"THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"
Chapter Four
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THE CHAPTER
1) To see the importance of walking in unity and purity
2) To appreciate the gifts Christ has given the church for our
edification, and the need for each one to do their share
SUMMARY
Beginning with this chapter and proceeding through the rest of the
epistle, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of their
calling. Having described earlier how Jesus attained unity between Jew
and Gentile through His death on the cross, Paul now pleads with them
to "walk in unity". With humility, gentleness, longsuffering,
forbearance and love, they should be diligent to maintain the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace. The unity of the Spirit is then
defined as consisting of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one
faith, one baptism and one God (1-6).
Perhaps as motivation, Paul reminds them of the gracious gifts Christ
gave His church following His ascension to heaven. Such gifts included
the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers,
which are designed to equip the saints for ministry and bring the body
of Christ to maturity. In this way, it should not be misled by false
doctrine, but instead by speaking the truth in love should grow in
Christ as each member does it share (7-16).
The last half of this chapter addresses the need to "walk in purity".
Contrasting how they once walked as Gentiles in licentiousness and
greediness, they are reminded of the truth which is in Jesus. This
truth calls upon them to put off the old man with its deceitful lusts,
to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and to put on the new man
that is created in righteousness and holiness. Therefore they are
called upon to put away lying, anger, theft, and all forms of evil
speaking, lest they grieve the Holy Spirit by whom they were sealed for
the day of redemption. Instead, they are to speak with truth and
grace, work hard to help those in need, and be kind, tender-hearted,
and forgiving just as God has forgiven them in Christ (17-32).
OUTLINE
I. A CALL TO WALK IN UNITY (1-16)
A. PRESERVING THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT (1-7)
1. To walk worthy of our calling (1)
2. With the proper attitudes (2-3)
a. Lowliness and gentleness
b. Longsuffering, bearing with one another in love
c. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace
3. The unity of the Spirit defined (4-6)
a. One body
b. One Spirit
c. One hope of your calling
d. One Lord
e. One faith
f. One baptism
g. One God and Father of all
B. EDIFYING THE BODY OF CHRIST (8-16)
1. For to each one grace was given as measured out by Christ
(8-10)
a. As foretold in Scripture
b. Having ascended far above all the heavens to fill all
things
2. Gifts Christ gave to His church (11)
a. Apostles
b. Prophets
c. Evangelists
d. Pastors
e. Teachers
3. Purpose of such gifts (12-16)
a. Equipping the saints for the work of ministry
b. Edifying the body of Christ, till we all come to:
1) The unity of the faith
2) The knowledge of the Son of God
3) A perfect man
4) The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
c. That we might no longer be children...
1) Tossed about by every wind of doctrine
2) Tricked by the cunning craftiness of those who lie in
wait to deceive
d. That we speak the truth in love...
1) So we may grow up in all things into Christ, the head
2) To cause growth of the body for the edifying of itself
in love
a) As we are joined and knit together by what each joint
supplies
b) As every part does its effective work in doing its
share
II. A CALL TO WALK IN PURITY (17-32)
A. NOT AS THE GENTILES WALK (17-19)
1. Who walk in the futility of their mind (17-18)
a. With understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God
b. With ignorance, because of the hardening of their heart
2. Who have given themselves over to licentiousness (19)
a. Being past feeling
b. To work all uncleanness with greediness
B. BUT AS LEARNED FROM CHRIST (20-32)
1. Having heard and been taught by Him, and the truth which is in
Him (20-24)
a. To put off the old man which grows corrupt in its deceitful
lusts
b. To be renewed in the spirit of one's mind
c. To put on the new man which was created according to God in
righteousness and holiness
2. Therefore putting away things of the old man (25-31)
a. Such as lying, instead speaking truth
b. Such as anger, giving place to the devil
c. Such as stealing, instead working to give to those in need
d. Such as corrupt speech, instead speaking with grace to
edify those who hear
e. Such as grieving the Holy Spirit, by whom we were sealed
for the day of redemption
f. Such as all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil
speaking, all malice
3. Instead be kind to one another (32)
a. Tender-hearted, forgiving
b. Just as God in Christ forgave us
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- A call to walk in unity (1-16)
- A call to walk in purity (17-32)
2) How is the Christian to walk? (1)
- In a manner worthy of our calling
3) What attitudes are consistent with the Christian walk? (2-3)
- Lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, bearing with one another in
love
- Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
4) What seven facets make up the unity of the Spirit? (4-6)
- One body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all
5) What gracious gifts has been given by Christ to His church? (7-11)
- That which enabled some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers
6) What is the purpose of such gifts or functions? (12-14)
- To equip the saints for service
- To edify the body of Christ
- To help all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of
the Son of God
- To help all mature and no longer be children, troubled by false
doctrine
7) As we speak the truth in love, what are we to be doing? What
assists us in this? (15-16)
- Growing up in all things in Christ
- Our connection to Christ as the head, and the effective working of
every member doing its part
8) How should we no longer walk? (17)
- As the rest of the Gentiles
9) How are those in the world walking? Why? (17-19)
- In the futility of their mind and being past feeling, they are
given to licentiousness, uncleanness and greediness
- Their understanding is darkened, being alienated from God because
of the ignorance in them due to the hardness of their heart
10) In contrast, what truth have we learned from Christ? (20-24)
- To put off the old man which grows corrupt according to its
deceitful lusts
- To be renewed in the spirit of our minds
- To put on the new man that was created by God in righteousness and
true holiness
11) What sort of things are we to therefore put away? (25-32)
- Lying, anger, theft, corrupt and evil speech, bitterness, wrath
12) What sort of things should we be doing instead? (25-32)
- Speaking with truth and grace, working to help those in need,
being kind, tender-hearted, forgiving others as God in Christ
forgave us
13) Why should we be concerned about doing such things? (30)
- Lest we grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom we were sealed for the day
of redemption