Ephesians 5:4

4. St Paul is still thinking of topics of conversation.

αἰσχρότης is any discreditable action belonging to either of the excluded classes. Notice e.g. αἰοχροῦ κέρδους χάριν Titus 1:11.

μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία. This pair of words describes contrasted forms of wrong conversation, that which is coarse and outwardly repulsive, and that in which the foulness is delicately veiled in innuendo or double entendre. Both alike St Paul brands as ‘in bad taste,’ οὐκ�; cf. Romans 1:28; Colossians 3:18. μωρολογία in Plutarch is the kind of talk that comes from a man when he is drunk. It is possible that it may not be worse than inane, cf. Matthew 7:26. But ‘the fool’ in the Wisdom literature has a darker side, εὐτραπελία. This word started with a good sense. In Aristotle the mean between the boor (ἄγροικος) the man who has no manners, and the unctuous person (βωμολόχος) who has too much manners, is εὐτράπελος, the well-bred gentleman. It came to describe the tone of ‘good society,’ and was used to glose over all manner of evil. Cf. Minucius Felix, c. 20, tota impudicitia vocatur urbanitas.

ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία, ‘let the grace of wit be superseded by the grace of thanksgiving’ Robinson Here, as elsewhere, St Paul ‘empties by filling,’ cf. Philippians 4:8. He helps us to consecrate our lips by reminding us of the highest use of language; cf. Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 4:11. So St James checks the violence of theological invective, Ephesians 3:9. St Paul suggests at the same time that if we look out for them we need never be at a loss for material for thanksgiving in benefits received and good observed; cf. on Ephesians 5:20. In view of St Paul’s uniform usage εὐχαριστία can hardly be anything but ‘thanksgiving to God.’ The word is not found in LXX. outside the Apocrypha. It is common in Papyri. See Milligan on 1 Thessalonians 1:2. Robinson however is no doubt right in pointing out that the associations of εὐχάριστος (= gracious) must have made the word suggest ‘grace of speech’ which would help out the antithesis to εὐτραπελία.