Commentary - Ephesians 5:3-7

Bird's-eye view

In this potent section of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul continues to draw a sharp, bright line between the children of light and the sons of disobedience. Having just urged the believers to walk in love, imitating Christ's sacrifice, he now pivots to define what that walk is not. This is not a list of polite suggestions for self-improvement; it is a demarcation of kingdom boundaries. The passage lays out a series of sins, primarily related to sex, money, and speech, that are not merely inappropriate for saints but are fundamentally incompatible with their new identity in Christ. Paul's logic is absolute: these behaviors are the native language of the old world, the world under God's wrath. For Christians to traffic in them is to commit a kind of spiritual treason. The central argument is that a profession of faith cannot coexist with a practice of paganism. The inheritance of the kingdom and the practice of idolatry, whether sexual or financial, are mutually exclusive. The passage concludes with a stern warning against the smooth-tongued sophists who would try to blur this line, reminding the Ephesians that God's judgment on such things is not a theoretical concept but a coming reality.

The core of the passage is a call to radical distinctiveness. The church is not to be a slightly more moral version of the world; it is to be a different world altogether. The sins listed are not to be managed or moderated, but must "not even be named" among them, indicating a complete and total break. This is not about external polish, but about the new heart of a people who have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son. The alternative to filthiness and greed is not mere neutrality, but the positive and joyful duty of thanksgiving, which reorients the entire person back toward God as the source of all good things.

Outline

Context In Ephesians

This passage sits in the heart of the practical section of Ephesians (chapters 4-6). The first three chapters laid the glorious doctrinal foundation: our election in Christ, redemption through His blood, and our new identity as one new man in the church. Now, beginning in chapter 4, Paul explains how this new identity translates into a new way of life. He has already called the believers to unity, to put off the old self, and to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. Chapter 5 opens with the command to be "imitators of God" and to "walk in love." The section we are examining (5:3-7) serves as the negative counterpart to this command. It defines the "walk in love" by showing us the path of lust and greed that we must utterly forsake. This sharp contrast between the light and the darkness, the wise and the foolish, is a central theme of this chapter, leading directly into the instructions on walking as children of light (5:8-14) and being filled with the Spirit instead of wine (5:15-21). It provides the ethical framework necessary before Paul applies these principles to the specific relationships of the Christian household (5:22-6:9).

Key Issues

The Unmistakable Boundary

In our modern therapeutic age, we are often encouraged to blur lines, to avoid being "judgmental," and to find the good in everyone. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does the exact opposite. He draws a line in the sand with a sword. On one side are the saints, the children of light, the heirs of the kingdom. On the other side are the sexually immoral, the impure, the greedy, the sons of disobedience upon whom the wrath of God is coming. There is no middle ground, no gray area where one can dabble in the darkness and still lay claim to the light.

This is not a call for sinless perfection, which would disqualify everyone. We all stumble. But Paul is talking about a defining pattern of life. He is describing the character of a person. The people he describes are not Christians who occasionally fall into sin; they are people whose lives are defined by these sins. And his point is that such a life is objective, empirical evidence that a person is not a Christian, regardless of what they may profess. The warning is stark because the stakes are eternal. To be deceived by "empty words" on this matter is to be deceived about one's eternal destiny. Therefore, the church must maintain this boundary, not out of self-righteous pride, but out of love for the truth and for the souls of men.

Verse by Verse Commentary

3 But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Paul begins with a trio of sins that were rampant in the pagan culture of Ephesus. Sexual immorality, or porneia, is a broad term for any sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage. Impurity is even broader, covering not just acts but also thoughts, desires, and intentions that are unclean. Greed, or covetousness, is the insatiable desire for more, whether it be money, possessions, or power. Paul's command is radical. These things are not to be managed, regulated, or hidden. They must not even be "named" among the saints. This doesn't mean we can't use the words; it means the reality of these sins should be so foreign to the Christian community that there is no occasion to speak of them as happening within the fellowship. This is what is "proper," or fitting, for saints. We are a holy people, set apart for God, and our behavior must correspond to our status.

4 nor filthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

From sinful actions, Paul moves to sinful speech. He lists three kinds of talk that are "not fitting." Filthiness refers to obscenity, the kind of language that is degrading and shameful. Foolish talk is the speech of the fool in Proverbs, empty, vapid, and godless chatter. Coarse jesting is witty, but vulgar, humor that often relies on sexual innuendo and double meanings. It is the language of the locker room and the late-night comedian. This does not mean Christians cannot tell jokes, but our humor must be wholesome, not something that makes light of sin or debases others. The replacement for all this verbal garbage is not silence, but a positive alternative: giving of thanks. A heart overflowing with gratitude to God for His grace in Christ will have no room for the filth that proceeds from a discontented and worldly heart. Thankfulness is the universal solvent for a dirty mouth.

5 For this you know with certainty, that no one sexually immoral or impure or greedy, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Here is the reason for the strict prohibitions. This is not about arbitrary rules. This is about eternal reality. Paul says this is something they "know with certainty." It is a settled, non-negotiable fact. He repeats the list of sins from verse 3, but with a crucial addition. He defines the greedy person as an idolater. This is because greed dethrones God and enthrones the self and its desires. It is the worship of the creature rather than the Creator. The verdict is absolute: no person whose life is characterized by these things has any part in the kingdom. The "inheritance" is the sum total of all the blessings of salvation that belong to the children of God. To live as a pagan is to forfeit the inheritance of a son. The kingdom belongs to Christ and God, and they will not share it with Baal or Mammon.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Paul knew that as soon as he laid down such a hard line, smooth-talking teachers would come along to soften it. They would come with "empty words," hollow and deceptive arguments suggesting that God doesn't really care about what you do with your body, or that grace means you can live however you want. Paul warns the Ephesians not to be taken in by this nonsense. The stakes are too high. Why? "Because of these things", the very sins he just listed, the wrath of God comes. This wrath is not a fit of pique; it is God's settled, judicial, and holy opposition to all sin and rebellion. It is coming upon the "sons of disobedience," a Hebrew expression for people whose very nature is defined by rebellion against God. They are not just disobedient in action; they are children of disobedience in their being.

7 Therefore do not be partakers with them,

The conclusion is logical and inescapable. If these sins characterize those who are under the wrath of God, then believers must have nothing to do with them. "Do not be partakers with them" is a command for radical separation. It means not joining them in their sinful activities, not adopting their worldview, and not being yoked together with them in their rebellion. This is not a call to withdraw from the world into a monastery, but a call to be a distinct and holy people within the world. We are to be in the world, but not of it. We are lights, and light has no fellowship with darkness. To partake with them is to risk partaking in their judgment.

Application

This passage is a bucket of ice water for a lukewarm church. We live in a culture that is saturated with sexual immorality, obsessed with greed, and fluent in the language of filth. And the great temptation for the church is to make peace with this culture, to baptize its priorities, and to learn its language. This text forbids it absolutely.

First, we must take sin seriously, particularly sins of a sexual nature. The world says our sexuality is our identity. The Bible says our identity is in Christ, and our sexuality is to be submitted to His lordship. We must not be deceived by the empty words that tell us fornication, adultery, and all forms of sexual deviancy are just alternative lifestyles. They are idolatry, and they place one outside the kingdom.

Second, we must examine the connection between our wallets and our worship. Greed is not just a problem for billionaires; it is the idolatry of the human heart that constantly whispers "more." A life defined by the pursuit of wealth and possessions is a life of false worship, and it is spiritually deadly. The antidote is a radical gratitude that acknowledges every good thing comes from God's hand.

Third, we must guard our speech. Our words are a barometer of our hearts. Do they build up or tear down? Are they filled with gratitude or with the grimy foolishness of the world? We are called to be ambassadors of a heavenly kingdom, and we must speak the language of our homeland.

Finally, we must maintain the distinction between the church and the world. The church is not a social club for nice people. It is an outpost of the kingdom of God in enemy territory. We are not to be "partakers" with the sons of disobedience. This means we must lovingly, but firmly, exercise church discipline when necessary, and we must teach our children that the path of the righteous and the path of the wicked are two different paths leading to two very different destinations.