Life: Connected in service

• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for Oct. 5 focuses on Ephesians 5:15-21.

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• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for Oct. 5 focuses on Ephesians 5:15-21.

Introduction

This week’s lesson focuses on a Scripture passage in which service to the Lord and other believers is embedded as an attending activity of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul exhorts his readers to wise living and delivers keen counsel that provides Spirit-led activities which prevent unwise, foolish and destructive behavior to take root. Christian service is described by five activities characterizing a Spirit-filled life.

This passage has three important features: (1) the main command in verse 15; (2) two pairs of supporting commands in verses 17 and 18; and (3) five acts of service accompanying the filling of the Spirit.

Serve each other with wisdom (Ephesians 5:15-17)

The great command of the paragraph leads off verse 15: “Watch carefully how you walk.” “Watch” is a military command for sentries and must be obeyed by believers with military intensity. “Walk” commonly refers to lifestyle in the Bible. Believers must intensely live by God’s wisdom.

Verse 15’s appeal for wise living derives from the Bible’s central statement on wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Verse 15 speaks of wisdom and verse 21 speaks of “fear of Christ.” These two verses encapsulate the paragraph in the main topic—walking in wisdom.

Wisdom is provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Life is so important and life decisions so critical that believers need the Lord’s constant presence and instant provision of wisdom to navigate this world’s evils.

A participle clause in verse 16 describes how to “watch” one’s lifestyle. The word means to “redeem” or “make the most of.” Participles describe activity concurrent to the action of the main verb. Believers are to watch their spiritual walk by making the most of their time. The remainder of the paragraph describes how to “redeem” the time. Verse 16 explains the importance of doing so: Evil readily fills our time with foolish living if we do not diligently watch our lifestyle and redeem our time.


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Verse 17 provides the first of two pairs of commands. The pairs appear in a contrasting “do not/do” arrangement. The first command prohibits foolishness. “Foolish” connects with “unwise” in verse 15. Instead, believers must comprehend the Lord’s will. Comprehending God’s will explains “wise” in verse 15. “Comprehending” means gaining a life-challenging grasp of something. Verse 18 explains how to be wise and comprehend the Lord’s will.

Serve each other in submission to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

A second pair of commands explains the wise activity encouraged by verse 15. Drunkenness is prohibited, while the filling of the Holy Spirit is exhorted. From secular life comes the phrase “under the influence.” One must not be under the influence of wine, which alters perceptions and judgment, resulting in foolish behavior. Unwise behavior is foolish and has the same result as yielding control to wine. Wise behavior, however, comprehends the Lord’s will and derives from being under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Being filled by the Holy Spirit must be learned and actively pursued by the believer. Such learning comes largely from experience, although answers are not difficult to find by dedicated believers who inquire of our very willing Lord. This tightly constructed paragraph does not provide step-by-step coaching, but the remainder of the paragraph gives five actions that accompany the lifestyles of those filled with the Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit affects how believers live (Ephesians 5:19-21)

Five participles dominate verses 19-21 and describe actions concurrent to, and descriptive of, a life filled with the Holy Spirit. Often participles, as here, accompanying commands are translated as commands in English. It is better for readers to understand these five participles describe activities that accompany filling by the Spirit.

The first participle (v. 19), “speaking,” often is translated as “sing.” The filling of the Holy Spirit causes believers to sing psalms (praises, referring to the biblical psalms), hymns (praises to God written by other composers) and spiritual songs (a general reference for all songs of the faith). The second participle stresses singing. The third participle is actually the verbal form of “psalm” and can be rendered “sing praise.”

The action of the first participle is directed toward people, whereas the singing and praising is directed to the Lord. All three aspects can be fulfilled in one activity with the result that others are encouraged and lifted up in their faith and the Lord is praised. The ministry of one’s music to other people cannot be overlooked. The key to praise is the sincere expression of the heart to the Lord.

Verse 20 provides the fourth participle of the series, “giving thanks.” Thanks and praise are paired frequently. The recipient of thanks is God the Father. Thanks must be given always—for everything—and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers must be as thorough in thanking God as they are in praising him.

The last participle, found in verse 21, returns to people-orientation. Filling by the Holy Spirit leads to submission to others. Submission is the voluntary placing of another’s needs and best interests ahead of one’s own. Because the days are evil, wisdom strategically focuses one’s energy on others. This avoids being drawn into foolish, self-centered evil.

The reason for submitting to one another is the fear of the Lord. This concept refers to acknowledging one must account to the Lord for one’s life. Those who fear the Lord live according to his will. The fear of the Lord describes the process of repentance. Paul means a life of repentance, which is a wise life, will be accompanied by the selfless activity of submission to others.


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