Ephesians 4 - The Priority of Unity

Joe Kimmell

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Ephesians 4

Fellowship

Union with Christ

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Summary

Ephesians 4:3 NLT

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Why Ephesians is such a strategic letter: Balance, Breadth, and Location

Ephesians 4 NLT

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. 17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

The Flow and Organization of Ephesians

Consider the location of this chapter and the flow of the book thus far.

The ESV Study Bible Outline

I. Introduction (1:1–14)

A. Greetings (1:1–2)

B. Spiritual blessings in Christ (1:3–14)

II. Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:15–23)

III. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:1–10)

A. Hopelessness and helplessness without Christ (2:1–3)

B. Hope in Christ (2:4–10)

IV. Unity and Peace of Christ (2:11–22)

A. Unity of Christ’s people (2:11–15)

B. Peace with God (2:16–18)

C. Implications of Christ’s peace (2:19–22)

V. Revelation of the Gospel Mystery (3:1–13)

A. Paul’s apostolic ministry (3:1–7)

B. The mystery and wisdom (3:8–13)

VI. Paul’s Prayer for Strength and Insight (3:14–21)

VII. Unity of the Body of Christ (4:1–16)

I. Introduction (1:1–14)

A. Greetings (1:1–2)

B. Spiritual blessings in Christ (1:3–14)

II. Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:15–23)

III. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:1–10)

A. Hopelessness and helplessness without Christ (2:1–3)

B. Hope in Christ (2:4–10)

IV. Unity and Peace of Christ (2:11–22)

A. Unity of Christ’s people (2:11–15)

B. Peace with God (2:16–18)

C. Implications of Christ’s peace (2:19–22)

V. Revelation of the Gospel Mystery (3:1–13)

A. Paul’s unique apostolic ministry (3:1–7)

B. The mystery of the Gospel and the wisdom through the church (3:8–13)

VI. Paul’s Prayer for Strength and Insight (3:14–21)

VII. Unity of the Body of Christ (4:1–32)

A. Exhortation to unity (4:1–6)

B. The different gifts (4:7–10)

Exposition

Ephesians 4:1 NLT

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Ephesians 4

This opening verse is the new theme and transition to the 2nd half of the letter to the Ephesians. Paul has laid out in short “who God is ad what He’s done” and now he is moving on to “who you are and what you should do” as a result.

Simply put, you should live a life that is totally surrendered and totally shaped by the incredible reality that YOU WERE CALLED BY GOD. He loved you so deeply that He sent His son to live the life humans were meant to live, die the death humans deserved to die, and rose again offering His perfect sacrifice for you. Then He called you by name. That is a great gift. And it demands a total surrendering of everything else. We no longer call the shots. We surrender to the King who died to purchase our hopeless debts and make us NOT JUST HIS SERVANT, NOT EVEN JUST HIS FRIEND, but HIS OWN CHILD.

Ephesians 4:2

Ephesians 4:2 NLT

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Ephesians 4:2–6 NLT

2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Ephesians 4:2–4 NLT

Ephesians 4:2-4

Ephesians 4:2-6

This forms the centerpiece of living a life worthy of our calling in this particular section. It is to be totally surrendered to God and therefore completely reoriented around His commands. So what are His commands?

Matthew 22:37–40 NLT

37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34–40 NLT

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:27 NLT

27 Last of all, the woman also died.

Matthew 22:36–40 NLT

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:

So this means that we are now willing to totally reorient our lives around what truly loves others out of reverence for Christ.

So this means that we are now willing to totally reorient our lives around what truly loves others and seeks a bond of loving unity in all things out of love and reverence for Christ.

Just take a look at each of those statements:

HUMILITY:

Unity always begins with humility. Out of humility can come true gentleness. Out of true humility we can be patient with one another. And that true humility comes out of...

(1) a knowledge of our deep deep brokenness, weakness, and need for Christ along with...

(2) a knowledge that we are deeply loved by Christ in His great kindness.

We make allowance for each other’s faults because...

(1) We have faults

(2) God loved us and forgave our faults by sheer mercy

Therefore, we pass the same along to others… no exceptions.

