Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:24. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:24

“Now, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

The church is the Body of Christ, the holy temple, the household of God. By its very nature the church is subject to Christ.

There are times when the church as an institution has been corrupted by politics and an exaggerated power over the state. This was particularly true in the Middle Ages in Europe. It is also true that parts of the church have departed from sound doctrine and biblical standards of behaviour.

But the true church is not necessarily the same as the ecclesiastical structure. The church is the total of the individuals who are truly born again and submitted to Christ.

The submission of the church to Christ is a living, dynamic process. The born again people who comprise the church have the indwelling Holy Spirit directing and leading them. This is not about following a set of rules carved in stone and handed down from on high. When Christian submit themselves to Christ, they do so in the context of relationship. We submit ourselves to Christ out of love and because we have the Holy Spirit in us.

Wives submitting themselves to their husbands, then, do so out of love for Christ and in submission to Him They submit to their husbands in the context of a loving relationship involving husband, wife, and Christ.

Those who are of the world fail to look at this context. They see the word “submit” and assume it means “obey” and, in particular, to obey without thinking. This interpretation overlooks the key aspect that both parties are subject to Christ.

The phrase “in everything” seems to say that unconditional obedience is required. But again context is important. Wives are not required to do anything illegal, ungodly, degrading, or against their conscience. A husband who demands that his wife engage in life threatening behaviour is not acting in love, and the wife should not submit to this.

We could produce a great list of things that are wife must not, or may not, submit to. The point is that submission “in everything” does not mean slavish obedience.

Where a husband engages in violent, abusive, or coercive behaviour, it is not against God’s intent for a woman to leave the relationship, seek outside help, or go to the police. Marriage is a covenant of love, and when one partner breaks that covenant, the other partner is no longer bound.

All of this is straightforward where both husband and wife are followers of Jesus. In many marriages, the christian wife is married to an unbelieving husband. How should wifely submission happen in these cases?

It has been stated previously that wives are to be subject to their husbands out of reference (or fear) for Christ (vs. 21-22). Where both husband and wife are christians there is a mutuality of submission included within the concept of headship.

Peter gives wise advice for all wives: “Wives in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Regardless of whether their husbands are believers, christian women should seek to submit themselves as an expression of love for their husband and for Christ. This can be a very powerful witness over many years in a marriage.

Key points in this verse:

• The church submits to Christ joyfully .
• Wives should submit to their husbands in the same way.
• Christian marriage involves mutual submission
• While Paul says wives must submit in everything, this is not absolute blind obedience.
• When a husband is an unbeliever, his wife’s loving submission can be a witness to him.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:23. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:23

“For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Saviour.”

This verse raises many questions which need to be carefully thought through:

• What does it mean for the husband to be the head of the wife?
• In what ways is the headship of a husband like the headship of Christ over the church?
• How do we interpret this verse in the current culture in which women generally are more educated and more independent than in previous generations?

In Greek, the word kephale means “head”, and has a similar range of meaning to the English word. It can relate to the physical part of the body, the main part of something, a ruler, or principal officer.

To say that the husband is the head of a wife, then, is to suggest that he has authority over her. This is not an authority that is seized, demanded, or extracted by intimidation.

Godly leadership or headship is a form of service in which a person gives direction in order to promote the person being led. Jesus said that the one who leads must be the servant of all (Luke 22:25-26).

Husbands exercise their authority by serving their wives. This is not pandering to every whim, but recognising what they need in order to grow in Christ and to grow as people, and then to provide what is needed.

Christian headship is not demanding or self-focused, but other- focused and giving.

Some people prescribe what this should look like. The husband exercises headship, they say, by managing the money, driving the car, earning the income etc. Couples should work out their own strengths, and if the wife has a better grasp of finances, she should be the one who keeps track of the money.

Headship and submission are about attitudes of relating in love, not about external factors.

If we think about the authority of Christ over the church, we can apply this to the authority of husbands over their wives, since Paul makes this comparison.

Christians are under the headship of Christ. To die to ourselves is the definition of discipleship. Yet, in submitting ourselves to Christ, Christians retain a high degree of autonomy and individuality. We have different ways of serving the Lord, different ways of worship, different approaches to prayer and ministry. Yet Christ is the head of all.

