Ephesians 4:20

4:20

-They would have been taught both in hearing the gospel and in the established doctrinal instruction. The early church quickly established a system or school of instruction for new believers.

-Learning Christ is both a concept and conduct

-John 17:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13

4:21

-NIV “came to know Christ” is literally in the Greek “they learned Christ” (emathete ton Christon)

-Here we can see both the:

a) proclamation (kerygma) of the gospel

b) teaching (didache) of the about Christ

4:22

-instruction at baptism (Col.3:8-12)

-4:22 does not begin a new sentence in the Greek so the “put off your old self” and “put on the new self” is directly connected in context to the ritual of baptism.

-The teaching of the revelation and Christian faith are directly (again) connected to morality and ethical living.

-Baptism is the beginning of the new life that is the opposite of what was described in 4:17-19.

-Three Verbs:

a) put off (apothesthai) – aorist infinitive (aorist means a once for all final action, infinitive indicates what they were taught) which means it is a single act based on time past. Put of Pagan ways. Colossians 3:9 has same expression. Putting off clothes is an image of changing identities.

b) put on – aorist infinitive, which means it is a single act based on time past

The statements of fact (indicative mood) are the basis for Paul’s statement of command (imperative mood)

Indicative and Imperative form a contrast as in "Be what you are" or "Become What you Are". The now but not yet.

-This new life is in the image of God (Colossians 3:10)

-We have been renewed in the image of God, but it is necessary to continue to renew or minds

-“Ananeousthai” is present infinitive which indicates a continuing process. It is a fact that we are in the image of God through our new birth, but it is a developing process. This gives us a clue as to how to interpret 4:12-18.

Transformed from the inside out:

2 Cor. 3:18; 4:16; 5:4-5; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:10