Systematic Bible Study
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A literal translation of the Greek text -
Eph 4:11 And ( καὶ ) he ( αὐτὸς, emphatic: the risen glorified victorious Christ) gave ( ἔδωκεν, aorist active indicative ) the indeed apostles ( τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους ); but also the prophets ( τοὺς δὲ προφήτας ); but also the evangelists ( τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς ); but also the pastors and teachers ( τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους );
Eph 4:12 Towards ( πρὸς ) the complete furnishing ( τὸν καταρτισμὸν ) of the saints ( τῶν ἁγίων ), into work ( εἰς ἔργον ) of ministry ( διακονίας ), into edifying ( εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ) of the body ( τοῦ σώματος ) of Christ ( τοῦ Χριστοῦ ):
Eph 4:13 Till ( μέχρι ) we settle down instead ( καταντήσωμεν , aorist active subjunctive , from kata/down and anti/instead) the all ( οἱ πάντες ) into the unity ( εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα ) of the faith ( τῆς πίστεως ), and of the knowledge ( καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως ) of the Son ( τοῦ υἱοῦ ) of God ( τοῦ θεοῦ ), into a perfect man ( εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον ), into a measure ( εἰς μέτρον ) of stature ( ἡλικίας ) of the fulness ( τοῦ πληρώματος ) of Christ ( τοῦ Χριστοῦ ):
My paraphrase of the sense of the Greek text -
11 And He gives/gave the very apostles upon whom and also upon Christ, all churches are built, but also, from the midst of those churches , the prophets, as well as the evangelists, and also the pastor-teachers, 12 to assist toward the completely furnishing of the saints for the kind of work of service that builds up the body of Christ, 13 until as a community we should, in contrast to our present state, all settle down instead, at some point, into the unity of the faith of the Son of God, and the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God: into a perfect man, into the fulness of Christ's measure of stature.
1. "And He gives/gave the very apostles upon whom and also upon Christ, all churches have been planted" - The aorist form is not really a tense, but an aspect. It regards the action as being observed at a particular single point in time, like a photograph taken at a point in time. The photo could be of the past, present or future. The action photographed could be momentary, continuous or intermittent. Sometimes context gives some clue as to which of these options appertains, but not always. I would lean towards the aorists here being gnomic: whenever apostles are sent out by the Lord, it is the Lord giving them to the church for the purpose that Paul will give soon.
2. "but also, from the midst of those churches derived from the apostles, the prophets, as well as the evangelists, and also the pastor-teachers," - The apostles planted churches and from within those churches there also arose prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers. Prophets speak forth a new timely word from God to the church and the world.
Evangelists present the gospel message to the unsaved that faith in Jesus Christ might arise in their hearts.
Pastors tend the flock of God, defending them, tending to wounds with compassion, leading by example. To do this competently, they must also be able to teach from God's word.
Teachers feed the flock of God, but should also have a broader pastoral concern for those they teach. Hence IMO Paul here links pastors and teachers together as one category: pastor-teachers.
3. "to assist toward the completely furnishing of the saints for the kind of work of service that builds up the body of Christ," - These ministries are given to the church by Christ for a specific purpose: to train others to serve in such a way as to grow the body of Christ in numbers and to build a more Christlike maturity in members' lives. If the church is not bringing in new converts, or the members are not becoming more Christ-like, then those of us with these gifts are not exercised them properly. We need to ask God for better understanding and study more intently how Jesus exercised our gift/s in His ministry.
4. "until as a community we should, in contrast to our present state, all settle down instead, at some point, into the unity of the faith of the Son of God," - The word " καταντήσωμεν , aorist active subjunctive " is a combination of kata (down) and anti (instead). It indicates going from one place to another place instead. It us used of leaving somewhere and arriving somewhere else. Churches at present are a mixture of mature and immature, doubting and confident, broken and healed, error and truth, sin and holiness, worldliness and self-control.... But the Holy Spirit is given, and His gifts are given to the church to move members on from immaturity, brokenness, sin and worldliness ... to a place and time to come when we will all have a deep abiding unshakeable faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
5. "and the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God" - There will also be a time to come when we will all know Christ as we are known by Him, seeing Him face to face, interacting with His physical presence on the earth, and all our disputes about what He is like and what He wants of us will be obsolete. In the meantime, these gifts need to be exercised to move the members of the church along a path of more confidence in Christ and an increasingly genuine experience of Him.
