LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Exegesis Research Paper on Ephesians 4:7-16
Submitted to Dr. Steve Lowe, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the completion of the course,
RTCH-500
Research, Writing, and Ministry Preparation
By
Lester C. Sump II
June 6, 2022
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Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1
Historical Context ............................................................................................................. 2
Cultural Context ................................................................................................................ 2
Literary Context ................................................................................................................ 3
Commentary ...................................................................................................................... 6
Spiritual Formation… ......................................................................................................... 9
Significance and Application… ........................................................................................... 10
Bibliography… ................................................................................................................... 11
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Introduction
Many scholars believe the book of Ephesians is one of Paul’s best works as it highlights
the hope that is in Jesus through belief, and also offers instruction and encouragement on what is
necessary in understanding the walk of a true Christ follower. Exegetically, Paul speaks to young
churches that are newly established, in an effort to help them fully understand what Jesus died
for and how to incorporate that knowledge into their lives in a practical way. The power of the
Holy Spirit is contextualized within these verses and Paul is clear to convey how God works in
the lives of His children through the Spirit. Expectations and instructions are aimed towards
improving the ability of all believers to preach the Gospel of Christ first by how they live, and
secondly, how they understand the Word of God. Scripture tells us that God has appointed
various positions of leadership to help instruct and encourage believers to be steadfast in their
journey through sanctification and edification.
Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned at a time when the young church in Ephesus was
being heavily persecuted. His goal was to educate young believers on the truth of the Gospel
while also denouncing those within the church who were trying to teach a false doctrine, as some
had tried to incorporate the law into the grace of the New Covenant. This paper will examine the
spiritual gifts associated with the Holy Spirt indwelling inside of the believer while diving into
the role those gifts play regarding spiritual growth, and how they affect the great commission of
creating spiritually mature disciples called to spread the truth of the gospel.
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Historical Context
First century Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire and persecuted the spread of
Christianity due to a belief that those who were active in it were against Caesar. As previously
mentioned, Paul was imprisoned in Rome while writing the letter to Ephesus, the capital city of
the Roman province of Asia Minor. This area was highly profitable to Rome and served as a
bridge between the east and west, so anyone disrupting their authority was targeted and quickly
removed. Paul was a roman citizen who directed his ministry towards Gentiles as Christ had
commanded him to spread the Gospel outside of Israel and its people. This was his second trip to
the area to preach and he found the young church very much in need of wise counsel. Arnold
Clinton writes that Paul devoted himself to reaching those within the city in an effort to share the
good news.1 Paul found himself captive after he made a petition to see Caesar in an effort to state
why he wanted to attain the ability to teach Scripture which ultimately resulted in his capture. As
he writes, Paul addresses the practical application of sound biblical doctrine to struggling
believers who had yet to be taught correctly concerning the grace of Christ. His goal was to give
insight into how to mature in the faith while leaning on the spiritual gifts bestowed upon them.
Michael Horvath writes there are special attributes given by the Holy Spirit to all who believe in
Jesus only by way of the grace and mercy of God to use at his will.2
Cultural Context
Ephesus was an integral city in a vast empire that specialized in marble making trade
with other cities an extremely valuable commodity. The infrastructure was breathtaking as the
city featured many luxuries including running water, gardens, paved roads, a library and a theatre
1 Clinton E. Arnold. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI. Harper Collins Publishing, 2010.
2 Michael Horvath. Spiritual Gifts Inventories: A Psychometric Perspective. The Journal of
Psychology and Christianity 32, no. 2, 2013. 124.
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where modern advances were only a stone’s throw from availability. Biblically speaking,
however, Ephesus was rotted from within, consumed by pagan worship, idolatry, and sexual sin
that would make Sodom and Gomorrah seem holy. The Greek goddess Artemis was widely
worshipped as a god of fertility, with Griggs pointing out that the people believed she had
significance regarding spirituality, politics, and the economy.3 As a gateway area, Ephesus drew
many people from different ideological, cultural, and spiritual backgrounds, effectively making it
a cesspool for crime. As the people were obviously divided, Paul sought to reconcile them
together under the umbrella of Christ, and unify the church body by extending a different belief
system welcoming all, that would forge a new path to God.
