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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eph_5:3-5
3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For 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.
Eph_5:3 "immorality" This is the Greek term (porneia), from which we get the English "pornography." In the NT it spoke of going beyond the accepted sexual guidelines. It could refer to
1. sexual immorality (cf. Mat_21:31-32; Mar_7:21; Act_15:20; Act_15:29)
2. adultery (cf. Mat_5:32; Mat_19:9
3. incest (cf. 1Co_5:1)
4. lewdness (cf. Rom_1:29)
In the OT there was a marked difference between the terms "adultery," where one party was married, and "fornication" which referred to pre-marital sexual activity. This distinction is lost in NT Greek where it refers to inappropriate sexual activity of any kind (extra-marital, pre-marital, homosexual, or bestial).
▣ "any impurity" This is the Greek term "clean" with the alpha privative which negates the word to which it is prefixed. These three terms in Eph_5:3, "immorality, impurity and greed," all relate to (1) the activities of the false teachers (cf. 2Ti_3:6), and/or (2) the pagan culture out of which these converts had come, where sexual activity was often associated with pagan worship.
▣ "greed" This term conveys the idea of "more and more for me at any cost." Because it is in a list of sexual sins it probably relates to self-centered sexual exploitation (cf. Col_3:5).
▣ "even be named among you" This is a present passive imperative with the negative particle which usually means to stop an act in process. These sins were occurring in the church. Believers must guard against sins, and rumors/suspicions of sins (cf. 1Th_5:22). We must model as well as speak the gospel.
▣ "is proper among saints" This is parallel to "which is not fitting" in Eph_5:4. See Special Topic: Saints at Col_1:2.
Eph_5:4 Believers must be careful of their speech. It reveals who they truly are (cf. Mar_7:15; Mar_7:18-23; Col_3:18; Eph_4:19; Jas_3:1-12). See Special Topic at Col_3:8. This is the second group of sins mentioned in chapter 5. Both groups had three elements. This is similar to Eph_4:17-32.
▣ "but rather giving of thanks" True believers are revealed by their thankful heart which is not related to circumstances (cf. Eph_5:20; Col_3:17; 1Th_5:18). See Special Topic: Thanksgiving at Col_4:2.
Eph_5:5 "for this you know with certainty" This phrase is very emphatic. It has two forms of the two Greek verbs "to know": (1) the perfect active indicative or imperative form of oida and (2) the Present active participle form of gnôskô. The false teachers claimed to have full, secret knowledge about God, but believers must understand that a person's lifestyle reveals true knowledge and wisdom (cf. Matthew 7).
▣ "that no immoral or impure person or covetous man," All these terms are repeated from Eph_5:3 "immoral" (porneia). This is the masculine form of the term in Eph_5:3, it is possibly a reference to male prostitutes, sodomites, or the sexual activities of the false teachers.
▣ "who is an idolater" The parallel is in Col_3:5. A similar statement is found in 1Jn_5:21. When sex becomes the focal point of our lives, it becomes our god! When money becomes the focal point of our lives, it also becomes idolatrous (cf. Mat_6:24). Some commentators see this phrase as referring to all of the sins mentioned in the context (Eph_5:3-5).
▣ "has an inheritance" Believers' lifestyles show who their father is, God or the evil one (cf. Matthew 7; 1Jn_3:6; 1Jn_3:9).
▣ "in the Kingdom of Christ and God" The grammatical structure and genitive article link Christ and God as one (cf. Luk_22:29; Col_1:13). This is one way NT authors assert Christ's Deity.
The "kingdom" was a recurrent and central topic in Jesus' preaching. It refers to the reign of God in human hearts now which will one day be consummated over all the earth (cf. Mat_6:10). One day all humans and angels will acknowledge Christ as Lord (cf. Php_2:10-11), but only those humans who have repented and believed the gospel will be part of His eternal kingdom (Dan_7:13; 1Co_15:27-28).
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