The Old and the New Life
Up to this point in the epistle there have been only occasional references to the ethical life of the Christian (2:10; 4:1–3, 15). In 4:1 it appeared that the apostle was preparing a lengthy description of the new life in Christ, but this led, instead, into a further exposition of the unifying elements of the church (4:4–16).
At 4:17, however there is a clear break from the theological aspects of unity to an emphasis upon the ethics of unity and how that unity can be maintained within the church. This large section begins by admonishing the readers not to walk—that is, to live—ethically like the heathen and continues with a description of the new standards that are to govern their life. In contrast to Colossians, there does not appear to be any moral crisis that necessitated these exhortations; rather, they form an integral part of the author’s overall theme of unity.
The large ethical section of 4:17–5:21 may be broken up into several smaller parts: First, 4:17–24 forms a general appeal for the readers to abandon their former way of life, on the principle that their new life in Christ has meant a radical change in their behavior. Second, 4:25–5:2 includes a selected list of vices and virtues essential for maintaining unity within the body. Third, the ethical life of the old and new life is contrasted by the imagery of light and darkness (5:3–14). Fourth, there is another appeal to the Christian’s “walk” in 5:15–21, including some exhortations within the context of Christian worship.
4:17 That the apostle feels his ethical exhortations are urgent, significant, and authoritative is implied by his reference to the Lord (lit., “this, therefore, I say and bear witness in the Lord”). His basic concern is that they break away from their former pagan (as the Gentiles) way of life. The description resembles closely the one in Romans 1:18–24.
The Gentile way of life includes futility of … thinking; the Greek word behind this (mataiotēs) expresses uselessness and even vanity. Their life apart from God has no meaning or value.
4:18 The Gentiles also have darkened minds; deprived of the true source of light and the illumination that God gives to his children (1:18), they live in a state of intellectual darkness.
They live in alienation because of ignorance (agnoia) and hardening of their hearts (dia tēn pōrōsin tēs kardias autōn); they are separated from all life with God. The author does not explain how this came about. Paul indicates in Romans that God made himself known through natural revelation but that humanity rejected this revelation and turned to self- and idol worship instead (cf. Rom. 1:18–23). “Stubbornness” (GNB) is an apt translation of pōrōsis and is preferable to “blindness” (see note on 4:18).
4:19 All this has had two further degrading effects upon their lives. Callousness (having lost all sensitivity); and vice, (sensuality or “licentiousness,” RSV), is another way of describing all sorts of sexual license and perversion (aselgeia, “licentiousness,” “debauchery,” “indecent conduct”). And this indecent conduct was practiced with a continual lust for more (“without restraint,” GNB). Pleonexia describes greedy individuals continually seeking to gratify their desires. In this context, the author’s thought is that the pagan way of life is characterized by an increasing desire to participate in more and more forms of sexual immorality.
One can see the futility of paganism. By rejecting God’s revelation the non-Christian becomes hardened in heart and conscience. This sad state of affairs leads to participation in immoral behavior. Ultimately, it becomes a vicious circle because new perversions must be sought to replace the old (Mitton, pp. 161–62).
4:20 In contrast to their former pagan way of life, the apostle reminds them, they learned something quite different when they became Christians—you … did not come to know Christ that way. The Christian walk is the exact opposite of the way of life that he has just described. The references to learning, hearing, and being taught undoubtedly refer to the time when these Gentiles became Christians through the proclamation of the gospel about Jesus. This would include subsequent instruction in the Christian faith. The phraseology suggests the existence of a “school” or at least catechetical instruction being passed on to new converts.
4:21 Although the NIV mentions that the believers “came to know Christ,” the Greek has no infinitive and literally states that they learned Christ (emathete ton Christon)! The implication appears to be that the voice of Christ is actually heard through the apostles who proclaimed the gospel (Mitton, p. 163; Stott, p. 179). In addition to proclamation (kerygma) there is teaching (didachē), of which Christ is the object (you … were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus).
