Ephesians 4
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CHAPTER 4
Unity in the Body of Christ (4:1-16)
1 In the first three chapters of this letter, Paul has written about God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:11), about the one new man—the church—which God has established (Ephesians 2:15), and about our calling to be God’s children (Ephesians 1:5). Now in these last three chapters, Paul writes about how we should live our daily lives. Since we have been called to be God’s children, we need to know how God’s children should act. Because if we are God’s children, we must act like God’s children!
Therefore, here in verse 1, Paul exhorts us to live lives worthy of the calling that we have received from God—the calling to be His children (see Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10). And then in verses 2-16, Paul reminds us that we have been called to be one new people, members of one family, the church. In order to be worthy of this calling we must remain united!
2 How do we Christians remain united with one another? First, by being humble.16 Why do divisions arise in our churches? It is usually because of pride. Two bad things arise from our pride. First, some of us seek to be leaders out of pride, and when we are not given leadership, we become angry and cause division in the church. The second thing to arise from our pride is this: If someone should oppose us or betray us in some way, our pride is hurt and we become angry with that person and refuse to have fellowship with him. Whenever we feel hurt in this way, it is because of pride; it is because we lack humility. Therefore, Paul says, in order to maintain unity in the church and with each other, the first thing we need is humility.
Some people suppose that a humble man is a weak man. But that is totally false. The humble man is, in fact, a strong man. He is the master of himself. At the same time, he happily makes himself the servant of others.
How can we tell if we are humble? How can we test our humility? When we pray, it is easy to call ourselves sinners. That is no test. The test comes when someone else calls us a sinner—especially in front of others! How do we accept it? Do we accept it happily and graciously? If we do not, we are not humble. We have failed the test.
The second thing necessary for preserving unity in the church is patience. To remain united with each other, we must be patient with each other. Every one of us has faults and weaknesses. We naturally want others to be patient with our defects; we want others to accept us in spite of our defects. Therefore, we need to be patient with others and to accept them in spite of their defects. After pride, criticism and slander is the second major cause of division in the church. This is one of Satan’s chief methods of destroying our unity. We must be patient with others even when they speak against us. Such opposition can usually be overcome with patience.
There is a third thing necessary for preserving unity, and that is love. Paul tells us here to bear with one another in love, just as Christ bears with us in love. We must forgive one another, just as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
Thus, to maintain our unity three things are necessary: humility, patience, and love. Paul earlier wrote that believers were like the stones of God’s temple (see Ephesians 2:22). If we are the stones, then humility, patience, and love are the mortar or cement which holds us together (see Colossians 3:12-14).
3 Our unity is of the Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in our church (Ephesians 2:22); it is the Spirit who makes us one. Therefore, our unity is a spiritual unity. Our work and manners and customs may be different, but in the Spirit—in our inner hearts and minds—we must be completely one.
Unity doesn’t happen automatically. To remain united takes work on our part. Satan is always trying to divide us. We need to make every effort to preserve our unity (see 1 Corinthians 1:10 and comment).
To remain united, we must bind ourselves in the bond of peace. Jesus Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14); He binds us together. Let us, therefore, bind ourselves together in Christ.
4 We were called to one hope. Our hope is that, as God’s children, we shall receive an inheritance in heaven and live forever with Him. This is the hope of every believer.
There is one Spirit, and there is one body. Because there is one Spirit in all of us, we are one body. First, one Spirit; then, through the Spirit, one body (see 1 Corinthians 12:13 and comment).
5 Because we have one Lord, we have one faith—that is, we believe in the one Lord Jesus Christ. And because we have only one Lord, we also have only one BAPTISM—that is, we are baptized in the name of that one Lord.
6 There is only one true God (see 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 and comment). God is our Father. From one Father comes one family, one church. Between the Father, the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit there is complete unity. Because of the unity of God, there must be unity in the church.
The true spiritual church cannot be divided. Nevertheless, when we look at our own church we see division and disunity. How is that possible? On the one hand, our church is one spiritual body which cannot be divided. But, on the other hand, when we look at it, it appears divided. How can that be?
We can explain the problem by using the illustration of an ordinary human family consisting of a father and mother and their children. Let us suppose that the father and mother become divorced. Let us also suppose that the children fight among themselves and each go their own way. The family thus becomes completely split up. Are they still one family, or not? Are those children still the children of their mother and father? Yes, they are. The family is still one family; only it has been split apart.
Our church is like a human family; even when there is strife and division, we are still one church. Sometimes there is a division within a single congregation. Sometimes there are divisions between several different congregations. Sometimes the churches of one place refuse to accept the churches of another place. But whatever type of disunity arises, the church in all these situations is still one; it is still the one church of Jesus Christ.
