Bible Strands
Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul, writing from prison, addresses the Ephesian assembly as part of a continuous exhortation (4:1–6) on how they should conduct themselves.
The words — tapeinophrosunēs (humility) is a compound of tapeinos (low) and phronēsis (mind), literally "low-mindedness." Makrothumias (patience) compounds makros (long) with thumos (anger), literally "long-tempered" or slow to anger.
The thread — Colossians 3:12 pairs humility and gentleness as garments to put on; 1 Corinthians 13:4 lists patience and kindness as the first two marks of love.
Why it lands — These dispositions are not aspirational but the stated condition for preserving unity (4:3); they are directed at "one another," meaning the specific, difficult people in the reader's community.
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
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Cross-references
- Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
- Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Proverbs 3:34 He mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.
- Numbers 12:3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.