UNITY

Ephesians 4:3–6 NLT

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Ephesians 4:

This forms the basis of what I believe God put on my heart to speak.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians 1. The Unity of the Church as an Urgent Concern, 4:1–6

3 The apostle has urged his readers to display humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love since they are necessary to achieve the aim of the exhortation: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Without these graces which are essential to their life together, they would have no hope of maintaining the unity of the Spirit, a unity in the body of Christ about which Paul is deeply concerned. This second participial clause (‘making every effort …’) is stylistically parallel to the previous one, and also functions as an imperative.26

Paul’s appeal is urgent and cannot be easily translated into English. The verb he uses has an element of haste, urgency, or even a sense of crisis to it,27 and has been rendered by Barth as: ‘Yours is the initiative! Do it now!’28 Further, the exhortation is an unusual one. The church’s unity is described as the unity of the Spirit,29 which signifies a unity that God’s Spirit creates30 and therefore not the readers’ own achievement, yet they are exhorted urgently to maintain31 it. God has inaugurated this unity in Christ, through the events described in Ephesians 2:11–22, as a result of which believers, Jew and Gentile together, have access to God ‘in one Spirit’ (2:18)

ONE:

“Lord:” (κύριος, kyrios) Jesus Christ (King Jesus Messiah)

“Faith:” (πίστις, pistis) Way of Life (proceeding from Belief in the Gospel)

TOTC Pr

“Baptism” (βάπτισμα· baptisma) Immersion/Cleansing/Initiation to allegiance and belonging

κύριος, ου, ὁ owner, master, lord; Lord κυριακός, 3 kyriakos belonging to the Lord* 1. Occurences in the NT — 2. Meaning — 3. Secular usage — 4. Voc. κύριε used of Jesus — 5. Yahweh / God as κύριος in fixed expressions — 6. Other expressions (OT citations, etc.) — 7. The origin of the NT use of κύριος for God — 8. Use of κύριος for Jesus of Nazareth — 9. (Ὁ) Κύριος in the Gospels and Acts — 10. Other NT writings — 11. The significance of the use of κύριος for Jesus — 12. Κυριακός Lit.: K. Berger, “Zum traditionsgeschichtlichen Hintergrund christologischer Hoheitstitel,” NTS 17 (1970 / 71) 413–22. — G. Bornkamm, “Christ and the World in the Early Christian Message,” idem, Early Christian Experience (1969) 14–28. — W. Bousset, Kyrios Christos (Eng. tr., 1970). — F. F. Bruce, “Jesus is Lord,” Soli Deo Gloria (FS W. C. Robinson, 1968), 23–36. — Bultmann, Theology 121–33. — L. Cerfaux, DBSup V, 200–228. — idem, “Le titre ‘Kyrios’ et la dignité royale de Jésus,” …

EDNT

κύριος, κυρία, κυριακός, κυριότης, κυριεύω, κατακυριεύω κύριος.* Contents: A. The Meaning of the Word κύριος: 1. The Adjective κύριος; 2. The Noun ὁ κύριος. B. Gods and Rulers as κύριοι: 1. κύριος for Gods and Rulers in Classical Greece; 2. Gods and Rulers as Lords in the Orient and Egypt; 3. The Hellenistic κύριος. C. The OT Name for God: 1. The Name for God in the LXX; 2. “Lord” as a Designation for Yahweh; 3. The Name Yahweh as a Concept of Experience; 4. The Institution by Moses; 5. The Origin of the Divine Name; 6. The Form and Meaning of the Name Yahweh; 7. The Reasons for Reticence in relation to the Name; 8. The Name of God in the Account of Yahweh’s Revelation to Moses in ; . The Name Yahweh as the Basic Form of the OT Declaration about God; 10. The Confession of Yahweh in . D. “Lord” in Later Judaism: 1. The Choice of the Word κύριος in the LXX; 2. “Lord” in the Pseudepigrapha; 3. “Lord” in Rabbinic Judaism. E. κύριος in the New Testament: 1. …

NLT

TDNT

12.9 κύριοςa, ου m: (a title for God and for Christ) one who exercises supernatural authority over mankind—‘Lord, Ruler, One who commands’ (see also 37.51). ἄγγελος κυρίου κατ’ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ ‘the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream’ ; χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ‘grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ . The most common equivalent of ‘Lord’ is a term meaning ‘chief’ or ‘leader,’ but frequently this cannot be employed as a title for ‘God.’ One may, however, combine such an expression with a term for ‘God’ and employ a phrase meaning ‘God our leader’ or ‘God our chief.’ In some instances, however, a term for ‘Lord’ is related to a verb meaning ‘to command’ or ‘to order,’ and therefore ‘Lord’ is rendered as ‘the one who commands us’ and combined with ‘God’ may form a phrase such as ‘God, the one who commands us.’

πίστις, εως, ἡ pistis faith, trust; faithfulness* πιστεύω pisteuō believe, have faith* 1. Occurrences in the NT and linguistic background — 2. General usage — 3. Christian usage — 4. In the words of Jesus — 5. Faith and miracles — 6. Paul — 7. The Gospel of John and 1 John — 8. Hebrews — 9. James — 10. The Pastorals Lit.: → ἀπιστέω; ὀλιγοπιστία; also: G. Barth, “Pistis in hellenistischer Religiosität,” ZNW 73 (1982) 110–26. — M. Barth, “The Faith of the Messiah,” Heythrop Journal 10 (1969) 363–70. — H. Binder, Der Glaube bei Paulus (1968). — G. Bornkamm, Jesus of Nazareth (1960) 129–37. — idem, Paul (Eng. tr., 1971) 141–46. — J. E. Botha, “The Meanings of pisteuō in the Greek NT,” Neot 21 (1987) 225–40. — E. Brandenburger, “Pistis und Soteria. Zum Verstehenshorizont von ‘Glaube’ im Urchristentum,” ZTK 85 (1988) 165–98. — H. Braun, RGG II, 1590–97. — R. Bultmann, Jesus and the Word (1934 = 1958) 172–91. — idem, Theology I, 314–30; II, 70–92. — H. Conzelmann, …

Louw-Nida

Lord NLT, ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 Dominus VGCLEM

EDNT

Text Comparison

κύριος, kyrios,

πιστεύω, πίστις, πιστός, † πιστόω, ἄπιστος, † ἀπιστέω, ἀπιστία, ὀλιγόπιστος, ὀλιγοπιστία* Contents: A. Greek Usage: I. Classical Usage: 1. πιστός; 2. ἄπιστος; 3. πίστις: a. Confidence, Trust; b. Trustworthiness, Reliability; c. Assurance; 4. πιστεύω; 5. ἀπιστέω; 6. ἀπιστία; 7. πιστόω; 8. The Question of Religious Terminology. II. Hellenistic Usage: 1. The Development of a Religious Usage in Philosophical Discussion; 2. The Usage of Religious Propaganda; 3. Stoic Usage. B. The Old Testament Concept: I. General Remarks: II. The Stem אמן and Related Expressions 1. Qal; 2. Niphal; 3. אָמֵן; 4. Hiphil; 5. אמן and Derivates; 6. The Religious Dynamic. III. The Stem בטח: 1. State of Security; 2. Feeling of Assurance; 3. Comparison with אמן. IV. The Stem חסה; 1. Seeking Refuge; 2. Relation to Yahweh. V. The Stems קוה, יחל , חכה : 1. Basic Meaning; 2. Religious Use; 3. Isaiah; 4. Later References. VI. Summary. C. Faith in Judaism: I. The Old Testament Legacy. II. The …

κύριος kyriosLord

κυριος kyrios Lord

TDNT

NNSM noun, nominative, singular, masculine

G2962 Greek Strong’s

31.102 πιστεύωc; πίστιςd, εως f: to believe in the good news about Jesus Christ and to become a follower—‘to be a believer, to be a Christian, Christian faith.’ πιστεύωc: τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία ‘the group of those who were believers was one in heart and mind’ ; δύναμις γὰρ θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι ‘for it is God’s power to save everyone who is a believer’ . πίστιςd: ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ‘the whole world is hearing that you have faith’ ; τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως ‘for it is by his grace that you have been saved because you have faith’ .

LN 12.9 Louw-Nida

Letter, Community Ephesians

Louw-Nida

Body 1:15–6:20

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

faith NLT, ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 fides VGCLEM

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Baptism Cultural Concept

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

Text Comparison

Figure of Speech Description: Change of Noun Name: Metonymy

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

πίστις, pistis,

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

Figurative Language Category: Metaphor, Structural Source: Lord Target: Jesus Type: Lord as Jesus

πίστις pistisfaith

“Lord” refers to:

Jesus — Son of God, savior of the world.

