We continue our review of how to walk as a Christian according to the record left for us in Ephesians. Let’s begin by saying something we should have said earlier, walking, unlike just living, is defined as something that requires movement and with the purpose to getting somewhere. It isn’t sitting on the couch eating a bag of potato chips waiting for opportunities to serve with your spiritual gifts. It isn’t awaiting a phone call or a text from your church leadership to get involved. If you’re a Christian, the gun has gone off and it’s time to run the race. This takes on a twofold approach in the rest of Chapter 4 in Ephesians. The first part is focused upon mindsets and desires as a Christian which we covered in the last post and the latter part is how the new man interacts with people which we will get to now.
The Text
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:25-32)
New Man Interactivity
Paul now moves to interactions to differentiate several ethical behaviours. Yes, there is an expectation that when you attend a congregation that you interact! The way Christians intermingle should be different than in their former life. This is the outworking of the distinction between the old man and the new man. What does the born-again man who has learned Christ do and not do in a Christian community? He will name specific sinful attitudes and actions then give a means by which they must act to counterbalance this behaviour or deed.
Talking like a New Man
The first of these exhortations in v.25 are laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. As a new man, you should no longer deal with your neighbour with falsehood or deception, but your words should be truthful. Paul quotes from Zechariah 8:16 to substantiate this claim, a text detailing the life that Yahweh foreordained for a future Jerusalem (vs. 1-15). This is now applied to the corporate body in Christ on how to live. The reason Paul gives for this exhortation is that we are members of one another. The appeal to unity in the body of Christ is once again taken up. Your neighbour is a part of the same body and should be treated with the wellbeing that one would care for his own body with honesty and not falsehood.
Reacting like a New Man
Verses 26-27 are one phrase and it’s important to interpret these words together. Paul now addresses the topic of relational anger between people of this new community. He begins with a quotation from Psalm 4:4 which in its original context was dealing with how David was treated with the reproach of men, the same men who loved what is worthless and aimed at deception. There is such a thing as righteous anger and an unrighteous one, the latter falling in the same categories as bitterness and wrath. The warning here is to examine whether this anger that is experienced is sinful. The imperative here is to not let the sun go down on your anger. Anger shouldn’t be lasting. Christians shouldn’t be harbouring anger since it is detrimental to their spiritual health and in return gives the devil an opportunity (v.27). The devil is always interested in the demise of what God’s sees as pure. He may use this anger to bring ruin to the individual and to the congregation. The last thing a congregation should do is give the enemy an opportunity to destroy it.
Giving like a New Man
Now, as we move to the next segment, let me just begin by saying that I have met many Christians who have an imbalanced focus upon identifying sin. These generally fall outside the explicit biblical scope into more grey areas. It becomes imbalanced because their focus upon “not sinning” leaves little room for them to do anything else. What Paul will argue in the next few verses is that it is not enough to simply “not sin”, but we are expected to do good also.
The first example of this is that the believers in Asia Minor are commanded not to steal. Paul is appealing here to the torah. The point Paul is making is that if they did participate in this behaviour that it needed to stop. Living in holiness and purity required it. But that wasn’t all they were required to do. In contrast, they were expected to work. The purpose behind this work wasn’t for them to fill their pockets but in performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. The work should have the benefit of other believers in mind. Paul elsewhere states that while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Galatians 6:10). When the church saw its inception, it emphasized this type of sharing amongst one another especially the poor within the congregations (Acts 2:45; 6:1-7).
Blessing like a New Man
While v.28 dealt with working with your hands, v.29 is now addressing speech. Paul exhorts them to let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth. Since Paul has already dealt with lying in v.25, this prohibition is probably referring to something else. The term unwholesome has the meaning of something that is rotten. We aren’t explicitly told what these words are but possibly they could be referring to terms that are meant to bring harm to another. It could possibly be slander or abusive speech (Colossians 3:8). So, the speech that we give to others should be in contrast to this. It should be a word that is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. The parallel in Colossians reads: Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6). In other words, the words of grace that will help a fellow-believer in their need at the right time. This is not someone who offers advice loosely but words of edification when you are in need. Offering these words out of season could cause more friction than blessing.
Grieving the Holy Spirit
Grieving the Holy Spirit of God is taken from Isaiah 63:10 where it is linked with the Israelites rebelling against God and in turn His becoming their enemy. In Isaiah, the passage speaks of the Exodus as the means of redemption of God’s people. In Ephesians, this is not a sidenote or a rabbit trail, but the grieving of the Spirit of God is among the sins. The Spirit of God was the unifying factor (Ephesians 2:19, 22 and 4:3-4) and like the Israelites during the Exodus, that Spirit was in the midst of them (Isaiah 63:11). He is in the midst of His church as the temple (Ephesians 2:20-22). As Christians, we need to be careful to not disturb Yahweh’s presence (like the Israelites did) whether in speech or in action, sinning through untruth, stealing, slanderous words or inner-bitterness towards each other. This is the Spirit that sealed them for the day of redemption. He is the One who gave them rest (Isaiah 63:14). But this rest is not complete, and believers are looking ahead to a day of redemption where the final rest will come. This is a guarantee of salvation to come and to grieve the One who served as a testimony of their redemption through Gentile manner would have been marked as a great sin.
The Heart of the New Man
Paul now returns to the pattern of examples on how Christians need not only refrains from sinful actions and desires but do to others in righteousness and holiness. Firstly, he lists several behaviours towards one another that need to be put off. There is intensity in the words of the apostle. These were not simply hidden inner feelings but social outbursts towards one another. To be bitter was a strong resentment against one another. Anger, which, again, was a deeply expressed public anger against one another. Clamour would refer to public quarrelling (see Luke 1:42 where it is a shout of joy). Finally, the last on the list is slander or to blaspheme one another. While the term can be referring to speech that is slanderous towards God (Romans 2:24; 1 Timothy 6:1, Revelation 13:6; 16:11) and even towards His word (Titus 2:5), in this instance (and many others), it is slander towards another in speech. We’ve all seen the repercussions of these behaviours when a couple of hotheads decide to publicly go at it.
In v.32, Paul contrasts this interactive behaviour. The new man will be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other. These are all qualities that we find in God and in Christ. God demonstrated His kindness through grace (Ephesians 2:7) and ultimately that kindness was the determining factor in which we are saved (Titus 3:4-5; Romans 11:22). We are to take opportunities to give kindness, not simply in words but also in actions towards others. God is also compassionate (tender-hearted) towards sinners especially in sending the Messiah (Luke 1:78) and Christ demonstrated compassion to others during His earthly ministry (Matthew 9:36; Luke 7:13). Believers are to exhibit this type of compassion towards God’s people and even in their community if this compassion is rendered in truth. The key significant factor for the Christians in Asia Minor as they walk as Christians is demonstrating forgiveness. If there is to be unity that demonstrates the power of the Spirit of God, it needs to be seen in forgiveness. This forgiveness is based upon the Lord of heaven forgiving us for our trespasses towards Him and in return we should exhibit the character of God towards our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:12-13)
The Moncton Herald 