Ephesians 4:25-32 [25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27]and give no opportunity to the devil. [28] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may 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] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV).
Before COVID, the internet was not known as a place of calm, rational discussion. Once people became restricted from their usual physical contacts and the stress of managing multiple unknowns were put into the mix, online dialogue degraded to the point where motives are almost always assumed to be negative, facts become politicized, and personal attacks replace discussion. Unfortunately, many have remarked that even the church itself, where people should look to the broader objectives, is in danger of following the downward spiral of the world in this regard. Ironically, it is God’s grace that brings us into fellowship, and only the showing of grace, unmerited favour, that will sustain us.
Giving Grace does not come naturally. Paul has just demonstrated (vv. 17–24) that believers know salvation to be laying aside “the old self” and putting on “the new self” (Eph. 4:22, 24). The Grace that we give to others must first come from the inside. The new self of grace comes from the Strength of the Holy Spirit inside of us in subduing our unredeemed humanness (1 Cor. 9:27).
For those who are the redeemed in Christ; there is a new supernatural ability to transcend the past deadly way of life. It should make a difference in how we deal with all the resources that God has given us: In how we act, speak, give and generally treat others: In essence, by Giving Grace.
After showing what believers are and have positionally in Christ (Ephesians 1–3), Paul first gives general basic instruction for the practicality of living the new life (4:1–24) and then continues throughout the rest of the letter to give specific commands for the conduct of that life or giving grace. We are to Give Grace in 1) Truth (Ephesians 4:25), when dealing with 2) Anger (Ephesians 4:26–27), 3) Possessions (Ephesians 4:28), 4) Words (Ephesians 4:29-30), and 5) Virtue (Ephesians 4:31-32).
First, we are to Give Grace in:
1) Truth (Ephesians 4:25),
Ephesians 4:25 [25] Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. (ESV)
This second “therefore” of the chapter (Eph. 4:17) provides an anticipated response to the general description of the new life in Christ described in verses 20–24 and introduces the first specific command for the new walk. The Christian should have no part of any kind of lying. A believer is to be characterized by having put away/laying aside falsehood, because falsehood is incompatible with a new nature and unacceptable to a believer’s Lord. Apotithemi, from which put away/laying aside is derived, has to do with discarding, stripping off, casting away, and the like. The Christian put away/lays aside falsehood so they can be free to do the righteous work of the Lord. Habitual Liars will not inherit the kingdom of God. Revelation 21:8 [8]But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (ESV) (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9). A believer can fall into lying just as he can fall into any sin, but if a life is a habitual flow of lies that proceed from a heart that seeks to deceive, then one has no biblical basis for believing they are a Christian. Lying includes more than simply telling direct falsehoods. It also includes deliberate exaggeration, adding falsehood to that which begins as true. Cheating in school and on income tax returns is a form of lying. Making foolish promises, betraying a confidence, flattery, and making excuses are all forms of lying. When members are open and perfectly truthful one with another, the body will work in harmony and therefore efficiently. Without openness and truth, there can only be disunity, disorder and trouble in human community. (Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 139). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Quoting Zechariah 8:16, Paul goes from the negative prohibition on to the positive command, speak the truth, with his neighbor. God’s economy is based on truth, and His people—either as individual believers or as the corporate church—cannot be fit instruments for His work unless they live in truthfulness. We are to speak the truth, with (our) neighbor, for we are members of one another. The word neighbor is defined by the phrase members one of another and means fellow Christians. We are to speak the truth to everyone and in every situation, but we have a special motive to be truthful with other believers, because we are fellow members of Christ’s Body, the church, and therefore members one of another. The Greek middle voice (here) indicates that you will personally receive some benefit from this. Our physical bodies cannot not function properly or safely if each member does not correctly communicate to the others. If our brain were suddenly to start giving false signals to our feet, we would stumble or walk in front of a moving truck instead of stopping on the curb. If it falsely reported hot and cold, we could freeze to death because we felt too warm or be scalded in a hot shower while feeling chilly. If our eyes decided to send false signals to the brain, a dangerous curve in the highway might appear straight and safe, and we would crash. If the nerves in our hands and feet failed to tell our brain that injury was occurring, our foot could be mangled or our fingers burned without our knowing it. That is precisely the great danger of leprosy—injuries, disease, and other afflictions devastate the body because nerves fail to send danger signals of pain. Action. The church cannot function properly if its members shade the truth with one another or fail to work together honestly and lovingly. We cannot effectively minister to each other or with each other if we do not speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), especially among our fellow believers. (KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 2419).
Illustration: Dietrich Bonhoeffer had discovered this, and he witnessed to it in the Flossenberg Prison during World War II where he had been condemned to die. He walked the narrow corridors visiting the cells, speaking to prisoners and encouraging them, laughing and joking with them, reminiscing with them and praying with them. His words were his primary means of ministry. Still his words were deeds. He wrote: “God has put His Word into our mouths in order that it may be communicated to others. The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs that friend again and again and again.” (Dunnam, Maxie D. ; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 31 : Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon. Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson Inc, 1982 (The Preacher's Commentary Series 31), S. 212)
We are to Give Grace even in:
2) Anger (Ephesians 4:26–27),
Ephesians 4:26-27 [26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27]and give no opportunity to the devil. (ESV)
Parorgismos (anger) is not momentary outward, boiling–over rage or inward, seething resentment, but rather a deep–seated, determined and settled conviction. As seen in this passage, its New Testament use can represent an emotion good or bad, depending on motive and purpose. In a formal sense (what we have in Eph. 4:26) it is a command, “Be angry” but this imperative functions as a concession, that is, “Be angry, if you must” or “You are bound to get angry, but…” (Bratcher, Robert G. ; Nida, Eugene Albert: A Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. New York : United Bible Societies, 1993 (UBS Handbook Series; Helps for Translators), S. 117). This is a permissive imperative, rather than a direct command to be angry (KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 2419).
Paul’s (imperative) is to be angry (from orgizo), with the qualification and do not sin. In this statement he may be legitimating righteous indignation, anger at evil, at that which is done against the Person of the Lord and against His will and purpose. Jesus expressed righteous anger at the hard–heartedness of the Pharisees who resented His healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5). Although the word itself is not used in the gospel accounts of the events, it was no doubt that kind of anger that caused Jesus to drive the moneychangers out of the Temple (Matt. 21:12; John 2:15). Jesus was always angered when the Father was maligned or when others were mistreated, but He was never selfishly angry at what was done against Him. That is the measure of righteous anger. It is the anger of the Lord’s people who hate evil (Ps. 69:9). It is the anger that abhors injustice, immorality, and ungodliness of every sort. Aristotle said, “Anybody can become angry—that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not easy.” (Quoted in MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Eph 4:26)
Anger that is sin, on the other hand, is anger that is self–defensive and self–serving, that is resentful of what is done against oneself. It is the anger that leads to murder and to God’s judgment (Matt. 5:21–22). Anger that is selfish, undisciplined, and vindictive is sinful and has no place even temporarily in the Christian life. But anger that is unselfish and is based on love for God and concern for others not only is permissible but commanded. Genuine love cannot help being angered at that which injures the object of that love. Paul (condemns) anything in the nature of private vengeance: “leave it to the wrath of God” (Rom. 12:19). If retribution is called for, let God take care of it: His retribution will be just, and free from self-regarding motives. (Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (p. 361). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
But even righteous anger can easily turn to bitterness, resentment, and self–righteousness. Consequently, Paul goes on to say, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. The admonition of not letting the sun go down on your anger relates to the Jewish understanding of when one day ended and the other began. For the Jew, the next day begins at sundown. The same day that anger occurs, it must be dealt with. Genuine forgiveness must not only have filled the heart but must, if at all possible, have come to open expression. (William Hendriksen: Galatians: Baker New Testament Commentary. Baker Publishing House. 2004. p. 218)
Please turn to Romans 12
Even the best motivated anger can sour, and we are therefore to put it aside at the end of the day. Taken to bed, it is likely to give an opportunity to the devil to use it for his purposes. The Devil, Satan waits for opportunity to get his foot in the door. The Greek present imperative means: Do not have the habit of giving place to Satan. Uncontrolled anger is an open door and an invitation for Satan to enter in to disrupt and corrupt the body. He can only hurt and harm as he finds a place in some life to do his evil work (Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999, S. Eph 4:27).
