Commentary on Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Introduction
Ephesians 4[i] marks the transition from doctrine to duty. After expounding the riches of God’s grace in chapters 1–3, Paul calls the church to live out that grace. Verse 32 stands at the culmination of his practical exhortations, summoning believers to reflect God’s own kindness and forgiveness in their communal life.
Teaching of Ephesians 4:32
Ephesians 4:32 teaches that every Christian, renewed in Christ, must practise kindness, tender-hearted compassion and forgiveness—directly modelled on the complete and free forgiveness God has granted through Jesus Christ.
Exegetical Overview
- Literary setting
• In verses 25–31 Paul lists sins that destroy unity: falsehood, unruly anger, theft, corrupt speech, bitterness and malice.
• Verse 32 reverses that catalogue with three positive commands: kindness, tender-heartedness and forgiveness, each mirroring God’s character towards us. - Key Greek terms
• Chreēstoi (kind/gentle): “serviceable to meet a need” (Barnes), courteous behaviour born of benevolence.
• Splagchnizomai (tender-hearted): visceral compassion, a warm sympathy that spurs action.
• Charizomai (forgive): “to give freely,” to forebear without holding debts or demanding penance, reflecting God’s lavish pardon in Christ.
Theological Significance
- Union with Christ
- Believers are united to Christ by faith. Our identity is “in Him” (Ephesians 2:6), and so His virtues become ours by the Spirit’s work.
- Because we share in His forgiveness, we extend forgiveness to others—not from moral duty alone, but from grateful dependence on Christ’s atoning work.
- Sanctification and the New Self
- Ephesians 4:22–24 contrasts the “old self” with the “new self.” Verse 32 is part of that “new self” ethic—evidence of Spirit-wrought renewal.
- Justification is an act of God alone, sanctification is our “working out” of God’s grace, producing kindness and forgiving hearts.
- Covenant Community and Church Unity
- Paul’s exhortations aim to preserve the unity of the Spirit (v3). Forgiveness and compassion are indispensable for a healthy covenant community.
- In Christian ecclesiology, the visible church is a mixed body; yet it’s bound together by invisible grace, which manifests itself through patient, forgiving relationships.
Practical Application for Modern Christian Living
Believers today can apply Ephesians 4:32 by:
- Cultivating a lifestyle of kindness
• Look for everyday opportunities to serve sacrificially—whether family, workplace or local church.
• Practice courtesy rooted in genuine goodwill, not mere politeness. - Developing tender-hearted compassion
• Engage in active listening to understand others’ struggles before offering advice.
• Walk alongside those who suffer, reflecting Christ’s empathy. - Embracing forgiving relationships
• Remember God’s full forgiveness of your sins to motivate forgiving others.
• Forgiveness does not negate discipline when needed, but refuses to harbour resentment. - Guarding church unity
• Use kindness and compassion as peacemaking tools in conflicts.
• Prioritise reconciliation over personal pride, following Christ’s command.
Conclusion
Ephesians 4:32 encapsulates the heartbeat of Christian ethics: Christ-like kindness, compassion and forgiveness. Rooted in union with Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, these virtues not only preserve the unity of the body but also testify to a watching world of God’s transforming grace.
[i] Ephesians 4
New King James Version
Walk in Unity
4 I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [c]you all.
Spiritual Gifts
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also [d]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The New Man
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary [h]edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [i]clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Footnotes
Ephesians 4:1 Lit. in
Ephesians 4:1 exhort, encourage
Ephesians 4:6 NU omits you; M us
Ephesians 4:9 NU omits first
Ephesians 4:12 building up
Ephesians 4:17 NU omits the rest of
Ephesians 4:27 an opportunity
Ephesians 4:29 building up
Ephesians 4:31 loud quarreling
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