Ephesians 5:1-20

Ephesians 5:1-2

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

By contrast, Paul wants them to follow the example of God and the example of Jesus. God gave us Jesus and Jesus showed his love for us by dying on the cross. We are God’s children, and so were they as Paul has previously discussed. Since they are, he wants them to walk, not in darkness, but in love just as Jesus did. 

Jesus was a sacrifice and an offering. He was a sacrifice for sin and he offered himself as a gift for us. 

Ephesians 5:3-4 

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 

Impurity- akatharsia- uncleanness/impure motives

Greed- pleonexia– greedy desire

Obscenity- aischrotes– filthiness 

Foolish talk- morologia– foolish/absurd talk

Coarse joking- eutrapelia– easily turned/ wittiness/jesting

These words describe the way Paul does not want them to act because these actions do not display the true desires of one who walks with Jesus. They do not accompany one who walks in the love of Jesus. 

Ephesians 5:5 

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person- such a person is an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of God. 

Paul wants the Ephesians to realize that if they act as prescribed above, they will not enter heaven since no person who does those things is saved and thus can enter the kingdom. Paul summarizes these people as “idolaters”. This is because of their desires for earthly things and not for Jesus and the kingdom. 

Ephesians 5:6-7

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes to those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. 

Paul urges against being deceived by those who disobey the gospel and being trapped by their empty words. Those who say empty for false words bring the wrath of God. God’s wrath is coming because of their falseness and spreading of it. So Paul tells them not to be partners with them because they too will be included in the judgment of God coming upon them. Another way to view this “partner” is one who partakes and is actually doing the same thing they are. So Paul wants them to stay away from them so they do not join in on the spreading of falseness and deceitfulness.  

Ephesians 5:8-10 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. 

If we look at what Paul has said so far, this battle between light and dark is the driving force behind every human action and Paul begins to bring it into full view. He refers to the former way they lived as darkness, but now they are light in Jesus. The fruit or result of being in the light is goodness, righteousness, and truth. All can also come from the fruit of the Spirit. By living this way, we find out more each day what pleases God or what he accepts and how to live for him. This cannot happen if one is in darkness.  

Ephesians 5:11-12

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 

Paul does not want them to participate in any of the things of darkness. Of all the things he has mentioned, he does not want them to participate or even speak of them. He wants to expose them. We expose these dark deeds by doing the deeds of light, by being truthful and good. This word “expose” can also mean to convict, which we do by our good deeds, we convict those of the darkness. 

Ephesians 5:13 

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible-and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 

The word for exposed is more closely related to the meaning of being convicted or made accountable. When the light shines on the dark deeds we are convicted of those sins. Our sins have now been made known, they are no longer in darkness or secret so to speak. By this conviction, these things that we do become light because we change our deeds and the way we live because of the light of Christ. 

Ephesians 5:14 

“This is why it is said, ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

In connection with the previous verse, Paul uses what was probably a popular hymn or poem at the time to further prove his point about being the light in God. Christians can become asleep in our walk of faith but since we share in the resurrection of Jesus, his light shines on us and we become beacons of his light to the world. 

Ephesians 5:15-16

Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 

In light of what has been said about living in the light, we should think about how we are living and choose to do good. Every opportunity should be taken to show the light of Christ in our life because everywhere else is bad and evil. 

Ephesians 5:17

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 

At this point in the letter, they should be coming to an understanding of what God’s will is. As he exhorted them in the first verse, they should be following the example of Christ. They should be loving others and not taking part in the evil things he has mentioned above. The Lord’s will is simple: that we should walk in the light and love of Jesus. 

Ephesians 5:18-20

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

The “instead” clause in this trio of verses leads us to understand that a contrast is being made between the ‘filling of wine’ and the ‘filling of Spirit’. When we fill ourselves with wine it leads to debauchery. A form of wild living and this word gives the sense of a lost or abandoned person. The Spirit, if we are filled by it, fills us with love and we don’t speak coarsely or falsely as stated above but spiritually and with psalms and spiritual messages. A connection is made between the filling of Spirit and praise. This verse has long been used to describe worship without music but nothing in this verse or context suggests that kind of interpretation or application. Rather this passage is discussing how we speak to one another and the type of life we are living. When we praise God, the technicality of worship is not described here but it is the heart of how we worship that is. Our praise should be genuine and from the heart. We should always be thanking God in our speech and song in the name of Jesus because of all the marvelous things he does.