Ephesians 5:8

8 You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it!

Ephesians 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ephesians 5:8

For ye were sometimes darkness
Not only dark, but darkness itself; exceeding blind, dark, and ignorant, respecting spiritual things; so the Gentiles were wont to be called by the Jews, (Kvwh) , "darkness" F11 itself; of this darkness, (See Gill on Ephesians 4:18).

But now [are ye] light in the Lord;
either in, or by the Lord Jesus Christ, the light of men, from whom all spiritual light comes; or by the Lord the Spirit, by whom the eyes of their understandings were enlightened, to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, in heart and life; the insufficiency of their own righteousness and moral virtues, to justify them before God; and the true and right way of righteousness, life and salvation by Christ; and to have some light into the several doctrines of the Gospel, and even a glimpse of the invisible glories and realities of another world: and this light is so great, that they are not only said to be enlightened, but to be light itself; and this they have not of, and from themselves, but the Lord; and therefore should

walk as children of light;
not in sins, which are works of darkness, but in faith, truth, and holiness.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 1. 2.

Ephesians 5:8 In-Context

6 Don't let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him.
7 Don't even hang around people like that.
8 You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it!
9 The good, the right, the true - these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours.
10 Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.