Furthermore, Christ is not harsh in his headship. When we rebel and go our own way, He does not punish us or remove us from the Body. He waits patiently, wooing us back to him.

The leadership of Christ over the church is gentle, often descriptive rather than prescriptive. He leads us by means of suggestions and encouragement rather than by laws and regulations.

So when Paul says that the husband is the head over the wife, he is not advocating a form of domestic tyranny. Rather it is a form of service and leadership that recognises that both partners are subject to Christ, both are children of God, and both are flawed human beings.

The concept of headship in marriage, that men should take any form of leadership in the relationship, will be scorned bye our society. Individualism without any restraint is the ideology of this age. People who mock marital submission see marriage as an opt in and opt out arrangement, with no expectation of long-term commitment.

Until people are prepared to submit to Christ they will not want to submit to another.

While previous generations had more rigid roles for partners in marriage, they also tended to be more committed to the permanence of the relationship. Our present age tends to see relationships as sources of personal fulfilment and hence feel no compunction in leaving when the “chemistry” is no longer there. Christian marriage emphasises the covenantal nature of the relationship, so that the head cannot function without the body, and vice versa.

Key points in this verse:

• The husband is head of the wife in the same way that Christ is head of the church
• Headship is outward-directed and aims to serve the wife
• Headship is not about tyranny, but involves gentle persuasive leadership
• Society scorns the concept of leadership in marriage, but it remains essential

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:22 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:22

“Wives be subject to your husbands as to the Lord.”

A note about Christian marriage

There is nothing in scripture anywhere that justifies domestic violence, coercive control, emotional, physical, or spiritual abuse of a wife by a husband, or vice versa. Any marriage marked by these things is outside of God’s definition of marriage. Anyone subject to abuse should consider leaving the relationship until their safety is assured.

When we consider the relationship between a husband and wife, we must remember set the instructions given in Ephesians 5:22-33 are an expansion of the general command to “ be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ..”

Wives and husbands, therefore, are to be a microcosm of the church more generally. Not only are wives to be subject to their husbands, but husbands are to be subject to their wives. That mutual submission one to the other is exactly what love looks like.

This is not a question of who gets the final say, or who looks after the money, or who does the cooking. They are such trivial issues that are not worth worrying about in this context. Each couple will likely make their own decisions on these kinds of f\matters.

To be subject to one another means that a couple will make decisions together, under the Lord. Listening prayer, reading the Word together, honest and open discussion together, these are the tools that build a relationship.

Before wives submit to their husbands, they must first submit to the Lord. This verse should not be taken to mean “ be subject to your husband as if he is the Lord.” Rather it means, “submit to your husband in the same way that you submit to the Lord.”

Wives submit to the Lord because they know that He loves us and wants the best for us. The Christian life is a journey of faith, growing in understanding of the fact that He can be trusted to care for us in every way .

When wives submit to their husband as to Christ, they do so in the expectation that he loves them and cares for them, that he can be trusted to be faithful .

The more that the couple love each other and surrender to each other, the more it is possible for the wife to submit to the husband.

For a wife to be submissive means that she refuses to be in control of the husband. Many women are influenced by the Jezebel spirit, a demon which seeks to undermine and control. Submission is the opposite attitude of control, and it is the key to overcoming the Jezebel spirit.

Whenever a wife finds herself being controlling or manipulative, she should repent and seek the Lord. When we are subjecting ourselves to one another all forms of manipulation, coercion, and control must be avoided.

Key points in this verse:

• The biblical pattern of marriage requires couples to love one another and surrender their desire for control
• Wives need to submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord
• The Jezebel spirit seeks to undermine and control

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:21 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:21

“Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

A note about topic headings in the Bible

Many Bible editions divide the text into paragraphs, and often have section headings. These items can be helpful, but we must always remember that they ( with the exception of the titles in the Psalms) are not a part of the divinely Inspired text.

