Ephesians 4:14

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Paul writes to the Ephesian believers to explain the purpose of Christ’s gifted leaders: preventing spiritual immaturity. He positions this warning directly between the goal of mature unity and the command to grow into Christ.

The words — νήπιοι (nēpioi) = infants and κλυδωνιζόμενοι (kludōnizomenoi) = being tossed by waves. The Greek terms describe a state of developmental helplessness and violent nautical displacement.

The thread — The warning against drifting into false teaching appears in Hebrews 13:9 and Romans 16:17, while the call to mature judgment appears in 1 Corinthians 14:20.

Why it lands — The text states believers must abandon infant-like instability and instead pursue grounded truth. It demands active alignment with apostolic teaching rather than passive susceptibility to human deception.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Cross-references

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to them.
Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Hebrews 5:12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
James 1:6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Colossians 2:4 I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
2 Peter 2:1 Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.