Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 43. Eph 4:30; 5:5-12; Rom 6:6-7.Title: Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 43. Eph 4:30; 5:5-12; Rom 6:6-7.
Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
"Therefore" resumes the exhortation of vv. 1-3. Paul identifies himself with the Lord as a witness making a solemn declaration.
His affirmation has the same weight as if the Lord were making it Himself.
Futility (the mind of the heathen), mataios, is that which is vain, aimless, resultless, or futile.
Eph 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
The significance of ignorance is not in what it is but what it lacks. It is devoid of truth and because of that their hearts have become hard [porosis]. Therefore, truth softens a heart.
Long term ignorance deadens sensitivity to the things of God.
Eph 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Callous means to cease to feel pain or grief and to become insensible to pain, or apathetic. This is a word for a seared conscience which is no longer sensitive to stimuli from the good things from God.
Given themselves over is the same as selling down the river. Greed and sensuality [lawless insolence] are a deadly combination.
Sensuality is aselgeia, which is one who acknowledges no restraints and is filled with lawless insolence. Impurity is uncleanliness which is accompanied by greed.
When people want what they want in greed they give no attention to the destruction they leave around them and within them and that becomes unclean. Greed and sensuality are a deadly combination.
We are exhorted not to walk like they do, which means that we can. Not all unbelievers go this way in the same fashion, but all in some degree do. All of us were at one time entrapped in that walk and Paul is warning his flock to remain separate from their old walk, for the same destruction that these things cause in the lives of the heathen will occur in the believer. This separation or sanctification or holiness is first begun by understanding that the old man was crucified with Christ and is no longer your master.
The believer is not any less affected by the sins of the world than the unbeliever, though he is delivered from the judgment of sin.
Eph 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
"But you" is a contradistinction to the unsaved heathen who do not know Christ. This is the only time in the Bible that the phrase "learn Christ" occurs.
"learn Christ" - The believer began his education in the person and work of Christ at salvation, and in doctrine, this education continues his entire life.
Christ is not any of these things that describes the state of the unbeliever's heart. He is the antithesis. We who are new creatures in Him are no longer under the category of heathen, but brethren that are beloved of God. The bride of Christ, the brothers and sisters of Christ, the royal family of Christ, the priests of the High Priest, the kings and lords of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the slaves of the great Master, those who are forever seated with Him on His heavenly throne do not find the right to live as the heathen do.
Eph 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
The "if" in this clause is with the indicative mood which implies the truth of the supposition.
"if as is the case you have heard Him…"
"have been taught in Him," = taught from the standpoint of position in Him.
It is not be taught by Him or about Him, but in Him, referring to our position in Him. Every believer sits in a position of instruction. The unbeliever can learn of Him, but he can never learn in Him. Our position gives us the privilege of learning from God the Holy Spirit and growing from a foundation that will never be shaken, our union with Christ.
1Co 3:11-12 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident
The truth is in Jesus. The historical Jesus is the Victor and Prince Ruler at the right hand of God, with whom we sit. The truth emanates from Him, the Head of the Body, and with that truth we build upon the foundation of our position in Him. It is this truth, taught from the Head through the agency of the Holy Spirit that we will come to understand good from evil, virtue from sin, light from darkness, flesh from the Spirit, etc. and make good decisions in the area of the divine will. Decisions against this truth as given through the Head grieves the Holy Spirit. Decisions for this truth is to not attempt to put on that which has been laid aside at Cavalry, which is the old self and to walk in what has been put on, which is the new self. This is what they had been taught.
Eph 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
The "that" connects with "you have heard Him and been taught in Him.”
The first word in the Greek in this verse is the participle "lay aside" or "put off".
"lay aside" - avpoti,qhmi[apotithemi: aorist middle infinitive] = to put off garments. Is this many decisions for the believer or did this happened at the moment of salvation?
This is not a command nor is it in the present tense but an infinitive of indirect discourse. This is the use of an infinitive after a verb of communication. The verb of communication is "you have been taught in Him." An example in English would be, "I told you to do the dishes." The main verb of communication is "told" and the infinitive is "to do".
The aorist speaks of a moment of time, which have led some to interpret it as the times when a believer confesses sin, but it is also true and significant in the application of the spiritual life that we see this as the crucifixion of the old nature at the moment of salvation.
In his book An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament Daniel Wallace says:
"you have put off… The other possibility is "…you should put off." The reason that either translation is possible is simply that the infinitive of indirect discourse represents either an imperative or an indicative in the direct discourse… This is a difficult problem, pregnant with exegetical implications. [Daniel Wallace, An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament]
The main verb is not a command but an indicative, "you have been taught." Theologically, taught "in Him" meaning from the position of being in Him would lend evidence to the interpretation of "you have put off," which refers to the crucifixion of the old man at salvation. However, both work.
Either translation is worthy although few expositors reference this as the crucifixion of the flesh. K. Wuest is one that does.
It is also just as worthy an interpretation and in keeping with sound doctrine that Paul is entreating them to consider that they have already laid aside the old man and so it is only right to live as the new man under the power of the Holy Spirit. This in no way removes any emphasis from acknowledging sin when it occurs so that we may halt that system of thinking and recover our proper thinking in accordance with the will of God. And it further emphasizes the motivation to deny the old man through the power of the Spirit and to walk in the new man under the same power.
The same manner of teaching is done by Paul in Rom 6 and later on in this epistle of Ephesians.
Rom 6:6-7 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Eph 5:5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [unbeliever].
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
Eph 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
Eph 5:9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
Eph 5:10 trying to learn [proving, putting to the test: present active participle of dokimazo] what is pleasing to the Lord.
Eph 5:11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness [lifestyle of the unbeliever], but instead even expose them;
Eph 5:12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
Eph 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
Manner means behavior or conduct.
"Put off [You have put off] your former behavior concerning the old man." |