Ephesians 4:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For this reason, he says, there were so many builders, that the building might be unshaken and protected on every side, and that the stones might be tightly joined. To be troubled, carried away, and shaken belongs to children.

“That we should no longer be children,” he says, “tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, by craftiness according to the wiles of error.”

“Carried about,” he says, “by every wind.” He used this image to show the danger in which every soul stands when given over to doubt. “By every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (κοβεία) of men, by craftiness according to the wiles of error.”

Κυβευταί is the name for those occupied with a game of chess. Such men are cunning, since they usually choose simple people for themselves. They move and rearrange everything. Here the Apostle touched upon worldly customs.

Speaking figuratively, he calls the various teachings winds. “By the sleight of men, in craftiness according to the wiles of error.” By the wickedness (κυβεία) of men, by the cunning art of deception.

The word κυβευτής is used for those who gained profit from dice-playing. Such are the false teachers, who handle very simple people like dice, however they wish.

Therefore, he says, let us not be spun about in this wickedness according to the cunning art of deception. That is, let us not be turned and inclined toward what the deceitful craft of the false teachers desires. For all their skill and cunning aim at nothing other than deception.

He rightly added “of men,” because the work of God contains neither wickedness nor deceit.

The fullness of Christ is Head and members. What does “Head and members” mean? Christ and the Church. We would show pride if we attributed this to ourselves, had not He who spoke this through the Apostle deigned to promise it to us: “You are the body of Christ and members” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:27).

After this, it is necessary to examine more carefully whether the Apostle says, not merely from humility, that he is not only a child, but also tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine toward errors, according to human deception and wickedness.

Whoever thinks that he said this not from humility, but from sincere awareness of deficiencies, says this: the Apostle Paul was a man of subtle and sharp natural intelligence. He clearly foresaw what should be answered to the objections of those who began disputing with him.

Thus he often saw that representatives of both sides, while speaking about opposing subjects, pointed to something so plausible that they could cast the hearer into doubt.

Therefore, as a man living in a perishable body, he was indeed carried about by every wind of doctrine. Yet he was not dashed against the rocks, and his ship was not filled with waves. He stood at the stern, holding the rudder, and by the firmness of faith cut through the foaming waves of heresy.

“By the wind of doctrine one must understand pagan opinions, which in Ephesus came from every sort of school,” says Bishop Theophan. “But in our time this can be applied to all who are outside the true faith and the Church, not excluding heterodox Christians. Outside the true faith there are no definite concepts about anything. Everything is unstable. Everything is shaken by doubts.”

“Let us make all that is ours grow into Christ, both life and dogmas. For with Him, as with the Head, we must harmonize all our own, so as to bring nothing discordant or disharmonious with the Head, but to have everything grown according to Him.”

“For this reason the Apostle said of the body, ‘being joined and knit together,’ to show that the members are not simply laid one beside another. They are united with one another, and each fills its own place. Therefore, our task is to harmonize ourselves and unite ourselves through love. To send down the Spirit is the grace of Christ, our Head. The words ‘by every joint of supply’ show that the Spirit, given from the Head, tangibly touches all. The body grows and is built up because the supply of the Spirit touches the members, and because He acts in them, or gives them the power to act.”

According to the explanation of St. John Chrysostom, the words “the whole body, fitly joined together” mean that everything in it must occupy its own place.

“But as there are receptive organs in the body, so also there are in the Spirit. In the body the heart is the root of the spirit, the liver of the blood, and the spleen of bile. Yet all depend on the brain. In accordance with this, God also acted, honoring man with heavenly dignity. Not wishing to abandon him, He Himself became the cause of everything for him, while at the same time establishing co-workers. Therefore one must stand equally for the faith and for the grace of the priesthood.”

The aim for which the Lord established these ministries is that the saints, or Christians, should be brought to perfect correspondence with the ideal marked out in their calling (πρός τον καταρτισμόν των άγιων). The work of all these ministers of the Church, to which Christ appointed them, is the work of ministry (διακονίας). Through it the body of Christ is built up, or the Church gradually grows by the strengthening of her former members and by the addition of new ones (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χ[...]).

The activity of all these bearers of gifts of grace, and of course of their successors, will end only when the final and highest aim of the Church’s existence is reached. This will occur when all her members have faith in Christ of the same clarity and purity, and the same understanding of His majesty. Then every dispute about the faith will cease. The chief matter in Christian life, the teaching concerning the person of Christ, will be equally clear to all.

The Apostle says the same further on, defining this aim figuratively as entry into mature age and attainment of the measure of the full stature of Christ. In this final definition, he plainly indicates the desired state of the Church, when she would be wholly penetrated by all the powers of Christ.

In the end, believers must be so firmly established in true faith and knowledge that they do not allow themselves to be carried away by any false teaching, however cunning it may be. Instead, continually abiding in the truth and not departing from it, that is, ἀληθεύοντες, they will have only Christ in view at every new step on the path of Christian growth. This growth is accomplished under the action of love for God and neighbor, [...]. They will have Christ as their Head and guide.

Enough of wandering, enough of vain agitation, enough of being the plaything of hostile cunning. God took pity on us. He turned His merciful eye upon us and delivers us from this disordered life.

Let everyone confess the mercy. Receive the benefaction. Seeing from what evil you have been delivered, cleave more firmly to Him who delivered you.

Following blessed Jerome, let us recognize in these words a depiction of the condition outside the faith of Christ, outside communion with the Lord. Comparing them with the words of the preceding verse, "until we all attain to the unity of the faith," he infers that outside this faith there is only childish instability and wind-driven turmoil.

"The question is whom the Apostle means by 'all' when he says, 'until we all attain to the unity of the faith.' Does he mean all people, or only all the saints, that is, believers?

