enormous responsibility--to make disciples in every nation (Matthew 28:18-20). This involves preaching, teaching, healing, nurturing, giving, administering, building, and many other tasks. If we had to fulfil this command as individuals, we might as well give up without trying-it would be impossible. But God calls us as members of his body. Some of us can do one task; some can do others. Together we can obey God more fully than any of us could alone. It is a human tendency to overestimate what we can do by ourselves and to underestimate what we can do as a group. But as the body of Christ, we can accomplish more together than we would dream possible working by ourselves. Working together, the church can express more of the fullness of Christ.
4:14-16 Christ is the truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit, who guides the church, is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). Satan, by contrast, is the father of lies (John 8:44). As followers of Christ, we must be committed to the truth. This means that our words should be honest and our actions should reflect Christ's integrity. To accomplish Christ's work in the world, we must always speak the truth in love, no matter how difficult, inconvenient, or unpleasant.
4:14 The Ephesian church had a history of being plagued with heretical teaching. Paul had first warned the Ephesian elders of subtle heresies creeping into their congregation during an earlier visit (see Acts 20:26-31). In this letter, written in AD 60, he warned them again about false teaching. Later, he made stronger censures to Timothy, who was working in Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 1:3-6; 4:1-2; 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:14-26). When Revelation was written, the Ephesian church was still testing false apostles (see Revelation 2:1-7).
We should have childlike faith, but we should test ideas with fullgrown discernment. Beware of teachers or philosophies that say, "We're both saying the same thing", or "These key ideas like salvation and redemption are the same in all religions." New Age philosophies and comparative religion classes find patterns of similarity in all faiths. While some parallels exist, they do not explain away the basis for faith. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36), not "Let each person find God in his or her own way." When faced with challenges to our faith, Christians must seek help and study the issues so as to stand firm against false teaching.
4:15-16 How can we grow more and more like Christ? Some Christians don't grow because they fear that any mistake or sin will destroy their witness for the Lord; they see their own weaknesses and realise that many unbelievers seem to have stronger character than they do. So they try to grow on their own and don't make much progress. But one reason Christ made the church is so that we can help each other grow and mature in our faith. When we join with Christ, he forms us into a group united in purpose and in love for one another and for the Lord. If one stumbles, the rest of the group picks that person up and helps him or her walk with God again. If a person sins, he or she can find restoration through the church (Galatians 6:1) as the rest of the group continues to proclaim God's truth. Don't try to live the Christian life alone. Find a church that accepts you as you are but is committed to lovingly help you grow in your love for God and others and mature in your faith so that you become a more powerful witness for Christ. As part of Christ's body, you can reflect his character and carry out your special role in the work he has called the church to do.
4:15 In describing the mature Christian, Paul says that one of the marks is "speaking the truth in love." This sounds simple, but many find it very hard to do. Some are fairly good at speaking the truth but forget to be loving. Some are good at being loving but have difficulty being honest with others when the truth is painful. To build up the church we need to do both: Speak the truth, but do it in a loving manner. Think of the trouble we would spare ourselves if we followed this practice, especially in our churches! When you have a problem with another believer, don't go to someone else with it. Go directly to that person and speak the truth in love.
4:17-24 People should be able to see a difference between Christians and non-Christians because of the way Christians live-as children of light (5:8). Paul told the Ephesians to leave behind their previous lives of slavery to sin and to focus on their new way of life by relying on the power of God's Spirit to renew them from the inside out. Following Christ takes a lifetime. Although we have a new nature, we don't automatically think all good thoughts and express all godly attitudes when we become new people in Christ. But if we keep listening to God, we will be changing all the time. As you look back over last year, do you see a process of change for the better in your thoughts, attitudes, and actions? Although change may be slow, it comes as you trust God to change you. (For more on our new nature as believers, see Romans 6:6; 8:9; Galatians 5:16-26; and Colossians 3:3-8.)
4:17 Living "in the futility of their thinking" refers to the natural tendency of human beings to think our way away from God. Intellectual pride, rationalisations, and excuses all keep people from a deep relationship with God or from searching for him in the first place. Don't be surprised if people can't grasp the gospel. The gospel will seem foolish to those who harden their hearts and take pride in their own independent thinking.
4:22-24 We have abandoned our old way of life that we followed before we believed in Christ, and left it completely in the past. Therefore, we should leave sin, shame, and regret behind us like old clothes to be thrown away. When we accept Christ's gift of salvation (2:8-10), it requires both a once-for-all-time decision and a daily, conscious commitment. We must no longer be driven by our old, sinful desires and impulses. We must put on the new self, dress for holy action, head in the new direction, and use the new way of thinking that the Holy Spirit gives us (also see Colossians 3:5-15).
4:25 Lying disrupts unity by creating conflicts and destroying trust. It tears down relationships and leads to open warfare in a church.
4:26-27 The Bible doesn't tell us that we shouldn't feel angry, but it tells us to handle our anger properly so it doesn't control us. If vented thoughtlessly, anger can hurt others and destroy relationships. If bottled up inside, it can cause us to become bitter and destroy us from within. Paul tells us to deal with our anger immediately in a way. that builds relationships rather than destroys them. If we nurse our anger, we will give the devil an opportunity to divide us. Are you angry with someone right now? What can you do to resolve your differences? Don't let the day end before you begin to work on mending your relationship.
4:28-32 We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live. Paul warns us against unwholesome language, bitterness, improper use of anger, brawling, slander, and bad attitudes toward others. Instead of acting that way, we should be forgiving, just as God has forgiven us. We should encourage others every chance we get. Are you grieving or pleasing God with your attitudes and actions? Act in love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, just as God acted in love by sending his Son to die for our sins.
4:30 The Holy Spirit within us is a seal or guarantee that we belong to God. (For more on this thought, see the note on 1:13-14.)
4:32 Jesus taught this law of forgiveness in the Gospels (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:35; Mark 11:25): We also see it in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us· (Luke 11:4). God forgives us. not because we forgive others, but solely because of his great mercy. Those who are unwilling to forgive have not become one with Christ, who was willing to forgive even those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). As we come to understand his mercy, however, we will want to be like him. Because Jesus forgave us, our forgiving attitude toward others should stand out in striking contrast to the unforgiving spirit shown by most of the world.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)