Ephesians 4.14c-Description of False Teachers
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday March 29, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:14c-Description of False Teachers
Lesson # 241
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.” (Author’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.” (Author’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.” (Author’s translation)
(4) prepositional phrase: en panourgia (ἐν πανουργίᾳ), “because of craftiness.” (Author’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.” (Author’s translation)
The 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” stands in apposition to the preceding expression panti anemō tēs didaskalias (παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας), “by means of every wind, that is teaching.”
The former is making explicit the latter.
Thus, the former identifies the teaching which makes the believer unstable and deviate from the will of God as being trickery.
The noun kybeia (κυβεία), “trickery” contains a gambling metaphor and describes the actions of those who teach false doctrine as characterized by trickery that results from craftiness.
It describes the actions of these individuals as those whose teaching misrepresents God and His will and which misrepresentation is intended to take advantage of the believer person in some way.
The articular construction of this word is monadic, which expresses that this craftiness is “unique” to certain members of the human race who teach false doctrine, and which doctrine is composed of lies from Satan’s cosmic system.
The plural form of the noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος) is used with reference to certain members of the human race who teach false doctrine, and which doctrine is composed of lies from Satan’s cosmic system.
The articular construction of the noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος) is generic, which serves to distinguish those members of the human race who teach false doctrine from those who teach sound doctrine.
The noun anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος) functions as a genitive of production, which indicates that this trickery is “produced by” certain members of the human race who teach false doctrine, and which doctrine is composed of lies from Satan’s cosmic system.
The noun kybeia (κυβεία) is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which functions as a marker of means, which would indicate a believer is tossed back and forth spiritually so as to be carried from place to place “by means of” the trickery of those who teach false doctrine.
The prepositional phrase: en panourgia (ἐν πανουργίᾳ), “because of craftiness” (Author’s translation) presents the reason why the teaching of a false teachers tricks the believer from doing the will of God and causes them to deviate from His will.
It is because they are characterized by craftiness.
The noun panourgian (πανουργία) is used of the “crafty” manner in which certain members of the human race teach false doctrine.
It is also the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which this time however functions as a marker of cause, which indicates the reason why the teaching of a false teachers tricks the believer from doing the will of God and causes them to deviate from His will, namely “because of” their craftiness.
The prepositional phrase: pros tēn methodeian tēs planēs (πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης), “according to their program which is characterized by that which produces deception” (Author’s translation) indicates that the false doctrine taught by these crafty false teachers “corresponds to” or “according to” their evil program, which produces deception.
The noun methodeia (μεθοδεία) is used of “the program” or “scheme” to deceive the spiritually immature Christian, which is devised by certain members of the human race who teach false doctrine, and which doctrine is composed of lies from Satan’s cosmic system.
The articular construction of this word is monadic, which which expresses that this program to deceive the spiritually immature Christian is “unique” to these deceptive teachers of false doctrine.
The article also functions as a possessive personal pronoun expressing the idea that this program or scheme is the “possession” of these false teachers.
The noun planē (πλάνη) refers to the program of these false teachers, which produces deception because the false doctrine they are communicating to the spiritually immature Christian deceives them.
The articular construction of this word emphasizes the character of this deception, which is evil.
It functions as genitive of product, which expresses the idea that this evil methodology or program of these false teachers “produces” deception.
The noun methodeia (μεθοδεία) is the object of the preposition pros (πρός), which functions as a marker of a relation involving correspondence.
Therefore, this would indicate that the false doctrine taught by these crafty false teachers, which they use to trick the believer from deviating from the will of the Father, “corresponds to” or “according to” their evil program, which produces deception.
