Goodness, justice, truth; prove what pleases; expose darkness (Eph 5:9–17)
Mark goodness, justice, and truth also from Christ's being righteousness. Goodness shows in benefaction; justice in distributing according to desert; truth in knowledge of the word of all things.
Ephesians 5:10 "Proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord." Do everything with counsel. Survey each deed by examination; as approved money-changers receive what is tested and pleasing to God, and shake off what is untested and displeasing. The phrasing is incomplete; restore it thus: do not become fellow-partakers with them, proving what pleases the Lord. If you were once darkness but now are light in the Lord, walk as children of light, showing the fruit of light in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Ephesians 5:11 "And do not share in the unfruitful works of darkness." Elsewhere he sets "fruit" on the Spirit and "work" on the flesh: "the works of the flesh are manifest… but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…" Here the works of darkness are unfruitful; whoever does them shares in them. "But rather also expose" belongs among the commandments—done by one who will not hear, "Hypocrite, first take the beam from your own eye." So the prophets, themselves not liable to exposure, exposed sinners.
Ephesians 5:12 "For the things they do in secret it is shameful even to speak." Which "they"? He did not say clearly unless one refers it to the sons of disobedience: what they do in secret—fornication and uncleanness—is shameful even to name.
Ephesians 5:13–14 "But all things exposed by the light are made plain; for everything made plain is light. Therefore it says, Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Exposed works of darkness become plain by the light as those exposed change into light. So to sleepers deadened by unfruitful dark works it is said, "Awake… and Christ will shine on you." Who says "Therefore it says"? Some think Paul quotes a prophet; others that he personifies Spirit-speech urging repentance.
Why to the same person both "Awake, sleeper" (as living) and "Rise from the dead"? Perhaps because the human spirit in him is spoken of for the better, while the soul receives sickness and death from sins: "Awake" suits the spirit; "Rise from the dead" suits the soul—"the soul that sins will die," and we nowhere find death of the spirit. Christ, true light, shines on the one raised from sleep and risen from the dead.
Ephesians 5:15–17 "Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil… understanding what the Lord's will is." Whoever tests each word, deed, and thought for what pleases the Lord can, by much attention, walk carefully—and such a walker is wise. Some mean well yet are not wise; so he adds "not as unwise but as wise." Wisdom watches the moral life carefully.
Redeeming the time means buying it back for yourselves while human life has evil days. Spend time on what is needed and you purchase it from sale to human wickedness. No one living for worldly cares has bought the time; only the one spending it on what is needful—continued next—buys it for the blessed life.
Greek
ἐπιστήσεις δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι δικαιο ύνην. ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ εὐεργετικῷ ἐμφαίνεται ἡ ἀγαθωσύνη, ἐν δὲ τῷ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονεμη τικῷ ἡ δικαιοσύνη, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐπιστημονικῷ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων λόγου ἡ ἀλήθεια. [v 10] δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστὶν εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ. χρεία τοῦ μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποιεῖν, ἵνα περισκοποῦντες ἕκαστον τῶν πρακτέων ἀπὸ ἐξετάσεως τὰ μὲν δοκιμαστὰ καὶ εὐάρεστα τῷ Θεῷ παρα δεξώμεθα ὡς δόκιμοι τραπεζῖται, τὰ δὲ ἀδόκιμα καὶ δυσάρεστα αὐτῷ ἀποσειώ μεθα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπήρτηται τὰ τῆς φράσεως, δοκεῖ μοι οὕτως ἂν ἀποκαταστῆναι, μὴ οὖν γίνεσθε συμμέτοχοι αὐτῶν, δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστὶν εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ. εἰ καὶ ἦτέ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ὄντες ἐν Κυρίῳ ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε, τοὺς καρποὺς ἐπιδεικνύμενοι τοῦ φωτὸς ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. [v 11a] καὶ μὴ συγκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους. καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τὸ μὲν τοῦ καρποῦ ὄνομα ἔταξεν ἐπὶ τοῦ πνεύματος τὸ δὲ τοῦ ἔργου ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκός, εἰπὼν φανερὰ δέ ἐ τι τὰ ἔργα τῆ αρκό , ἅτινά ἐ τι πορνεία καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ὁ δὲ καρπὸ τοῦ πνεύματό ἐ τιν ἀγάπη χαρὰ εἰρήνη καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. νῦν μέντοιγε τὰ τοῦ σκότους ἔργα ἄκαρπα εἶναί φησιν, οἷς κοινωνεῖ ὁ ποιῶν αὐτά. [v 11b] μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε. ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς εἶναι νομιστέον καὶ τὸ ἐλέγχειν· ὅπερ ποιήσει ὁ μὴ ἀκουσόμενος ἄν, ὑποκριτὰ ἔκβαλε πρῶτον ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ ου τὴν δοκὸν καὶ τότε διαβλέψει ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ κάρφο ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ου. διόπερ καὶ οἱ προφῆται, μηδαμῶς ἐλέγχοις ὑπεύθυνοι τυγχάνοντες, ἤλεγχον τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας. [v 12] τὰ γὰρ κρυφῆ γινόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν. τίνων αὐτῶν; οὐ πάνυ σαφῶς προεῖπεν· εἰ μὴ ἄρα τις ἀναφέρῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας τὴν λέξιν, ὥστε οὕτως αὐτὴν ἔχειν τὰ γὰρ κρυφῆ γινόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς ἀπειθείας αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν, ἅτινα ἦν πορνεία καὶ ἀκαθαρσία. 26 Eph. v13 [τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦνται· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν. διὸ λέγει, Ἔγειρε ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ χριστός.] [Ὠριγένης δέ φησιν] ἐπείπερ τὰ ἐλεγχόμενα ἔργα τοῦ σκότους ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται, μεταβαλλόντων τῶν ἐλεγχομένων εἰς φῶς, λέγεται τοῖς καθεύδουσι καὶ ἐν νεκρότητι τυγχάνουσιν ἐκ τοῦ τὰ ἄκαρπα ἔργα τοῦ σκότους πεποιηκέναι τὸ ἔγειρε ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ἁ χριστός. ζητήσαι δ' ἄν τις, τίς λέγει κατὰ τὸ ἐνθάδε γεγραμμένον διὸ λέγει Ἔγειρε ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τις φήσει ἔν τινι τῶν προφητῶν ἀνεγνωκότα ταῦτα τὸν ἀπόστολον ἐνθάδε αὐτὸν ἀναγεγραφέναι. ἕτερος δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀπόστολον προσωποποιεῖν τινα ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος λεγόμενα εἰς προτροπὴν τὴν ἐπὶ μετάνοιαν. ἔτι δὲ ζητήσεις, πῶς τῷ αὐτῷ λέγεται ὡς μὲν ζῶντι καὶ καθεύδοντι ἔγειρε ὁ καθεύδων, ὡς δὲ τεθνηκότι τὸ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν. μήποτ' οὖν ἐπείπερ ἔστι καὶ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ, ὅπερ ἐπὶ κρείττονος τετηρήκαμεν λέγεσθαι, ἔστι δέ τι καὶ δεύτερον ἡ ψυχὴ τὸ καὶ νόσου καὶ θανάτου ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δεκτικόν, τὸ μὲν ἔγειρε ὁ καθεύδων λέγεται διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα, τὸ δὲ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν διὰ τὴν ψυχήν· ἐπείπερ ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνου α αὕτη ἀποθανεῖται, τοῦ δὲ πνεύματος οὐδαμοῦ εὕρομεν θάνατον. φῶ δὲ ὢν ἀληθινὸν ὁ χριστός ἐπιφαύσει τῷ ἐγειρομένῳ ἀπὸ ὕπνου καὶ ἀναστάντι ἐκ νεκρῶν. 27 Eph. v15– 17 βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλ' ὡς σοφοί, ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρὸν ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν. διὰ τοῦτο μὴ γίνεσθε ἄφρονες, ἀλλὰ συνιέντες τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου. [Ὠριγένης φησίν] ὁ δοκιμάζων καθ' ἕκαστον ὧν λέγει καὶ πράττει καὶ ἐννοεῖ τὸ εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ, δυνήσεται καὶ βλέπειν ἀκριβῶς ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς προσοχῆς πῶς περιπατήσει, ὁ δὲ βλέπων ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατήσει πάντως ἐστὶ σοφός. καὶ ἐπεὶ πρόθεσίν τινες ἔχουσι χρηστοτέραν, οὐ σοφοὶ δὲ τυγχάνοντες θέλουσι βλέπειν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατοῦσι, προσέθηκε τὸ μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλ' ὡς σοφοί· σοφίας δὲ ἔργον τὸ βλέπειν ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὰ ἠθικά. ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρὸν ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν. οἱονεὶ ἑαυτοῖς τὸν καιρὸν ὠνούμενοι, ἔχοντα ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον πονηρὰς ἡμέρας. ὅτε οὖν εἴς τι δέον τὸν καιρὸν καταναλίσκομεν, ὠνησάμεθα αὐτὸν καὶ ἀντηγοράσαμεν ἑαυτοῖς ὡσπερεὶ πεπραμένον τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κακίᾳ· οὐδεὶς δὲ βιωτικώτερον ζῶν καὶ ἐν φροντίσιν ἢ μερίμναις τυγχάνων ἐώνηται ἑαυτῷ τὸν καιρόν, ἀλλ' ὁ μόνος εἴς τι
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam ad Ephesios (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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