Ephesians 4:1-3:
4:1Therefore I encourage you, I, the prisoner in (the) Lord, to walk worthily of the calling of-which you were called, .2with all humbleness-of-mind and meekness, with patience, holding-yourselves-up-with one-another in love1, .3being earnestly-diligent to keep the oneness of the spirit in the bonding-together of the peace:
Paul continues teaching the people being holy and believing in Christ Jesus, following-on from what he has just written regarding all that God has accomplished to/for/in us by means of the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Ephesians chapters 1-3). Therefore I presently and actively encourage you (exhort or call you holy-people beside me as a concerned father or mother would call their children close to them under their arms so as to help them to do that which is right)....
I encourage you, emphatically I, the prisoner in the Lord (the bound-person within the Master, being within the sphere of action of the Lord who is Christ Jesus; refer to Ephesians 3:1), to walk (literally: to move the feet around, go on foot; figuratively: to walk around during the everyday living of life, behaving or conducting yourselves) worthily of the calling of-which you were called (in a manner of equal-value or of like-worth with the invitation issued to you with-which you were invited).
All of us holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God) have already RSVP'd to God's invitation by means of the Lord Jesus Christ with a "Yes." We have believed what God says and we have received God's gift of holy spirit becoming God's children, and therefore spiritually we have all that is currently available. We have the spirit of Christ in us. But the state of our walk, our behavior, is up to each one of us by the freedom of our own will. This is similar to the natural realm: a son/daughter of dad/mom always remains their son/daughter because it is not possible to take the sperm and the egg that made the son/daughter away from them. However the son/daughter may decide not to live according to what dad/mom tells him/her and so behaves in a manner which is not acceptable to dad/mom, even to the degree of leaving the home and moving to their 'own place' and not living within the benefits which they could have received from dad/mom. But even so, the son/daughter cannot become an un-son or an un-daughter no matter how badly they behave against their parents.
The way to walk/behave worthily of the calling of-which you holy-people were called is:
God is Holy and He is Spirit, and He is the source of all holy spirit-life which He is and which He has given to the Lord Jesus Christ when He raised him up from among the dead-people and gave him his spiritual body; and God has given us holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ – oneness of spirit.
"The peace" is not referring to some signed-document between two governments agreeing not to drop the nuclear bomb on each other, nor is it two religious groups making a pact to join together to accomplish some so-called good deed! "The peace" is the bonding-together. It is that-which binds all holy-people, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the only true God Who is our Father together (refer to Ephesians 2:13-18). Spiritually we holy-people have all that God has given to us in Christ, we have peace – now it is up to us to behave accordingly.
The word "love1" or the verb "to love1" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.
We holy-people are encouraged to walk worthily of the calling of-which we were called, with all humbleness-of-mind and meekness, with patience, holding ourselves up with one-another in Godly-love, being earnestly-diligent to keep the oneness of the spirit in the bonding-together of the peace.
[Reference: Leviticus 11:44; John 4:24; Acts 20:19; Ephesians 1:18, 2:13-18, 3:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 3:10-15; I Thessalonians 2:12; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 1:15 and 16.]
Verses 4-6:
.4(for there is) one body and one spirit, according as also you were called in one hope of your calling, .5one Lord, one belief, one baptism, .6one God and Father of all (holy-people), the (One being) upon all and through all and in all;
The truth is that there is:
1. one body (the one spiritual body of Christ of which all holy-people are limbs/members) and
2. one spirit (the one holy spirit-life which is the spirit of Christ in all holy-people)…
…according as also (even) you holy-people were called (invited) in or within…
3. one hope of your calling (one expectation of a still-future event which has been promised to you by God and you believe it, and this hope pertains-to your calling, the invitation issued to you and which you accepted),
4. one Lord (one Master who is the resurrected Christ Jesus),
5. one belief (one belief which God has given us to believe, have faith in, trust regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have believed it),
6. one baptism (only one baptism because we all have been immersed, surrounded in/within holy spirit and we remain that way, we have been washed clean permanently in holy spirit-life),
7. one God and Father of all holy-people (one God Who is also the Father of all holy-people because we have the spirit of Christ in us, and God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ also) – and God is the One Who is being...:
a. upon all (God is the One Who is always being on, upon, over all holy-people and therefore in the presence of all holy-people, and He is upon the Lord Jesus Christ also), and...
b. through all (God is the One Who is always being through all holy-people because He is the One by means of Whom we are who we are spiritually, as a line intersecting something from one end to the other, and He is through the Lord Jesus Christ also), and...
c. in all (God is the One Who is always being within all holy-people because we have His spirit within us, and He is in the Lord Jesus Christ also).
