ACC ~ Ephesians 5 v6 - 14

OVERVIEW:

We must not belittle our sins (CHRYSOSTOM) or forget what the kingdom requires of us (MARIUS VICTORINUS). Paul’s pastoral method constantly combines admonition and encouragement (CHRYSOSTOM). The light of grace is always dispelling the darkness of sin (AMBROSIASTER). Christ himself is rightly called the good, the true and the right (ORIGEN, JEROME), which transforms bitterness, covetousness and false pleasure (CHRYSOSTOM). Scripture and Spirit show us how to discern God’s holy will (THEODORET, AMBROSIASTER), which calls forth fruits, not barren works (JEROME). One who undertakes to admonish the wicked (CHRYSOSTOM) must first acknowledge his own limits (JEROME). The counseling and admonition of sins are crucial services to those entrapped in sin (MARIUS VICTORINUS). Insensitivity to sin is death (AMBROSIASTER) even for Christians (CHRYSOSTOM). In some cases Paul’s admonitions are taken from unknown Christian sources (THEODORET) and in other cases are supplied by himself (JEROME).

5:6a | Deceived with Empty Words

HOW EMPTY WORDS LEAD ASTRAY. CHRYSOSTOM: There are always people among us who want to diminish the force of words. When Paul clearly says that covetousness is idolatry, they immediately argue that this is an exaggerated saying and in this way compromise all the commandments. It is to these that the blessed Paul is alluding when he writes to the Ephesians, “Be sure of this, that no one who is covetous, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom.” Empty words are words that are for a moment attractive but in no way are proved by deeds. They become a flimsy deceit. HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 18.5.5-6.

5:6b | God’s Wrath on the Children of Disobedience

THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE. MARIUS VICTORINUS: These people he calls “children of disobedience”; for there are many who make light of the promise of a heavenly kingdom. … They disbelieve; they have no faith. The wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Disobedience is epitomized by the devil they serve. Therefore they are said to be his children. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 2.5.6.

5:7-8a | Not Associating with the Disobedient

PAUL’S PASTORAL METHOD INTERMIXES ADMONITION AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CHRYSOSTOM: Note the balanced way in which he exhorts them. First he approaches them from the viewpoint of Christ, saying “love one another and do no wrong to anyone.” Then he approaches them from the viewpoint of their punishment and Gehenna … reminding them of their previous wickedness, as if to say “remember what you were and what you have become.” HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 18.5.7-8.

THE LIGHT OF GRACE DISPELS THE DARKNESS OF SIN. AMBROSIASTER: “Once you were darkness” suggests ignorance. No one sees clearly in shadows. The ignorance referred to is disbelief, harking back to pagan days. Those who lived in darkness have been drawn to faith by the grace of God, which has been brought to light, that is, truth. Things that exist are made apparent in the light. Paganism remains deluded as with covered eyes they celebrate their own mysteries as if in the shadows of a cave. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.8.

5:8b | Walking as Children of Light

YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD. JEROME: The darkness is being turned into light. There is not, as some heretics argue, a nature so alienated that it cannot receive salvation. … Those who receive salvation—the righteous—are “the light of the world.” Those who refuse, the unrighteous, are in consequence called darkness. … The difference and distance between one and the other is clearly seen by their own fruits. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.5.8.

5:9 | The Fruit of Light

ALL THAT IS RIGHT AND TRUE. ORIGEN: Where there is goodness, there is righteousness. Where there is truth, there you will find righteousness. For both goodness and truth belong to God alone. So righteousness is always found with him and no other. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.

COUNTERING BITTERNESS, COVETOUSNESS AND FALSE PLEASURE. CHRYSOSTOM: When Paul says “in all goodness,” he is directing this against those who are wrathful and bitter. When he says “and in all that is right,” he is speaking against covetousness. When he says “and in all that is true,” he speaks against false pleasure. The fruit of the light is evidenced not in the vices he has already spoken of but in their opposites. HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 18.5.9-10.

CHRIST HIMSELF IS RIGHTLY CALLED THE GOOD, THE TRUE AND THE RIGHT. JEROME: Christ himself is rightly called goodness, righteousness and truth. He is goodness in that he gives grace to those who believe in him, not according to their works but according to his mercy. He is himself righteousness in that he gives to each what he deserves. He is himself truth in that he is the one who knows the causes of all creatures and all things. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.5.9.