In particular, the section heading at this point in some Bibles, especially the NIV, is very misleading. if there is a division to be made, this verse, verse 21, belongs with verse 22 and not with verse 20

The insertion of a section heading after verse 21 can cause readers to separate the general injunction to be subject to one another from the particular issues of submission in marriage. it is clear that Paul is not intending to give husbands freedom to reign over their wives, yet we make it that impression if we separate v. 21 from vs 22 to 33 .

To be subject (or to submit) to another person is to acknowledge that they have desires, needs, priorities that are different to our own. We recognise this in the workplace where many of us are required to subject ourselves to rules, policies, procedures, and directions. We may not always see why we have to do certain things or to do them in a particular way, but for the sake of a paycheck we submit.

Paul is telling us that in the church we must all submit to one another. This does not mean that the church should not have leaders who can direct the people. As an apostle, Paul was constantly giving advice and direction.

To build up community, a family in which every person is accepted and loved, every member of the family has to be aware of the needs of each other. We all have to be prepared to make compromises, and to pay attention to others.

This is the practical outworking of the command to “love one another.” In loving another person, I prioritise the other in the belief that this will bring them joy. There is no “ quid pro quo” or demand for some form of payment.

To be subject to others means that we place others’ needs above our own, seeking to express love for one another in the practicalities of live together.

For leaders- apostles, elders, pastors, etc- there is a particular responsibility to lead expressly for the sake of those who are the least or the weakest in the kingdom. Jesus told us that leaders must serve and not lord it over their followers (see Luke 22:25-27).

Our submission to one another must be in the right context. People can be subject to leaders or to other people for all kinds of reasons. Paul tells us our submission must be from “ reverence for Christ”.

The Greek word here is phobos which means fear. The concept of fear of Christ or fear of God is often misunderstood. We think of fear as a kind of terror or dread. We fear things or people that have the capacity to destroy us or harm us.

God certainly has the power. He chooses not to destroy us because he loves us. We know that if we choose to rebel against him, He will punish us. We submit to God because His love rules us, and His wrath repels us from sim.

Our holy fear of Christ (or reverence) should direct us to be subject to others in the church. We love others because Christ has commanded it. We submit to others for the same reason. How could we do other than to obey our King?

The church is meant to be a holy community in which all members are connected by love for Christ and for one another. It must never be allowed to become a consumer-driven institution where people come and pay a fee to be entertained or spiritually enlightened.

Because we have all died in Christ, we are in no position to demand anything from others. Our only consistent relationship with others is to submit to one another.

Key points in this verse:

• Be careful of chapter and section headings in the Bible
• We are all to look to meet the needs of each other
• Community grows as we surrender our own desires for the sake of others
• The church is not a consumer driven institution

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:20 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:20

“… always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”

We are at all times to give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word for “ give thanks” is eucharisteo, from which we get the word Eucharist, which is used by many churches for Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Christian worship, in all of its diversity, is thankful. Our songs thank God for what he has done for us in Jesus. Preaching is to always proclaim what is ours in Christ through faith. Holy Communion is an enactment and a remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross.

Our whole lives, every situation, every minute, is meant to be a Eucharist, or Thanksgiving to God. Our lives are a thank offering back to our Creator for His work in redeeming us in Christ.

How can we give thanks “always and for everything”?

The phrase suggests a habit of thanksgiving that permeates all of our life. We wake up thanking God for His presence during the night and the promise of a new day. We eat thanking Him for His provision. We work thanking him for a life of purpose and meaning.

Thanking God at all times means that as we go about our daily lives, we focus on the Lord as well as on what we need to do.

Psychologists tell us that learning to direct our thoughts outwards rather than inwards is an effective antidote for depression. We were created to praise God, and we are prone to mental dis-ease if we try to live contrary to that design.

It is hard to program ourselves towards the habit of thanksgiving. Our busy lives makes that nearly impossible. One way is to set our watch or phone to alert us every hour, and use that as a reminder. Regular scheduled times in our day can be programmed in our thinking to remind us to take a minute to praise the Lord.

Praising God for everything can be a challenge. I can be thankful for my home, my family, my car, my job. Can I be thankful in a pandemic? Can I thank God when my spouse is diagnosed with cancer? Or when my child dies?