[Reference: Acts 2:36; Romans 10:8-11, 11:36, 12:5; I Corinthians 8:6, 10:17, 12:12-27, 15:51-57; Galatians 3:25-27; Ephesians 1:22 and 23, 2:13-22, 3:6; Colossians 1:27, 3:10-15; I Thessalonians 4:13-17.]
Verse 7:
.7but to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of the free-gift of Christ,
But to each one of us holy-people (none of us is omitted, not one of us has been missed - but to each one of us) the grace was given (God has given each one of us the unmerited or undeserved favor) in accordance with the measure of the free-gift of Christ. The word "measure" means: the standard, that by which anything is measured, the limits of the content, the measurement that is set by the content. Here in this context, Paul tells us exactly what this standard of content is: the free-gift or present which is the Christ (the Anointed-one, the Messiah – each one of us holy-people has the spirit of Christ in us and we are limbs of his one spiritual body). The word translated "free-gift" emphasizes the fact that the gift is freely given, even though the actual gift is a valuable quality item.
God has given the grace to each one of us, and the grace given is in accordance with the measure of the free-gift of Christ. God has not kept the resurrected Christ, and all that Christ has made and continues to make available, to Himself without allowing us to share and partake of this grace! God is carrying-out and fulfilling His promise, His Word which He first spoke in Genesis 3:15. He has already made holy spirit-life available to mankind by way of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1-4, 38, 39). This free-gift (the spirit of Christ in us) is "free" to us because Jesus Christ paid the price that was owed in order to make it freely available to mankind.
We all have the spirit of Christ in us – this does not change and nobody has more or less, and the grace given to us is according to (in proportion to and conformity with) the standard of the free-gift of Christ. Because of having received holy spirit-life, each one of us has the same ability and power as the resurrected Christ himself available to us to use because we are limbs of Christ's spiritual body which is the church - and Christ is the head of the church.
[Reference: Acts 2:1-4, 38 and 39, 10:45; Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 6:19 and 20; Ephesians 2:4-10, 20 and 21; Colossians 1:27.]
Verses 8-11:
.8on-which-account it says, "Having ascended into (the) height he captivated captivity, he gave gifts to men" – .9but what is the (meaning of) "he ascended" except that also he descended into the-things lower-down of the earth. .10The (one) having descended he is also the (one) "having ascended" super-above all the heavens in order that he may fulfill all-things – .11and he has given2 indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the good-messagers, and the shepherds and teachers
On account of the truth that each one of us holy-people has already been given the grace according to the measure of the free-gift of Christ because we all have the spirit of Christ in us, the written Word of God says: having ascended (mounted or gone up) into the height (the high position, the distance of which is measured vertically between the top and what is underneath) - when/after Christ ascended into the height...:
This is a reference to what has previously been written in Psalm 68:18. The following verses are taken from the Septuagint translation (Greek) of the old covenant writings to help us get a better understanding of this.
Psalm 68:15-18:
The mountain of God is a rich mountain; a swelling mountain, a rich mountain.
Wherefore do ye conceive evil, ye swelling mountains? This is the mountain which God has delighted to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.
The chariots of God are ten thousand fold, thousands of rejoicing ones: the Lord is among them, in Sina, in the holy place.
Thou art gone up on high, thou has led captivity captive, thou has received gifts for [this should have been translated from the Greek: in/within/among] man, yea for they were rebellious, that thou mightest dwell among them.
There is a significant difference between Psalm 68:18 and what Paul wrote in the Book of Ephesians: 'he gave gifts to/for men' - 'you have received gifts in/within/among man.'
The explanation is: what was previously written in Psalms is prophetic regarding that-which God would at a future time be able to do by means of the coming redeemer, the Messiah, the Christ, to help His people. In Ephesians, Paul refers to this verse in Psalms but, by revelation, he writes it as it should be written for the present time-period; therefore it looks backwards at what God has already accomplished by means of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God does not come and dwell in Mount Sinai or any other mountain at this present time in order to be with His people. God has and will continue to have His permanent dwelling place within all holy-people, which Paul has previously explained in Ephesians 2:19-22. We do not have to go to a particular mountain, e.g. Mount Sinai, to worship God because we have holy spirit-life within us and we now worship (pay homage to) God in spirit and truth (John 4:23 and 24).
The Hebrew word used in Psalm 68 for "received" has the two-fold meaning of receiving first and then giving what has been received to another. The old covenant writings looked forward to the Christ receiving from God – because these gifts had to be received first by the Lord Jesus Christ before he could give them to anyone else. The Greek word for 'gifts' draws emphasis to the truth that the things given have specific qualities. The reason why these gifts were to be received and given to mankind, men, was in order to take-care of God's people and to help them to behave themselves and not to be rebellious – oh, the grace of God to give people the availability of care and help! The new covenant writings look back to the Christ having already received and is now giving to those who believe what God says.
