Teaching Notes are Bible studies we taught before GraceLife Ministries began publishing articles online in 1995. Some were presented as sermons, others as group studies.
Our hope is that these older studies will be a blessing to you in your life and ministry. Please use them in any way God leads you.
These teaching notes are part of a study in Ephesians about the importance of a Christian’s conduct toward believers and non-believers.
[These notes are from a Bible study taught more than 40 years ago. The notes are in outline form.]
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:1-17
I. Walk in love (vss 1-2)
Translation: “Be becoming therefore imitators of God, as children beloved, and be ordering your behavior within the sphere of love, even as Christ also gave Himself up in our behalf and in our stead as an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.”
(Preach)
II. Walk in purity (vss 3-7)
A. verse 3
- “fornication” is porneia, “illicit sexual intercourse in general
- “covetousness” is pleonexia, “greedy, desire to have more”
- “not once” is mede, “not even” .. It is a strong Greek negative giving much force to the statement.
- “as becometh saints” .. The position of separation to God, in which the Gospel places the Christian, is so far apart from the license of the world as to make it utterly incongruous even to speak of the sins of a corrupt heathenism.
B. verse 4
- “filthiness” is aischrotes, “obscenity, shameless, immoral conduct”
- “foolish talking” is morologia, “impious, godless speech”
- “jesting” is eutrapelia, “course, offensive, irreverent, vulgar language”
C. verse 5
- “ye know” is iste ginoskontes, “you are knowing absolutely and recognizing experientially”
- “whoremonger” is pornos, “a fornicator for hire”
- “unclean” is akathartos, “unclean in thought or life”
- “covetous” is pleonektes, “greedy to have more”
- “idolator” is eidololatres, “a worshipper of false gods, a covetous man as a worshipper of Mammon”
D. verse 6
- “vain” is kenos, “empty, hollow”
- “children” is huios, “a son of that quality” .. In this case they are of the quality of disobedience.
Transation: “Let no one keep on deceiving you by means of empty words, for because of these things there comes the wrath of God hon the sons of the disobedience.”
E. verse 7 (read from the Amplified Bible)
“So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin].”
(Preach)
III. Walk in light (vss 8-14)
A. verse 8
- “light” is phos – it refers not to a lamp giving off light, but to the light itself. So possessed and penetrated by the truth are Christians that they cannot be described as simply enlightened, but as themselves now lights. This transformation from darkness to light took place “in the Lord.”
- “walk as children of light” translates from the Greek as “Be habitually conducting yourselves as children of light.”
B. verse 9-10 (Preach from Amplified Bible)
“(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation].”
C. verse 11
- “fellowship” is sunkoinoneo, “to become a partaker together with others.” The word refers to a joint-participation between two or more individuals in a common interest and a common activity.
- “reprove” is elegcho, “to rebuke so as to bring out conviction or confession of guilt.”
(Preach from Amplified Bible)
“Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character].”
D. verse 12
The translation: “for concerning the things done in secret by them, it is shameful to be speaking.” (Amplified Bible)
E. verse 13
- “all things” is ta panta, “all the aforementioned things”
- “made manifest” is phaneroo, “to make visible or known what has been hidden or unknown”
(Preach from the Amplified Bible)
“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible.”
F. verse 14
The words “he saith” are used by Paul as a formula referring to what God has said.
The words “give light” are epiphausko, “to shine upon.
(Preach from the Amplified Bible)
“For this reason He says, ‘Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.”
IV. Walk in Wisdom (vss 15-17)
A. verse 15
- “See” is blepo, “to discern mentally, observe, perceive, consider, contemplate”
- “walk” is peripateo, “to conduct one’s self”
- “circumspectly” is akribos, “exactly, accurately”
- “fools” is asophos, “the unwise”
- “wise” is sophos, “the wise”
(Preach from the Amplified Bible)
“Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people].”
B. verse 16
- “Redeeming” is exagorazo, “to buy up” .. In the middle voice as it is used here, it means “to buy up for one’s self or one’s advantage.”
- “time” is kairos, “strategic or opportune seasons”
- “evil” is poneros, “actively opposed to good”
(Preach from the Amplified Bible)
“… making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.”
C. verse 17
- “unwise” is aphron, “without reason, senseless, stupid”
- “understanding” is suniemi, “to set or bring together, to set or join together in the mind.” This word is speaking here of reflective thinking.
- What is the “will of God”?
That we walk in HOLINESS!
(Preach from the Amplified Bible)
“Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.”
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from more than 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you, your family and your ministry.]
Published by gracelifethoughts
Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts
