Jan 28 — Feb 3, 2024

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

ALL HUMILITY. The word means “lowliness of mind” as opposed to haughtiness (cf. Rom. 12:3; 11:20; 12:16). Thinking low was the attitude of slaves and was considered a negative trait among ancient Greeks, but the Old Testament and Judaism viewed it positively (Snodgrass 48,031). How have you learned humility?

GENTLENESS. Gentleness is the quality of strength under control, like a thoroughbred horse (Coleman 1889). How gentle are you at work? At church? At home?

PATIENCE. John Chrysostom explained this word from its etymology as meaning “to have a wide and big soul.” Patience is the exercise of a largeness of soul that can endure annoyances and difficulties over a period of time (Snodgrass 48,041). Share an example of a time when a situation taught you patience.

BEARING. A more appropriate translation is “putting up with each other in love.” The Christian life is a life of putting up with other people, and this tolerance finds its ability and motivation in love (cf. Gal. 6:2). “Love” and “putting up with each other” are intertwined and mutually explanatory. Both are ways of valuing the other person (Snodgrass 48,045). Do you have an example of someone who put up with you?

WITH ONE ANOTHER. “One another” occurs forty times in Paul’s letters. Christians are part of each other and are to receive one another, think about one another, serve one another, love one another, build up one another, bear each other’s burdens, submit to each other, and encourage each other. Christianity is a God-directed, Christ-defined, other-oriented religion. Only with such direction away from self do we find ourselves (Snodgrass 48,053). How God-directed, Christ-defined, and other-oriented are you?

IN LOVE. “Love” (agape) enjoys the other person, but it does not exist for enjoyment. It is not a feeling or emotion, but an act of the will. It exists only in relation to specific people, and it is always costly. The focus on love is an extension of the emphasis on love in 3:17–19. That is, the love experienced in Christ must be extended to others (Snodgrass 48,047). Have you ever experienced agape love?

Like ancient Greek culture, our society often views humility, meekness, and gentleness in negative terms. Humility too frequently is misunderstood as passivity and antithetical to success, but this is a distortion. Humility is not about drive, energy, or ability, but about valuing. It is an awareness that all we are and have is from God. The humble person refuses to value self above others or to assign more privilege or importance to self than to others. Humility is essential for good relations and avoiding sin, so much so that Ignatius said, by it “the prince of this world is brought to nothing.” Egotism, on the other hand, is an idolatry of the self, the failure to realize that God is the pattern for life, not us (Snodgrass 48,307). How might humility bring evil to nothing?

3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

MAINTAIN THE UNITY. Ephesians is the unity letter, but we do not value unity. Rather than making every effort to maintain unity, we sacrifice it at the first airing of differences. We value differences more than unity or people. Christians have been more fearful of some ecumenical world structure than of fragmenting the body of Christ. Something about us wants to set ourselves apart from others, but is this too not a form of egotism? (Snodgrass 48,313). If you feel the Holy Spirit convicting this of you, repent.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

How does this “oneness” speak to you?

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Why is this measured grace important unity?

8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”

4:8 Paul quotes Ps 68:18, which describes the triumphal procession of a conquering Jewish king up Mount Zion and into Jerusalem. The king is followed by a procession of prisoners in chains. As he marches up the hill, he is given gifts of tribute and, in turn, disperses gifts of booty. Paul uses this verse to describe Christ’s ascension into heaven (Coleman 2019, 1889).

9 (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

APOSTLES. Apostles were specially authorized agents of God, responsible for explaining and disseminating God’s good news. In the NT, sometimes this term means that someone is God’s agent as a result of having seen the resurrected Lord. At other times it refers to those who have the foundational ministry of setting out the parameters of faith, particularly because of their presence with Jesus or their activity in the early church. At other times it means little more than an envoy of the church. In at least one place (Rom. 16:7) the term is used of a woman. But in most cases “apostle” refers to a person in a limited group of leaders who had a special authority and role (Snodgrass 48,180).

PROPHETS. This word can refer to prophets who had a foundational role along with the apostles (2:20; 3:5) or to people who were designated prophets in the life of local churches (Acts 13:1; 15:32; 21:9; 1 Cor. 14:32). While any Christian could prophesy (1 Cor. 14:31), occasional prophetic speech did not necessarily bring with it the label prophet. At times prophets predicted future events (Acts 11:27–28; 21:10), but usually they explained the relevance of the gospel and the will of God (see 1 Cor. 14:3–40) (Snodgrass 48,189).

EVANGELISTS. Evangelists were not itinerants proclaiming the gospel. Paul urged evangelist Timothy to stay in Ephesus to build up the church there (1 Tim. 1:3), and the evangelist Philip had a house in Caesarea. No doubt, their primary activity was to unbelievers, but the evangelist was a “gospeler,” someone who focused on proclaiming the gospel and its relevance. Such activity could be addressed to either believers or unbelievers (see Rom. 1:15) (Snodgrass 48,193).

