4:30

In 4:30b–c Paul repeated part of a metaphor that he used in 1:13b–14. This metaphor is about the Holy Spirit. In both passages, Paul said that God sealed us with the Holy Spirit. This shows that we belong to God.

In 1:14a Paul also added that the Holy Spirit is like a deposit or guarantee that one day God will redeem us. The idea of a guarantee is not explicit in 4:30, but some translations make it explicit to make the verse more clear. For example:

a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free (Good News Translation)

See below under 4:30c for other examples of this.

4:30a

And do not grieve: The word grieve means “to sadden,” “to cause sorrow” or “to cause grief or emotional pain.” Some other ways grieve has been translated include:

make sad (New Century Version)
-or-
bring sorrow to (New Living Translation (2004))

the Holy Spirit of God: See how you translated Holy Spirit 1:13e. Also see Holy, Meaning 3 in the Glossary for more information.

4:30b

in whom you were sealed: The clause in whom you were sealed is passive. If it would be more natural in your language to make it active, you can say: “God sealed you in/with his Holy Spirit.”

sealed: In NT times, a seal was the personal sign of an owner showing that something marked with a person’s seal belonged to him. Here God sealed his people with his Holy Spirit to show that they belong to him.

For the translation of sealed, you may:

• Use a verb or noun in your language that means seal. For example:

tribal mark/sign
-or-
mark (put on animals) to show ownership

• Use a simile. If a metaphor is not clear (“God sealed you with the Holy Spirit”), you can say:

When God gave you the Holy Spirit, it was as if he put his seal/mark of ownership on you

• If this figure of speech is confusing, you may have to translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

God gave you the Holy Spirit to show that you belong to him

Paul used this same metaphor to describe the Holy Spirit in 1:13c. You should translate the expression “you were sealed” in 4:30 in a way that is similar to the way you translated it in 1:13c.

4:30c

for the day of redemption: The phrase the day of redemption refers to a future time when God will completely redeem or deliver/free Christians from sin and the evil of this world. Here Paul is talking to the Christians in Ephesus.

Here are some ways to translate this phrase:

⌊he is the guarantee⌋ that one day God will completely redeem you
-or-
to show that God will make you free when the final day comes (New Century Version)
-or-
a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free (Good News Translation)

See how you translated redemption in 1:14b. See redeem in the Glossary for more information.

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