Ephesians 5:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

No

Unfruitful

Works

General references

Bible References

No

So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin].

“Simeon and Levi are brothers [equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive, and cruel];
Their swords are weapons of violence and revenge.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],

Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

I do not sit with deceitful or unethical or worthless men,
Nor seek companionship with pretenders (self-righteous hypocrites).

Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not go the way of evil men.

“Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live,
And walk in the way of insight and understanding.”

I did not sit with the group of those who celebrate,
Nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone because Your [powerful] hand was upon me,
For You had filled me with indignation [at their sin].

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them.

I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate with [sexually] immoral people—

On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples].

Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Now we command you, believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His authority, that you withdraw and keep away from every brother or sister who leads an undisciplined life and does not live in accordance with the tradition and teaching that you have received from us.

and perpetual friction between men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who think that godliness is a source of profit [a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them].

holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [but diminishes or adds to the doctrine of Christ], do not receive or welcome him into your house, and do not give him a greeting or any encouragement;

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues;

Unfruitful

“Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way
And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

Say to the righteous that it will go well with them,
For they will eat the fruit of their [righteous] actions.

So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!

For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Works

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,

“Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.

This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.

General references

the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, every species of hawk,

so that they will not teach you to act in accordance with all the detestable practices which they have done [in worship and service] for their gods, and in this way cause you to sin against the Lord your God.

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.

Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

Let your way [in life] be far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],

Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool,
For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips.

And you [Jeremiah] shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.”

So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin].