Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-13 (NRSV)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Word in Context
This letter is attributed to Paul, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” and it is addressed “to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Jesus Christ.” However, it may well have been written by a disciple of Paul, and it may have originally been a “general letter intended for many churches” (HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2192).
In the fourth chapter, the focus is on “unity in the body of Christ” and the “leadership gifts” which God imparts “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”
Reflection Questions
- How do we most effectively live “a life worth of the calling to which [we] have been called?”
- How is “unity of the Spirit” expressed and experienced?
- What is the purpose of the gifts that God gives?
- What is God’s goal for all of us?
Prayer
O God, guide us and bless us as we seek to grow “to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Amen.
