4:17-5:20
What did you grow up believing about God? Paul is addressing people who lived apart from God for the first part of their lives. How difficult would it be for them to change their way of life? What might make it easier?
What does Paul mean when he says that the Gentile unbelievers have “darkened in their understanding” (18) and “lost all sensitivity” (19)? Compare these verses 1 Timothy 4:2.
Various translators use “debauchery”, “licentiousness”, “lasciviousness,” etc. to translate verse 19. What do these mean?
Have you ever played on a team? When players join a new team, they get a new uniform. How does the analogy of new uniforms describe what Paul describes as putting off the old self and putting on the new (4:22)? What part of the process is up to God and what is up to you? In other words, who is responsible here: you or God?
Paul admonishes the Ephesians to not sin in their anger? How is it possible to be angry but not sin? How difficult do you find it to be angry but not sin? Do you get angry about certain things that are harder to “not sin” about when you’re angry? (Note: F.F. Bruce observes “There is no doubt a proper place for righteous indignation; but there is a subtle temptation to regard my anger as righteous indignation and other people’s anger as sheer bad temper.” (F. F. Bruce, New International Commentary on the New Testament, note on Eph 4:26, p. 361))
Who’s the godliest person you ever knew? Was it easy to imitate them? Why or why not? Who is our model for love? What does it look like to “imitate” God? How did Christ demonstrate his love for us? How should we demonstrate our love for Him? What type of conversation or talking should characterize followers of Christ? Who are we not to “be partners with” (5:7)? How does that affect our relations at work? Marriage? Family?
Do you have a favorite piece of clothing that should probably be thrown out, but you keep wearing it anyway? In a spiritual sense, many of us find it easy to keep our old clothes—that is, keep doing the old things we were used to doing before knowing Christ. What contrasts do you see in 5:15-21? Which of these old clothes have you been able to get rid of? What old sin is hard for you to get rid of?
