🛡️WEB · Ephesians 4:9
What does Ephesians 4:9 mean?
"Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?"
— Ephesians 4:9 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.
But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Explanation
Ephesians 4:9 comes in the middle of Paul's discussion of Christ's ascension, which he ties back to Psalm 68:18, a verse he has just quoted in verse 8 about a victorious figure ascending on high and giving gifts to people. Here Paul pauses to draw out an implication of that quotation: if Scripture says Christ "ascended," this necessarily implies that he must have first "descended." Paul is doing a bit of careful reasoning with the text, showing his readers that the ascension only makes sense as the second half of a journey that began with a descent.
In plain language, Paul is saying something like this: "When we read that he went up, that word only makes sense if he had first gone down." He is building an argument from the logic of the words themselves. The phrase "the lower parts of the earth" has been understood in a few different ways by Christian interpreters throughout history. Some take it to refer to Christ's incarnation itself—his coming down from heaven to be born as a human being on earth, entering into our lowly, earthly condition. Others take it to mean something more specific: Christ's descent into the realm of the dead, or into the grave, following his crucifixion, before his resurrection and subsequent ascension. Both readings agree on the main point: Christ underwent significant humility and lowering before he was exalted.
This letter was written by Paul, traditionally understood to be composed during his imprisonment, to the church at Ephesus (and likely intended as a more general circular letter to churches in the region of Asia Minor). Ephesians as a whole emphasizes
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