Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Ephesians 4:22 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 22. 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The old humanity, corrupted by deceitful desires, must be put off with the former way of life.
Read It With
- Ephesians 4:17–24
Read Ephesians 4:17–24 as a complete section. Verses 17–19 describe the former walk, verses 20–21 make learning Christ the decisive contrast, and verses 22–24 join putting off, renewal, and putting on.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The contrast explains why Christian growth requires more than adding beliefs to an unchanged way of life: the community has learned Christ and must embody a renewed humanity.
Read Ephesians 4:22–24 together
Why these verses belong together: Putting off, renewal, and putting on are the three connected movements of the new-life instruction.
Verse 22. 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Verse 23. 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Verse 24. 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Follow the Context
- Paul solemnly rejects the former futile walk.
- Darkened understanding, alienation, hardness, and greedy impurity describe that trajectory.
- But the readers did not learn Christ that way.
- The old humanity and its deceptive desires must be put off.
- The mind must be continually renewed.
- The new humanity, created after God in righteousness and holiness, must be put on.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
Ephesians 4:22 does not teach contempt for the body or for people outside the church.
What Remains True
Learning Christ requires putting off the corrupt patterns of the former life rather than simply adding religious language to them.
How It Can Shape Life
- Name one deceitful old pattern honestly and begin replacing it within the full put-off, renewal, and put-on movement of verses 22–24.
Teach It Back
Explain Ephesians 4:22's specific contribution to Ephesians 4:17–24: The old humanity, corrupted by deceitful desires, must be put off with the former way of life. Include what the surrounding verses add and what the verse does not permit readers to conclude.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Ephesians 4:17–24 — Put Off the Old Life and Put On the NewSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The exact KJV wording and immediate English context for Ephesians 4:17–24.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Ephesians 4; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and sentence relationships used to check the passage.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Eph.txt, Ephesians 4, verses within Ephesians 4:17–24.
Open the Ephesians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Ephesians with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Material translation choices, syntax notes, and textual variants checked for this passage.
Exact location: NET Bible, Ephesians 4, translator and textual notes attached to the verses in Ephesians 4:17–24.
Open NET Ephesians 4 ↗