We are not expected to thank God for tragedy. These things are a sign of the disorder in creation caused by sin. I have made a practice, in the midst of personal tragedy, to ask the Holy Spirit to show me glimpses of his glory and glimmers of hope. When you do that, even in the dark valley of the shadow of death, there is always light and something to thank God for.

Christians facing persecution, and even death, for their obedience to the Lord, have commented that, in the midst of their suffering they were aware of Christ’s sustaining presence. Nobody willingly encourages opposition, but when it comes, even there there is something to be thankful for.

We are to give thanks in every situation to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not intended as a formula to finish a prayer. It is a recognition that all of this is possible through Christ.

It is Jesus who gives us a different vision of the future. We can give thanks because our hope is rooted in eternity so that all of our affections are not limited to this life and this physical world alone.

We give thanks to God the Father because Jesus paid the price for our sin and reconciled us to the Father. We give thanks through Jesus Christ because He is the gateway to salvation and to the Father. Without Christ our future was bleak and the Lake of Fire was our ultimate destination, but now we thank God for the hope of Heaven.

So our life’s vocation is to learn to always and in all things give thanks to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Key points in this verse:

• The word for give thanks is Eucharist. All of our corporate worship is about Thanksgiving
• We need to develop a habit of constant thanksgiving
• Even in dark times, Christ is our hope and enables us to give thanks
• Jesus has reconciled us to the Father

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:19 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:19

“… addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.”

Instead of being drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, we should together be filled with the Spirit, engaging in joyful worship of the Lord, and encouraging one another .

The word he translated as “addressing” (RSV) is rendered differently in the various versions notably “singing” (NRSV) and “speaking” (NIV). The original word mean simply to speak. In any event, Paul is clear that our songs are directed to each other as well as to the Lord. The context is therefore in gatherings of christians.

There is nothing wrong with singing hymns at home, but when Christians praise the Lord together, this edifies everyone present. Faith levels increase, and even the most discouraged or dejected believer can go away feeling empowered to persevere in the way of the Lord.

The mutual ministry” to one another” that takes place when christians meet together for worship should never be devalued. We must never stop the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25).

Is is not just on Sunday mornings that christians meet together and sing together. In home groups and other meetings, we should always sing praise to the Lord. Where two or three gather, He is in the midst and He welcomes our praises (Matthew 18:20).

Paul is quite expansive in his list of types of songs that Christians should use. He does not define his terms here at, but we can make educated guesses about his meaning.

“Psalms” more than likely refers to the Old Testament Psalms which were the hymn book of the Jews. More than likely, other Scripture passages were set to music and would come under this heading.

“Hymns” is actually the transliterated form of the Greek word humnos. These were known in pagan worship as songs of praise to the various gods. We should think of traditional and contemporary hymns and praise songs.

Spiritual songs refers to the practice of allowing the Holy Spirit to direct a spontaneous flow of singing either in the native language or in tongues.

There are some groups which interpret this verse to mean “ sing psalms, psalms, and more psalms” , and so they prohibit all other forms of songs in worship. Paul here is surely saying that whenever christians meet, they should employ a wide variety of forms of music.

As opposed to those who become prone to singing under the influence of alcohol, christians will sing under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

We are to “sing and make melody to the Lord”. The point of singing is not just to have a happy time of karaoke together. It is to be a melody to the Lord. That is, our hearts and minds are to be directed towards the Lord, not just to ourselves or to each other.

The primary focus of all Christian activity should be Jesus. We are the “elect”, the called out ones of God. As was commented on earlier in Ephesians, we are being formed together into a temple for Christ (2:22) or the Body of Christ (4:15-16). Therefore, whenever the body or the temple comes together, Christ must be at the centre.

Our singing must be done with all our hearts. There is something very dead about going through a song with no enthusiasm. It is almost the opposite of praise to the Lord, perhaps an insult.

Let us recognise the power that is in the words we sing – power to lift up the heavy- hearted, power to lift high the name of Jesus, power to bring conviction, salvation, and healing. All of this is only possible when we decide to praise the Lord with all of our hearts.

I will never forget the time several years ago when, on the last night of the Hillsong conference in Sydney, as the crowd was leaving, we were summoned to return to our seats. A pastor from Tasmania testified that during the final bracket of songs, he received a healing. One of his arms was neurologically dead and could not move or sense anything. During the songs, he had raised both hands in worship, something that had previously been impossible for him.

This is the power of singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to sing songs to each other and to the Lord
• We must use a variety of forms of musical expression
• Our singing must be wholehearted
• There is power in praise and worship

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:18 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:18

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

Many people coming to Christ through the ages have had to wrestle with the various addictions and practices that were a part of their old life. There is no doubt that alcohol and other drugs have an appeal for many people to alleviate the misery of lives marked by abuse, neglect, failed relationships, or purposelessness. People medicate to relieve emotional pain and to give some sense of joy.

The Bible nowhere forbids the consumption of alcohol, except for those who have taken a vow. Paul indeed encourages the temperate use of wine, especially as a treatment for some ailments. Jesus himself was accused of mixing with drunkards, and we know that he created very good wine for a wedding.

However, the Bible does warn consistently about excessive consumption of alcohol. This turns something that is a gift from God into something destructive.

The word translated here as “debauchery” means both the lack of self control which drunkenness brings, as well as the waste of time and money that it entails.

Drunkenness is first condemned for the destruction of self-control which it involves. Every part of life can give us indications of what can go wrong when a person is drunk. Everyday, road fatalities and injuries occur because of alcohol use. The rate of domestic violence spikes during summer when alcohol consumption also increases. Footballers and celebrities go on rampages when under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.

Christians are required to put to death the old nature. However, being under the influence of alcohol seems to amplify the sinful nature and reduce the moderating influence of the Holy Spirit. It seems that the driving force behind these drugs is not just chemical but demonic.

Drunkenness is also condemned because of its wastefulness. Clearly, what we spend on drugs we cannot spend on productive things. What seems to be a relatively cheap form of entertainment comes at the cost of keeping people in poverty.

Of course when the substances go to their logical destination, they waste a person’s life with unemployment, homelessness, and destroyed families just a part of the human cost.

Each christian needs to come to their own conclusion about the role of various drugs in their life, and ensure that they are a positive factor in their walk with Christ.

Instead of seeking a chemically induced high, Paul says we should be “ filled with the Spirit.”

It is interesting that Spirit fullness should be contrasted with drunkenness. This goes right back to Pentecost. Then, the disciples receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit were speaking in tongues and praising God. While some people recognised that this was an actibvity of the Holy Spirit, others cynically said they were drunk (Acts 2:13).

The tense of the verb “ be filled” is a continuous imperative. This means that it is a command that is to be continually or repeatedly obeyed. We are to be regularly filled with the Holy Spirit.

There is a one-time experience for Christians often called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is an occasion when we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in us. it is often accompanied by the gift of speaking in tongues, usually interpreted as a unique prayer language that comes by the inspiration of the Spirit and not through human learning. The Baptism in the Spirit is an entry point for the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be inundated by the Spirit, equipped for ministry, and empowered to do the works of Christ. We see this expression used often in the book of Acts (see for example Acts 4:31, 9:17).

We might think from the use of this expression in Acts that being filled with the Holy Spirit was something that people had no control over, indeed no say about. The Holy Spirit filled them uninvited.

Paul says we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a continuous imperative that indicates that we have some agency in the process. Clearly Paul thought so, and expected that the Ephesians did too

How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Pastor Che Ahn suggests 4 steps add we can take daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit

1. Decide everyday to walk in obedience to God. In Acts 5:32 we are told that God freely gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him.”
2. Ask the Father daily to fill you again with the Holy Spirit
3. Focus on the harvest that God wants to bring in, and on the way you can be a part of God’s great work
4. Be intentional about receiving an impartation from people who carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit, for example pastors and other leaders.

These are by no means prescriptive instructions. They do put us into a place of expectancy and receptivity to the Holy Spirit.

I would add to this regular times of praise and worship, so that our hearts and minds are soaking in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Key points in this verse:

• Christians are not to be dominated by alcohol or other drugs to the point of losing self-control
• We are free to use alcohol, but we must allow this to be under the direction of the Holy Spirit
• Being filled with the Spirit is similar in some ways to being drunk
• We must seek to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:17 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:17

“So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Again Paul exhorts us to turn away from the foolish ways of the ungodly, and embrace God’s way of living. In verse 15, he talked about being wise or unwise. He know speaks of being foolish.