πιστευω pisteuō believe

Faith:

NNSF noun, nominative, singular, feminine

G4102 Greek Strong’s

LN 31.102 Louw-Nida

gospel content ⇔ faith noun

Letter, Community Ephesians

Body 1:15–6:20

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Baptism Cultural Concept

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

Figure of Speech Description: Change of Noun Name: Metonymy

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

Unity in the Epistles

Lord See subject-study: God and man, pp. 29ff.

“God” (θεὸς theos) - the one supreme supernatural being as creator and sustainer of the universe

God God created everything () God is a warrior () God is one () God is trustworthy () God is too great to be described () God is gracious and merciful () God is good () God helps his people when they are in trouble () God is mighty () God is our rock () God is our hope () God is near everyone () God is our salvation () God is sovereign () God is holy () Only God is worthy of glory () God is our father () God is all-powerful () God is spirit () God is all-knowing () God is knowable () God is living () God is King of kings () God is approachable () God is judge () God is love () God is almighty ()

NLT

TOTC Pr

θεός, οῦ, ὁ (ἡ) theos God, god (goddess) 1. General usage — 2. The Jewish and Hellenistic background of NT usage — 3. The NT understanding of “God” — 4. NT teaching concerning God — a) Jesus — b) The Synoptics — c) John — d) Paul — e) The rest of the NT — 5. Other deities — 6. Divine men — 7. Polemical usage Lit.: On 1: BAGD s.v. — Chantraine, Dictionnaire 429f. — C. Demke, TRE XIII, 645–52. — Frisk, Wörterbuch I, 662f., III, 104. — K. Goldammer, et al., RGG II, 1701–17. — H. Kleinknecht, TDNT III, 65–121 (bibliography). — LSJ s.v. — H. Ringgren, TDOT I, 267–84. — W. Schmauch, BHH 585–89. On 2: H. D. Betz, Lukian von Samosata und das NT (TU 76, 1961) 23–59, index s.v. θεῖος, θεός, Gottmensch. — idem, ed., Plutarch’s Ethical Writings and Early Christian Literature (SCHNT 4, 1978), index s.v. θεῖος, θεός, God(s). — idem, ed., Plutarch’s Theological Writings and Early Christian Literature (SCHNT 3, 1975), index s.v. θεῖον, θεός, God(s).— W. Burkert, …

;

EDNT

θεός, θεότης, ἄθεος, θεοδίδακτος, θεῖος, θειότης* θεός → κύριος, → πατήρ. Contents: A. The Greek Concept of God: 1. θεός in the Usage of Secular Gk.; 2. The Content of the Gk. Concept of God; 3. The Development of the Gk. Concept of God. B. El and Elohim in the OT: 1. The Usage of the LXX: 2. The OT Belief in God in the Form of Faith in Yahweh; 3. The Traditions concerning Belief in God prior to the Rise of the Community of Yahweh; 4. El and Elohim as Appellatives; 5. The Content of the OT Belief in God; 6. The Historical Continuation of the OT Belief in God. C. The Early Christian Fact of God and Its Conflict with the Concept of God in Judaism: 1. The Usage; 2. The Uniqueness of God: a. Prophetic Monotheism as the Starting-point of True Monotheism; b. Dynamic Monotheism in Later Judaism; c. θεοί in the NT; d. Εἷς θεός in the Confession and Practice of Early Christianity; e. God and His Angels in the NT; f. Monotheism and Christology in the NT; g. Christ as θεός in Early …

κύριος, ου, ὁ kyrios owner, master, lord; Lord κυριακός, 3 kyriakos belonging to the Lord* 1. Occurences in the NT — 2. Meaning — 3. Secular usage — 4. Voc. κύριε used of Jesus — 5. Yahweh / God as κύριος in fixed expressions — 6. Other expressions (OT citations, etc.) — 7. The origin of the NT use of κύριος for God — 8. Use of κύριος for Jesus of Nazareth — 9. (Ὁ) Κύριος in the Gospels and Acts — 10. Other NT writings — 11. The significance of the use of κύριος for Jesus — 12. Κυριακός Lit.: K. Berger, “Zum traditionsgeschichtlichen Hintergrund christologischer Hoheitstitel,” NTS 17 (1970 / 71) 413–22. — G. Bornkamm, “Christ and the World in the Early Christian Message,” idem, Early Christian Experience (1969) 14–28. — W. Bousset, Kyrios Christos (Eng. tr., 1970). — F. F. Bruce, “Jesus is Lord,” Soli Deo Gloria (FS W. C. Robinson, 1968), 23–36. — Bultmann, Theology 121–33. — L. Cerfaux, DBSup V, 200–228. — idem, “Le titre ‘Kyrios’ et la dignité royale de Jésus,” …