6. " into a perfect man, into the fulness of Christ's measure of stature." - One day, at the resurrection of the just, all our shortcomings in terms of character and behaviour, and all our theological and doctrinal disagreements will be brought into conformity to Christ's own character, behaviour and truth, so that we co-operate fully in performing God's will toward one another and the rest of creation.
I was considering translating "capture at the point of a spear" as "menace into surrender", but I thought the face to face confrontation implied by at the point of a spear was important. Jesus did not just command from His throne in heaven and force satan to release those in Hades He wanted freed. In His glorified form He went down into Hades, said "I'm baaack!" and faced off with satan, demanding the release of those He wanted, in a metaphor, forcing satan and he demons back away from the imprisoned souls at spearpoint. and taking them before their very eyes, up to the earth's surface. Maybe some of those souls were allowed to visit loved ones on their way up into heaven, and perhaps they were the ones Matthew mentions. Bodies may not be physical bodies here. but rather heavenly bodies that saints have in heaven as they await the resurrection.
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Awesome! Is everyone in different places? So I just read and comment on something I read? I just need to make sure I get this right!
Well, from my perspective conducting a systematic Bible study on CC is like herding cats, so yes and yes.
We all want to get our understanding of Scripture right by doing what you said: "analyze the scriptures and submit my understanding to the Holy Spirit for revelation throughout discussion."
That would have been awesome if the NIV translators had put "I'm baaack!" in Eph. 4:8!
Naw they aren’t the things from the law of Moses like this are what Paul’s talking about “ works of the law @
“And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
Exodus 21:23-25
“And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.”
Leviticus 24:19-20 KJV
That’s a Hindrance to the gospel of the lord
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Matthew 5:38-39 KJV
It went from the people repaying the sinner equally eye for eye tooth for tooth justice among them to “ don’t do that old thing you heard but instead be merciful to those who wrong you and you’ll receive mercy forgive those who offend you and you’ll be forgiven turn the other cheek rather than relatiating equally “
or marriage is another good example of how the law hinders the gospel
Moses said
“When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Deuteronomy 24:1-2 KJV
“They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery:
and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Matthew 19:7-9
moses had said the opposite in the law
“let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.”
they were Constantly asking him about the laws precepts and he was constantly telling them other , new and better things . “The works of the law “ has nothing to do with obedience to chi diet and his word that’s why it can’t save anyone can’t be saved by repaying evil with an equal amount evil that’s not Christianity
“For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
John 1:17 KJV
Our faith begins at Jesus not Moses to reject his word is insanity
Not sure that the OT law of retribution rightly applied is a hindrance to the Gospel,
because it indicates why repentance/forgiveness is needed and why just punishment of Hitler
in hell might take a very long time--and almost eternity for Satan.
A literal translation of the Greek text of Eph 4:14-16
Eph 4:14
[13 He took captivity captive and gave gifts to men, in order that He might fill/fulfil all things], 14 In order that ( ἵνα ) no longer ( μηκέτι ) we might/should keep on being ( ὦμεν, present subjunctive ) children ( νήπιοι ), being tossed to and fro ( κλυδωνιζόμενοι , present passive participle ), and ( καὶ ) being carried about ( περιφερόμενοι , present passive participle ) by/with every wind ( παντὶ ἀνέμῳ ) of the doctrine ( τῆς διδασκαλίας ) in the dice/gamble ( ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ ) of the men ( τῶν ἀνθρώπων ) in/by cunning skill ( ἐν πανουργίᾳ ), towards ( πρὸς ) the traveling/going along with ( τὴν μεθοδείαν ) of the deception ( τῆς πλάνης ).
