While many writers set out writing for the sake of writing, without much thought to an endgame, Christian writers have biblical foundations in their lives and work, which affect how they do things.
Today I will look at one chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as a possible roadmap to being the kind of author that reflects Christ in what you do. In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the apostle Paul recapped the great theological themes that were now part of the post-cross and resurrection world for Christ’s followers. Then in chapter four, he wrote about how Christians should live.
I don’t want to pretend to give any great insight on any of these passages since often the explanation of a passage of Scripture is the Scripture itself. A lot of the Bible requires contextual understanding, connection to other passages to give a better understanding, and a lot of analysis of the original writing to derive meaning. For the most part, Ephesians 4 is what it is.
Like verse two, which urges Christ-followers to be humble and patient and bear with one another in love, it means exactly what it says. There are no obtuse, hidden meetings in the things Paul wrote. You can read Ephesians 4 on your own and make your applications to your specific life and writing, but here are some things in this section that have direct application to Christian writers:
Verse 2 – “Be . . . humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Verse 3 – “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Verses 11-12 – “Equip people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
Verse 14 – Don’t “be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching.”
Verse 15 – Speak “the truth in love.”
Verses 17-18 – Don’t live like unbelievers “in the futility of their thinking.”
Verses 26-27 – “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
Verse 29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Verse 31 – “Get rid of all bitterness, . . . anger, . . . and malice.”
Verse 32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.”
Foundation laid. You can write now.
