The book of Ephesians

Transcription

1 I I I j. ; The Scheme of Redemption The book of Ephesians Chapter 5 Verse 1 - "Therefore be followers of God as dear children." [The key to eliminating from our lives all bad attitudes and actions (as in the previous paragraph) and to inculcating proper behavior toward one another is to strive to follow (that is, "imitate'? God. People who, by the grace of God, have become His dearly beloved children are obligated to become like Him.] Verse 2 - "And walk in love, as C~rist also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." [Love (AGAPE) is to characterize the Christian's daily progress along the road of life, and in this to follow the example of Jesus Christ as He has demonstrated His love for u~.by offering Himself as a pleasing sa.cnflce to God for our sins. Following this example in our relationship to one another, our lives should be characterized by giving and sacrifice.] Verses 3,4 - "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." [Fornication is illicit sexual intercourse of ail kinds; Uncleanness is moral impurity; sensuality. Covetousness is a desire to have more always in a bad sense; greediness. ' Filthiness is obscenity, al/ that is contrary to purity, baseness. Foolish talking is a translation of the Greek word MOROLOGIA - MOROS is foolish, stupid (we get our word "moron" from this) and LOGIA is word; hence, foolish words or talking. Coarse jesting is light witty talk that plays too often on the ' border-line of impropriety (Robinson). It is not fitting for saints to take any pleasure even in talking about such things as these.] Verse 5 - "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." [No inheritance in heaven (see 1 Pet. 1:3-5) is reserved for those who practice such tthings.] Verse 6 - "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." [The advocates of Gnosticism in that day said that what you did in the body was of no consequence, but Paul told the Ephesians they should not be deceived with such words. All such disobedience will be punished by the wrath of God.] Verse 7 - "Therefore do not be partakers with them." [The Ephesien saints were not to be partners with evildoers (see 2 Cor. 6:14--7:1).] Verse 8 - "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" [Light represents God (1 John 1:5); His majesty and glory (1 Tim. 6:16); and the truth He reveals to mankind (Ps. 43:3). Before they had become Christians the Ephesians had been children of darkness, but they had been enlightened (see 1:18; Acts 26:18; Rom. 13:12; 2 Cor. 14:6; Col. 1:13; 1 Pet. 2:9). It is not that they were "in"

2 darkness, but that they "were" darkness; the darkness was in them. Now they were light, and light was in them; therefore, they should live their lives as children of light.] Verse 9 - "(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)," [Most textual evidence favors the rendering of the phrase "the fruit of the Spirit" by "the fruit of the light" instead, which better fits the context also. When one walks in the light (or has light in him) he will bear the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth in his life.] Verse 10 - "proving what is acceptable to the Lord." [Verse 9 is a parenthetical statement; this verse goes back to the end of verse 8: "Walk as children of light, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. " The desires and choices of those who walk in the light are governed by their prior determination, to please not themselves, but to please their Lord (2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 1:10).J Verse 11 - "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." [So far as God was concerned the works of darkness were completely unfruitful; only light would bear fruit. Instead of partaking in the works of darkness, Christians should reprove all such; that is to "expose" the works of darkness just as light exposes things in darkness.] Verse 12 - "For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." [See verse 3.] Verse 13 - "But all things are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light." [The ASV is better here: "But all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light. " This describes the process of conversion from darkness to light. First, those who are darkness are exposed; then they allow themselves to be manifested (see 1 Cor.. 14:24,25); and then they become light themselves.j Verse 14 - "Therefore He says: 'Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light'." [Paul seems to be making a quotation here, but, if so, the author is unknown. Those who are yet in darkness are asleep (apparently insensitive to their condition), but this quotation suggests they are capable of initiating action to awaken themselves so that the light of Christ will expose, manifest and enlighten them.j Verses 15,16 - "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evll." [The Christian is to live his life with great care, watching all around him to be sure that he does not fall into any snares (lured by temptation or victimized by false teaching, etc.). Not to do so would be unwise or foolish. A Christian should use his time wisely, redeeming (buying up, or making wise use of the opportunities thereof) the time because the days are evil, which may refer to the fact that time is so uncertain and limited.

