Family Bible Study
Welcome to Ephesus, Part 6
Welcome to Ephesus is more than just a study about the book of the Bible we know as Ephesians. We will explore the city today and during the time of Paul. We will see how their culture existed including the worship of their gods, and how impactful this would have been to those who became Christ followers. We do this to better understand the message of the Bible and how we are to apply it today.
Locations & Times
Deatsville Baptist Church
184 Church St, Deatsville, AL 36022, USA
Monday 6:30 PM
Last week we learned:
- Why the church is here
- How we should be acting as the church
- Why the church is here
- How we should be acting as the church
This week we will learn:
- Paul begins to identify improper and proper behavior
- Paul begins to identify improper and proper behavior
Ephesians 4
Where we ended last week...
Appeal for New Behavior
17 This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, 19 who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.
So we can have context to this week.
20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard about him, and you were taught by him (just as truth is in Jesus), 22 that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires,
Mental image here of removing a garment. You would want to remove that garment because it was destroying you as a person. Notice who you were taught by. Taught specifically how to live by how Jesus lived.
23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.
Being renewed to what you were created for. Put on the garment of the new man that has been created from the truth that has been revealed to you about God and your place in His kingdom.
Old Behavior, New Behavior, and Motivation
25 Therefore, putting aside the lie,
What lie is he speaking of? The belief that the Gentile way of living is somehow ok with God.
speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
Is this applying to believers or non-believers? It appears in context based on members, it is speaking of the body of Christ.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, 27 nor give place to the devil.
Paul says that anger is going to happen, but it is how we handle this anger that is being addressed. Two things he admonishes, 1) handle your anger quickly. Do not allow it to take root and stay within you. 2) Do not all your anger to pull you into a place where you permit the devil to have a foothold in your person.
28 The one who steals must steal no longer, but instead must labor, working with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.
Just as in modern times, a thief is not an honorable occupation. That person should apply their ability to a labor that will benefit not only them but a person that is in need. Perhaps this is Biblically a principle for the caretaking of the elderly and orphan, but we can also see this applied to those in society that are unable to provide for their self. The question then becomes for those of us living in a place with welfare systems, what then qualifies someone for receiving financial benefit on behalf of the government? Certainly Jesus believed in the feeding of the poor, he also believed that the poor should have the same opportunity from a faith standpoint to receive the good news, he even went so far as to provide food for the poor. In contrast Jesus also provided ample discretion to render unto Caesar, that the poor would always be with us, and that if you able to work you should. The question should not be "are we to take care of the less fortunate", but rather "who are truly the less fortunate and who are simply the sluggard?"
Notice now how we move from harming someone with our deeds and now with our words.
29 ⌊No rotten word must proceed⌋ from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear,
The term rotten here can be thought of as unwholesome, something that is tearing down another person; drawing them away from a relationship with Jesus. We might often associate this with a complaining, bickering, negative nelly, kind of person. The kind of person that rarely finds the good in someone, but often can pinpoint the bad without even trying.
30 and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Grieving most often is associated with a deep sense of distress due to a death. Consider how we might grieve the Holy Spirit that lives in us to a point that the HS feels that. Interesting to consider that the HS is a part of the person of God and yet understanding all of time is grieved by human behavior. There is a sense of some level of disappointment that we perceive from this relationship. The grief in context appears to come from those who are occupied by the HS.
31 All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness. 32 Become kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ has forgiven you.
Paul now describes the part of behavior that has not really changed in all of humanities time. These things continue to be a part of our behavioral patterns today.
Bitterness: angry, hurt, or resentful because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment.
Rage: a feeling of intense anger
wrath: a feeling of intense anger on an epic scale
clamor: a loud utterance, a shout
abusive speech: speech that denigrates or defames
depravity (perversion) n. — the perverting of virtue and moral principles from their purposes to evil ends.
The question becomes how do we counteract this issue. What must we do create the renewed mind that Paul spoke of.
He list out key things: becoming kind, compassionate, forgiving.
Look though at why we should do this, not because it is done to us by others, but because of what God has done through Jesus.
Where we ended last week...
Appeal for New Behavior
17 This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, 19 who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness.
So we can have context to this week.
20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard about him, and you were taught by him (just as truth is in Jesus), 22 that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires,
Mental image here of removing a garment. You would want to remove that garment because it was destroying you as a person. Notice who you were taught by. Taught specifically how to live by how Jesus lived.
