Bite 75: Creating a Sentence Diagram of Ephesians 5:3-15

Another Long “Weekend” Filled with Camping!

A lot of beautiful things happened in the last four days. Want to see?

One of the most profound things I learned, though, was something that Jeremy commented on driving home. On our bike rides at Pronghorn and then Penetenté Recreational Areas, I crashed my precious bike, Kismet. Both rides. One crash was slow motion down a steep switchback with rocks in the middle of it and the other was a spine of rock where when I got up halfway, I couldn’t tell where the trail was. What did I do in both instances?

Stopped. Could I ride both features? Yes. Well within my capabilities. But I paused with indecision. There is a quote I saw once in my Tabata timer app attributed to Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Sage counsel. This last weekend was a great and profound time away from the norms of life.

I Forgot a Step Last Time

I didn’t write a summary. Said I was going to last time and then after all the application, my mind was all used up. Which is fine, I will write now and share it with you.

Now that falsehood is put away from you, be becoming like God in attitude and actions instead of like a Gentile.

Sentence Diagramming

We’ve scooted by the process of diagramming for the last few passages, but I’ve noticed a number of you have been searching for sentence diagramming when you’ve found me. So let’s discuss just a couple of details for fun.

I already have my diagram done, but as I look it over, I see that Paul uses a number of conjunctions. In Ephesians 5:3, there is a notable transition marked with a but. Here is another reason I didn’t follow the chapter break while attempting to keep the passages manageable in size. In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul wraps up the idea about how sheep should treat each other with a vignette of how God and Jesus have treated the sheep.

Side Note

Here is the link to my diagram so you can print it and look at it while we discuss it: 

I'll wait while you do that. Ok, ready? Let's go.

Contrast that with this list of what is not proper among saints: not treating each other or anyone else as beloved or as a sacrifice. But.

Conjunctions

After that, there are or‘s, and‘s, and a few more but‘s. But the but‘s as we continue on are between more specific behaviors rather than big picture behaviors.

How can I see this? At a glance, I see this because I’ve lined up most of my conjunctions along the left margin. I didn’t realize it when I began this habit, but now I can see regions of comparison within the text. Sometimes there is a list of similars and then there is a sharp turn with a but instead like in Ephesians 5:4. Paul is designating opposites.

Not icky stuff coming out of your mouth, but instead thanksgiving. Opposite of icky? Thankfulness. Easy to observe.

Lined up on the left margin is also another therefore. Before the therefore, Paul says God is angry with those characterized by disobedience. Contrast? Don’t attach yourself to them.

Following that, a series of and‘s. Paul lists similar line items that are opposite to the folks no one who calls on Christ should be attached to.

With these conjunctions lined up on the left, I have a distinct picture of the layout of the discourse. I find this helpful and maybe you will too.

Context

We have considered what came before this passage by way of the summary of the last passage. What comes after? In this way we keep ourselves moored to the pier of context.

When I was deciding where to end our current passage, I had trouble deciding what was a good stopping point. Paul doesn’t have a clear break from didactic discourse for a couple of chapters and I can’t eat that much in one bite. My solution? I’m going to “end” this passage with his exhortation to look carefully as the audience walks and then begin the next passage with this same exhortation. I have high hopes that will help me remember that these “passages” are only portions of a larger passage.

So what comes after? I don’t think I need to summarize or put anything into my own words. Simple and accurate is Ephesians 5:16, “Make the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” True then; true now. And it keeps the theme of Paul who used opposites in front of my mind.

Sentence Diagram Ready for Observations

Observations

Ordinarily, my first two lists are “God” and “man” when I begin observing. However, Paul is directing what he’s saying at the life of his audience. We can still learn something from such lists, like “oh look, God gets angry.” Which is important. Because if you might say “my god doesn’t get angry,” you’ve just been successful at creating a god in your own image rather than recognizing who God says he is. Can you see how these lists are important in the development of correct theology?

I’m not suggesting not doing them (ooh, double negative), I’m saying I’m not going to do them with you today.

