Bible Study Ephesians 4: 1-16

 

A Commentary of the Book of Ephesians

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Ephesians 4: 1-16

Text:

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in 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.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore [a]it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what [b]does it mean except that He also [c]descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the [d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the [e]full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature [f]which belongs to the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness [g]in deceitful scheming, 15 but [h]speaking the truth in love, [i]we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being joined and held together [j]by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Verse by verse commentary

Verse 1: “Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”

For the remainder of this letter, Paul unfolds the “walk,” or life of obedience. The theological discussion is over, now on to how to live the Christian life.

Paul earlier spoke of a hope to which believers are called; now he focuses on the life to which they are called. Remember, there is no salvation unless you are called. The called elect know this and will respond to that calling. Paul exhorts the called to walk worthy and he is going to explain what that means.

Verse 2: “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

Humility, is one of the most foundational Christian virtues, is the quality of character commanded in the first beatitude, and describes the noble grace of Christ. “Meekness,” an inevitable product of humility, refers to that which is mild-spirited and self-controlled.. The Greek word for “patience” literally means long-tempered, and refers to a resolved patience that is an outgrowth of humility and gentleness. Humility, gentleness, and patience are reflected in a forbearing love for others that is continuous and unconditional. Yet, how often do we find these traits in our churches today? Sadly, the answer is seldom. The reason is that most of the people in the church have never been born again. They said a prayer, asked Jesus into their hearts or just joined a church. True salvation borne through Holy Spirit conviction changes a person. The truly saved will manifest these traits. Not all at once, but in the process of sanctification, these traits will be manifested.

Verse 3: “being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

The Spirit-bestowed oneness of all true believers has created the bond of peace, the spiritual cord that surrounds and binds God’s holy people together. This bond is love. However, never forget that love is not to be separated from truth. This is not a peace at all costs. It is a peace based on love and God’s truth as revealed through His Word. We don’t compromise with sin to keep peace.

Verse 4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;”

The church, the body of Christ, is composed of every believer since Pentecost without distinction, by the work of the “one Spirit.” The “one hope” is the pledge and promise of eternal inheritance given to each believer and sealed to each believer by the one Spirit. Our hope is based on God’s election and calling to His church. There is only “one body,” and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are baptized into the body of Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. This is not subsequent to salvation, but occurs when one is born again.

Verse 5: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism;”

There is only one Lord who exists in three persons, that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The “one faith” is the body of doctrine revealed in the New Testament. The “one baptism,” probably refers to the water baptism following salvation, a believer’s public confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Spiritual baptism, by which all believers are placed into the body of Christ, occurs at salvation.

Verse 6: “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

This is the basic doctrine of God taught in Scripture. The Jews say a daily prayer called the “Shema.” The Shema is the centerpiece of the daily morning and evening prayer services and is considered by some the most essential prayer in all of Judaism. An affirmation of God’s singularity and kingship, its daily recitation is regarded by traditionally observant Jews as a biblical commandment. It is found in the following Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6: 4-9; 11: 13-21; Numbers 15: 37-41.

Verse 7: “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

All Christians share the grace of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each Christian is also given some particular gift of grace to benefit the church. Note that the verse makes clear that grace was a gift from God. You can’t be saved without His grace. It is not your will or works that saves you, only His grace and mercy.

Verse 8: “Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

The spiritual forces of darkness were defeated at the Cross. Christ has won the victory over sin, death, hell and the grave. While Ps. 68:18 describes the victorious Lord receiving gifts from men, Paul pictures Christ as sharing His tribute with men. We receive gifts from Him daily as we follow Him as our Lord and Savior.

Verse 9: (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?”

Christ came to the exalted position He now enjoys through humiliation. His incarnation was His descention when He took on a human nature here in “the lower parts of the earth”. This pattern of service is to be imitated by believers. “The lower parts of the earth” does not point to a specific place, but to the great depth, as it were, of the incarnation, including Christ’s descent, between His crucifixion and resurrection beyond the earth, the grave, and death, into the very pit of the demons, “the spirits in prison”. There is so much contained in this verse and it is easily overlooked. Christ descended from the glories of heaven to die for His sheep chosen before the foundation of the world. He did that for you and me. What He went through to accomplish this for us brought Him much pain, humiliation, and suffering. But today, He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. His mission is complete and final.

