Efésios 4

ARC · Chapter 4/6

1Rogo-vos, pois, eu, o preso do Senhor, que andeis como é digno da vocação com que sois chamados,

2Com toda a humildade e mansidão, com longanimidade, supportando-vos uns aos outros em amor,

3Procurando guardar a unidade de Espirito pelo vinculo da paz.

4Ha um só corpo e um só Espirito, como tambem fostes chamados em uma só esperança da vossa vocação;

5Um só Senhor, uma só fé, um só baptismo;

6Um só Deus e Pae de todos, o qual é sobre todos, e por todos e em todos.

7Porém a graça é dada a cada um de nós segundo a medida do dom de Christo.

8Pelo que diz: Subindo ao alto, levou captivo o captiveiro, e deu dons aos homem.

9Ora, isto, que subiu, que é, senão que tambem antes tinha descido ás partes mais baixas da terra?

10Aquelle que desceu é tambem o mesmo que subiu acima de todos os céus, para cumprir todas as coisas.

11E elle mesmo deu uns para apostolos, e outros para prophetas, e outros para evangelistas, e outros para pastores e doutores,

12Para aperfeiçoamento dos sanctos, para obra do ministerio, para edificação do corpo de Christo;

13Até que todos cheguemos á unidade da fé, e ao conhecimento do Filho de Deus, a varão perfeito, á medida da estatura completa de Christo.

14Para que não sejamos mais meninos, inconstantes, levados em roda de todo o vento de doutrina, pelo engano dos homens que com astucia enganam fraudulosamente.

15Antes, seguindo a verdade em caridade, cresçamos em tudo n'aquelle que é a cabeça, Christo.

16Do qual todo o corpo, bem ajustado, e ligado pelo que todas as juntas lhe subministram, segundo a operação de cada parte na sua medida, toma augmento do corpo, para sua edificação em amor.

17De sorte que digo isto, e testifico no Senhor, para que não andeis mais como andam tambem os outros gentios, na vaidade do seu sentido,

18Entenebrecidos no entendimento, separados da vida de Deus pela ignorancia que ha n'elles, pela dureza do seu coração:

19Os quaes, havendo perdido todo o sentimento, se entregaram á dissolução, para com avidez commetterem toda a impureza.

20Mas vós não aprendestes assim a Christo,

21Se é que o tendes ouvido, e n'elle fostes ensinados, como a verdade está, em Jesus;

22Que, quanto ao trato passado vos despojeis do velho homem, que se corrompe pelas concupiscencias do engano;

23E vos renoveis no espirito do vosso sentido;

24E vos vistaes do novo homem, que segundo Deus é creado em verdadeira justiça e sanctidade.

25Pelo que deixae a mentira, e fallae a verdade cada um com o seu proximo; porque somos membros uns dos outros.

26Irae-vos, e não pequeis; não se ponha o sol sobre a vossa ira.

27Não deis logar ao diabo.

28Aquelle que furtava, não furte mais; antes trabalhe, obrando com suas mãos o que é bom, para que tenha que repartir com o que tiver necessidade.

29Não saia da vossa bocca nenhuma palavra torpe, mas só a que fôr boa para utilidade da edificação, para que dê graça aos que a ouvem.

30E não entristeçaes o Espirito Sancto de Deus, no qual estaes sellados para o dia da redempção.

31Toda a amargura, e ira, e colera, e gritaria, e blasphemias e toda a malicia seja tirada de entre vós.

32Antes sêde uns para com os outros benignos, misericordiosos, perdoando-*vos uns aos outros, como tambem Deus vos perdoou em Christo.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of their calling, maintaining the unity of the Spirit through humility and love. He explains that Christ gave the church different gifts and ministries to equip it, and exhorts believers to put off their old way of life in favor of a renewal of character.

Explanation

From this chapter on, the letter shifts from a theological tone to a practical one, with Paul applying the spiritual truths of the previous chapters to everyday life. He describes the church as a unified yet diverse body, in which apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers were given specifically “for the perfecting of the saints... for the edifying of the body of Christ,” until all reach spiritual maturity. The metaphor of “putting off the old man” and “putting on the new man” describes the transformation of character expected of those who follow Christ, including concrete instructions such as putting away lying, controlling anger, and speaking only words that build others up. The application today is to pursue genuine unity within the community of faith despite the diversity of gifts and personalities, and to allow a real, visible transformation of character in daily life.

