Ephesians 5:8

5:3-14 Filthy lusts must be rooted out. These sins must be dreaded and detested. Here are not only cautions against gross acts of sin, but against what some may make light of. But these things are so far from being profitable. that they pollute and poison the hearers. Our cheerfulness should show itself as becomes Christians, in what may tend to God's glory. A covetous man makes a god of his money; places that hope, confidence, and delight, in worldly good, which should be in God only. Those who allow themselves, either in the lusts of the flesh or the love of the world, belong not to the kingdom of grace, nor shall they come to the kingdom of glory. When the vilest transgressors repent and believe the gospel, they become children of obedience, from whom God's wrath is turned away. Dare we make light of that which brings down the wrath of God? Sinners, like men in the dark, are going they know not whither, and doing they know not what. But the grace of God wrought a mighty change in the souls of many. Walk as children of light, as having knowledge and holiness. These works of darkness are unfruitful, whatever profit they may boast; for they end in the destruction of the impenitent sinner. There are many ways of abetting, or taking part in the sins of others; by commendation, counsel, consent, or concealment. And if we share with others in their sins, we must expect to share in their plagues. If we do not reprove the sins of others, we have fellowship with them.

A good man will be ashamed to speak of what many wicked men are not ashamed to do. We must have not only a sight and a knowledge that sin is sin, and in some measure shameful, but see it as a breach of God's holy law. After the example of prophets and apostles, we should call on those asleep and dead in sin, to awake and arise, that Christ may give them light.

Ephesians 5:8-10 . For ye were sometimes — That is, once; darkness — In a state of total blindness and ignorance, without any light of instruction without, or divine grace within, and therefore had some excuse for living such unrighteous and profane lives: but now ye are light in the Lord — Enlightened by the divine word and Spirit, and brought to the saving knowledge of God and Christ, and of divine things in general; and consequently such vicious practices as you formerly pursued would be utterly inexcusable in you now. You are now under an indispensable obligation to walk as children of light — That is, in a manner suitable to your present knowledge. For, &c. — As if he had said, Such walking is the proper, natural result of your illumination and spiritual condition; the fruit of the Spirit is in — Consists in; all goodness, righteousness, and truth — That is, the Spirit works these graces in those persons in whom he dwells, graces quite opposite to the sins spoken of Ephesians 4:25 , &c. By goodness we are to understand an inclination and endeavour to perform all good offices to our fellow-creatures, especially to the children of God: by righteousness, justice, and fair dealing toward all men: and by truth, freedom from hypocrisy, dissimulation, guile, and deceit.

Some MSS., together with the Syriac and Vulgate versions, read here, But the fruit of the light, &c., which Estius, Grotius, Mill, and Bengelius, think the true reading, because there is no mention made of the Spirit, either in what goes before, or in what follows. The common reading they suppose hath been taken from Galatians 5:22 . Proving — Δοκιμαζοντες , making trial of, proving by experience, or approving; what is acceptable — Ευαρεστον , well-pleasing; to the Lord — And how happy they are who in all things are governed by his will.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye {c} light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (c) The faithful are called light, both because they have the true light in them which enlightens them, and also because they give light to others, insomuch that their honest conversation reproves the life of wicked men.

For ye were sometimes darkness; the same as in darkness, Romans 2:19 1 Thessalonians 5:4 ; viz. the darkness of sin, ignorance, unbelief. The abstract being put for the concrete, shows the greatness of that darkness in which they were. But now are ye light in the Lord; either now, being in Christ, ye are light, or rather, ye are enlightened or made light by Christ, being furnished with spiritual knowledge, faith, purity, and holiness. Walk as children of light; a Hebraism; children of light, for those that are in the light, 1 Thessalonians 5:5 : q.d. Let your conversation be suitable to your condition and privileges: see 1Jo 1:7 .

8. sometimes—"once." The emphasis is on "were." Ye ought to have no fellowship with sin, which is darkness, for your state as darkness is now PAST. Stronger than "in darkness" (Ro 2:19). light—not merely "enlightened"; but light enlightening others (Eph 5:13). in—in union with the Lord, who is THE LIGHT. children of light—not merely "of the light"; just as "children of disobedience" is used on the opposite side; those whose distinguishing characteristic is light. Pliny, a heathen writing to Trajan, bears unwilling testimony to the extraordinary purity of Christians' lives, contrasted with the people around them.

Verse 8. - For ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Another expressive "but." To make the contrast more emphatic, it is not said, "ye were in darkness, but are now in light;" but, "ye were darkness itself, and are now light itself," and this last is explained by the usual formula, "in the Lord." There was a celebrated Ephesian philosopher, Alexander, who was called "The Light;" but not from that source had the light come. The idea of light-giving is also involved in their being light. "Arise, shine, for thy light is come." Walk as children of light. Another expressive image, denoting close connection with light, as if they were actually born of it; hence their lives should be full of it. The figure connecting darkness with sin and light with purity, common to all languages, underlies the exhortation. Ephesians 5:8

(8) Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. —This expression is unique, and far more emphatic than the more common phrases of “being,” or “walking,” “in darkness” and “in light.” (See Romans 2:9 ; Colossians 1:2 ; 1Thessalonians 5:4 ; 1John 1:6-7 ; 1John 2:9-10 .) For here the outward element of light or darkness is said to pervade the inner nature of the soul. (1) Christ is the “true Light,” the “Sun of Righteousness” ( John 1:4-9 ; John 3:19 ; John 8:12 ; John 9:5 ; John 12:46 ). His servants are sometimes mere secondary lights (or “candles”) ( Luke 11:33-34 ; Luke 11:36 ; John 5:35 ; 2Peter 1:19 ), kindled from His rays; sometimes, like the moon or planets, they are said, as reflecting His light, or as having His light in them ( John 12:35 ), to be actually “the light of the world” ( Matthew 5:14 ), which, however, shines as a mere reflected light, so that “men glorify” not it, but “the Father which is in heaven” ( Matthew 5:16 ).

They thus become light, but only “in the Lord:” that is, as being made one with Him. (2) So, on the other hand, they who walk in darkness are said to be themselves darkness—new sources, so to speak, of the darkness which hates and quenches light, both to themselves and to others. “The light” which is in them “becomes darkness;” “and how great is that darkness!” ( Matthew 6:23 .) As there is a natural delight in giving light, so the reprobate state is distinguished by a horrible pleasure in spreading the cloud of delusion, sin, or unbelief, by which to hide God from man. Walk as children of light.—So our Lord teaches, “While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may become children of light” (John 12:36; comp. 1Thessalonians 5:5). “Children of light” are they who not only love the light, but also manifest the likeness of the one true Light, “the Father of Lights” (James 1:17), being His children in Jesus Christ.