Literary Context
Paul was wise to break down his letter into two distinct but equally important sections,
with the first focusing on sound doctrine as to the biblical standards that believers should strive
to learn, with the second emphasizing the practical duties of anyone who chooses to follow
Jesus. Francis Foulkes refers to Paul’s writings as more sermon based, with the intent being to
encompass all that God wants for his children with less of an address concerning a particular
issue within the church, which potentially creates the notion that the letter may not have been
written specifically to the church alone, but was intended to reach all believers at any point in
time.4 Paul’s call to live as mature Christians would be made possible through creating a unified
church body through the development of individually unique spiritual gifts granted by God to
3 Daniel Frayer-Griggs. The Beasts at Ephesus and the Cult of Artemis. The Harvard Theological
Review 106, no. 4, 2013. 459-477.
4 Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grover, IL.
InterVarsity Press, 1989, 19.
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each believer with one common goal, to build up one another, ultimately culminating in a group
of like-minded followers willing to serve Christ to the fullest extent possible.
Meaning of the Passage
Ephesians 4:7-16 begins with Paul explaining the abundance of God’s grace combined
with the how the Father has chosen to bestow it in verse 7. God’s grace is on display for all who
come to belief in Christ through the magnitude of the work of Jesus on the cross. Grace is a gift,
not earned through works of man, but received through the goodness of God alone, through faith
in His Son alone. The message is that once a believer possesses this gift, in turn, it will equip
followers of Christ to want to share it by spreading the Gospel to others. Roberts states that for
those who receive God’s grace, there is an overflow of empowerment meant to help build the
church to His glory.5 The example set by Jesus and declared by Paul, illustrates the gift of grace
given to all who believe, not only for the benefit of everlasting life, but to also accomplish the
task of sharing said grace with others. This is stated so those who do not yet accept Christ would
be encouraged to do so as Paul points out there should be a distinct difference in the behavior of
a believer opposed to that of a non-follower.6
Verses 8 thru 10 follow Christ’s example and shows how he lived a sinless life, died for
the remission of all sin, descended into hell to defeat Satan, and finally ascended into Heaven to
take His rightful place seated at the right hand of the Father. The setting that Paul is trying to
convey is much like one of a military general, at that time in history, who would conquer the
5 Mark D. Roberts. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2016.
6 Cohick, Lynn H. The Letter to the Ephesians. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. 2020.
228
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enemy then return home with gifts for the people. In this same way, Paul is showing that as Jesus
returned to his throne, He had given spiritual gifts to His followers beyond the grace of
redemption, and ultimately, gifts to empower believers to be foot soldiers of the Gospel. Mouton
eloquently states that the ascension of Christ, while supplying His faithful with these gifts, is
evidence of God’s plan to fill all things with His presence.7
Paul outlines these gifts in verse 11 by highlighting the different groups of leaders
appointed to teach the body. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds were chosen to equip
the saints in order to build the church here on earth. Apostles were sent with all authority to
establish the church, and generally presided over a number of churches while choosing those
they identified as men who could be trained to take on leadership roles. Prophets were given
specific messages from God to communicate to His people during the time of the Ancient
Israelites with the sole purpose of relaying specific instructions to those God had placed in
charge of Israel. Evangelists were chosen to proclaim the truth of Scripture in an effort to bring
people to faith in Christ such as Philip and Timothy, as they both gave sermons preaching the
amazing love of God. Shepherds or pastors are charged with teaching sound doctrine so that
those who hear it will have a fundamental understanding, while overseeing the day to day
functions of individual churches and the members that attend. All of these positions in the Body
