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Ephesians 4

KJV · Chapter 4/6

1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20But ye have not so learned Christ;

21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27Neither give place to the devil.

28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

📖 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 4:4Paul begins a list of things that unite all Christians: one body, one Spirit, one hope common to all who were called.
  5. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 4:20Paul contrasts that pagan lifestyle with what the Ephesians have learned about Christ, marking a clear turning point in his argument.
  21. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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. Ephesians 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.

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