![]() It is used in company with the Greek adjectives which mean slavish (andrapododes, doulikos, douloprepes), ignoble (agennes), of no repute (adoxos), cringing (chamaizelos, which is the adjective which describes a plant which trails along the ground). A word is always known by the company it keeps and this word keeps ignoble company. The Greek had an adjective for humble, which is closely connected with this noun-the adjective tapeinos ( G5011). ![]() The ancient world looked on humility as a thing to be despised. Later Basil was to describe it as "the gem casket of all the virtues" but before Christianity humility was not counted as a virtue at all. In Greek there is no word for humility which has not some suggestion of meanness attaching to it. The Greek is tapeinophrosune ( G5012), and this is actually a word which the Christian faith coined. (i) First, and foremost, there is humility. Here we have five of the great basic words of the Christian faith. The first three verses shine like jewels. Here Paul paints the picture of the kind of life that a man must live when he enters the fellowship of the Christian Church. When a man enters into any society, he takes upon himself the obligation to live a certain kind of life and if he fails in that obligation, he hinders the aims of his society and brings discredit on its name. I urge you eagerly to preserve that unity which the Holy Spirit can bring by binding things together in peace. I urge you to bear with one another in love. I urge you to behave with all humility, and gentleness, and patience. Therefore scripture says, "He ascended into the height, and brought his captive band of prisoners, and gave gifts to men." (When it says that "he ascended." what else can it mean than that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same person as he who ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things with his presence.)Ĥ:1-3 So then, I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to behave yourselves in a way that is worthy of the calling with which you are called. To each one of you grace has been given, as it has been measured out to you by the free gift of Christ. one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called with one hope of your calling. ![]() ![]() WORTHY OF OUR CALLING ( Ephesians 4:1-10 continued)Ĥ:1-10 So then, I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to behave yourselves in a way that is worthy of the calling with which you are called. And now Paul turns to the character the Christian must have if the Church is to fulfil her great task of being Christ's instrument of universal reconciliation between man and man, and man and God within the world. This way is through faith in him and it is the Church's task to proclaim this message to all the world. Now he begins to sketch what each member of the Church must be if the Church is to carry out her part in that plan.īefore we begin this chapter, let us again remind ourselves that the central thought of the letter is that Jesus has brought to a disunited world the way to unity. In Ephesians 1:1-23 Ephesians 2:1-22 Ephesians 3:1-21 Paul has dealt with the great and eternal truths of the Christian faith, and with the function of the Church in the plan of God. With this chapter the second part of the letter begins. Ephesians 4:1-32 INTRODUCTION ( Ephesians 4:1-10 )
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