Ephesians 5:3-21

The Way of Light and the Way of Darkness. There are other sins which among God's people, should be literally unmentionable fornication, uncleanness, coveting, filthiness, foolish speech, improper jesting. (The true seemliness of speech is thanksgiving.) No one who practises any of the above can inherit the Kingdom. Let no sophistries deceive you; God's wrath befalls the disobedient dissociate yourselves from such things. You have passed from darkness to light and must walk accordingly. Goodness, righteousness, truth these are the fruits of Light. You must test things, and discover what is well-pleasing to the Lord. Nay, you must not only avoid participation in the unfruitful deeds of darkness; you must show them up for things are being done in secret which it is shameful even to mention. Things are always made manifest when they are shown up by the light: for whatever is made manifest ipso facto becomes luminous. That is the meaning of Sleeper, awake! Arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee! Take careful heed, then, how you walk wisely, and not unwisely. These are evil days buy up every opportunity. Don-' t be foolish. Understand what the Lord's will is. And don-' t be drunken with wine that is prodigality; if you are full let it be in the Spirit; if you sing to one another, let your music and hymns and songs be spiritual, the expression of the song and melody going up to the Lord in your hearts, with continual thanksgivings under all circumstances in the name of Christ to God the Father. Let there be mutual subordination in the fear of Christ.

Ephesians 5:4. which are not befitting: read, in relation to unseemly things: the words limit the prohibition of jesting. giving of thanks: the word (eucharistia) is connected with charis (=grace), and in antithesis to the preceding clause may here suggest a double meaning.

Ephesians 5:5. Covetousness is really a worship of false gods and is tantamount to a return to heathenism.

Ephesians 5:7. Read partakers in them, referring back to these things in Ephesians 5:6.

Ephesians 5:9. light: the AV reading, Spirit, appears in some MSS through the scribe's reminiscence of Galatians 5:22.

Ephesians 5:10. proving: read testing.

Ephesians 5:12. reprove: here and in Ephesians 5:13 read expose them.

Ephesians 5:13 b. The thought seems to be that darkness itself is transformed into light by the process of being made manifest.

Ephesians 5:14. Read, Wherefore it saith; cf. Ephesians 4:8. The quotation is apparently a fragment of an early hymn.

Ephesians 5:16. Read mg.

Ephesians 5:18. Cf. Proverbs 23:31 (LXX).

Ephesians 5:19. Cf. Colossians 3:16. The songs of Christians are to be spiritual songs, not vinous catches. The reference may be to singing at the Agapæ or Love-feasts of the Church (cf. Jude 1:12).