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Ephesians

About this book
Chapter 4

1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit,⁠ just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.”⁠ 9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?⁠ 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. 14 So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.⁠ 15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. 16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love. 17 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another.⁠ 26 Be angry and do not sin;⁠ do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.⁠ 27 Do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must steal no longer; instead he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it would give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,⁠ by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.⁠ 31 You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk—indeed all malice. 32 Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Ephesians reshapes Psalm 68, which originally shows God receiving gifts, now used to describe Jesus giving gifts. This change follows a pattern seen in Jewish traditions like the Aramaic Targums, which also describe God giving rather than receiving.

Passages

Psalm 68:18

Hebrew Bible
16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain where God has decided to live? Indeed the Lord will live there permanently. 17 God has countless chariots; they number in the thousands. The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 18 You ascend on high; you have taken many captives. You receive tribute from men, including even sinful rebels. Indeed, the Lord God lives there. 19 The Lord deserves praise. Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah)
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Ephesians 4:8

New Testament
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” 9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

References

"... Several interpretive difficulties populate Ephesians 4:8-10. Paul opens by quoting Psalm 68, a psalm that celebrates the victory of God as the divine warrior. Paul envisions the triumphant Christ ascending his throne, leading a parade of conquered enemies. This is a poetic vision of Christ leading the vanquished powers, putting them on display as defeated enemies. One of the problems here, however, is that Paul seems to change the quote from Psalm 68:18. The psalm notes that God "receives" gifts from people during his victory procession, but Paul quotes the psalm differently: "he gave gifts to his people" (Eph 4:8). Did Paul quote the psalm wrongly? Does he feel some sort of freedom to change the words of Scripture to fit his situation? Not at all. Paul is not merely quoting one verse but the entire narrative movement of the psalm. He pictures Christ as the triumphant warrior who goes out to conquer and then returns in glory, ascends to his temple and takes his seat of authority ..."
Timothy G. Gombis, The Drama of Ephesians: Participating in the Triumph of God (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010), 139–140.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8

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