TDNT

βαπτίζω baptizō baptize* βάπτισμα, ατος, τό baptisma baptism* βαπτισμός, οῦ, ὁ baptismos washing* βάπτω baptō dip, immerse 1. Occurrences in the NT — 2. Baptism by John —3. Baptism by Jesus and his disciples — 4. Jesus’ baptism of death — 5. The baptismal command of the resurrected one () — 6. Baptism in Acts — 7. Baptism in the Pauline corpus — 8. –9. Βάπτω and βαπτισμός Lit.: K. Aland, Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (1963). — G. Barth, Die Taufe in frühchristlicher Zeit (1981). — M. Barth, Die Taufe ein Sakrament? (1951). — G. Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the NT (21972). — W. Bieder, Die Verheissung der Taufe im NT (1966). — O. Cullmann, Baptism in the NT (1950). — G. Delling, Die Zueignung des Heils in der Taufe (1960). — W. F. Flemington, The NT Doctrine of Baptism (1948). — J. Jeremias, Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries (1960). — idem, The Origins of Infant Baptism (1963). — E. Klaar, Die Taufe nach paulinischem Verständnis …

12.1 θεόςa, οῦ m: the one supreme supernatural being as creator and sustainer of the universe—‘God.’ ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ ‘God who made the world and everything in it’ . The componential features of θεός involve a basic, underlying ambivalence. On the one hand, θεός is regarded as unique to the exclusion of all other gods: οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ‘there is no God but one’ . This is strictly a monotheistic view of θεός. On the other hand, there occur such expressions as εἴπερ εἰσὶν λεγόμενοι θεοί ‘even if there are so- called gods’ (), and in the OT the Lord is described as being ‘far above all gods’ (), ‘the God of gods’ (), and the ‘great King above all gods’ (), which is essentially a henotheistic view of θεός. Fundamentally, however, the NT view may be most succinctly reflected in , τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσιν θεοῖς ‘those who by nature are not really gods.’ In other …

Louw-Nida

EDNT

God ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 and NLT Deus VGCLEM

EDNT

Text Comparison

θεὸς theos

“Father” (πατὴρ patēr) Head of Household / Teacher / Supernatural giver of care and authority

† βαπτισμός, † βάπτισμα “Immersion” or “baptism,” βαπτισμός signifying the act alone and βάπτισμα the act with the result, and therefore the institution. There are no instances of βάπτισμα outside the NT. Even βαπτισμός used to be regarded as a new Jewish and Christian term,1 though cf. Antyllus Medicus (2nd century a.d.) in Oribasius, X, 3, 9, of lethargic sleep, Archigenes Medicus (2nd cent. a.d.) and Posidonius Medicus (3/4 cent. a.d.) in Aetius, 6, 3 (ed. Aldina [1534], p. 100b, 11), of the frenzy of wickedness, Iambl. Theol. Arithm., 30; → βαπτίζω, 530. Technically only in Jos. Ant., 18, 117 with βάπτισις for the baptism of Neither word occurs in the LXX. On Plut. Superst., 3 (II, 166a) → bavptw, n. 13. βαπτισμοί are Levitical “cleansings” of vessels or of the body at (8 vl.); Hb. 9:10. βαπτισμῶν διδαχή denotes instruction on the difference between Jewish (and pagan?) “washings” (including John’s baptism?) and Christian baptism (Hb. 6:2). βάπτισμα …