Eph 4:15
But speaking the truth ( ἀληθεύοντες δὲ , present active participle ) in love ( ἐν ἀγάπῃ ), we might/should grow up ( αὐξήσωμεν , aorist active subjunctive) into him ( εἰς αὐτὸν ) the all things, ( τὰ πάντα ) which ( ὅς ) is ( ἐστιν ) the head ( ἡ κεφαλή ), the Christ ( ὁ Χριστός ):
Eph 4:16
out of whom (ἐξ οὗ ) all the body ( πᾶν τὸ σῶμα , nominative case ) being laid down and joined together ( συναρμολογούμενον , present passive participle, with + joint/s + laid down) and being made to be knit together ( καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον , present passive participle, with + forced ) through ( διὰ ) of every joint (πάσης ἁφῆς , genitive case) of the supply ( τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας , genitive case), according to efficiency/efficacy/effectiveness ( κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ) in/by means of a measure ( ἐν μέτρῳ ) of one's each's part (ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους ), the increase ( τὴν αὔξησιν , accusative case ) of the body ( τοῦ σώματος , genitive case ) is making ( ποιεῖται , present indicative) into/for edification ( εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ) of itself ( ἑαυτοῦ ) in/by means of love ( ἐν ἀγάπῃ ).
My own paraphrase of my understanding of the sense of the Greek text -
[In a face to face confrontation Christ raided captives from their captors and gave the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts to men, 14 in order that he might fulfil all things written], in order that we should no longer remain as children, being tossed to and fro and being carried about by every wind of the doctrine that is as uncertain as the outcome in the dice thrown by those same men, who are dealing in cunning craftiness to get us to go along with their deception. 15 No, we should no longer be being tossed to and fro and carried away by every doctrinal theory that wafts our way, but by speaking the truth in love we should grow up into Him, "the all things" prophesied that were fulfilled, who is the head of the body , namely the Christ. 16 Out of [Christ], as it is being laid down and joined together and being made to be knit together through that supplied out of Christ through every joint, all the body (the head with the body) is producing out of Christ the growth of the body, to build up itself by means of love, according to the degree of each one's contribution's effectiveness.
1. "[In a face to face confrontation Christ raided captives from their captors and gave the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts to men, 14 in order that he might fulfil all things written], in order that we should no longer remain as children... -
Before Christ came we were children under tutors, but Christ has given us the Spirit of adoption, and at the resurrection we will be adopted -
Gal. 4 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Rom 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The purpose of being given the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts is to move us toward maturity to a point where we can competently govern with Christ over the earth.
2. "being tossed to and fro and being carried about by every wind of the doctrine that is as uncertain as the outcome in the dice thrown by those same men, who are dealing in cunning craftiness to get us to go along with their deception." -
Children are credulous and gullible. They don't realise how easily others can deceive them. The Holy Spirit and the Bible give us discernment to compare what is being taught to us against an objective truthful standard: the received and preserved Hebrew, Chaldee and Greek texts of the Old and New Testaments. We are playing dice with our spiritual health when we naively follow teachers without prayerfully checking their doctrine against the scriptures. Many teachers are as honest in dealing with scripture as gamblers who using loaded dice are in taking wagers.
3. "15 {No, we should no longer be being tossed to and fro and carried away by every doctrinal theory that wafts our way, but by speaking the truth in love we should grow up into Him, "the all things" prophesied and fulfilled" -
We see here a subtle play on the words pneuma/breath and anemos/wind. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God directed under God's control, as our breath is under ours. But the wind blows where it wills, undisciplined and chaotic, going no one knows where. with no ultimate destination. Following God's Spirit is traveling along with life-giving breath into hope and a future. Following men's ideas is living by chance, hoping for the best without any guarantees.
By speaking the truth in love we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, and our words are healing and life to those who hear them. The more we speak the truth in love, the more we become like Christ who fulfilled all the prophesies about Himself. In speaking like Him we can expect the same result: to fulfil all the prophesies about God's people.
4. " who is the head of the body , namely the Christ."
The one who fulfilled all things prophesied of Him is the head of the church, and the head of a body directs it. Without communication from the head, a body is unable to function intelligently. To function harmoniously with the rest of the church I must acknowledge and submit to Christ's headship over me.
5. "16 Out of [Christ], as it [all the body] is being laid down and joined together and being made to be knit together through that supplied out of Christ through every joint,..." -
Every resource that each member of the body supplies to the rest of the body comes out of Christ. That is, all resources originate in Christ.
The body being assembled with its parts being added is likened to a building where more and more blocks are laid down, mortared and pushed together, but where that mortar is exuded from the blocks themselves, after being supplied to the blocks injected into them by the Builder, Christ.
5. "all the body (the head with the body) is producing out of Christ the growth of the body,..." -
The growth of the body is a joint venture between the head and the body. Christ the head gifts resources to the body parts and the faithful ministry of those body parts draws others into faith in Christ and membership within the body.
6. "to build up itself by means of love, according to the degree of each one's contribution's effectiveness." -
Love is the fundamental mortar that holds all the members of the body together and matures them, and attracts outsiders to add themselves to the body of Christ. And the more effectiveness each one's ministry to the body and toward those outside is, the more people will be added to the body, and the more mature members become within the body.
Thanks PT. I notice that "waves" is not in your translation, and it makes more sense to connect being tossed with being blown by the various doctrinal "winds", which we see evidenced on CC threads such as the one about whether we can have free will. And applied to that thread, this passage indicates that believers gain MFW as they LGW, especially the doctrine "Speak the truth in love." The context I have in mind includes Galatians 5:18 & 23, Romans 7:6 & 13:8-10.
Re the body metaphor, it is apt, especially as elaborated in 1Cor. 11:12-27, but I imagine Paul would have also compared it to a
symphony orchestra if he had lived during the classical period of music. (I played second violin by reading notes, but my grandpa wished I could play the fiddle by ear :^)
EPH 4:17-19, "So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more."
Paul speaks of the atheist Gentiles, not the ones who have believed the Gospel. Like the Jews who reject Christ, they foolishly harden their hearts against learning God's Gospel, which means they have no moral compass. Paul commands the Ephesian believers not to think that because they have received forgiveness and share Christ's righteousness that this gives them license to sin.
Paul speaks of the atheist Gentiles, not the ones who have believed the Gospel. Like the Jews who reject Christ, they foolishly harden their hearts against learning God's Gospel, which means they have no moral compass. Paul commands the Ephesian believers not to think that because they have received forgiveness and share Christ's righteousness that this gives them license to sin.
EPH 4:20-24, “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Apparently Paul was hearing that the Ephesians were not manifesting the fruit of Holy Spirit but rather thinking that because they were saved it did not matter how they behaved, which is aka cheap grace. So, at this point in the epistle Paul launched into a long sermon in order to correct this deficiency in their understanding of the Gospel, which stressed saving faith to the neglect of sanctifying faith or good works (cf. Eph. 2:8-10).
Paul called for them to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (cf. Rom. 12:2), and to become righteous in practice as well as because of being credited with the holiness of Christ (cf. Rom. 3:21-26, 4:18-25). In his epistle to the Philippians Paul indicated that we will not obtain perfection in this life, but it should be every Christian’s goal (Phil. 3:12-14).
Apparently Paul was hearing that the Ephesians were not manifesting the fruit of Holy Spirit but rather thinking that because they were saved it did not matter how they behaved, which is aka cheap grace. So, at this point in the epistle Paul launched into a long sermon in order to correct this deficiency in their understanding of the Gospel, which stressed saving faith to the neglect of sanctifying faith or good works (cf. Eph. 2:8-10).
Paul called for them to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (cf. Rom. 12:2), and to become righteous in practice as well as because of being credited with the holiness of Christ (cf. Rom. 3:21-26, 4:18-25). In his epistle to the Philippians Paul indicated that we will not obtain perfection in this life, but it should be every Christian’s goal (Phil. 3:12-14).
Paul is busy again, but plowing on a little more slowly:
EPH 4:25-27, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
Per 1John 5:6 the HS is Truth, and per John 8:44 Jesus said that the devil is a liar, the father of lies and
that lying is in the same vein as murder. The reference to "neighbor" (cf. Matt. 22:39) seems to make truthfulness akin to love.
The mention of membership in the body of Christ could be viewed as limiting truth-telling to fellow believers, but Paul probably meant "especially" to Christian neighbors, as in Gal. 6:10.
"In your anger do not sin" quotes Psalm 4:4, and implies that justifiable anger is not the sin of unrighteous rage, which might be avoided or prevented by following the instructions of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 ASAP.
EPH 4:25-27, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
Per 1John 5:6 the HS is Truth, and per John 8:44 Jesus said that the devil is a liar, the father of lies and
that lying is in the same vein as murder. The reference to "neighbor" (cf. Matt. 22:39) seems to make truthfulness akin to love.
The mention of membership in the body of Christ could be viewed as limiting truth-telling to fellow believers, but Paul probably meant "especially" to Christian neighbors, as in Gal. 6:10.
"In your anger do not sin" quotes Psalm 4:4, and implies that justifiable anger is not the sin of unrighteous rage, which might be avoided or prevented by following the instructions of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 ASAP.
A literal translation of the Greek text -
Eph 4:17 This ( Τοῦτο ) therefore ( οὖν ) I am saying ( λέγω , present active indicative ), and am testifying ( καὶ μαρτύρομαι , present active indicative) in the Lord ( ἐν κυρίῳ ), not still ( μηκέτι ) you ( ὑμᾶς ) to be walking ( περιπατεῖν , present infinitive ) just as ( καθὼς ) also (καὶ ) the other Gentiles (τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη ) are walking ( περιπατεῖ , present active indicative ), in a vanity ( ἐν ματαιότητι ) of the mind ( τοῦ νοὸς , gen. s. m. ) of them ( αὐτῶν )
Eph 4:18 having been darkened ( ἐσκοτισμένοι , perfect passive participle, nom. pl. m.) of the understanding ( τῇ διανοίᾳ ) they being ( ὄντες , present participle, nom. m. pl. ), they having been alienated ( ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι , perfect passive participle nom. pl. m.) from/of the life (τῆς ζωῆς , genitive . s. f. ) of the God ( τοῦ θεοῦ ) through the ignorance ( διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν, acc. s. f. ) the ignorance being ( τὴν οὖσαν , present participle, acc. s. f. ) in them, ( ἐν αὐτοῖς ) through/into ( διὰ ) the blindness ( τὴν πώρωσιν ) of the heart ( τῆς καρδίας ) of them ( αὐτῶν ):
Eph 4:19 who (οἵτινες , nom. pl. m. ) having been made past feeling ( ἀπηλγηκότες , perfect passive/middle participle, nom. pl. m. ) themselves ( ἑαυτοὺς , acc. pl. m. ) they gave over ( παρέδωκαν , aorist active indicative ) to the lasciviousness ( τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ ), into every work of uncleanness ( εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης ) in greediness ( ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ ).
My own paraphrase of the sense of the Greek text -
17 This therefore I am saying and testifying in the Lord that you are not still to be walking just as the other Gentiles are walking: in their mind's futility, 18 being people who have had their understanding darkened and who have been alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them causing the blindness of their hearts; 19 people who, after becoming desensitised gave themselves over to unbridled lust that produces every unclean work because of an insatiable hunger for more and more.
Eph 4:14 - 16 presents a lifestyle for Christians that is disciplined and focused on contributing to, and on behalf of, the Christian community that which will grow the church by building up other members of the body and by drawing new members into the body. In 4:17 -19 Paul contrasts this with the dissipation characterising many of those outside the church, who waste their time and energy chasing after things that cannot satisfy their soul and often do them serious harm.
1. "This therefore I am saying and testifying in the Lord that you are not still to be walking just as the other Gentiles are walking: in their mind's futility" -
The mind set on the flesh is driven by instincts that assist with physical survival. The mind set on the Spirit is not at all concerned about physical survival, since Christ has conquered death. The mind constantly anxious about its own mortality and limited physical life span seeks to fill its limited time with physical pleasures, and securing physical needs. The fleshly minded chased Christ around Israel hoping to get their physical needs met (John 6). But any meeting of those needs is only short-lived. A full stomach will get hungry again, A resurrected son will die again. A healed daughter will get sick again.
But the spiritually minded seeks things that are age-lasting: communion with God, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, resurrection into the millennial age...
2. "being people who have had their understanding darkened and who have become alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them causing the blindness of their hearts" -
How does our understanding become darkened ?
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
We fail to glorify God as God, that is recognising and confessing His true excellence.
We fail to give Him thanks for all he provides and does that blesses us.
