Ephesians 4:25-27

4:25

Therefore – as a result of how we learned Christ: as a result of putting off the old self, having a new mind/attitude, and putting on the new self…

each of you – I think he has generally been using plural pronouns and speaking to the believers collectively (did not research that). Now Paul stresses individual responsibility.

must – emphatic requirement

put off – get ride of, discard

falsehood – deception—either directly (lying) or indirectly (misleading)—Jacob pattern. This is so ingrained in me that only radical surgery can correct it. It is a cancer in my soul that requires excision.

and – the compliment to removing the negative involves replacing it with the positive

speak truthfully – plainly, straightforwardly, “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’,” includes actions as well as words

to his neighbor – who is my neighbor? Person next to me, goes beyond brother or fellow-believer to include non-believers I meet, although the next phrase focuses on the body of Christ.

for – reason for the preceding comes next

we – believers, followers of Christ

are – present tense, current condition

all – without exception

members – belonging, committed to the group, what one does affects the group. Thus, I must speak truthfully even to non-believers, because a falsehood to them reflects on the body.

of one body – organic whole

4:26

“In your… – belongs to me/us

“…anger… – “strong feeling of displeasure aroused by a wrong” (dictionary.com); resentment

“…do not sin” – in action or attitude. My anger—justified as it seemed (was?)—grew into bitterness, which is sin. That spilled over into mistreatment of others, but I never expressed those feelings to those who had wronged me. Instead, innocent people around me, people who loved me, became my victims.

Do not – command

let the sun go down – day’s end

while you are still angry – resolve the issue quickly; don’t take it to bed

4:27

and – further exposition of the quote

do not – command

give – concede, yield, surrender

the devil – opponent, “slanderer;”

a foothold – he will (and does) haunt me with memories of how my anger cum bitterness has produced sin and failure to God and people; this gives a foothold