1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and practice loving on others, even as Christ also loves you, and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
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Be imitators of God…what does Paul mean? He tells us that in the next verse – imitate God by loving on people, He gives rain upon the just and the unjust, He loves on all people because He loves all people – His creations. Paul is talking about sacrificial love – when you don’t really want to stop and help someone in need…just like Jesus really didn’t want to go and be beat half to death and then nailed to a cross for you, but He did…because He loved you while you were still a vile sinner.
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3 But any sexual sin, or any lewdness, or greed of any kind; these things are not to even be spoken about among you, at all, because you are saints of God.
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In other words, don’t partake of any kind of sexual sin, which is the worst kind of sin a person can partake of, nor any kind of lewdness. Greed is a huge problem in the world today, and not just when addressing money. A person can be greedy in all kinds of different things, because the basic tenet of greed is selfishness and self-centeredness…its all about me, I could care less about you! That is the basis of greed. We will get back to sexual sin further down the page, so we will just wait until we get there for more commenting…
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4 Do not engage in ugly, shameful conduct that is contrary to a person who is walking with God, nor such talk that reveals the foolishness in your heart, nor facetious jesting, which are not appropriate: but rather the giving of thanks.
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“Ugly, shameful conduct that is contrary to a person who is walking with God” comes from the word aischrotes, meaning impropriety – ugly, shameful conduct that shames both God and the person who committed the act when that act is brought out into the light and exposed. And, trust me and the rest of historical humanity – if you continue to engage in ugliness, sooner or later God will provide for your exposure to the public in some way, shape, or form, to encourage you to start walking in obedience to Him, for your own sake.
“The foolishness in your heart” from the word morologia, meaning to speak foolishly, the type of speech which betrays a person as foolish of mind. In other words, if you do not have anything nice or intelligent to say, then it is better to keep your mouth shut. As the old saying goes, it is better to not speak and make people think you are foolish, than to open your mouth and erase any doubt that you are…
“Facetious jesting” from the word eutrapelia, meaning the turning of one’s speech for the purpose of causing excited mirth or laughter from others; because this kind of behavior eventually leads to sin in one way or another. Some tell lies to be funny, some use foul language to be funny (Pro. 10:19 “sin is always present when a man keeps talking on and on…”). If you think that you have to say “f**k” all the time in order to be funny, then you only demonstrate how shallow and infantile you are in your empty walk with God; empty because it is on the verge of floundering. Spiritual maturity is all about understanding what God demands and asks of us, and then doing our best to do and be what He wants us to do and be. Cussing is a mark not only of immaturity of spirit, it also demonstrates a lack of genuine love for God. Religious people who call themselves Christians will cuss and swear, use foul language…but a person who is truly walking with God will put away such unholy language.
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5 Because you should know this for sure, that no fornicator, nor unclean person due to unnatural pollution; nor a greedy man, which is a worshiper of material things, such people do not have any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Do not let anyone mislead you with deceitful and empty words: it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
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“Unclean person due to unnatural pollution” from the word akathartos, meaning unclean, legally or ceremonially, unfit to be admitted into the church because of one’s behavior, unnatural pollution (in this verse, meaning that one engages in unnatural things primarily of a sexual nature, such as masturbating with objects, for example).
“Deceitful and empty words” from the word apatao, meaning to deceive, bring or seduce into error, either through the vain, empty of truth or idle words of others, or by vain, external and empty religion (in this case, what is put out as Christianity but is completely void of relationship with God). Paul’s main point in this passage, is that even though the Ephesian church is saved, if they engage in such sinful behavior, they will disqualify themselves and cut themselves off from Christ, fall out of covenant relationship with God, and forfeit all that comes with that covenant relationship. That includes eternal life. This passage is one of those which demonstrates that the doctrine of unconditional eternal security is false.
Someone will say that the doctrine of eternal security is well documented in Scripture, and that this passage cannot teach that because then Scripture would be contradicting Scripture. To the point. When we take all of the 45 passages of Scripture that Calvinists use in their efforts to demonstrate that eternal security is a valid doctrine found in the Bible, and run them through a complete Biblical hermeneutic (the principles of Biblical interpretation), we find not a single passage out of those 45 that actually says what Calvinists take them out of context to make them say what they claim they say. That is a study all of its own, one that I am currently working on, and cannot go into more detail than that here.