23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.
Being renewed to what you were created for. Put on the garment of the new man that has been created from the truth that has been revealed to you about God and your place in His kingdom.
Old Behavior, New Behavior, and Motivation
25 Therefore, putting aside the lie,
What lie is he speaking of? The belief that the Gentile way of living is somehow ok with God.
speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
Is this applying to believers or non-believers? It appears in context based on members, it is speaking of the body of Christ.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, 27 nor give place to the devil.
Paul says that anger is going to happen, but it is how we handle this anger that is being addressed. Two things he admonishes, 1) handle your anger quickly. Do not allow it to take root and stay within you. 2) Do not all your anger to pull you into a place where you permit the devil to have a foothold in your person.
28 The one who steals must steal no longer, but instead must labor, working with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.
Just as in modern times, a thief is not an honorable occupation. That person should apply their ability to a labor that will benefit not only them but a person that is in need. Perhaps this is Biblically a principle for the caretaking of the elderly and orphan, but we can also see this applied to those in society that are unable to provide for their self. The question then becomes for those of us living in a place with welfare systems, what then qualifies someone for receiving financial benefit on behalf of the government? Certainly Jesus believed in the feeding of the poor, he also believed that the poor should have the same opportunity from a faith standpoint to receive the good news, he even went so far as to provide food for the poor. In contrast Jesus also provided ample discretion to render unto Caesar, that the poor would always be with us, and that if you able to work you should. The question should not be "are we to take care of the less fortunate", but rather "who are truly the less fortunate and who are simply the sluggard?"
Notice now how we move from harming someone with our deeds and now with our words.
29 ⌊No rotten word must proceed⌋ from your mouth, but only something good for the building up of the need, in order that it may give grace to those who hear,
The term rotten here can be thought of as unwholesome, something that is tearing down another person; drawing them away from a relationship with Jesus. We might often associate this with a complaining, bickering, negative nelly, kind of person. The kind of person that rarely finds the good in someone, but often can pinpoint the bad without even trying.
30 and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Grieving most often is associated with a deep sense of distress due to a death. Consider how we might grieve the Holy Spirit that lives in us to a point that the HS feels that. Interesting to consider that the HS is a part of the person of God and yet understanding all of time is grieved by human behavior. There is a sense of some level of disappointment that we perceive from this relationship. The grief in context appears to come from those who are occupied by the HS.
31 All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness. 32 Become kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ has forgiven you.
Paul now describes the part of behavior that has not really changed in all of humanities time. These things continue to be a part of our behavioral patterns today.
Bitterness: angry, hurt, or resentful because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment.
Rage: a feeling of intense anger
wrath: a feeling of intense anger on an epic scale
clamor: a loud utterance, a shout
abusive speech: speech that denigrates or defames
depravity (perversion) n. — the perverting of virtue and moral principles from their purposes to evil ends.
The question becomes how do we counteract this issue. What must we do create the renewed mind that Paul spoke of.
He list out key things: becoming kind, compassionate, forgiving.
Look though at why we should do this, not because it is done to us by others, but because of what God has done through Jesus.
Ephesians 5
1 Therefore
Because of this teaching, what God has done through Jesus.
become imitators of God, as beloved children,
Just like you see a little child imitating how their dad talks or walks for instance, that is similar to what Paul speaks of here.
2 and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell.
to live in love? Is that the story of your life. Is that, not upon wishful reflection, but upon frequent action represent what our lives look like? If we could tell no lie, is that what we could write with confidence on our headstone "that I lived in love".
Think about this smell for a moment. Only 16 tines is smell spoken of in the entire bible. We know that the fragrant smell in the sacrificial system was one that was to be reserved for God (Ex 30:38).
Paul is about to define for us these things that are not pleasing to God, but that in the culture of Ephesus must have been acceptable.
3 But sexual immorality,
sexual immorality n. — sexual acts that are morally objectionable; especially related to prostitution.
and all uncleanness,
is it talking here about being physical clean like a shower? No, it is speaking of here this in context to the sexual aspects of what was just noted.
or greediness,
Rightly so this is often associated with money, but greediness is really associated biblically that we inappropriately steward in such a way that we hoard or otherwise hold on to tightly to.
must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints),
This is not implying that the words cannot be spoken verbally, but rather that these must not be character qualities that as a church in Ephesus should even be associated with those within the body.
4 and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving.
