I N D E X
the words `vanity of mind' of the previous verse (4:17).
The walk as the
Gentiles, which was forbidden, is expanded in 4:19:
`Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to
work all uncleanness with greediness'.
In this record of the Gentile walk we find the word paredoken:
`God ... gave them up to uncleanness' (Rom. 1:24 Gk.).
`They gave themselves up to uncleanness' (Eph. 4:19 Gk.).
The Scripture adds `with greediness'.  Here we have the two sides of the
solemn truth.  The act of God was not without cause:
`For this cause God gave them up' (Rom. 1:26).
`Even as they did not approve to have God in their knowledge, God gave
them up unto a reprobate mind' (Rom. 1:28 R.V. margin).
`The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God' (Psa. 14:1); the
immediate comment is, `They are corrupt; they have done abominable works'.
Life and Truth
The passages of Scripture brought together here impress us with the
important position of the mind in connection with the activities of life.  The
word `life' (zoe) occurs but once in this epistle, namely, in Ephesians 4:18,
`the life of God'.  It does not appear to be used in any form in any other part
of the epistle except in Ephesians 2:5 where it is a compound, and translated
`quickened together'.  In case any reader should think that we have overlooked
Ephesians 6:3 we would point out that the word there is not zoe.
How are we to understand this alienation from the life of God?  The
parallel passage in Colossians 1:21 connects this alienation with `wicked
works'.  We cannot `live unto God' without the `life of God', and that life can
only be ours as we are `made alive together with Christ'.  The sphere of the
resurrection of life is `the truth', even as
sin and death are part of the province of `the lie'.  The Gentiles, we are told
in Romans 1:25, `changed the truth of God for the lie', and this led to their
alienation.  Here in Ephesians 4 we are to read of putting away the lie and of
putting on the truth:
`Ye however have not thus learned the Christ, if at least it is Him ye
have heard, and by Him ye have been taught, even as the truth is in Jesus'
(Eph. 4:20,21 author's translation).
The presence here of the name `Jesus' instead of the more usual `The Lord
Jesus Christ' demands an explanation.  While the personal name of the Lord is
constantly used in the Gospels, its use without some added title in the Epistles
is the exception rather than the rule.  Writing to the Hebrews the apostle uses
the name `Jesus' eight times (this excludes Hebrews 4:8 which does not refer to
our Lord but to Joshua).  The references are Hebrews 2:9; 4:14; 6:20; 7:22;
10:19; 12:2,24; 13:12.
In the church epistles (Rom.; 1 & 2 Cor.; Gal.; Eph.; Phil.; Col.; and 1 &
2 Thess.), Paul uses the name fifteen times in all; three of these references,
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