The background of Ephesians
We are told in the first verse of Ephesians that it was written by “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1:1). This book is an epistle, meaning it is a letter, and Paul wrote this particular letter while in prison in Rome. He sent it to the church in Ephesus (a city which is now part of modern-day Turkey), where he had spent three years in fruitful ministry, speaking boldly, leading daily discussions, and doing extraordinary miracles by the power of God (Acts 19)
Paul eventually left them to continue ministry elsewhere. Still, it seems the Ephesian elders of the church were very dear to him, as he stopped by to see them on his way to certain persecution, encouraging them and praying with them and exchanging tearful goodbyes in a poignant scene captured in Acts 20:13-38. The letter to the Ephesians was sent by way of Paul’s co-worker Tychicus, whose purpose in visiting Ephesus was “for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts” (Eph. 6:22).
The Ephesians chapter 5 can be summed up with a single phrase: to imitate God and do everything according to His Will.
A. Walk in Love (5:1-7)
We, the believers of Jesus must walk in love and our love must be characterized through deeds, thoughts and actions. We are to imitate the love of God because we are His Children. (Ephesians 2:4-10), God has loved us deeply and He is full of mercy. To walk in love is not merely to say that we love Christ to that we love others. To walk in love is to want more and more of Christ and give yourself to him completely. It is also to want more and more of a relationship with each other. We must never be content with the level of faithfulness we have attained in loving one another and in loving Christ. But, at the same time, those who walk in love have complete contentment with the things of this world. Those in Christ are content with the spiritual blessings God has promised them after this life and with pure relationships we enjoy in the body of Christ. Christ has to be the pattern for us in this way.
The love here is an Agape in Greek which means love; it is a sacrificial, unselfish, unconditional love that proves itself through actions. It perfectly describes God’s love for us (John 3:16) and Christ’s love for us (1 John 3:16). With agape, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him” (1 John 4:9), When the Bible says, “God is love” in 1 John 4:8, the word “love” is a translation of agape. God’s nature, His essence, is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love.
The apostle John stressed that, since God loves us sacrificially and unconditionally, we ought to love others in the same way: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). Again, we walk in love by imitating God’s love for us in how we show love to others. Jesus taught the same principle when He said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NLT).
B. Walk in Light- (Eph 5:8-14)
Paul told the Ephesians believers that they were once in darkness before they accepted Jesus Christ. Likewise, the day you get to Jesus you will walk in light. It contrasts the darkness of the past with the light of the Lord and encourages believers to find out what pleases God and avoid the deeds of darkness. It also says that the light exposes the evil things that are done in secret and quotes a prophecy that calls for the awakening of the sleeping and the rising of the dead.
(1 John 1:5-7)
C. Walk in Wisdom (Eph 5: 15-21)
This passage advises Christians to live wisely and carefully, making the most of every opportunity, and understanding the will of God1234. The passage contrasts the Christian walk with the former walk of unbelievers and warns against the dangers of sin, such as drunkenness and debauchery124. The passage also encourages Christians to be filled with the Spirit and to worship God with songs, thanksgiving, and submission to one another.
Paul acknowledges that we are living in evil, difficult times. Our fallen world is filled with dangers, deceptions, and temptations. If we aren’t cautious and attentive to what is happening around us and in us, we can easily be blindsided and fall headlong into any number of dangerous traps. Biblical wisdom teaches us to “make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5, NLT) and to walk (or behave) as true believers amid perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1–5).
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