Ephesians 4:1-16
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner 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 eager 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 that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
So much of good Bible reading comes down to simply learning to ask the right questions of the text and then finding ways to answer those questions from God’s Word. Below are a handful of what I call “breadcrumb” questions. In my study, I’ve gone just ahead of the class in the text and created questions that I believe will help guide you in understanding the passage. When we gather on Sunday, we’ll walk through these questions together. Over time, you’ll develop a greater ability to ask these questions on your own and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, find the answers in His Word.
Breadcrumb Questions
- Verse 1
- What is “the calling to which we have been called?”
- “Therefore” points us back and says, “This command is based on what I’ve just told you.” What big idea has Paul just told us about in chapters 1 through 3?
- And what kind of life is this calling worthy of from us? (This may be the most important question we answer this week.)
- What is “the calling to which we have been called?”
- Verses 2 & 3
- According to these verses, what are five descriptions of this manner of life which is worthy of our calling?
- Do you notice anything in common about the first three? Anything a little different about the last two?
- (Hint) Do you see the first three as practices of restraint and self-control? And the last two as more intense, purposeful action?
- Note that the words “bearing with one another” in v.2 literally means “enduring one another” ☺︎
- (Hint) Do you see the first three as practices of restraint and self-control? And the last two as more intense, purposeful action?
- Do you notice anything in common about the first three? Anything a little different about the last two?
- Stop and think about what it would look like for you to display each of these five characteristics in your life and relationships within the church.
- In which of these five areas do you personally need God to grow you?
- According to these verses, what are five descriptions of this manner of life which is worthy of our calling?
- Verses 4-6
- What seems to be the major theme of these verses
- (Hint) What is the word which is repeated many times?
- Can you pick out a single word in verse 3 that this repeated word in verses 4-6 seems to be connected to? In other words, which concept in verse 3 caused Paul to emphasize our “oneness” in verses 4-6?
- What seems to be the major theme of these verses
- Verse 7
- If our passage has been mostly about unity to this point, what clues in verse 7 show that Paul is now bringing in the concept of diversity?
- Notice that Paul is shifting his imagery from that of the church as a temple to that of the church as a body. How does body imagery better depict the diversity of the church?
- Verse 8-12
- Even those with prominent gifts and leadership roles cannot boast that they are somehow separated from the “oneness” of the church.
- Which descriptors of their function in verse 8 should prevent them from boasting?
- What about Christ’s example in v.8-10 should prevent boasting?
- What about their purpose in v.12 should prevent them from boasting?
- Even those with prominent gifts and leadership roles cannot boast that they are somehow separated from the “oneness” of the church.
- Verses 13 & 14
- If verse 12 tells us what these ministers equip us to do, then what do verses 13 & 14 tell us about who they help us to be?
- When you read these descriptions, does it seem like the goal is for each individual to attain this status? Or does it seem to also be a corporate thing that we all attain as a group?
- If verse 12 tells us what these ministers equip us to do, then what do verses 13 & 14 tell us about who they help us to be?
- Verses 14 & 15
- Shepherds and teachers (and others) promote unity in the church by protecting us from what in verse 14?
- And they nurture us toward what in verse 15?
- Verse 16
- Just sit back and try to envision the picture that Paul is painting in this verse of the end-goal of all of the work and ministry of the church- each of us, with all our diverse gifts and abilities, united together as the body of Christ on earth, doing His work and bringing glory to Him.
- Do you feel a deeper appreciation for Paul’s words in the doxology from last week: “to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen”?
- Just sit back and try to envision the picture that Paul is painting in this verse of the end-goal of all of the work and ministry of the church- each of us, with all our diverse gifts and abilities, united together as the body of Christ on earth, doing His work and bringing glory to Him.
I look forward to meeting and discussing this text with you all.
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