Bullet Point Bible - Ephesians 4

Call to Unity and Worthy Living

¹ I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called,² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love,³ making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too 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 over all and through all and in all.

Paul shifts from doctrine (Eph 1-3) to practical application (Eph 4-6), urging a lifestyle consistent with their calling.
"Prisoner for the Lord" highlights Paul's suffering for the gospel, adding weight to his exhortation (Eph 4:1).
"Live worthily" (Greek *axios peripatesai*) means to conduct one's life in a manner that matches the value and dignity of God's call.
Key virtues for unity: humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearing love (Eph 4:2). These contrast sharply with worldly values.
Unity is not something believers create, but something given by the Spirit that must be diligently maintained ("keep the unity") through the "bond of peace" (Eph 4:3).
Paul grounds Christian unity in sevenfold theological realities: one body (the Church), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith (the core apostolic teaching), one baptism (initiation into Christ), and one God and Father (Eph 4:4-6).
This foundational unity transcends all ethnic, social, and cultural barriers previously discussed (Eph 2).
The description of God as "over all and through all and in all" emphasizes His sovereignty and intimate involvement with His creation and especially His people (Eph 4:6).

Christ's Gifts for Church Maturity

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.⁸ Therefore it says, " When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men ."⁹ Now what is the meaning of " he ascended ," except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?¹⁰ He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.¹¹ And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God-a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ's full stature.

While emphasizing unity, Paul immediately highlights the diversity of gifts within the body (Eph 4:7).
"Grace" (*charis*) here refers specifically to the divine enablement or spiritual gift given to each believer.
The source of these gifts is the ascended Christ, who distributes them according to His sovereign will ("measure of Christ's gift").
Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, applying it to Christ's ascension after His victory over sin and death ("captured captives"), signifying His distribution of gifts to the church (Eph 4:8).
The parenthetical explanation (Eph 4:9-10) emphasizes Christ's full range of motion: His incarnation/death ("descended") and exaltation ("ascended above all the heavens"), establishing His authority to "fill all things," including His church with gifts.
Specific gifted roles are listed (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/teachers) which are foundational for the church's health (Eph 4:11). Note that "pastors and teachers" likely refers to one role with two functions.
The purpose of these leadership gifts is not to do all the ministry, but "to equip the saints" (all believers) for *their* work of ministry (Eph 4:12).
The ultimate goal of the gifts and ministry is the "building up of the body of Christ" towards unity in doctrine ("unity of the faith"), experiential relationship ("knowledge of the Son of God"), and collective maturity ("mature manhood," "stature of the fullness of Christ") (Eph 4:13).
Maturity is defined as Christ-likeness, the standard against which the church's growth is measured.

Growing into Christ, Avoiding Deception

¹⁴ So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.¹⁵ But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.¹⁶ From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love.

Spiritual maturity protects believers from instability and doctrinal error (Eph 4:14).
Immaturity is characterized by being easily swayed ("tossed," "carried about") by false teachings propagated through human cunning and deceit.
The antidote to deception is "practicing the truth in love" (or "speaking the truth in love") – holding firm to sound doctrine while maintaining loving relationships (Eph 4:15).
Growth is directed "into Christ," meaning becoming more like Him and integrated into Him as the Head of the body.
Paul uses the metaphor of a physical body to illustrate the church's interconnectedness and dependence on Christ (Eph 4:16).
Christ, as the Head, is the source of life and coordinates the growth of the entire body.
Healthy church growth occurs when every member ("each one") functions properly ("does its part"), contributing to the overall building up "in love."
This section links doctrinal stability (truth) with relational health (love) as essential components of corporate maturity.

Leaving the Old Life Behind

¹⁷ So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.¹⁹ Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.²⁰ But you did not learn about Christ like this,²¹ if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus.²² You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires,²³ to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,²⁴ and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image -in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Paul strongly commands ("insist in the Lord") believers to abandon their former pagan lifestyle (Eph 4:17).
The Gentile way of life is characterized by "futility of mind," "darkened understanding," alienation from God, ignorance, and "hardness of heart" (Eph 4:17-18). This describes the state outside of Christ.
Moral callousness leads to unrestrained indulgence in impurity and greed (Eph 4:19).
Learning Christ involves a radical break from this former way of life (Eph 4:20-21). The "truth that is in Jesus" transforms behavior.
Christian transformation involves a decisive action: "lay aside" (put off like old clothes) the "old self" (the person dominated by sin) which is inherently corrupt (Eph 4:22).
Transformation also requires ongoing internal renewal: "be renewed in the spirit of your minds" (Eph 4:23). This involves a fundamental change in thinking and attitude, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Believers must actively "put on the new self" (like new clothes), which is created by God to reflect His character ("likeness") in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24).
This "new self" is not merely human effort but a reality created by God in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:17), which believers are called to live out.

Practical Commands for the New Self

²⁵ Therefore, having laid aside falsehood , each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.²⁷ Do not give the devil an opportunity.²⁸ The one who steals must steal no longer; instead he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.²⁹ You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it would give grace to those who hear.³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.³¹ You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk-indeed all malice.³² Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

This section provides concrete examples of what putting off the old self and putting on the new self looks like in daily life.
Truthfulness replaces falsehood, motivated by mutual membership in Christ's body (Eph 4:25, quoting Zech 8:16). Honesty is vital for community.
Anger is acknowledged as a human emotion, but must be controlled ("do not sin") and resolved quickly ("do not let the sun go down") to avoid giving Satan a foothold (Eph 4:26-27, quoting Ps 4:4 LXX).
Stealing is replaced by honest labor, not just for self-sufficiency but for generosity towards those in need (Eph 4:28). Work gains a redemptive purpose.
Speech should be transformed: avoid "unwholesome" (corrupt, rotten) words and instead use words that build others up and impart grace (Eph 4:29).
Believers are warned not to "grieve the Holy Spirit," whose presence seals them for final redemption. Sinful behavior saddens the indwelling Spirit (Eph 4:30).
A cluster of relational sins (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice) must be decisively removed ("put away") (Eph 4:31).
These negative behaviors are replaced by positive virtues: kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Eph 4:32).
The ultimate motivation and model for forgiveness is God's own forgiveness of believers through Christ (Eph 4:32). This connects Christian ethics directly to the gospel.

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Ephesians 4