Homilies on Ephesians

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ephesians 5:5, 6

“For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.”

There were, it is likely, in the time of our forefathers also, some who “weakened the hands of the people”, and brought into practice that which is mentioned by Ezekiel,— or rather who did the works of the false prophets, who “profaned God among His people for handfuls of barley”; a thing, by the way, done methinks by some even at this day. When, for example, we say that he who calls his brother a fool shall depart into hell-fire, others say, “What? Is he that calls his brother a fool to depart into hell-fire? Impossible,” say they. And again, when we say that “the covetous man is an idolater,” in this too again they make abatements, and say the expression is hyperbolical. And in this manner they underrate and explain away all the commandments. It was in allusion then to these that the blessed Paul, at this time when he wrote to the Ephesians, spoke thus, “For this ye know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, which is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”; adding, “let no man deceive you with empty words.” Now “empty words” are those which for a while are gratifying, but are in nowise borne out in facts; because the whole case is a deception.

“Because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.”

Because of “fornication,” he means, because of “covetousness,” because of “uncleanness,” or both because of these things, and because of the “deceit,” inasmuch as there are deceivers. “Sons of disobedience”; he thus calls those who are utterly disobedient, those who disobey Him.

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ver. 7, 8. “Be not ye, therefore, partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord.”

Observe how wisely he urges them forward; first, from the thought of Christ, that you love one another, and do injury to no man; then, on the other hand, from the thought of punishment and hell-fire. “For you were once darkness,” says he, “but are now light in the Lord.” Which is what he says also in the Epistle to the Romans; “What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof you are now ashamed?”, and reminds them of their former wickedness. That is to say, thinking what ye once were, and what you are now become, do not run back into your former wickedness, nor do “despite to the grace” of God.

“You were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord!”

Not, he says, by your own virtue, but through the grace of God has this accrued to you. That is to say, you also were sometime worthy of the same punishments, but now are so no more. “Walk” therefore “as children of light.” What is meant however by “children of light,” he adds afterwards.

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ver. 9, 10. “For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”

“In all goodness,” he says: this is opposed to the angry, and the bitter: “and righteousness”; this to the covetous: “and truth”; this to false pleasure: not those former things, he says, which I was mentioning, but their opposites. “In all”; that is, the fruit of the Spirit ought to be evinced in everything. “Proving what is well-pleasing unto the Lord”; so that those things are tokens of a childish and imperfect mind.

Ver. 11, 12, 13. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of. But all things when they are reproved, are made manifest by the light.”

He had said, “you are light.” Now the light reproves by exposing the things which take place in the darkness. So that if you, says he, are virtuous, and conspicuous, the wicked will be unable to lie hidden. For just as when a candle is set, all are brought to light, and the thief cannot enter; so if your light shine, the wicked being discovered shall be caught. So then it is our duty to expose them. How then does our Lord say, “Judge not, that you be not judged”? Paul did not say “judge,” he said “reprove,” that is, correct. And the words, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” He spoke with reference to very small errors. Indeed, He added, “Why do you behold the mote that is in your brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in your own eye?” But what Paul is saying is of this sort. As a wound, so long as it is imbedded and concealed outwardly, and runs beneath the surface, receives no attention, so also sin, as long as it is concealed, being as it were in darkness, is daringly committed in full security; but as soon as “it is made manifest,” becomes “light”; not indeed the sin itself, (for how could that be?) but the sinner. For when he has been brought out to light, when he has been admonished, when he has repented, when he has obtained pardon, have you not cleared away all his darkness? Have you not then healed his wound? Have you not called his unfruitfulness into fruit? Either this is his meaning, or else what I said above, that your life “being manifest, is light.” For no one hides an irreproachable life; whereas things which are hidden, are hidden by darkness covering them.

Ver. 14. “Wherefore he says, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon you.”

By the “sleeper” and the “dead,” he means the man that is in sin; for he both exhales noisome odors like the dead, and is inactive like one that is asleep, and like him he sees nothing, but is dreaming, and forming fancies and illusions. Some indeed read, “And you shall touch Christ”; but others, “And Christ shall shine upon you”; and it is rather this latter. Depart from sin, and you shall be able to behold Christ. “For every one that does ill, hates the light, and comes not to the light.” He therefore that does it not, comes to the light.

Now he is not saying this with reference to the unbelievers only, for many of the faithful, no less than unbelievers, hold fast by wickedness; nay, some far more. Therefore to these also it is necessary to exclaim, “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon you.” To these it is fitting to say this also, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” If then he is not the God of the dead, let us live.