Having departed from the above two truths, we substitute our own imagined but false alternative facts that justify doing those first two.
Professing ourselves to be wise based on our imagined fabricated truths, we become fools believing nonsense.
Our heart full of lies (darkness) and devoid of truth (light) has become darkened.
This heart full of lies alienates us from the life of God, the Spirit of Truth.
3. "people who, after becoming desensitised" -
Desensitised to what? Desensitised to the reality of God and the life of God, the Holy Spirit.
4. "gave themselves over to unbridled lust that produces every unclean work because of an insatiable hunger for more and more." -
Since man is designed to be consciously connected to God (the Root), and to be a branch drawing its sustenance from the Root, a man who has lost connection with God cannot find satisfaction, no matter how much he accumulates and consumes. He may try to find it in what is good. But when that is not enough without God, he will look in the unclean places as well, but never finding the satisfaction He is seeking.,
Thanks for the nuances in your paraphrase, although I would suggest that the mind set on the Spirit is not worried or mainly concerned about physical necessities rather than "at all concerned"--as your next sentence indicates/clarifies. Or as I like to think, we are concerned both with earning a living with a tithe surplus to share and primarily with qualifying for living eternally where there will be a surfeit of blessings that you cited.
Regarding ignorance: I employ that term as a pun meaning both uninformed of GW and disobeying GW--
and both may be due to foolish choices made because of MFW. Why some choose to be foolish is a mystery.
Not sure whether God knows that some might have a psychological excuse such as evil parents.
A literal translation of the Greek text -
Eph 4:20 But ye ( ὑμεῖς δὲ ) not ( οὐχ ) in this way ( οὕτως ) learned ( ἐμάθετε , aorist active indicative ) the Christ ( τὸν Χριστόν );
Eph 4:21 If so be that ( εἴγε ) him ( αὐτὸν ) you heard ( ἠκούσατε ), and ( καὶ ) in Him (ἐν αὐτῷ ) were taught ( ἐδιδάχθητε , aorist passive indicative ) by him, just as ( καθώς ) is ( ἐστιν ) truth ( ἀλήθεια ) in Jesus ( ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ):
Eph 4:22 To put off (ἀποθέσθαι , aorist middle infinitive ) you ( ὑμᾶς ) concerning ( κατὰ ) the former ( τὴν προτέραν ) behaviour (ἀναστροφὴν ) the old man ( τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ), the one being corrupted ( τὸν φθειρόμενον , present passive participle ) according to the lusts ( κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ) the deceitful ( τῆς ἀπάτης ) ;
Eph 4:23 And to be being renewed ( ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ ) in the spirit ( τῷ πνεύματι ) of the mind ( τοῦ νοὸς ) of you ( ὑμῶν ) ;
Eph 4:24 And to put on ( καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι , aorist middle passive ) the new man ( τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ), the according to God ( τὸν κατὰ θεὸν ) created ( κτισθέντα , aorist passive participle ) in righteousness ( ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ) and holiness ( καὶ ὁσιότητι ) of the truth ( τῆς ἀληθείας ) .
My paraphrase of the sense of the Greek text -
20 But you did not learn Christ like this - that you may give free rein to your instinctive desires, 21 if it so be that you heard Him and were taught by Him, just as the truth is in Jesus - 22 the truth that, in regard to your former behaviour, you are to put off the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with his deceitful lusts - 23 and you are to be being renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and you are to put on the new man, who is according to God, created in righteousness and true holiness.
1. "But you did not learn Christ like this - that you may give free rein to your instinctive desires, 21 if it so be that you heard Him and were taught by Him, just as the truth is in Jesus" -
Paul did not preach an antinomian cheap grace gospel, as if, since all sins have been forgiven at the cross, we do not need to rein in our self-interested desires to enjoy the fruits Christ's redemption won for us. The fear of death keeps us in bondage to sin, as we make decisions focused on preserving our own life that sacrifice the needs of others. Christ's victory over death actually frees us to focus on sacrificing our life-sustaining resources to help others rather than maximising our own chances of physical survival. As we consider how Jesus lived His life and admire Him, we become more self-controlled and squander our attention on fewer frivolities, focusing our efforts on things that matter to the God who we appreciate and towards whom we are sincerely grateful.
2. "the truth that, in regard to your former behaviour, you are to put off the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with his deceitful lusts" -
Paul is expressing an expectation that is a response to meeting Christ Jesus. In the light of Christ's example of an excellent human life guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are ashamed of the venal small-mindedness of our usual responses to circumstances, and we should desire to shed them in order to emulate Him in our lives.
3. "and you are to be being renewed in the spirit of your mind" -
There is an expectation that we replace the patterns of thought we have developed as we were ruled by our instincts. These are to be replaced with truths revealed to us by the Spirit of Truth whom Christ gave to be in us ( Jhn 14:17 ) to take what is His and declare it to us ( Jhn 16:14 ) and to lead us into all truth ( Jhn 16:13 ). We need to actively reject thoughts that conflict with God's word and the Holy Spirit's counsel, putting them off , discarding them like worthless tattered garments.
4, " and you are to put on the new man, who is according to God,
And we are to actively receive and own those truths revealed by God to us in Scripture and by the Holy Spirit, putting them on like new and glorious royal robes, wearing them unapologetically and with dignity.
I would add that from my own perspective, what constitutes "God's revealed truth as scripture" is the Greek, Hebrew and Chaldee text and whatever is an accurate interpretation of the meaning God intended to convey via those texts. A bible is God's word only where it accurately conveys what God intended to communicate by the words the original scribes wrote. Where we have received and own a false interpretation of God's truth from receiving a false translation of a passage, we need to be willing to replace that translation with a better one that more accurately conveys what God's words actually meant to Him. ( Mat 4:4 ) We must act boldly and in good faith on what we sincerely believe the Bible is saying, trusting in God's super-abundant grace and mercy to forgive with our sincere mistakes - no paralysis by endless analysis - but we also need to remain aware that what we think God said because our Bible translation says it, may need later revision based on an honest investigation of the text in the original languages. - no epistemological arrogance. IMO, dogmatic assertions of heresy against other Jesus-followers based on Bible translations that are skewed by the translators' own presumptions about what is theological "orthodoxy", should be avoided by those who choose to remain Greek , Chaldee and Hebrew illiterate.
5. "created in righteousness and true holiness" -
When we turn our mind away from instinct (repent) to put our faith in Christ and His promises and wisdom (believe), we become new creatures. We receive a new spirit and therefore have a new heart, heart being soul + spirit ( Eze 18:31 ), in which the Holy Spirit comes to abide ( Jhn 14:16 ) until the day of the redemption of our body, ( Eph 1:14 ) the day of our bodily resurrection. ( Jhn 14:17 ). That new spirit is perfectly holy and righteous, made in the image of Jesus' spirit, filled with God and all that Jesus has won through His life, death and resurrection. It is "is according to God" as per 4 above. All that Jesus had won and now belongs to Him is available to us from the spiritual realm, from His Spirit through our new spirit, and is appropriated by us into the physical realm by persevering faith ( 2Pe 1:4 ). Our new spirit is sealed so that no corruption can enter it ( Eph 4:30 ). Corruption remains in our soul and flesh. Our soul must be renovated over time so that our thoughts agree with God's truth. Our body needs to be brought into submission to the the perfect spirit and the renewing mind so that it behaves in accordance with the new truths the mind is adopting. Our body is being subdued by our spirit and soul now, but will be renovated at the resurrection.
EPH 4:25-28, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger, do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
In this passage Paul begins to describe how the new self should behave. The first command is against lying to a fellow believer, but the pronouncement of Jesus against lying in John 8:44 precludes thinking that it is permissible to lie to unbelievers.
The second command against anger echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 and precludes murder in accordance with the sixth of the OT Ten Commandments.
The third command reaffirms the eighth of the Ten Commandments against stealing and goes beyond it by commanding manual work and charity.
In this passage Paul begins to describe how the new self should behave. The first command is against lying to a fellow believer, but the pronouncement of Jesus against lying in John 8:44 precludes thinking that it is permissible to lie to unbelievers.
The second command against anger echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 and precludes murder in accordance with the sixth of the OT Ten Commandments.
The third command reaffirms the eighth of the Ten Commandments against stealing and goes beyond it by commanding manual work and charity.