Again, Ephesians says:
Ephesians 4:8-11:
.8on-which-account it says, "Having ascended into (the) height he captivated captivity, he gave gifts to men" – .9but what is the (meaning of) "he ascended" except that also he descended into the-things lower-down of the earth. .10The (one) having descended he is also the (one) "having ascended" super-above all the heavens in order that he may fulfill all-things – .11and he has given2 indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the good-messagers, and the shepherds and teachers
What gifts did Christ give to men? First of all, God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ graciously gave the free-gift of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost to men (Acts 2:1-4, and verse 7 above). On account of people receiving holy spirit-life, he can also give other gifts having their-own given specific qualities, and the answer is in verse 11: apostles, prophets, good-messagers, shepherds, and teachers.
But in-between verses 8 and 11, are verses 9 and 10 that are a parenthesis to help the reader/listener of Paul's letter to completely understand the fullness of what was written prophetically in Psalm 68:18, and what has previously occurred looking backwards from today's time-period.
Paul explains: what is the meaning of "he ascended" except or unless that Jesus Christ also descended (went down) into the-things lower-down of the earth (the areas lower down of/pertaining-to the earth, which is where gravedom is, i.e., all that is associated with where dead-people are buried and remain dead until they will be resurrected by the Lord Jesus Christ at a still-future time, either to receive eternal life or to their second death). Yes, Jesus Christ died and was buried in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, 72 hours.
The one, Jesus Christ, who had descended into gravedom is also the one who is quoted as "having ascended" and so now he, the resurrected Christ, is super-above all the heavens (up-above, on-top, up-over all the heavens which is literally referring to the areas above the earth, but figuratively referring to the spirit realm, excluding his Father Who is the only true God because he is not above his Father) for the purpose and result that he would fulfill all-things (make-full all the things that God asks him to fill with his fullness).
"Having ascended into (the) height he captivated captivity, he gave gifts to men…." What gifts (drawing emphasis to the truth that the things given have specific qualities) did Christ give to/for men, the people who have already received the one free-gift of holy spirit? Christ himself (no other) has given and continues given (this truth has not changed, this is not a done-and-ended giving – it is continuing until he comes to gather all holy-people together with him – Christ gave and he is still giving) indeed, with affirmation:
1. the apostles (holy-people who are sent forth or away from the Lord Jesus Christ on a specific mission or assignment to a person or people; this word places emphasis on being sent),
2. the prophets (holy-people who speak-forth God's words being revealed to them concerning the past, present and/or future to, before, in front of a person or people; this word places emphasis on speaking to others),
3. the good-messagers (holy-people who speak the good message, evangelists, those who gospelize or evangelize to a person or people; this word places emphasis on what is spoken which is the good message),
4. the shepherds (holy-people who shepherd, take-care of and protect, exercise the whole office of a shepherd which involves not only the feeding with the Word of God but also the leading and guiding and guarding, etc, as a shepherd takes-care of his flock of sheep; this word places emphasis on shepherding others – sometimes called "pastor" in today's society),
5. and teachers (holy-people who teach/instruct with God's Word, right doctrine, to other people as directed by the Lord Jesus Christ; this word places emphasis on instructing others)….
These holy-people/Christians do not have an extra piece of holy spirit-life stuck or attached in some way onto them because they were "so good" or something else from the earthly/worldly/physical point of view nor from God's or the Lord Jesus Christ's viewpoint! These holy-people have exactly the same holy spirit-life which every other holy-person has received from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, plus they have received added grace (unmerited favor) from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ to enable them to carry-out the specific qualities of their assignments, etc., asked of them in the reception of that grace. These apostles, prophets, good-messagers, shepherds and teachers are to carry-out their assignment or mission(s) from the moment of commissioning onwards until completed.
All gifts (things that are given having specific qualities, including the initial gift of holy spirit plus any additional grace given to carry-out a specific assignment) that are given by God our Father by means of the Lord Jesus Christ, are given in a similar manner to a father giving his son bread or a fish or an egg to eat when his son asks him for bread or a fish or an egg to eat because he is hungry and needs his father's help in that situation (Luke 11:9-13).
[Reference: Genesis 20:7; Psalm 63:9; Matthew 6:4, 7:11, 10:2, 12:40, 27:50, 51, 54-66, 28:1-10; Luke 24:49-51; John 4:23 and 24, chapter 10; Acts 1:1-11, 3:22, 13:1, 15:32, 20:28, 21:8; Romans 1:1-5, 10:6 and 15, 11:13, 12:3-8; I Corinthians chapters 12-14, 15:1-11; II Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 1:21, 3:7 and 18; Philippians 4:17; II Timothy 4:5; I Peter 5:1-4.]
Why does Christ continue to give the apostles, and the prophets, and the good-messagers, and the shepherds and teachers?