Verse 10: “He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)”

After the Lord ascended, having fulfilled all prophecies given in the Scriptures and all His divinely ordained redemptive tasks, He obtained the right to rule the church and to give gifts, as He was then filling the entire universe with His divine presence, power, sovereignty, and blessing. Christ completed His covenant with the Father and Holy Spirit to save His sheep. The Father elected His chosen ones to salvation. Christ agreed to descend and die for the elect. And the Holy Spirit agreed to apply this truth to the hearts of those who would believe.

Verse 11: “And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”

Apostles refers to, in a restricted sense, those who had been with Jesus and witnessed His resurrection (or received a special revelation of the risen Jesus) and who had been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to be founders of the church. There are no Apostles today in this sense. In a general sense, there are “apostles” with a little “a” meaning they are being sent somewhere for ministry duties. The New Testament prophets conveyed special revelation to the early church. Their functions included prediction, exhortation, encouragement, warning, and explanation. With the closing of the canon of Scriptures, there is no more need for prophets as in Bible days. Be very concerned when people try to draw you into any movement of the prophetic today. If the “prophecy” says what the Scripture says, it is unnecessary. If it contradicts the Scriptures, it is an error. Evangelists are people especially gifted to proclaim the gospel. The words “pastors and teacher” go together to refer to a single set of individuals who both shepherd and instruct God’s flock from the Word of God, not their personal notions or convictions. Be wary of any pastor or teacher that goes outside the written Word of God.

Verse 12: “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,”

The purpose of Christ’s gifts are not for the minister to make money, conduct conferences and teach the prophetic. The gifts are to build up the body of Christ. You will know this is being done when you see people repenting from sin, walking in holiness and having a life of obedience to the Word of God.

Verse 13: “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ,”

Faith here refers to the body of revealed truth that constitutes Christian doctrine, particularly featuring the complete content of the gospel including the necessity of repentance to be saved. Oneness and harmony among believers is possible only when they are built on the foundation of sound doctrine, which is found only in the Word of God. Unity must be based on sound doctrine.

Verse 14: “so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming,”

Spiritually immature believers who are not grounded in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through God’s Word are inclined to uncritically accept every sort of beguiling doctrinal error and fallacious interpretation of Scripture promulgated by deceitful, false teachers in the church. They must learn discernment from the Word of God as taught by the Holy Spirit. When the Word of God is not the center of doctrine, the door is open to deception. Prosperity teachers appeal to the itching ears of those that seek only fleshly blessings based on Scriptures taken out of context. The Scriptures are “cherry picked,” which means they are taken out of context and given a new meaning not intended by the Author. 

Verse 15: “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ,”

Evangelism is most effective when the truth is proclaimed in love. Remember, there is no love without truth. This can be accomplished only by the believer who is thoroughly who knows the Word of God and has been trained in correct doctrine. Love does not ignore sin, but rather calls sin out. You don’t try to woo someone out of a burning house, you tell them the truth so they can escape the fires in the natural sense. In the same way, we tell someone the truth so they can escape the eternal flames of hell.

Verse 16: “from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Paul uses the analogy of the human body. Believers are not given gifts for their own private benefit, and no one can grow to maturity in isolation. Fruit is for others to consume. The tree does not eat its own fruit, it is for others. The gifts we receive from the Lord are to further His kingdom, not ours. 

Bible Study Ephesians 3: 1-21

 

 A Commentary of the Book of Ephesians

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Ephesians 3: 1-21

Text:

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 About which, when you read you can understand my insight [a]into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets [b]in the Spirit: 6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all [c]saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the [d]eternal purpose which He [e]carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and [f]confident access through faith [g]in Him. 13 Therefore I ask [h]you not to lose heart at my afflictions on your behalf, which are your glory.

