Bible Study of Ephesians Chapter Four

In our Bible Study of Ephesians Chapter Four, we find Paul boldly proclaiming to be a prisoner of the Lord. Our English word Prisoner is translated from the Greek word desmios, meaning captive or bound. Paul was, and I am bound in service to our Lord Jesus. Chapter four of Ephesians concerns the unity of the body of Christ – the church globally and locally. So, let’s take a closer look at this marvelous chapter.

Unity Within the Church

Paul is beseeching the church at Ephesus to walk worthy of the vocation they were called to. He calls for them to live and act as Christians in the noble pursuit of their vocation or calling. We are all called to serve our Lord by God’s grace through our faith in Christ. We are to make this calling an essential part of our daily lives. Ephesians 4:1

We are to live out our calling by utilizing the fruits of the spirit. We are to function in humility, meekness, patience, and loving each other even when we are not lovable. Almost everyone has those days that are not going right, and they end up grumpy and detached. That’s normal human behavior, but Paul is asking the Ephesians, and us by extension, to maintain our unity through all trials and tribulations. Striving for unity within the church and unity in peace through the Holy Spirit of God. Ephesians 4:2-3

One Body and One Spirit

Paul reemphasizes that we are to be a united body led by the Holy Spirit of God through our mutual calling. That calling is our faith in Christ alone for our salvation. We are bound together in the mutual assertion that we serve one Lord in one faith, demonstrated by one baptism. In other words, we serve Christ as a unified church with a unified faith and share that faith with the world by the outward demonstration of our faith – Baptism. Ephesians 4:4-5

This unity is caused by our faith in one God, our heavenly Father. Remember that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God in three persons, so whether we say Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, we address the same God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” God, through Moses, was referring to the people of Israel, but Christians believe the same thing – God is one Lord. He is our LORD – YHWH or Yahweh, often transliterated in English as Jehovah. He is above all – transcendent. He is, through all – omnipresent. And He is in us all as the indwelling Holy Spirit. God provides His grace by and through the gift of salvation, which is the gift of Christ for all who believe. Ephesians 4:6-7

The Death, Burial, and Resurrection

Paul then reminds the Ephesians of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Paul talks about Christ’s ascension into heaven but reminds them, and us, that he first had to descend into the “lower parts of the earth.” This descent does not refer to hell. It refers to the grave because the Greek word ghay means soil, ground, land, or the globe of rock and soil we call Earth. Christ had to suffer, die, be entombed, and rise again to redeem, justify, and sanctify all those who place their faith in Him alone for their salvation. Ephesians 4:8-10

The Gift of Spiritual Leaders

In Ephesians 4:11, Paul lists what Christ’s sacrifice gave us in the form of Christian Leadership. He provided apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He gives these spiritual leaders to perfect (complete or finish) the saints. In other words, it takes us from immature to fully mature Christians. These offices carry on the work of the ministry and edify or educate and build up the body of Christ. Their objective is to gradually bring Christians to maturity in Christ and the Word of God.

Apostle - a delegate, specifically, an ambassador of the gospel; a messenger, he that is sent by Christ.

Prophet - a foreteller, by analogy, an inspired speaker. These people share the prophecies of the written Word of God, like a pastor teaching Biblical eschatology concerning the end times. They are not fortune tellers or someone foretelling future events that are not Biblical.

Evangelist – a preacher of the gospel. Anyone willing to preach the good news of the gospel.

Pastor – is a shepherd of a specific flock or church. A pastor is a preacher, teacher, administrator, disciplinarian, and a person who loves and cares for his congregation as a spiritual leader.

Teacher – is an instructor. Someone who teaches the Word of God to help grow the body of Christ into Christian maturity.

Perfecting the Saints

All the offices Paul shares work to perfect (complete, finish) the saints of God. Again, they must bring new or immature Christians to maturity, biblical literacy, and obedience to God’s Word. They also perform the work of the ministry to educate, build up, and unite the body of Christ. They are to continue doing this until “the fullness of Christ:” in other words, the people in these offices are to continue to bring people to the saving knowledge of the gospel of Christ and spiritual maturity until Christ returns to set up his eternal kingdom. Ephesians 4:12-13

Biblical Literacy Will Protect Christians

Paul shares with the church at Ephesus and us that we are not to remain children tossed to-and-frow by random doctrine, sleight, or cunning craftiness from liars. It’s a warning against false prophets and teachers. Ephesians 4:14

Doctrine - learning, teaching. All teachings should be based on the whole of scripture, not just a fragment of scripture. And you need to know the scriptures to recognize false doctrine.

Sleight – Fake or fraud. Again, you must know the scriptures to recognize fraudulent claims or lies.

Cunning Craftiness - trickery, subtilty. Satan tricked Eve by misquoting God slightly. In other words, a partial truth about the gospel or scriptures is a tricky, subtle lie.

Defense Against False Doctrine

In Ephesians 4:15, we learn how to defend ourselves from false doctrine. We speak the truth in love as we share the scriptures concerning Christ. In other words, share the truth concerning the entire Bible and only use scripture to build doctrine. Our understanding of the Bible will bring us tightly together like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Then, we can do the work of God effectively and accurately as a unified body of Christ, edifying one another in love (selfless giving affection).

Bible Study of Ephesians Chapter Four

In our Bible Study of Ephesians Chapter Four, we learn that unity within the body of Christ is profoundly essential. The key to this unity is to bring all Christians to spiritual maturity. If the body of Christ is fully mature, they will not be taken in by false doctrines, lies, or trickery from false teachers or preachers. Under the true gospel, the body of Christ can flourish and grow and accomplish our mission, which is to bring people to the saving knowledge of Christ and foster Biblical spiritual maturity. We do all of this in Agape love, which is the selfless giving affection Christ had for us that compelled him to sacrifice himself for us willingly. We should be willing to die for the gospel and each other as the unified body of Christ.