There does not appear to be any reason why the author switches from “Christ” (4:20) to Jesus (4:21). A number of commentators feel that this may be a deliberate reference to the historic personality of the Lord, because some false teachings at that time distinguished between Christ and Jesus. This, however, is speculative, and it could be that the apostle simply wishes to remind his readers that truth is embodied in Jesus—who, of course, is the Christ.
4:22–24 In 4:22–24 the author refers to the kind of instruction that new believers would have received at the time of their baptism (cf. Col. 3:8–12). The Greek text has no new sentence at the beginning of 4:22, so the exhortation to put off your old self and put on the new self must be seen in the context of baptismal instruction. This passage shows the close relationship between baptism and ethics. Christian morality cannot be considered apart from Christian revelation. The point is quite clear that what was begun at baptism must be continued in the experience of the Christian. Baptism is the beginning of a new ethical way of life.
Three important verbs govern 4:22–24. Put off and put on are both aorist infinitives and as such express a single act based on a past experience. The readers have put off (apothesthai) the old self and put on the new self at the time of their baptism. This is the indicative of their Christian life and forms the basis for the imperative to live out that life ethically. Thus the apostle reminds his readers: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. The new self, on the other hand, which the believers put on in baptism, is created to be like God.
In Colossians 3:10, Paul talks about this new life as being renewed in God’s image. Undoubtedly, both Ephesians and Colossians allude to the restoration of the image of God in humanity that had been lost after the Fall (Gen. 1:27) but restored through incorporation into Christ. This new creation is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
But coming between the reminder that the readers have put off the old self and put on the new is the exhortation for continual renewal of their hearts and minds (lit., “in the spirit of your mind”). Ananeousthai is a present infinitive, thus indicating that creation in God’s likeness is a continuing process even though it is an established fact. Here is another reminder to believers that they must become what they are!
Additional Notes
4:17 A helpful table of comparisons between Romans and Ephesians is provided by Mitton, p. 159, and by Stott, God’s New Society, pp. 177–78.
4:18 Robinson supports the translation “blindness.” See his lengthy discussion on the word pōrōsis in his commentary, pp. 264–74.
4:20 Barth, Eph. 4–6, has many helpful comments in his discussion “The School of the Messiah,” pp. 529–33.
Specific Ethical Directions
The moral exhortations in this section are especially appropriate for maintaining unity within the body of Christ. The vices mentioned are destructive to Christian fellowship; the virtues promote the corporate unity of believers. But though the apostle may consciously have selected these qualities to strengthen his central thesis, it should be noted that his teaching has a wider application and is appropriate for people outside the church as well.
Basically, this section includes the vices and virtues that belong to the old and the new life. Consequently, whenever the author lists a vice that is to be “put off,” he substitutes a virtue that promotes human relationships: Lying is replaced by truth (4:25); anger is removed by reconciliation (4:26); a person who once robbed goes to work (4:27); harmful words give way to helpful ones (4:29); bitterness, passion, anger, and insults give way to tender-heartedness, forgiveness, and love (4:31–5:2).
4:25 The exhortation that each one must put off falsehood uses the same word (apotithēmi) that was used in 4:22. Lying is to be put away because it does not belong in one’s new life. Colossians 3:9, 10 is even more explicit when it states: “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self.” The Ephesians passage appears to be a quotation from Zechariah 8:16 (“speak the truth to each other”). The GNB translates plēsion (neighbor) as “fellow believer,” thus accentuating that we are all members of one body. Although lying is wrong under any circumstances, the apostle shows that it is detrimental to the Christian community. “Without openness and truth, there can only be disunity, disorder and trouble” (Foulkes, p. 132).
4:26–27 The second exhortation is directed toward controlling anger. The Greek imperative, “be angry” (orgizesthe), is probably a “concessive” or “permissive imperative” and may be translated appropriately “if you become angry” (GNB, cf. Ps. 4:4). The important point is that anger is restricted by a series of negative admonitions:
In your anger do not sin. Believers must learn to keep their anger in check. If one is legitimately angry (righteous indignation?), caution must be taken that it does not become the cause for such sins as pride, hatred, or self-righteousness.
