But there are dangers to be avoided. There are hazards of which to beware. There are pitfalls and obstacles we need to dodge. All is not seemingly onward and upward. We face struggles. It is not a parade but a battle. This is the emphasis of the second half of this Fourth Chapter of Ephesians.

  Paul divides this passage into two parts. In the first, (Vss. 17-24), he warns against the insidious risk, the outward danger, of behaving like non-Christians; then in the last part of the Scripture passage (Vss. 25-32), there are the individual faults of each of us to be warned against.

  THE OUTWARD DANGER: Do not behave like non-believing Gentiles. (Vss. 17-24).

As Paul writes these words, he is deeply cognizant of the urging of the Lord. His very words are a testimony to his conviction that Jesus is speaking through him. He says, "I testify in the Lord." More solemnly he cannot write.

  "No longer," he declares. We once did. Therefore there is to be a change in our lifestyle. And this change is to mark us off as having become different from those around us who do not profess our faith. This old lifestyle is characterized by (1) "emptiness of mind, because of ignorance"; (2) "fogginess in understanding, because of the hardening of the heart"; and (3) "alienation from the life of God," and so "past feeling."

The end-result of this lifestyle, says Paul, is "lasciviousness," debauchery, voluptuousness, or as the Expositors Greek Testament expresses it, "shameless, outrageous sensuality." Such ones are making it their business to deal in uncleanness and coveteousness.

Now someone may argue that not all non-believers exhibit such crass evil conduct. Two thoughts must be adduced in reply. First, some people, either through Christian influence, innate decency, or moral strictness, do not openly demonstrate such immoral conduct. Secondly, we do not know to what extent some individuals, outwardly moral, may be secretly harboring such evil thoughts and perhaps practice them in secret. Paul had lived in Corinth, that most wicked of Roman Empire cities; and he had seen the bad effects of heathen worship in Ephesus. He knew whereof he spoke. And furthermore, God, Who knows the hearts of all men, had laid it upon Paul to write as he was thus doing. (See Vs. 17).

But Paul offers the antidote. He tells his readers the following: (1) You have "learned Messiah and been taught of Him" (vss. 20-21); (2) You are to "put away" the manner of life of your "old man" (vs. 22); (3) You are to take on a more spiritually-led thought pattern (vs. 23); and you are to "put on", clothe yourselves with the righteous, holy, truthful "newly created man." (Vs. 24) In other words, there is to be an ongoing, continuous decision and action to "undress" ("put away") your old nature and to "get dressed" ("put on") with the newly created being. Every time we feel we are getting dirty, we are to change our clothes. And furthermore, we are to change our clothes even before we feel that our old clothes are dirty. Even necessary associations with unconverted "Gentiles" may be soiling our garments, without our realizing it.

INDIVIDUAL FAULTS AGAINST WHICH WE MUST GUARD OURSELVES. (Vss. 25-32).

In addition to the risk of contamination with ungodly Gentiles, we have the continuing danger of evil arising from within our own old natures. Paul lists several of these. Are these all? Or are they but representative of many more? In any case, these may well keep us busy for awhile to come.

As listed by Paul, they are (1) truthfulness; (2) dealing with anger; (3) stealing and theft; (4) decency in speech; (5) respect for the Holy Spirit given to us; (6) a querulous attitude; and (7) a forgiving spirit.

Let us see what Paul has to say about each of these items. They give us much food for thought, a standard by which to measure ourselves, and a challenge, when needed, to upgrade and amend our own conduct.

  TRUTHFULNESS. (Vs. 25)

Paul says, "Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another." Putting away falsehood is part of the "undressing" of which Paul spoke in Verse 22. All of us have a natural tendency to lie when it suits our purpose. (Psalm 116:11 says, "All men are liars.") We mix the truth with falsehood. We lie by our silence when the truth is being challenged. We tell "white lies." We "shade" the truth, especially when we think it will benefit us, or cover up our mistakes and deficiencies. We are to be continually unclothing these falsehoods (present participle, "putting away," = continuous action.) That is, falsehood, like a wet undershirt, which clings to us, we must be repeatedly removing.

At the same time, we must consciously and continually speak, not only what is true, but truth itself. And the reason, Paul adds, is that we all are related to, are a part of, each other in the new creation. We are not isolated individuals, responsible only for and to ourselves, but we are a part of and related to all other parts of, the whole. We cannot lie to ourselves: our consciences tell us it is false. Neither should we lie to each other.

  DEALING WITH ANGER. (Vss. 26-27.)

It is perhaps strange that Paul should follow up his admonition to truthfulness and against falsehood by dealing with anger. And yet not so strange, after all. Falsehood begets anger; anger leads to falsehood.

Paul acknowledges that we get angry, and in fact perhaps there are times when we need to be angry. ("You get angry, but I have righteous indignation.") In our anger, we need to guard against sin. Perhaps the anger is produced by a falsehood told to us or in our presence. In such case, maybe we sin by not expressing anger.

  Paul suggests that the way to avoid sinning in our anger is two-fold: (1) do not continue to harbor ill-will or hold a grudge. "Let not the sun go down on your wrath." Express your anger, yes. But do not go on seeking ways to "get even." You have expressed your indignation; now turn over to God the problem of revenge. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." This is the first step.

1.   (2) do not give occasion for the slanderer. The word "devil" means "one who falsely accuses, slanders." (The word "satan" means "adversary" - a slightly different meaning.) The Devil is the great Slanderer; but, taking the word in its literal meaning, there are many "little devils," i.e., personal slanderers. When we express anger over a supposed wrong, (either a wrong done in our presence or a wrong allegedly done to us), both we and our adversary, in the argument which ensues, tend to let our argument degenerate into personalities: name-calling and saying things we later regret. It takes real discipline, and a surrender of our own desires to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to speak our anger and yet neither falsely accuse nor allow false accusation to be made against us.

  STEALING AND THEFT. (Vs 28.)

"Stop stealing!" The implication that we all steal is reinforced by the following words, "But rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good." There is, methinks, the implication that none of us works diligently enough. We all waste time. When we work for another, if we waste time on the job, we are stealing from our employer. When we waste our own time, since we belong to God we are really wasting God's time. (Note: this does not refer to times of rest and recreation. We must draw the fine line of distinction here accurately.)

Now there is an unusual conclusion to this admonition. Paul says, "that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need." In other words, Paul implies that the thief steals to satisfy a need; and when we work diligently, we will produce or earn over-and-above our own need and be able to assist the needy one and thus remove his temptation to steal. This brings us back to the afore-stated theme that we are each of us a part of the complete "new creation," and therefore it becomes our responsibility to help one another.

  DECENCY IN SPEECH. (Vs. 29)

What do we mean by "corrupt speech"? The word translated "corrupt" comes from a verb meaning "to become corrupt or rotten, to destroy." So the noun means "rotten, putrid, no longer fit for use, worn out, worthless." Are our words worthless and of no value? Paul goes on to offer an opposite: "such" (words) "that are good for edifying" (building up), "giving grace to the hearers." Is our speech nothing but "small talk"? When someone needs our consolation, our encouragement, do we offer nothing but platitudes? Does our conversation include expressions of thought that are worthwhile and helpful to others? There is, it seems, a challenge here to replace idle chit-chat with more meaningful, unlifting, and helpful discourse.

  RESPECT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Vs. 30)

This new admonition immediately takes us back to Verse Thirteen of the First Chapter of this Epistle. There we were told that we Gentile Christians, having heard the Gospel and having believed, "were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance."

Now we are told not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption." When we grieve someone, we give them pain, distress, and sorrow. Does this mean that when we give distress to the Holy Spirit, we cause Him to regret having sealed us?

How do we grieve the Holy Spirit? Is it not when our words, our actions, our mode of conduct are contrary to what we know are God's will? And when we feel reproved in our consciences, we do not desist but continue on in our wrongful course of action against Him.

Perhaps Paul suggests some specific ways by which we can grieve the Holy Spirit, in his next admonition:

  A QUERULOUS ATTITUDE. (Vs. 31)

Paul lists a number of kinds of poor conduct which we are to "put away": that is, to dispose of, to "make a clean sweep." They are listed as: (1) "bitterness", resentfulness, "fretting spitefulness"; (2) "wrath"; (3) "anger". "Wrath" speaks of fury, a sudden outburst of passionate sentiment; but "anger" reflects the settled disposition. (4) "Clamor," the outcry of passion, a wailing as in distress; (5) "railing," evil-speaking (blasphemy), hurtful speech; (6) "all malice," ill-will, malignity, "wickedness."

When we examine this list in greater detail, we seem to see a developing pattern of ill-will and ill-conduct. There is first of all an attitude of resentfulness, which erupts in furious wrath, subsiding into a disposition of lingering anger, punctuated by bursts of furious screaming, climaxing in hurtful speech in retribution, and finally a determined attitude of malice. How great is the danger in any of these! Do these grieve the Holy Spirit? How important, then, to sweep them all away, have done with them.

  A FORGIVING SPIRIT. (Vs. 32)

Finally, Paul gives one more admonition, as an antidote to all the foregoing. He says, "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Messiah forgave you."

  We are all one body in the "new creation" in Messiah Jesus. Therefore, in being kind to each other, we are being kind to ourselves. When we see faults in others, faults which have harmed us, we are not to harbor the resentful reactions of the previous verse, but on the contrary, to forgive.

Paul cites the further reason why we are to forgive: it is because God in Messiah has forgiven us. Note that this is the reverse order of the words in the so-called "Lord's Prayer." There it was: "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." In the prayer, our forgiveness from God seemed to have the prerequisite of our forgiving others. Here in Ephesians, God has forgiven us, and therefore we in turn are to forgive others. The two halves of the circle are joined together.

Can it be that when Jesus spoke the words of the prayer He gave, it was to his Jewish followers, and before the new revelation given to Paul: the mystery of the new creation - the new race of men in Messiah Jesus? In the old economy, forgiveness was dependent on a forgiving attitude. In the new creation, it is because we are forgiven that we can and are expected to forgive.

As members of the new creation, as citizens of the new heavenly calling, as recipients of a new inspiration and strength, our responsibility is great. May we take to heart the admonitions of these words, and apply them to ourselves, that God may make us more and more like Himself.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW, STUDY, AND DISCUSSION

 1. Which of the warnings of the foregoing discussion has the most meaning for you in your situation? How do you find the discussion helpful to you?

2. As imitators of God (5:1) we are told two ways in which we are to do so.

  a. What are they (see verses 2 and 8).

  b. What do you think it means to "walk in love"?

  c. What do you think it means to "walk as children of light"?

3. In vss. 3-4 Paul first lists three gross sins, then he goes on to list three other improprieties. What are they? Why do you suppose they are listed here in parallel with the first three?

4. Why do you suppose Paul places "giving of thanks" (vs. 4) in contrast with the six evils to be shunned?

5. What do you understand is the meaning of "redeeming the time" (vs. 16)? How can we do this?

6. In vss. 17-21 Paul lists five areas of commitment, attitude, and conduct for us. List them. Which of these requires your special attention?

7. In heeding the warnings and instructions given us in this chapter, how helpful do you think it is to know and remember that we are part of God's new creation? Explain.

 

 

--- Norman L. MacLeod Jr.