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7 Therefore, do not make yourselves an accomplice to such people;
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“Accomplice” from the word summetochos, meaning to join one’s self to another who is committing a sin, a joint participant, a partaker in the sin of another, even if they are not physically there actually doing the sinful act. This is one of the verses used by people in conversations against voting for political parties/candidates who support funding abortion (the murderous slaughter of the innocent unborn) and homosexual agendas, among others, – because according to the Holy Spirit through Paul here, voting for such a person, or giving money to their campaign, means that you are an accomplice to all of the wicked sinful things that such a person/party stands for. You are just as guilty of the sin as if you were right there in the abortion clinic helping the physician kill the infants that he does.
Some people choose not to accept that interpretation, but that is what Paul is saying. When he says not to participate in an orgy, for example, but you take part in it by allowing one to be done at your home, or by driving your son to one knowing what they are going to be doing there, or by casting your vote in an election to stand with the political party that wants to make orgies legal…then you ARE participating in that sin. Directly or indirectly, you are participating in that sin. So, if you vote for someone whose platform includes fighting for abortion (a sin), or for giving homosexuals certain rights that no one else has (anything having to do with homosexuality is a sin), or to stop capitol punishment, which is a sin (because God tells us to kill murderers, child molesters, etc.), then you are participating in those sins just as if you were physically there taking part in them.
A person who calls himself a Christian, yet supports in any way, shape, or form, any sin, participates in the promotion of that sin. The consequences of that sin is upon their hands, and Paul just finished saying in verse 6 not to allow yourself to be deceived, because a “son of disobedience” is a person who is walking in rebellion against God, and that means saved or otherwise. If a saved person supports abortion, murder, homosexuality, witchcraft, and other sins in the lists that Paul gives in different places, then he will…sooner or later…be cut off from Christ. You cannot walk with God in the light while participating and promoting sin…
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1 John 1:6* If we claim to be walking with God in fellowship and at the same time walk in darkness, then we are deceived liars and do not practice the truth.
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There are many other passages that tell us the same thing, and there are thousands of people today who are calling themselves Christians who are putting their lot in with a sinful political party who do nothing but fight for the right for people to sin and not be called sinners. There is no escape from the label of sinner in God’s eyes; if we are practicing sin, or supporting the sin of others, then we are involved in sin. God is calling His church to come out from among the fakers, because He does not want us to burn along with them.
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8 because at one time you were children of darkness, but now you are children of light in the Lord: therefore, the command is to walk as children of light
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“The command…” comes from the grammar of the word walk (peripateo), which is the Imperative mood, meaning that this is a command. Yes indeed, God does not play games. This nonsense that grace covers everything is another false doctrine that is taking thousands of so-called Christians straight into the Lake of Fire for judgment day. When God says don’t do something, He means don’t do it. While the command is mostly for our well-being, there is also a spiritual reason for the command, because it will end up killing us spiritually.
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9 (because the fruit of the light is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 when you do these things, you demonstrate to the world by your actions what is right and pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not become a participant in the works of darkness with those who are in darkness, which produces the wickedness of bad fruit; but rather demonstrate that they are wrong; 12 because the things that they hide are shameful to even speak of.
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“Participant in the works of darkness” from the word sugkoinoneo, to be a participant in something with someone, to participate or share in something with others, to join with someone in doing something, to be an accomplice with someone, akin to the word “summetochos” used in verse 7 above. The difference here is that sugkoinoneo is the word koinonio (fellowship, covenant partnership) joined with the prefix “sun,” meaning to come into union with, companionship with someone.
This word indicates the hint of covenant participation, that one person has done something to bring himself into covenant agreement with another to do sinful wickedness. Again, such as the modern-day dilemma of those who call themselves Christians supporting political persons or groups who actively work to fund and keep abortion legal, which is a direct contradiction to Scripture in murdering the innocent. And for those who cry out, “It’s better for them to die before birth than to be born into a world where they are not wanted and end up in a foster home,” oh…really?
It does not matter what kind of lame, carnal excuse you can come up with, no worldly argument that you can concoct in your pee wee mind, that can stand up against the command of the Living God not to murder the innocent. Period! And if you call yourself a Christian and support abortion, then you are a pretender, because no one who is walking hand in hand with God could ever support such an atrocity. I will stop there before I lose it…
“Those who are in darkness” from the word “skotos,” meaning darkness, either physical or spiritual, implying ignorance or error of wickedness. Here it signifies participating with those who are practicing the things of darkness, evil and wicked people. Again, promoting in any way, shape, or form, is participating in that evil wickedness, and you will pay for it either here or there.