θεος theos God

TDNT

NNSM noun, nominative, singular, masculine

G2316 Greek Strong’s

TDNT

LN 12.1 Louw-Nida

Letter, Community Ephesians

Body 1:15–6:20

53.41 βαπτίζωb; βάπτισμα, τος n; βαπτισμόςb, οῦ m: to employ water in a religious ceremony designed to symbolize purification and initiation on the basis of repentance—‘to baptize, baptism.’5 βαπτίζωb: ἐγὼ ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ὕδατι ‘I baptized you with water’ ; βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ‘each one of you should be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ’ . βάπτισμα: κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας ‘(John) preached the baptism of repentance’ or ‘… turn away from your sins and be baptized’ . βαπτισμόςb: μετανοίας ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ θεόν, βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς ‘the turning away from useless works, believing in God, teaching about baptisms’ . According to the Didache (early second century) different forms of baptism were practiced in the early church, but with evident preference given to immersion. The baptism practiced by John the Baptist would seem to reflect far more the Jewish pattern of ritual …

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

Louw-Nida

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

Louw-Nida

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

Lord NLT, ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 Dominus VGCLEM

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

baptism NLT, ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 baptisma VGCLEM

“God” refers to:

Text Comparison

God — The God of the Hebrew and Christian faiths.

“Father” (πατὴρ patēr) Head of Household / Teacher / Supernatural giver of care and authority

Text Comparison

κύριος, kyrios,

βάπτισμα· baptisma;

κύριος kyriosLord

βάπτισμα baptismabaptism

κυριος kyrios Lord

βαπτω baptō dip

NNSM noun, nominative, singular, masculine

G2962 Greek Strong’s

NNSN noun, nominative, singular, neuter

LN 12.9 Louw-Nida

G908 Greek Strong’s

Letter, Community Ephesians

LN 53.41 Louw-Nida

Body 1:15–6:20

baptism (rite) noun

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

Letter, Community Ephesians

C. The gifts for edification of the church (4:11–16)

πατὴρ patēr

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Father See subject-study: The family, 2, pp. 46ff.

TOTC Pr

Body 1:15–6:20

πατήρ, τρός, ὁ patēr father 1. Occurrences in the NT — 2. Background — 3. Jesus’ relationship to the Father — 4. OT and Judaism — 5. Diaspora Judaism, esp. Philo and Josephus — 6. Liturgical and doxological tradition in Judaism and early Christianity — 7. Jesus’ use of “Father” as an address and his statements concerning the “Father” — 8. Human fathers in the NT Lit.: Billerbeck I, 392–96. — P. A. H. de Boer, Fatherhood and Motherhood in Israelite and Judean Piety (1974). — G. Bornkamm, H. G. Gadamer, W. Lemke, and L. Perlitt, Das Vaterbild in Mythos und Geschichte (1976). — Dalman, The Words of Jesus (1909) 184–94. — idem, Die Worte Jesu (21930) 296–304. — W. Grundmann, “ und die johanneischen ‘Der Vater — Der Sohn’-Stellen,” NTS 12 (1965 / 66) 42–49. — R. Gyllenberg, Gott der Vater im AT und in der Predigt Jesu (StOr 1, 1926) 3–140. — E. Haenchen, “.‘Der Vater, der mich gesandt hat,’” Haenchen I, 68–77. — O. Hofius, DNTT I, 615–21. — E. Hübner, “Credo in Deum …

Baptism Cultural Concept

EDNT

πατήρ, πατρῷος, πατριά, ἀπάτωρ, πατρικός* πατήρ Contents: A. The Father Concept in the Indo-European World and Graeco-Roman Antiquity: I. The Use of πατήρ; II. The Ancient Indo-European Concept and Its Influence on the Mediterranean World; III. The Father among the Greeks: 1. The Father as Head of the House and Teacher; 2. Piety towards the Father; IV. The Influence of the Roman patria potestas on the Hellenistic World; V. The Religious Use of the Father Image: 1. The Ancient Indo-Iranian Basis of the Idea of God as Father; 2. Zeus the Father and Ruler; 3. The Father in the Mysteries; VI. Philosophical and Gnostic Forms of Belief in the Father: 1. The Father in Plato’s Cosmology; 2. The Father as Begetter and the Synthesis of King and Father in Stoicism; 3. The Father Concept in Philo: a. The Greek Influence; b. Jewish Factors; 4. The Father in Hermes Mysticism. B. The Father Concept in the Old Testament: 1. πατήρ and Other Terms for אָב in the LXX; 2. אָב as a Primary Word; …

