Tuesday 26 August 2025
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. (v. 1)
Background
Paul's letter to the Ephesians focuses on the nature of the Church and Christian life. In an overload of rhetoric in this passage, the following themes emerge.
Firstly, each Christian should aspire to a holy, Spirit-inspired life. Verse 2 lists several qualities of character (humility, gentleness and the like). Verses 12b-13 cover similar ground.
Verses 11-12a highlight the Holy Spirit’s help in nurturing holiness through the ministries of church leaders. The gifts of the Holy Spirit also enable each believer to take a distinctive share in the service of Christ (presumably in both the Church and society). See also verse 7.
A second theme is the repeated emphasis on unity (see verses 3-6). Unity, which is made possible by God's Spirit of love embraces the inner coherence of the individual Christian life, but above all unity in peace within the Church. Such unity mirrors the main themes of the gospel message.
Another way of expressing the aim of seeking coherence in the Christian life and the unity of the Church is to affirm this truth: the Church is intimately connected to the ever-living Christ in glory. The Church is the ‘body’ (or personhood) of Christ. This in turn suggests a dynamic, organic model of the Church. It is like a living person, who is fully functioning and entirely healthy, and constantly growing and developing towards maturity and perfection (verses 15-16).
In verse 14 we have a reminder of what can happen when a church disconnects from Christ: it becomes like a group of immature children, blown around, like a small boat in a storm, by external teachings and is prone to deceitful manipulation.
The Christ in glory, the giver of all good gifts, is identical in mind and character to the Christ who showed God’s love in a broken and hostile world, leading to his martyrdom (verses 8-10). This is the foundation of Christian faith and hope: there is nothing in our experience in this world, however awful, that cannot be purified by divine love.
To Ponder:
- Every congregation and church must adhere to certain rules. But how do we avoid becoming overly focused on rules and lose sight of being ‘the body of Christ’? What are the best stories you can tell of the Church as a Christ-centred, vibrant, innovative community of faith?
- In the face of Ephesians 4, is there any reason why you should not be vigorously critical of the limited ecumenical achievements in your neighbourhood, city, region and nation? What do you propose as the next step towards unity of all types of believers in Christ?
Bible notes author: The Revd David Deeks
David is a Methodist supernumerary presbyter, living in Bristol.