Ephesians 4:1-2 Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to live worthily of the calling by which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness; with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
These verses mark a shift in the style and structure of the letter. The previous three chapters were heavy on the theology and explained in depth who the church is, and its purpose and primary goal of being in Christ by knowing the love of Christ through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In the second half of the letter, Paul applies this core message to various kinds of situations facing many early churches. In grammatical terms, the first three chapters use the indicative (statement of facts or being) and the last three chapters use many imperatives (commands for how to respond to the facts).
Paul appeals to the Ephesians as a prisoner for the Lord. His position of weakness actually adds to his authority because he is relying on the grace of the Lord since there is nothing he can for himself. This rhetorical method adds to Paul’s ethos of dependency on God and recalls 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul has set an example of faithfulness even under persecution.
Based on this position of derived authority, Paul appeals in strong terms for the Ephesians to live in a way that demonstrates their faith. What he means by the calling by which you have been called is not specifically defined but described with a virtue list of characteristics that come from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. If we look at the context, especially the prayer in 3:14-21 immediately before this verse (context is always a good clue), then this calling is to know the love of Christ and experience the fullness of God for which we were created.
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