Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesus was a rich harbor town. Paul lived there for three years, and this letter was written by Paul about 60-62 AD while he was under his first imprisonment. While in Ephesus, Paul attempted to convert Jews to the Christian faith. He also was a tentmaker which was how he earned his keep. In 90 AD John would write his letters to this church because of the discord. In the second part of the letter Paul is dealing with relationships which this verse is clearly about. It is probable that the discord began during these early years when Paul wrote to them, and possibly festered from one generation to the next.
In reviewing the other translations, I found that the word Compassionate was equally used with the word Tender-hearted. Which led me to do some research on this word, and doing so I found differences in culture. In those days it was often part of the culture to see parts of the body control emotions. The Greek culture saw that the bowels control passionate emotions like hate and love. While the Hebrews saw that the bowels controlled the more tender emotions such as tender mercies, kindness, and gentleness.
Which brought my search to the word Mercy. Back in the 80s I did my Christmas cards each year on love, hope, faith, and then I did mercy. That card fell flat because understanding mercy much like compassion is difficult not only to understand but to explain. Even the words to describe are difficult to understand… the one in question is benevolence and in which the thesaurus did not help for it brought it back to compassion. The dictionary says it means to do good, an act of kindness, or a generous gift. Mercy is all of those things, and a tender- mercy is even more because it is given as an act of gentleness.
Paul begins this section in Ephesians by telling them not to be as those who are not Christians because they do not understand what they understand because their hearts are still in the dark. He explains that they are insensitive to the needs of others, and often hold onto grudges to meet their own needs or wants. They continue to sin, but because they are Christians, they need to throw off their old way of life and practice their ways as Christ has called them to do. He goes on to tell them to rid themselves of falsehoods, and to speak the truth to one another. If they steal, they must give that up. Their words should be wholesome which means that they guard their tongues.
Paul then says to them that all bitterness, slander, wrath, anger, and clamor must be removed. I understand this because at one point in my life, I did all of those, with anger the last standing issue. Last year, I prayed to God that I learn to control my anger. I have a fast hot anger, but I also have a slow cold as ice anger. It is easier for me to control that cold as ice anger than it is to control that hot one because I have time to think it through. God sent me many things to help me get that hot anger under control. It is a work in progress. I am not proud of the things that I have done and when I needed to do so- I went to the person and asked to be forgiven. Some did; some didn’t, but God forgave me. Paul is telling this church that these actions: bitterness, slander, wrath, anger, and clamor will tear a church apart. I have seen that happen to churches over the years. It takes time to heal those hurts caused by those actions.
Then Paul says, but here is a better way… be kind, be merciful, be forgiving just as God forgave you through Jesus Christ.
No matter how justified you may feel in a matter… go first and ask- is it kind, is it loving, is it compassionate, and is it forgiving or is it me wanting to strike out because I have been harmed by another. Remember though our sins may be wicked, through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we have been cleansed of those sins and we are to pass this gift onward, and how can we do this if we are not acting loving, compassionate or forgiving.
Today’s question:
Who do you need to forgive? Have you asked the Lord to help you come to a place of forgiveness?
Ever in Christ’s love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
March 2, 2024& July 8, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 