If anger is prolonged, one may begin to seek vengeance and thereby violate the principle taught in Romans 12:17–21,
Romans 12:17-21 [17] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." [20] To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (ESV)
Illustration: 5435 Kill The Spider
There’s a story of a prayer meeting where a gentleman always concluded his prayer the same way: “And, Lord, clean all the cobwebs out of my life.” The cobwebs were those things that ought not to have been there, but had gathered during the week. It got too much for one fellow in the prayer meeting, and when here hear the prayer again he added:: “Lord, Lord, don’t do it! Kill the spider!” (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1234). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
• We often want to focus on the external effects of our sin, But unresolved sin is the foothold that we have allowed the evil one to occupy. Let’s kill the spider instead of always trying to clean up the webs.
We are to Give Grace in:
3) Possessions (Ephesians 4:28),
Ephesians 4:28 [28] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (ESV)
The third command Paul sets forth demands a change from stealing to sharing. No one is completely free from the temptation to steal. Many children go through a phase of thinking it is fun to steal, sometimes simply for the sake of stealing. There is a certain fleshly attraction in taking that which does not belong to us and trying to get by with it. The old self had a built–in inclination to steal, and that is one of the many characteristics of the old self that “the new self, which [is] in the likeness of God” (v. 24) puts away. The Christian is to steal [klepto, from which comes kleptomaniac] no longer. The root of theft is selfishness. Someone who steals has a primary consideration for themselves, regardless of the expense to others. A changed life is not controlled with selfish ambition. Stealing, moreover, covers every kind of misappropriation (Wood, A. S. (1981). Ephesians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 65). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
The alternative to stealing is doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Of course, this prohibition against stealing is not new. The Law of Moses forbade theft (Ex. 20:15). It is what follows that makes the passage distinctively Christian. Not only should we refrain from stealing, we should actually labor in an honorable occupation in order to be able to share with others who are less (able to provide). It is God’s plan for everyone to work who is able to do so. “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all” (2 Thess. 3:10–11). The Christian who does not work and “provide for his own, and especially for those of his household … has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). Our labor should be in honest work/what is good, in work that is honorable, and productive. The term agathos (honest/good) connotes that which is good in quality, and here refers to God–honoring employment. A Christian should never be involved in a job, profession, work, or business that demands compromise of God’s standards, that dishonors Him, violates His holy commands, or misleads or harms others in any way. Honest work with his own hands stresses the truth that the norm is for every person to be responsible for his/her own provision, and even more, to share with those who, in spite of hard work or because of devastation or incapacity, are in need. (MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Eph 4:28).
• Think of the very relevant application to our day. Employers are reporting a shortage of people willing to work. Why is that? With the federal SERB program, people are being paid not to work. As a Christian, if we are physically able to work, we should be.
Please turn to Luke 14
In this context, not only should our work harm no one, it should be for the specific purpose of helping them—to share with anyone in need. A Christian’s desire to earn more should be for the purpose of being able to give more and help more. Beyond providing for his own and his family’s basic needs, we should aim to gain in order that we can give. Like the rest of his life, a Christian’s occupation—directly or indirectly—should above all else be a means of service to God and to others. Generosity, particularly to fellow-believers, (is expected) to be part and parcel of the Christian lifestyle (Luke 6:29–36; 2 Cor. 8:1–15; 9:6–12), but ‘when it is practiced by a former thief it stands in total contrast to (their) previous course of life’. (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 344). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Think about this as you make plans for celebrations:
Luke 14:13-14 [13]But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, [14]and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (ESV)
Illustration: Church 71
Reader’s Digest published a story entitled: “What Good Is a Tree?”. This article explained that when the roots of trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition. In fact, this unknown fungus helps link roots of different trees—even of dissimilar species. A whole forest may be linked together. If one tree has access to water, another to nutrients, and a third to sunlight, the trees have the means to share with one another. Like trees in a forest, one of the reasons that God has brought us together is that we may share and support one another in need. (Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (p. 61). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
We are to Give Grace in:
4) Words (Ephesians 4:29-30)
Ephesians 4:29-30 [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may 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. (ESV)
A fourth change in the Christian’s life should be from speaking unwholesome words to speaking wholesome ones. A Christian’s speech should be transformed along with everything else. Paul wrote the Colossians, “put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” (Col. 3:8; cf. Eph. 5:4).
Please turn to James 3
Sapros (corrupting/unwholesome talk) refers to that which is foul and was used of rotten fruit, vegetables, and other spoiled food. Foul language should never come out of/proceed from the mouth of a Christian, because it is totally out of character with a newness of life. Corrupting/unwholesome talk should be as repulsive to us as a rotten apple or a spoiled piece of meat. Off–color jokes, profanity, dirty stories, vulgarity, and every other form of corrupt talk should never cross our lips. “Corrupting/unwholesome talk” may be understood in this context not only obscene vulgarity but slanderous and contemptuous talk, any talk that works to the detriment of the persons addressed or of those who are spoken about.( Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (pp. 362–363). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
This is a challenge and temptation, because, as James explains, the tongue is exceedingly difficult to control:
James 3:6-8 [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (ESV)
In addition to renouncing corrupt and harmful language we are to develop speech that is pure, helpful, and pleasing to God. Paul here mentions three specific characteristics of wholesome speaking: it is a) edifying, b) appropriate, and c) gracious. First, the words of a Christian are to be building up/good for edification. Our speech should build up by being helpful, constructive, encouraging, instructive, and uplifting. Sometimes, of course, it must be corrective; but that, too, is edifying when done in the right spirit. Proverbs 25:12 admonishes: “Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.” The preacher of Ecclesiastes “sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly,” and such words spoken by a wise man “are like goads … and well–driven nails” (Eccles. 12:10–11). This includes not only the addressing of one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs mentioned in 5:19, but also any words that build the confidence of one’s sisters and brothers, encourage them in their tasks, and create goodwill. (Lincoln, A. T. (1990). Ephesians (Vol. 42, pp. 305–306). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Second, everything we say should be appropriate, as fits the occasion/according to the need of the moment. It is not that every word we speak is to be freighted with great significance, but that what we say should always be fitting for the situation, so that it constructively contributes to all. Obviously, we should never unnecessarily mention things that might harm, discourage, or disappoint someone else. Some things—though they may be absolutely true and perfectly wholesome—are better left unsaid. Everyone admires the wisdom and virtue of those who speak less often but usually say something of benefit. That is why the word used for this speech (chreia in Acts 6:3) speaks of a ‘matter in hand’, and so here we might translate ‘for the edifying of the matter in hand’; ‘words suitable for the occasion’, Phillips aptly turns it. The thought is that of Proverbs 15:23, ‘a word in season, how good it is!’ (cf. Ecclus. 20:6–7, 19) (Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, pp. 141–142). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Third, what we say should be gracious, that it may give grace to those who hear. As Paul has already said, the mature Christian not only speaks the truth but speaks it in love (v. 15). Raw truth is seldom appropriate and is often destructive. We have been saved in grace and we are kept in grace; therefore we are to live and speak in grace. Just as grace supremely characterizes God it should also characterize His children. “Let your speech always be with grace,” Paul told the Colossians, “seasoned, as it were, with salt” (Col. 4:6). Salt is a preservative and helps retard spoilage. The gracious words of Christians help retard the moral and spiritual spoilage in the world around them. They also provide strength and comfort to those in need. Our graciousness reflects the grace of Christ, who uses our graciousness to draw others to His grace. Having put on the ‘new man’, we will want to develop new standards of conversation so that our words will be a blessing, perhaps even the means by which God’s grace comes to those who hear. (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 345). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
A powerful motivation for putting off unwholesome talk, mentioned in verse 30, is that not to do so will grieve the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God is grieved when he sees Christians lying instead of speaking the truth, becoming angry rather than righteously angry, stealing instead of sharing, and speaking corrupt instead of uplifting and gracious words. This is not to be taken to mean that the Spirit becomes sad at our failings (v. 30). It simply means that an offense against any human being is an offense against the very God who created that person, against the Spirit who has been given as a seal upon the newly united humanity (1:13) (Elwell, Walter A.: Evangelical Commentary on the Bible . electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Baker Book House, 1996, c1989, S. Eph 4:25).
