Ephesians chapter 5

vs 12

Are we seriously not meant to discuss the shameful things that are done in secret by the disobedient? I mean, this would be a good enough definition for Paul's earlier command to not discuss obscene things, but it seems untenable, dare I say impossible? The weak response may be to say that Paul's being hyperbolic, but in this sentence, just taken on itself, I would almost lean in that direction.

vs 13

Ok, so now go back and read 11, 12 and 13 together. So rather than making the deeds of the shameful a topic of dinner discussion, go and shine the light of Christ in the darkness, and these deeds will come to light. When Paul says that anything illuminated becomes a light (TNIV), I don't think he's saying that because you go and expose dark deeds, that those doing them will suddenly become Christians and sing for joy. That might happen. I think instead Paul means that anything that light shines on becomes visible (NIV).

Again the biblegateway NIV has an incorrect verse numbering.

vs 14

This must be some sort of Christian song, because it's not from a psalm or anything. It's kinda cool to see into their culture a bit through that. It is talking about Christ's light shining on those that are dead, and the dead coming to life in Christ.

vs 15

Wisdom, knowledge and understanding have formed such a large part of this book.

vs 16

The very time the Ephesians lived in was evil. Is our time any more evil? Or any less evil? Probably about the same. Perhaps a little less, for us anyway, because we won't have people stringing us up for being Christians. But others in our world do suffer that.

Paul's response to these evil days is to see them as an opportunity to do as much of God's work as we can.

vs 17

There's a dichotomy for you. But it's very Proverb-ial - the Proverbs basically define wisdom as knowing God's will, and foolishness as not.

vs 18

I don't know if that had the same play on words that it does now.

vs 19

Instead of singing drunken anthems on the way home from the pub, which I am sure happened back then as much as it does now.

vs 20

Thanksgiving is another large part of this book.

vs 21

Submission therefore goes both ways, and this verse crowns the next section on how Christians deal with one another in specific relationships.

vs 22

I've heard sermons where the preacher has said "Big deal! The men have a much harder job". Let's just perpetuate a maleocentric view, eh? The fact is that the verse just before this one tells everyone to submit to everyone else. So this is just an opening statement to wives. It's not an easy thing. But obviously, at least in Ephesus, there was a problem with this, or else Paul wouldn't need to bring it up. It might have just been a cultural problem where people thought the Christians were weird because their wives had so much freedom. Or it could just be that everyone wasn't living quite the way they should be, and so Paul writes something to each group so as to specifically include everyone.