Ephesians 4:1-16

v1: The remainder of this letter is all about what God requires of us.  It is a section that is practical, "intended to give us direction in our lives and how we lead them." Paul's concern is that those who are called Christians, "fulfil that name and live as Christians."  This is something he thinks is worth suffering for and we should give his teaching "serious attention and dutiful observance."

v2-3: To maintain unity, the first step is having humble thoughts of ourselves, because without humility, "there will be no gentleness or patience, and without these there is no unity."

v4-6: Those who belong to Christ should be one.  One because we belong to the same body of Christ and are motivated by the same Spirit.  One because we are called to the same hope of eternal life.  One because we saved by the same faith.  One because we are baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  One because the one God and Father acknowledges all of us who are part of the church as his children.

v7-10: Everyone in the church has been given by Christ gifts and graces to be used to love one another.

v11-13: Both extraordinary gifts (apostles and prophets) and ordinary gifts (evangelists and pastor-teachers) have been given to the church by Jesus.  While the extraordinary gifts are no longer needed with the completion of Scripture and the establishment of the church, the ordinary gifts of these teachers who preach the gospel and instruct God's people continue to be given in order to build up the church and prepare us for heaven.  "How kind Christ is to his church!  How much he cares for it and its teaching!"

v14-16: God's intention is that the ministry of those who have been given to the church to teach God's Word will lead to His people being "no longer children in knowledge, weak in faith and fickle in judgments, easily giving in to every temptation."  Instead, we would "come to know Christ and to increase our faith in him, our love for him, and dependence on him."