Daily Bible Nugget #388, Ephesians 4:32

The Nugget:

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

My Comment:

I write this post on Christmas morning. You will perhaps have noticed that my “Daily Bible Nuggets” have not been daily for some time! I am completing my vast project to provide more cross references for Bible study. This new Bible study resource may be released sometime next year in 2016 as Bible software.

Ephesians 4:32 has long been a favorite verse for me. Even at this Christmas season we need to renew our efforts to practice the principles taught in this verse. We are to be kind to one another. Recall that Jesus Himself taught we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us (see Matthew 7:12, which is worded a bit differently than we popularly quote it). Being kind to one another includes not holding grudges against another, not keeping in our remembrance negative things from the past (see especially 1 Corinthians 13:4, 5, 6, 7). We are all in need of kindness and compassion and sympathetic forbearance and understanding from others. It works out to our benefit and God’s glory when we exercise the same to them.

At this season of Christmas we remember the announcement of the heavenly host:

Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Some Bible translations have a different rendering for the last clause:

Luk 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will!” (Noyes NT)

Many modern translations follow the second alternative translation. In any case, the matter of peace is of critical spiritual importance:

1Th_5:13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

Notice particularly this all-important statement at Hebrews 12:14,

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Holiness is most important, for without it, no man shall see the Lord! Perhaps we can say that following peace with everyone is a part of holiness, or the author of Hebrews would not have placed them in such close connection here. It is very significant that though the Greek language has a future tense verb form for holy, the future tense verb for holy is never used in the New Testament. That means whatever we experience of holiness must be experienced in this life. There is neither salvation nor holiness after this life!

To dig even deeper into Ephesians 4:32 study the following cross references I share for this verse:

32. And.  Gr. de.  be ye.  ver. Ep 4:26.  kind.  or, gracious.  Gr. chrēstos [S#5543g:  Rendered  (1) kind: Lk 6:35.  Ep 4:32.  (2) easy: Mt 11:30.  (3) better: Lk 5:39.  (4) goodness: **Ro 2:4.  (5) good: 1 Cor 15:33.  (6) gracious: 1 P 2:3].  Ru 2:20.  Ps 26:3.  112:4, 5, 9.  Pr 19:22.  Is 57:1mg.  Je 38:12.  +*Lk 6:35, 36.  Ac 28:2.  *Ro 12:10.  +**Ro 15:7.  *+1 Cor 13:4.  2 Cor 2:10.  6:6.  *Col 3:12, 13.  Phm 1:12.  +1 P 2:3g.  *2 P 1:7.  tenderhearted.  or, tenderly compassionate.  Gr. eusplanchnos (S#2155g, only here and 1 P 3:8), well compassioned, that is, sympathetic (Strong).  FS41, +Ge 10:1.  Ps 145:9.  Pr 12:10.  +*Mic 6:8.  +*Mt 5:7.  18:33.  Lk 1:78.  1 Th 5:14.  *James 5:11.  *1 P 3:8g.  1 J 4:11.  forgiving.  T#203.  *Ep 5:1.  Ge 50:17, 18.  Dt 15:9-15.  +Pr 16:7 (T#737).  Pr 19:11.  20:3.  +*Mt 6:12 (T#539), +Mt 6:14, 15.  +Mt 11:29 (T#62).  *Mt 18:21-35.  *Mk 11:25, 26.  *Lk 6:37.  *Lk 11:4.  *Lk 17:3, 4.  Ro 12:20, 21.  2 Cor 2:7, 10.  *Col 3:12, 13.  *1 P 3:8, 9.  **1 J 1:9.  +1 J 2:12 (T#583).  1 J 4:11.  as God.  +*Ex 34:7.  Jg 10:16.  *Is 44:22.  Ro 5:8.  2 Cor 5:19.  for.  =Ge 39:5.  =Nu 14:17-20.  hath forgiven.  Ps 32:5.  Mt 9:6.  +Lk 7:42.  Ac 13:38.  Col 1:14.