Ephesians 5:12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. 14 For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light. Therefore, it says, “Those who sleep, awake forever! Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones! Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:14 is composed of the following:
(1) Causal clause: pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) Marker of an Inferential Quotation: dio legei (διὸ λέγει), “Therefore, it says” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) Command: egeire, ho katheudōn (ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων), “Those who sleep, awake forever!” (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) Command: kai anasta ek tōn nekrōn (καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν), “Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones!” (Lecturer’s translation)
(5) Result clause: kai ⸂epiphausei soi ho Christos (καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός), “Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, in Ephesians 5:14, we have the same interpretative problem as we did in Ephesians 5:11-13.
Namely, are these verses designed to govern the conduct of the members of the Christian community with regards to their interaction with the members of the non-Christian community or the apostate or unfaithful members of the Christian community or both?
I believe that all these verses are related to the Christian community’s interaction with the non-Christian community.
This is indicated clearly by the preceding and following context.
First of all, this verse belongs to a section, which begins in Ephesians 5:6 and ends in Ephesians 5:14.
Ephesians 5:6 required that the recipients of this epistle continue to make it their habit to never let absolutely anyone cause any one of you to be deceived by means of words devoid of truth because these things are the reason why the one and only God’s wrath is and will be exercised for His own glory against those members of the human race characterized by disobedience.
“These things” is a reference to is the sins of sexual immorality, impurity and greediness, which are listed in Ephesians 5:5.
“Those members of the human race characterized by disobedience” is a clear reference to the non-Christian.
Ephesians 5:7 required that the recipients of this letter must continue for their own benefit to not make it their habit of conducting their lives as fellow partakers with them.
Again, Paul is speaking of believers partaking in the practice of the sins listed in Ephesians 5:6, which characterize the lifestyle of the non-Christian.
Furthermore, the light/darkness motif in Ephesians 5:8-14 is clearly presenting an emphatic contrast between the lifestyle of members of the Christian community who are characterized by spiritual light as a result of being regenerated by the Spirit at justification and the lifestyle of non-Christian.
Those belonging to the darkness of Satan’s cosmic system are characterized by sin. Those characterized by spiritual light are of course the members of the Christian community.
Lastly, the reference to the sleeper in Ephesians 5:14 and the command for the unbeliever to rise from the dead is clearly a reference to the Holy Spirit’s appeal to the non-Christian to repent by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This faith results in the Holy Spirit regenerating them so that they become enlightened children of God.
Ephesians 5:14 contains another interpretative problem, which revolves the meaning of the assertion pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For everything made evident is light” (NET) and its relationship with the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.
Now, I interpret the post-positive conjunction gar (γάρ) as functioning as a marker of cause, which means that the assertion pan…to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν…τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), which it introduces, presents the reason for the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.
In our study of Ephesians 5:13, we noted that the contents of this verse present a contrast with the assertion in Ephesians 5:12.
The former asserts that because each and every one of the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to unregenerate humanity as sin against a holy God.
On the other hand, the latter asserts that the unfruitful activities being practiced by unregenerate members of the human race secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention.
Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the contrast is between the practice of these unfruitful activities secretly by unregenerate humanity and these activities being habitually revealed as sin against a holy God by church age believers because they are habitually exposing them as sin against a holy God.
The assertion in Ephesians 5:14, which is introduced by the conjunction gar (γάρ), states that anyone who is for their own benefit revealing the activities of unregenerate people, as sin to them, is characterized by spiritual light.
The one characterized by spiritual light is the church age believer.
They are characterized as such because they are enlightened children of God (cf. Eph. 5:8).
Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the reason why the activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being revealed to them as sin against God is that church age believers, who are revealing to them that these activities constitute sin against a holy God, are characterized by spiritual light.
Thus, this causal statement in Ephesians 5:14 actually completes the thought in the declarative statement in Ephesians 5:13 by presenting the reason for this statement by identifying who is doing the revealing.
Together, they assert that the sinful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to them as sin against God “because” those habitually revealing their sin to them are characterized by spiritual light.
The causal clause in Ephesians 5:14 therefore parallels the one in Ephesians 5:13, which we noted asserts that unfruitful activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed to them as sin by those who are characterized by spiritual light.
Ephesians 5:14 identifies church age believers as those who are revealing to unregenerate people that their secretive activities are sin against a holy God because they themselves are characterized by spiritual light because they are enlightened children of this holy God.
In other words, when the church age believer’s lifestyle is governed by obey Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching presented in this letter, the church age is convicted the non-believer that they are a sinner in the eyes of a holy God and are in need of a Savior to deliver them from the wrath of this God who is holy (cf. Rom. 1:18-32).
