EPHESIANS 4:17-20 DO NOT WALK IN VANITY OF MIND

 

EPHESIANS 4:17-21 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Cross References: Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

Testify; Primarily to "summon as a witness", then "to bear witness". The Greek word for "testify" is μαρτύρομαι marturomai. Vine's (def. 3), Strong's G3143.

My Notes - Paul says he testifies in the Lord, to strengthen the following warning against returning to their former conduct. 

Walk; Is used figuratively, signifying the whole round of the activities of the individual life, whether of the unregenerate, Ephesians 4:17, or of the believer, 1 Corinthians 7:17; Colossians 2:6. The Greek word used here is περιπατέω peripateo. Vine's (def 1b). Strong's G4043. See also this study under "Walk In Them". 

Futility; The Greek word used here is actually vanity. Vanity has the idea of of the mind which governs the manner of life of the Gentiles,. The Greek word is ματαιότης mataiotes also has the idea of vain or empty, so futility still captures the idea nicely. Vine's (def. 1b), Strong's G3153.

Mind; The faculty of knowing or seat of understanding. In the Greek it is νοῦς nous. Vine's (def. A-1a), Strong's G3563. This is a departure from Paul's use of the word in Ephesians 2:3. 

Verse 18.

Cross Reference: Romans 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Understanding; Thinking through or over. Denotes the mind and can also be translated as "mind" in this text. The Greek word used here is διάνοια dianoia. This version directly means deep thought, properly, the faculty (mind or its disposition), by implication, its exercise. Vine's (def. A2 1), Strong's G1271.

Darkened; is used here metaphorically of the mind. "To darken". The Greek word is σκοτόω skotoo. Vine's (def. C2), Strong's G4656.

Alienated; Has a threefold state. 
                 (1) From the commonwealth of Israel. 
                 (2) From the life of God.
                 (3) From God Himself. 
This describes the total deprivation of man without God. Sin in the unbeliever's life has price tags that person can never pay. 

The Life Of God; Life in the absolute sense. Life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the incarnate Son, to have in Himself. From this life man has become alienated as a consequence of the fall (Adam's sin), and of this life, men become partakers through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is saying here, to no longer walk as we did before we knew Christ. In Him we have life. 

Ignorance; Denotes ignorance in regard to God. Includes the idea of willful blindness. The Greek word for ignorance is ἄγνοια agnoia. Vine's (def. A-1). Strong's G52.

My Notes - Referring specifically to those who blatantly choose to stay blind to God. Paul goes on to describe Gentiles who have chosen to reject Christ. 

Blindness; primarily means "a covering with a callus," a "hardening,". The Greek word is πώρωσις porosis. Of the heart caused by sin and debauchery over the years. The raw definition also has the idea of "stupidity". Vine's (def C-1), Strong's G4457.

Heart; Denotes spiritual blindness in this text. The Greek word is καρδία kardia Stong's G2588.

Cross Reference: John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”

NSB* The consequence of repeated rejection is the loss of the capacity to believe. Isaiah taught that some could not believe because God hardened their hearts (see Isaiah 6:10) after they repeatedly rejected the truth. 

Verse 19.

NSB Those that are insensitive to the moral darkness as to be past feeling have been hardened by sin. 

Cross References: 1 Timothy 4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

1 Peter 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past [a]lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

Verse 20.

So Learned Christ; "to increase one's knowledge," or "be increased in knowledge," frequently "to learn by inquiry or observation," e.g., not simply the doctrine of Christ, but Christ Himself, a process not merely of getting to know the person but of so applying the knowledge as to walk differently from the rest of the Gentiles; The Greek word for learned is μανθάνω manthano. Vine's (def a), Strong's G3129.

Verse 21.

Heard; Usage: give (in the) audience (of), come (to the ears), (shall) hear(-er, -ken), be noised, be reported, understand. The Greek word is akouoἀκούω Strong's G191. My Notes - Indicates Paul was saying "if" they "indeed" "heard", it ought to result in putting off their former ways. The text does indicate that they "heard", and understood, then acted on it. 

Taught By Him; to teach (in the same broad application) Derivation: a prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb δάω (to learn); The Greek word for "teach" is διδάσκω didaskō. Strong's G1321.

Truth Is In Jesus; Not merely ethical "truth", but truth is in Jesus in its fullness and scope, as embodied in Him. He is the perfect expression of the truth. Equivalent to his statement in John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Truth here in the Greek is ἀλήθεια aletheia. Vine's (def C-1), Strong's G225. 

My notes; Truth has many forms, but Jesus Christ is truth absolute. Truth as far as we know it, is actually "fact". Fact is not necessarily absolute truth. For instance, science claims to be "fact" until someone comes along and disproves this or that fact. The truth of Christ can not be challenged and will never change. It is absolute.

More on the Deity of Christ. 
John 14:7-11 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Takeaways: 

1. If you have heard the word of God and understand it, there should be a change of actions and thoughts. Our minds should begin to be renewed by Christ. Those outside of Christ who continually rejects Christ will ultimately be hardened by sin and in turn become slaves to wickedness. 

2. Truth is in Jesus Christ. If someone tells you a truth that is in opposition to Jesus Christ they are just straight up lying to you. 

3. The truth of scripture and of Christ is not always fluffy. It is not trying to figure out if you approve of it or not. We need to come to Jesus Christ looking for truth, not looking to validate some thought we picked up along the way, what society says, or what our professor is saying.