The Immediate Context (Eph. 5:1-7)
In
v. 3 of Ephesians 5 the apostle has written, “but illicit sex and all impurity
or greed must not even be named among you, as also is proper for those
sanctified.”1 Such lifestyles are antithetical to walking in love as imitators
of God (vv. 1-2), and Paul goes on to list other ungodly acts, such as
vulgarity, foolish talk, and crude jesting, which ought to be replaced with
thanksgiving (v. 4). The
nouns paralleling the verbal forms noted above are then employed, with the
added “idolater” (v. 5). Those engaged in such misconduct are excluded from the
promised inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
To
avoid deception and the resulting divine wrath, “do not be partakers with” the
sons of disobedience (vv. 6-7). Paul uses the plural form of summétochos, found only
twice in the NT, here and earlier in 3:6 in the positive sense of Gentiles, as
joint-heirs in one body, being co-partakers of the promise in
Christ Jesus through the gospel. Any alliances involving conduct that
would jeopardize this new partnership in Christ Jesus must be avoided (see
further on v. 11).
Walk in the Light (Eph. 5:8-10)
As a reminder of “then” as compared to
“now” (cf.
2:1-22), Paul writes, “for you were once
darkness, but now light in [the] Lord; walk as children of light” (v. 8). Life prior to
receiving God’s grace was characterized by spiritual “darkness” [skótos, cf. v. 11;
6:12] but now “light in [the] Lord” (cf. 4:18-24; Acts 26:18; Rom. 13:12; 2
Cor. 6:14; Col. 1:13; 1 Thess. 5:5; 1 Pet. 2:9). The term “light” [phōs] occurs five
times in this section (vv. 8[x2], 9, 13[x2]). God is light (1 John 1:5), a
symbol of his glory and majesty (1 Tim. 6:16) and the truth he reveals (Psa.
119:105; Prov. 6:23). Therefore, Paul says, “walk” [peripatéō] accordingly – the sixth
time this idiom is employed in the letter
alluding
to lifestyle or manner of life. Having previously walked “in
trespasses and sins” (2:2) but now in “good works” (2:10), “in a
manner worthy of the calling” (4:1), no longer “as the Gentiles walk” (4:17), and in “love” (5:2), readers
are here directed to walk as children of light (see also 1 John 1:5-7).
Further
explanation is given: “for the fruit of
the light2 [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth, discerning
what is pleasing to the Lord” (vv. 9-10). The “fruit” [karpós, cf. Gal.
5:22-24] that is produced by or is found in this “light” (cf. Matt. 5:14), as opposed to “the
unfruitful works of darkness” (v. 11), is “all” [pásē] “goodness” [agathōsúnē] (a term found nowhere else in Ephesians; cf. Rom. 15:14; Gal. 5:22;
2 Thess. 1:11), and “righteousness” [dikaiosúnē] (cf. Eph.
4:24; 6:14; cp. 6:1), and “truth” [alētheia] (cf. Eph. 1:13; 4:21, 24, 25; 6:14).
The verb dokimázō (“discern,” ESV; “finding out,” NKJV; “trying to
learn,” NASB; “proving,” ASV, KJV) means to “test,” “examine,” or “prove.”3
Since God’s will has been
revealed (Eph. 1:9, 17),4 what pleases him can therefore be known
and understood (Eph. 5:17)5 as we obey what he has
revealed (Eph. 6:6).6 The primary aim of pleasing God
was embraced and taught by Jesus (Matt. 5:16; John 8:29), Paul and his
companions (2 Cor. 5:9; Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:9-10; 3:20; 1 Thess. 2:4, 6; 4:1; 2
Tim. 2:15), the inspired writer of Hebrews (Heb. 13:16), and the apostle John (1
John 3:22).
The Christian Example (Eph. 5:11)
Now Paul instructs his readers, “and have
no participation with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather also expose
[them]” (v. 11). Reaffirming the sentiment of v. 7, the present [continual]
imperative “have no participation with” employs the verbal sugkoinōnéō, meaning to “participate with someone or be connected with
something” (cf. Phil. 4:14; Rev. 18:4). The corresponding noun sugkoinōnos
means “joint-partaker, co-sharer” (Rom. 11:17; 1 Cor. 9:23; Phil.
1:7; Rev. 1:9), with similar ideas conveyed (minus the sun- [“with”] prefix) by the verbal koinōneō (to “share”), and the noun koinōnos (“partner,
sharer”).
Another cognate is koinōnia (often rendered “fellowship”), involving a relationship that has
agreement, commonality, unity of mind and purpose, along with spiritual,
mental, and participatory alliance (cf. Col. 3:2; 1 John 2:15; cp. 2 Cor.
6:14-16).7 Biblical “fellowship” is not merely social activity
but entails a spiritual bond. It is something we either have or do not have
based upon our relationship with the Lord.
The exhortation
here is to “Take no part in” (ESV), “have no fellowship with” (ASV, KJV), “Do not participate in” (NASB), “Have nothing
to do with” (NIV) “the unfruitful works of darkness,” i.e., the illicit conduct
of vv. 3-5 (N.B. v. 7), the opposite of “the fruit of light” (v. 9). Paul is
not telling his readers to dissociate from immoral people (“since then
you would need to go out of the world,” 1 Cor. 5:9-13; cf. 7:12-13; 10:27); rather, do
not participate in their immoral activities.
Simply avoiding involvement in these
sinful works is not all that is expected; “but
rather also expose [them].” The verb elégchō could mean either “rebuke” or “reprove”
(ASV, KJV) or “expose” (CSB, ESV, ISV, NASB, NET, NIV, NKJV, N/RSV). W. R.
Nicoll argues for “oral reproof,” commenting, “these Christians were not at
liberty to deal lightly with such sins, or connive at them, or be silent about
them, but had to speak out against them and hold them up to rebuke, with the
view of bringing their heathen neighbours to apprehend their turpitude and
forsake them” (Expositors Greek Testament
357). On the other hand, J. A. Robinson, based on what immediately follows in
the text, believes “it is best to interpret the word in the sense of ‘to
expose’ [cf. John 3:20] …. With this interpretation we give unity to the whole
passage” (Ephesians [2nd ed.] 200).
While the importance of verbal rebuke cannot be discounted (cf. 1 Tim. 5:20;
Tit. 2:15), in view of the darkness-light antithesis, the expression here would
communicate the thought of “bringing to light.”
Considering the inappropriateness of even
talking about certain offenses (v. 12), H. C. G. Moule suggests the Christian
response “was to come more through a holy life, and less through
condemnatory words” (Ephesians 132).
M. R. Weed observes further, “The exposure suggested is that brought about by
the penetrating redemptive effect of the Christian life which reveals or
illumines evil practices just as light silently penetrates the darkness” (Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon LWC
11:176). A related nuance harmonizing both meanings would be to “enlighten” those engaged in sinful behavior
Conclusion
Although Ephesians 5:11 is often used as a
blanket proof-text to oppose a wide range of perceived misbehavior in the
21st-century church (see previous post),
contextually Paul is encouraging his mid-first-century Ephesian readers
not to participate in the sinful behaviors of the pagan world in which they
live. The modern-day application would be the same.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1 Unless otherwise noted,
scripture quotations are the author’s own translation. The rendering “sexual
immorality” in many versions is somewhat vague and does not fully convey the
sense of the more precise expression porneía.
The
noun pórnos (lit. a male prostitute) is employed in the NT of anyone
engaging in illicit sex, i.e., a fornicator. The noun porneía applies to
any type of illicit sexual intercourse, i.e., fornication. Porneía is any
kind of sexual intercourse that is not within the context of a divinely
approved marriage (cf. Heb. 13:4).
2 Instead
of the phrase tou phōtòs
(“of the light”), the Byzantine Majority Text reads tou pneúmatos (“of the spirit”); cp.
Gal. 5:22. The latter reading is found in
the majority of manuscripts, including the oldest (P46), whereas the NA28/UBS5
reading is supported by the immediate context and most ancient versions.
3 Luke 12:56;
14:19; Rom. 1:28; 2:18; 12:2; 14:22; 1 Cor. 3:13; 11:28; 16:3; 2 Cor. 8:8, 22;
13:5; Gal. 6:4; Eph. 5:10; Phil. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4; 5:21; 1 Tim. 3:10; 1 Pet.
1:7; 1 John 4:1.
4 See also John 6:39-40; Col. 4:12; 1 Thess. 4:3;
5:18; 1 Pet. 2:15; 1 John 5:14.
5 See also Acts 22:14; Rom. 2:18; 12:2; Col. 1:9;
cf. Luke 12:47. Note further the will of
God is to be sought (John 5:30).
6 See also Matt. 7:21; 12:50; Mark 3:35; John 4:34;
6:38; 7:17; 9:31; Acts 13:22; 2 Cor. 8:5; Heb. 10:7, 36; 13:21; 1 Pet. 2:15;
4:2; 1 John 2:17; cf. Matt. 12:31; Luke 12:47.
7 The noun
koinōnia is used in
the sense of generosity or selfless giving (2 Cor. 9:13; Heb. 13:16; cf. Eph.
3:9), or a gift or contribution (Rom. 15:26), or participation or sharing in
something (2 Cor. 8:4; Phil. 1:5; 3:10; Philem. 6; cf. Acts 2:42; 1 Cor.
10:16), but mostly descriptive of the common type or bond of life that unites
certain people together (BAGD 438). In this latter sense koinōnia is used in
the NT to describe the close relationship Christians have with God (1 John 1:3,
6; cf. 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1) and consequently with one another
(1 John 1:3, 7; cf. Gal. 2:9). Only the former makes the latter possible.
8 Thanks to Jody Apple, in comments made during the Open Forum at the 2018 FHU Lectureship, for this insightful perspective.
8 Thanks to Jody Apple, in comments made during the Open Forum at the 2018 FHU Lectureship, for this insightful perspective.
Related
Posts: “What Does Koinōnia [‘Fellowship’] Really Mean?” <Link>, “The Walking Dead” <Link>, “When a Biblical Text is Misapplied” <Link>.
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