Useful Bible Studies > Ephesians Commentary > chapter 5
What one person considers to be an innocent conversation, the other person might be using for an evil purpose.
Some Christians in Ephesus were talking and joking about people’s wrong sex acts (5:3-4). They thought that it was just a foolish, friendly conversation. They did not intend to do any of those wrong things themselves. They had not realised that it is wrong even to talk about those things in such a manner.
However, some other people in the churches were talking about such things for very wicked reasons. For example, Revelation 2:20 refers to a woman called Jezebel who was encouraging Christians to carry out wrong sex acts. Other references to similar behaviour by church leaders are in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and 2 Peter chapter 2. In Acts 20:29-31, Paul warned the church at Ephesus about such people.
Those evil leaders were telling Christians that they (the Christians) were free to follow their own desires. So they encouraged Christians to talk about whatever things attracted their interest. They wanted Christians to feel free to discuss even their wrong and evil desires. They tried to convince the Christians that these things were simply their natural desires. They told Christians that their natural desires (even desires to do wrong and selfish acts) were always good.
Paul told Ephesus’s Christians that these arguments had no value whatever. In fact, these arguments were dangerous, because they could persuade Christians to believe something false. Evil acts, and acts that are against God’s law, are never good. Such behaviour brings God’s judgement against people.
Next part: Partners in evil activities (Ephesians 5:7)
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© 2019, Keith Simons.