# For Christ's Sake? Eph. 4:32



## CharlieJ (Sep 21, 2009)

This post is about the interpretation of εν Χριστω in the Pauline corpus, but especially in Eph. 4:32. Specifically:

1) Does εν Χριστω sometimes or always carry a specialized theological meaning in the Pauline writings?

2) On the basis of the answer to #1, plus contextual factors, is there any warrant for the KJV's rendering of "for Christ's sake" in Eph. 4:32?


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## larryjf (Sep 21, 2009)

Though both translations "in Christ" and "for Christ's sake" are orthodox in teaching, the "in Christ" is a better translation of the Greek.


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## rbcbob (Sep 21, 2009)

The phrase *εν Χριστω* is used at least 9 times in Ephesians and more than seventy times in the N.T. It most often speaks of our positional standing of "union with Christ" and is the basis not only of our blessings but also of the power for carrying out the imperatives of Christian duty.


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