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Trinity/After Pentecost · The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 4:22-28

Living as Children of Light

October 11, 2026

St Paul, Marco Zoppo
St Paul, Marco Zoppo, c. 1468Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
A panel from a dismantled Bolognese altarpiece. Zoppo's figures are hard-edged and sculptural, closer to carved stone than to flesh.These are Paul's letters, and Zoppo gives him the weight of a monument rather than a man.Marco ZoppoA Bolognese painter trained in Padua, whose hard, wiry figures look carved rather than painted.Ashmolean Museum, OxfordThe first university museum in the world, opened in 1683 on a collection of curiosities given to Oxford.Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMatt. 9:1-8Mt 9:1-8
EpistleEph. 4:22-28Eph 4:22-28
Old TestamentGen. 28:10-17Gn 28:10-17
PsalterPs. 84Ps 84

Overview & Insights

“Put off your old self… and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God.” (Ephesians 4:22–24)

The Old and the New Life Up to this point in the epistle there have been only occasional references to the ethical life of the Christian (2:10; 4:1–3, 15). In 4:1 it appeared that the apostle was preparing a lengthy description of the new life in Christ, but this led, instead, into a further exposition of the unifying elements of the church (4:4–16).

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Take it further: Ephesians 4:22-28

Commentary

Ephesians 4 Commentary: Living to God's GloryEph 4 Commentary: Living to God's Glory Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse on putting off the old self, speaking truth, working honestly and giving to the needy.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2Eph 4:25-5:2 Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed commentary warning against moralizing and grounding the new life in the Triune God's work, covering verses 25-28.

Ephesians 4:20-22 CommentaryEph 4:20-22 Commentary Precept Austin

Detailed word study on putting off the old self that opens this reading.

Ephesians 4:22 CommentariesEph 4:22 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators assembled on the call to lay aside the former manner of life.

Background & Word Study

Book of Ephesians Summary (Overview Video)Book of Eph Summary (Overview Video) BibleProject

Animated overview of the letter's movement from identity in Christ to the new communal life.

Ephesians 4:22 InterlinearEph 4:22 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek text with parsing for the put-off and put-on language of the passage.

The Church Fathers

Ephesians 4 - Catena Bible & CommentariesEph 4 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

Church fathers' comment on Ephesians 4 gathered verse by verse.

Questions preachers ask

What is the new self?

Paul calls believers to be renewed in the spirit of their minds, putting away falsehood, anger, and theft, and putting on the new self created in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22–28).

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