Ephesians 5:8-14
Chapter 5
8
You were once darkness, but now, you are light in the LORD. Behave as children of light;
9
the fruits of light are kindness, justice, and truth, in every form.
10
You, yourselves, seek out what pleases the Lord,
11
and avoid participating in unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them.
12
Indeed, it is shameful even to speak of what those people do in secret,
13
but once it is exposed to light, everything becomes clear; and what is hidden is revealed through light.
14
Therefore, it says: ‘Sleeper, wake up! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’
Commentaries
The Kingdom of Light.
Light and darkness: here is another image with biblical resonances that Paul uses to exhort the Ephesians to conduct themselves as “children of light,” reminding them that “once you were darkness” (8). Most of Paul’s Christian communities lived in the great cities of the Empire, where the widespread moral decay of the time was most evident and notorious. Paul, in the end, seems to invite the Christian community to remain vigilant, like the wise virgins of the Gospel, waiting for the bridegroom with their lamps lit with hymns and songs inspired by the “night” of the evil times in which they live (Mt 25:1-13).