Eph 4 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 4:1: 4:1–6:20 Therefore: Ephesians divides into two sections, the first devoted to explaining the Good News, the second to drawing out the implications for Christian living. This arrangement reflects Paul’s belief that believers’ lives should be a response of gratitude for God’s grace. Summary for Eph 4:1-6: 4:1-6 God’s saving grace for both Jews and Gentiles should be reflected in how the two groups relate to each other in the church: They are to accept each other warmly, just as God has accepted them. 4:1 I, a prisoner for serving the Lord: See study note on 3:1. • Though salvation can never be earned, believers are to live in a manner worthy of their calling to salvation (see Phil 1:27 ; Col 1:10 ; 1 Thes 2:12 ). • called by God: See Eph 1:4-5 , 11 .

Summary for Eph 4:1: 4:1–6:20 ^a Therefore: Ephesians divides into two sections, the first devoted to explaining the Good News, the second to drawing out the implications for Christian living. This arrangement reflects Paul’s belief that believers’ lives should be a response of gratitude for God’s grace.
Summary for Eph 4:1-6: 4:1-6 ^b God’s saving grace for both Jews and Gentiles should be reflected in how the two groups relate to each other in the church: They are to accept each other warmly, just as God has accepted them. 4:1 ^c I, a prisoner for serving the Lord: See study note on 3:1.

• Though salvation can never be earned, believers are to live in a manner worthy of their calling to salvation (see Phil 1:27 ^d; Col 1:10 ^e; 1 Thes 2:12 ^f).

• called by God: See Eph 1:4-5 ^g, 11 ^h.
4:2 ⁱ humble ... gentle ... patient: Believers are to be like Christ in how they treat others (see Col 3:12-14 ^j; cp. Gal 6:2 ^k).
4:3 ^l binding yourselves together with peace: Paul’s emphasis on God’s acceptance of Gentiles as well as Jews (2:11–3:6 ^m) is now applied ethically: Jews and Gentiles are to accept one another in the church (see Col 3:14-15 ⁿ).
Summary for Eph 4:4-6: 4:4-6 ^o These three verses might have been taken from a creedal statement.

• Whatever their ethnic differences, Jewish and Gentile Christians share one Lord and one faith, so they should live together in unity.

• Christ’s one body is the church (see 1:23 ^p; 2:16 ^q).

• One God and Father of all: See 1 Cor 8:6 ^r; 15:28 ^s.

• in all, and living through all: God is especially present in believers’ lives (see 1 Cor 6:19 ^t; 2 Cor 13:5 ^u; Gal 2:20 ^v; Col 1:27 ^w; cp. John 14:16-17 ^x, 23 ^y; 15:4-5 ^z).
Summary for Eph 4:7-16: 4:7-16 ^aa Though believers share a common faith, God has given different special abilities to each individual believer for building up the church. 4:7 ^ab He has given each one of us a gift of his grace for building up the community of believers (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^ac; cp. Rom 12:6 ^ad; 1 Cor 12:11 ^ae).
4:8 ^af He led a crowd of captives may refer to Christ’s victory over spiritual powers (see 1:21-22 ^ag; Col 2:15 ^ah), or to his capture of disobedient sinners and making them believers through the power of the Good News message.

• Christ gave gifts to his people (see Eph 4:11-12 ^ai).
Summary for Eph 4:9-10: 4:9-10 ^aj to our lowly world (or to the lowest parts of the earth): Some understand this phrase as referring to the tomb, to the world of the dead (cp. Matt 12:40 ^ak; 1 Pet 3:18-20 ^al), or to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Instead, it probably refers to the incarnation, when Christ . . . descended from heaven and became a man (see John 1:14 ^am; 3:13 ^an; Phil 2:7-8 ^ao).
4:11 ^ap In his letters, Paul has four different lists of God’s gifts (see also Rom 12:4-8 ^aq; 1 Cor 12:8-10 ^ar, 28 ^as), none of which is comprehensive. Here the focus is on the gifts of leadership most needed for the growth of the church.

• Apostles are divinely commissioned missionary evangelists.

• Prophets speak messages from God for his people.

• Evangelists proclaim the Good News.

• Pastors (literally shepherds) care for God’s people (see 1 Tim 3:1-7 ^at).

• Teachers expound Scripture and God’s truths to the church.

• Pastors and teachers might refer to separate ministries or to two aspects of the same ministry.
4:12 ^au God’s gifts are given so that believers will build up the church (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^av; cp. 1 Pet 2:5 ^aw).