"It seems to me that he speaks of all people, because among them there are many winds of teachings. By the blowing of these winds, waves lift and toss people here and there, drawing them into various errors and unknown directions of life.

"Therefore we must take every care to attain the unity of the faith and, through it, knowledge of the Son of God. When we obtain sure possession of these, then we shall cease to be children."

The Apostle says, "that we should no longer be." Therefore they were such before. "By this expression he indicates that once they were such," says Chrysostom.

Where were the Ephesians before faith? In paganism. Paganism was indeed like this. The same now applies to all unbelievers.

Outside the true faith there are no definite concepts about anything. Everything is unstable. Everything is shaken by doubts. When a man believes, his concepts are established.

The divine authority of revelation sets its seal upon them. Before this, the unbeliever is shaken like a light boat by the waves of the sea. He is carried here and there like light down by the wind.

"Tossed about," περιφερομενοι, means being carried here and there. "By every wind of teaching" means outside the Church. There is no unity there.

One person says one thing, another another. The unbeliever does not know to what he should attach himself. Everywhere phantoms of truth appear to him, and he attaches himself now to one teaching, now to another.

Since truth is in none of them, none gives him rest. Chrysostom says, "The Apostle used this comparison, being shaken by every wind, in order to show the danger in which every soul given over to doubt is placed."

By the wind of teachings one cannot understand disagreements in the Church, for these did not yet exist. He means pagan opinions, which in Ephesus circulated from every sort of school.

In our time this may be applied to all who are outside the true faith and the Church, not excluding heterodox Christians.

"In the falsehood of men," Εν τη κυβεια των ανθρωπων. "Κυβεια comes from a verb meaning to play draughts," says Theodoret. Κυβευται is the name for those occupied with the game of chess.

"These are cunning people. They are constantly moving and rearranging everything," says Chrysostom.

Therefore to be "in falsehood," εν τη κυβεια, will mean either to be a plaything of human cunning, or to engage in such a game oneself. That is, to be carried away by empty vanity, to surrender to chance, to act at random.

It means having no fixed rules of life, but drifting along with established human customs. Since in the Apostle, to be childishly shaken by the wind of teachings also means to receive those teachings, we must recognize the same here.

For him, to be "in the falsehood of men," εν τη κυβεια των ανθρωπων, means to act oneself according to the common human character of action, which may rightly be called a game.

All chase after happiness at random. They fuss in their cares, pursue phantom goals, and live in instability, without definite and certain hopes. Such is life without Christ.

Even among Christians who do not have Christianity in the heart, life is like this. From such a life, says the Apostle, faith delivers us. The Lord established special grace-filled persons to preach this faith, to convert to it, and to keep people in it.

He did this so that we should no longer be such. Chrysostom therefore says of this expression, "Here the Apostle touched upon worldly customs."

If "that we should no longer be children" corresponds to the preceding "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God," then "that we should not be in the falsehood of men," εν κυβεια, must correspond to "unto a perfect man."

The activity of a perfect man, according to firm rules, reliable plans, and considered aims, is directly opposed to the vanity and emptiness of worldly life.

"In the craftiness of the snares of deception," Εν πανουργια προς την μεθοδειαν της πλανης. Πανουργια means all-craftiness, a comprehensive, unceasing cunning that stops before no means.

Its aims are προς μεθοδειαν. Μεθοδεια means circuitous devices, snares, nets. Πλανη means deception and seduction. Πανουργια, all-craftiness, uses every snare, trick, and device in order to deceive, confuse, seduce, and draw into evil.

The Apostle says that, so we may no longer be in such a condition or under such snares, the Lord established the wondrous faith. He calls us into it through His chosen ones.

Yet two thoughts are possible here. The Apostle may be pointing to that part of unbelievers, living according to the spirit of the world, who have reached the final degree of moral corruption.

They not only abide in evil, but have become managers of evil in their circle, leaders of others on this path. The final degree of sinfulness is when a person becomes satanic and begins to work for Satan among people.

So that we ourselves should not act in this spirit, and should not be entangled in the nets of others who act so, God gave us the holy Christian faith and called us into it.

Or perhaps Satan himself is meant here, the source of every cunning, every snare, and every deception. The Apostle has gathered terms here that suggest Satan, under whose authority and influence all who are outside Christ the Lord are subject.

In that case the Apostle’s thought will be this. The Lord established the holy Christian faith, calls us into it, and keeps us in it through appointed persons, in order to deliver us from the dark power of the ancient all-cunning one, the devil.

By his all-craftiness he entangles everyone and holds everyone in his delusion, under phantoms. Blessed Theodoret understood it this way.

"By the snares of deception he meant cunning means. For the devil does not openly command one to commit adultery. He either traps through the eyes or captures through hearing.

"He does not openly urge one to deny God. He makes one resort to augury, omens, and the use of protective amulets."

Agreeing with this, and also with the fact that the first two thoughts of this verse correspond to the first two thoughts of the preceding verse, we are naturally brought to one inference.

This phrase, "that we should not be in the craftiness of the snares of deception," corresponds to "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Outside Christ, under the action of Satan, those given over to sin become satanic. In the faith of Christ, those faithful to the guidance of Christ become Christlike, are filled with Christ, and have Him living within them.

The Apostle seems to say: behold from what evils we have been delivered. He speaks of this as the consequence of attaining the goals for which the God-instituted guides in the Church have been appointed.

Yet he speaks in such a way as to suggest: you have been delivered. See, then, that you do not return to the old. Confess the benefaction, and feeling its fruits within yourselves, cleave with all zeal to Him by whom you have been delivered.

What, then, must one do?