Ephesians 4:1-3
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
therefore (v.1) — referring back to the blessings and exalted position in Christ listed in the first three chapters
prisoner of the Lord (v.1) — ‘prisoner in the sphere of the Lord” — Paul was prisoner because of his connection to Christ
beseech (v.1) – beg — “I beg of you, please.”
walk (v.1) = to conduct one’s self, to order one’s behavior
worthy (v1) = to weigh as much as — Their walk should “weigh as much as” their profession of belief in Christ.
calling (v.1) = summons (unto salvation)
all lowliness (v.2) — all possible lowliness, every kind of lowliness — Originally in Greek it meant “abject servility, grovelling,” but in the New Testament, it means “thinking truly and, therefore, lowly of ourselves, having a sense of our own moral smallness.”
gentleness (v.2) — the grace of soul that enables us to accept God’s dealings with us as good
longsuffering (v.2) = patience as regards to persons — not easily provoked
bearing (v.2) = to sustain, to bear up — a further explanation of “longsuffering”
love (v.2) = agape
endeavoring (v.3) = take care, make haste, do one’s best, exert one’s self
keep (v.3) = guard, exercise watchful care
unity (v3) = unanimity, agreement — brought about by the Spirit
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