But, just as in a human family, the members of the church must make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (verse 3). Just as division in a family is distressing to a human father, so division in the church is distressing to our heavenly Father. Division in the church is always Satan’s work. Wherever Satan finds a lack of humility, patience, and love among the church members, there he will find an opportunity to cause division.
It is right to establish different congregations in different places. Each village needs its own church. In a larger city or town, several congregations are needed in different areas. In this way, believers can easily belong to a local congregation near them. It is even all right in special circumstances to have several types of church in one location—as long as there is no disharmony or opposition between them.
But when two or more congregations in an area stop having fellowship with each other, or refuse to cooperate with each other, then there is division. And God is displeased. May God forgive us and cleanse us and heal us!
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Paul uses the word grace in this letter in two different ways. The usual meaning of the word grace is “saving grace,” as in Ephesians 2:8, which every believer receives equally. But a second kind of grace is the “grace of gifts” (verse 8), which is given to believers as Christ apportions it. It is not given equally to all believers. The gifts referred to here are special skills and abilities, such as the gift of preaching and teaching, the gift of healing, the gift of hospitality, etc. Christ has apportioned these gifts to us in order that we might serve others.
Because of “saving grace,” we believers are all equally God’s children. Because of the “grace of gifts” (or grace of service), we each have different gifts and different tasks assigned to us—just as children in a family have different gifts and abilities.
These two kinds of grace—“saving grace” and the “grace of gifts”;—are both given by the Holy Spirit. From this we can see that the highest gift of all which Christ gives to us is the Holy Spirit Himself, because it is from the Holy Spirit that all other gifts are distributed. God gave us Christ; Christ gave us the Holy Spirit; and all three together—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—give us all these other gifts.
8 Here Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18. In this quotation, God, through the Psalm writer, is prophesying about Christ’s ascension into heaven.
When Christ ascended to heaven, he led captives in his train. That is, Christ made captives of all those things that formerly made us captives—such things as sin, death, and Satan. Christ overcame all these things and took them captive. And when He reached heaven, He gave gifts to men—to the church.
9-10 When Christ died, He first descended to the lower, earthly regions (verse 9). And after three days, He ascended higher than all the heavens (verse 10), where He now rules with God over all things in heaven and on earth (see Ephesians 1:22-23).
11-12 In these verses, Paul mentions five “gifts” or appointments, which Christ has given to different individuals in the church. He has given some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. There are more gifts than these five, of course; these are only examples (see 1 Corinthians 12:2728; Romans 12:4-8 and comments). But the five appointments which Paul lists here are the most important ones for the church.
The five “gifts” listed here are really five different kinds of leaders which Christ has given especially for the establishing and building up of the church. Some Bible scholars say that these five “gifts” are not related to the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. But whether they are related or not, all gifts and all appointments are given by both Christ and the Holy Spirit together, and all of them are given for the building up of the church.
Here a question arises: Are these gifts mentioned here natural gifts, that is, given at birth; or are they supernatural, that is, given later by the Holy Spirit? The answer is that these gifts have a natural part and also a supernatural part. God has given to every person at birth certain natural gifts and abilities. But when a person becomes a Christian, then the Holy Spirit begins to use those natural gifts. And in doing so, the Holy Spirit enlarges and refines those gifts, and sanctifies them for God’s service.
However, there are other gifts, particularly those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, which are primarily supernatural, and are given to a person only after he has become a Christian (see 1 Corinthians 12:711 and comment; General Article: Holy Spirit Baptism).
Why are these gifts given? They are given to prepare God’s people for works of service (verse 12). In this way, the body of Christ (the church) will be built up. These gifts are not given to us primarily for our individual benefit, but rather they are given for the building up of the church; they are given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). These gifts are given to us so that we might use them to serve others. For example, a pastor is not the ruler of his church; rather, he is its servant! The teacher is not the master of his students; he is their servant. Christ is our example: Even though He was our Lord, He came to earth to serve, not to be served (see Mark 10:43-45 and comment).
If we do not use the gifts we have received to build up the church, then we are misusing our gifts, and God will not be pleased.
13 In this verse we see the two ultimate goals of these gifts to the church. The first goal is that we—each member of the church—might reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. The second goal is that we might become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. This second goal is the final and greatest goal God has set for every one of His children; this is the end and purpose of our life—to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ (see Romans 8:29 and comment).
