- Verses 3-4, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the Lord's people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

 

A. "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality"

1. These things are so bad that they are not even to be talked about among believers.

2. Some don't think Paul is being literal. They believe he just means that these sins are to be avoided.

3. I think Paul is being literal. These sins are so bad that Christians should not even entertain them in their conversations.

 

- The first sin Paul deals with is "sexual immorality" (porneia).

1. The word "porneia" is used in a general sense to refer to any form of improper sexual behavior: Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest. etc.

a. Sexual sins that are condemned in the OT as well as NT.

2. At times the word can be used specifically of adultery or of sex with a prostitute (see F. Hauck and S. Schultz, "porne" in TDNT 6 [1968]: 579-5950.

 

B. "or of greed" (pleonexia)

1. Literally "insatiability."

2. Here the word refers to some form of sexual greed- as if others live for our gratification.

3. The 10th commandment mentions not "coveting" our neighbor's wife.

 

C. "because these are improper for the Lord's people"

1. "improper" might point to a written manual of Christian discipline (see Matthew 3:15; Philemon 8).

2. Or Paul might be saying, "follow these rules that could be set down as a written code."

 

D. "obscenity" (aischrotes).

1. Literally, "shamelessness."

2. It may refer to a way of talking or to behavior. In this context it seems to refer to immoral, filthy talk.

3. Paul may be carrying his thought concerning sexual sin into this section. We are not only not to mention sexual sins, we are not to engage in obscene talk of jokes about sexual sins.

 

E. "foolish talk" (morologia)

1. This word is not found anywhere else in the Greek NT or LXX.

2. "Bengel defines it as fishing for a laugh, even without salt in one's speech." (M. Barth Ephesians 4-6, 562).

 

F. "coarse joking" (entrapelia)

1. The word is mentioned by Aristotle as a virtue. This is because the word can have either a positive or negative connotation.

2. In a positive sense the word referred to wit. In Aristotle's ethics it is the middle ground between a boor and a buffoon. (Lincoln, Ephesians, 323).

3. In a negative sense it refers to joking around which can be quite filthy and vulgar.

4. It is sometimes noted as one of the excurses of youth.

5. This may have been a common thing among the Ephesians. Plautus states in his Miles Gloriosus: "I am a facetious (joking in an improper manner) caviller, because I was born in Ephesus, not in Apulia or Animula." (quoted in M. Barth, Ephesians 4-6, 562).

6. It is the kind of humor that is always on the brink of perversity.

 

G. "but rather thanksgiving (eucharistia)"

1. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Chrysostom and Jerome understood it in its classical Greek sense. It refers to pleasant speech. Speech that edifies rather demolish the one being spoken to.

 

- Verses 5-6, "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient."

 

A. "For of this you can be sure"

1. It literally reads, "[you] know understanding."

2. It is a Greek way of expressing a Hebrew thought (see LXX Isaiah 59:8; Esther 4:17d; Sir. 34:9-10).

3. Paul is saying, "This is something you should know. You don't need an instructor."

 

B. "greedy person—such a person is an idolater—"

1. Grammatically this phrase is difficult to translate. It is uncertain whether "idolater" refers to the "immoral" "impure" and "greedy" person or just to the "greedy" person.

2. The parallel passage in Col. 3:5 refers to the greedy person as an idolater and that is probably the case here.

a. Col. 3:5 reads, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."

3. Whatever it is they are greedy for- they have exalted it above God and it is therefore an idol.

4. Because of the context it might be sexual greed which is being referred to- which means that either the person is exalting the person they desire sexually or sex itself above God.

 

C. "inheritance" (kleronomian)

1. It can refer to the actual inheritance of to the deed (title) to the inheritance.

2. It means that either the person is in danger of losing their inheritance (M. Barth Ephesians 4-6, 564) or that if they persist in their sins they will have no part in the inheritance.

 

D. "in the kingdom of Christ and of God"

1. One kingdom is mentioned and two individuals reigning in that kingdom.

2. Markus Barth translates it, "the kingdom of God's Messiah." (M. Barth Ephesians 4-6, )

3. Another possible translation is, “the kingdom of the Messiah, that is, of God.”

a. This would be a direct reference to the deity of Jesus (see Heb. 1:8).

 

E. “Let no one deceive you with empty words”

1. Don’t let anyone convince you that God will not judge and punish sin. God will.

2. This may be a reference to those who proclaim that sin is permissible (see Rev. 2:14,15,20; Rom 6:1,15 which describes these individuals and their philosophy).

3. “empty” (kenois) can “refer to the contents of to the effect.” (M. Barth Ephesians 4-6, 566).

a. It is empty because it is devoid of truth (cf. Col. 2:4,8; LXX Exodus 5:9; Deut. 32:47).

b. Or it is empty because it cannot deliver what it promises.

 

F. “for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient."

1. Because of the things that they do, God’s wrath is coming upon them (see 5:11).

2. The wrath of God is referred to in the Bible as a future reality as well as a present reality.

3. Here it is spoken as being present.

a. It is something that is here now against nonbelievers.

b. Crespo- it may express the same thought as the Gospel of John which speaks about the wrath of God as “abiding” with nonbelievers.

4. The wrath of God is also a future reality (Eph. 2:3; 1 Cor. 5:4-5; 11:29-30; Rom. 1:18ff.; 5:9).

5. Here is a second motivation for avoiding these vices. Not only are people who do such things excluded from the kingdom of God; they also have the wrath of God with them now; and will experience its fullness in the future.

 

- Verse 7, “Therefore do not be partners with them.”

 

- Literally it reads, “do not become their participants.”

1. The scriptures tell us not to associate with those who claim to be believers and yet live sinful lives; in associating with them we partake of their sins (see Mark 14:67-70; 1 Cor. 5:6,11; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).