Verses 12 and 13:
.12towards the full-equipping of the holy-people into work of ministry, into edification of the body of Christ, .13up-until we all may come-down into the oneness of the belief and of the full-knowledge of the son of God, into a complete adult-male, into (the) measure of stature of the fullness of Christ,
Towards (as being in motion approaching towards, and for the purpose of being with, and continuing onwards in that manner) the full-equipping of the holy-people. The "full-equipping" refers to the action of making all of us (including the apostles, prophets, good-messagers, shepherds, teachers) fully-equipped, put down in a fitting straight/right order, the pieces framed together so as to be fitted-out, having all that is needed in the walk/behavior category to carry-out duties or functions for God and the Lord Jesus Christ as we all await our Lord Jesus Christ to come and gather us all together with him.
All who have received the spirit of Christ within are specifically called "holy." The word "holy" means: sanctified, set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God. We who have received holy spirit now correspond to the essence of God our Father Who is Holy Spirit – we are holy people.
We holy-people have received holy spirit-life and we are not lacking any spiritual blessing because God has blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) – but in the walk/behavior category during the everyday living of our lives we need help, instruction, guidance, etc. Christ has given and continues given indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the good-messagers, and the shepherds and teachers towards the full-equipping of the holy-people…
- into work of ministry - with a view to, directed to, for work (the deed, what is wrought, the effect being produced expending energy) of the ministry (pertaining-to the duty of service to benefit others, not 'being-subject' to them but doing work to bring profit to them, the day-by-day ministerial-duties, the functions of service for God and the Lord Jesus Christ),
…for the limited time-period that this action takes and ending when we would all (every one of us) come-down (arrive)…
Again, we must recognize that this refers to the walk/behavior category because we have already been taught that God has already blessed all of us holy-people in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). The apostles, prophets, good-messagers, shepherds and teachers help us all in the walk/behavior category.
Jesus Christ was dead but now he is alive. God marked Jesus Christ out as the son of God by raising him up from among the dead-people giving him his spiritual body. God gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Lord and Christ, and his name includes the name – SON – God’s son; he inherits everything that the firstborn son should inherit from his Father, the only true God. The word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence. The spirit of holiness is the spiritual essence of the resurrected Christ Jesus. Refer to Matthew 3:17, 17:5; John 17:1; Acts 2:21 and 38, 3:6 and 16, 4:7-12 and 30, 9:20, 13:33, 26:23; Romans 1:3, 4 and 9, 5:10, 8:3, 29 and 32; I Corinthians 1:9, chapter 15; II Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20, 4:4 and 6; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:13; Philippians 2:9 and 10; Colossians 1:13 and 18; I Thessalonians 1:10; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-8, 3:6, 4:14, 5:5-10, 6:6, 7:3, 21 and 28, 10:29; II Peter 1:17; I John 1:3 and 7, 2:22-24, 3:8 and 23, 4:9, 10, 14 and 15, 5:5, 9-13 and 20; II John 1:3 and 9; Revelation 2:18.
Christ himself has given and continues given indeed the apostles, and the prophets, and the good-messagers, and the shepherds and teachers towards the full-equipping of the holy-people into work of ministry, into edification of the body of Christ, up-until we all may come-down into the oneness of the belief and of the full-knowledge of the son of God, into a complete adult-male, into the measure of stature of the fullness of Christ....
[Reference: II Corinthians 1:19; Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:26-29; II Timothy 3:16 and 17.]
Verses 14-16:
.14in order that no-longer we may be infants being surged and being carried-around with every wind of teaching in the trickery of men, in every-working towards the method of wandering – .15but being-truthful in love1 we may cause-to-increase all-things into him who is the head: Christ, .16out-from whom all the body joining-together and compacting-together, by means of every ligament of the full-supply and in-working in (the) measure of each one part, makes-to-itself the increase of the body into edification of itself in love1.
For the purpose and result that:
…but…
Who is the head? Christ – not the local 'clergy' man or woman.
Paul wrote: .14in order that no-longer we may be infants being surged and being carried-around with every wind of teaching in the trickery of men, in every-working towards the method of wandering – .15but being-truthful in love1 we may cause-to-increase all-things into him who is the head: Christ…
It is out-from Christ (originating and issuing from Christ, not from another part of the body) that all the body (the whole body of which we holy-people are the limbs and Christ is the head)…
…by means of (through)...
…presently makes to/for itself the increase of the body into edification of itself in Godly-love - makes for itself the augmentation, growth, expansion of the body with-a-view, directed to/for the action or process of building upwards and establishing itself within the sphere of action of love1 (explained above).