Fun facts

  • The list of ministries in Ephesians 4:11 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) is often called the 'five-fold ministry' and has served as the basis for various models of church leadership throughout Christian history.
  • The instruction 'let not the sun go down upon your wrath' (v.26) echoes an idea already present in Jewish proverbs about resolving conflict quickly, and it has become a widely repeated principle for emotional and relational health to this day.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Efésios 4:1Paul shifts the letter’s tone: after three chapters of explaining doctrine, he now asks that the Ephesians’ practical life match the high calling they have already received.
  2. Efésios 4:2Paul lists the attitudes that sustain life in community: lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and bearing with one another in love — none of them easy day to day.
  3. Efésios 4:3Paul describes the unity of the church not as something to be built from scratch, but as something that already exists and needs to be actively “kept,” maintained by the bond of peace between people.
  4. Efésios 4:4Paul begins a list of things that unite all Christians: one body, one Spirit, one hope common to all who were called.
  5. Efésios 4:5Paul continues the list of unity: one Lord (Christ), one shared faith, one baptism — common marks that cut across any difference between believers.
  6. Efésios 4:6Paul closes the list with its highest point: one God and Father, who is above all, works through all, and dwells in all, uniting the whole church under Him.
  7. Efésios 4:7After emphasizing unity, Paul notes that each person receives his own, different measure of Christ’s grace, making room for the diversity of gifts that follows.
  8. Efésios 4:8Paul quotes a psalm describing a victor going up after a battle, leading captives and handing out gifts, an image he applies to Christ distributing gifts to the church.
  9. Efésios 4:9Paul quotes a psalm (68:18) about a victor going up with the spoils of war, and interprets this as a reference to Christ, who first “descended” — in a possible reference to the incarnation or to His death — before ascending to heaven after the resurrection.
  10. Efésios 4:10Paul completes the reasoning of the previous verse: the one who descended (a reference to Christ’s incarnation or death) is the very same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that His presence might fill all things.
  11. Efésios 4:11The list — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — describes functions God gave the church to form believers, not hierarchical titles of power. The stated goal is to equip everyone “for the work of the ministry,” not to leave the work to a few specialists.
  12. Efésios 4:12Paul explains the purpose of the gifts and ministerial functions from the previous verse: to equip all Christians for service, so that the whole body of Christ is built up, not just a few leaders.
  13. Efésios 4:13Paul points to the final goal of this collective growth: reaching the unity of the faith and mature knowledge of Christ, measured by His own fulness, not by any ordinary standard.
  14. Efésios 4:14‘Carried about with every wind of doctrine’ describes people easily fooled by any flashy new teaching, like a rudderless boat. Paul contrasts this with the maturity of those who grow “speaking the truth in love.”
  15. Efésios 4:15Paul contrasts the instability described in the previous verse with the right path: speaking the truth in love, growing continually toward Christ, who is the head of all things.
  16. Efésios 4:16Paul returns to the image of the body: each part contributes its own function, joined to the others, making the whole body grow and build itself up in love, not just one isolated part.
  17. Efésios 4:17Paul moves on to give practical instructions for conduct, beginning with a serious appeal: the Ephesians must no longer live as the Gentiles around them do, trapped in the vanity of their minds.
  18. Efésios 4:18Paul describes that pagan life as marked by a darkened understanding and alienation from the life of God, caused by ignorance and by a hardened heart.
  19. Efésios 4:19Paul deepens the description: these people have lost all moral sensitivity and have given themselves over without limit to every kind of impurity, pursuing it with greediness.
  20. Efésios 4:20Paul contrasts that pagan lifestyle with what the Ephesians have learned about Christ, marking a clear turning point in his argument.
  21. Efésios 4:21Paul reinforces that they really did hear and were taught about Christ in a way that reflects the truth found in Him, the basis for the ethical instructions that follow.
  22. Efésios 4:22‘Put off... the old man’ and ‘put on the new man’ use the image of changing clothes: Paul is asking for a complete change of identity and behavior, not just an adjustment of habits.
  23. Efésios 4:23Paul describes the change he asks for not merely as a change in outward behavior, but as a renewal of the mind itself, the way of thinking on the inside.
  24. Efésios 4:24Paul completes the image of changing clothes: putting on the “new man,” created by God in true righteousness and holiness, the opposite of the old way of living.
  25. Efésios 4:25Paul gives the first practical example of this new life: putting away lying and speaking the truth, because Christians are “members one of another,” connected parts of the same body.
  26. Efésios 4:26‘Let not the sun go down upon your wrath’ is practical advice: anger itself is not treated as automatic sin, but holding onto it for too long without resolving it is what opens the door to evil, as the next verse says.
  27. Efésios 4:27Paul connects this short instruction to the previous advice about not letting anger last past the day: holding a grudge unresolved gives the devil room to work.
  28. Efésios 4:28Paul gives another concrete example: whoever had the habit of stealing should stop and start working honestly instead, with an added purpose — having something to share with those in need.
  29. Efésios 4:29Paul calls for care in speech: no corrupt words that tear down, only what builds up and truly helps those who are listening.
  30. Efésios 4:30Paul reminds them that the Holy Spirit, who sealed believers as a guarantee of future salvation, can be “grieved” by their behavior, a deeply personal way of describing sin.
  31. Efésios 4:31Paul lists what needs to be eliminated from community life: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and every form of malice between people.
  32. Efésios 4:32Paul ends the chapter with the positive contrast: kindness, tender-heartedness, and mutual forgiveness, using as a model the very forgiveness God has already given in Christ.

Chapters

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.