This Tuesday, we will be discussing Ephesians 4:17-32. In this reading, Paul encourages his audience to leave behind their worldly pagan ways.
Hearts and Minds Modification:
Last week we began the second half of Ephesians where Paul is concerned with the ethical and behavioral implications of what it means to be in Christ and living within a Christian community. In Ephesians 4:17-5:20, Paul specifically appeals to his primarily Gentile audience to abandon their pagan way of life. (Today, we would use the word “worldly” or “secular” instead of “pagan.”)
In making this appeal, however, Paul understands that the gospel is not about behavior modification but about the modification of hearts and minds. Paul knows that he cannot change anyone’s actions unless their hearts and minds are first in the right place, and then the change in action will necessarily follow.
The Problem of Ignorance: (vv.17-21)
The problem that Paul is encountering is ignorance. Plato writes that “Ignorance is the root and stem of all evil.” For Plato, individuals do evil because they lack knowledge of the Good. This idea goes back to the Allegory of Cave in which Socrates proposes that most men live in a cave of ignorance and only see the shadows of reality. This cave darkness their understanding and prevents them from seeing the light that exists outside of this cave of ignorance. In the allegory, the mind cannot change into it receives the light of knowledge (i.e. philosophy).
Paul’s discourse follows Plato’s thought process. However, for Paul, full knowledge is found in the person of Christ Jesus. Those who are ignorant of Christ, are morally callous, licentious, and greedy. v.19. That is to be expected. If someone is ignorant of the Good they will necessarily act in accordance with their baser passions.
But, Paul reminds his audience, that they are not ignorant. They have actual knowledge of Christ Jesus. Most importantly, Paul says that they also have been taught about the life that Jesus himself lived and therefore have an example that they are to follow. To not do so, is to be wilfully ignorant and intentionally return to the darkness.
Put off the Old: (vv.22-24)
Paul calls upon his audience to cast off their old life, which arose from their ignorance, just as they would cast off an old garment. Their old nature is simply not who they are anymore with the full knowledge of Christ Jesus. The old, dirty, corrupted self with its old, dirty, and corrupted patterns of life has been removed. They (and us) have been made a new person in Christ such that we are now in the image and likeness of God in which we were originally created.
Paul wants to make sure that his audience does not fall back into their old ways which arose from their ignorance. Therefore, Paul tells them, that their knowledge of God in Christ must be (continually) renewed in their minds so that the proper ethical behavior will continue to follow. v.23.
If you missed it, my sermon this morning is HERE.
Dinner is a 6. The menu is Arayes. Discussion about 6:45. Compline around 8. Hope to see you here!
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4