I. Introduction (1:1–14)

A. Greetings (1:1–2)

B. Spiritual blessings in Christ (1:3–14)

II. Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:15–23)

III. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:1–10)

A. Hopelessness and helplessness without Christ (2:1–3)

B. Hope in Christ (2:4–10)

IV. Unity and Peace of Christ (2:11–22)

A. Unity of Christ’s people (2:11–15)

B. Peace with God (2:16–18)

C. Implications of Christ’s peace (2:19–22)

V. Revelation of the Gospel Mystery (3:1–13)

A. Paul’s apostolic ministry (3:1–7)

B. The mystery and wisdom (3:8–13)

VI. Paul’s Prayer for Strength and Insight (3:14–21)

VII. Unity of the Body of Christ (4:1–16)

3 The apostle has urged his readers to display humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love since they are necessary to achieve the aim of the exhortation: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Without these graces which are essential to their life together, they would have no hope of maintaining the unity of the Spirit, a unity in the body of Christ about which Paul is deeply concerned. This second participial clause (‘making every effort …’) is stylistically parallel to the previous one, and also functions as an imperative.26

Paul’s appeal is urgent and cannot be easily translated into English. The verb he uses has an element of haste, urgency, or even a sense of crisis to it,27 and has been rendered by Barth as: ‘Yours is the initiative! Do it now!’28 Further, the exhortation is an unusual one. The church’s unity is described as the unity of the Spirit,29 which signifies a unity that God’s Spirit creates30 and therefore not the readers’ own achievement, yet they are exhorted urgently to maintain31 it. God has inaugurated this unity in Christ, through the events described in Ephesians 2:11–22, as a result of which believers, Jew and Gentile together, have access to God ‘in one Spirit’ (2:18)

4:8 it says. Paul cites Ps. 68:18, where the one who ascends is the triumphant Lord God. Paul sees this as referring to Christ Jesus in his resurrection as head of the church. gifts. In Ps. 68:18, the divine victor is seen “receiving gifts among men,” but Paul adapts the passage to his purposes (as NT authors sometimes do in citing the OT) to show that Christ gave gifts to his people from his spoils of victory (interestingly, ancient Syriac and Aramaic translations of Ps. 68:18 also have “gave”). The “gifts” given by Christ turn out to be the church leaders described in Eph. 4:11. The captives over whom Christ triumphed are most likely demons (cf. this theme of victory over demonic forces in 1:19–22).

4:9 lower regions, the earth. In the incarnation, Christ descended from the highest heavens to the lowest regions (i.e., to the earth), where he suffered, died, and was buried, but where he also defeated death and rose again. He then ascended (Acts 1:9) 40 days later to be seated in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33).

4:10 far above. Christ is the supreme head of the church who fills all things (see 1:23) with his glory, power, and sovereign prerogative to dispense gifts to his people (see 4:11–16).

11 Christ now sets out94 to accomplish the goal of filling all things by supplying95 his people with everything necessary to foster the growth and perfection of the body (v. 13). Having achieved dominion over all the powers through his victorious ascent,96 he sovereignly distributes gifts to the members of his body.97 The building of the body is inextricably linked with his intention of filling the universe with his rule, since the church is his instrument in carrying out his purposes for the cosmos.98

11 Christ now sets out94 to accomplish the goal of filling all things by supplying95 his people with everything necessary to foster the growth and perfection of the body (v. 13). Having achieved dominion over all the powers through his victorious ascent,96 he sovereignly distributes gifts to the members of his body.97 The building of the body is inextricably linked with his intention of filling the universe with his rule, since the church is his instrument in carrying out his purposes for the cosmos.98

To be in Christ is the source of the Christian’s life; to be like Christ is the sum of his excellence; to be with Christ is the fulness of his joy.

CHARLES HODGE

The May 1987 edition of National Geographic included a feature about the arctic wolf. Author L. David Mech described how a seven-member pack had targeted several musk-oxen calves who were guarded by eleven adults. As the wolves approached their quarry, the musk-oxen bunched in an impenetrable semicircle, their deadly rear hooves facing out, and the calves remained safe during a long standoff with the enemy.

But then a single ox broke rank, and the herd scattered into nervous little groups. A skirmish ensued, and the adults finally fled in panic, leaving the calves to the mercy of the predators. Not a single calf survived.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 that after his departure wolves would come, not sparing the flock. Wolves continue to attack the church today but cannot penetrate and destroy when unity is maintained. When believers break ranks, however, they provide easy prey.

Many years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton, and when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had first met one another in school when the armless Kaspryzak had guided the blind Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books that the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the deficiency of each individual was compensated for by the other’s ability.