Ephesians 4.29c-Providing Grace For One's Fellow Believer Through the Word of God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday November 15, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:29c-Providing Grace For One’s Fellow Believer Through the Word of God
Lesson # 297
Ephesians 4:29 Any harmful word must never at any time proceed from the mouth of any one of you. But rather, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that something is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building up of the one who does possess a need. And we agree that something is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building upon of the one who does possess a need. Then, the production of divine good in quality and character must at any time proceed from the mouth of each one of you in order that it would provide grace for the benefit of those who are hearing. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:29 is composed of the following:
(1) Solemn prohibition: pas logos sapros ek tou stomatos hymōn mē ekporeuesthō (πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω), “Any harmful word must habitually not proceed from the mouth of any one of you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) Elliptical protasis of a responsive first class conditional statement: ei tis agathos pros oikodomēn tēs chreias (εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς χρείας), “if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that something is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building up of the one who does possess a need. And we agree that something is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building upon of the one who does possess a need.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) Elliptical apodosis of a responsive first class conditional statement: “Then, the production of divine good in quality and character must regularly proceed from the mouth of each one of you. (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) Purpose clause: hina dō charin tois akouousin (ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν), “in order that it would provide grace for the benefit of those who are hearing.” (Lecturer’s translation)
As we noted, the elliptical apodosis of the first class conditional statement is modified by a hina purpose clause, which indicates the intention of the action of believers choosing for themselves only those words, which are characterized as divine good, which are for the purpose of building up a fellow believer spiritually.
The verb didōmi (δίδωμι) pertains to causing someone to have something in an abstract or physical sense.
Here the former is in view since it speaks of the believer causing another believer to receive grace in the form of the Word of God and thus divine wisdom and specifically divine revelatory wisdom produced by or specifically, provided by the Spirit.
The referent of the third person singular form of this verb is the words of a believer, which are characterized as the production of divine good which build up a believer who possesses a need spiritually.
As was the case in Ephesians 1:2, the noun charis (χάρις) here in Ephesians 4:29 refers to the means by which grace might be received, namely through the mind and thinking of Christ, the Word of God, which is inspired by the Spirit of God.
The Spirit, through the communication of the Word of God to the believer reveals God the Father’s grace policy to the believer.
As was the case in Ephesians 1:2, we have in Ephesians 4:29 a figure of speech with this word charis which is called metonymy meaning the effect is put for the cause or in other words, the thing effected for the instrument which effects it.
Here grace is put for the Word of God which effects grace.
Therefore, the Spirit of God speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit regarding the will of the Father is the means by which grace is received by the believer.
The verb akouō (ἀκούω) speaks of a believer who possesses a spiritual need hearing words from another fellow believer, which are the production of divine good which benefit the believer who possesses a spiritual need.
The referent of the masculine plural form of this verb akouō (ἀκούω) is hypothetical Christians who possess a spiritual need.
The participle conjugation of this verb functions as dative of advantage, which expresses the idea of those who possess a spiritual need “benefiting” from those who build them up spiritually with their words.
Like the adjective agathos (ἀγαθός), the noun charis (χάρις) is also a reference to the communication of the Word of God, which is the production of divine good, because it serves to build up and edify believers spiritually.
Therefore, the production of divine good and grace build up and edify believers spiritually because both refer to the communication of the Word of God but from different perspectives.
With these two words, Paul is teaching the recipients of this epistle that by the communication of the Word of God not only builds up believers spiritually but is also the production of divine good and a manifestation of the grace of God since the communication of the Word of God is that which effects grace or by which the believer receives grace, i.e., unmerited blessings.
This harkens back to the contents of Ephesians 4:16.
Ephesians 4:16 From whom, each and every member of the body does get fitted together, yes does get united together through the function of each and every ligament, which provide support for the purpose of working. Simultaneously, in proportion to each individual part belonging to the body does cause itself to grow for the purpose of building one another up by means of the practice of divine-love. (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, therefore, in Ephesians 4:29, we can see that the idea of the protasis of the first class condition is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that something is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building up of a fellow member of the Christian community.”
As we noted, this is a responsive first class condition, which indicates that the recipients of this letter would be in total agreement with the premise in the protasis.
This would indicate that they would affirm that there are words, which are characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character, which will build up a member of their community in need spiritually.
The elliptical apodosis required that “the production of divine good must at any time proceed from the mouths of the members of the Christian community in order that it would provide grace for the benefit of those members of their community who possess a spiritual need.”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis of this first class conditional statement is evidence-inference.
The protasis contains the evidence and the apodosis contains the inference from the protasis.
The evidence contained in the protasis is that there is a word which is characterized as the production of divine good in quality and character for the building up of the one who does possess a need.
The inference contained in the apodosis is that the production of divine good must at any time proceed from the mouths of members of the Christian community in order that it would provide grace for the benefit of a fellow believer who possesses a spiritual need.
Therefore, Paul employs this first class conditional statement in order to persuade them to speak with others in a godly fashion.
The contents of Ephesians 4:29 harken back to the contents of Ephesians 4:25 since the latter like the former addresses the importance of the content of the Christians conversations with each other and those outside the Christian community.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, because each and every one of you as a corporate unit have laid aside that which characterized by falsehood, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of speaking truth with his neighbor for each and every one of us as a corporate unit are members of one another. (Author’s translation)
Not only does the apostle Paul address the importance of the content of the believer’s conversations in Ephesians 4:25 and 29 but he also does so in Ephesians 5:4.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children 2 and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. 4 Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting—all of which are out of character—but rather thanksgiving. 5 For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (NET)
In Colossians 3:8, the apostle Paul prohibits the Colossian Christian community from getting involved with the sins of the tongue.
Colossians 3:8 But now, I also solemnly charge each and every one of you, for your own benefit to lay aside each and every one of the following: destructive, uncontrolled anger, malice, slander, filthy language from the mouth of each and every one of you. (Lecturer’s translation)
