Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 4

Worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.—This “being worthy of the Christian calling” may obviously show itself in any of the graces of regenerate humanity, all being features of the image of Christ. Thus in 1 Peter 1:15 it expresses itself in “holiness” (as in the frequent phrase called to be saints); in Philippians 1:27-30, in steadfastness of faith. But in this passage the especial point which has been dwelt upon in their calling is the fact that they were aliens, helpless and miserable, and that they are now united in one body with the ancient people of God. Hence, naturally, the graces declared to correspond with their calling, so viewed, are the graces of humility and gentleness, teaching them to sink all thought of self in the unity of the Spirit.

On verses 1-6:

Ephesians 4:1–6, although cast in a hortatory form, contains the final summary of the great doctrine of the Epistle—THE UNITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH—in words which have all the glowing freedom of spiritual enthusiasm, and all the clear-cut precision of a creed.

Thus:

1. The ground of that unity is laid in that spiritual communion of each soul with the one Spirit, the one Lord, and the one God and Father of all, which underlies all outward ordinance, and which no power of man can either give or take away.
2. The means of entering that unity is the one baptism, ordained by Christ Himself, universal in the Christian world, capable of being ministered (though irregularly) by any Christian hand.
3. The graces, which in germ are conditions, and in full growth are effects, of such unity are the one hope, the one faith, the one bond of peace or charity. These last most of all depend on the “fellow-working” of man—primarily in the soul receiving them, and secondarily in all who can influence it for good and for evil.

We have here a perfect and exhaustive exposition of the unity of the Church, on which depend the other qualities of “Holiness,” “Catholicity,” and “Apostolicity” ascribed to it in the Creed.

In other passages the essential life of the Church is attributed, now to the revelation of the Father (Matthew 16:17–18), now to the indwelling presence of the Son (Matthew 28:20), now to the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38–39). Here all are united in one comprehensive view.

The order, however, is natural, not artificial. The exhortation to peace naturally leads to the conception of one Body, animated by the one Spirit; next, the remembrance of their calling leads to the one Lord, who called them to Him in one faith and by one baptism; and all ends in the contemplation of the one God and Father, who is not only above all and through all His creation, but especially in those who are adopted to a new sonship in Christ .

In its completeness and depth this passage stands alone. It is interesting to compare and contrast with it the equally celebrated passage occupying the corresponding place in the Colossian Epistle (Colossians 3:1–4), and to gather from this the mingled similarity and difference in the main idea of those two Epistles—the Ephesian Epistle dwelling especially on the unity and regeneration of the whole body, the Colossian Epistle on the sole Headship and Deity of Christ.

From this general description of the regeneration of the soul from the death of sin, in the Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Paul now moves on to address special moral duties (Ephesians 4:25–30)—the casting out of falsehood, wrath, dishonesty, and impurity. These are the four typical sins forbidden in the four general Commandments of the Second Table: the Ninth, the Sixth, the Eighth, and the Seventh. But he addresses all of them with a marked and striking distinctiveness—in relation to the great principle of unity in Christ, rather than in relation to a person’s own nature or individual responsibility to God. In this approach, he shows the vivid practical application of the characteristic doctrine of this Epistle.

On Ephesians 4:2-3:

Forbearing one another in love... (Ephesians 4:2). The word translated “endeavouring” is, in the original, a word expressing “earnestness” of thought and exertion to secure something not easily obtained. (See 2 Timothy 4:9–21; Hebrews 4:11; 2 Peter 1:10.) It shows that Saint Paul here moves from the negative aspects of love, summarized in forbearance, to the more positive and energetic effort for unity and peace.

Love is, in both aspects, the uniting bond of peace. In the parallel passage of Colossians 3:14, it is put on over all else, and is the uniting bond of perfectness. In the celebrated thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to Corinthians (Ephesians 4:4–7) it is made to include long-suffering and kindness, and all forms of humility and gentleness. But, if it is real, it must necessarily develop into active energy; if it is to win the final beatitude of blessing to the peacemakers, it must labour for peace, and follow after the things which make for peace (Psalms 120:7; Romans 14:19).

The unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3) is certainly the unity given by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We cannot create this, for it is the gift of God; but we can keep it: that is, to cherish it, guard it, and make it effective through love. And all experience proves that, if we are to keep it, we need earnest effort against evils without and within.

Ephesians 4:12–16 returns from the diversity of functions to the singleness of object—namely, the perfecting of individual souls in the likeness of Christ, and so the building up of the whole Church in unity with Him.

There is one body, and one Spirit.—The words “There is” are not in the original, which starts with a striking abruptness, and with that terse concentration of thought and word which marks out an embryo creed.

The “one body” is the Body of Christ, from whom it is fitly framed, joined together, and compacted, so that in every part it grows up into Him. But this communion with God in Christ being the life eternal, the Holy Spirit, by making it effective for both the Church and the individual soul, is the “Lord and Giver of Life.” Hence, His presence is spoken of as being to the body of Christ what the spirit is to the natural body—the uniting and vivifying power for all its members. Under the same idea we have (1 Corinthians 12:13), as a description of the first entrance into the Church of Christ, By one Spirit are we all baptised into one body . . . and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Even as you are (or rather, were) called in one hope of your calling.—The connection, though not at first obvious, is clear on consideration. Since the grace of the Holy Spirit is not only the “seal” of regeneration, but also the “earnest” (Ephesians 1:14) of future perfection, the mention of the one Spirit suggests naturally the hope of our calling (i.e., the perfect unity of heaven). In this, in spite of all natural and spiritual inequalities, and in spite even of our divisions and conflicts upon earth, all Christians are still actually one. Hence the communion of saints is perhaps most clearly realized in the times of high spiritual aspiration, and in the near presence of death.

One Lord, one faith.—From the idea of the calling, the Apostle passes naturally to Him who calls—the one Lord—and to the method of His calling to Himself, first, by the one faith, and then by the one baptism at which the profession of that one faith is made. It is on the indwelling of Christ in each heart by faith that the spiritual unity of all Christians—primarily with Him, secondarily with one another—depends; and that spiritual unity is put on in baptism (Galatians 3:27), in which we are buried with Him and risen again (Colossians 2:12), growing into the likeness of His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–5).

Again we note that, with but few exceptions, all Christians, even in the divided condition of the Church, are still united in the one baptism; and if we look to such expressions of the one faith as are contained in the baptismal profession (e.g., of the Apostles’ Creed), it is clear that our divisions, great as they are, turn mainly on the fourth subsidiary Article on the “Holy Catholic Church,” and not on the three primary Articles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In these the mass of Christendom has still one faith.