📊 Ephesians 4:1 | Paul's Main Point & Original Greek

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📧 In today’s email…

• 🤓 Context on Ephesians leading up to our memory verse

• 🙏 Paul’s main point & The original Greek

• 🤔 Reflection + application

• 📊 Tuesday trivia

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

I therefore, _ ________ for ___ ____, urge you to walk

in a manner worthy of ___ _____ to which you have been called.

Ephesians 4:1

Paul’s Main Point in Ephesians 4:1 🤓 

First, let’s review the broader context of Ephesians and what leads up to our memory verse.

When reading through the 6 chapters in Ephesians, you can see some of Paul’s main goals in writing this letter, which include:

• Calling for unity within the body of believers (Eph 2:11-22)

• Explaining the mystery of the Gospel - that Gentiles are equal heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ through the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-13)

• Encouraging believers to live in a way that flows from the gospel (Eph 4:1-6)

• Providing practical instructions for Christian living (Eph 4:17-5:21)

• Discussing the armor of God (Eph 6:10-18)

In Ephesians 3 - leading up to our memory verse - Paul prays for the believers and elaborates on the mystery of the Gospel:

Paul then ends Chapter 3 with a powerful prayer:

The Transition 📖

Ephesians 4:1 marks a transition from making a theological point to giving practical exhortation, urging believers to live out their calling.

Original Greek 🤓

Now, let’s dig into a few Greek words found in verse 1.

Again, let’s review this week’s verse:

• Paul uses the Greek word for ‘prisoner’ (desmios) on two levels - he is literally a prisoner at the time of writing this, and he is a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Eph 3:1). We’ll learn more about this tomorrow.

• The Greek word for ‘urge’ (parakaleō) is a strong exhortation, often used by Paul to encourage and implore.

  • Remember that they didn’t have the ability to call each other - the only options Paul has to emphasize points are repetition and the use of strong language.

• ‘Walk’ (peripateō) means how you live or conduct your entire life.

  • Think about the phrases “walking the walk” and your “walk of faith.”

Paul’s main point in this verse?

Live your life in such a way that it is consistent with the truth that you have been healed and saved by the work of Jesus!

As believers, our lives should be a testimony - evidence - to the grace and calling we have received, showing the world the transformative power of the Gospel.

Apply & Respond: Reflect 🤔 

To apply Ephesians 4:1, consider how your daily life aligns with your Christian calling.

Take a moment to reflect on these questions:

• Are you promoting unity and peace within your community?

• How do your actions demonstrate humility and patience?

• In what ways do you strive to live a life that reflects the love of Christ?

Reflect on personal experiences where you have succeeded or struggled in living out this calling.

Reflect 🙏 

For deeper reflection, consider one way you can embody the principles of Ephesians 4:1 both:

• Inside of the church community and

• With non-believers

💡 Bonus: Pick one coworker, friend or family member who follows Jesus. Ask them to share 1 practical way they are living in a way “worthy of the calling.”

Tuesday Trivia 📊 

Click one of the options below! Let’s see how you do..

Answer key ✅ 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk

in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Ephesians 4:1