with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just list virtues; it emphasizes that "bearing with one another" is the practical expression of long-suffering, all rooted in and motivated by love. This means true patience isn't just enduring hardship yourself, but actively enduring the imperfections of others because love is the governing principle.
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul urges believers to live out the new life in Christ, which he has just explained as a unified body. He calls them to "walk worthy" of their divine calling, meaning their actions should reflect the incredible grace God has shown them. This worthiness is demonstrated through specific virtues like humility, gentleness, and patience in their relationships with each other, forming the foundation for unity.
Ever feel like you need to prove yourself or be right? The call to 'walk worthy' starts with a posture that might surprise you.
Paul kicks off this section on living a unified Christian life with 'lowliness' (humility) and 'meekness' (gentleness). These aren't about being a doormat, but about recognizing our absolute dependence on God and valuing others above ourselves.
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We all have people in our lives who test our patience. How does Scripture guide us through those moments?
Following humility and gentleness, Paul adds 'longsuffering' (patience) and 'forbearing one another in love.' These are the active expressions of the inward grace cultivated earlier.
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These qualities are essential for the unity Paul will later discuss. Without them, relationships fracture easily.
Understand the original words
tapeinophrosynē · Greek Noun
A lowliness of mind; the opposite of arrogance. It involves a true estimation of oneself before God, recognizing one's dependence upon Him and treating others with respect.
prautēs · Greek Noun
A grace-wrought quality of spirit that is mild, kind, and considerate, showing self-restraint and lack of harshness in dealing with others.
makrothumia · Greek Noun
Long-suffering or endurance; the ability to hold oneself under pressure and not give in to irritation or anger, especially in difficult relationships.
agapē · Greek Noun
Self-sacrificial, unconditional commitment to the well-being of others, modeled on the love of God revealed in Christ.
Paul writes Ephesians from his Roman imprisonment, a time that sharpened his focus on the essential unity of the Church. He urges believers to embody Christ-like humility and patience, virtues that were counter-cultural in the Greco-Roman world and crucial for navigating internal divisions, particularly those arising from differing views on the Law.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
Paul, the author of Ephesians, was imprisoned in Rome, likely for several years. This context shaped his perspective, emphasizing unity and steadfastness in faith from a position of confinement.
c. AD 48-57
Apostolic Journeys and Church Planting
The early decades of Christianity saw extensive missionary journeys by apostles like Paul, establishing new churches and facing diverse challenges from both pagan and Jewish societies.
c. AD 50-60
Rise of Judaizing Factions
Throughout the early church, there was tension between Jewish and Gentile believers, with some Jewish Christians insisting on adherence to Mosaic Law, which threatened unity.
c. AD 30-60
Spread of Greco-Roman Culture
The context of the Roman Empire meant that Paul's audience was influenced by Hellenistic philosophy and social customs, which often prioritized pride and self-assertion over humility and gentleness.
This verse directly parallels Ephesians 4:2 by listing the same virtues—humility, gentleness, and patience—as essential for believers living in community.
1 Peter 3:8-9This passage echoes the spirit of Ephesians 4:2 by calling for mutual kindness, compassion, and humility, emphasizing that blessing comes from living in harmony and responding to evil with good.
Philippians 2:3-4This passage provides the motivation for the qualities mentioned in Ephesians 4:2, urging believers to consider others better than themselves and to look out for their interests, fostering the humility and love needed for unity.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7This well-known passage on love functions as an expansion of the 'bearing with one another in love' aspect of Ephesians 4:2, detailing how love truly manifests through patience, kindness, and enduring all things.
bengelEphesians 4:2: "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"
Ephesians 4:2 . Μετὰ — μετὰ , with—with ) To these refer the two following participles, ἀνεχόμενοι , σπουδάζοντες , forbearing, endeavouring diligently , which, being in the nominative, depend on the preceding imperative implied, walk ye . [ The man, who is affected, as he ought to be, with a sense of the Divine calling, will be found to be adorned with the virtues mentioned in this passage , 1…
pulpitEphesians 4:2: "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"
Verse 2. - SOME POINTS OF A WORTHY WALK. With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. He begins his enumeration with passive graces - eminently those of Christ. Lowliness or humility may well be gendered by our remembering what we were when God's grace took hold of us (Ephesians 2:1-3). Meekness is the natural expression of a lowly state of mind, opposed…
The verse doesn't just list virtues; it emphasizes that "bearing with one another" is the practical expression of long-suffering, all rooted in and motivated by love. This means true patience isn't just enduring hardship yourself, but actively enduring the imperfections of others because love is the governing principle.
Paul urges believers to live out the new life in Christ, which he has just explained as a unified body. He calls them to "walk worthy" of their divine calling, meaning their actions should reflect the incredible grace God has shown them. This worthiness is demonstrated through specific virtues like humility, gentleness, and patience in their relationships with each other, forming the foundation for unity.
Paul urges believers to live out the new life in Christ, which he has just explained as a unified body. He calls them to "walk worthy" of their divine calling, meaning their actions should reflect the incredible grace God has shown them. This worthiness is demonstrated through specific virtues like humility, gentleness, and patience in their relationships with each other, forming the foundation for unity.
"with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love," — The verse doesn't just list virtues; it emphasizes that "bearing with one another" is the practical expression of long-suffering, all rooted in and motivated by love. This means true patience isn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026