Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4 is the fourth chapter of the letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament. It is traditionally thought to be written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome (around AD 62), though some scholars suggest it may have been written later by another writer using Paul’s style. The chapter is part of Paul’s big message to live as the church (chapters 4–6), focusing on how believers are connected as one body and how they should live.
The chapter has 32 verses and talks about two main ideas. First, the church’s unity: there is one body and one Spirit, and believers share one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. This shows that all Christians belong to the same family and should work together in peace. Christ gave gifts to people—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers—to equip everyone in the church to grow in faith and knowledge of Jesus, until all of us reach fullness in Christ.
Second, practical living: how to behave as people who belong to this one body. From verse 4:17 onward, the text gives clear guidance on daily life, using the familiar image of taking off old clothes and putting on new ones to show how character and lifestyle should change. In short, Christians should walk in a way worthy of their calling, live in unity, speak truthfully, work honestly, be generous, and avoid harmful talk. They should be kind, compassionate, and forgiving, imitating God as His children, and live wisely in the world.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:53 (CET).