of Christ are charged with using their positional gifts to lead believers towards the individual
calling God has placed in their hearts.8
7 Mouton, Elna. Ascended Far Above all the Heavens': Rhetorical Functioning of Psalm 68:18
in Ephesians 4:8-10. Hervormde Teologiese Studies 70, no. 1, 2014, 1-9
8 Van Aarde, Timothy, A. The Missional Church Structure and the Priesthood of all Believers:
Ephesians in the Light of the Inward and Outward Function of the Church. Verbum Et Ecclesia
38, no. 1, 2017
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In verse 12, Paul outlines the purpose for ministry which is to prepare in knowledge and
in spirit to build the church and be of service to all. As the body of Christ is a metaphor Paul uses
to indicate the oneness and unity that all believers inherit upon accepting that Jesus paid the
penalty for the sin of all mankind, and thru faith in this, are available to receive the grace he
provides to bring place them in right standing with God. As previously mentioned, the order of
the church is laid out in detailed structure to establish the hierarchy that God has intended is best
for His church to grow. Zimmerman states that the leaders in the church body are responsible for
attaining and providing wisdom to all believers. 9
The unity and oneness that exemplifies Christ is to be presented in His church body as
Paul elaborates in verses 13 and 14 as he states to mature in Christ is to reach commonality in
knowledge which will provide the ability to not be deceived such as children are. Being
completely in tune with Christ takes the understanding of true biblical doctrine and although
each member is to look forward to such growth, the entire body experiences this as a whole.
Scripture shows that there will be many who intend to lead followers astray through deceitful
teachings and the twisting of God’s word in an effort to undermine the church and the teachings
of Jesus. Staying close to Christ through the understanding of the truth of the Gospel helps
believers remain steadfast and not easily swayed by those who attempt to do so. As the head of
the church, Christ administers wise council through the Holy Spirit as He dwells in the
regenerated heart of every follower. This process of sanctification by obtaining the knowledge of
Scripture helps the legs and feet stand soundly with spiritual discernment against all adversaries
who are compelled to negatively influence the entire body. Klein regards this process of maturity
9 Zimmerman, Thomas F. And He Gave Pastors: Pastoral Theology in Action, Gospel
Publishing House, 2015, 5
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as a standard set by Christ in an effort to reveal His true self to His followers through His word,
and those He has appointed to be overseers. 10
The ability for church leaders to first submit to Jesus so they may convey His teachings is
paramount in their ability to raise up mature followers who understand their role inside of the
Body of Christ. Verse 15 and 16 shows Paul instructing all believers to gain maturity by working
together towards a unified body with each part working in perfect unison which enables the
entire church to build itself up in love. This love that Christ has shown us is to be portrayed to
those not yet in the body to allow everyone the opportunity to see the fullness of God.
Bibliography
10 Klein, William, W. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI,
Zondervan, 2017.
10
Arnold, Clinton, E. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI. Harper Collins Publishing, 2010.
Cohick, Lynn H. The Letter to the Ephesians. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. 2020.
228
Daniel Frayer-Griggs. The Beasts at Ephesus and the Cult of Artemis. The Harvard Theological
Review 106, no. 4, 2013. 459-477.
Foulkes, Francis. Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grover, IL.
InterVarsity Press, 1989, 19.
Horvath, Michael. Spiritual Gifts Inventories: A Psychometric Perspective. The Journal of
Psychology and Christianity 32, no. 2, 2013. 124.
Klein, William, W. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI,
Zondervan, 2017.
Mouton, Elna. Ascended Far Above all the Heavens': Rhetorical Functioning of Psalm 68:18 in
Ephesians 4:8-10. Hervormde Teologiese Studies 70, no. 1, 2014, 1-9
Roberts, Mark, D. Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2016
Van Aarde, Timothy, A. The Missional Church Structure and the Priesthood of all Believers:
Ephesians in the Light of the Inward and Outward Function of the Church. Verbum Et Ecclesia
38, no. 1, 2017
Zimmerman, Thomas F. And He Gave Pastors: Pastoral Theology in Action, Gospel
Publishing House, 2015, 5