PASTORS. TEACHERS. While all Christians have a teaching responsibility (1 Cor. 14:26; Col. 3:16), some people were recognized as “teaching pastors” (more lit., “teaching shepherds”) in the church and were compensated for their teaching (cf. Acts 13:1; Gal. 6:6; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Tim. 5:17). The figure of a shepherd leading and caring for sheep is a familiar Old Testament image applied to both God and human leaders (Snodgrass 48,198).

Which of these five gifts do you resonate with most personally?

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

How do you use your gifts to build up the body of Christ?

13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

We are one with other people in Christ, like it or not. The exercise of our faith is an exercise of unity. You cannot have Christ to yourself (Snodgrass 48,536). Do you ever catch yourself keeping Christ to yourself?

14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

4:15 SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE. Christians are to stand for both truth and love. Truth without love becomes harsh. Love without truth becomes weak (Coleman 2019, 1889).

The word for “truth” here is actually a verb; a literal translation is “truthing in love.” The thought that truth is something one does occurs in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in the Qumran scrolls. The Semitic concept of truth focuses on that on which one can rely. It is primarily a relational term for covenant loyalty and is sometimes translated by “faithfulness.” A truthful person is one who lives out his or her covenant obligations, which includes both what is said and what is done. Therefore, both truth and love bind us to the other person, for we cannot live truth and violate covenant relations (Snodgrass 48,236). How does this covenantal aspect inform your understanding of being a truthful person?

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Explain Paul’s analogy of a body and body parts in your own words.

17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.

The ego is the main problem in relations, for therein lies the origin of feelings of inferiority and arrogance, of envy and greed, of prejudice and defensiveness, and of intolerance and abuse. The solution is in a sense of God’s grace, for grace prevents the ego from inflating its own significance (Snodgrass 48,303). How has ego got the best of you? What was the outcome? What have you found helps to reduce your ego?

19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Consider (vv. 17–19): Where do you see specific examples of “darkened” and “callous” worldviews in today’s culture?

20 That is not the way you learned Christ!

21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus.

22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts,

23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

4:23 BE RENEWED. This exchange of natures occurs at conversion. However, here the verb indicates the need for ongoing, continual renewal. Have you experienced such continual renewal? THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MINDS. Again, the emphasis is on right thinking in order to be able to live right (Coleman 2019, 1890).

24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

4:22–24 TAKE OFF … PUT ON. Paul develops a clothing metaphor here. At conversion, the Christian sheds (strips off) his or her old, ragged, filthy garment and puts on a fresh, new cloak. OLD SELF … NEW SELF. At conversion, the Christian puts off his or her old, sinful nature and is clothed with the very life of Christ himself (Coleman 2019, 1890).

Consider (vv. 20–24): What articles of “clothing” do you need to take off? What do you need to put on?

25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.

26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

4:26 BE ANGRY. Paul recognizes that there is such a thing as legitimate anger. But once admitted, anger is to be dealt with, and so, Paul identifies ways to deal with anger. Do not let anger develop into resentment (Coleman 2019, 1890). How do you manage your anger?

27 and do not make room for the devil.

28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.

29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.

4:29–30 The word translated “foul language” means “rotten,” and is used to describe spoiled fruit (Mt 12:33). Instead of rancid words that wound others, the words of Christians ought to edify (“building up”), be appropriate (“in need”), bring grace (this is the literal rendering of the word translated “gives grace”) and not cause distress for the Holy Spirit (by unholy words) (Coleman 2019, 1890). Do you have an example of a time when someone wounded you with their words? How could you use your words to edify others?

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

How does the possibility of grieving the Holy Spirit make you feel?

31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,

4:31 Paul identifies six negative attitudes which must be erased from the Christian life. BITTERNESS. Spiteful, long-standing resentment. ANGER and WRATH. These two attitudes are related. The first is a more immediate flare-up, while the latter is a more long-term, sullen hostility. shouting. Loud self-assertion; screaming arguments. SLANDER. Insulting someone else behind his or her back. MALICE. Wishing (or actually plotting) evil against another (Coleman 2019, 1890).

Consider (vv. 25–32): What are some themes that unite the “don’ts” listed in these verses? What are some themes that unite the “dos”?

32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

A Christian’s life is shaped by God’s salvation. Right theology should lead to right conduct. Why is the process so frequently aborted? Is it because theology is threaded through the brain but never gets to the heart? Such belief is useless. Is our knowledge only a source of pride? Our understanding of our call must be sincere and honest, going to the depths of our being. Then by a determined act of our wills and by the help of God’s Spirit, our lives must be drawn into line with this call. We are called to receive and show grace.

Works Cited

 Coleman, Lyman. Life Connections Study Bible. Holman Bibles, 2019.

Snodgrass, Klyne. "Ephesians." The NIV Application Commentary: Pauline Epistles, Kindle edition, Zondervan Academic, 1996.