An Exposition of Ephesians Chapter 4:1-16

Verse	Commentary
Eph 4:1  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,	Paul, imprisoned in Rome for his faith, writing to the church in Ephesus, exhorts the believers who read this letter  to live lives worthy of there calling - which is to an inheritance of heavenly citizenship for which he is a minister.
Eph 4:2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,	Paul specifically lists four virtues which a believer should exhibit, humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance for one another in love.
Eph 4:3  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.	Believers must be diligent in keeping the unity of the Spirit, which indwells all believers, in the bonds of peace. Believers are encouraged to preserve this peace and unity.
Eph 4:4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;	One body refers to the church which is one body and has one Spirit which indwells all believers. There is one hope, the hope of the inheritance of eternal life through Christ's atoning sacrifice
Eph 4:5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,	There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. One faith, the gospel which Paul has preached. One baptism which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:6  one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.	There is only one God, who is Father of all. He is over all things and through all things and in all things. He has total authority, dominion and power over man and all creation.
Eph 4:7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.	Every believer has been gifted a measure of grace enabling each to serve the Body of Christ, according to the measure Christ has decided to impart.
Eph 4:8  Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN."	When Christ ascended to heaven he led "captive a host of captives," which is an Old Testament phrase to signify conquest over enemies. This seems to signify Christ triumph over Satan, sin and death. An demonstration of His supreme power.
Eph 4:9  (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?	"He descended ..."into the lower parts of the earth" either indicates that Christ first was incarnate on earth and then ascended, or He descended to the place of the dead before his ascension.
Eph 4:10  He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)	Above all the heavens, this is hyperbole. The point being is that all things are under Christ's authority now He has ascended.
Eph 4:11  And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,	Here Paul discusses the gifts given by Christ for the administration of His Church.
Eph 4:12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;	The purpose of the gifts are for the service of Christ to build up the church (the body of Christ)
Eph 4:13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.	The building of the church will continue until there is a unity of faith and knowledge of Christ; until the church has reached maturity to the measure that is found in the fullness of Christ. The fullness will of course only be complete when the "fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Rom 11:25)
Eph 4:14  As a result, 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;	The importance of knowing sound doctrine is shown here, there were false teachers at the time of Paul's writing (things have not changed) and to avoid being "tossed here and there" by "every wind of doctrine" the believer must understand the gospel of truth. In this way deceitful scheming, craftiness and trickery will have no power to confuse the believer.
Eph 4:15  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,	Because of sound doctrine truth is spoken in love. In all aspects of living the believer is to grow into Christ's likeness.
Eph 4:16  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.	It is Christ who fits the body together, adding each part in it's proper place, to enable the church to grow and be built in love

Principles

The principles derived from this passage are: 

1.  Believers are to diligently strive to live a life worthy of their calling and to live in unity one with the other. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit provide the means to achieve this unity. 
   
   
2.  Believers are also to be diligent about growing in the knowledge of Christ and sound doctrines. There is one faith and that faith is the gospel which Paul has preached to them.
   
   
3.  By means of unity and gifts imparted by Christ the body of believers is enabled and built to perfection in Christ, namely the gifts of being an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.

Primary Application

The Ephesians are to diligently strive to live a life worthy of their calling and to live in unity one with the other. The gifts amongst the Ephesians include all of the gifts described, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. These are to be used in the building up of the body of Christ at His direction.

To avoid being fooled into false belief systems the Ephesians are to be diligent about growing in the knowledge of Christ and sound doctrines - which are the found in Paul's teaching. This teaching of Paul's was after the Ephesians had become believers, so the instructions concern how to grow in Christian maturity and increase the Ephesians knowledge of  sound doctrine.

Secondary Application

As believers today we are instructed by this passage to diligently strive to live a life worthy of our calling and to live in unity one with the another. Of the gifts described evangelist, pastor and teacher continue in the present day. These gifts are to be used in the building up of the body of Christ at His direction.

To avoid being fooled into false belief systems we are to be diligent about growing in the knowledge of Christ and sound doctrines - which are the found in the Scriptures.

Commentary:

This passage has reminded me of the need to live a life worthy of Christ, the apostles, and the true believers through out history, those who even today pay the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the name of Christ. I have made some adjustments to my attitudes and behaviours because of this study. 

Dr. Cone's reference to Ezra 7:10 has been instructive:

Ezr 7:8  He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. Ezr 7:9  For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. Ezr 7:10  For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Furthermore I know I am blessed to be able to study the Word in the way this course has allowed me to, which is one of the many requirements laid down in this passage. The need to understand the Word and be able comprehend sound doctrine is fundamental to Christian living.

Now the challenge is to be obedient to the only commission believers have been given:

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Mat 28:19  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."