Interpretative Problem with Ephesians 4.14
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday March 22, 2025
Ephesians Series: Interpretative Problem with Ephesians 4:14
Lesson # 238
Ephesians 4:11 Therefore, on the one hand, He Himself generously gave some to be apostles but on other hand, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, specifically, teachers 12 for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body 13 until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the one and only Christian faith. Correspondingly, until all of us without exception attains to the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son. Until each and every one of us as a corporate unit attains to experiencing a mature man. Until all of us without exception attains to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character. 14 In order that each of us as a corporate unit would no longer be children. Specifically, those who are tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place by means of every wind, that is teaching by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race because of craftiness according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:14 is composed of the following:
(1) hina (ἵνα) purpose clause: hina mēketi ōmen nēpioi (ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι), “In order that each of us as a corporate unit would no longer be children.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) Attributive participial clause: klydōnizomenoi kai peripheromenoi panti anemō tēs didaskalias (κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ περιφερόμενοι παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας), “Specifically, those who are tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place by means of every wind, that is teaching.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) prepositional phrase: en tē kybeia tōn anthrōpōn (ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων), “by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) prepositional phrase: en panourgia (ἐν πανουργίᾳ), “because of craftiness.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(5) prepositional phrase: pros tēn methodeian tēs planēs (πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης), “according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception.” (Lecturer’s translation)
There is an interpretative problem with the hina (ἵνα) purpose clause: hina mēketi ōmen nēpioi (ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι), “In order that each of us as a corporate unit would no longer be children.” (Lecturer’s translation).
Some expositors argue that the conjunction hina (ἵνα) is employed with the subjunctive conjugation of the verb katantaō (καταντάω), “we attain” in order to form a result clause.
This type of clause views the end of the action of the main verb and emphasizes the outcome or result of the action of the main verb rather than the “intention” as the purpose clause does.
Therefore, this would indicate that the hina (ἵνα) clause presents the result of the members of the body of Christ attaining to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the one and only Christian faith.
This would mean that the believer no longer being a child spiritually or in other spiritually immature is the result of the believer attaining to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the Christian faith.
Furthermore, as we noted in our study of Ephesians 4:13, the apostle Paul employs the figure of ellipsis three times in this passage, which means that he deliberately omits words, though they are implied from the context.
First, he deliberately omits the expression mechri katantēsōmen hoi pantes eis tēn henotēta (μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα), “until all of us without exception attains to experiencing the unity” before the expression tēs epignōseōs tou huiou tou theou (τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ), “produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son.”
Therefore, this would express the idea of each member of the Christian community attaining to the unity, which is produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son.
Secondly, Paul deliberately omits the expression mechri katantēsōmen hoi pantes (μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες), “until each one of us as a corporate unit attains” before the prepositional phrase eis andra teleion (εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον), “to experiencing a mature man.”
Therefore, this speaks of each member of the Christian community attaining to a mature man, i.e., spiritual maturity or Christ-likeness.
Lastly, he deliberately omits the expression mechri katantēsōmen hoi pantes (μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες), “until all of us without exception attains” before the prepositional phrase eis metron hēlikias tou plērōmatos tou Christou (εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ), “experiencing proportionate to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character.”
Therefore, this speaks of each member of the Christian community attaining proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character.
Therefore, in Ephesians 4:14, the hina (ἵνα) clause not only presents the result of the members of the body of Christ attaining to experiencing the unity produced by obedience to the one and only Christian faith but it also presents the result of attaining to the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son.
It also would present the result of experiencing a mature man likewise and to attaining to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character.
This would mean that the believer no longer being a child spiritually or in other spiritually immature is the result of the believer attaining to the unity produced by an experiential knowledge of God’s Son.
It would also indicate that the believer no longer being a child spiritually or in other spiritually immature is the result of experiencing a mature man and attaining to experiencing proportionately to the full stature of the one and only Christ’s character.
However, although, it is true that a believer will no longer be spiritually immature as a result of attaining spiritual maturity, the subjunctive mood of the verb katantaō (καταντάω) is employed with the improper preposition mechri (μέχρι) in order to form an indefinite temporal clause.
As we noted in our study of Ephesians 4:13, this construction indicates future contingency from the perspective of the main verb, which is the third person singular aorist passive indicative conjugation of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι), “he gave,” which appears in Ephesians 4:11.
Therefore, this would indicate that Jewish and Gentile church age believers experiencing unity in the future is contingent upon the function of the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching, which results in the communication of the Christian faith.
It also presents the result of the function of these gifts.
The three prepositional phrases in Ephesians 4:12 are also related to this verb and are presenting the purpose of the gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching listed in Ephesians 4:11.
These four indefinite temporal clauses are not only expressing a future contingency from the perspective of the Lord giving of the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching but they are also presenting the result of the function of these gifts.
As we noted, Ephesians 4:12 teaches that the function of these gifts is to equip the saints in order that the saints would have the capacity to perform the work of Christian service in order to build up the members of the body of Christ.
Therefore, in Ephesians 4:14, I interpret the conjunction hina (ἵνα) as being employed with the subjunctive conjugation of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “we are…to be” in order to form a purpose clause, which indicates the “intention” of the action of the main verb didōmi (δίδωμι), which we noted appears in Ephesians 4:11.
Therefore, this purpose clause indicates “the intention” of the action of the Lord Jesus Christ generously giving the four communication gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11.
As we noted, Ephesians 4:12 presents the first purpose for the Lord doing this, namely for the purpose of equipping the members of the body of Christ in order that they might perform the work of service and in turn build up the members of this body.
Now, here in Ephesians 4:14, we have the second purpose of the Lord giving these communication gifts.
Namely, that the members of the body of Christ would no longer be spiritual children.
Paul then describes being a spiritual child as being like a ship tossed back and forth by waves so as to be carried about from place to place.
The means by which this takes place is described by Paul as every wind, that is teaching.
He then elaborates on this by asserting that it is by means of the trickery produced by certain members of the human race that the believer is unstable spiritually and lacking in direction.
These unidentified members of the human race are false teachers according to what follows.
Next, Paul presents the reason why these false teachers employ trickery to deceive members of the body of Christ.
He asserts that it is because of their craftiness, which is according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception.
So therefore, as many expositors have notice, Ephesians 4:12 presents the “positive” purpose for which the Lord Jesus Christ generously giving these four communication gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11.
On the other hand, the contents of Ephesians 4:14 present the “negative” purpose for which the Lord gave these gifts.
