Ephesians 5:5

Context

Ephesians has traditionally been regarded as a letter that Paul wrote from prison to the churches in the region of Ephesus. Some scholars hold that a disciple of Paul wrote it in his name.

Beginning in the latter part of chapter 4, the letter turns from doctrinal exposition to practical exhortation. Chapter 5 unfolds as follows:

• Verses 1–2: Readers are urged to be "followers of God" and to walk in love.
• Verses 3–4: Fornication, all uncleanness, and covetousness are to be "not once named" among the saints.
• Verse 5: The reason for this command is given.
• Verses 6–8: The letter warns readers not to be deceived "with vain words" and calls them "children of light."

The verse thus belongs to a passage addressed to those who already believe, contrasting their old life with the new. The word "inheritance" denotes a share received as an heir, that is, a legacy. Here it refers to participation in the kingdom of God that God has promised.

Interpretation

• Covetousness as idolatry: Many commentators read "who is an idolater" as a description of the "covetous man" immediately preceding it. On this reading, wealth and the desire for possessions usurp the place of God, and the thought parallels Colossians 3:5, "covetousness, which is idolatry."
• The Reformed reading: The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterian churches, holds that the verse refers not to individual acts in which believers stumble but to a way of life continued without repentance. Because true faith bears the fruit of sanctification, remaining in such a life is interpreted as a sign that one has not been saved. Such warnings are themselves understood as a means by which God keeps believers to the end (perseverance of the saints).
• The Wesleyan reading: The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodist and Holiness churches, together with Arminianism, holds that the warning genuinely applies to believers as well. On this reading, a person can fall from grace through deliberate and persistent sin, and the emphasis falls on holy living.
• "Inheritance" as reward: Some American evangelicals, holding what is known as the Free Grace position, interpret the inheritance not as entrance into the kingdom of God but as a reward to be received in that kingdom. Accordingly, they do not take the verse to mean the loss of salvation itself. This is generally regarded as a minority view.

Debates and Issues

• Assurance of salvation: The differences among the readings above are tied to long-standing debates between denominations concerning the assurance of salvation and the relationship between justification and sanctification.
• "The kingdom of Christ and of God": The Greek text joins the two names under a single article. On this basis, some argue that the phrase can be read as "the kingdom of Christ, who is God." Others counter that grammar alone cannot settle the question.
• Manuscript variation: The relative pronoun rendered "who is" is reportedly transmitted in the neuter form in some manuscripts and in the masculine form in others. The difference in meaning, however, is generally considered slight.
• Balance in citation: Some observe that because the verse is cited chiefly in discussions of sexual ethics, the warning against covetousness in the same sentence receives less attention.

Related Passages

• Ephesians 5:3
• Colossians 3:5
• 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
• Galatians 5:19–21
• Revelation 22:15