3 that we do not know how long we may have to accomplish what needs to be done, or that the world is so full evil and our time is so limited that we must not waste a moment; there's not enough time to do all that needs to be done. See also Col. 4:5.J Verse 17 - "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." [Here the word "unwise" is from a different word than in verse 15, and it means "without reason" (Vine) or "want of mental sanity and sobriety, a reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind" (Hort). It suggests a very haphazard and careless approach to life, living without a true perception of the reality of things. The way to avoid such a life is "to understand what the will of the Lord is, " which suggests both that the will of God is understandable and that when a person understands it he will use it as a guide for his Iife.J Verse 18 - "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit," [Just as a person is controlled in what he says and does by alcohol when he is drunk and is not himself, so the Christian is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit in what he says and does. Being controlled by the Holy Spirit is profitable, while being drunk with wine, however, leads to dissipation (riot, wastefulness,. profligacy).} Verses 19,20 - "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," [Allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our lives, we will speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, by which we will be Singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. While we think of this passage as being one of those which authorize vocal (or a Capella) and music in our worship, it is really saying that such songs of praise and thanksgiving that will be poured out of the melody that is in the heart is the result of living a Spirit-guideg life (see James 5:13). The instrument that is to "be plucked" in our singing is the human heart, not anything that is mechanical. See also Eph. 1:16.J Verse 21 - "submitting to one another in the fear of G.9(i. II - [Paul introduces a thought here that he will expand on in the rest of this chapter and in the first half of the next chapter - submission. The solution to all situations in which Christians in a congregation find it difficult to get along with one another is found in this verse: submission to one another. See Phil. 2:1-4; Rom. 12:10; 15:2 for what this involves.} Verses 22,23 - "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body. II [The general rule of submission to one another is now applied to specific relationships. Here the wife is commanded to be in submission to her husband. Submit is from a Greek word that was primarily a military term that meent to "rank under; " it means to be in subjection, to be under obedience. It is the Lord's will for a wife to obey her husband; hence, in doing so, she is also submitting to Christ. The wife is "ranked under" her husband in the same sense that the church is "ranked under" Jesus

4 _-_ --_._-----_ (see 1 Cor. 11:3; Col. 3:18; Tit. 2:5; 1 Pet. 3:1,2). In this paragraph Paul at one time uses the church to Christ relationship to describe the wife to husband relationship and then again he uses the husband to wife relationship to describe the Christ to the church relationship. At the end of verse 23 he adds a note in which he may be suggesting that the husband should have the same sacrificial attitude toward his wife that Jesus had for the church. Verse 24 - "Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." [Paul is teaching that wives should be in subjection to their husbands in everything (with there being only one exception; see Acts 5:29; Col. 3:18), but, in saying this, he is also saying that the church ought to be in subjection to Christ in everything.] Verse 25 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church gave Himself for it," [In both Jewish and Gentiles cultures at the time of the New Testament, women occupied a very much lower place then men; in both they were regarded as little more than things or possessions so that fathers and husbands had almost complete control of their lives. A Jewish man in his morning prayers would thank God that he had been made a man instead of a "Gentile, a slave or a woman." By New Testament times the marriage relationship was on the verge of almost a complete breakdown, especially in Roman society. The gospel of Christ elevated the positlon of women, and demanded that husbands treat their wives with love, respect and consideration; they were to have the same kind of love and care for their wives that Jesus had for the church as manifested in his willingness to give His life for it.] Verse 26 - "that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," [Jesus gave His life for the church so that the church might be sanctified (set apart for Him and from the world) and cleansed from all sin-to be a pure virgin for His bride. The church is sanctified and cleanses as individuals obey the gospel and are added to it. And obvious reference is made here to baptism in water as a part of the process that results in the cleansing (or washing) of the individual, but baptism cleanses and sanctifies only when it is administered "with the word;" that is, in harmony with and in obedience to the word of the Spirit (see John 3:3-5; Titus 3:4,5).J Verse 27 - "that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." [The individuals who have been cleansed and sanctified by the washing of water by the word constitute the church a bride - without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish, and glorious - ready for presentation to Christ.J Verse 28 - "So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself." [The degree of love the husband is to have for his wife is stated; he is to love her as much as he loves himself. The golden rule (Matt. 7:12) would apply; he should treat her and be as considerate of her as he would want to be treated by her if their roles were

5 ----~~ _- reversed (see 1 Pet. 3:7). In so treating his wife the husband is doing himself a favor. The word "Iove" in this verse and in verse 25 is from A GAPE, which means "active good will, " and is not the usual love we associate with the husband-wife relationship.] Verse 29 - "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church." [In the previous verse Paul suggested that husbands should love their wives as much as they love their own bodies. Amplifying on that in this verse he adds that a person does not hate (and do harm to) his own body (or flesh), but nourishes and cherishes it. In the same way a husband should not despise his wife, but should nourish (nurture, to care for) and cherish (primary meaning is "to soften with heat; hence, to keep warm, and metaphorically, to foster with tender cere") her in the same way the Lord nurtures and cherishes the church.) Verse 32 - "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." [The relationship between Christ and the church is a part of that great revealed mystery of God's plan for the redemption of man (see 3:10).J Verse 33 - "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." [Repeating his earlier instructions for husbands to love their wives, he adds that wives also should have respect for their husbands.)....- Verse 30 - "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones." [Christ nurtures and cherishes us because we are members of His body (the church). In the same way the wife is a member of the husband's body to be nourished and cherished.] Verse 31 - "'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. '" [Paul quotes Gen. 2:24 in which he shows that marriage was ordained of God to be monogamous. Marriage is a leaving of one relationship to be joined to a spouse in a new relationship; it involves a commitment to be married.]