In this life we will never completely attain to the whole measure of Christ’s fullness; in this life we are growing, always growing. But even though on earth we cannot attain to all of Christ’s fullness, we must keep moving toward that end. We must keep on growing more and more mature; we must not remain children spiritually (verse 14).
14 Children are unstable. They believe whatever they hear. They are easily deceived. They are like leaves blown here and there by the wind. Don’t be like immature children, says Paul.17
15 The truth makes us stable. But the truth must be spoken in love. Some people speak the truth without love; such people create strife and divide the church. Other Christians make the opposite mistake. They believe that truth is not as important as love; as a result, they often avoid speaking the truth lest they hurt someone’s feelings. The fact is that both truth and love are equally necessary. Truth without love is too hard; love without truth is too soft. If there is both truth and love in a church, that church and its members will be able to grow up into … Christ.
Some people believe that in order to avoid hurting others it is necessary from time to time to tell little falsehoods. But this belief is not correct. It is all right to keep silent about a hurtful matter; but if we are going to speak about it, we must speak only the truth.
16 Here again Paul compares Christ’s church to a body, whose head is Christ. All of the body’s parts are under the control of Christ, the Head (verse 15). Just as a small child grows, so grows the church, each part growing together in love. Each supporting ligament joining the parts of the body together helps the body to grow in harmony. Each ligament is like a bond of peace (verse 3) between members of the body. And as with an ordinary body, if the members of a church are not joined and held together in peace, the church cannot function properly and it will cease to grow.
The Old Self and the New Self (4:17-32)
17 In this section Paul begins a new subject. In verses 1-16, He has talked about the unity of the church. Now, from this verse through to Ephesians 5:21, Paul talks about the purity of the church. These are the two things above all that are essential for the church: unity and purity.
Paul exhorts the Ephesian Christians to no longer live as the Gentiles do. Most of the Gentiles of Paul’s day did not believe in the one true God; rather, they worshiped idols and engaged in all kinds of immoral practices. Their minds were filled with vain and futile thoughts; their thinking was characterized by futility. Indeed, worldly men of every generation are like the Gentiles of Paul’s day. Let us not be like worldly men. We are no longer children of the world; we are children of God. Therefore, we must act like children of God. We are a new people, and new people need to lead new lives (see Galatians 3:27 and comment).
18-19 From these verses we can see what eventually happens to worldly men. They become more and more separated from God. Their hearts become hardened (verse 18). Because of this hardening of their hearts, they lose all sensitivity; they no longer care about distinguishing right from wrong. They seek pleasure in every kind of impurity, but they cannot find satisfaction. Therefore, they continually lust for more(verse 19).
20-21 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. That is, the Ephesians did not learn such behavior from Christ’s teachings or from His example. Such behavior is based on falsehood; it is based on denying the truth of Christ’s teachings. Let the Ephesians hold fast to that truth, and not follow after the false ways of the world.
22 What did the Ephesians learn from Christ? They learned that they must put off their old self—that is, they must put away the thoughts and desires and actions of their old sinful self. Every one of us is born with a sinful nature, and until we accept Christ we live under the control of that sinful nature. Our old self is simply the person we were when we lived under the control of our sinful nature. Therefore, before we can put on the new self (verse 24), we must first put off, or put to death, our old self (see Romans 6:6; 8:13 and comments).
23 Paul next tells the Ephesians to be made new in the attitude18 of [their] minds (see Romans 12:2 and comment).
Remember, Paul is writing here to people who were already Christians. These Ephesian believers had already received new spiritual life through faith in Christ. They had already been born again (see John 3:3-5 and comment). There is no use in saying to people who haven’t been born again: “… be made new in the attitude of your minds.” It’s impossible. They can’t create a “new mind” by themselves. First they must believe in Jesus and receive new spiritual life; after that, it will be possible for them to have a new mind as well.
Because these Ephesian Christians had new spiritual life, they now needed new minds. New birth; new life; new mind. With a “new mind” we are better able to understand God’s word; we are better able to walk in the light and not in darkness, to walk in truth and not in ignorance.
24 Having put off the old sinful self, we must then put on the new self—that is, we must “put on” the thoughts, desires, and actions of our new spiritual self, which is under the control of the Holy Spirit. If we take off the old self and don’t put on the new self, we shall be naked! Many people try to put off the old self, but they hesitate to put on the new self. They leave their old religion, their old beliefs, their old ways, but then they don’t follow a new way. They are neither here nor there; they drift without purpose; and eventually they are pulled back into their old life. And their final condition will be worse than their first (see Matthew 12:43-45; 2 Peter 2:20 and comments).