5:10 | Learn What Is Pleasing to God

LEARNING WHAT DELIGHTS GOD. AMBROSIASTER: From the abundance of his holiness and goodness it is possible to know what works delight God. … In his holiness we are purified. In his mercy we are brought to full and perfect righteousness. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.10.

LEARNING THROUGH WORD AND SPIRIT. THEODORET: You share in the Word. You have received the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now you are made able to discern what is pleasing to God. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.10.

5:11 | Expose the Works of Darkness

LIGHT EXPOSES DARKNESS. CHRYSOSTOM: He has said, “you are light.” Light exposes what takes place in darkness. Insofar as you are light your goodness shines forth. The wicked are not able to hide. Their actions are illuminated as though a lamp were at hand. HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 18.5.11-13.

DISTINGUISHING WORKS FROM FRUITS. JEROME: Paul uses the term fruits in the case of the Spirit, works in the case of the sin nature. … In the present case he indeed is saying that the works of darkness are unfruitful. Those who do these works share an association with darkness. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.5.11.

EXPOSING UNFRUITFUL WORKS. JEROME: No one is prepared to admonish sinners except one who does not deserve to be called a hypocrite [as with the account in Lk 6:42]. … Only those prophets who were themselves unpolluted by any stain of sin were in a position to upbraid others for their wrongdoing. From this we learn that the one who is in the best position to reprimand is the one who cannot himself rightly be reprimanded in turn. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.5.11.

5:12 | A Shame to Speak of Secret Things

SOME UNFRUITFUL WORKS SHAME EVEN THOSE WHO SPEAK OF THEM. MARIUS VICTORINUS: If it is shameful even to speak of these things in secret, it is fairly plain that these people were doing wicked things, things too depraved even to talk about. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 2.5.12.

5:13 | Light Exposes Shameful Things

COMBAT WITH LIGHT THOSE MOST SHAMEFUL THINGS DONE IN SECRET. MARIUS VICTORINUS: Having instructed them also to counsel all those who are doing ill, he next shows what a great service this is. For admonition makes those sins manifest. It puts them in the light. For the one who admonishes shows how important is the behavior he illumines. In doing this he is in effect illuminating the evil to show its consequences. When the one who commits evil understands this, the shadows are dispelled and he enters the light. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 2.5.13.

5:14 | “Awake, O Sleeper”

FROM WHAT SOURCE IS THIS QUOTED? JEROME: The one who is content with a simple answer will say indeed that Paul must have read this phrase in some arcane prophet or in the writings called apocryphal. He then brought the text into the open, as he manifestly does in other places—not to substantiate the apocryphal texts but in the same way that he makes use of verses elsewhere from Aratus, Epimenides and Menander to substantiate what he says on other occasions. … Someone less content with this simple answer might argue that the apostle said this as an exhortation to penitence. It is as if he were assuming the voice of the Holy Spirit. For my part, scanty as my knowledge is, I have nowhere found this written after diligently scouring all the editions of the ancient Scriptures and the texts of the Hebrews themselves. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.5.14.

THE METAPHORS OF SLEEPING AND DEATH. AMBROSIASTER: By sleep he signifies a stupor of the mind. The sleepers are lost from the true path. This estrangement is a kind of death, from which he calls them to rise that they may repent and acknowledge the truth, which is Christ. Thus the faithless and vicious, steeped as they are in mud without hope of life, are called to rise and come out and have a share in life with Christ, so as to pass from the shadows out to the light and from death to life. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.14.

ADDRESSED ALSO TO BELIEVERS WHO SLEEP IN SIN. CHRYSOSTOM: He is not speaking only to unbelievers. For there are many believers, no less than unbelievers, who remain still trapped in various sins. There are indeed some who do so all the more. Therefore it was necessary to call these to “awake,” etc. HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 18.5.14.

ITS SOURCE UNKNOWN. THEODORET: It is to be noted that this testimony is not scriptural, for we nowhere find it in the canonical text. Some interpreters have argued that those who were favored with spiritual grace were writing psalms. The apostle himself hints at this when he says in his letter to the Corinthians, “each of you has a psalm.” EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 5.14.