Lists

I’ll show you the lists I made in the process of observing this passage so far. Hopefully you can read my writing. You can poke the arrow buttons to scroll through the five lists.

A Word About the Imperatives

That last list, I went through my reverse interlinear to discern which phrases in the original language were actual verb/imperative phrases. Sometimes in the translation, phrases that are nouns or participles get pressed into the verb-shape. Like in Ephesians 5:4 where the ESV reads let there be no filthiness…let there be thanksgiving. These aren’t commands in the same way as Ephesians 5:6 where it reads let no one deceive you.

To my eyes, those both look the same in the English. In the Greek, they aren’t. Verse 4 has nouns. Verse 6 has an imperative. Which doesn’t mean that Paul wasn’t telling his audience an imperative in essence in Ephesians 5:4, but construction-wise, they are not the same.

Questions

At this point, I only have one question that I wanted answered before I got into interpretation. That was around the funky type-set of Ephesians 5:14. Usually the designation of text in this fashion means that the text is an OT quote or even a line from ancient hymnody. The expert I consult in these situations is the NET.

The NET study note (sn) tells us that the translators think that this stanza is a composite quote from Isaiah 26:19, 51:17, 52:1, 60:1. As you hover over those verses, you can see why they think that, can’t you? For me, especially Isaiah 60:1 seems likely.

Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the writers of the NT had the ability to interpret and apply scripture from the OT. So they are able to help us understand the meanings of the texts from the OT when we read their writings in the New. It isn’t a “misquote” or discrepancy but an interpretation/application. Cool, I think.

Repetition

There was an occasion where Paul repeated a list. We remember that repetition indicates importance so let’s notice it.

In Ephesians 5:3, Paul lists sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness as bad. Stop it. He then repeats the list again in Ephesians 5:5 in case the audience missed it, with the added information that being covetous is equal to being an idolator. And that everyone who does these things has no inheritance in the kingdom.

He articulates how these behaviors are not to be named among the saints, and he amplifies it the next time he mentions the list that they are not going to enjoy the same inheritance he talks about in Ephesians 1:14, 1:18 with Christ and God.

See? Here is another thing about God we learn from this text that I didn’t take time to make a list about. God is just. Even the philosopher Immanuel Kant said that he thought God could not be proved. In his next philosophical breath, he also said that in order for there to be justice in the world, there has to be life of some sort after death. Because anyone can see that there is not true justice in this world. As Sproul put it, “Kant banished God, but then ran around to let him in through the back door.”

Reflection

Having only supposedly achieved observation in our time together, I don’t have a lot of application to make from my study today.

One detail that did catch my heart though, is the idea that the children of light are not to take part in the unfruitful works of darkness. Those behaviors that Paul listed out twice are some of the works of darkness that saints are not to participate in. Further, according to the NET, the phrase but instead as translated in the ESV can also be translated but rather.

That is what I will cogitate on as we get ready to part ways for today. I may need to adjust this as an application as I study further, but as I read the plain English, this is how I see it.

Wrap Up

As I consider the time we’ve spent together observing the Word, I see a few Bible Study Bites I could highlight. Recently, it seems frequent that opposites come up. We’ve talked before about repetition. Even the idea about the apostles who wrote the NT are exposing both the OT and the teachings of Jesus. They are interpreting what has been previously stated.

However, I think today we will highlight the Bite of Bible study around imperatives. We can’t study every aspect of a passage of the Word. Partly because I for one don’t have all the tools possible to dig into every aspect. But using the tools I have, I can look at the original language and find the parts of speech. Using my reverse interlinear in my Logos Bible Software is my favorite way to do that.

Once I discover the parts of speech, I can focus on the commands Paul gives his audience. Which by extension includes me. What does Paul want me to understand as the will of the Father? That is where I want to spend the bulk of my time.

So our Bible Study Bite for today is remember to identify the verbs and which verbs are commands and maybe camp out on those for a while.

Thanks for studying with me today. As always, if you found anything useful in our time together, would you please share this article with fellow students of the Word? If you have questions or comments, I’d like to hear from you. See you next time!

1. Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Eph 5:11). Biblical Studies Press.