“Wickedness of bad fruit” from the word akarpos, meaning unfruitful, bearing no fruit, unprofitable, producing bad fruit. Scripture teaches in various places that both producing no fruit, and producing bad fruit, will send a person into the Lake of Fire for burning. What kind of fruit do you think you are producing when you vote for a group that wants to keep abortion legal and import thousands of illegal aliens “Because they are already born and suffering, the baby isn’t born yet,” over the group that wants to stop the murder of the innocents, but also wants to keep illegals out of the country (because of all the economic damage that wreaks upon a society). I will stop there…
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13 But all things – when they are made known – are made manifest by the light: because the light is what reveals everything as either good or bad. 14 Therefore, He said, “Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you.”
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The Truth of God is that light – God is God, and you aren’t. God says what is good and what is bad, your opinion doesn’t count worth beans. This is something people need to learn. If God says its bad and not to do it or not to participate in it, then that is exactly what He means…you either amend yourself to His rules, or suffer the consequences. This is part of the problem in so many people’s minds today, they want to do what they want to do, they want to be the boss of their own life.
NEWSFLASH!!! You will NEVER be the boss of your life here on earth. Never. You either give up your ‘rights’ and serve God, so that in eternity you can have and do so many things that you can’t even imagine right now…or you follow what you want to do, which is exactly what satan wants you to do – so that you can spend the rest of eternity with him in the Lake of Fire, being his play thing… We learn and mature (some of us do, anyway), and come to discover that there is joy in walking in the presence of God. We learn that we can have a joy filled life even when we are walking according to His desires for us rather than what our flesh desires.
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15 Therefore, be careful how you live your life, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
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Specifically, for today’s world, redeeming the time means don’t be so foolish as to spend most of your days playing video games, watching TV, binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, etc. The end of the world is near, therefore, as the next verse says, we need to seek out God’s will for us in this world, as regards ministry, and be about the Master’s business as good stewards of His calling and giftings. We really don’t want to be like the wicked servant and end up being cast out into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mat. 25:30).
We need to be making the most of every opportunity – but what does that mean? It means when you see someone in need, and you have the means to help them, then you help them, whatever that might look like. Feeding the hungry, giving warm clothes to the street guy, getting something off the top shelf for someone at the supermarket who is too short to reach it, mowing your widow neighbor’s grass for her so that she doesn’t have to pay someone to come and do it, etc. Loving on people is what you are called to do if you call yourself a Christian…if you are not inclined to love on people, helping them in their needs, then you mock God and Christ.
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17 Therefore, do not be ignorant as to the truth of the gospel, but understand what the will of the Lord is, and perform it.
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“Ignorant as to the truth of the gospel” from the word aphron, meaning unwise, imprudent, inconsiderate, foolish minded, and metaphorically, to be misinstructed or unlearned and ignorant of the truth of the gospel. In context, Paul is saying not to be foolish in one’s actions; spend time with God and His Word to find out what you should be doing, and then do it, because your time for acting is drawing to a close. When you stand before God on judgment day, God will not sit there and listen to your excuses as to why you didn’t walk in His will, and in fact, He won’t have to…because if you purposely walked in disobedience to His Word, you will stand before Him not able to even open your mouth, because everything about you will be played back in a moment’s time.
You won’t be able to speak because you will be drowning in shame as the whole history of mankind sees what you did, and what you didn’t do. And that shame will be part of the punishment you brought upon yourself, all the while thinking, “I’m a good Christian, God will forgive me for not doing such and such…” God will forgive, but He will not forgive when you are purposely practicing sinful behavior, which includes not doing what you know He has told you to do in His Word.
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18 And do not get drunk from alcohol, which comes from excessive drinking, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 communicating in yourselves to the Lord in songs and hymns, and in spiritual praise; singing and worshiping Him from your heart;
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Many commentators on this verse say that it should read, “talking with yourselves” meaning one person talking to another, communicating spiritual things in songs and hymns. However, the grammar of the text has laleo (speaking) with the Dative of person, meaning to speak to, immediately followed by heautou (himself, herself, itself) in the second person – plural, meaning ‘speak to yourselves.’ Basically, after telling us to be filled with the Spirit (apparently at will), Paul continues in this verse to tell us how to be filled with the Spirit at will.