The Greek word translated as “foolish” means more than just a lack of wisdom or information. This word refers to a moral folly in which we know what is right but deliberately choose a different action.

This is the same kind of thinking that we see in the Old Testament Psalms and Proverbs. ”The fool says in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1, 53:1) is referring to a person who wants to be able to indulge their passions without any moral, legal, or religious consequence.

A fool rejects moral reasoning because they do not want to be countable for their actions. They reject the idea of a moral law because they do not want to consider the reality of a moral law giver. All of their beliefs then become relative and fluid.

Paul is warning here that christians can choose to go down this path. We can indulge our sins and passions to such an extent that we lose sight of where God is and where we should be.

This is the path of repeated or habitual sin. We know what God wants of us but we refuse. This sin becomes an Idol because it is more precious to us than God.

Rather than being foolish, we are to understand what the will of God is. Paul has already in this letter given some standards regarding christian behaviour as opposed to that of unbelievers.

We need to listen carefully to what the spirit is teaching us through scripture. Am I walking in the light of God or am I following the way of darkness?

In order to understand the will of the Lord we must develop the pattern of regular reading of the Bible. This needs to be done slowly and carefully, not in a 5 minute tick the box mindset.

If I really believe the Bible is the word of God, then I will desire to hear what He has to say to me through it.

There are times when the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to bring us to a place of conviction. The words seem to jump off the page and echo around our head. The ordinary word ( “logos” in the Greek) becomes a declared word ( “rhema” in the Greek) with all the force of “Thus says the Lord!”

Even when we have a certain measure of hardness in our heart because of sin, the Holy Spirit can break into our disordered thinking through the words of scripture.

Similarly, when we pray and pay attention to the Holy Spirit, He can show us where we are doing well and where we need to change our way.

Conviction can come through many means, but if we place ourselves in proximity to God’s word we are more likely to understand what the will of the Lord is.

While the immediate context of this verse is about our daily conduct, understanding the will of the Lord is also about directions in the bigger questions of life. If we are used to making our daily life decisions in the will of the Lord, then the big decisions about marriage, children, work, business, and so on, will be easier to make. Having become used to submitting in the smaller things, we will have no problems in submitting in the bigger decisions.

So we must always and constantly avoid being foolish, and instead try to understand the will of the Lord.

Key points in this verse:

• Foolishness is a moral quality as much as it is about wisdom
• We are to line up our beliefs and our actions against God’s word, the Bible
• If we regularly meditate on God’s word, the Holy Spirit will convicted us when we are sinning
• To be confident that our big decisions are in accordance with God’s will, we must practice seeking him in our daily decisions.

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:15-16. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:15-16

“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”

There is a choice to be made between living as wise or unwise people.

To be wise is to follow the teachings of Scripture. Jesus said that the wise man who built his life on solid rock is the man who lives on the principle of obeying Jesus’ commands. (Matthew 7:24-27)

We all have a choice to live in obedience to Christ, the wise choice, or in accordance with the desires of our sinful nature.

The Greeks were devoted in their culture to pursuing wisdom. Philosophers were celebrities because they helped people to understand what wisdom was and how to get it. There were many schools of philosophy which taught wisdom according to the teachings of their favourite philosopher.

Paul is saying that wisdom is not an abstract philosophy but is found in obedience to the ways of the Lord.

In the previous verses, from chapters 4 and 5, Paul has listed the various qualities that relate to the light and the darkness, the spirit and the flesh, God’s way and our own way. The way of wisdom lies in choosing God’s way.

In the Greek, Paul uses the word to walk, translated here as “live”. To walk in the ways of wisdom is to allow God’s values to inform the choices that we make each day. Godliness does not come through making bold choices at times of crisis when the stakes seem high. True godliness is grown through wise choices made each day.

We are to make the most of the time in this walk of wisdom.

We do not know when we will be taken from this life either in the normal process of death, or by the return of Jesus. We must be sure to wisely use our remaining time, whether it be long or short.