All of us who have believed in Jesus and been born again are already “new people,” new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). But now we must live like new people—new people who are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Paul says to put on the new self. We can compare this “new self” to a new uniform. Nurses in a hospital wear their own special uniforms. Police have their uniforms. Prisoners in jail have their uniforms. And Christians—that is, new men and women—have their “uniforms.” The “uniform” of a Christian is Jesus Christ Himself—Christ’s mind, Christ’s behavior. Christians must “clothe” themselves with Christ.
Just as one’s uniform must match his profession, so a Christian’s behavior (uniform) must match his “profession,” which is to be a child of God. We can tell a person’s profession by the uniform he wears. If we Christians do not wear the “uniform” (behavior) of a Christian, how will people tell we are Christians? They won’t be able to. A “new man” must wear new clothes. What’s the first thing a prisoner does when he is released from jail? He takes off his jail clothes, and puts on new clothes! In the same way, we believers, who have been released from the “jail” of sin and Satan, should take off our jail clothes and put on Christ—our new clothes (see Romans 13:14 and comment).
25 Now Paul gives some examples of old behavior that we must “put off,” and the corresponding new behavior that we must “put on.”
First, Paul says, put off falsehood. Instead, speak truthfully. We must speak the truth always, in every situation. How often we twist the truth in order to hide our mistakes and sins! Let this not be; to twist the truth is to lie.
It is not enough simply to refrain from lying; we must speak the whole truth. When we withhold part of the truth, we often lead others to believe a falsehood—even though we have not actually lied. We deceive others by hiding part of the truth. To deceive others deliberately in this way is the same as to tell a lie.
To speak truthfully has another meaning: it means to keep our word, our promises. There must be trust between us, and the foundation of trust is keeping one’s word.
26 In your anger do not sin. This is a quotation from Psalm 4:4. When we are angry, we must make sure it is the offense we are angry with, not the offender. To be angry with a person—no matter how great his offense—is always a sin on our part.19 We must forgive the offender, not be angry with him. We must hate the sin but love the sinner. That was how Christ treated us!
Even when we are properly angry with someone’s sin or offense, we must not drag out our anger for a long time. Our anger should end by the time the sun goes down. Otherwise, Satan will find an opportunity to enter our heart and turn our righteous anger into sinful anger. How can we end our anger? By completely forgiving the offender from our heart.
27 The devil—that is, SATAN—is always looking for an opportunity to use our anger for his purposes. When we are angry, we naturally begin to speak against the person who has angered us. Others hear us, and spread around our evil report about that person. When this happens, Satan is very happy, because soon more and more Christians will begin to talk against one another. This is Satan’s most effective method of splitting apart a church or a Christian team.
It is not only wrong to talk against others; it is also wrong to even listen to such talk. To speak negatively about another person—even if it’s the truth—is slander. And slander is a grave sin (Romans 1:30; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Ephesians 4:31). Satan will always use our slander as a weapon to destroy the church.
28 The second example of “old behavior” that Paul gives is stealing. The new behavior is work—doing something useful. It is not enough just to give up stealing; one must begin to work. There is no place for laziness. We should work not only to provide for our families, but also to provide for others in need. From stealing one moment, to giving the next: only the power of Christ can change a man like that!
29 The third example of “old behavior” is unwholesome talk. The new behavior is talk that is helpful for building others up according to their needs. Let everything we say be judged by this standard: does it help build others up, encourage them, or benefit them in some way? If so, then let us say it; if not, then let us keep silence.
30 The next example of “old behavior” is very broad; it is really a joining of all our “old behaviors” into one. Paul calls it “grieving” the Holy Spirit. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit, Paul writes. Whenever we sin, we grieve the Spirit; that is, we trouble and disappoint and insult the Spirit. The Spirit is grieved by every kind of unholiness.
Whenever we grieve the Spirit, the Spirit draws away from us. Whenever we Christians grow lukewarm in our spiritual lives, whenever our zeal or joy decreases, it is almost always because we have grieved the Holy Spirit in some way (Isaiah 63:10). Remember, we have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Here Paul says we have been sealed with the Spirit. It’s the same thing. We have been sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption20—for the day of salvation. The Holy Spirit’s seal is our passport to heaven. Let us not lose it!
31-32 In verse 31, Paul gives other examples of old behavior; in verse 32 he gives the new behavior (see Colossians 3:12-13 and comment).
God loved us when we were still sinners (see Romans 5:8 and comment). For Christ’s sake He forgave our sins. But Jesus warned us that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us (see Matthew 6:12,14-15 and comment). Let us heed this warning.