Spiritually all of us holy-people are complete because we have as much as is available to us at this present time. We are blessed in every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3) and it is in Christ that all the building joining-together increases into the holy interior-temple in the Lord, in whom also we are being built-together into the dwelling-down-place of God in spirit (Ephesians 2:22). And we have the hope of all that we will receive in Christ when he comes to gather us all together with him and gives us our spiritual bodies, etc (I Corinthians chapter 15). However, right now we still have our fleshy bodies and minds with the fleshly/worldly influences, and therefore in the walk (behavior, conduct) category we can fluctuate – it is up to each one of us to decide to walk with and for God and our Lord Jesus Christ during the everyday living of our lives, or not!
[Reference: Isaiah 57:20; John 17:17; I Corinthians 14:20; II Corinthians 9:10, 11:3; Ephesians 1:22, 6:11; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 1:18, 2:2,3, and 19; I Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 5:13.]
Verses 17-19:
.17Therefore this I say and I witness in (the) Lord: no-longer (are) you to walk according as even the Gentiles walk in (the) futility of their mind, .18being, having been darkened2 with the mind-process, having been alienated-from2 the life of God, because-of the lack-of-knowledge, the (lack-of-knowledge) being in them, because-of the process-of-hardening of their heart, .19the-people-who having put-away-feeling-pain2 gave themselves over to licentiousness into a work of all uncleanness in covetousness –
Paul continues: following-on from what I have just written, this I lay before you and I bear witness from myself (attest to the information and knowledge that I have and can therefore confirm it on the strength of the authority which I have) within the sphere of action of the Lord Jesus Christ: you holy-people should no-longer (not anymore) walk (behave, conduct yourselves) according as even the Gentiles behave during the everyday living of their lives which is within the futility of their mind (the being-empty-as-to-results, meaninglessness, uselessness pertaining to their mind-set, their organ of mental perception, their mentality – the singular word "mind" emphasizes that all of them have the same mind-set – futile).
The 'Gentiles' refers to people belonging to nations other-than Israel/Judah, who have not yet believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus they have not received the gift of holy spirit and do not belong to the one spiritual body of Christ which is the church. These Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind - they are presently and actively being:
…Why?…
These are the people who have actively put away feeling pain (ceased from being sensitive to the pain of lacking the blessings which they could have received from God by hearing and believing and obeying what He says) and they remain devoid of feeling the pain which they are in. These people gave themselves along (handed themselves over) to licentiousness (the state of being in debauchery) with-a-view or directed to a work (deed, end-product, the result of action utilizing energy producing effects, a business) - of what? A work of all uncleanness (all/every state of not being free from mixture of that-which is against God, being mixed with something else, having impurity from God's viewpoint mixed with it) within the sphere of action of covetousness (greediness, a constant-wanting to have more than what God provides, always grasping and reaching out to get something else more than what is right)!
[Reference: Acts 3:17, 16:16, 19:24 and 25; Romans 1:21, 11:25; I Corinthians 10:32; Ephesians 2:11 and 12; Colossians 1:21; I John 1:5.]
Verses 20-24:
.20but you did not thus learn Christ, .21since indeed you heard (words concerning) him and you were taught in him, according as truth is in Jesus .22you (are) to put-away-from-yourselves according to the former behavior, the old man, the (old man) being corrupted according to the intense-yearnings of the deceit, .23but you must new-yourselves-up with the spirit of your mind .24and you must clothe-yourselves-with the new man, the (new man) according to God having been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth;
Paul wrote in verse 17, "Therefore this I say and I witness in (the) Lord..." and then taught on what not-to-do, and now he continues: you holy-people/Christians did not in this manner (the manner written in verses 17-19) learn regarding the Christ (you did not become informed intellectually in that manner regarding who the Christ is today, including who you are being limbs of his one spiritual body), since it is true that you heard what is spoken concerning the Christ and you were taught in him (you were given instruction and direction within the sphere of action of the Christ, not someone or something else), according as truth (the essential reality or inherent verity, both in the spirit category and in the walk/behavior category) is in Jesus….
The use of the name "Jesus" here emphasizes his obedience and service towards God. He is the man who accomplished salvation for mankind and he did it by hearing and believing and obeying what God told him to say and do. Jesus walked/behaved as God instructed him, including death on the cross and burial, but this Jesus is now alive because God raised him up from-among the rest of the dead-people giving him his spiritual body and he continues to walk/behave as God instructs him.
According as truth is within the sphere of action of Jesus:
The 'old man' figuratively refers to that man that has existed for a long time, since the fall of Adam, which is the man consisting-of the fleshy-body and its soul/breath-life and including everything that emanates from this "old man" such as his way of thinking and doing and behaving without holy spirit-life. And, this old man is presently being corrupted (being caused to decay) in accordance with the intense-yearnings of the deceit (the strong-desires fixed or attached upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God, the lusts that pertain-to, belong-to, consist-of the delusion, the beguilement or allurement, especially by false-statement).
