31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB)
In Ephesians 4:31, the apostle Paul continuous to urge the early believers, emphasizing the transformation of character and conduct that should accompany their newfound faith. He talks about the negative traits1 that can harm the unity among believers. He says they should get rid of bitterness, anger, and other harmful traits, often linked to false teachers. The verb “put away” is an Aorist Passive Imperative which means that believers need to decisively allow the Spirit freedom to remove these destructive traits from their lives. The Christian life is a supernatural act as is salvation. It is altogether the initiative and power of God
In stark contrast, verse 32 presents a compelling and uplifting call to a higher standard of conduct. Believers are urged to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving towards one another. This is a Present Middle Imperative which signifies a continuous and personal responsibility on the part of the believers. The habitual practice of these positive traits pleases the indwelling Spirit, edifies the community of faith, and attracts lost people to the Gospel.
The motivation for such behavior is based on God’s sublime forgiveness towards us through Christ. The Apostle uses this ineffable forgiveness demonstrated by God as a model for believers to emulate in their dealings with others.
The forgiveness we experience through Christ Jesus is a testament to the boundless generosity of His unmerited favor, which flows abundantly like an overflowing fountain. It is reminiscent of Jesus’ promise that the Spirit within us will overflow like a river of living water (cf. Jn. 7:38). This overflow of the Holy Spirit brings joy, not because of who we are, but because of who God is. It is through the Holy Spirit that God has revealed to us the secret of His will – His divine plan, established before time, which was unveiled through the coming of Jesus Christ (cf. Eph. 3:4). While individuals may attempt to derail God’s plan for their lives, they cannot thwart His overarching plan for humanity.
In 2 Corinthians 5:16-19, we are reminded that believers have been reconciled to God through the redemptive work of Christ. The hostility between humanity and God, caused by sin and rebellion, has been eradicated. Jesus serves as the reconciliation for believers, and they are called to share the message of reconciliation with others. Believers not only partake in Jesus’ sacrifice but also in His ministry of reconciliation (cf. v. 19). Jesus is indeed the exclusive path to reconciliation and forgiveness (cf. John 14:6). This underscores the unparalleled significance of the gospel as the paramount message that humanity could ever receive. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to proclaim the truth, preach the gospel, exalt Christ, and extend free salvation to a world in need. Our world is not at the mercy of a powerless, loveless God, but at the threshold of an indifferent, unconcerned church. Empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit and entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom (cf. Matt. 16:19; Rev. 1:18; 3:7), we are commissioned by Jesus (cf. Matt. 28:18-20) to preach the gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation to a lost and dying world.
The way we forgive others shows that we have been forgiven by God (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 7:1-2; 18:21-35; Luke 6:36-37; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; James 2:13; 5:9). If we don’t forgive, it means we haven’t really met God in Christ. So, since we have received forgiveness from God, we should also forgive others. This reflects the limitless grace and mercy we have received.
Believers then and today are called by Paul to cultivate a Christlike character; offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and compassion towards others. As recipients of God’s forgiveness and ambassadors of reconciliation, we are entrusted with the sacred mission of extending the boundless grace and mercy we have received to a world in desperate need. This message challenges us to authentically reflect the character of Christ, emphasizing the pivotal role of forgiveness in demonstrating God’s love to humanity and living out the timeless truth of the Gospel – not through our own strength, but through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.
- “Bitterness” is a metaphor derived from the description of something that had a bitter taste, such as a plant or water (e.g., the water at Marah; Exod 15:23). The psalmist claims that the wicked person has a mouth that is “full of curses and lies () and threats” (Ps 10:7 [9:28]), a passage that Paul cites in his litany of characteristics of Gentiles as he demonstrates that there are none who are righteous (Rom 3:14). Lincoln is correct in saying that the term refers to “hard heartedness that harbors resentment about the past.”35
“Rage” and “anger” are words that frequently appear together throughout the LXX as well as in the NT. Although there is virtually no distinction between the two words in the LXX, Paul tends to use “rage” to express human anger (with the sole exception of Rom 2:8).36 The LXX of Proverbs uses both terms in its warnings against human anger (see Prov 16:32; 27:4; 29:8). According to Proverbs, “wise men turn away anger,” but “a fool gives full vent to his anger” (Prov 29:8, 11).
The three terms “bitterness”, “rage”, and “anger” appear together in a number of ancient writers in contexts of moral exhortation. They can be found, for instance, in a passage in the Stoic writer Arius Didymus (Epitome of Stoic Ethics 10b). His list, however, extends to include “vengefulness”, “wrath”, and “ire”—words that never appear in the NT. Likewise, Philo includes all three terms in a passage where he describes the character and behavior of a wicked man who is like a vine “which proves to be the bearer of bitterness and wickedness and villainy and wrath and anger” (Philo, Drunkenness 223).
Bitterness and anger can eventually lead to “yelling”, a word that can also be translated “shouting” or “screaming.” The term was used “of people shouting back and forth in a quarrel.”37 All of its uses convey the idea of an intense cry or shout, such as a war cry (Zeph 1:16) or a cry of distress (1 Sam 5:12).
The progression ultimately leads to various forms of “malicious talk”—a word that denotes “any kind of speech that is defamatory or abusive.”38 Jesus claimed that this kind of denigrating speech has its roots in a heart that is corrupt (Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21–22). Paul told Timothy that this is a characteristic way that a false teacher speaks (1 Tim 6:4).
Paul regards all of this as malicious, mean-spirited, or vicious (). This term, here translated “vice,” is precisely the opposite of virtue. Believers need to give focused attention to eliminating these ugly attitudes and behaviors from their lives. They are exceedingly destructive to community life. – Exegetical Commentary ON The New Testament by Clinton E. Arnold ↩︎
Leave a Reply