Introduction:

     Paul's emphasis in this chapter is the interwoven aspects of the church and how one member's faithfulness, or lack thereof, affects the whole unit. Being a member of the family of God requires individual responsibility to maintain family beliefs, family ties and family honor. Family standards often require scrutiny of all activities by each member with some judged to be "beneath our dignity" while others are sanctioned as appropriate. Since the earthly family has repeated failures, Paul chose to use another form of interactive unity: the body.

Paul uses the "body" construct to reveal how one body part cannot judge another and how all parts rely upon the functionality of all the others. (In his several writings he goes into greater detail than he does in Ephesians, but the picture is the same.) For example, a sick leg affects the whole body and requires it to feel "infirm." A malfunction in one part causes alarm and attention in all the other parts. The same is true in the church!

In this chapter, Paul continues to build on the foundation of the other three chapters. His use of "therefore" to include everything said up to that point as integral to what he is about to say is an interesting device to maintain continuity.

     Four "Therefore gates" grace this chapter with another in the opening of Chapter 5. Each gate is predicated by what was said before it, thus, leading into the next teaching. Paul is writing a cumulative work with each step preparing the way for the next one. He is not satisfied with Ephesus' spiritual life. He wants them to stop living like the world and start living in the "fullness" of Christ, which means there is no room in the person for any other consideration but this one, such is what the Apostle means when he urges them to be full of the Spirit!

Review Simon Peter's admonition.

King Jesus, in John's Revelation, reprimanded the Ephesian church for losing their first love. Had the church at Ephesus followed what Paul was teaching in this chapter, they could have avoided that chastisement. First love is a fervent condition. It actively consumes the person and calls for deeper considerations with each passing day!

Think of the "first love" that founded most of the denominational movements in Christendom. Most of the them began with a fervency which propelled them into large numbers with thousands of preaching points---but then, they lost their first love. Pentecostals and charismatic groups are now experiencing this condition.

"Walk worthy of the calling" is Paul's challenge to those who thought they were. In Revelation four, one finds their merits and flaws exhibited and judged with the threat of losing their place in the kingdom. (What would be the position of the modern church in such scrutiny?)

Their calling was FROM the world and TO Christ. Their calling incorporated "their gift" as mentioned in I Peter. Their calling was to Christ and His kingdom work. Their calling was more than adherence to "Christianity-Mild;" it was to reformation and inclusion.

     1. Reformation meaning to relate to each other in reference to "the calling," rather than the world's standards, for they were called from darkness to light and to the same glorious future.

Look at the way the Living Bible translates this passage.

     2. Inclusion in the family of God: One body, One Spirit, One hope, One Lord, One Faith, One baptism, One God and Father.

In modern terms, the church is a body of believers all on the same page! They interact with each other based on using a different standard than the world. They are the family of God and part of each other, and their focal point is the bond that binds them together.

Simon Peter wrote similarly:

Somehow, the modern church must grasp the power of these verses and move into the place of Paul's and Peter's vision. How different things would be if the Spirit was able to direct a symphony of blessings through the church.

Instead of multiple "little kingdoms" being formed across the globe, there would be one glorious body led by Christ and to His honor. Supernatural power would be channeled through it to meet the needs of every saint. Extraordinary miracles would be the order of the day and the Sunday meetings would be given over to the Word and the testimonies of believers.

Paul references the purpose of Grace. It is given according to the finished work of Christ. The believer is endowed with all the accomplished gains of the cross, resurrection and Parousia of Jesus. His accomplished work allowed Him to sow into our lives the fruits of His victory. Though some believe He did not go to hell and preach the gospel and wrench the keys of death and hell from the evil ones' grasp-it matters not, for He accomplished the task and shares His triumph with each of us today! There is not a circumstance He omitted, not a sin or suffering that He did not bear. There is not a grief or pain He did not conquer nor an issue He did not assuage. HE did it all for us and we must not fail to walk in that victory with Him.

This is why He established what is known as the 5-fold ministry. However, theirs is not the ministry; all the saints are the ministers. They are to equip and edify the body to carry out the tasks engendered by the Holy Spirit. Equipping and edifying should be a joyous work as each office interacts with the other in order to present to Christ a glorious Bride lacking no good trait and confidently standing with her bridegroom.

Sadly, today these five offices compete with each other, and their goal is often self-aggrandizement. A hierarchy exists among them tantamount to a political system rather than a Spirit endorsed comradery. (Could this be why the powerless church has reversed the roles? Congregates now edify and equip the five offices and expect them to carry out the ministry.)

All the above are used to raise up a church of perfection. That's what grace is all about. That's what the five positions are all about. That's what ministry is all about. They are to edify or build up the saints. The church body should be a growing, expanding, knowledgeable body of overcomers who shine like lights to a dark world and who are able to wear the armor Paul mentions in Chapter six verses 10-19.

Shallow minded, self-centered, whining incompetents are not the people for whom Christ is returning. Paul dismisses those whimsical fantasizers by calling them "children." Jesus said He piped and they did not dance.

Pay attention to the characteristics of "children."

