Inductive Study: Ephesians 4:1

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called

Ephesians 4:1

Personal Mission - Be a man of God

Personal Vision - Lead like Christ, Walk with Christ, Love my wife and children in a way that they understand

Inspired by the movie, War Room, I started writing selected verses and posting them under my Vision headings in my office. To practice inductive bible study, I've started looking deeper into those posted Bible verses.  Inductive Bible study is an approach to the Bible that moves from a general overview to specifics. Through this study, we apply inductive reasoning, which is defined as using information and examining the details of Scripture to understand its context and to draw a conclusion.  I use the W.O.R.D. acrostic for this type of study's steps: Worship, Observe, Reveal, and Determine.  You can find my W.O.R.D. form and notes attached.

Dear heavenly Father, as I dig deeper into your Word, please give eyes to see and ears to hear.  Remove any preconceived notions and let the Holy Spirit speak to me through your Word.  Remove all anxieties and distractions, help me to concentrate on You and what You have for my life.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Our passage today comes from the book of Ephesians.  This is Paul's letter to the churches in western Asia minor near Ephesus, the Roman capital in Asia.  The city was a center of commerce and trade.  Nearly 250,000 people lived there.  It also housed the Temple of Artemis.  The people's belief structure is not so different from today.  What may be truth for you, is not truth to me.  In Ephesians 4:1, Paul, whose life is captive for the Lord, is instructing the Ephesian churches about God.

The passage starts with "therefore" instructing us to examine the preceding paragraph(s).   In Ephesians 3:14, the entire paragraph is predicated on the previous paragraph(s) - "For this reason."  Paul is here to preach to "the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," which is God's "gift of grace."  By preaching the Gospel, Paul encourages us to be strengthened, have Christ dwell in our hearts, know the love of Christ, be filled with the fullness of God.  From these encouragements, he transitions to Ephesians 4:1.

Understanding the context of the passage, let's delve deeper into the specific words.  Remember, the Bible was written in Greek not English.  By understanding the depth of key words and phrases, we can discover more about the passage.  The Bible translation that I use for my blog is the New King James Version (NKJV).  Other translations may use different words. 

Looking at the following translations - NIV, NASB, ESV, NLT, "beseech" is replaced with urge, implore, appeal, and beg.  The Greek word is parakaleo which means summon, entreat, invite, exhort, comfort, and encourage.  Paul is passionate about what he is about to say, nearly begging but also encouraging.

"Walk" is replaced with live and lead.  The Greek word is peripateo or conduct my life, regulates one life, make progress, make use of opportunities, be occupied with.  Walk is the command in my vision statement, "Walk like Christ."  It will be the focus of future blogs.  Walk isn't a physical activity.  It is how we live our lives.

Worthy, Calling, and Called were used the same in all translations examined, but they are important words to study.  Examining the Greek, "worthy" is axios or suitable, after a Godly sort.  "Calling" is klesis or invitation, divine call, inviting people to receive God's gift of salvation (with all its blessings), embrace salvation.  "Called" is similar as kaleo or invite, appoint one to salvation.

Paul begs us to conduct our lives, making use of all God appointed opportunities, worthily of God's gift of salvation that we have received.  Think about it, Jesus died for your sins.  He took our punishment.  He died and rose again three days later claiming victory over that sin.  For whoever believes in Jesus, will have eternal life.  Live like you cherish that greatest gift.

How does this apply to my life?  I need to be an example of Christ, so people can see that example so when I share the Gospel, Jesus' good news, it will not be hindered by my hypocrisy.  To do this, I'll build confidence and security in my faith by studying the Bible and using that knowledge and the Holy Spirit within me to conduct my life in a manner that glorifies God.

The Amplified Bible expounds on the original text with more descriptions.  I'll use its version of this passage in closing.

So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation]

W.O.R.D. Study Sheet