THE BODY OF CHRIST (EPHESIANS 4)
I accepted Christ when I was 17 in a mid-size church. Our church did not have a pastor since the last one left a few years ago before I accepted Christ. I was baptized by a former pastor. In the third year of my faith the church hired a pastor who traveled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to stay 10 days over two weekends and then return to Singapore on Sunday night for 11 days of rest.
My preparation for service was mostly on the job training, learning on the fly, from choir to Sunday school and Bible study. The Tyndale New Testament Commentary on Acts was the text of choice passed from one young people to another as each was expected to lead one week. When my turn came, I just explained what the commentary wrote and invited others to comment. Sometimes others sneak in a question but others usually come to the rescue.
By the time I was 19, I became the first Sunday school teacher to the 10-12 years old. I was in charge of selecting and buying the books. We each took a chair and to the tree by the parking lot for our lessons.
What do you think of the church? Is the church weak or strong? Healthy or unhealthy? United or divided?
Live Compassionately, Not Contentiously
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
Father O’Malley, who had been invited to show that God was on the side of the Democratic Party, found himself sitting next to a disbeliever.
“I hope you’ll forgive me for saying so, Father,” said the miscreant, opening up a conversation, “but I never go to church.”
“Why not?” asked the priest.
“Frankly, sir, the reason I don’t go is because there are so many hypocrites there.”
“That shouldn’t keep you away,” retorted the good Father, smiling blandly. “There’s always room for one more.”
Paul begins the chapter addressing attitudes and action, but attitudes before action. The infinitive of purpose “TO live a life worthy” (v 1) is “TO walk worthy” in Greek. It means that our conduct, character, and conversation, among other things, to be compatible, congruent and consistent with our calling. The three nouns (not imperatives but related to verse 1 by the preposition “with”) “humble and gentle (v 2), patient” (v 2) are attitudes (being) of the mind (humble = tapeino-phrosune), the heart (v 2, gentle), temperament (v 2, makro-thumia = patient). The two actions (“how” participles) or behaviors are bearing/forbearing (v 2) one another in love and “make every effort” to preserve the unity of the Spirit. One is IN (“en”) love and the other is THROUG/IN (en) the bond of peace. Our testimony is not lived in a fable, fiction or fantasy, but with people, their personality and problems.
The seven unity (v 3) is divided this way:
V 4 ONE (heis) body Fellowship/ family Church/community
V 4 ONE Spirit Fruitfulnessh Company
V 4 one (mia) hope Future /frontier Certainty
V 5 ONE Lord Following Christ
V 5 one (mia) faith Foundation Confession
V 5 ONE baptism Flock Commitment
6 ONE God and Father Father Creator
The most obvious “people” or “number” involved to the eye is “one” (heis 7x, mia 2x) in verses 4-7, but an incredible 16 occurrences for “all” - 16 in the chapter. “All” means it is a collective, corporate and cooperative effort. We have no lack or limitation when we put our talents, time and treasures together. There is one “us” (v 7) but no “I” from verses 4-17! The best formula for teamwork, however, is not “us,” but “each of us” – each before us (v 7). “Each/every one of us” means uniqueness in unity, not “one” but “one another,” to be distinct, different and diverse.
Live Consistently, not Childishly
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Last year I met a mother and her two kindergarten-age kids as I was waiting for the lift. They were exiting the lift as I was about to enter the same lift, when the mother was eager to introduce her kids to me. The mother said, “Greet Pastor.”
The two kids looked at me and said, “Grandpa!”g
Now I dread meeting parents with young children and forbid children from calling me!
Paul teaches us that church leaders’ (not just pastors) role is to equip believers for service, empower God’s people and employ their gifts. God’s blueprint is not to build up the pastor but the parishioners, not the clergy but the church, who is His body, His bride and beloved.
The ultimate purpose (“hina”) in God’s gift of leaders (v 11), as indicated by the “hina” purpose clause - that the members are no longer “BE” children. Children is used negatively as innocent, immature and impressionable. As my nephew with two pre-kindergarten kids famously tell it: “Eat, cry, sleep.”
The “how” practical test is next qualified by two Greek participles (“how”), the child is “tossing” back and forth and “blowing” here and there. Tossed back and forth refers to the raging sea; blown here and there refers to the howling wind. The winds sway you, but the waves sink you.
The second ultimate purpose, in verse 17’s “grow” (auzano), is a verb but verse 18’s “grow” (auxesis), however, is the noun. Grow (v 15, “speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head”) is a biological term that applies to the growth of lilies (Matt 6:28) and mustard seed (Matt 13:32) as well as one’s personal life, as in the case of John the Baptist (Luke 1:80) and Jesus (Luke 2:40). Grow is not in the measurement, but in one’s maturation, mindset and makeup. It is in our thinking, our temperament and talking. The “how” practice of growth is in “truth-ing” (in love) as a participle, which is truth-living, One version’s footnote has “being truthful.” It means to be credible, consistent and committed to truth, all done in love (vv 15, 16). Truth and love are tough versus tender, head versus heart, and responsibility versus relationship.
Live Circumspectly, Not Carnally
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When native converts of the island of Madagascar used to present themselves for baptism, it was often asked of them, “What first led you to think of becoming Christians? Was it a particular sermon or address or the reading of God's Word?”