All anger is to be dealt with before the day is out. The translation do not let the sun go down while you are still angry suggests that there is no justification for carrying anger over into the next day; that surely would lead to sin.
No opportunity should be given to the devil. The apostle understands that anger that is unjustified, that promotes other sinful actions, and that is permitted to remain in one’s life ultimately gives God’s adversary access to the believer’s heart, thus destroying the harmony of the church.
4:28 The third exhortation seeks to terminate stealing (kleptō). Those who became Christians and continued their former practice of stealing are told to end this practice and work. Stealing is an attempt to get something for nothing. Thieves seek to enrich themselves at the expense of someone else’s labors. Individuals practicing this sin are to work, doing something useful with their own hands.
Manual labor, however, is more than a cure for theft or a method of personal gain. The apostle raises the motive of work to a higher level and indicates that those who labor honestly will be able to fulfill their corporate duty to share with those in need. The biblical motive for possessions is not personal or selfish gain but the opportunity to assist others (for biblical injunctions on giving, see Matt. 19:21; Luke 14:13; John 13:29; Acts 2:44; 4:32–37; 6:1–4; Rom. 15:25–29; 2 Cor. 8 and 9). The ultimate goal for work is to have something to give away. The readers of Ephesians are to share in that concern for humanity.
4:29 The fourth injunction deals with unwholesome speech—do not let any evil or rotten (sapros) word come out of your mouth. According to Mitton, this would include “words of a complaining, sneering, cynical, sarcastic type, all of which spread demoralisation in a community” (p. 171). In their place, use only what is helpful. Both individuals and the body of believers need words that build up, that will edify and benefit those who listen. The Greek word translated benefit is charis, meaning grace. Thus, proper speech communicates something about God’s grace. Although silence may be considered a virtue at times, the believer is encouraged to make a positive contribution to the life of the body by graceful speech. “Evil speech grieves the Holy Spirit, who works through good words” (Westcott, p. 80).
4:30 It appears that the author refers to the Holy Spirit because of his connection with a person’s speech. “The Spirit,” states J. A. Robinson, “claims to find expression in the utterances of Christians … (cf. 5:18). The misuse of the organ of speech is accordingly a wrong done to, and felt by, the Spirit who claims to control it” (p. 113). Improper speech grieves (lypeō) the Holy Spirit of God. “The sins against the brotherhood are also an offense against the divine Spirit which inhabits the body of believers” (Beare, p. 701).
Once again, the readers are reminded that they have been sealed with the Holy Spirit—with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (cf. 1:13). Since he is a seal or guarantee of the believers’ destiny (the day of redemption), they are asked to revere him in their speech and thus be worthy of their inheritance.
4:31 The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is sufficient reason to clean up one’s speech by abolishing the following vices: Bitterness (pikria) comes from harboring resentful feelings; rage (thymos) is a bitter outburst of anger; anger (orgē) may be understood as resentment that lingers in one’s life; brawling, or clamor (kraugē), is boisterous face-to-face confrontation; whereas slander (blasphēmia) can be abusive and slanderous words spoken about someone.
Lastly, there is every form of malice. This term may be considered a separate category or, as some commentators suggest, it may be a category that embodies all the previous vices (Mitton, p. 173; thus the NIV every form of malice and the NEB “bad feeling of every kind”). Any one or all of these vices grieve the Holy Spirit when they manifest themselves in the life of the believer.
4:32 This verse provides a striking contrast to the previous one by emphasizing the virtues that should characterize believers in their interpersonal relationships. Instead of those negative and destructive qualities, believers are admonished to be kind and compassionate to one another. Both of these virtues promote a spirit of acceptance, tolerance, and patience within the congregation.
Beyond that, the readers are to be continually forgiving each other. The word for forgiveness (charizomai) is also the word from which grace (charis) is derived. Within this context, believers are to respond to each other with the same grace, forgiveness, and generosity that they have experienced from God: hence forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Christians have been forgiven by Christ (echarisato, past/aorist tense), but they are to go on forgiving (charizomenoi, present tense) one another on the strength of the example that Christ has provided.
