The Word Made Fresh
1I, a prisoner of the Lord, beg you then to live according to your call 2in humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with each other in love, 3doing everything possible to preserve your connection with the Spirit in a bond of peace. 4There is only one body and one Spirit, and you were called to one hope, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6and one God and Father who is above and through us all and in all.
7Each one of us was given grace from Christ, 8for it is said, “when he ascended on high, he led those who were captives as gifts to his people.” 9What it means when it says “he ascended” is that he also descended to the depths of the earth, 10for the one who descended is the one who ascended above the heavens to fulfill every promise. 11He gave to some the gift of apostleship, to some the gift of prophesy, to some evangelism, and to some to become pastors and teachers, 12so that the saints would be equipped for ministry to build up the body of Christ, 13until all take part in the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature in Christ. 14We must stop behaving like children, blown here and there by the wind of every teaching, trickery, craftiness, and deceitful scheme. 15We must speak the truth in love, and grow in every way into the one who is the head – that is, into Christ. 16It is from Christ that the whole church is held together by every person in it, with each one working as able to help the body grow in love.
17I insist on this; you must stop living as Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18For their understanding is unenlightened and alienated from God because of their ignorance and their hard-heartedness. 19They are no longer sensitive, but have abandoned themselves to wickedness, eager to take part in every sin. 20But this is not the way you learned from Christ. 21Weren’t you told about him? Weren’t you taught truth through Jesus? 22Surely, you were taught to abandon your old self and the way you used to live, corrupt and fooled by lust, 23to renew your way of thinking 24and be clothed anew to reflect the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness.
25So, turn away from falsehoods. We should all speak only the truth to our neighbors; we belong, after all, to one another. 26Don’t let your actions be governed by anger, and don’t let the sun set on your anger. 27Don’t make room for the devil. 28Whoever was a thief must stop stealing. Let them work honestly with their hands so they’ll have something to share with those in need. 29Don’t take part in wicked conversation; only say what is useful for building others up and giving grace to those who hear. 30Don’t make God’s Holy Spirit grieve; you were stamped with a seal for the day of redemption. 31Lay aside all your bitterness and anger and disputes, along with every wicked thought, 32and treat one another with kindness. Be tenderhearted. Forgive one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Commentary
1-6: The different direction signaled at the end of the last chapter is to address the subject of the need for unity within the body. That unity is secured by attitudes of humility, gentleness, patience, and love for one another. There is, after all, but one God who called us to one hope through one faith, sealed by one baptism.
7-16: God’s grace is the gift we receive in Christ. Verse 8 quotes an early hymn, and verses 9-10 add commentary to it. If Christ ascended, he must also have descended — this verse is why some versions of the Apostles’ Creed add the statement “he descended to the dead.” The gift of God’s grace results in the conferring of special abilities that will equip the church with the leadership it needs to mature in the life to which God calls us. Maturity in the faith is proven by steadfastness in carrying out God’s will for unity and avoiding distraction from conflicting doctrines.
17-24: So, Paul tells the Gentile Christians that they should stop acting like Gentiles; that is, like those Gentiles who behave according to pagan mores that encourage self-indulgence.
25-32: Instead, Christians should live by a different set of attitudes, and here Paul gives an impressive list. May every congregation memorize verses 31-32!
Takeaway
God is willing and always ready to forgive us for our trespasses and mistakes. We should treat every day as a new opportunity to live and love as Christ lived and loved.