Speaking the Truth in Love: A Conversation Around Ephesians 4

A Few Ground Rules ...

• We are not attempting to articulate all of Paul's thought in one class.
• Let's try to stay within the bounds of these six chapters.
• In fact, other than a brief introduction to what comes before, let's try to stay within chapter 4 if possible ....
• Let's use this as an opportunity to listen to the text, rather than overlay our own understanding onto it ....
• All excerpts from scripture are from: Harper Bibles. NRSV Bible with the Apocrypha (Kindle Locations 66833-66985). Harper Collins, Inc. Kindle Edition. I have made a few of my own translational edits along the way.

A Little Groundwork ...

• Paul is writing to a congregation with whom he is not directly familiar
  • Pagan converts to Christianity
• Paul wants to clearly articulate his teaching
  • God, who is immeasurably great and powerful (1.19)
    • has done something in Jesus
      • Raised him from the dead (1.20)
      • Gave him dominion over all things - for all time (1.21)
    • has done something with regards to Jesus and the church (1.22-23)
      • Head
      • Body
      • Filling all in all
    • has chosen to include us (Gentiles) in what God has done in Jesus (1.3-14 & 2.1-10)
    • has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity - a dwelling place for God (2.11-22)
  • Paul explains his calling and prays for his hearers that they may
    • Be strengthened by the Spirit ...
    • Be rooted and grounded in love ...
    • Have the power to comprehend ... and know the love of Christ ...

Chapter 1

₃ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ₄ just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ₅ He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ₆ to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ₇ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ₈ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ₉ he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ₁₀ as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ₁₁ In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ₁₂ so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ...

Chapter 2

You were dead through the trespasses and sins ₂ in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ₃ All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ₄ But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ₅ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - ₆ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ₇ so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ₈ For by grace you have been saved through [faithfulness], and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - ₉ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ₁₀ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

₁₁ So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision" - a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands - ₁₂ remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ₁₃ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ₁₄ For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ₁₅ He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ₁₆ and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ₁₇ So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ₁₈ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ₁₉ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ₂₀ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ₂₁ In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ₂₂ in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

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Chapter 4

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ₂ with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ₃ making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ₄ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ₅ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ₆ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

₇ But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. ₈ Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." ₉ (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ₁₀ He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ₁₁ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ₁₂ to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ₁₃ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

₁₄ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ₁₅ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ₁₆ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

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₂₅ So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. ₂₆ Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ₂₇ and do not make room for the devil. ₂₈ Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. ₂₉ Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ₃₀ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. ₃₁ Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, ₃₂ and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Chapter 5

₁ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ₂ and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Discussion Questions:

• What kind of faith community is necessary for this?
  • One that helps each discover his/her unique calling in the midst of the more universal calling of the church.
  • One that helps each discover and develop her/his unique gifts for ministry.
  • One in which all are encouraged to always seek ways to grow and mature and provides multiple opportunities for this to take place.
• How do we know that truth?
• What might Paul mean by his call to speak the truth in love?

3.20-21