• to equip God’s people to do his work: All believers are called to active Christian service.
4:13 ^ax The goal of ministry is for the whole Christian community to understand and experience the Christian faith more deeply and gain a deeper knowledge of God’s Son. In this way, believers will be mature in the Lord (see 1 Cor 2:6 ^ay; 14:20 ^az; Phil 3:15 ^ba; Col 1:28 ^bb; 4:12 ^bc; cp. Heb 5:14 ^bd; Jas 1:4 ^be; 3:2 ^bf). The standard of maturity is Christ himself; the Spirit’s transforming work is to make people fully like Christ (Rom 8:29 ^bg).
4:14 ^bh We won’t be tossed and blown about: Mature Christians, with a well-grounded knowledge of the Good News and of Christ himself, will be able to discern and resist false teaching (see Gal 1:6-7 ^bi; 3:1 ^bj; Col 2:8-23 ^bk; 1 Tim 1:3-7 ^bl; 4:1-3 ^bm; 6:3-5 ^bn, 20 ^bo; 2 Tim 4:3-4 ^bp; Titus 1:11 ^bq).
4:16 ^br Each part of the body plays an important role and helps the other parts grow. Christ, the head of the body, works through the individual parts, makes them fit together, and is the ultimate source of growth (see Col 2:19 ^bs).

• When all believers are ministering effectively, the whole body will be healthy and growing and full of love (cp. 1 Cor 8:1 ^bt). Love is the most important factor in Christian growth (1 Cor 13:1-13 ^bu).
Summary for Eph 4:17-5:20: 4:17–5:20 ^bv Paul gives believers specific guidelines for living a new life in Christ. 4:17 ^bw God’s people are called to a way of life that is different from that of the Gentiles (pagans, unbelievers) of the world.
4:18 ^bx Their minds are full of darkness because their minds are closed and hearts are hard (see 2 Cor 4:4 ^by).
4:19 ^bz no sense of shame: The hardness of unbelievers’ hearts is reflected in their moral insensitivity and sexual immorality (see Rom 1:21-31 ^ca).
Summary for Eph 4:20-24: 4:20-24 ^cb What you learned about Christ is the truth that comes from him. He gives true understanding (cp. John 14:6 ^cc) and calls his people to an entirely new way of life (cp. Rom 6:3-14 ^cd; 13:12-14 ^ce; Col 3:8-10 ^cf).
4:24 ^cg A believer has a new nature: God’s Spirit expresses his life within the believer (see Col 3:10 ^ch; cp. Gen 1:26 ^ci; Rom 12:1-2 ^cj; Gal 5:22-23 ^ck). The transforming work of God’s Spirit is part of the gift of salvation (Eph 2:8-10 ^cl).
4:25 ^cm Let us tell our neighbors the truth: Cp. Zech 8:16 ^cn.

• for we are all parts of the same body: See Rom 12:5 ^co; 1 Cor 12:12-13 ^cp, 27 ^cq.
Summary for Eph 4:26-27: 4:26-27 ^cr “don’t sin by letting anger control you” (literally “be angry and do not sin”): This verse quotes Ps 4:4 ^cs. The literal form of the quotation cannot be used to justify anger, for anger gives a foothold to the devil (cp. Jas 1:20 ^ct). God’s people are to be gentle and gracious, not harsh or angry (see Eph 4:31-32 ^cu).

• Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry: Anger must quickly be resolved, not allowed to stew.
4:28 ^cv Christians are to be hard-working people who have integrity and care for others (cp. 1 Thes 4:11 ^cw; 2 Thes 3:6-12 ^cx).
4:29 ^cy Believers are to learn new patterns of speech to be an encouragement to others (see also 5:3-4 ^cz, 12 ^da).
4:30 ^db Believers must not alienate God’s Holy Spirit, who identifies them as belonging to God (cp. Mark 3:29 ^dc; Acts 5:3-5 ^dd, 9 ^de; 1 Thes 4:8 ^df; Heb 6:4-8 ^dg).

• has identified you as his own (or has put his seal on you): The presence of the Spirit both confirms and guarantees the future redemption of believers (see Eph 1:13-14 ^dh; Rom 8:16-17 ^di; 2 Cor 1:22 ^dj; 1 Jn 4:13 ^dk).
4:32 ^dl Forgiving fellow believers is a natural and good response to experiencing God’s forgiving grace in Christ (cp. Col 3:12-13 ^dm; 1 Jn 4:19 ^dn).