Thursday, January 23, 2014

Walking in Ephesians…Walk Worthily

 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  (Ep 4:1-6 NKJV)



The word “walk” in the Greek in verse 1 is peripateo. The Strong concordance defines this word as to walk, to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities:  to live, to regulate one's life, to conduct one's self, to pass one's life.

Vine's Expository Dictionary defines it figuratively as, "signifying the whole round of the activities of the individual life. Basically the word is referring to the living out of our lives. The Common English Bible translates verse 1 as Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God.

A working translation of verse 1 would be I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to  live and conduct your life in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called … Now, let us consider a question. What does this worthy life look like as it is being lived out?

Verses 2-6 of the above passage tell us what it looks like: It is a life marked by humility, gentleness, patience, acceptance, love, unity, peace, and togetherness. The rest of chapter 4 continues to paint out the portrait of the worthy life.

Why not read all of Ephesians 4 in a few different translations and see how Paul uses broad strokes and specific strokes as he continues describing THE WORTHY LIFE. I would love to hear what stirs you that you would like to add to the marks of a worthy life.