5:1 The thought of God’s gracious activity in Christ leads the apostle to summon his readers (dearly loved children) to be (imperative, ginesthe) imitators of God. This is the only place in the NT where believers are called upon to imitate God. Elsewhere, Paul asks his converts to imitate him because they are his children (1 Cor. 4:14–16; 11:1; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9) and because he, himself, is an imitator of Christ. Here, the imitation of God is introduced within the context of forgiveness, and the apostle wants to use God’s example in Christ as a pattern for personal relationships. It is doubtful that he would make a distinction between imitating Jesus and imitating God since one can only know God through Jesus.
5:2 Since forgiveness and love are bound together, believers are admonished to live a life of love. That love finds its example in Christ who gave himself up for us. By implication, the Christian’s love is to be expressed as a self-giving sacrifice (cf. 5:25). Love is the essence of God and is to be the main feature of the believer’s walk (peripateō). By mentioning Christ’s death, the apostle recalls words that were applicable to Jewish sacrifices—namely, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The sacrifice of Jesus and the sacrificial life of love that believers live are pleasing to God.
Living in the Light
In the previous section (4:25–5:2), the apostle concentrated on those vices disruptive to the unity of the Christian community. From there, he moved to the sins of immorality. In a sense, sexual sins also destroy the trust, unity, and respect that Christians have for each other and should, therefore, be banished. But in this case, the main point is that sexual sins are an offense to God, and they incur God’s wrath because they are considered idolatrous. The new walk is explained further by the imagery of darkness and light. As the readers have been admonished to walk in “love” (5:1, 2), they are to walk in “the light” that they have received.
Given the general application of this epistle, it seems unlikely that these exhortations address anything specific that the readers faced. They resemble the denunciations elsewhere in the NT (Romans, 1 Corinthians, Gal. 5:19–21; Col. 3:5–8). But at the same time, a form of Gnostic teaching had possibly gained access to the Christian community. In some cases, for example, the heresy at Colossae (2:8–23), the teaching emphasized a rigid asceticism; but a variation of it tended toward libertinism, taking the attitude that those who had received spiritual knowledge (gnōsis) were free to participate in sexual indulgences. Those who separated body and spirit argued that it did not matter what one did with the body; they thus sinned with impunity. Perhaps these exhortations are addressing a situation in which such teachings were taking hold.
5:3 The writer is emphatic in stating that, since his readers are God’s holy people, the question is not only one of nonparticipation; rather, there must not be even a hint of these sins among them. When believers approach sin with an attitude of indifference (as in Gnostic libertinism), then it is not uncommon to discuss and to make light of one’s personal sins or the sins of others. This is to be avoided in their fellowship.
Sexual immorality (porneia) covers a wide variety of unlawful sexual activity, such as prostitution, adultery, fornication, and promiscuity. Impurity (akatharsia) is tied to immorality and probably means sexual perversions of various kinds. Greed, or covetousness (pleonexia), in the context of immoral behavior would be the desire to engage in sexual activity solely for selfish reasons. Christians are to remove such evil from their lives as well as from their conversation. Such perversions are a contradiction to one who is called to imitate God and to walk in Christ’s love (5:1, 2).
5:4 The list of prohibitions goes on (in the Greek there is no new sentence) to include obscenity and foolish talk or coarse joking. Obscene words are ugly, base, shameful (aischrotēs); foolish words (mōrologia) are those uttered by a fool (mōros), words void of any decency or honor; eutrapelia (coarse joking) has a positive side meaning “wit” or “pleasantry.” Here, however, it is used negatively in the sense of crude jesting, dirty insinuations, and so forth. All of these have no place in the life of a believer.
In place of foolish and shameful talk should be thanksgiving. Thankfulness, rather than indecency, should dominate one’s speech. Though thanksgiving should be expressed to God for all things, the context may imply that thanksgiving be expressed to God for sexual activity and speech when it is proper to do so (cf. Mitton, p. 179).