Prayer for Spiritual Power

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom [i]every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the [j]saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [k]forever and ever. Amen.

Verse by verse commentary

Verse 1: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—”

Paul begins a prayer that his Gentile readers will be filled with the presence of Christ and be able to grasp the truth about their Redeemer’s love and power. Paul was a “prisoner” and the Greek word used means “one under arrest.” Paul considered his entire life as one under arrest for Christ. Can we say the same?

Verse 2: “if indeed you heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;”

Paul did not choose the stewardship of his apostleship or ministry. God had sovereignly commissioned him with the calling, spiritual gifts, opportunities, knowledge, and authority to minister as the apostle to the Gentiles. God is in charge of salvation. He elects, calls and draws the one under Holy Spirit conviction to the blood stained cross to see Christ as his or her own Savior. God is also in charge of the means He wills to bring about His plan. God chose Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles and Paul obeyed.

Verse 3: “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.”

Paul interrupts the thought begun in v. 1 to reemphasize and to expand upon the truths he had just written concerning the ministry to the Gentiles. He affirmed his authority for teaching the oneness of Jew and Gentile in Christ, a new and far-reaching truth that most of the Ephesians doubtless found difficult to comprehend or accept. It is difficult for the modern reader to grasp how Paul’s teachings would be considered controversial, but they were. Jews who would not even eat with Gentiles were now being taught that there was a new man that was neither Jew nor Greek, but rather Christian.

Verse 4: “About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”

There were many truths hidden and later revealed in the New Testament that are called mysteries. Here is an example: Jew and Gentile brought together in one body in the Messiah. Considering the time was not that far in the past that the Jews would not even eat with a Gentile. Gentiles were considered unclean and vile. However now through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, there was no more a Jewish believer or a Gentile believer, but rather a new man, a Christian.

Verse 5: “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:”

The Old Testament’s silence about Paul’s mystery being the union of Jews and Gentiles in the church was relative, not absolute. The “One New Man” concept was a mystery that would be revealed in the New Testament. It was anticipated by the prophets (“Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance”.... TThank the Lord Jesus Christ that we may now be a “New Man,” a Christian.

Verse 6: “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”

Although the Old Testament gives occasional glimpses of a unified human race, only in the light of Christ’s sacrifice does God’s plan become clear: in one magnificent act He removed the enmity between Himself and humanity and also took away the divisions that fracture humanity. The Gentiles have been grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel to create an unified “One New Man.” Believing Gentiles and believing Jews are one in the Church.

Verse 7: “Although the Old Testament gives occasional glimpses of a unified human race, only in the light of Christ’s sacrifice does God’s plan become clear: in one magnificent act He removed the enmity between Himself and humanity and also took away the divisions that fracture humanity.” 

No man can make himself a minister of God, because the calling, message, work, and empowerment of genuine ministry to and for God are His prerogative alone to give. The calling to the ministry is a God-calling, not a parent calling, personal choice, a Sunday School teacher calling, or a pastor calling. It is a Divine calling unlike any other. 

Verse 8: “ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ,”

In light of God’s perfect holiness, Paul’s assessment of himself was not false humility but simple honesty. He knew his unworthiness. Today, too often false preachers make the services about themselves, or your emotions or needs, as opposed to the Holiness of God and worshiping Him. The Church is about the Lord Jesus Christ, not you.

Verse 9: “and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;”

God is bringing to light, that is to our understanding, His perfect plan to create a “New Man” in Christ. The Jewish nation believed they were God’s only chosen people. However, God’s plan from eternity past, was to create a “church” of Jewish believers and Gentile believers, who would have the name “Christian.”

Verse 10: “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

God’s plan to create a new man would now be made known to the church, to angels, both fallen and not fallen, plus all the host of heaven. God’s salvation plan would save people from all nations, races and humanity for the entire world to see. All those saved are saved the same way, through faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood for His sheep. Sheep could be in all sizes, shapes and colors. Thank God that He never turns away a sheep that comes to Him.