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:14-Two Interpretative Problems
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 9, 2026
www.wenstrom.org
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:14-Two Interpretative Problems
Lesson # 344
Ephesians 5:12 For these unfruitful activities being practiced by them secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention. 13 However, because each and every one of these things are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, they are being habitually revealed (as sin to those characterized by spiritual darkness and disobedience) by those who are characterized by spiritual light. 14 For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light. Therefore, it says, “Those who sleep, awake forever! Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones! Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:14 is composed of the following:
(1) Causal clause: pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For anyone who for their own benefit makes it their habit of revealing (to those characterized by spiritual darkness that their unfruitful activities practiced secretly are sin against a holy God) is characterized by spiritual light.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) Marker of an Inferential Quotation: dio legei (διὸ λέγει), “Therefore, it says” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) Command: egeire, ho katheudōn (ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων), “Those who sleep, awake forever!” (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) Command: kai anasta ek tōn nekrōn (καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν), “Correspondingly, rise from the dead ones!” (Lecturer’s translation)
(5) Result clause: kai ⸂epiphausei soi ho Christos (καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός), “Consequently, the one and only Christ will as a certainty shine upon you.” (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, in Ephesians 5:14, we have the same interpretative problem as we did in Ephesians 5:11-13.
Namely, are these verses designed to govern the conduct of the members of the Christian community with regards to their interaction with the members of the non-Christian community or the apostate or unfaithful members of the Christian community or both?
I believe that all these verses are related to the Christian community’s interaction with the non-Christian community.
This is indicated clearly by the preceding and following context.
First of all, this verse belongs to a section, which begins in Ephesians 5:6 and ends in Ephesians 5:14.
Ephesians 5:6 required that the recipients of this epistle continue to make it their habit to never let absolutely anyone cause any one of you to be deceived by means of words devoid of truth because these things are the reason why the one and only God’s wrath is and will be exercised for His own glory against those members of the human race characterized by disobedience.
“These things” is a reference to is the sins of sexual immorality, impurity and greediness, which are listed in Ephesians 5:5.
“Those members of the human race characterized by disobedience” is a clear reference to the non-Christian.
Ephesians 5:7 required that the recipients of this letter must continue for their own benefit to not make it their habit of conducting their lives as fellow partakers with them.
Again, Paul is speaking of believers partaking in the practice of the sins listed in Ephesians 5:6, which characterize the lifestyle of the non-Christian.
Furthermore, the light/darkness motif in Ephesians 5:8-14 is clearly presenting an emphatic contrast between the lifestyle of members of the Christian community who are characterized by spiritual light as a result of being regenerated by the Spirit at justification and the lifestyle of non-Christian.
Those belonging to the darkness of Satan’s cosmic system are characterized by sin. Those characterized by spiritual light are of course the members of the Christian community.
Lastly, the reference to the sleeper in Ephesians 5:14 and the command for the unbeliever to rise from the dead is clearly a reference to the Holy Spirit’s appeal to the non-Christian to repent by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This faith results in the Holy Spirit regenerating them so that they become enlightened children of God.
Ephesians 5:14 contains another interpretative problem, which revolves the meaning of the assertion pan gar to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), “For everything made evident is light” (NET) and its relationship with the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.
Now, I interpret the post-positive conjunction gar (γάρ) as functioning as a marker of cause, which means that the assertion pan…to phaneroumenon phōs estin (πᾶν…τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν), which it introduces, presents the reason for the assertion in Ephesians 5:13.
In our study of Ephesians 5:13, we noted that the contents of this verse present a contrast with the assertion in Ephesians 5:12.
The former asserts that because each and every one of the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed by those who are characterized by spiritual light, the unfruitful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to unregenerate humanity as sin against a holy God.
On the other hand, the latter asserts that the unfruitful activities being practiced by unregenerate members of the human race secretly are a shameful disgrace to even mention.
Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the contrast is between the practice of these unfruitful activities secretly by unregenerate humanity and these activities being habitually revealed as sin against a holy God by church age believers because they are habitually exposing them as sin against a holy God.
The assertion in Ephesians 5:14, which is introduced by the conjunction gar (γάρ), states that anyone who is for their own benefit revealing the activities of unregenerate people, as sin to them, is characterized by spiritual light.
The one characterized by spiritual light is the church age believer.
They are characterized as such because they are enlightened children of God (cf. Eph. 5:8).
Therefore, a comparison of these two assertions indicates that the reason why the activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being revealed to them as sin against God is that church age believers, who are revealing to them that these activities constitute sin against a holy God, are characterized by spiritual light.
Thus, this causal statement in Ephesians 5:14 actually completes the thought in the declarative statement in Ephesians 5:13 by presenting the reason for this statement by identifying who is doing the revealing.
Together, they assert that the sinful activities practiced secretly by unregenerate humanity are being habitually revealed to them as sin against God “because” those habitually revealing their sin to them are characterized by spiritual light.
The causal clause in Ephesians 5:14 therefore parallels the one in Ephesians 5:13, which we noted asserts that unfruitful activities practiced in secret by unregenerate humanity are being habitually exposed to them as sin by those who are characterized by spiritual light.
Ephesians 5:14 identifies church age believers as those who are revealing to unregenerate people that their secretive activities are sin against a holy God because they themselves are characterized by spiritual light because they are enlightened children of this holy God.
In other words, when the church age believer’s lifestyle is governed by obey Paul’s Spirit inspired apostolic teaching presented in this letter, the church age is convicted the non-believer that they are a sinner in the eyes of a holy God and are in need of a Savior to deliver them from the wrath of this God who is holy (cf. Rom. 1:18-32).