Interestingly, Paul uses a particular word for time here. He uses the word kairos which means a special appointed time. The word for normal time is chronos which means the time measured by clocks and calendars. The times that are kairos times are the times of God’s opportunity, God’s appointment.

We are, therefore, to see our lives as occasions for God’s activity to break through.

The conversations that we have, the opportunities to share God’s love with other people, the chances to pray with and for people are all kairos times.

To be wise in the ways of the Lord is to have our eyes open to the moments of meeting with the Lord and being directed by the Holy Spirit.

These opportunities are found in the apparently chance encounters that we have with other people. Am I being asked to share the good news? Is healing or another miracle required here?

When we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, walking by faith, each day becomes kairos.

We must live in this way because the days are evil.

The Prince of Darkness controls so much of human life. The days are evil because sinful human beings continue to sin and then blame God for the consequences.

Christians are not to be passive in this situation. We are called to be the light in the darkness.

We must not live as the people of the world do. We are supposed to be redeeming the darkness, showing people how to find the light. We cannot do this by living the same as everyone else.

The people of the world live as unwise because they do not know God, the giver of wisdom. As the people of God walk in the wisdom of God, we will actively turn the evil days into days of glory and righteousness.

Key points in these verses:

• We are to live as wise people by obeying the words of Jesus
• Wisdom does not come from learning, but from following Jesus
• Every day with Jesus is an appointed time
• The times are evil but they can be turned around by christians choosing to live in obedience to Christ

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:14. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:14

“ for it is light that makes everything visible. That is why it is said:

‘ wake up O sleeper

rise from the dead

and Christ will shine on you.’”

Light makes everything visible. It is the instrument of exposing sin, depravity, and corruption.

Light, as already has been explored, reveals the hearts of people by whether they are attracted to or repelled by it. In that sense, the light of the Lord acts like a magnetic field.

For the believer, what is important is that we are constantly led by the Holy Spirit, allowing the light of the Spirit to direct our paths and give us insight into the spiritual realm around us. Without that light, we are also stumbling in the darkness unable to distinguish that which is pleasing to the Lord from that which is opposed to the Lord.

Paul now quotes a verse which seems to be related to an Old Testament text. Although the verse quotes fragments from Isaiah (9:2, 26:19, 52:1, 60:1 ), it is likely a portion of an early Christian hymn. in fact, Francis Foulkes, quoting F.F. Bruce, says it may well have been a baptismal hymn as baptism was often spoken of as moving away from darkness and into light¹.

There are three metaphors of the Christian experience of Salvation here:

1. Waking up from sleep. Many people prior to conversion can be described as sleep walking through life. They are completely unaware of their reason for being, their destiny, or the way they should live.

The movie, “The Matrix” represents the human race as being enslaved, effectively asleep, by an alien race while their minds are filled with dreams that make it feel like they are living normal lives.

When we are converted, we are woken from this slumber, to see and experience our real life.

2. Rising from death. When we come to Christ we take up our cross and die to ourselves. Jesus then raises us up to new life in him. We become a new creation.

This is the meaning of being “ born again” or “ born of the spirit.” The dominant motif in christian baptism is not washing, but death and resurrection. In baptism we are drowned and our old nature is snuffed out so that we can be raised up by Christ and into Christ.

3. Moving from darkness and into the light of Christ. “ Christ will shine on you.” For all that Paul has written about avoiding the deeds associated with darkness, this is really only possible when we are illuminated by Christ.

When the light of Christ shines on us, we are first of all exposed and vulnerable. Our true nature, as God intended, is now visible to all. We were once clothed in darkness, but now we are clothed with Christ. He shows the potential of the life he has called us to.

The light of Christ also shines on us for the purpose of enabling us to walk in the light. The Psalmist said, “ Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 109:105). In Christ we now have the perfect light directing our every step.

Key point in this verse:

• The light makes visible everything- both good and bad
• To come to Christ is like waking up from a dangerous sleep
• Coming to Christ is like rising from the dead
• The light of Christ covers us, leads and directs us

1Francis Foulkes::Ephesians- Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series, IVP, 1983