Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:5-The Warning in Ephesians 5:5 Presents the Reason for the Prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4
Lesson # 318
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you because this conduct is appropriate behavior for saints. 4 Correspondingly, not only obscene language but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you. These are absolutely never appropriate. But instead, the practice of thanksgiving is in fact appropriate. 5 For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction because all of you without exception know experientially, namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:5 is composed of the following:
(1) causal declarative statement: touto gar iste (τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε), “For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction.” (Lecturer’stranslation)
(2) causal participle clause: ginōskontes (γινώσκοντες), “because all of you without exception know experientially” (Lecturer’stranslation)
(3) Direct object clause: hoti pas pornos ē akathartos ē pleonektēs…ouk echei klēronomian en tē basileia ou Christou kai theou (ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης…οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ οῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ), “namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual… absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God” (Lecturer’stranslation)
(4) parenthetical relative pronoun clause: ho estin eidōlolatrēs (ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης), “who are characterized as idolaters” (Lecturer’stranslation)
So therefore, this verse begins with a declarative statement, which asserts that the recipients of this epistle possessed a conviction, which is identified by a direct object clause, which follows it, and asserts that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
The relative pronoun clause embedded in this direct object clause describes these sexually immoral, impure and greedy people as idolaters.
Therefore, the declarative statement asserts that the recipients of this letter possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
This declarative statement presents the reason for the prohibitions issued by Paul in Ephesians 5:3-5.
This declarative statement in verse 5 is modified by a participial clause, which asserts that the recipients of this letter knew experientially that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely never possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
This participle clause presents the reason for the declarative statement.
Therefore, this indicates that the recipients of this epistle possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely never possesses an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God because they knew this doctrine experientially.
So therefore, as we noted, the declarative statement, which begins verse 5 presents the reason for the prohibitions issued in Ephesians 5:3-5.
Therefore, by way of review, we noted that in verse 3, the apostle Paul issues the recipients of this epistle who were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a prohibition, which stands in contrasts to the command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.
This prohibition required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any of them.
Paul modifies this prohibition with a causal clause, which presents the reason for this prohibition and asserts that this type of conduct is inappropriate conduct for saints.
So as we noted the prohibition in Ephesians 5:3 stands in contrast with the previous command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.
We noted in our study of Ephesians 5:1 that Paul issues a command to the recipients of this epistle, which required that they continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating the one and only God.
This command is modified by a causal clause, which asserts that they are the Father’s beloved children and this command presents an inference from the contents of Ephesians 4:25-32.
Therefore, this indicates that the command in Ephesians 5:1 presents the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented by Paul in Ephesians 4:25-32.
Therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:1 to be imitators of God the Father because the believer is His beloved child is the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented in Ephesians 4:25-32.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that these commands and prohibitions are all different ways or manifestations of obeying the Lord’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12.
They are manifestations of obedience to this command because obedience to these commands and prohibitions reflect God’s holy character and are also manifestations of doing right by one’s fellow believer and treating one’s fellow believer the way one would want to be treated.
Then, as we noted in our study of Ephesians 5:2, Paul issues the members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a command, which explains in greater detail the meaning of the command in Ephesians 5:1.
It required that they must continue to make it their habit of living their lives by means of the practice of divine-love.
He then emphatically presents the reason for this command, which asserts that the one and only Christ divinely-love them.
Paul then goes on to explain this statement by asserting that Christ gave Himself up as a substitute for them. He describes Christ’s self-sacrificial act of love for them as a voluntary offering and specifically a sacrifice for the benefit of His Father for a fragrant aroma.
So therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:2 indicates that when Paul commands the recipients of this letter to continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating God the Father’s love them, he means that they are to continue to make it their habit of living their lives by practicing the love of the Father.
Now in Ephesians 5:3, Paul issues the recipients of this letter a prohibition which required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind or greed must never be mentioned as being practiced amongst themselves.
Therefore, it marks a contrast between the Christian community living their lives by practicing the love of the Father and that of practicing sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, sexual impurity of any kind nor greed.
If they obey the Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12 to love one another as He has loved them at the cross, then they would not practice these sins.
This contrast could also be characterized as being between self-indulgent behavior and self-sacrificial conduct or even not denying self and denying self.
Ephesians 5:4 begins with an elliptical prohibition, which corresponds with the prohibition, which appears in Ephesians 5:3.
It required that not only obscene language, but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced by the recipients of this epistle.
This prohibition is modified by a relative pronoun clause, which describes these sins of the tongue as never being appropriate for them to practice.
It is followed by an elliptical strong adversative clause, which presents an emphatic contrast with practicing these sins of the tongue.
It asserts that the practice of giving thanks to God is appropriate for them to be practicing with each other and with those outside the Christian community.
Now, in verse 5, Paul makes the assertion that the recipients of this letter know for certain or possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.
As we noted, this assertion presents the reason for the two prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4.
