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Ephesians 4 KJV

Unity in the Body of Christ

Epistles/Letters 4 min 32 verses 617 words Paul christ ร—5 spirit ร—4 walk ร—3 love ร—3 according ร—3
Echoes & Connections 1 connections

Ephesians Chapter 4: Unity in the Body of Christ

The chapter reinterprets Psalm 68:18 by changing the psalmist's 'received gifts' to Christ's 'gave gifts,' applying an ancient victory procession to the distribution of apostolic and prophetic offices after the ascension.

I1๐Ÿ”— therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2๐Ÿ”— With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3๐Ÿ”— Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4๐Ÿ”— There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5๐Ÿ”— One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6๐Ÿ”— One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7๐Ÿ”— But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8๐Ÿ”— Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9๐Ÿ”— (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10๐Ÿ”— He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11๐Ÿ”— And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12๐Ÿ”— For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13๐Ÿ”— Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14๐Ÿ”— That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15๐Ÿ”— But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16๐Ÿ”— From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17๐Ÿ”— This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18๐Ÿ”— Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19๐Ÿ”— Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20๐Ÿ”— But ye have not so learned Christ;

21๐Ÿ”— If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22๐Ÿ”— That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23๐Ÿ”— And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24๐Ÿ”— And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25๐Ÿ”— Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26๐Ÿ”— Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27๐Ÿ”— Neither give place to the devil.

28๐Ÿ”— Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29๐Ÿ”— Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30๐Ÿ”— And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31๐Ÿ”— Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32๐Ÿ”— And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christโ€™s sake hath forgiven you.

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Chapter Context

Did You Know?

1

The chapter reinterprets Psalm 68:18 by changing the psalmist's 'received gifts' to Christ's 'gave gifts,' applying an ancient victory procession to the distribution of apostolic and prophetic offices after the ascension.

2

Verses 4-6 arrange the sevenfold confession of unity into a chiastic structure that places 'one Lord' at the center, framing baptism and faith between the Spirit and the transcendent-immanent God who is 'above all, through all, and in you all.'

3

The allowance of anger in verse 26, drawn from Psalm 4:4, is immediately qualified by the warning not to 'give place to the devil,' employing a military metaphor of yielding territory that anticipates the full armor imagery of chapter 6.

4

'Corrupt communication' in verse 29 denotes speech that is rotten or putrid, set in deliberate contrast to words that 'minister grace unto the hearers,' evoking agricultural and sacrificial imagery of acceptable offerings rather than mere moral etiquette.

5

The 'new man' of verse 24 is said to be created 'after God' in 'righteousness and true holiness,' using the rare adjective 'true' (aletheia) to signal ontological reality against the preceding 'deceitful lusts,' thereby echoing creation theology and anticipating the renewed image language of Colossians 3.