_ Outline:_ I. IMITATING GOD: EPHESIANS 5:1-7 A. Involves walking in love: Ephesians 5:2 B. Involves avoiding sin: Ephesians 5:3 C. Involves refusing to be deceived about sin: Ephesians 5:6-7 II. Being children of light: Ephesians 5:8-14 A. Involves bearing good fruit: Ephesians 5:9 B. Involve... [ Continue Reading ]
“BE YE THEREFORE IMITATORS OF GOD, AS BELOVED CHILDREN” Ephesians chapter Ephesians 5:22-33 “The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is rightly regarded as the most profound of his writings but he employs the main portion of his epistle with the plainest exhortations for daily life. It is true, howev... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND WALK IN LOVE, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED YOU, AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR US, AN OFFERING AND. SACRIFICE TO GOD FOR AN ODOR OF. SWEET SMELL” “And”: Imitating God must take the form of practical demonstrations of love for Him and others in our daily lives. “WALK IN LOVE”: “Practice living in love” ... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT FORNICATION, AND ALL UNCLEANNESS, OR COVETOUSNESS, LET IT NOT EVEN BE NAMED AMONG YOU, AS BECOMETH SAINTS” “But”:. sharp contrast, the following can never be considered as acts of love. “FORNICATION”: This word includes all unlawful sexual relationships, including such things as sexual relation... [ Continue Reading ]
“NOR FILTHINESS, NOR FOOLISH TALKING, OR JESTING, WHICH ARE NOT BEFITTING: BUT RATHER GIVING OF THANKS” “Nor”: “Goes beyond immorality to vulgarity” _(Stott p. 192)._ These are to be included in those things that are unfit for Christians and which are not even to be named among us. “FILTHINESS”: Sha... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THIS YE KNOW OF. SURETY, THAT NO FORNICATOR, NOR UNCLEAN PERSON, NOR COVETOUS MAN, WHO IS AN IDOLATER, HATH ANY INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND GOD” “For this ye know”: The Ephesians had already heard these truths before (Galatians 5:19). “OF. SURETY”: “With certainty” (NASV). “You kno... [ Continue Reading ]
“LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU WITH EMPTY WORDS: FOR BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS COMETH THE WRATH OF GOD UPON THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE” “Let”: One has the choice to prevent this from happening, which infers that one does not have to end up deceived. Therefore, the Bible is understandable and God's instructions... [ Continue Reading ]
“Be not ye therefore partakers with them” “BE”: “Lit., become not. It is. warning against lapsing into old vices” _(Vincent p. 399). _“Partakers with them”: With them in these sins. “The Greek word refers to participation, not just association. For if we share in their practices, as Lot was warned... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR YE WERE ONCE DARKNESS, BUT ARE NOW LIGHT IN THE LORD: WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT” “For”: God has already given us one very important and motivational reason why we should abstain from such things, eternal condemnation. Here is another incentive, all such sins are part of. life lived in darkness... [ Continue Reading ]
“(FOR THE FRUIT OF THE LIGHT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH)” “For the fruit of the light”: “The outcome of life in the Light” (TCNT). “The light produces in men quite the opposite of sins like these” (Phi). “For where light is, there all goodness springs up, all justice and truth” ... [ Continue Reading ]
“PROVING WHAT IS WELL-PLEASING UNTO THE LORD” “Proving”: “Always trying to find out what is pleasing to the Lord” (TCNT). While the life in sin is spent trying to find those things that please self, walking in the light means always seeking to please God in all situations (2 Corinthians 5:9). "Prov... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, BUT RATHER EVEN REPROVE THEM” “And have no fellowship with”: “Take no part in” (TCNT). “Steer clear” (Phi) (2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 7:1). “FELLOWSHIP”: To share the company with, to participate, to be. partaker of. From this ve... [ Continue Reading ]
“for the things which are done by them in secret it is. shame even to speak of” “For”: A FURTHER REASON WHY SUCH THINGS NEED TO BE EXPOSED. “The things which are done by them”: THAT IS, THE DEEDS OF DARKNESS. “In secret”: SIN NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED BECAUSE TOO MANY SINS HAVE BECOME SURROUNDED BY. GLAM... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT ALL THINGS WHEN THEY ARE REPROVED ARE MADE MANIFEST BY THE LIGHT: FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS MADE MANIFEST IS LIGHT” “Are made manifest by the light”: Exposed for what they really are. “All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the Light” (TCNT). “For light is capab... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHEREFORE HE SAITH, ‘AWAKE, THOU THAT SLEEPEST, AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST SHALL SHINE UPON THEE'” “Wherefore”: “BECAUSE OF THE REPROVING JUST ENJOINED UPON THE EPHESIANS. REPROVING CALL TO THE SINNER TO RISE UP FROM HIS CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL DEATH” _(LENSKI P. 611). _“He saith”: “PAUL IN... [ Continue Reading ]
“LOOK THEREFORE CAREFULLY HOW YE WALK, NOT AS UNWISE, BUT AS WISE” “Look therefore”: “THE PRESENT TENSE MEANS TO ‘WATCH AND KEEP ON WATCHING' IN AN ACCURATE, CAREFUL WAY” _(BOLES P. 305)._ “Carefully”: Circumspectly and diligently. “Take great care, then, how you live” (TCNT). “Circumspectly involve... [ Continue Reading ]
“REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL” “Redeeming”: To ransom, rescue from loss, buy up. “Buying up opportunities” (Alf). “Making the most of every opportunity” (TCNT). “Make the best use of your time” (Phi). “Opportunities must be exploited while they last” _(Bruce p. 379)._ “Certainly wi... [ Continue Reading ]
“WHEREFORE BE YE NOT FOOLISH, BUT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS” ‘Wherefore”: BECAUSE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY EVIL. “Be ye not foolish”: “DO NOT GROW THOUGHTLESS” (TCNT). ‘YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO BE RECKLESS” (KNOX). “STOP, BECOMING FOOLISH” _(ROBERTSON P. 544)._ “CONVERTS FROM PAGANISM MUST NOT... [ Continue Reading ]
“AND BE NOT DRUNKEN WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS RIOT, BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT” “Be not drunken with wine”: “BE NOT GETTING DRUNK” (RHM). “STOP GETTING DRUNK ON WINE” (WMS). “Drunken”: Vine says that "Methusko" means, “to make drunk, or to grow drunk (an inceptive verb, marking the progress of the st... [ Continue Reading ]
“SPEAKING ONE TO ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY WITH YOUR HEART TO THE LORD” “Speaking one to another”: “The imperative _be filled_ is followed by. series of four participle expressions which illustrate what it means to be full of the Spirit. The Spirit-fi... [ Continue Reading ]
“GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO GOD, EVEN THE FATHER” “Giving thanks”: This is. common appeal in Paul's letters (Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). This is another result of being influenced by the Holy Spirit. “Grumbling was one of the besetting sin... [ Continue Reading ]
“SUBJECTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF CHRIST” “Subjecting”: “As you stand in awe of Christ, submit to each other's rights” (Knox). “Sometimes. person who claims to be filled with the Spirit becomes aggressive, self-assertive and brash” _(Stott p. 208)._ “Christians should not be self... [ Continue Reading ]
“WIVES, BE IN SUBJECTION UNTO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS, AS UNTO THE LORD” “The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is rightly regarded as the most profound of his writings but he employs the main portion of his epistle with the plainest exhortations for daily life. It is true, however, that he enforces the... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THE HUSBAND IS THE HEAD OF THE WIFE, AND CHRIST ALSO IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, BEING HIMSELF THE SAVIOUR OF THE BODY” “For”: The reason why such submission is commanded. “HEAD”: Compare with 1 Corinthians 11:3. What true headship means and involves will be defined in the following verses, esp... [ Continue Reading ]
“BUT AS THE CHURCH IS SUBJECT TO CHRIST, SO LET THE WIVES ALSO BE TO THEIR HUSBANDS IN EVERYTHING” “But as”: “Paul is thinking of. voluntary, free, joyful and thankful partnership, as the analogy of the relationship of the church to Christ shows. Whenever the husband's headship mirrors the headship... [ Continue Reading ]
“HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH, AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR IT” “Love”: The love demanded of the husband by God is the highest form of love ever known to man (1 Corinthians 13:4). “EVEN AS”: “Self-surrender so complete that it can be compared with the redeeming grace o... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY IT, HAVING CLEANSED IT BY THE WASHING OF WATER WITH THE WORD” “Sanctify”: To make holy. “To make her holy and clean” (Tay). “Before the bride was presented to the bridegroom she received. cleansing bath and was then dressed in her bridal array” _(Bruce p. 387)._ The death of... [ Continue Reading ]
“THAT HE MIGHT PRESENT THE CHURCH TO HIMSELF. GLORIOUS CHURCH, NOT HAVING SPOT OR WRINKLE OR ANY SUCH THING; BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH” “Present the church to Himself”: Since the church today does have spots and wrinkles, this presentation probably refers to the Second Coming of... [ Continue Reading ]
“EVEN SO OUGHT HUSBANDS ALSO TO LOVE THEIR OWN WIVES AS THEIR OWN BODIES. HE THAT LOVETH HIS OWN WIFE LOVETH HIMSELF” “Even so”: This is another aspect of what being the "head" is all about. When. look back on verses 26-27,. find. love that is pure and refining. Various authors make some excellent p... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR NO MAN EVER HATED HIS OWN FLESH; BUT NOURISHETH AND CHERISHETH IT, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO THE CHURCH” “Ever hated his own flesh”: “His own person” (Gspd). “That it is natural to love oneself is evident from the way in which most people care for themselves, and especially for their bodies” _(Bruce... [ Continue Reading ]
“BECAUSE WE ARE MEMBERS OF HIS BODY” The point being, if Christ takes such care of us, because we are members of his body (the church), then the husband must take care of his wife, for the married couple compose "one flesh", that is, one body.... [ Continue Reading ]
“FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL. MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH” “For this cause”: Quotation from Genesis 2:24. “The edict of God from the beginning has been that. man will ‘leave' his parents, making. break from his childhood home to establis... [ Continue Reading ]
“THIS MYSTERY IS GREAT: BUT. SPEAK IN REGARD OF CHRIST AND OF THE CHURCH” “This mystery is great”: “In this there is. profound truth” (TCNT). Apparently this expression applies to the Scripture just quoted (Genesis 2:24). “Through the Spirit's revelation, Paul is able to see and reveal. hidden purpo... [ Continue Reading ]
“NEVERTHELESS DO YE ALSO SEVERALLY LOVE EACH ONE HIS OWN WIFE EVEN AS HIMSELF; AND LET THE WIFE SEE THAT SHE FEAR HER HUSBAND” “Nevertheless”: “In practice what. have said amounts to this” (Phi). Even though the primary application is between Christ and the church, these truths still apply to the ma... [ Continue Reading ]