Therefore, this would indicate that the recipients of this letter must continue to make it their habit of obeying these prohibitions because they possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:5-The Warning in Ephesians 5:5 Presents the Reason for the Prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday February 7, 2026
www.wenstrom.org
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:5-The Warning in Ephesians 5:5 Presents the Reason for the Prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4
Lesson # 318
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you because this conduct is appropriate behavior for saints. 4 Correspondingly, not only obscene language but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any one of you. These are absolutely never appropriate. But instead, the practice of thanksgiving is in fact appropriate. 5 For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction because all of you without exception know experientially, namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:5 is composed of the following:
(1) causal declarative statement: touto gar iste (τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε), “For this each and every one of you as a corporate unit possess the conviction.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) causal participle clause: ginōskontes (γινώσκοντες), “because all of you without exception know experientially” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) Direct object clause: hoti pas pornos ē akathartos ē pleonektēs…ouk echei klēronomian en tē basileia ou Christou kai theou (ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης…οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ οῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ), “namely that, each and every sexually immoral individual or sexually impure individual or greedy individual… absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God” (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) parenthetical relative pronoun clause: ho estin eidōlolatrēs (ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης), “who are characterized as idolaters” (Lecturer’s translation)
So therefore, this verse begins with a declarative statement, which asserts that the recipients of this epistle possessed a conviction, which is identified by a direct object clause, which follows it, and asserts that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
The relative pronoun clause embedded in this direct object clause describes these sexually immoral, impure and greedy people as idolaters.
Therefore, the declarative statement asserts that the recipients of this letter possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
This declarative statement presents the reason for the prohibitions issued by Paul in Ephesians 5:3-5.
This declarative statement in verse 5 is modified by a participial clause, which asserts that the recipients of this letter knew experientially that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely never possess an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God.
This participle clause presents the reason for the declarative statement.
Therefore, this indicates that the recipients of this epistle possessed the conviction that each and every sexually immoral, impure or greedy individual absolutely never possesses an inheritance in the one and only Christ’s kingdom, who is God because they knew this doctrine experientially.
So therefore, as we noted, the declarative statement, which begins verse 5 presents the reason for the prohibitions issued in Ephesians 5:3-5.
Therefore, by way of review, we noted that in verse 3, the apostle Paul issues the recipients of this epistle who were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a prohibition, which stands in contrasts to the command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.
This prohibition required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind, or greed must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced among any of them.
Paul modifies this prohibition with a causal clause, which presents the reason for this prohibition and asserts that this type of conduct is inappropriate conduct for saints.
So as we noted the prohibition in Ephesians 5:3 stands in contrast with the previous command in Ephesians 5:2, which explains in greater detail the command in Ephesians 5:1.
We noted in our study of Ephesians 5:1 that Paul issues a command to the recipients of this epistle, which required that they continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating the one and only God.
This command is modified by a causal clause, which asserts that they are the Father’s beloved children and this command presents an inference from the contents of Ephesians 4:25-32.
Therefore, this indicates that the command in Ephesians 5:1 presents the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented by Paul in Ephesians 4:25-32.
Therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:1 to be imitators of God the Father because the believer is His beloved child is the logical conclusion which can be derived from the various commands and prohibitions presented in Ephesians 4:25-32.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that these commands and prohibitions are all different ways or manifestations of obeying the Lord’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12.
They are manifestations of obedience to this command because obedience to these commands and prohibitions reflect God’s holy character and are also manifestations of doing right by one’s fellow believer and treating one’s fellow believer the way one would want to be treated.
Then, as we noted in our study of Ephesians 5:2, Paul issues the members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia a command, which explains in greater detail the meaning of the command in Ephesians 5:1.
It required that they must continue to make it their habit of living their lives by means of the practice of divine-love.
He then emphatically presents the reason for this command, which asserts that the one and only Christ divinely-love them.
Paul then goes on to explain this statement by asserting that Christ gave Himself up as a substitute for them. He describes Christ’s self-sacrificial act of love for them as a voluntary offering and specifically a sacrifice for the benefit of His Father for a fragrant aroma.
So therefore, the command in Ephesians 5:2 indicates that when Paul commands the recipients of this letter to continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by imitating God the Father’s love them, he means that they are to continue to make it their habit of living their lives by practicing the love of the Father.
Now in Ephesians 5:3, Paul issues the recipients of this letter a prohibition which required that sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, in fact, sexual impurity of any kind or greed must never be mentioned as being practiced amongst themselves.
Therefore, it marks a contrast between the Christian community living their lives by practicing the love of the Father and that of practicing sexual immorality in the form of temple prostitution, sexual impurity of any kind nor greed.
If they obey the Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12 to love one another as He has loved them at the cross, then they would not practice these sins.
This contrast could also be characterized as being between self-indulgent behavior and self-sacrificial conduct or even not denying self and denying self.
Ephesians 5:4 begins with an elliptical prohibition, which corresponds with the prohibition, which appears in Ephesians 5:3.
It required that not only obscene language, but also stupid conversation or crude joking must continue to never be mentioned as being practiced by the recipients of this epistle.
This prohibition is modified by a relative pronoun clause, which describes these sins of the tongue as never being appropriate for them to practice.
It is followed by an elliptical strong adversative clause, which presents an emphatic contrast with practicing these sins of the tongue.
It asserts that the practice of giving thanks to God is appropriate for them to be practicing with each other and with those outside the Christian community.
Now, in verse 5, Paul makes the assertion that the recipients of this letter know for certain or possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely do not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.
As we noted, this assertion presents the reason for the two prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-4.
Therefore, this would indicate that the recipients of this letter must continue to make it their habit of obeying these prohibitions because they possess the conviction that each and every sexually immoral or sexually impure or greedy individual, who are characterized as idolaters, absolutely does not possess an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ who is God.