5 For this you know ⌊for certain⌋, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Did you see what it just said, there is no inheritance in the kingdom. This does not mean that there is a class of people that will be in the kingdom, but did not get something. This means they will not be in the kingdom. (1 Cor 6.9-10)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
To be deceived with empty words implies that the words have no intelligence, mindless. We have seen again in context that the wrath of God comes only upon those who have not been adopted into his family.
Walk Like Children of Light
7 Therefore do not be sharers with them, 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Notice that absent from the Lord mankind is associated with darkness. This is an interesting thought because it appears to provide to the Ephesians a thought regarding where they have come from. It appears that Paul is helping the reader understand where their evil deeds placed them visually. Interesting to consider that the opposite must be true that if they are light in the Lord now that they were darkness in something else. Keep in mind that light is an object that serves as a source of illumination. This strikes me as I consider the many-sided wisdom of God that we talked about last time we met.
Live like children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, 13 but all things exposed by the light are made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light.
Somehow through the exposure of the deeds of darkness, those shameful things are exposed by you following the light. This exposure to the light brings things that would otherwise remain secret out for their depravity to be seen.
Therefore it says,
Wake up, sleeper,
and rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
We do not know where this quote comes from. I would ask you to think about what you consider as writings that are scriptural. This is just one example of many different writings that bible authors referenced, of which some we have and some we will likely never have access to.
15 Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of the time because the days are evil.
Even then the days until the coming of Jesus seemed within their lifetime. Notice how they referred to the days as evil though. Would we consider the days now evil as well?
1 Therefore
Because of this teaching, what God has done through Jesus.
become imitators of God, as beloved children,
Just like you see a little child imitating how their dad talks or walks for instance, that is similar to what Paul speaks of here.
2 and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell.
to live in love? Is that the story of your life. Is that, not upon wishful reflection, but upon frequent action represent what our lives look like? If we could tell no lie, is that what we could write with confidence on our headstone "that I lived in love".
Think about this smell for a moment. Only 16 tines is smell spoken of in the entire bible. We know that the fragrant smell in the sacrificial system was one that was to be reserved for God (Ex 30:38).
Paul is about to define for us these things that are not pleasing to God, but that in the culture of Ephesus must have been acceptable.
3 But sexual immorality,
sexual immorality n. — sexual acts that are morally objectionable; especially related to prostitution.
and all uncleanness,
is it talking here about being physical clean like a shower? No, it is speaking of here this in context to the sexual aspects of what was just noted.
or greediness,
Rightly so this is often associated with money, but greediness is really associated biblically that we inappropriately steward in such a way that we hoard or otherwise hold on to tightly to.
must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints),
This is not implying that the words cannot be spoken verbally, but rather that these must not be character qualities that as a church in Ephesus should even be associated with those within the body.
4 and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving.
5 For this you know ⌊for certain⌋, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Did you see what it just said, there is no inheritance in the kingdom. This does not mean that there is a class of people that will be in the kingdom, but did not get something. This means they will not be in the kingdom. (1 Cor 6.9-10)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
To be deceived with empty words implies that the words have no intelligence, mindless. We have seen again in context that the wrath of God comes only upon those who have not been adopted into his family.
Walk Like Children of Light
7 Therefore do not be sharers with them, 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Notice that absent from the Lord mankind is associated with darkness. This is an interesting thought because it appears to provide to the Ephesians a thought regarding where they have come from. It appears that Paul is helping the reader understand where their evil deeds placed them visually. Interesting to consider that the opposite must be true that if they are light in the Lord now that they were darkness in something else. Keep in mind that light is an object that serves as a source of illumination. This strikes me as I consider the many-sided wisdom of God that we talked about last time we met.
Live like children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, 13 but all things exposed by the light are made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light.
Somehow through the exposure of the deeds of darkness, those shameful things are exposed by you following the light. This exposure to the light brings things that would otherwise remain secret out for their depravity to be seen.
Therefore it says,
Wake up, sleeper,
and rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.
We do not know where this quote comes from. I would ask you to think about what you consider as writings that are scriptural. This is just one example of many different writings that bible authors referenced, of which some we have and some we will likely never have access to.
15 Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of the time because the days are evil.
Even then the days until the coming of Jesus seemed within their lifetime. Notice how they referred to the days as evil though. Would we consider the days now evil as well?
Almost all Bible verses are taken from:
Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Eph 1:1–2). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Eph 1:1–2). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.