The first verse of the new chapter reads:

“I encourage you then – I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthy of the calling to which you were called.”
Eph 4:1

The word “then” leads from the previous chapters over into this line. It also connects to them. It is as if the apostle were now introducing the logical consequence of what he has set out so far. That invites us to examine it and perhaps discover it.

Paul begins this chapter by pointing to himself. It is not about the communities, not about me and not about you either. First he says something about himself. Whereas he began the first chapter by introducing himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God (Eph 1:1), here he speaks of himself as the “one bound in the Lord” (interpreted in this article as “prisoner”). This is not directly about the authority God gave him for his task but about his present position as he sees it and the attitude in which he encourages the believers here.

There are further differences between the beginning of the first and the fourth chapter. Here are some of them side by side:

After Paul has introduced himself in the first verses of the letter, chapter four is no longer about that introduction. After three chapters, the readers know him. What begins in chapter four has a different ring to it. Here Paul does not put authority first but encourages the communities:

“I encourage you then … to walk worthy of the calling.”
Eph 4:1

This encouragement is not a command but rather an invitation to decide for oneself “to walk worthy of the calling”. He had set out the calling in detail in the first three chapters. For the first time, he placed the non-Jewish believers on an equal footing with the Jewish believers and made clear that we now all have “access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). Now it is about the logical consequence of this teaching. Paul emphasized the calling (Eph 1:18) and now teaches that one should walk confirming this calling.

The walk is to reflect the calling. That is how one can “walk worthy of the calling”. Within the letter, then, Paul’s position changes. First, in line with his commission, he proclaims what the calling contains. Now, however, he speaks from a different vantage point. As the “one bound in the Lord”, he addresses the communities with a request, namely “to walk worthy…” This change of position will shape the following chapters.

Put simply, one could therefore say that chapters 1 to 3 are about “teaching”, while chapters 4 to 6 concern the “practice” built on it. Both belong in one letter, and both belong together. This is worth noting, because quite a few communities place a clear emphasis on “teaching”, while others focus almost exclusively on “walk”. One-sidedness is a problem. Teaching without a walk is just “talk”. Likewise, those who pursue practice without a foundation tend to emphasize religious expectations with no liberating message behind them.

The apostle invites us to pursue this walk with a particular basic attitude. He writes:

“I encourage you then – I, the one bound in the Lord, to walk worthy of the calling to which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with patience bearing with one another in love.”
Eph 4:1-2

Paul writes this to communities, and he means these believers within their fellowships. He tells them to shape their walk with humility, meekness and patience. That means not only that no one stands above anyone else, but that all meet one another with humility and meekness. Towards others, one should show patience, “bearing with one another in love”. Patience does not come automatically. That is why Paul mentions it here. The need to bear with one another patiently “in love” seems to come from his own experience. For years he had lived in communities. Patience is indispensable if you want to bear with your neighbour.

Perhaps it can be seen like this: a group of people needs time to engage with one another or with new ideas. Many years ago I learned from a pastor how to apply this with care. I tended to be decisive in what I said and, once I saw the point of something, I could change course immediately. At the same time, I saw others resist straight away. I learned how important it is to give one another room to grow and adjust.

• How do teaching and walking relate to each other?
• Which of the two comes first? Why?
• What should teaching lead to?
• Does being a Christian consist in knowleddge or in walk?
• Space for life and space for faith – how do these terms relate to each other?
• Describe authentic Christian living.