What is "the deceit"? The deceit is the delusion or beguilement caused by the devil/satan, and is spread by those spirits and people who speak and behave on the devil's behalf. The first occurrence of the deceit in connection with mankind is recorded in the Book of Genesis chapter 3 [you may read my study of Appendix to Romans, the Fall of Adam for an in-depth study of this].
Spiritually, from God's point of view, all holy-people/Christians are a new creation because of our holy spirit-life (II Corinthians 5:17), and the natural and fleshy part of holy-people is considered dead and it has no bearing in the kingdom of God to which all Christians belong. Holy spirit has replaced the flesh. However, in the "walk" category during the everyday living of our lives we must learn to rely on our new holy spirit-life and take our instruction from it instead of from the flesh as we have been so used-to doing before we received holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ in us.
Paul continues:
What is the 'spirit' of your mind? It is the spirit of Christ which is in you which is new. This holy spirit was not previously in existence, and so now you spiritually have the mind of Christ. Also, this is why the particular word "new" is used in the verb "new-yourselves-up." This "new" emphasizes the truth that this spirit of your mind only lately originated, it was recently established, it is fresh, it was not there before, it is not compared to anything which was formerly there. You previously had your fleshy mind but you did not have holy spirit within you. However, relating to your walk/behavior you now have the freedom of will to put the mind of Christ on in your fleshy-mind, which would be different from anything that your fleshy-mind could evidence previously. And…
What new man? The new man in accordance with God (in conformity with and proportion to the only true God, our Father). And so this newly-made man, which is different from the old man previously in effect, figuratively refers to the holy spirit-life within every holy-person. It is the spirit of Christ in you. And the new man has already been created (brought into-being, established and is still in progress) within the sphere of action of righteousness (justness, justice, being and doing what is just/right) and practicing holiness (that-which is pure Godliness free from all crime, it is the state of constant observance of what God says, the practicing of every duty and function which thereby fulfills every obligation which God has given to be believed and carried-out) of, pertaining-to, consisting-of the truth.
Re-reading verses 20-24: .20but you did not thus learn Christ, .21since indeed you heard (words concerning) him and you were taught in him, according as truth is in Jesus .22you (are) to put-away-from-yourselves according to the former behavior, the old man, the (old man) being corrupted according to the intense-yearnings of the deceit, .23but you must new-yourselves-up with the spirit of your mind .24and you must clothe-yourselves-with the new man, the (new man) according to God having been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth....
[Reference: Luke 1:73-75; John 3:33 and 34, 17:17; Romans 6:4-14, 13:14; I Corinthians 2:16; II Corinthians 4:16, 5:17; Galatians 1:13, 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:10 and 15-18; Colossians 3:8-11.]
Verse 25:
.25having put-away the lie from-yourselves "you must utter-forth truth, each-person with his neighbor" because we are limbs of one-another;
Because you holy-people have previously put (placed, set) away the lie from yourselves…. What lie (what falsehood)? The devil/satan/serpent's lie is that he is God, and as such he is the one who gives and maintains life, etc, to all and all must reverence, worship and serve him and whom he designates! This lie began in Genesis chapter 3, and continues being repeated throughout the centuries by the devil and those who decide to follow him as their god in the place of the only true God (refer to Romans 1:25 and II Thessalonians 2:11).
Having put-away the lie from yourselves, you holy-people must utter-forth truth (utter words of truth, use your voice, you must speak truth), each one of you in company and association with his/her neighbor (referring to a spiritual brother or sister, a person who is near you from-among the holy-people). This is how we should walk (behave, live our everyday lives) interacting with one-another now that we have received holy spirit-life. You must utter-forth truth (what God wants you to say in every situation and circumstance), each-person with his neighbor (not necessarily to your next-door-neighbor in whatever community you reside).
This is a reference to what has been previously written in the Book of Zechariah:
Zechariah 8:13-17:
And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts: As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not:
So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
God told Israel and Judah that He will save them, etc – and they had something to do also, they were to behave themselves and live correctly towards one-another.
Regarding the holy-people today, Paul writes by revelation: having put-away the lie from-yourselves "you must utter-forth truth, each-person with his neighbor" – why? – because we (you to whom I am writing, and myself and those with me and all holy-people wherever they may be living) presently and actively are limbs of one-another. We are limbs (members) of the one spiritual body of Christ and therefore we are limbs of or relative-to every-other limb. We are limbs interconnected with one-another, and none of us is detached from the one spiritual body of Christ. God has done and continues to do what He says, and the Lord Jesus Christ has done and continues to do what he says which is what God tells him – and it is up to us to do what God says which is to behave ourselves as we await the presence of Christ who will gather us all together with him giving us our spiritual bodies like the one he already has.
[Reference: Genesis chapter 3; John 8:44; Romans 1:25, 12:5; Ephesians 2:13; II Thessalonians 2:11.]