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

TDNT

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

12.12 πατήρd, πατρός m; αββα (a Greek transliteration of an Aramaic word meaning ‘father’): (titles for God, literally ‘father’) one who combines aspects of supernatural authority and care for his people—‘Father.’ πατήρd: καθὼς γινώσκει με ὁ πατὴρ κἀγὼ γινώσκω τὸν πατέρα ‘just as the Father knows me, so I know the Father’ . αββα: αββα ὁ πατήρ, πάντα δυνατά σοι ‘Abba Father, you can do all things’ . Though there is a widespread tendency to preserve the Aramaic transliteration in the form of either abba or aba, there are frequent dangers in doing so, since the transliterated form may actually correspond to another word in a receptor language and thus provide an obstacle to proper understanding. In general, there is no point in a translation of αββα, since the resulting expression would simply be ‘Father Father.’ Accordingly, in many languages the combination of ‘Abba, Father’ is simply reduced to ‘Father.’ In a number of languages, however, a vocative form …

Louw-Nida

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Father ESV, NIV, NIV84, NKJV, NASB95, NRSV, KJV 1900, LEB, RSV, AV 1873 Pater VGCLEM who NLT

Figure of Speech Description: Change of Noun Name: Metonymy

Text Comparison

πατὴρ patēr

Baptism Cultural Concept

The God and Father (supernatural creator and sustainer of all things and also head and teacher of the Covenant Family and the one responsible for caring for His children - US…) is: (1) OVER ALL, (2) THROUGH ALL, and (3) IN ALL. That means He presides over us… connects all of us… and resides/dwells inside us. That means we are POWERFULLY PART OF EACH OTHER.

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

πατηρ patēr father; Father

NNSM noun, nominative, singular, masculine

Start to See the Value In Each Other Given By Christ:

G3962 Greek Strong’s

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

LN 12.12 Louw-Nida

father noun

Ephesians 4:7 NLT

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.

Letter, Community Ephesians

Figure of Speech Description: Change of Noun Name: Metonymy

Figurative Language Category: Metaphor, Structural Source: Lord Target: Jesus Type: Lord as Jesus

Body 1:15–6:20

Exhortation 4:1–6:20

Ephesians 4:7

Creedal Confession 4:4–6

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

“Lord” refers to:

Figure of Speech Name: Correspondence

This transitions now to how Christ gives us the joy and dignity of His precious gift(s)...

Semantic Feature Category: List-Item

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

Ephesians 4:8–10 NLT

8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

Longacre Genre Primary: Behavioral: Hortatory Secondary: Expository: What things are or were like

Jesus — Son of God, savior of the world.

Figurative Language Category: Metaphor, Structural Source: Father Target: God Type: Father as God

Ephesians 4:8-10

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 4

4:8 it says. Paul cites Ps. 68:18, where the one who ascends is the triumphant Lord God. Paul sees this as referring to Christ Jesus in his resurrection as head of the church. gifts. In Ps. 68:18, the divine victor is seen “receiving gifts among men,” but Paul adapts the passage to his purposes (as NT authors sometimes do in citing the OT) to show that Christ gave gifts to his people from his spoils of victory (interestingly, ancient Syriac and Aramaic translations of Ps. 68:18 also have “gave”). The “gifts” given by Christ turn out to be the church leaders described in Eph. 4:11. The captives over whom Christ triumphed are most likely demons (cf. this theme of victory over demonic forces in 1:19–22).

4:9 lower regions, the earth. In the incarnation, Christ descended from the highest heavens to the lowest regions (i.e., to the earth), where he suffered, died, and was buried, but where he also defeated death and rose again. He then ascended (Acts 1:9) 40 days later to be seated in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33).

4:10 far above. Christ is the supreme head of the church who fills all things (see 1:23) with his glory, power, and sovereign prerogative to dispense gifts to his people (see 4:11–16).

Gifts for Equipping

“Father” refers to:

Ephesians 4:11–12 NLT

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians 2. Diversity in Unity that Leads to Maturity, 4:7–16

11 Christ now sets out94 to accomplish the goal of filling all things by supplying95 his people with everything necessary to foster the growth and perfection of the body (v. 13). Having achieved dominion over all the powers through his victorious ascent,96 he sovereignly distributes gifts to the members of his body.97 The building of the body is inextricably linked with his intention of filling the universe with his rule, since the church is his instrument in carrying out his purposes for the cosmos.98

Equipping for Growth and Maturity

Ephesians 4:13–16 NLT

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:13-

Ephesians 4:11-12

Throw Off the Old Way - Live In Light

God — The God of the Hebrew and Christian faiths.

