Ephesians # 20 Eph 4-15 thru 4-23
We’re going to continue on the book of Ephesians. Last time we ended on EPH 4:15 so let’s just pick up from there.
I. EPH 4:15
A. When Paul says “Speaking the truth in love,” I believe that this is referring to something that the word teaches.
1. You might be able to tell someone how to get a job.
a. Giving them some advice from the Word.
b. But if you saw a Brother in the Lord steel something, to probably don’t want to go to the police and tell them what happened.
i. (Proverbs 10:12) Says, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” KJV
B. Back in (EPH 4:15) it say, …The word “LOVE” is the Greek word “Agape.”
1. Which is a true kind of love, the God kind of love.
a. When “Speaking the truth in love” your motive should only be “to help the person.
i. Not to use the sword of the Spirit (the Word) to stab the person.
2. When you do Speak the Truth in Love to correct someone from their errors, that will bring them back on track.
C. If we go back to (V 14) and read it together with (V 15) it gives us more light on this V. (So let’s do that.)
1. EPH 4:14-15
a. If we see someone in error according to the Word of God, we need to share the Word with them in LOVE so that they may mature in the things of the God.
i. So that their wrong doctrine will be corrected, but remember it has to be done in love.
II. EPH 4:16a
A. “From whom” is referring back to Jesus, who is the head. And, of course, we are the body.
1. EPH 4:16
a. He says that the body is, “Joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.”
i. “Compacted” means “Knit together.”
b. Basically, what this V is saying is that the body will function correctly when the whole body is doing their part.
i. When each person gets involved in some area, and it doesn’t have to be 1 of those areas where everybody sees you. (If that’s a persons motive, than that’s all the reward that they’re going to get.) Our motives have to be, to please our heavenly Father.
ii. Each person is to get involved in doing something.
iii. That’s why Paul says, We’re working together as a team and in unity, “According to the effectual working in the measure of every part.”
c. Notice the last part of that V, “Maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
i. I like how the New Century Version puts it, (Ephesians 4:16) “The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to make the whole body grow and be strong with love.” NCV
ii. As we are doing the work of the ministry, each part doing their job, it has to be done in love.
2. Sometimes we can get so caught up in our ministry, that we lose the quality of being teachable, or we are no longer doing it in love.
a. No matter what job it is that we’re doing for the Lord, remain teachable.
i. Someone might have a great idea on how you can do your job better.
b. Also the love walk is so important.
i. It doesn’t matter how great you are in your ministry, If you’re not understanding the needs and concerns of others, you’re not walking in love.
ii. If we’re not walking in love our ministry amounts to nothing.
iii. (1 Corinthians 13:2) Says, “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” (V 3) says, “It profits me nothing.” KJV
B. EPH 4:17
1. Starting here in (V 17) Paul begins to move more into temporal truths.
a. What we are to do and what we should not be doing.
i. In (EPH 4:1) Paul says, that ye walk worthy of the vocation.
ii. He begins to instruct on the things that we should be doing.
b. In (V 17) he starts now, “How we should not walk.” (Things that we should not be doing.)
i. Later now he goes back to the things that we should be doing.
2. Now in (V 17) he says, “Stop walking as other Gentiles (unbelievers) walk, in the vanity of their mind.”
a. The word “Vanity” here in this V when he says, “in the vanity of their mind,” means that there is “A perverseness, an Emptiness, and void of the Truth.”
i. If someone is an unbeliever, they are definitely void of the Truth of God’s Word.
C. EPH 4:18
1. Because someone is void the Truth of God’s Word, their understanding is darkened.
2. He goes on in this V to say, “being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them.”
a. People are alienated or “Separated” from God because of Ignorance.
i. If there ignorance was removed, they would see that they need God in their lives. They would make Jesus their Lord.
ii. But their ignorance has stopped them.
b. How did that ignorance get in?
i. Through the “blindness of their heart.”
ii. The word “Blindness” should be translated hardness.”
iii. In many cases, Unbelievers are ignorant of the things of God because their heart’s are hardened to the things of God.
III. EPH 4:19
A. The NIV says this, (Eph 4:19) “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” NIV
1. He’s talking about unbelievers here, but not all unbelievers are this way, some try to live a moral life.
a. They try to receive salvation through the law, a system of do’s and don’ts.
2. What Paul is trying to say here is that Christians should not be living like this.
a. EPH 4:20
i. Or in other words, (V 20) “You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.” NIV
B. EPH 4:21-22
1. The word “Conversation” in (V 22) means, “manner of life.”
a. Paul’s telling us that we are to put off the former way of life.
2. EPH 4:23
a. This V is very similar to 1 found in the Book of COL so let’s turn there.
b. COL 3:9-10
i. The only way that were going to change our life style is to have our minds renewed to the Word of God.
Ephesians #20 Eph4:15-23.docx
WOLCC Thurs. 8/1/96