5:5 The emphatic of this you can be sure and the “let no one deceive you with empty words” (5:6) suggest that there was a serious moral threat at the time. Immorality, impurity, and greed exclude people from the inheritance that God has prepared for them. Greed, or covetousness (pleonexia), is equated with idolatry because sexual passions can become objects that dominate one’s life and destroy one’s relationship to God. A similar statement occurs in Colossians 3:5 in the context of “putting off” immoral practices.
Even though much is said about the “kingdom of God” in the NT, Galatians 5:21 is the only passage that specifically mentions this concept within the context of immoral behavior: Those who indulge in the “acts of the sinful nature” will not receive “the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19–21). But the phrase kingdom of Christ and of God is unique in the NT (unless “Lord” in Rev. 11:15 means God). The author of Ephesians makes no distinction between the two, because he understands the rule of Christ and God to be synonymous (cf. 1 Cor. 15:24–28). The main point, however, is that God’s rule (kingdom) is denied to people who practice immoral behavior.
5:6–7 There is no way of knowing specifically who was attempting to deceive these believers with empty words. Since Ephesians does not appear to have a local situation in mind, the no one could mean “everyone” who speaks empty or foolish words. Mitton refers to this as “arguments that sound plausible and attractive but which run counter to true reasoning and intuitive insights” (p. 181). This could be an amplification of the reference to the “men in their deceitful scheming” who teach by error and trickery (4:14).
The false teachers would want the Christians to believe that there is nothing wrong about participating in illicit sexual behavior and dirty talk. Such teaching, however, is deceptive; it leads people to believe something that is not true. The hard fact is that God’s wrath comes upon those who are disobedient; eventually, wrongdoers will be punished for their sins.
Believers are admonished, do not be partners with them. The Greek term “partner” (symmetochos) indicates that they must not join in with these people and participate in their evil practices. This verse does not mean that believers should avoid all contact with immoral people; otherwise the exhortations that follow about light penetrating the darkness would have no purpose (cf. Col. 4:5, 6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders”). Rather, they warn against participating in the vices of others.
5:8 The apostle talks about the Christian life in 5:8–14 with the familiar imagery of darkness and light. Since they are light in the Lord, they are no longer darkness; nor do they participate in the unfruitful works of darkness. The life lived as children of light is characterized by goodness, righteousness, truth, and whatever is pleasing to the Lord. The section ends with the quotation of a saying that calls upon the spiritually dead to arise from their slumber and experience the light of the Lord (5:14).
The language, imagery, and theology of this section (5:8–14) strongly suggest that the author has baptism in mind. First of all, there is convincing evidence that the early church possessed a catechetical form that employed the motifs of darkness and light. These motifs play a crucial part in the passage, and it is quite likely that the author is borrowing thoughts from existing tradition.
Second, the contrast between the “then” and the “now,” as has been noted on other occasions, relates to the concept of baptism as a change of status for the individual. Those who had been strangers, alienated from God (2:12–22), and subject to the powers of the world (2:1, 2) had also lived in darkness (5:8, 11). Now, however, in addition to having been brought near to God (2:13ff.), they are victorious and experience salvation in Christ (2:5–9). They are in the light and are admonished to live as children of light (5:8). This imagery reaches a climax in 5:14 with the affirmation that Christ is the instrument of light.
Earlier, the author contrasted the status of these believers in terms of being “dead” and “alive” (2:1–5) and “far away” and “near” (2:11–13). Here, as a continuation of darkened minds (4:18) and renewed hearts (4:23), darkness and light describe their moral condition. Darkness symbolizes their life of sin and participation in the evils just denounced; light is life in obedience to God.
You were once darkness (ēte gar pote skotos) means that they were identified as darkness, not just surrounded by it in their environment. Moule states it succinctly when he writes: “So had the night of spiritual ignorance and sin penetrated them that they were, as it were, night itself, night embodied” (Moule, p. 131). The same language applies to their new status as believers: Now you are light (nyn de phōs) in the Lord. Since they have become light (the indicative) the ethical charge that follows (the imperative) exhorts them to be what they are, that is, live as children of light. This change from darkness to light was, of course, due to their new relationship in the Lord through faith and baptism.
