Ephesians 4:1-16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:4

There is one body ,.... The church; in what sense that is a body, and compared to one; see Gill on Ephesians 1:23 . It is called "one" with relation to Jews and Gentiles, who are of the same body, and are reconciled in one body by Christ, and are baptized into it by the Spirit; and with respect to saints above and saints below, who make up one general assembly; and with regard to separate societies; for though there are several particular congregations, yet there is but one church of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:5

One Lord ,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by right of creation, is Lord of all; and by right of marriage, and redemption, is the one and only Lord of his church and people; he has betrothed them to himself, and is their husband, and so their Lord, whom they are to worship and obey; he has redeemed them, he has bought them with the price of his blood, and therefore they are not their own, but his, and should glorify him both with their bodies and souls, which are his; he is the head of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:6

One God and Father of all ,.... That there is but one God is the voice of nature and of revelation; and may be concluded from the perfections of deity, for there can be but one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being; and from one first cause of all things, and the relations he stands in to his creatures: there is but one God, who is truly, and really, and properly God, in opposition to all nominal and figurative deities, and which are not gods... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:7

But unto everyone of us is given grace ,.... Which may refer to the saints in common, and may be interpreted of justifying, pardoning, adopting, sanctifying, and persevering grace, bestowed upon them all, freely and liberally, not grudgingly, nor niggardly, and without motive and condition in them; or to the ministers of the Gospel, and so design gifts fitting for the ministry, which every one has, though differing one from another, and all of free grace: according to the measure of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:8

Wherefore he saith ,.... God in the Scripture, Psalm 68:18 when he ascended up on high ; which is not to be understood of Moses's ascending up to the firmament at the giving of the law, as some Jewish writers F17 Targum & Jarchi in Psal. lxviii 18. interpret it; for though Moses ascended to the top of Mount Sinai, yet it is never said that he went up to the firmament of heaven; nor of David's going up to the high fortresses of his enemies, as another of those writers F18 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:9

Now that he ascended ,.... These words are a conclusion of Christ's descent from heaven, from his ascension thither; for had he not first descended from thence, it could not have been said of him that he ascended; for no man hath ascended to heaven but he that came down from heaven, John 3:13 and they are also an explanation of the sense of the psalmist in the above citation, which takes in his humiliation as well as his exaltation; which humiliation is signified by his descent into the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:10

He that descended is the same also that ascended ,.... It was the same divine Person, the Son of God, who assumed human nature, and suffered in it, which is meant by his descent, who in that nature ascended up to heaven: this proves that Christ existed before he took flesh of the virgin; and that though he has two natures, yet he is but one person; and disproves the Popish notion of the descent of Christ's soul into Limbus or hell, locally taken: and this ascension of his was, up far... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:11

And he gave some apostles ,.... That is, he gave them gifts by which they were qualified to be apostles; who were such as were immediately called by Christ, and had their doctrine from him, and their commission to preach it; and were peculiarly and infallibly guided by the Spirit of God, and had a power to work miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine; and had authority to go everywhere and preach the Gospel, and plant churches, and were not confined to anyone particular place or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:12

For the perfecting of the saints , The chosen ones, whom God has sanctified or set apart for himself in eternal election: the ministry of the word is designed for the completing the number of these in the effectual calling; and for the perfecting of the whole body of the church, by gathering in all that belong to it, and of every particular saint, who is regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God: for the best of saints are imperfect; for though there is a perfection in them, as that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ephesians 4:13

Till we all come in the unity of the faith ,.... These words regard the continuance of the Gospel ministry in the church, until all the elect of God come in: or "to the unity of the faith"; by which is meant, not the union between the saints, the cement of which is love; nor that which is between Christ and his people, of which his love, and not their faith, is the bond; but the same with the "one faith", Ephesians 4:5 and designs either the doctrine of faith, which is uniform, and all of... read more

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