Ephesians 4 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The worthy walk and the sevenfold unity 4:1–6

vv. 1–3 — the entreaty, and the manner of the walk

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, entreat youindependent — the hinge of the letter — οὖν draws the ethic from chs. 1–3; the prisoner entreats

to walk worthily of the callingcontent — complement infinitive — the content of the entreaty

with which you were called,relative — on τῆς κλήσεως (attracted ἧς) — the call behind the calling

with all humility and gentleness, with patience,phrase modifier — the walk's manner — three lowly graces

bearing with one another in love,participial — manner — patience made mutual

being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.participial — manner — the unity is the Spirit's to give, ours to keep

vv. 4–6 — the sevenfold one: the creed behind the keeping

One body and one Spirit,independent — the creed begins — verbless acclamation

just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;comparative — the oneness matched by the one hope of your call

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,independent — the creed's middle triad — verbless

one God and Father of all,independent — the creed's summit — the one God (the Shema behind the seven)

who is over all and through all and in all.phrase modifier — attributive — over, through, in: transcendence and immanence in one breath

Grace given — the ascent and descent of Christ 4:7–10

vv. 7–8 — grace apportioned; the psalm cited

But to each one of us grace was givenindependent — the turn from the one to the each — δέ within the unity

according to the measure of the gift of Christ.phrase modifier — the norm — Christ apportions, so no ground for envy or pride

Therefore it says:independent — the citation formula — Scripture (or God in it) speaks

'Having ascended on high he led captivity captive;content — Ps 68:18 (LXX 67:19) — the victor's ascent

he gave gifts to men.'content — Ps 68:18 — ἔδωκεν 'gave' where the psalm has 'received': the word the section turns on

vv. 9–10 — the aside: the one who ascended is the one who descended

Now this 'He ascended' — what does it meanindependent — the diatribe aside — the quotation's own word cross-examined

except that he also descended into the lower parts, the earth?content — exceptive εἰ μὴ ὅτι — τῆς γῆς as genitive of apposition: the descent is the incarnation, not the underworld

The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended far above all the heavens,independent — the identification — αὐτός: the same person, down and up

that he might fill all things.purpose — the ascent's goal — cosmic filling (cf. 1:23)

The gifts, and the body growing to maturity 4:11–16

vv. 11–13 — the gifts given, and the ladder of their purpose

And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,independent — the psalm's ἔδωκεν resumed — the gifts are persons; one article joins pastors and teachers

for the equipping of the saintspurpose — rung 1 of the ladder — the ministers' immediate aim

for the work of ministry,purpose — chained, not coordinate — the SAINTS do the ministry (the crux of v. 12 decided)

for the building up of the body of Christ,purpose — the ministry's issue — the body built

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,purpose — the terminus — μέχρι: the gifts serve until all arrive

to a mature man,phrase modifier — the goal restated — one full-grown man, not many infants

to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,phrase modifier — the goal's measure — Christ's own fullness (μέτρον answers v. 7)

vv. 14–16 — no longer infants: growth into the Head, growth from the Head

so that we may no longer be infants,purpose — the negative purpose — parallel to the μέχρι line

wave-tossed and carried about by every wind of teaching,participial — the infants pictured — a boat with no ballast

by the dice-playing of men,phrase modifier — the wind's source — κυβεία, the gambler's sleight

in craftiness serving the scheming of deceit,phrase modifier — the trickery unmasked — craft in the service of error's method

but truthing it in love,participial — manner, leaning forward on αὐξήσωμεν below — ἀληθεύειν is being true, not merely speaking truth

we may grow up in all things into him,purpose — the ἵνα clause's positive limb — coordinate with ὦμεν: growth into him

who is the head — Christ —relative — the him named — the Head, Christ

from whom the whole body,relative — the subject suspended — growth INTO the Head is growth FROM the Head

being fitted and held together by every supplying ligament,participial — the body articulated — every joint a channel of supply

according to the working, in measure, of each single part,phrase modifier — leaning forward on ποιεῖται — every part works at its own μέτρον (v. 7 again)

produces the growth of the bodyrelative — the suspended subject's verb — the body grows itself, from him

for the building up of itself in love.purpose — the sentence lands where it began — οἰκοδομή (v. 12), ἐν ἀγάπῃ (v. 2)

Off with the old man, on with the new 4:17–24

vv. 17–19 — the Gentile walk, diagnosed from mind to appetite

This therefore I say and testify in the Lord:independent — the solemn charge — λέγω doubled by μαρτύρομαι, on the Lord's authority

that you no longer walkcontent — the charge's content — the walk of v. 1, now negatively fenced

as also the Gentiles walk,comparative — the foil — the nations they once were

in the futility of their mind,phrase modifier — the diagnosis begins in the mind — ματαιότης, emptiness (cf. Rom 1:21)

being darkened in their understanding,participial — the perfect state — darkness settled in

alienated from the life of Godparticipial — estranged — cut off from the life that is God's (cf. 2:12)

because of the ignorance that is in them,cause — ground 1 — indwelling ignorance

because of the hardness of their heart,cause — ground 2, read parallel to the first — πώρωσις, the callus on the heart

who, being past feeling, gave themselves over to licentiousness,relative — the end of the slope — they handed THEMSELVES over (contrast Rom 1:24, where God does)

for the working of every kind of impurity, with greed.purpose — the trade they took up — impurity as ἐργασία, a business run on πλεονεξία

vv. 20–24 — but you learned Christ: put off, be renewed, put on

But you — not so did you learn Christ,independent — the great turn — ὑμεῖς δέ against the ἔθνη; Christ himself the lesson learned

if indeed you heard him and were taught in him,conditional — εἴ γε — backward, assuming the fact: you did hear, you were taught

just as truth is in Jesus —comparative — the teaching's standard — the truth as it is in the man Jesus

that you put off, as regards your former way of life, the old man,content — catechesis infinitive 1 — the aorist: off with him, like a garment

the one rotting according to the desires of deceit,participial — attributive — present tense: still corrupting as he goes

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,content — catechesis infinitive 2 — present passive: renewal is continuous, and undergone

and that you put on the new man,content — catechesis infinitive 3 — aorist again: on with the new

the one created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.participial — attributive — a new creation (Gen 1:26 echo); τῆς ἀληθείας answers τῆς ἀπάτης (v. 22)

The ethics of the new self 4:25–32

vv. 25–27 — truth with the neighbor; anger under curfew

Therefore, having put off the lie, speak truth each one with his neighbor,independent — the first imperative — Zech 8:16; ἀποθέμενοι picks up ἀποθέσθαι (v. 22)

because we are members of one another.cause — the body-ground — lying to a member is the body deceiving itself

Be angry, and do not sin;independent — Ps 4:4 (LXX 4:5) — read as concessive permission, instantly fenced

let the sun not set upon your provocation,independent — the fence — anger gets no overnight lodging

nor give place to the devil.independent — the stake — nursed anger is ground ceded to the devil

vv. 28–30 — hands, mouth, and the sealing Spirit

Let the one who steals steal no longer,independent — the thief addressed — present participle: the habit, not just the past

but rather let him labor,independent — the counter-imperative — not mere abstinence but toil

working with his hands what is good,participial — manner — the same hands, turned to good

so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.purpose — the taker remade into a giver — the ethic's full arc

Let no rotten word proceed out of your mouth,independent — σαπρός — spoiled, like bad fruit or fish

but only whatever is good for building up, as the need may be,independent — elliptical — εἴ τις ἀγαθός (sc. ἐκπορευέσθω): οἰκοδομή now a speech-ethic (vv. 12, 16)

that it may give grace to those who hear.purpose — speech as gift — words that hand on χάρις

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,independent — Isa 63:10 echo — the Spirit can be grieved: these sins are personal to him

in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.relative — the seal recalled (1:13–14) — grieving the very guarantee

vv. 31–32 — the great put-away, and the imitation of God's forgiving

Let all bitterness and rage and anger and clamor and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.independent — the clean sweep — five named, and κακία the root bundled with them

But become kind to one another, tenderhearted,independent — γίνεσθε — become: the new man is put on by growing into him

forgiving one another,participial — manner — χαρίζομαι: forgiveness as grace given

just as also God in Christ forgave you.comparative — the measure of forgiving — God's own act in Christ, already done

Analysis. The chapter opens at the letter's hinge — Παρακαλῶ οὖν — and the shape shows the entreaty carrying everything in vv. 1–3: one purple main verb, the blue infinitive of the worthy walk beneath it, and a manner-chain of teal participles (bearing, being eager) hanging from that single infinitive. Then the texture changes twice. Verses 4–6 are creed: three flush-left dashed lines — one body … one Lord … one God — verbless acclamations with no syntax to climb. Verses 7–10 are almost diatribe: grace apportioned, the psalm quoted (two blue lines under λέγει), and the τὸ δὲ Ἀνέβη question answered from the quotation's own word. Verses 11–16 are again one sentence, but unlike the staircase of chapter 1 it is a ladder: from ἔδωκεν three parallel purpose lines descend — πρός (equipping), μέχρι (until we all attain), ἵνα (no longer infants) — before the sentence climbs through the growing body to the Head and back down the ἐξ οὗ relative. Verses 17–24 hang a whole moral anthropology from one infinitive (μηκέτι περιπατεῖν) and one verb of teaching (ἐδιδάχθητε), under which the three catechetical infinitives — put off, be renewed, put on — sit as parallel blue content lines. Verses 25–32 return to the margin: staccato imperatives, nearly all at depth 0. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: in v. 12 the εἰς-phrases are read as a chain, not three coordinate purposes of ἔδωκεν — the ministers equip the saints FOR the work of ministry, which builds the body (every-member ministry); in v. 9 τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς is taken as genitive of apposition — the descent is to the earth below (incarnation), not to the underworld; in v. 8 the psalm's 'you received' has become ἔδωκεν 'he gave', the very word the whole section turns on; and v. 26's ὀργίζεσθε (Ps 4:4 LXX) is read as concessive permission immediately fenced in, not a command to be angry.