Paul's admonition to the church at Ephesus is the one which must be sounded today- "Grow Up!" Stop being coddled kids with tumultuous tantrums and become strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

"Grow up in ALL things in Him," is an invitation to find one's place and discover God's plan for every individual in the body of believers. Christ is the head, but the body is composed of many parts interacting in love with all the others. The picture is beautiful as each person brings their own unique endowments yielded to the Spirit and used to satisfy the needs of others and to participate in the grand scheme of God. No sickly parts, no incapableness, no incapacities remain to hinder the whole-those things are ministered to through the work of "ministry."

If the body witnesses a struggling saint-in love, they restore him. If there is a downtrodden saint, he is lifted by love by the body. Just as the immune system works in the human, so the love spirit works in the church, until we all come to perfection in the one new man!

Paul turned to some practical matters that affect the church.

Look at the word: "futility" and its associative words:

Gruesome activities accompany the unredeemed. Ask yourself why was it necessary to bring this matter to the forefront with a body of believers who excelled in their love for one another and exhibited an outstanding Christian walk? Could it be there were some who were slack in their life style?

Look at the elements of Paul's concerns:

The opposite of all this is Christ and His kingdom.

It is amazing that Paul would use an "if" condition addressed to the Ephesians. IF you have "learned Christ," and "IF you have heard Him and been taught by Him," are questions directed to the inner man of truth. There is one solution offered by Paul, and it doesn't rest on the apostle or the prophet or evangelist or the pastor or teacher-it rests on the individual Christian. YOU put off the old man. YOU put on the new man. The new man has a renewed mind created in true righteousness and holiness. (Should this be the theme of every church today-the topic for several sermons? Where are the voices? Where are the old-time preachers who stood to preach truth?)

The third "Therefore" gate ushered in Paul's teaching regarding conduct within the community of believers. He started abruptly with "put away lying." Strangely enough this is exactly the issue with the modern church. The facades that amass themselves as a congregation, seeking to hide the real person behind them, is astounding. "The darling sins and Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11)," still exist in the hearts of believers. (The reason these matters are a concern is because we are connected to each other in a supernatural bond and when one veers off the path---all are affected.)

Paul now addressed anger.

"Anger" opens the door to a multitude of problems. Current society has proven to be an "angry" culture, riddled with issues. Road rage, domestic violence, political divisions, suicidal self- anger, as well as, casting blame on others are but a few examples. Infestations of anger attend church regularly! Paul says in essence "get rid of it." (One pastor recently preached a message entitled, "Get over it.")

"Give no place to the devil," is a broad subject, for there are many ways which open a venue for him. Little rehearsal is needed to understand the wide range of activities, ranging from thought impurities, to deeds of fleshly lust, to evocative speech.

Paul attacks certain engrained activities and the addictions that follow:

"Let him that stole, steal no more." Honest labor with one's hands is the solution to this one. Paul urges honest labor in order to GIVE to others who are in need. Remember, these are Gentile believers, and the Ephesian church had a variety of former liars, thieves and verbal abusers. All congregations reflect their collective community. The message of Jesus is one of deliverance and setting the captive free. It matters not what one once was, but what one becomes through redemption.

(When a teenager, I played piano for a local evangelist who had been an avid gambler. Many is the time I heard him testify, "The Lord Jesus redeemed me and forgave me, but that did not forgive my gambling debts. The gangsters wanted their due and I had to pay it.")

Paul's emphasis in verse 29 incorporated all the spiritual mandates of Scripture about watching the words flowing from one's mouth. Corrupt communication has myriad applications, including jesting, suggestive language, cursing and oft repeated phrases like "I would give my right arm for that!" Powerful matters come about with such language. Hurtful comments and harsh judgments parallel this invective. Actually, verse 31 could join verse 29. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."

(The question for modern clergy goes like this: "Is it necessary to preach on social issues like those Paul cites or are those issues too risky for today's pulpit?" What if pastors mounted the sacred desk with sermons like "Gone A Whoring [preached by an evangelist in 1950 citing Hosea 1:2]?" Is it time to task the Word of God with messages on personal lifestyles like drugs, adultery, fornication and LBGTQ? Is it time to preach associative judgment for those supportive of and advocating such behavior and including Abortion? Is it time to challenge lawmakers and public servants who create laws counter to Christian principles? [ In order to understand "associative" judgment go to Judges 19-21 and review the awesome price the tribe of Benjamin suffered because of their defense of the homosexual acts among their tribesmen].)

In a recent survey by the U.S. Pastor's Council, it was reported that 50% of pastors feared preaching on social issues and avoided Scripture and messages where such items are touched on.

Perhaps a prisoner's chains emboldened Paul and gave him strength to say what he did (he saw in prison the terrible price paid for moral failure). Down deep inside him, he knew that such behavior grieved the Holy Spirit of God, and the Ephesians needed to know how devastating their actions were.

The church of today needs to know their activities and actions have grave consequences! They need to know, when they cast their votes for candidates who approve unholy actions, they grieve the Holy Spirit (Note Peter's reaction when Ananias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit and fell dead). They need to know their silence and inaction in the face of aberrant behavior grieves the Spirit. They need to know quiet pulpits are not an option!

The very last thought in this chapter is one of tender mercy. Paul knew that once this message found its target, some of the congregation would be in despair even as they repented. His love poured out to them because he remembered the many atrocities he had committed and how, when he repented, he needed the loving support of believing saints.

Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD.