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Our text for this lesson is really a continuation of the latter half of Chapter Four, which was the subject of our previous lesson. This is indicated by the "therefore" of Ephesians 5:1. As such, Paul picks up his final admonition of 4:32: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Messiah forgave you." Paul seems to be saying, "We have a 'model' of proper and good conduct." Let us then look at our passage today, not in consecutive order, but rather let us skip around, and we may find three models here depicted. THE PERFECT MODEL, GOD. (Vss. 1-2; 6; 9-10). We are to be "imitators of God." The Greek word is the root of our word "mimic." He is our model, our perfect model, and we are to mimic Him. Watch how a small child, observing his father at work, tries himself to act similarly, doing "just as daddy does." This is why we need to study to learn the full character of God. The more we learn just what He is like, the more we can delineate those aspects of character which should be our aim to achieve. As you read the Bible, why not start, and add to, a list of the various aspects of God's character as you find them? Then from time to time, review that growing list, applying them to your own conduct. LOVE. (Vss 1-2) Paul gives us a specific aspect of that divine character in his next statement: "walk in love, even as Messiah also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell." Love is not just an emotional feeling, but must issue in acts of benevolence. So we find the specific example of Jesus, in (1) the direction of His love, "you"; (2) His action based on that love, "gave himself up for"; (3) the dedication of that action as an act of worship, "an offering and a sacrifice to God"; and (4) the divine approbation of that action, "for an odor of a sweet smell." As he so often did in his writings, Paul reverts to the Great Work of Jesus on the Cross. Here he sees Calvary as the great antitype of the sacrificial system of worship in the Jerusalem temple. He thought of both the "sacrifice" (for sin) and freewill gifts ("offering"), wherein animals were killed and their bodies burned on the great altar, and incense (a special formula, to be used only in worship of God, never for personal use &endash; see Exodus 30:37-38) was burned for God. All of this system of worship Paul here found to be representative of the death of Jesus as an act of worship to God. And now Paul is saying that this kind of love, this quality of the love of Jesus for us, is to motivate us to love our fellows as an act of worship to God. Have you ever thought of love as an act of worship? Notice, also, both the universality and the particularity of that love. Jesus "loved you and gave himself up for us." The "us" speaks of the fact that the death of Jesus was for all to receive; the "you" reminds the readers of Paul that each person is the individual recipient of the love of Jesus. WRATH. (Vs. 6). But the love of God is not incompatible with His hatred of wrong. In verse six we read of "the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience." Paul was a Jew and he thought as a Jew. Here is an "hebraism." To call evildoers "sons of disobedience" was to imply that they were not only disobedient but had become the very embodiment, the very incarnation, of disobedience. Sin, we see, is disobedience. Their evil was incorrigible. It will be punished in the coming Day of Wrath (the Second Coming - the Day of the Lord). LIGHT, AND ITS FRUIT. (Vss. 9-10). To a later generation in Ephesus, the Apostle John wrote that "God is light." (I John 1:5). Without using that exact expression, Paul indicates that "light" is an aspect of the character of God. He speaks of that light as having "fruit": the outgrowth, the result-in-action of that light. He says it is threefold: "all goodness and righteousness and truth." As physical light can be divided by a prism into three primary colours, so here we see the threefold division of divine light into three aspects. But this is not primarily to speak of light as a characteristic of God set forth in abstract. It is given to us to conduct ourselves "as children of light." In verse 6, we saw evildoers spoken of as "sons of disobedience." By contrast, Paul speaks to his readers as "children of light." Notice the change from "sons" to "children." Some thirty-five years before the writing of this lesson, this writer had two children. They were then growing up, and were under parental guidance and discipline. This writer no longer has two children; but he has two "sons": men in their forties, and they will be his sons forever. We are just "children of light." We are subject to training as children of God, and are to submit ourselves to His discipline, "in all goodness and righteousness and truth." And our submission to this discipline will prove "what is well-pleasing unto the Lord." (Vs. 10). Some of us are what are called "senior citizens," but we are still children. We still have to "walk as children." Let us not forget that we have yet to become "sons." MODELS TO BE SHUNNED. (Vss. 3-7; 11-13.) Because of our natural depravity as sons of Adam, we are sometimes attracted to, and drawn in by, evil persons, whom, we must confess, we often secretly admire. But we who have placed our faith in Jesus must ever bear in mind what is the main theme of this Epistle: that we have been made and are now part of God's "new creation in Messiah Jesus." While we may enjoy the company of some who are not, or are at least not yet, part of this new creation, we are to abhor, eschew, and shun their acts of evil conduct when we see it. So Paul lists, not these we know, but their "evil deeds" as Models to be Shunned. MODELS OF PROPER CONDUCT. (Vss. 3-5; 15-21.) Paul also outlines standards for us who are part of God's New Creation to follow. In fact, as we follow these standards, we ourselves become models of good conduct for others to follow, if they will. On the one hand, he tells us of acts of bad conduct and sin to be avoided; on the other hand, he outlines for us standards to which we should adhere. First the negative, then the positive. For it is in this conduct that we demonstrate that God did well in producing a new creation and that He did well in calling us to be a part of this new creation. First, Paul names certain acts of gross immorality, sins so evil that there can be no question as to their total impropriety. He names three: "fornication," "uncleanness of every kind," and "covetousness" (which last he equates with idolatry). (Vss. 3. 5) Fornication includes all forms of sexual intercourse outside of marriage: that which in medieval England was referred to by the now-quaint expression, "unlawful carnal knowledge." This will include adultery, pre-marital sexual intercourse, and homosexual activity. Uncleanness in the Greek mind seems to have meant primarily lack of ritual purity; whereas in the New Testament the almost uniform use seems to have been primarily moral impurity. We speak of the "Greek mind" because of the fact that Paul was writing to a Gentile audience: those who had professed faith in Jesus having come out of Gentile background. Their minds would include the idea of cultic or ritual impurity as well as moral impurity. So Paul includes both aspects by saying: "uncleanness of every kind." In other words, no equivocation here. Do not say, "How near to the mud-puddle can I step without getting dirty?" And Paul reinforces this with the further admonition, "let it not even be named among you." To link covetousness with fornication and uncleanness seems at first thought to be a surprise. Even though (in verse 5) Paul interprets covetousness as idolatry, the surprise to us is not entirely removed. Two thoughts here: (1) in the Gentile mind, to worship an idol in an heathen temple involved acts of sexual intercourse with temple-prostitutes; and (2) to say that covetousness, greed, inordinate desire, is identical to heathen idolatrous temple-worship with all of its evil practices goes to explain why covetousness is linked with fornication and uncleanness. All are equally reprehensible. Whereas these first three evils are bad, the real surprise is the list of practices which Paul goes on to link with them: "filthiness, foolish talking, jesting." He says they are "not befitting," and should be replaced by the "giving of thanks." Foolish talking and jesting? - ! Does this include jokes? Perhaps there is a greater danger here involved than we suspect. We need to be very careful how we use humor. Often a jest may be at the expense of the self-esteem of another. Sometimes harmless joking may surreptitiously lead to more scurrilous and insulting remarks by others. We need always to think before we speak, even in our casual conversation, lest we inadvertently give offense to others. So Paul says (vs. 15), "Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise." And this brings us to the positive note, not just of what we are to avoid, but of what we are to do. Paul, by way of conclusion to this whole matter of our conduct as part of the New Creation, says, (1) be comprehending what thing is according to the will of God (Vs. 17); (2) be filled, not with excess of wine, but with (the) Spirit (Vs. 18); (3) let your conversation with each other be centered about God, His program, and His worship (Vs. 19); (4) let everything, every event of our lives, be a cause for thanking God, remembering that our new creation is in Jesus (2:10) and He as the "last Adam" is our spiritual progenitor (Vs. 20); and (5) being submissive to each other, respecting our mutual relationship in Messiah (Vs. 21). We shall not here discuss the five points above individually, but it would seem that Paul links them together as a sort of overall conduct. As such, there appears to be a progression of thought and action. First, understand wherein the will of God lies, and be led by His Holy Spirit, so that what you talk (and think) about is the divine program. As a result, we can be thankful that everything in our lives occurs because it is part of the plan of God for us as part of His new creation in Jesus, and therefore we respect each other as our partners in service to Messiah. In carrying out this program we set ourselves forth as models, good models, for the world to see. We may hope that thereby others may be encouraged to seek to share with us our blessings in Jesus and so turn to Him. And for those who will not turn, our conduct will act as further condemnation of their evil ways. This is part of the purpose of God, it would seem, for building His new creation. May it encourage us all as we walk in His "good deeds" (2:10).
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW, STUDY, AND DISCUSSION
1. Noting that Paul presents God as our model, and ourselves as models for others, what new insights has the foregoing discussion given you for your spiritual growth?
2. In 5:22 there is no verb. It is simply "wives unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Therefore it would seem that this verse is merely a special application of verse 21. Do you ever think of yourself as submitting to another Christian in the same way that a wife is expected to relate to her husband? Discuss.
3. "The Messiah loved the church," we are told in vs 25. List the ways in which Jesus showed His love for the church. How can men apply these ways in relating to their wives?
4. In 6:1 is the command for children to obey their parents. Back in 5:8 we Christians are referred to as "children of light." Since we are still in a sense children, whom are we still to obey?
5. Can we apply the admonition of 6:4 to ourselves as mentors of those Christians who are less experienced in the faith than ourselves? How may we do this?
6. In what ways are servants to serve their masters? List the ways. (See vss. 6:5-8).
7. How do you think one in a place of authority can serve those under him? (See 6:9: "the same things unto them.")
8. We are members of the "new creation in Jesus." How can the several human differences (Wives vs husbands; children vs parents; servants vs. Masters) help us to testify by our lives to our part in the new creation?
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