2. Markus Barth believes that in light of vv. 11-14, this passage is telling us not to associate with the “evil deeds” and not even to talk about them.

3. We can associate with non-Christians but we cannot participate in their sinfulness.

 

- Verses 8-10, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.”

 

A. “For you were once darkness”

1. Paul uses very strong language. It wasn’t that we were living in a dark world. No. The darkness was inside us.

2. Darkness is the absence of light. It is not something- it is the lack of something.

3. Its depravity is based upon the corruption of the good.

4. It is devoid of wisdom and understanding (Paul used the word in this sense in 4:18).

5. Here it refers to moral darkness.

6. It is “fruitless”- it doesn’t produce morality.

 

B. “but now you are light in the Lord”

1. Light is associated with truth and knowledge.

2. Here it is associated with holiness.

3. Christians are light but they are not light because they are wonderful creatures; what makes them light is that they are in Christ.

 

C. “Live as children of light”

1. Our Father is the Father of Lights.

2. If we are light then let us behave like light.

3. As Andrew Lincoln states it, “Their behavior is to confirm their identity.” (Lincoln, Ephesians, 327).

 

D. “(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)”

1. “fruit” (karpos) can refer to a number of things.

a. It can refer to a biological offspring (Luke 1:42).

b. It can refer to the fruit of a tree; the crop of a field.

c. Metaphorically it is used of reward, gain, etc.

2. It is “the natural results that should follow.” (Foulkes, Ephesians, 145).

3. The “fruit of light” is similar to the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22).

 

- Here the fruit consists of goodness, righteousness and truth.

1. “goodness” (agathosune) refers to moral goodness. It can also refer to goodness in general.

2. In Galatians 5:22 it is listed as part of the fruit of the Spirit.

 

- “Righteousness” (dikaiosune) entails doing what is right towards God and humanity.

 

- "Truth" (alethia)

1. Truth has been used with a broad meaning in Ephesians 4:21,24.

2. In Eph. 4:25 it refers to speaking the truth.

3. Here, because of the triad that it finds itself in, may refer to the Hebrew idea of "faithfulness" or "loyalty."

 

E. "and find out what pleases the Lord.”

1. "find out " (dokimazontes)- a particle with the force of an imperative.

2. Markus Barth renders it, "find out by experience."

3. The verb "dokimazo" can mean:

a. Put it to the test or

b. Accepting what has been tested or

c. "Approving" (see Rom 14:22; 1 Cor 16:3).

4. We are not to be passive. We are to discover and/or confirm the will of God (that which is pleasing to Him).

5. As we give ourselves fully to God we will be able to discover within each particular situation what is the right thing to do.

6. We are seeking to discover the right moral choices that we must make (Lincoln, Ephesians, 328).

 

- Verses 11-13, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

 

A. "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness”

1. “the fruitless deeds of darkness” is literally what it says in the Greek.

2. We are not to participate in any deeds of darkness.

3. Darkness “produces” but what it “produces” is dead and empty.

4. Darkness only brings about corruption, sin, death, etc. (see Eph. 4:22; Rom. 1:32; 5:12; 6:23; James 1:13-18; Jude 12-13).

 

B. “but rather expose them”

1. “expose” (elegchete)- the verb also occurs in verse 13.

2. The verb is used in the LXX and NT to mean:

a. to reveal what is hidden.

b. to convict, convince.

c. to correct.

d. to punish, discipline.

3. Notice that we are expose the fruitless deeds of darkness, NOT that we are to expose those who commit the fruitless deeds of darkness.

4. The ones who commit the deeds are outsiders (non-believers)- and if you remember from 1 Cor. 5:12,13 our work is NOT to judge outsiders.

5. How are we to expose these fruitless deeds of darkness:?:

a. Paul doesn’t directly tell us.

b. But based upon the context it may refer to the way that we live.

i. By doing what is good, righteous and true.

ii. By not participating in the deeds of darkness.

iii. By not even speaking about these things.

iv. J. B. Phillips translates the passage, “Let your life show by contrast how dreary and futile these things are.”

6. But we must not exclude the verbal proclamation against the “deeds of darkness.”

C. “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light”

1. Not that darkness will become light or become acceptable because it is exposed.

2. Rather as light shines in the darkness it reveals it for what it is and thereby gives it an opportunity to see itself as it really is and therefore the opportunity to change.

3. Even as we once were darkness and once our darkness was exposed we accepted the light.

4. Not everyone will do so. Some abhor the light and will have nothing to do with it (John 3:19-21).

5. Also see Psalm 139:11-12; John 1:5; and 2 Cor. 4:6.

 

- Verse14, “This is why it is said:
'Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.'"

 

A. “This is why it is said”

1. It sounds like Paul is quoting.

2. What follows may be part of a hymn (M. Barth, Ephesians 4-6, 574).

3. Some believe it refers to a baptismal hymn (Foulkes, Ephesians, 148).

a. In Romans 6 Paul uses the analogy of death and rising to refer to baptism- maybe it something that was sung as people were getting baptized.

4. There are passages in Isaiah that are similar to what Paul states here.

 

B. “Wake up, sleeper”

1. “Sleep” is often used as a euphemism for “death.”

2. Sleep and death are associated with sin and its consequences (Lincoln, Ephesians, 332).

3. “Sleep” is also used to refer to a Christian’s death, but that doesn’t appear to be the meaning here.

 

C. “rise from the dead”

1. “rise” (anatethi) is here abbreviated to “anasta” so as to create the feeling of quickness- “Up!”

 

D. “and Christ will shine on you."

1. Three metaphors have been used- waking from sleep, rising from death and going from darkness to light.

2. All three metaphors describe the new birth of a person who has accepted Christ.