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Scott's Reference Library
Ephesians 4:1 through Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the
calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing
with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were
called to one hope when you were called—5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is
why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower,
earthly regions? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than
all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11It was he who gave some
to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that
the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole
measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and
blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness
of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we
will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him
the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and
builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 1-6
Nothing is pressed more earnestly in the Scriptures, than to walk as becomes
those called to Christ’s kingdom and glory. By lowliness, understand humility,
which is opposed to pride. By meekness, that excellent disposition of soul,
which makes men unwilling to provoke, and not easily to be provoked or offended.
We find much in ourselves for which we can hardly forgive ourselves; therefore
we must not be surprised if we find in others that which we think it hard to
forgive. There is one Christ in whom all believers hope, and one heaven they are
all hoping for; therefore they should be of one heart. They had all one faith,
as to its object, Author, nature, and power. They all believed the same as to
the great truths of religion; they had all been admitted into the church by one
baptism, with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, as the sign of regeneration. In all believers God the Father dwells, as
in his holy temple, by his Spirit and special grace.
VERSES 7-16
Unto every believer is given some gift of grace, for their mutual help. All is
given as seems best to Christ to bestow upon every one. He received for them,
that he might give to them, a large measure of gifts and graces; particularly
the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not a mere head knowledge, or bare acknowledging
Christ to be the Son of God, but such as brings trust and obedience. There is a
fulness in Christ, and a measure of that fulness given in the counsel of God to
every believer; but we never come to the perfect measure till we come to heaven.
God’s children are growing, as long as they are in this world; and the
Christian’s growth tends to the glory of Christ. The more a man finds himself
drawn out to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all that he
has received, to the spiritual good of others, he may the more certainly believe
that he has the grace of sincere love and charity rooted in his heart.