Ephesians 4:17–28 NLT

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

Ephesians 4:17-

Grow in Love and Grace

Ephesians 4:29–32 NLT

29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

29-

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians 2. Diversity in Unity that Leads to Maturity, 4:7–16

Unity in the Epistles

Look at several of the places where Paul and the other Apostles speak about the unity of Christ and the Church and its key role in their letters:

VIII. Paul’s Testimony (4:17–24)

IX. Exhortation to an Edifying Lifestyle (4:25–32)

Romans 12:1–8 NLT

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Romans 12:1–10 NLT

(mostly about surrender to God, humility and Unity of the Body. This is the very hinge-point of the letter to the Romans (1-11 + 12-16).

(mostly about surrender to God, humility and Unity of the Body.

In 1 Corinthians it is literally the first issue Paul tackles and then continues to be the most dominant issue being tackled through the other various issues throughout the entire letter.

(mostly about surrender to God, humility and Unity of the Body.

1 Corinthians 1:10–11 NLT

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters.

1 Corinthians 1:10-11

Romans 12

1 Corinthians 3 NLT

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” 20 And again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.” 21 So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you—22 whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

, , , , , , , ,

, , , , , , ,

Galatians 5:14–15 NLT

14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

Galatians 5:14

, ,

Colossians 2:2 NLT

2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.

1 Thessalonians 3:10–12 NLT

10 Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. 11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

:10-1

Philemon

, ,

, , , 4

1 Peter 3:8–9 NLT

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-

1 Peter 3:6–10 NLT

6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. 7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.

, ,

Jude

Translation Controversy and My Unexamined Motivations

Last Night’s Controversy and Unexamined Motivations

300 Quotations for Preachers Source of Life, Sum of Excellence, Fulness of Joy

To be in Christ is the source of the Christian’s life; to be like Christ is the sum of his excellence; to be with Christ is the fulness of his joy.

CHARLES HODGE

A. Greetings (1:1–2)

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 749: Unity

The May 1987 edition of National Geographic included a feature about the arctic wolf. Author L. David Mech described how a seven-member pack had targeted several musk-oxen calves who were guarded by eleven adults. As the wolves approached their quarry, the musk-oxen bunched in an impenetrable semicircle, their deadly rear hooves facing out, and the calves remained safe during a long standoff with the enemy.

But then a single ox broke rank, and the herd scattered into nervous little groups. A skirmish ensued, and the adults finally fled in panic, leaving the calves to the mercy of the predators. Not a single calf survived.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 that after his departure wolves would come, not sparing the flock. Wolves continue to attack the church today but cannot penetrate and destroy when unity is maintained. When believers break ranks, however, they provide easy prey.

B. Spiritual blessings in Christ (1:3–14)

This story was featured on page 13 of the Chicago Tribune on March 24, 1936: (in case any of you want to google it)

Last Night’s Controversy and Unexamined Motivations

II. Paul’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:15–23)

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Church, Unity

Many years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton, and when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak. They had first met one another in school when the armless Kaspryzak had guided the blind Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence. The blind man carried the books that the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the deficiency of each individual was compensated for by the other’s ability.

III. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:1–10)

John 17:20–22 NLT

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.

A. Hopelessness and helplessness without Christ (2:1–3)

B. Hope in Christ (2:4–10)

IV. Unity and Peace of Christ (2:11–22)

A. Unity of Christ’s people (2:11–15)

B. Peace with God (2:16–18)

C. Implications of Christ’s peace (2:19–22)

V. Revelation of the Gospel Mystery (3:1–13)

A. Paul’s apostolic ministry (3:1–7)

B. The mystery and wisdom (3:8–13)

VI. Paul’s Prayer for Strength and Insight (3:14–21)

VII. Unity of the Body of Christ (4:1–16)

A. Exhortation to unity (4:1–6)

B. The different gifts (4:7–10)

C. The gifts for edification of the church (4:11–16)

VIII. Paul’s Testimony (4:17–24)

IX. Exhortation to an Edifying Lifestyle (4:25–32)

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Unity in the Epistles

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