THE CHRISTIAN WALK IN LOVE, LIGHT AND WISDOM (5:1-21). ‘Therefore you be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling fragrance.' The imitation of God looks both back to Ep... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is becoming to those set apart, nor filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting which are not befitting, but rather giving of thanks.' These are in stark contrast to the sweet smelling savour. These smell ran... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this you know of a surety that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.' Paul strongly reinforces what he has said so that there can be no doubt about it. As we learn from Revelation (Ephesians 2:14; Ephesian... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You, therefore, do not be partakers with them.' His command is straight. Have nothing to do with them or with such things. See 1 Corinthians 5:4 for the way such things should be treated in the churches.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.' Having dealt with the dark side Paul now returns to the theme of the Christian's walk. They did once walk in darkness. They were darkness thr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.' ‘Proving.' (dokimazo). ‘Putting to the test, examining.' Everything we do and are must be brought to His light to be examined and tested. This does not mean negatively, by examining our lives through a microscope for every possible defect, resulting in c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove (convict) them, for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.' Living in the light means avoiding the darkness and its ‘unfruits'. They must not have any part with the behaviour o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But all things when they are reproved (convicted, brought to light) are revealed openly by the light. For everything that is revealed openly is light.' The result of the convicting power of their lives will be that in some people there will come conviction as the light shines in their hearts and w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this reason he says, “Awake you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”.' We do not know the source of this saying. It may well be a conflation of Isaiah 60:1 combined with Isaiah 52:1, with Daniel 12:2 in the background. ‘Awake, awake, put on your strength --- arise,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Look therefore carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, buying up the time because the days are evil.' The Christian is to live a life of careful thought. He does not blunder blindly on but weighs up his life and makes the most of his time, ‘buying up the time', to bring the most glory t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this reason do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.' Because we live in evil days we must be the more careful to ensure that we know what the Christ's will for us is by allowing His light to constantly shine on our lives, by reading His word and meditating and praying in... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And do not be drunk with wine which results in riotous behaviour (or wastefulness), but be being filled in (or ‘by') the Spirit.' Continuing his contrasts which are a feature of Ephesians 4:22 to Ephesians 5:21, bringing out the contrast between the old man and the new man (Ephesians 4:22), Paul po... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.' Rather than the bawdy singing of the drunk they are to engage in spiritual song... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.' The exuberance of the Spirit does not lead to wild abandon but to thoughtful consideration for others and humility. Each is to be ‘subject to' the other and responsive to the whole. While the church is full of individuals it should be of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Wives be in subjection to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.' From time immemorial the husband has been head of the family in all societies with rare exceptions. And this natural... [ Continue Reading ]
HUSBANDS AND WIVES ARE A PATTERN OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH (5:22-33). In this passage there is a constant movement from the husband wife relationship to that of Christ and His church. In one sense it is the former which is the main theme, for both opening and closing verses refer to it. But Paul's i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But as the church is subject to Christ so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.' The wife is to follow the pattern of the people of God who are submissive to Christ ‘in everything'. Thus she is to be subject to her husband in everything. But in a godly household this will result i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it, that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it sho... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even so ought husbands to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.' This confirms that the proper love of a husband can be compared with the love of Christ for His church. Just as Christ loves His church which has been made one with Him in His body, so a husba... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also the church, because we are members of His body.' A man takes great care of his own body, and nourishes and cherishes it, and he will therefore do the same for his wife who has been made one with him. So Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this reason will a man leave father and mother and will cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is cited from Genesis 2:24, also cited with approval by Jesus (Matthew 19:5) who added, ‘so that they are no more two but one flesh. What God therefore has joined together let... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This is a great mystery, but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.' The church too on being united with Christ become one. It too is made up of individuals but is one in God's eyes. Their relationship with Christ is also inviolable and they should act with Him and think with Him as one.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Nevertheless do you also severally love each one his own wife even as himself, and let the wife see that she fear her husband.' Paul does not want the practical lesson to be lost, and applies it at the end. Each husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and each wife must hold her husband in... [ Continue Reading ]