5:9 Just as a seed, plant, or tree fulfills its true nature by producing fruit, a believer, who is light in the Lord, will produce the virtues of goodness, righteousness and truth—quite the opposite of the fruit of darkness in 5:3, 5. By insisting on the moral implications of light, the author would be opposing any false theories, such as those in the Gnostic system, that made enlightenment a mystical experience and viewed the ethical life with indifference and even disdain. To be light is to walk in the light (John 3:19, 20; 1 John 1:5–7; 2:8–11).
The fruit of light is similar to the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22, although goodness is the only concept that occurs there. The items on this list are probably selected for their relevance to the theme of unity within the body of Christ. The virtues of goodness, righteousness, and truth are essential to healthy personal and social relationships.
5:10 Although part of the process of becoming a Christian is the acceptance of the truth as it is found in the gospel, the other part is learning by careful thought and experience what it means to be a Christian. Earlier, when the author was running through a list of pagan vices, he reminded the believers that they “did not come to know Christ that way” (4:20). Through instruction and guidance, probably in the form of a baptismal catechism, new converts were taught what to believe and how to act. Here they are exhorted to find out what pleases the Lord.
The word dokimazō means “putting to the test,” “proving,” “examining.” The Christian life is not just a simple acceptance of doctrines and rules; believers exercise intelligent judgment as they relate their theology to specific moral situations. The things that please (euarestos) the Lord include the rich harvest of every kind of fruit mentioned in verse 9: all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Both dokimazō and euarestos occur in Romans 12:2, where Paul writes that because of the inner transformation of their minds, believers “will be able to test and approve [dokimazō] what God’s will is—his good, pleasing [euarestos] and perfect will.” Beare notes that euarestos (“well-pleasing,” “acceptable”) nearly always concerns a sacrificial offering (Rom. 12:1; Phil. 4:18): “So here it suggests the thought that the life of the Christian is ever laid upon the altar. All of our actions are to be an offering to God … and we must therefore take care that they are acceptable to him” (p. 709).
5:11 In contrast to the fruitful works of light (5:9), the works of darkness are unfruitful, or fruitless. Believers are admonished not to have anything to do with people who belong to the darkness. Again, as in 5:7, the apostle uses a syn noun (synkoinōnos), by which he means do not become a participant, a partner, in the unfruitful works of darkness. Rather, believers are to correct, convict, or reprove (elenchō) evil by exposing it to the light. The Christian life is not only the avoidance of evil; it is active participation in the things that expose evil.
5:12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret is a strong admonition against discussing the works of darkness in secrecy. This could be a veiled reference to the secret rites of the mystery religions or just a more general reminder that much of the evil that goes on is done in secret, under the cloak of darkness. Since the evil deeds are so shameful, it is wrong even to talk about them (cf. similar thoughts in John 3:19–21).
5:13 Here the author returns to his thoughts in 5:10 by affirming that everything exposed by the light becomes visible. The repetition of elenchō (5:11) reaffirms the positive nature of light in exposing and reproving the works of darkness. In that process, people will come to see the true nature of evil and, it is hoped, turn to the light. As stated by Beare, “The power of light not only reveals, but penetrates and transforms into its own likeness whatever it illumines” (p. 711).
5:14 The continuing emphasis in the first part of this verse is that darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. It appears that the most reasonable way to understand the imagery of darkness and light and the quotation that follows is in the context of baptism. Darkness, sleep, and death are striking figures symbolizing the condition of an individual apart from Christ. Baptism could be seen as the act by which a person awakens from sleep, rises from the dead, and responds to the light of Christ. Thus: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
There has been considerable speculation about the origin of this saying. Some scholars see it as a rather free synopsis from ideas in such OT passages as Isaiah 26:19 and 60:1, 2; others speculate that it may come from an apocryphal text or from some Hellenistic literature with a Gnostic or mystery religion’s background; and others have found parallels and allusions to it in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The introductory phrase, dio legei (cf. 4:18, where an OT citation is introduced), suggests that a written source is being quoted. But the failure to find such a literary formula opens the possibility that this was a well-known expression in the Christian community. The NIV this is why it is said leaves room for such a possibility.
