By Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong
Professor of Religion, Samford University
We Strengthen One Another
Ephesians 5:8–21
We can help one another stand against the sinful ways
of the world. (8–14)
In this passage the Apostle Paul teaches us about pursuing a life that pleases the Lord. In Ephesians 5:1 he told us to “be imitators of God” as His “beloved children” and in verse 2 that we should do so by walking in love “as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.”
God is often associated with light (see Ps. 18:28; 118:27) and 1 John 1:5 says, “God is light.” So when Paul commands us to “walk as children of light,” he is still reminding us to be imitators of God.
Paul clarifies in verse 9 that light produces “all that is good and right and true,” and so we must pursue those things.
The darkness refers to the shameful things people do when they think no one can see them and hold them accountable (v. 12). We have encountered the light in Christ and so must live as people who have been brought into the light (v. 13).
We have been made alive and illuminated by Christ’s resurrection life (v. 14) and so must live transformed lives.
We can help one another make wise use of our time. (15–17)
Wisdom is identified as a key divine attribute in Scripture (see Job 12:13; Luke 11:49; Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 3:10). And when Paul tells us to walk “as wise” we may understand that we are still dealing with the imitation of God (who is all wise).
Wise people recognize that time is a precious gift, not to be wasted but used to pursue the will and priorities of our Lord. This world would have us use our time in ways that result in our own pleasure and comfort and personal advantages. God has more redemptive priorities for our time.
The church is a community where we encourage and help each other to wisely use our time in light of the fact that we are people “on mission,” recognizing that the spiritual battles around us depend on the wise use of our time for the advancement of the gospel and of God’s kingdom purposes.
We strengthen one another as we’re filled with the Spirit and live in mutual submission. (18–21)
The command to “be filled with the Spirit” in verse 18 is followed by a series of participles in verses 19–21 (speaking, singing, making melody, giving thanks, submitting).
Some think the actions listed in the participles indicate how we become filled with the Spirit. Others think they indicate what happens once we are filled with the Spirit. In this case, the participles probably indicate more precisely what Paul meant when he said, “be filled with the Spirit” (what are called “epexegetical” participles).
Paul is clarifying that he wants us to speak to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, to sing and make melody to the Lord together, to give thanks and to submit to each other. The concrete behaviors that Paul lists are not reduced to being valued merely as steps to achieving a spiritual state (or as things we don’t need to pursue because they will happen automatically), but are the concrete behaviors Paul had in mind in commanding us to be filled with the Spirit.
We need the church because we are transformed when, together, we worship the Lord, learn to express our praise and thanksgiving from our hearts together and learn how to submit to each other.
Although “submission” has a bad connotation for many today, it is essentially about deferring to each other. It is about following Christ’s example to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). We need the church and God’s Spirit to learn this new way of living.
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