Ephesians 4:15-16

4:15 But practicing the truth in love, ¹  we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. 4:16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together ²  through every supporting ligament. ³  As each one does its part, the body grows in love.

Ephesians 4:1

Live in Unity

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ⁴  urge you to live ⁵  worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ⁶ 

Colossians 1:3

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

1:3 We always ⁷  give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Colossians 1:8

1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Colossians 2:10

2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:19

2:19 He has not held fast ⁸  to the head from whom the whole body, supported ⁹  and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn The meaning of the participle ἀληθεύοντες (alhqeuonte"; from the verb ἀληθεύω [alhqeuw]) is debated. In classical times the verb could mean “to speak the truth,” or “to be true, to prove true.” In the LXX it appears five times (Gen 20:16; 42:16; Prov 21:3; Isa 44:26; Sir 34:4) and translates four different Hebrew words; there it is an ethical term used of proving or being true, not with the idea of speaking the truth. In the NT the only other place the verb appears is in Gal 4:16 where it means “to speak the truth.” However, in Ephesians the concept of “being truthful” is the best sense of the word. In contrast to the preceding verse, where there are three prepositional phrases to denote falsehood and deceit, the present word speaks of being real or truthful in both conduct and speech. Their deceit was not only in their words but also in their conduct. In other words, the believers’ conduct should be transparent, revealing the real state of affairs, as opposed to hiding or suppressing the truth through cunning and deceit. See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 564-65, and R. Bultmann, TDNT 1:251.

² tn The Greek participle συμβιβαζόμενον (sumbibazomenon) translated “held together” also has in different contexts, the idea of teaching implied in it.

³ tn Grk “joint of supply.”

⁴ tn Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”

⁵ tn Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

⁶ sn With which you have been called. The calling refers to the Holy Spirit’s prompting that caused them to believe. The author is thus urging his readers to live a life that conforms to their saved status before God.

⁷ tn The adverb πάντοτε (pantote) is understood to modify the indicative εὐχαριστοῦμεν (eucaristoumen) because it precedes περὶ ὑμῶν (peri Jumwn) which probably modifies the indicative and not the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi). But see 1:9 where the same expression occurs and περὶ ὑμῶν modifies the participle “praying” (προσευχόμενοι).

⁸ tn The Greek participle κρατῶν (kratwn) was translated as a finite verb to avoid an unusually long and pedantic sentence structure in English.

⁹ tn See BDAG 387 s.v. ἐπιχορηγέω 3.

¹⁰ tn The genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of source, “from God.”