Ephesians 4:26 and 27:
.26"you must be wrathful and you must not sin," the sun must not set upon a cause-of-wrath of you, .27neither must you give a place to the devil;
You holy-people must presently be wrathful (a lasting-angry-vengeance, like the heat of a burning-fire - this is not a spur-of-the-moment-thing but it is just as God is wrathful on all unrighteousness) and you must not sin (don't miss or swerve from the mark which is what God says) in the walk/behavior category.
This is a reference to what is written in Psalm 4 (the following is the Septuagint translation):
Psalm 4:4 and 5:
Be ye angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what ye say in your hearts.
Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.
Becoming rightly wrathful depends upon being in accordance with God's will in a specific situation, and even then we must be wrathful (which may cause trembling in the physical body) in alignment with God's will, so that we ourselves will not sin against God during that situation or circumstance. It may be helpful for us to read where the Lord Jesus Christ became rightly or righteously wrathful, so we realize that it is ok to become wrathful according to God's will. In the following record, Jesus Christ was grieved because of the hardness of some people's hearts as they actively opposed and were against the will of God, which Jesus was carrying-out.
Mark 3:1-5:
And he [Jesus Christ] entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
And they watched him [Jesus Christ], whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
And he said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
And when he [Jesus Christ] had looked round about on them with anger [wrath], being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Even while Jesus Christ was wrathful, he continued carrying-out God's will and he spoke to this man telling him to stretch forth his hand. If Jesus Christ had not spoken-forth God's Word, then the man would probably not have been healed! The man needed to hear God's Word first from Jesus Christ in order to know God's Word regarding his situation and then he could believe what he heard and do it, carry-out what he was told to do. Then his hand was restored whole as the other hand. What a tremendous lesson this is!
Paul continues that the sun must not go-down or sink at sunset on a cause-of-wrath belonging-to you. You should not be the provocation or excitement that causes another to become wrathful – don't do unrighteousness and continue in it until the next day, which begins at sunset, going to bed without rectifying the matter thereby causing another holy-person to become wrathful on you. Neither must you give a place to the devil (don't willingly present a location, a spot-to-be-present to the devil, don't give the devil an occasion, a position to be relative to your behavior).
The word translated here as "devil" comes from the words: "through" and "throw" or "cast" – the devil throws or casts things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, a calumniation, etc. Satan (who is the spirit in total opposition to the only true God) is sometimes called the 'devil' which is one of his many names used in the Bible to describe his characteristics, qualities, etc. The devil is the chief of the devil-spirits (demons) which are the other angels that decided to follow him against God and so have become unholy, unclean and evil spirits in subordination to the devil.
Don't delay - you must hear and believe and obey what God says in every situation, don't give a place to the devil, a position for him to enter into the situation and cause havoc among yourselves and all of God's children!
Let us read a couple of verses from the Book of Deuteronomy of a similar usage of these words to understand them better.
Deuteronomy 24:14 and 15:
Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.
[Reference: Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 6:11; Revelation 12:9, 20:2 and 10.]
Ephesians 4:28:
.28the (person) stealing must no-longer steal but rather he must labor working with (his) hands the good-thing in order that he may have (the good-thing) to sharingly-give to the (person) having a need;
The holy-person who is presently stealing (in the habit of taking something by stealth from another which is not rightfully his, being a kleptomaniac) this person must steal no-longer (not anymore - stop it!).
We ought to notice that even though Paul is addressing holy-people (Christians, people who have received the gift of holy spirit), at least one of them was still doing that-which was wrong in the walk/behavior category. It was entirely up to that individual's freedom of will to stop doing those things which were contrary to God's Word; even so, spiritually he was still a child of God and completely righteous.
Some people today accuse God of taking away their freedom of will once they become a Christian by saying things like, "God took the habit of stealing away from me; God took smoking away from me; God made me stop drinking; God made me do this or that...." This of course is completely untrue, a lie, because if that person did stop stealing or smoking or drinking, etc, it is their own free-will decision to do so. God and the Lord Jesus Christ do not force people, they do not control or force people and cause them to do things whether those things are indecent and out-of-order or are decent and in-order! They do not push people around! Of course, the only true God and the Lord Jesus Christ can help any Christian do what is right when the Christian asks for help, but they will not force the Christian into doing what is right! But, there is a being which does control or dominate and push unsaved people around without their permission at times, and its name is the devil, satan, etc., plus all of his devil-spirits (demons, his angels) who take their direction and instruction from him.
The holy-person stealing must no-longer steal – but rather (more-so, even more than having stopped stealing), he must labor (exert wearisome effort or toil) working with his hands (doing the work himself, not living off of someone else's work - working with his hands) the good-thing (that-which is good in God's eyes, not something that is contrary to God and against God's children). Why should he labor working with his hands the good-thing? For the purpose and result that he would have something good to sharingly-give to the person who is presently having a need (having a necessity due to lack, that-which is needed for his use, the useful-thing). The man who labors working with his hands the good-thing would have that-which is good, so then he can impart, freely give something good in company and association with the person having a need. The person giving a share of something must have received it first, and when he gives he does not lose it entirely but he gives to and shares with another person. This giving is to benefit both parties involved.
