Ephesians 4:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Ephesians 4:1

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Beseech

Vocation

General references

1 Corinthians 16:14

Philippians 1:13

Bible References

Beseech

I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.

Therefore I entreat you-Follow my example.

It is, then, on Christ's behalf that we are acting as ambassadors, God, as it were, appealing to you through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf--Be reconciled to God.

Therefore, as God's fellow-workers, we also appeal to you not to receive his loving-kindness in vain.

Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ--I who, "in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you"--

I entreat you, Brothers, to become like me, as I became like you. You have never done me any wrong.

Yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you--yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.

Dear friends, I urge you, as pilgrims and strangers upon earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war upon the soul.

And now, I pray you, Lady--not as though I were writing a new command for you; no, it is the command which we had from the first--Let us love one another.

Vocation

There is but one Body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your Call.

But we do know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him-those who have received the Call in accordance with his purpose.

I press on to the goal, to gain the prize of that heavenward Call which God gave me through Christ Jesus.

With this in view, our constant prayer for you is that our God may count you worthy of the Call that you have received, and by his power make perfect your delight in all goodness and the efforts that have resulted from your faith.

It was God who saved us, and from him we received our solemn Call--not as a reward for anything that we had done, but in fulfillment of his own loving purpose. For that love was extended to us, through Christ Jesus, before time began,

Therefore, Christian Brothers, you who, all alike, have received the Call from Heaven, fix your attention on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our Religion.

never returning evil for evil, or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, blessing. It was to this that you were called--to obtain a blessing!

God, from whom all help comes, and who called you, by your union with Christ, into his eternal glory, will, when you have suffered for a little while, himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.

For his divine power has given us everything that is needful for a life of piety, as we advance in the knowledge of him who called us by a glorious manifestation of his goodness.

General references

Let everything you do be done in a loving spirit.

It has even become evident, not only to all the Imperial Guard, but to every one else, that it is for Christ's sake that I am in chains.