The answer usually was that the changed conduct of others who had become Christians was what first arrested their attention. “I knew this man to be a thief; that one was a drunkard; another was very cruel and unkind to his family. Now they are all changed. The thief is an honest man; the drunkard is sober and respectable; and the other is gentle and kind in his home. There must be something in a religion that can work such changes.”
It might surprise you to know that Paul uses the verb “live” or “walk” (peripateo) in KJV/Greek, eight times, more times in this book than any of his other books, three times alone in chapter 4 (vv 1, 17)! How do the Gentiles live or “walk” in Greek. The first three words of “thinking” (v 17, nous), “understanding” (v 18, dia-noia) and “ignorance” (v 18, ag-noia) share the same root “nous.”
Believers, on the other hand, are to overcome the seven NOTs or NEVERs or NO LONGER (v 28) altogether in the passage. The first prohibition is the softest NOT (v 20, ouk) about what NOT learned (v 20), heard or taught (v 21). The true way to learn or to be a disciple, which shares the same root word with “learn,” is (1) to “put off” your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires (v 22), (2) to be “made new” in the attitude of your minds (v 23), and (3) to “put on” the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (v 24). To put (apo-tithemi) off is to remove, to be made new (ananeoo) is to redo, and to put on (enduo) is to replace. The first is the heart, the second is the mind, and the last is the person.
The three purposes (infinitives) in verses 22-24 are best explained by their corresponding prepositions in the three verbs: off (apo), made new (ana) and put on (en). The first is out, the second is again, and the third is in.
Put Off (v 22) Make New (v 23) Put On (v 24)
Apo Ana En
Deeds and desires Spirit (pneuma) of your mind (nous) Righteousness and holiness
Remove Redo Replace
Heart Mind Person
Verse 25 (speak) marks the first of 11 (VM) imperatives, of which the first and the last refers to “one another.” The second to fourth prohibition are from verses 26-27, with the stronger NEVER (me, mede) in Greek that precedes an imperative (versus normal “ouk” in verse 20): do not SIN, do not let the sun GO DOWN and do not GIVE the devil a foothold. The first prohibition (do not sin) is also an imperative following another imperative (be angry, KJV) in verse 26, but the two imperatives are coupled by the conjunction “and” (kai).
Imperatives (VM)
V 25 Talk it Out Speak (VM) truthfully to your neighbor For we are all …One body (One another) Transparent
V 26 Temper Your Anger In your anger (VM) do NOT (“me”) sin (VM) “me” = never Temperament
V 26 Trim the Time
Do NOT (“me”) let the sun go down (VM) while you are still angry “me” = never Timing
V 27 Thwart the Devil
Do NOT (“mede”) give (VM) the devil a foothold “mede”
= not even Temptation
V 28 Tend to Needs Steal (VM) NO (“meketi”) longer, but must work (VM)
VS: May have something to SHARE (VS) with those in need “meketi”
= no longer Toil
V 29 Tame Your Tongue
Do NOT (“me”) let any unwholesome talk come out (VM)
VS: May BENEFIT those who listen “me” = never Talk
V 30 Taste the Spirit
Do NOT (“me”) grieve (VM) the Holy Spirit “me” = never Triumph
V 31 Transform the Heart Get rid (VM) of all bitterness, (AND) rage AND anger, (AND) brawling AND slander, along with every form of malice. AND Trash
V 32 Treasure the Person Be (VM) kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you One another
Each other Testimony
The second pairing of falsehood and truth (v 25 SPEAK truthfully to your neighbor) means to be candid, consistent and courteous, considerate. The purpose is to chat, clarify and communicate, not to chasten, correct or criticize.
Verse 26-27 comes with four imperatives – be angry (KJV), sin, go down and give, but three NOTs. There are two “never” (me) in verse 26 and one more (mede) in verse 27. IT IS OK to be angry, which is an imperative, but it must be checked, countered, and controlled. There is a line, a limit and a liability.
Verses 28 to 30 comes with three imperatives - seventh to ninth (steal, work, come out), two NOTs (no longer, not let) and two ultimate “hina” purposes (share, benefit), not just in a negative tone but end with a positive note.
The first (v 28) and second (v 29) purposes have the same root word “give.” The first purpose “share” in Greek is to give over (metadidomi), impart (Luke 3:11). Part and impart is the difference. It means not have back, hold back or hand back. To give (didomi) grace is benefit. Grace in verse 29 (155x) is as important as love (116x) and peace (92x) in the Bible. Grace cannot be given over. The more you give, the more you gain.
Verse 31 and 32 ends the chapter with two “one another.” One another means none is passive, privileged or powerless. We are producer, partner, and performer. It is for everyone, each other, equal and even; none is exempted, excused.
The imperative is from the twofold application of one BE: be kind and compassionate, whereas forgiving in a participle, a method or “how to,” which is not the main clause. The adjective “kind” is derived from the body part “hand” and the adjective “compassionate” (v 32) is from “intestines.” One is for action and the other is for attitude. Hands are for the help, and intestines are for the heart. One to support and one to sense.
Conclusion: What are some changes you’ve made in your life since accepting Christ? Are you a transformed, thankful and teachable disciple of Christ? Are you evidenced by your likeness to Christ, your love for others and the life you live? Do you spend time with God? Do others see Christ in you? Do you share Christ with others? Have you blessed or burdened others by your actions, attitude and a
assistance?
Life in the body:
Are you His Saint?
Are you His Student?
Are you His Servant?
Are you His Shepherd?
Are you His Soldier?
