Short answer: Most evangelicals identify the author of Ephesians 4:2 as the apostle Paul — the same Paul (Saul of Tarsus) who wrote the other Pauline epistles and who presents himself as the writer in Ephesians 1:1. Evangelicals treat this letter as Scripture, inspired and authoritative.
Key points an evangelical would highlight
– Identity and background of the author
– Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus): a Jew, trained as a Pharisee under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), a Roman citizen, and originally a persecutor of the church until his conversion on the Damascus road (Acts 9).
– After his conversion he became the chief missionary to the Gentiles, companion of Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Luke, and a major theological teacher in the early church.
– Authorship and historical setting
– Ephesians is traditionally dated to Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (about AD 60–62). It is often called one of Paul’s “prison epistles.”
– The letter opens with Paul’s name (Eph 1:1). Early church witnesses (e.g., Irenaeus, Clement) and the manuscript tradition support Pauline authorship. Evangelicals typically accept Paul as the author and therefore view the letter as apostolic and canonical.
– (Some modern critical scholars call Ephesians “Deutero-Pauline” and question direct Pauline authorship; evangelicals generally weigh the internal claim, early testimony, and theological continuity as reasons to accept Paul’s authorship.)
– Theological emphasis relevant to Ephesians 4:2
– Ephesians argues for the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ, the church as Christ’s body, and the ethical outworking of that reality.
– Ephesians 4:1–6 links Christian conduct to the church’s unity and calling. Verse 2 — “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” — is Paul’s pastoral exhortation showing how believers are to preserve unity and reflect Christ.
– Evangelicals see this as practical sanctification under the ministry of the Spirit and the result of grace, not merely moral effort.
– A few helpful Greek terms (brief)
– tapeinophrosynē (ταπεινοφροσύνη) — humility, lowliness of mind.
– praütēs (πραΰτης) — gentleness or meekness (strength under control).
– makrothumia (μακροθυμία) — patience, longsuffering.
– anechomenoi (ἀνεχόμενοι) — bearing with, forbearance.
– “in love” (ἐν ἀγάπῃ) frames the whole behavior as love-shaped, reflecting God’s agape.
– Practical application (evangelical emphasis)
– The exhortation is both doctrinally grounded and practically specific: because Christians share one calling and one Spirit, they must practice humility, gentleness, patience, and mutual forbearance.
– Christians are encouraged to rely on Christ and the Spirit to cultivate these virtues rather than trusting only in self-effort.
– The verse is commonly used in church teaching on unity, conflict resolution, pastoral care, and growth in Christlikeness.
– Authority and use
– Evangelicals read Ephesians as Scripture with normative authority for belief and life (cf. 2 Tim 3:16).
– Paul’s combination of high theology (the gospel’s cosmic scope) and lowly ethics (how we treat one another) is typical of his pastoral theology.
If you’d like, I can:
– Give a short exegesis of Ephesians 4:1–6 showing how verse 2 fits the argument;
– Compare translations and nuances of the Greek words;
– Provide short biographical anecdotes from Acts that illustrate Paul living out these virtues.