[Reference: Acts 20:32-35; Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 4:12; I Thessalonians 4:11 and 12; II Thessalonians 3:8 and 9.]
Verses 29 and 30:
.29every rotten word must not journey-out from your mouth but if (there is) some good (word) towards edification of the need in order that it may give grace to the (people) hearing, .30and you must not cause the spirit sorrow, the holy (spirit) of God in which you were sealed into (the) day of full-redemption;
All/every rotten word (a spoken-account that would be putrid like a decaying vegetable from God's point of view) must not journey-out (make its journey, proceed, be passed out) from your mouth. But on the contrary, what must journey-out from your mouth, is: if there is some good word (a spoken-account that would be good, it must be that-which is good, issues from God, is in accordance with God's will) towards/for the purpose of edification of the need. Edification of (relative-to, pertaining-to) the need refers to the action or process of building upwards and establishing in the place of the necessity which another person has due to his/her lack, that-which is needed for his/her use, the useful-thing in that particular situation.
A good word may be something that you know from the already-revealed and written Word of God or you may receive information via your holy spirit-life right then in whatever situation or circumstance you are involved in. Why must you speak when you have some good word towards edification pertaining-to the need in a particular situation? For the purpose and result that this good word would give grace (bestow unmerited or undeserved favor) to the people who are presently and actively hearing the good word journeying-out from your mouth.
And in conjunction with that, you holy-people must not cause the spirit sorrow (don't cause grief to the spirit) – the holy spirit of/from God (which God gave to you by means of the Lord Jesus Christ) within which you were sealed.... God has already sealed you up, securely-fastened you, He has put His seal, His mark of authentication and approval, ratification, on and in you. God has made you fast within holy spirit, as when using a seal to ensure something is secure like sealing a letter so it is not opened and read by anyone except by the one to whom the letter is addressed. You must not cause the spirit sorrow, the holy spirit of God in which you were sealed into, with a view to, directed to the day of full-redemption.
The word translated as "full-redemption" means the complete releasing or liberation on receipt of a ransom away-from captivity which has due guilt or punishment because of sin which has been previously committed. Complete redemption is brought-about by complete expiation. Right now every holy-person spiritually has full-redemption because we have holy spirit-life within us, and we cannot lose it. We also look forward to the time-period, which is still future to us today, when Christ will come and gather us all together with him and we will receive our spiritual bodies like the one he has already received when God raised him from among the dead-people.
[Reference: Matthew 27:66; John 6:27; Romans 3:24-26, 8:23; I Corinthians 15:51-57; II Corinthians 1:21 and 22; Ephesians 1:7, 13 and 14; I Thessalonians 4:13-17.]
Verses 31 and 32:
.31all bitterness and rage and wrath and crying-out and blasphemy must be lifted away-from you together with all badness; .32you must become benevolent into one-another, well-compassionate, graciously-forgiving yourselves according as also God in Christ graciously-forgave you.
All or every…
…must be lifted (you must take-up and carry these things) – where? Away from you! These things must be lifted away from you, in conjunction with all/every…
These things will not automatically just lift themselves up and remove themselves from you the instant you become a Christian! They must be removed, lifted and carried away from you - you do the taking up and away from yourselves! God does not overstep your freedom of will. It is up to each Christian to do what God says or not-do what God says. We have to make up our own minds to walk/behave correctly.
You holy-people must presently become…
…into, directed-to, with a view to one-another.
And graciously-forgiving yourselves - you must be bestowing unmerited favor, gracing yourselves, and in this context it is the grace of forgiveness, willingly give forgiveness to one-another including yourself, not only forgiving others but also forgiving yourself with gracefulness. You must be graciously-forgiving yourselves according as also God in Christ graciously-forgave you. God has already given you grace (bestowed the grace, the favor of forgiveness for your sins upon all of you, He pardoned you) within the sphere of action of Christ because Christ is the one who paid the price and made redemption and salvation available.
All holy-people have believed what God says regarding Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:8-10) and so we have received the gift of holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ in us. God has graciously-forgiven us in Christ. Spiritually we have no sin and cannot sin because our holy spirit-life does not sin against God. But in the walk/behavior category we do not always do what God wants us to do towards one-another and so we must grace ourselves, bestow the grace of forgiveness to ourselves.
[Reference: Luke 4:28; Acts 8:23; Romans 3:24-26, and chapters 5 and 6; II Corinthians 2:7, 5:21; Colossians 2:13, 3:8, 12, 13 and 19; I Timothy 6:3-5; I Peter 3:8. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]