I have to confess that I still do not understand what Paul is saying here completely, because I sing worship songs to God in my prayer closet and have never been filled with the Spirit, not like I have seen others in church get filled with the Spirit after they have had hands laid upon them. However, I have not yet been baptized in the Spirit, so perhaps one can only be filled at will in this manner unless they have been baptized in the Spirit. I will never find out unless I receive the baptism and then try this verse on for size. Perhaps one of you, my readers, who have been baptized in the Spirit, can try this…singing worship songs to God, and see if you can receive infillings at will, and then let me know so that I can know and let others know.
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20 always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 and honor Christ by submitting yourselves one to another, as He has taught us.
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Honor Christ by submitting to one another…in another letter, he puts it a little differently. He says to esteem others as more important than yourself, honor one another, and by honoring one another we honor Him by walking in obedience to this mandate. If we all treated each other as if we were visiting high dignitaries from another country – better yet, if when we look at another person, we see the face of Jesus within their face, and treat that person as if they were Jesus Himself…and give others “place,” then we would be doing very, very well.
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22 Wives, you are to submit yourselves to your husbands, just as you do to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, being Himself the savior of the body.
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Now, this verse has been the cause of much contention in households, as well as within certain… moronic…groups who apparently are just playing religion. This verse does not say that a wife is supposed to do everything that her husband tells her to do, that is NOT what the verse says. Neither does it say that the husband has some kind of moronic right to force her to do things that he wants her to do or act like, for his own idiotic self-centeredness.
It is up to the wife (as it is with all of us) to walk in obedience to what the Lord says here through Paul – to willingly submit herself to her husband as if he was Christ in the home. But, I can see how a wife would fight against doing that in the flesh if her husband acts like a complete idiotic dope, and while she may well suffer the consequences in heaven for not submitting to that guy, he will suffer more (if he even makes it) because of his behavior toward her that caused her to cringe at his every word.
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24 But just as the church is under submission to Christ, so wives are to be under submission to their husbands in all things. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and sacrificed Himself for it; 26 so that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the spiritual washing of water with the Word of God, 27 so that He might present it to Himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but for the purpose of walking spotlessly and practicing holiness in upright conduct.
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So, here is the second half of the equation – and I have heard some nonsense coming from some wives on this point, “He should sacrifice for me like Christ sacrificed for the church.” This sentiment is just as unbalanced as that portrayed above. Paul does not imply in any way, shape, or form, that the husband is to sacrifice everything in his life (fishing, sports, etc.) so that the wife can get everything that she wants – this is called entitlement mindset, and Paul does NOT give such a thought in what he says. The husband should sacrifice for the wife just as much as the wife is to sacrifice for the husband (dare I go there?).
One of the biggest complaints I have heard from men in men’s groups, is that their wives come to a point where they “cut them off” sexually, or that the wife won’t have sexual relations with her husband unless its on some kind of ungodly ‘reward’ system. Scripture tells both not to deprive the other from sex for a very important reason, and if he isn’t giving it to her when she wants it, or she isn’t giving it to him when he wants it, then it creates unnecessary tensions and problems will start to manifest in other areas of the marriage outside of the bedroom. I have said this many times, because it is true: when we walk in obedience to God’s Word, we eliminate most of the problems we create in our lives. That should tell you something.
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28 Even so, husbands, love your wives as your own bodies; he that loves his wife loves himself: 29 because no man ever detested his own flesh; but he nourishes and cares for it so as to be healthy, even as Christ also cares for the church; 30 because we are members of His body.
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Yes indeed – husbands, when you love on your wives (you know, take the garbage out for her without having to be asked, pick up after yourself, etc.) you are also loving on yourself (and vice versa, ladies), because you are keeping peace in the home. If you are not loving on each other, the primary reason why, is because one, or both of you, are being self-centered and selfish; and as Scripture teaches, that leads to other problems that could eventually cause a person to walk away from Christ, cutting himself off making it to the consummation of eternal life in heaven.
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31 Because of this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two of them will become one flesh.
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Now, this is where we get into some information that, sadly, most of the church today seems to be oblivious of. The two shall become one flesh – this is a direct reference to sexual union and the human soul. Once a man and woman come together sexually, married or not, their souls become unified, they become linked (which is one reason why, the first time carries with it a strong emotional bonding).
This is one reason why God says not to have sex outside of marriage, because when you do, you become united spiritually with the person you had sex with. This is how the story typically goes here in America today…a teenage boy and girl engage in sex, and they become united with one another. Sooner or later, one of them breaks up with the other, go their separate ways, and have sex with someone else (because in our society today, sex is viewed as just another everyday thing), and when they do, they break that spiritual union with the first person, and become united with another. Each time this happens, a piece of their soul is damaged emotionally. The more it happens, the less and less that person can form an emotional bond with another.
Eventually, that person has ripped and torn his/her soul so many times through sex acts with one person after another after another, that they are “past feeling” as Scripture words it. Their soul has become so damaged, that they just keep going further and further down into darkness and misery, that they don’t even care about people any more, their emotional psyche has been so badly damaged. There is hope, however; when such a person gets saved, the Holy Spirit fixes that damage so that the person can have a happy and normal emotionally healthy life. So, if you have children, nephews, nieces, or whatever – explain this to them, you just might save them from a horrible life in their future.
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32 This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.
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Here, Paul is basically referencing the fact that the church is the Bride of Christ, and when we get saved, we become one with Him spiritually.
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33 Nevertheless, you need to love your wives even as you love yourself, and the wife is to see that she honors her husband.
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Yes, when the wife honors her husband, she is honoring Christ; and when the husband loves on his wife, he is loving also on the Lord. Loving each other (meeting each other’s needs) is how we love on Jesus.
Until next time, Blessings!
New Covenant Understanding 
Commentary on Ephesians Chapter 5
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Be imitators of God…what does Paul mean? He tells us that in the next verse – imitate God by loving on people, He gives rain upon the just and the unjust, He loves on all people because He loves all people – His creations. Paul is talking about sacrificial love – when you don’t really want to stop and help someone in need…just like Jesus really didn’t want to go and be beat half to death and then nailed to a cross for you, but He did…because He loved you while you were still a vile sinner.
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In other words, don’t partake of any kind of sexual sin, which is the worst kind of sin a person can partake of, nor any kind of lewdness. Greed is a huge problem in the world today, and not just when addressing money. A person can be greedy in all kinds of different things, because the basic tenet of greed is selfishness and self-centeredness…its all about me, I could care less about you! That is the basis of greed. We will get back to sexual sin further down the page, so we will just wait until we get there for more commenting…
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“Ugly, shameful conduct that is contrary to a person who is walking with God” comes from the word aischrotes, meaning impropriety – ugly, shameful conduct that shames both God and the person who committed the act when that act is brought out into the light and exposed. And, trust me and the rest of historical humanity – if you continue to engage in ugliness, sooner or later God will provide for your exposure to the public in some way, shape, or form, to encourage you to start walking in obedience to Him, for your own sake.
“The foolishness in your heart” from the word morologia, meaning to speak foolishly, the type of speech which betrays a person as foolish of mind. In other words, if you do not have anything nice or intelligent to say, then it is better to keep your mouth shut. As the old saying goes, it is better to not speak and make people think you are foolish, than to open your mouth and erase any doubt that you are…
“Facetious jesting” from the word eutrapelia, meaning the turning of one’s speech for the purpose of causing excited mirth or laughter from others; because this kind of behavior eventually leads to sin in one way or another. Some tell lies to be funny, some use foul language to be funny (Pro. 10:19 “sin is always present when a man keeps talking on and on…”). If you think that you have to say “f**k” all the time in order to be funny, then you only demonstrate how shallow and infantile you are in your empty walk with God; empty because it is on the verge of floundering. Spiritual maturity is all about understanding what God demands and asks of us, and then doing our best to do and be what He wants us to do and be. Cussing is a mark not only of immaturity of spirit, it also demonstrates a lack of genuine love for God. Religious people who call themselves Christians will cuss and swear, use foul language…but a person who is truly walking with God will put away such unholy language.
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“Unclean person due to unnatural pollution” from the word akathartos, meaning unclean, legally or ceremonially, unfit to be admitted into the church because of one’s behavior, unnatural pollution (in this verse, meaning that one engages in unnatural things primarily of a sexual nature, such as masturbating with objects, for example).
“Deceitful and empty words” from the word apatao, meaning to deceive, bring or seduce into error, either through the vain, empty of truth or idle words of others, or by vain, external and empty religion (in this case, what is put out as Christianity but is completely void of relationship with God). Paul’s main point in this passage, is that even though the Ephesian church is saved, if they engage in such sinful behavior, they will disqualify themselves and cut themselves off from Christ, fall out of covenant relationship with God, and forfeit all that comes with that covenant relationship. That includes eternal life. This passage is one of those which demonstrates that the doctrine of unconditional eternal security is false.
Someone will say that the doctrine of eternal security is well documented in Scripture, and that this passage cannot teach that because then Scripture would be contradicting Scripture. To the point. When we take all of the 45 passages of Scripture that Calvinists use in their efforts to demonstrate that eternal security is a valid doctrine found in the Bible, and run them through a complete Biblical hermeneutic (the principles of Biblical interpretation), we find not a single passage out of those 45 that actually says what Calvinists take them out of context to make them say what they claim they say. That is a study all of its own, one that I am currently working on, and cannot go into more detail than that here.
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“Accomplice” from the word summetochos, meaning to join one’s self to another who is committing a sin, a joint participant, a partaker in the sin of another, even if they are not physically there actually doing the sinful act. This is one of the verses used by people in conversations against voting for political parties/candidates who support funding abortion (the murderous slaughter of the innocent unborn) and homosexual agendas, among others, – because according to the Holy Spirit through Paul here, voting for such a person, or giving money to their campaign, means that you are an accomplice to all of the wicked sinful things that such a person/party stands for. You are just as guilty of the sin as if you were right there in the abortion clinic helping the physician kill the infants that he does.
Some people choose not to accept that interpretation, but that is what Paul is saying. When he says not to participate in an orgy, for example, but you take part in it by allowing one to be done at your home, or by driving your son to one knowing what they are going to be doing there, or by casting your vote in an election to stand with the political party that wants to make orgies legal…then you ARE participating in that sin. Directly or indirectly, you are participating in that sin. So, if you vote for someone whose platform includes fighting for abortion (a sin), or for giving homosexuals certain rights that no one else has (anything having to do with homosexuality is a sin), or to stop capitol punishment, which is a sin (because God tells us to kill murderers, child molesters, etc.), then you are participating in those sins just as if you were physically there taking part in them.
A person who calls himself a Christian, yet supports in any way, shape, or form, any sin, participates in the promotion of that sin. The consequences of that sin is upon their hands, and Paul just finished saying in verse 6 not to allow yourself to be deceived, because a “son of disobedience” is a person who is walking in rebellion against God, and that means saved or otherwise. If a saved person supports abortion, murder, homosexuality, witchcraft, and other sins in the lists that Paul gives in different places, then he will…sooner or later…be cut off from Christ. You cannot walk with God in the light while participating and promoting sin…
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There are many other passages that tell us the same thing, and there are thousands of people today who are calling themselves Christians who are putting their lot in with a sinful political party who do nothing but fight for the right for people to sin and not be called sinners. There is no escape from the label of sinner in God’s eyes; if we are practicing sin, or supporting the sin of others, then we are involved in sin. God is calling His church to come out from among the fakers, because He does not want us to burn along with them.
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“The command…” comes from the grammar of the word walk (peripateo), which is the Imperative mood, meaning that this is a command. Yes indeed, God does not play games. This nonsense that grace covers everything is another false doctrine that is taking thousands of so-called Christians straight into the Lake of Fire for judgment day. When God says don’t do something, He means don’t do it. While the command is mostly for our well-being, there is also a spiritual reason for the command, because it will end up killing us spiritually.
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“Participant in the works of darkness” from the word sugkoinoneo, to be a participant in something with someone, to participate or share in something with others, to join with someone in doing something, to be an accomplice with someone, akin to the word “summetochos” used in verse 7 above. The difference here is that sugkoinoneo is the word koinonio (fellowship, covenant partnership) joined with the prefix “sun,” meaning to come into union with, companionship with someone.
This word indicates the hint of covenant participation, that one person has done something to bring himself into covenant agreement with another to do sinful wickedness. Again, such as the modern-day dilemma of those who call themselves Christians supporting political persons or groups who actively work to fund and keep abortion legal, which is a direct contradiction to Scripture in murdering the innocent. And for those who cry out, “It’s better for them to die before birth than to be born into a world where they are not wanted and end up in a foster home,” oh…really?
It does not matter what kind of lame, carnal excuse you can come up with, no worldly argument that you can concoct in your pee wee mind, that can stand up against the command of the Living God not to murder the innocent. Period! And if you call yourself a Christian and support abortion, then you are a pretender, because no one who is walking hand in hand with God could ever support such an atrocity. I will stop there before I lose it…
“Those who are in darkness” from the word “skotos,” meaning darkness, either physical or spiritual, implying ignorance or error of wickedness. Here it signifies participating with those who are practicing the things of darkness, evil and wicked people. Again, promoting in any way, shape, or form, is participating in that evil wickedness, and you will pay for it either here or there.
“Wickedness of bad fruit” from the word akarpos, meaning unfruitful, bearing no fruit, unprofitable, producing bad fruit. Scripture teaches in various places that both producing no fruit, and producing bad fruit, will send a person into the Lake of Fire for burning. What kind of fruit do you think you are producing when you vote for a group that wants to keep abortion legal and import thousands of illegal aliens “Because they are already born and suffering, the baby isn’t born yet,” over the group that wants to stop the murder of the innocents, but also wants to keep illegals out of the country (because of all the economic damage that wreaks upon a society). I will stop there…
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The Truth of God is that light – God is God, and you aren’t. God says what is good and what is bad, your opinion doesn’t count worth beans. This is something people need to learn. If God says its bad and not to do it or not to participate in it, then that is exactly what He means…you either amend yourself to His rules, or suffer the consequences. This is part of the problem in so many people’s minds today, they want to do what they want to do, they want to be the boss of their own life.
NEWSFLASH!!! You will NEVER be the boss of your life here on earth. Never. You either give up your ‘rights’ and serve God, so that in eternity you can have and do so many things that you can’t even imagine right now…or you follow what you want to do, which is exactly what satan wants you to do – so that you can spend the rest of eternity with him in the Lake of Fire, being his play thing… We learn and mature (some of us do, anyway), and come to discover that there is joy in walking in the presence of God. We learn that we can have a joy filled life even when we are walking according to His desires for us rather than what our flesh desires.
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Specifically, for today’s world, redeeming the time means don’t be so foolish as to spend most of your days playing video games, watching TV, binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, etc. The end of the world is near, therefore, as the next verse says, we need to seek out God’s will for us in this world, as regards ministry, and be about the Master’s business as good stewards of His calling and giftings. We really don’t want to be like the wicked servant and end up being cast out into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mat. 25:30).
We need to be making the most of every opportunity – but what does that mean? It means when you see someone in need, and you have the means to help them, then you help them, whatever that might look like. Feeding the hungry, giving warm clothes to the street guy, getting something off the top shelf for someone at the supermarket who is too short to reach it, mowing your widow neighbor’s grass for her so that she doesn’t have to pay someone to come and do it, etc. Loving on people is what you are called to do if you call yourself a Christian…if you are not inclined to love on people, helping them in their needs, then you mock God and Christ.
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“Ignorant as to the truth of the gospel” from the word aphron, meaning unwise, imprudent, inconsiderate, foolish minded, and metaphorically, to be misinstructed or unlearned and ignorant of the truth of the gospel. In context, Paul is saying not to be foolish in one’s actions; spend time with God and His Word to find out what you should be doing, and then do it, because your time for acting is drawing to a close. When you stand before God on judgment day, God will not sit there and listen to your excuses as to why you didn’t walk in His will, and in fact, He won’t have to…because if you purposely walked in disobedience to His Word, you will stand before Him not able to even open your mouth, because everything about you will be played back in a moment’s time.
You won’t be able to speak because you will be drowning in shame as the whole history of mankind sees what you did, and what you didn’t do. And that shame will be part of the punishment you brought upon yourself, all the while thinking, “I’m a good Christian, God will forgive me for not doing such and such…” God will forgive, but He will not forgive when you are purposely practicing sinful behavior, which includes not doing what you know He has told you to do in His Word.
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Many commentators on this verse say that it should read, “talking with yourselves” meaning one person talking to another, communicating spiritual things in songs and hymns. However, the grammar of the text has laleo (speaking) with the Dative of person, meaning to speak to, immediately followed by heautou (himself, herself, itself) in the second person – plural, meaning ‘speak to yourselves.’ Basically, after telling us to be filled with the Spirit (apparently at will), Paul continues in this verse to tell us how to be filled with the Spirit at will.
I have to confess that I still do not understand what Paul is saying here completely, because I sing worship songs to God in my prayer closet and have never been filled with the Spirit, not like I have seen others in church get filled with the Spirit after they have had hands laid upon them. However, I have not yet been baptized in the Spirit, so perhaps one can only be filled at will in this manner unless they have been baptized in the Spirit. I will never find out unless I receive the baptism and then try this verse on for size. Perhaps one of you, my readers, who have been baptized in the Spirit, can try this…singing worship songs to God, and see if you can receive infillings at will, and then let me know so that I can know and let others know.
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Honor Christ by submitting to one another…in another letter, he puts it a little differently. He says to esteem others as more important than yourself, honor one another, and by honoring one another we honor Him by walking in obedience to this mandate. If we all treated each other as if we were visiting high dignitaries from another country – better yet, if when we look at another person, we see the face of Jesus within their face, and treat that person as if they were Jesus Himself…and give others “place,” then we would be doing very, very well.
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Now, this verse has been the cause of much contention in households, as well as within certain… moronic…groups who apparently are just playing religion. This verse does not say that a wife is supposed to do everything that her husband tells her to do, that is NOT what the verse says. Neither does it say that the husband has some kind of moronic right to force her to do things that he wants her to do or act like, for his own idiotic self-centeredness.
It is up to the wife (as it is with all of us) to walk in obedience to what the Lord says here through Paul – to willingly submit herself to her husband as if he was Christ in the home. But, I can see how a wife would fight against doing that in the flesh if her husband acts like a complete idiotic dope, and while she may well suffer the consequences in heaven for not submitting to that guy, he will suffer more (if he even makes it) because of his behavior toward her that caused her to cringe at his every word.
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So, here is the second half of the equation – and I have heard some nonsense coming from some wives on this point, “He should sacrifice for me like Christ sacrificed for the church.” This sentiment is just as unbalanced as that portrayed above. Paul does not imply in any way, shape, or form, that the husband is to sacrifice everything in his life (fishing, sports, etc.) so that the wife can get everything that she wants – this is called entitlement mindset, and Paul does NOT give such a thought in what he says. The husband should sacrifice for the wife just as much as the wife is to sacrifice for the husband (dare I go there?).
One of the biggest complaints I have heard from men in men’s groups, is that their wives come to a point where they “cut them off” sexually, or that the wife won’t have sexual relations with her husband unless its on some kind of ungodly ‘reward’ system. Scripture tells both not to deprive the other from sex for a very important reason, and if he isn’t giving it to her when she wants it, or she isn’t giving it to him when he wants it, then it creates unnecessary tensions and problems will start to manifest in other areas of the marriage outside of the bedroom. I have said this many times, because it is true: when we walk in obedience to God’s Word, we eliminate most of the problems we create in our lives. That should tell you something.
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Yes indeed – husbands, when you love on your wives (you know, take the garbage out for her without having to be asked, pick up after yourself, etc.) you are also loving on yourself (and vice versa, ladies), because you are keeping peace in the home. If you are not loving on each other, the primary reason why, is because one, or both of you, are being self-centered and selfish; and as Scripture teaches, that leads to other problems that could eventually cause a person to walk away from Christ, cutting himself off making it to the consummation of eternal life in heaven.
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Now, this is where we get into some information that, sadly, most of the church today seems to be oblivious of. The two shall become one flesh – this is a direct reference to sexual union and the human soul. Once a man and woman come together sexually, married or not, their souls become unified, they become linked (which is one reason why, the first time carries with it a strong emotional bonding).
This is one reason why God says not to have sex outside of marriage, because when you do, you become united spiritually with the person you had sex with. This is how the story typically goes here in America today…a teenage boy and girl engage in sex, and they become united with one another. Sooner or later, one of them breaks up with the other, go their separate ways, and have sex with someone else (because in our society today, sex is viewed as just another everyday thing), and when they do, they break that spiritual union with the first person, and become united with another. Each time this happens, a piece of their soul is damaged emotionally. The more it happens, the less and less that person can form an emotional bond with another.
Eventually, that person has ripped and torn his/her soul so many times through sex acts with one person after another after another, that they are “past feeling” as Scripture words it. Their soul has become so damaged, that they just keep going further and further down into darkness and misery, that they don’t even care about people any more, their emotional psyche has been so badly damaged. There is hope, however; when such a person gets saved, the Holy Spirit fixes that damage so that the person can have a happy and normal emotionally healthy life. So, if you have children, nephews, nieces, or whatever – explain this to them, you just might save them from a horrible life in their future.
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Here, Paul is basically referencing the fact that the church is the Bride of Christ, and when we get saved, we become one with Him spiritually.
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Yes, when the wife honors her husband, she is honoring Christ; and when the husband loves on his wife, he is loving also on the Lord. Loving each other (meeting each other’s needs) is how we love on Jesus.
Until next time, Blessings!
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Dr. Dave A. Schoch, Th.D., New Testament Studies email: daveschoch777@gmail.com