Although the reconstruction of the setting of this quotation remains highly speculative, it may have been used by the church at a baptismal service as part of a hymn that was recited or sung. The early church created and used many songs in worship services (Eph. 5:19, 20; Phil. 2:6–11; Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 3:16), and there is no reason to doubt that hymns could have been used on the occasion of baptism as a “call” to the candidate. It may have been sung when the candidate came out of the water after immersion. In the unbelieving state he or she has been regarded as asleep and dead; consequently, the believer is summoned to rise to a new life.
Another possibility is that the saying, together with the preceding discussion on darkness and light (5:8–13) and the following exhortations on Christian living (5:15ff.), belongs to the context of instruction (catechesis) just prior to baptism. Those being baptized would be reminded of their former life of darkness and then invited to wake up from their sleep and rise from the dead.
Although some of this is speculative, it does appear that the author is consciously alluding to baptism and that his readers would catch this allusion. His purpose, however, is neither to create nor to provide a baptismal liturgy for baptism, even though the material he utilizes is so oriented.
The exhortations of 5:8–14 fall within the context of a larger section (4:17–5:20) and illustrate the apostle’s use of traditional catechetical material. His quotation from an existing baptismal hymn emphasizes that Christ is the source of all spiritual light. Now that Christians are light in the Lord, they are to walk (peripateō) as children of light. This, he goes on to say, includes wisdom (5:15), an understanding of God’s will (5:17), fullness of the Spirit (5:18), as well as joyfulness and thanksgiving (5:19, 20).
5:15 Within the context of Christian teaching, theology and ethics belong together: Behavior must be based upon correct doctrine; knowledge should not be regarded as a substitute for proper behavior. Basically, it is another way of reminding believers to be what they are. Consequently, they are to walk carefully and to live as wise rather than unwise people. Wisdom, here, has a practical dimension, that is, the ability to discern between right and wrong. For Mitton, “This means that the recognition that we live in a world where evil actions are followed by evil consequences is the first step toward wise conduct” (p. 187).
5:16 The next exhortation advises the readers to make the most of every opportunity. Literally, the term agorazō comes from the language of the marketplace and means “to buy up” or “redeem.” Kairos (“time”) is the God-given opportunity that the believer has to walk in wisdom and to demonstrate the qualities of life that project light into darkness. Time is a precious commodity entrusted to believers for the purpose of doing good in a world in which the days are evil. Far too often Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.
5:17 In this brief exposition on Christian wisdom (5:15–17), the apostle has reminded his readers that wisdom has a practical dimension and that they are wise when they make good use of every opportunity. His final exhortation is that they not be foolish but discern God’s will with respect to the course of their moral action.
5:18 Ephesians 5:18–21 is an exhortation directed toward the worshiping community and stands in sharp contrast to the attitudes and actions of those who live in darkness (5:8–12). Instead of prohibiting certain conduct and conversation, the believers are encouraged to express their spiritual joy with song and thanksgiving. In 5:15–17, they are reminded to be wise and learn God’s will; in 5:18–21 they are shown how that is accomplished.
These verses are adapted from Colossians 3:16, but here the main emphasis is upon the Spirit rather than on Christ’s message (the word of Christ). The admonition—do not get drunk on wine—leads one to suspect that the author was thinking about religious cults, such as the worship of Dionysus, in which intoxication manifested itself in wild frenzies and ecstatic behavior that were interpreted in religious terms. Christians have a better way of experiencing spiritual elation—it is by being filled with the Spirit.
It should be noted that this is not a prohibition against the use of wine but against the excessive use of any alcoholic beverage leading to drunkenness (1 Tim. 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7; 2:3; asōtia, “debauchery,” “profligacy,” “waste”). The contrast is not between wine and the Spirit but between the two states that they produce: Intoxication with wine has a degrading effect; intoxication with the Spirit (cf. Acts 2:13) can have an uplifting effect upon the Christian community.
5:19 This uplifting effect manifests itself in several ways. One is in worship: This verse suggests that early Christian worship had a spontaneity about it and had not become fixed by liturgical order. Psalms (psalmos), hymns (hymnos) and spiritual songs (ōdais pneumatikais) are listed as ways believers can praise the Lord. Though it is impossible to make any real distinctions between these categories (cf. disc. on Col. 3:16), some authors think that psalms are OT musical pieces accompanied by the plucking of strings, as on a harp; hymns are songs of praise to God; and spiritual songs are more spontaneous pieces of inspired music or words of exhortation. The important thing is that such worship is a corporate, not an individual, experience. Believers are to speak to one another as they praise the Lord.
5:20 A second manifestation is in giving thanks: Though thanksgiving undoubtedly is a component of worship, it is another sign of being filled with the Spirit. Spirit-filled Christians live in a continual attitude of gratitude for everything. This, as Stott wisely notes, should not be pressed too literally: “For we cannot thank God for absolutely ‘everything’ including blatant evil.… the ‘everything’ for which we are to give thanks to God must be qualified by its context, namely in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (p. 207).
5:21 The final manifestation noted is in submission: Scholars, and consequently Bible translators, are divided on how this verse fits into the context. Grammatically, it belongs to the section on worship (5:18–21) and should be seen as another manifestation of the Spirit-filled believer. As singing and thanksgiving are to be expressed corporately, members also must willingly submit to one another. Fullness of the Spirit leads to mutual subordination and unity, not to individual pride and disunity (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26–33; Phil. 2:1–5). At the same time, 5:21 is a transitional verse from which the author proceeds to illustrate how that submission is to be observed in specific domestic relationships (5:22–6:9).
If 5:21 is taken as an independent sentence then it serves as a heading for the specific relationships that follow. Some translations, namely, GNB and RSV, use it this way. The NIV, however, lets it stand with the previous section. In either case, the position of the verse is not as important as its teaching—a teaching in which believers are exhorted to submit themselves to one another out of reverence for Christ. “We are not asked to yield to the wishes of others, no matter what they wish, but only when what they ask of us is in line with reverence for Christ” (Mitton, p. 196).
Additional Notes
5:4 P. W. van der Horst goes through a lengthy examination of the word eutrapelia and concludes that “the warning in Eph. 5:4 need not be read as a denouncement of humor and wittiness in the church” (“Is Wittiness Unchristian? A Note on eutrapelia in Eph. v. 4,” in Miscellanea Neotestamentica, Supplements to NovT, vol. 48, ed. T. Baarda, A. F. J. Klijn, and W. C. van Unnik [Leiden: Brill, 1978], 163–77).
5:8 Cf. disc. on Colossians 1:11–12, pp. 23–25. Extensive studies on the catechetical teaching in the early church can be found in P. Carrington, The Primitive Christian Catechism, and Selwyn, I Peter. Especially helpful is Selwyn’s Table II, pp. 376–78, which he calls “Further Catechetical Material: The Children of Light (Filii Lucis).” Much of the language in Ephesians reminds one of the symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, where following Christ as the light of the world means to have the light of life and not to walk in darkness (8:12; cf. also, 3:19ff.; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46).
5:14 On the history of interpretation of this passage, see Barth, Eph. 4–6, pp. 573–77; R. Orlett, “Awake, Sleeper,” Worship 35 (1961), pp. 102–5. Houlden, p. 185, lists parallels between this passage and Acts 12:7. Most scholars support some kind of association of this saying with a baptismal hymn, believing that it could have been used as an “awakening call” for the unbeliever to step out of his or her darkness into the light of Christ.
5:18 C. E. Rogers believes that the wild, drunken practices connected with the worship of Dionysus form the general background for this command. See his “The Dionysian Background of Ephesians 5:18,” BibSac 136 (1979), pp. 249–57; also, Beare, p. 714; Mitton, pp. 188–89.
In addition to the commentaries on the hymnody of the early church, cf. H. Schlier, “ōdē,” TDNT, vol. 1, pp. 164–65; G. Delling, “hymnos … psalmos,” TDNT, vol. 8, pp. 498–501.
