Ephesians 4:16-17

4:16

From him – source

the whole body – body in its entirety, as a unit

joined – parts that were disjointed previously have now been molded into a cohesive body

and held together – effort required to keep the unity, to maintain them as a body; church splits and denominational rifts are insults to the message of Christ. But what to do about it? I tried preaching about this at one church. I tried to raise the possibility of reconciliation. That didn’t work.

by every – no exceptions

supporting ligament – In the physical body, a ligament is, “a sheet or band of tough, fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages at a joint or supporting an organ.” Second definition: “A unifying or connecting bond.” (definition.reference.com) So how to apply this to body of Christ? One thing that jumps out is the phrase, “tough, fibrous tissue.” In the body of Christ, we need and God has given some people who can absorb the twists and tensions of the different parts rubbing against each other. When two groups each want to emphasize their own areas of interest, it takes a degree of toughness to give each their due and keep the parts working together toward a common goal. If my shin starts thinking that the rest of the body exists for the shin’s benefit, then some corrective action is needed. The body is not here for the shin, but the shin for the body. Similarly with any other part of the body. But almost anyone who has been in the Body of Christ for any period of time can recall when one department in the church tried to dictate every other activity in the Body. That is called disease (dis-ease) or injury. If my shin demands that kind of attention, it is called shin-splints. The whole body then is affected by the problem in the shins. But when the shins are healthy, the whole body can work together to achieve a common purpose.

I got sidetracked there talking about shins and parts of the body. What I wanted to illustrate was the ligaments that tie the shins to the knees and the knees to the thighs. The respective parts of the leg perform different functions in serving the body and all these functions have equal importance. The ligaments hold them together. They flex and relax as each part serves the body. When all of these—shins, ligaments, knees, ligaments and thighs—keep to their respective responsibilities, then the body moves in the direction the head chooses to go. And as Paul has already noted: the Head is Christ.

grows – increase in size, numbers

and builds itself up – increase in strength and abilities

in love – more effective and efficient in expressing love; actively showing concern for the needs of others in the community as the result of making the Body of Christ stronger

as – while, because, as a result of

each part – None of us can do the work of the whole body; none of us is the whole body; each individual fills one portion of bodily function

does its work – A member in our body is grieving the death of his wife who died just three days ago. Different ones in the body will show their love and concern for him in different ways. Each way will rise, in part, from the various ways in which God has gifted us to serve within the Body.

4:17

So – as a result of the unity in diversity proposed above…

I – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God (1:1)

tell – command, order, insist

you – the church in Ephesus as well as the church today

this – pay attention

and insist on it – emphasis, very important, military-like command

in the Lord – more than Paul’s authority as an apostle, now he appeals to the authority of Christ

that you must – repeated emphasis, not an option. In 3 different ways, Paul stresses this as a demand. At the same time, he evokes both his personal authority as an apostle as well as the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ our Lord.

no longer – clear change from the past

live – lifestyle, pattern of thinking and acting

as the Gentiles do – the nations, non-believers. How do they live? Some live in fear and superstition; most seem carefree and oblivious of any future consequences. Worshiping pleasure and materialism

in the futility – uselessness, hamster-on-a-wheel, routine, going nowhere

of their thinking – unthinking, mindless, never asking why or what is the purpose; NLT = “hopelessly confused”; pointless

The word “do” is modified, clarified, by the two prepositional phrases that follow. I can combine those phrases to say, “in their futile thinking.” All of that to say: The thought life dictates the actions which become the lifestyle. For the “Gentiles,” i.e., unbelieving world, their empty thinking produces empty actions which become empty lifestyles. Meanwhile, I remain caught in a rut. So I have to ask myself, “What self-defeating thoughts do I nurse that keep producing self-defeating actions and a self-defeating lifestyle?”