Charles Ellicott Commentary Ephesians 4:2

"with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;" — Ephesians 4:2 (ASV)

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.