(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Unity
- Therefore, I – the prisoner of the Lord – urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling in which you were called,
- with all humility and gentle strength with patience; bearing with one another in ^love and
- being eagerly diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling,
- one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
- one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Spiritual gifts and growth
- And grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of the Anointed.
- Therefore it says: “Having ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives and gave gifts to men.”1quotation/allusion to Psalm 68:18
- (Now, in saying “He ascended” what is meant except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?2“lower parts of the earth” is a euphemism for the underworld where the dead reside.
- The One who descended is also the same One who ascended far above all the heavens so He might fill all things)
- And indeed, He gifted the apostles, also the prophets, also the evangelists, also the shepherds and teachers,3“shepherds and teachers” go together as one and aren’t two separate items on this list, though this is less clear in English. The lack of the definite article (“the” in English) before “teachers” and the lack of the Greek conjunction “δὲ” (de) which separates all the other giftings makes this clear.
- for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of the Anointed,
- until we all might attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfected man; into the full standard of maturity set by the Anointed.
- so we might no longer be infants, being tossed by the waves and carried to-and-fro by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men using craftiness to accomplish a deceitful scheme.
- But speaking the truth in ^love, we should grow in all things into Him who is the head; the Anointed.
- From whom the whole body is being fitted and being joined together through what every joint supplies, according to the work in proportion to each one’s part, which causes the body’s growth to build itself up in ^love.
Right Living
- Therefore I say this and testify in the Lord: You’re no longer to walk as the gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind.
- Having been *darkened in their understanding and being *alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which is in them because of the hardness of their hearts.
- Who having become *calloused, gave themselves up to wanton debauchery to work all impurity with greediness.
- But you didn’t learn the Anointed this way,
- if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus.
- You are to set aside what’s in accordance with the former way of life – the old man ruinously corrupting4“ruinously corrupting” is one word in Greek, typically translated “destroy” here. It literally means to corrupt, rot, or spoil something so that it wastes away to ruin. It’s typically associated with moral corruption/decay leading to ruin. according to its deceitful cravings –
- and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
- and to clothe yourself with the new man, which was formed according to God’s design in true righteousness and holiness.
- Therefore, having set aside falsehood, “each man must speak truth with his neighbor“5quotation/allusion to Zechariah 8:16 because we are parts of one another.
- “Be angry, and yet don’t sin.”6quotation/allusion to Psalm 4:4 Don’t let the sun set on your exasperation,7“exasperation” could also be translated “anger” or “wrath”. It properly refers to irritation or exasperation which has been provoked, possibly to the point of anger or wrath.
- nor give the Accuser an opportunity.
- The man who’s stealing must no longer steal. But rather let him work hard, working nobly with his own hands so he might have something to give to the man having a need.
- Don’t let any rotten word depart from your mouth, but only a good word for building up as needed, so it might give grace to the men hearing it.
- And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit, by whom you were sealed for the day of repurchase. 8“repurchase” this Greek word properly refers to the price paid to “buy back” something that was lost, often translated “redemption” here.
- Let all bitterness, and rage, and anger, and clamoring, and slander be removed from you, along with all wickedness.
- And be benevolent and tenderhearted to one another; forgiving each other just as God also forgave you in the Anointed.
Next: Ephesians chapter 5
Previous: Ephesians chapter 3
Up: BOS Bible Index
Note: If you think a word, phrase, or passage could be better translated - or is wrong - then Please Say Something. This is an open source Bible that's accountable to all Christians. See this link for details.
Legal Use: Please feel free to quote the BOS Bible, but follow the guidelines on the Legal Use page when doing so. They are easy and mostly common sense.