Ephesians 5:1
SINCE YOU ARE. "Do not imitate the viciously immoral character of the heathen _gods_! You are God's dear children and you must try to imitate his perfect character, especially his forgiving love!... [ Continue Reading ]
SINCE YOU ARE. "Do not imitate the viciously immoral character of the heathen _gods_! You are God's dear children and you must try to imitate his perfect character, especially his forgiving love!... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTROLLED BY LOVE. "The greatest _expression_ of God's love is his act in Christ to set us free! Christ himself loved us and voluntarily gave his life for us (John 10:17-18)_!_ Christ is our sin-offering, to change us from enemies to friends of God! This is the example of love which your life shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S PEOPLE. "As God's holy people, sin is no longer a possible option for you (1 John 3:9)!_"_ The Gentiles did not count these things as sin, but these were some of the deadliest temptations to which the Gentile Christians were exposed. They still are!!! See notes on Galatians 5:19-20.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YOU TO USE. "Even the way you talk must show you belong to God!" OBSCENE. Deeply offensive to morality or decency. FOOLISH. Frivolous and senseless. But it may have the sense of _malicious gossip_ (see note on Matthew 12:36). DIRTY WORDS. The coarse joking that makes fun of modesty and despises... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU MAY BE SURE OF THIS. "The message of the Good News teaches you that no man, even a Christian, who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (Ephesians 5:3) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom (Matthew 7:21-23)!_"_ IDOL WORSHIP. The greedy man makes money his _idol._... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT LET. "Do not let a legislator, a philosopher, a teacher, or a preacher deceive you with foolish words and convince you that these things we say to prohibit immorality, indecency, greed, and evil words are only ritual rules which originate from the Law of Moses! God's wrath is coming on the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
SO. "Do not share in their crimes, or you will share in their punishment!" Compare 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:14 and notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
USED TO BE. "When you were heathens, you used to live in darkness, even though you knew secrets and mysteries. But now you have become the Lord's people and are in the light of _truth_! This places an obligation on you to make your _life style_ holy!" In the Dead Sea Scrolls, _light and darkness_ ar... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT BRINGS A RICH HARVEST. The pagan mystery religions stressed _ecstatic experience_ as a fruit or harvest of their version of _light._ Paul makes it plain that the true harvest which _light_ brings is a transformed life style! Compare Colossians 1:10; Galatians 5:22-23.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT PLEASES THE LORD. "Your life is a living sacrifice in praise to God! So you must learn what the Lord expects from you!... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE NOTHING TO DO. "Have no part in the worthless things that people do in secret, things that belong to the darkness! Bring everything out into the light of truth and expose evil for what it is!... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN TO TALK. Those initiated into the mystery religions were not allowed to reveal the secrets and mysteries. Paul is saying that this certainly is best, since they are really too horrible to even talk about!... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEIR TRUE NATURE. "The light of the Good News clearly shows up the true nature of things. If the light, so called, of the mystery religions was true, it would show up their sins for what they really are!... [ Continue Reading ]
BECOMES LIGHT. The TEV gives the literal translation, the NIV the meaning. _Alford_ understands this: "The light of your Christian life, which will be by your reproof (censure) shed upon these deeds of darkness, will bring them out of the category of darkness into light." THAT IS WHY. Some think thi... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HOW YOU LIVE. "Wise men see the ethical side of truth and pay close attention to their life style. Ignorant men do not, and let themselves be swept away by the forces of evil.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE GOOD USE. "The days we live in are so morally corrupt, that you must seize every opportunity you get to do good!" Compare Colossians 4:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:1-5.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TRY TO FIND OUT. A Christian has a new mind and a different set of goals. He or she will carefully evaluate each situation in the _light of Christ,_ to find out what the Lord wants done. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:13-15.... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT GET DRUNK. "Do not get drunk with wine as the heathens do in their orgies! This will only ruin you, as it gives the Devil a chance to lead you into all kinds of sins!" BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. Compare John 7:37-39. The wild rites of music, dancing, and wine used by the mystery religions wil... [ Continue Reading ]
SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER. "Instead of singing lewd songs as the heathens do in the worship of their _gods,_ you, in your praise to God and your times of jubilation, must speak in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." PSALM. The Septuagint gave this meaning of: _singing praise to God._ HYMN. A general song... [ Continue Reading ]
ALWAYS GIVE THANKS. _Thanksgiving_ is a form of praise and is to always be the attitude of the Christian, no matter what the external circumstances might be!!! IN THE NAME. Compare Colossians 3:17 and note.... [ Continue Reading ]
SUBMIT YOURSELVES. This is the general rule of Christian _community. Reverence for Christ_ is both a motive, and points to the example which Christ himself set for us. Members of the body of Christ have to submit themselves to the life of the body as a whole, and to the direction of the _head,_ who... [ Continue Reading ]
WIVES. This submitting does not imply any inferiority, but rather a mutual sharing. This attitude on the part of the wife grows out of her reverence for Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAS AUTHORITY. Note Paul says the Christ-church relationship sets the standard for the husband-wife relationship. Wives must submit to the authority of the husbands; husbands must love the wives. THE SAVIOR. In this Paul stresses the difference to strengthen the truth of what he is teaching. See nex... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SAME WAY. The _Expositor's Greek Testament_ says: "Christ indeed is Savior of the body, and that the husband is not; nevertheless the question of _obedience_ is not affected thereby; for all that, as the Church is subject to Christ, so too are wives to be subject to their husbands." _Johnson_... [ Continue Reading ]
LOVE YOUR WIVES. This modifies the relationship. The word here for love is AGAPE. If the wife's duty is submission, the husband's is love - a love like Christ's! This gives Paul an opportunity to point to the great love which Christ had, and in particular, the _loving act_ of the Cross!!! Compare Ep... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DID THIS. This points to the goal of Christ's self-sacrificing love. TO DEDICATE THE CHURCH. The idea is _to make holy, to set apart for holy use._ BY HIS WORD. The promise attached to baptism (1 Peter 3:21) is like a _marriage vow._ The _washing in water_ would have no meaning without the author... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ORDER TO PRESENT. "Christ makes the church clean, so that at the Day of Judgment he may present her to himself as a bride who is pure and holy! Compare Revelation 19:7-9 and notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN OUGHT TO LOVE THEIR WIVES. Paul intends to stress the close relationship between Christ and his church. In marriage, the husband and wife become one (Matthew 19:5). This love is more than a duty, it is a _natural_ thing!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
NO ONE EVER HATES. "No one in his right mind would hate his own body! Instead he feeds it generously and takes very good care of it, and this is just how Christ treats his church!!! And of course this is how a husband should take care of his wife.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE ARE MEMBERS. Adam used this language about Eve: "She is bone out of my bones and flesh out of my flesh" (Genesis 2:23_ Zamenhof)._ We are _in fact_ parts of _that body_ of which Christ is _the head_!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. Genesis 2:24. This quotation points to a separation from others, and to a permanent union! It also implies that Christ left his home with the Father for the sake of his _spiritual Bride!_... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREAT TRUTH REVEALED. To Paul, a mystery is something once hidden but now revealed. The TEV gives the correct meaning. _The Expositor's Greek Testament_ says: "The truth of which I have spoken, the relation of husband and wife as one flesh, is a revelation of profound importance; but let me explai... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IT ALSO. "This has very practical meaning for you also." EVERY HUSBAND. "Every husband must love his wife as he loves his own body!" EVERY WIFE. "Every wife must respect her husband because of her reverence for Christ!" [There may be special meaning in the fact that Paul tells the husband to _lo... [ Continue Reading ]