Verse 11: “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

The supreme purpose of the church is to glorify God, which includes the displaying of His wisdom and power before the angels, who then honor Him with even greater praise. Heaven is a continual worship service. All heaven rejoices that the plan of God in the Lord Jesus Christ to save the sheep has been fully accomplished. This plan was His purpose before Adam and Eve ever took residence in the Garden of Eden.

Verse 12: “in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”

Every person who comes to Christ in faith can come before God at any time, not in their merit, but in Christ-confidence. Our only access is through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am afraid for those, especially in some Charismatic churches where you will hear people say, “I declare and decree,” “I command…,” or “I speak healing.” These are all heretical statements due to a false theology. We can only come to God through the merits of Christ, and nothing of our works.

Verse 13: “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my afflictions on your behalf, which are your glory.”

Through trouble and suffering, God produces glory. We must avoid the false theology that once you become a Christian that your life will be comfortable. Throughout history, Christians have not been comfortable in this world. The world hates those that refuse to embrace its opinions, commands, and greed. True Christians stand in opposition to the world’s thinking and stand for the Word of God. When you do that, afflictions may come. Paul encourages us not to lose heart because those afflictions are to bring God glory. True Christians get this.

Verse 14: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,”

Jews normally prayed standing. Kneeling during prayer appears to have been an expression of humility and also urgency. This verse returns to the prayer Paul had begun introducing in verse 1 of this chapter. Paul explains why he is praying from the preceding verse. Verses 14-21 are a model prayer that I have modified to pray for my family and other loved ones. 

Verse 15: “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,”

Paul was not teaching the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man, but was simply referring to believers from every era of history, those who are dead (in heaven) and those who are alive (on earth). To be true to Scripture, we do affirm the universal Creatorhood of God, for all people are made by Him. However, He is Father only of those who believe in His only-begotten Son — the Lord Jesus Christ. The idea of the universal fatherhood of God and universal brotherhood of man developed during the end of the 19th century in an effort to find common ground among belief systems. Again, when you depart from Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), you will wander into error.

Verse 16: “that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”

This is one of Paul’s most pointed passages about the work of the Holy Spirit within individuals. It is the power of the Holy Spirit working within the believer to sanctify the believer and awaken the unconverted to their lost condition. The Holy Spirit will strengthen the believer to enable him or her to walk on the highway of holiness in this life. We cooperate and yield to His Spirit to do our human part to grow in grace.

Verse 17: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love,”

Every believer is indwelt by Christ at the moment of salvation, but God is “at home,” finding comfort and satisfaction, only where hearts are cleansed of sin and filled with His Spirit. Part of our daily Christian walk is prayer, confession of personal sin and forgiveness of others. Christ dwells in our hearts through faith and this speaks of the believers continual trust in Christ to be your Lord. When He is your Lord, you will be rooted and grounded in His love.

Verse 18: “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,”

A believer cannot understand the fullness of God’s love apart from genuine, Spirit-empowered love in his own life. To comprehend God’s love is impossible without the Holy Spirit working in the believer’s life. The words “breadth, length, height and depth” refer to the vastness and completeness of God’s love for His people. 

Verse 19: “and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

Not the love believers have for Christ, but the love of and from Christ that He places in their hearts before they can truly and fully love Him or anyone else. To be “filled up” in the fullness of God is to be living a Spirit-filled life. This is a life totally surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, a living moment by moment consecrated to His will and plan and not your own, and seeking to be an ambassador for the Kingdom of God on earth. As we live this type of surrendered life, the love of and for Christ will increase.

Verse 20: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us,”

When the conditions of the preceding four verses are met, God’s power working in and through believers is experienced in their day to day lives and far beyond their comprehension or understanding. It still amazes me that God’s Spirit resides in us and works in us.

Verse 21: “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul gives glory to God because of the power that God has given to the church. Paul now concludes his prayer and will turn his attention to a practical letter providing specifics on how the Christians should live and treat each other.