Whatever violates the will of God and the holiness of the heart will grieve the third Person of the Trinity. Grieving can lead to quenching (1 Thess. 5:19) and to a forfeiture of power and blessing. Paul asks, in effect, “How can we do that which is so displeasing to the One by whom [we] were sealed for the day of redemption?” (see 1:13–14). The Holy Spirit is God’s personal mark of authenticity on us, His stamp of divine approval. How can we grieve the One who is our Helper, Comforter, Teacher, Advocate, Divine Resident of our hearts, and guarantor of our eternal redemption? How can we ungraciously grieve God’s infinitely gracious Holy Spirit? He has done so much for us that, out of gratitude, we ought not to grieve Him. It is not that we can lose our salvation through the occasional sin, but that we should show grateful gratitude to the Holy Spirit that He has sealed us, guaranteed our salvation, for the day of redemption. Sealing is Trinitarian, for the Father is the sealer, the Holy Spirit is the seal, and believers are sealed “in him,” Christ (Eph. 1:13). In addition, sealing occurs in the present and points to the future. Paul tells Christians not to sin and thereby hurt the “Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of (future, full and final) redemption” (Crossway. (2017). ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible: Notes (p. 1460). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.).
Application: Words count. The is a big difference when the Holy Spirit directs our language or our emotions do. The words we say to one another can be a powerful force for good, for building each other up. Conversely, they can be just as powerfully destructive, tearing us down. Think back to when you were young: What kinds of words do you remember the significant adults in your life using toward you? Were they positive, encouraging words that built you up and made you feel valuable and worthwhile? Or did you hear more terms like “loser,” “worthless,” “stupid”? The memories either bring smiles or cause pain. Your words have the same effect on those around you, especially on children and young people. Take a mental inventory of your speech. Do your words build up or tear down? With God’s help, commit to being the kind of person whose words encourage and edify others. (Barton, B. B., & Comfort, P. W. (1996). Ephesians (p. 96). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Finally, we are to Give Grace in:
5) Virtue (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Ephesians 4:31-32 [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)
The final change Paul mentions is from natural vices to supernatural virtues and amounts to a summary of the other changes. Humanity’s natural tendency is to sin, and the natural tendency of sin is to grow into greater sin. And a Christian’s sin will grow just like that of an unbeliever. If not checked, our inner sins of bitterness and wrath and anger will inevitably lead to the outward sins of clamor, slander, and other such manifestations of malice. Bitterness (pikria) reflects a smoldering resentment, a brooding grudge–filled attitude (see Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15). It is the spirit of irritability that keeps a person in perpetual animosity, making them sour and venomous, Wrath (thurmos) has to do with wild rage, the passion of the moment. Anger (orge) is a more internal smoldering, a subtle and deep feeling. Clamor (krauge) is the shout or outcry of strife and reflects the public outburst that reveals loss of control. Slander (blasphemia, from which we get blasphemy) is the ongoing defamation of someone that rises from a bitter heart. Paul then adds malice (kakia), the general term for evil that is the root of all vices. All of these, he says, must be put away from you. These particular sins involve conflict between person and person—believer and unbeliever and, worse still, between believer and believer. These are the sins that break fellowship and destroy relationships, that weaken the church and mar its testimony before the world. When an unbeliever sees Christians acting just like the rest of society, the church is blemished in their eyes and they are confirmed still further in resisting the claims of the gospel. To be “be put away from you” (artheto) is “let it be removed” and therefore “have no more to do with it.” Every kind or any trace (pasa, “all”) of these blemishes is to be forsaken. (Wood, A. S. (1981). Ephesians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 65). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
In place of those vices verse 32 concludes that we are rather to be kind to one another, tender–hearted, forgiving each other, as God in Christ forgave us. Tender–hearted has the idea of being compassionate, and reflects a feeling deep in the bowels, or stomach, a gnawing psychosomatic pain due to empathy for someone’s need. Forgiving each other is so basic to reflecting Christlike character that it needs little comment. The action here of “forgiving” (Gr charizomai) is built on the same root as the word “grace” and means to bestow favor unconditionally. This means that a Christian will always treat the offending party graciously, letting the wrong go without any claim for punishment or reparation. It means pardoning the guilty person instead of displaying resentment or exercising retaliation. Forgiveness is not probation, i.e., merely suspending the sentence under supervision and specific conditions. Forgiveness is not a reprieve, i.e., temporarily postponing the punishment. Forgiveness results in complete reconciliation and restored fellowship. These are graces God has shown to us and they are the gracious virtues we are to show to others. God did not love us, choose us, and redeem us because we were deserving, but purely because He is gracious. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. … While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:8, 10). Since God is so gracious to us, we then, should be kind, … tender–hearted, and forgiving to fellow sinners, especially to one another. (KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 2420).
The most graphic illustration of forgiveness is in the parable of Matthew 18:21–35. When Peter asked about the limits of forgiveness, the Lord told him a story of a man with an unpayable debt who was forgiven by his creditor, the king. This was a picture of salvation—God forgiving a sinner the unpayable debt of unrighteous rebellion against Him. The forgiven man then went to someone who owed him a small amount and had him imprisoned for nonpayment. He who eagerly accepted a massive, comprehensive forgiveness would not forgive a small, easily–payable debt of another person. The inconsistency of his action shows the heinousness of a believer’s unforgiving heart, and the unforgiving man was severely chastened by the Lord for his wicked attitude. Paul has this same relationship in mind as he calls for believers to forgive as God in Christ forgave you. Can we who have been forgiven so much not forgive the relatively small things done against us? We, of all people, should always be eager to forgive. The Christian’s forgiving of others is to be as free and complete as that of God, who puts away a person’s sins as far as the east is from the west, and holds them against (them) no more.( Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 144). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Illustration: Grow in Groves
On first glance, we may have through that this section of Ephesians seems like just a series of individual responsibilities. But putting this all together, it has woven itself to a collective endeavor. Consider California’s giant sequoias trees which have roots just barely below the surface of the ground. That seems impossible. Since the roots don’t grow deep into the earth, it seems that they would blow over in a strong wind. But sequoias grow only in groves, and their roots intertwine under the earth’s surface. So, when the strong winds come, they hold one another up. In this there’s a lesson for us. We are like the giant sequoias. We need to grow in groves. Standing alone, the winds of life would blow us over like a cheap umbrella. We need to intertwine our roots, our lifelines, with others. Then when the strong winds of life blow, they have to take all of us, or they can’t take any of us. If there are enough of us, the winds can’t blow that hard. We’ll stand, in groves, and grow toward the sun. ( Anders, M. (1999). Galatians-Colossians (Vol. 8, pp. 156–157). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, John: Ephesians. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1986, S. 181)
