Ephesians 4:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

NIV: They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

NASB: being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

CSB: They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

NLT: Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

KJV: Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

NKJV: 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;

Paul uses the concept of Gentiles in this passage as a reference to those who are apart from the family of God. In other words, in this instance, Paul is referring to unbelievers. Such people are given two characteristics in this verse. First, their ability to understand what is right is blocked from the "light" of God. Believers, on the other hand, are to love the Lord with "all the understanding" (Mark 12:33). Paul notes elsewhere that false teachers lack understanding (1 Timothy 1:7); it is the Lord who gives understanding (2 Timothy 2:7; James 3:13).

Second, unbelievers are separated from God, and the life He gives in salvation. An unbeliever cannot experience God in his or her life apart from salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Paul also provides two reasons explaining why these characteristics are true. First is not knowing or understanding God's ways. This "ignorance" has nothing to do with intelligence, as the second point demonstrates. This subsequent detail is that unbelief is not fundamentally mental, but moral. An unbeliever lives a life with a heart hardened against God, so they cannot understand what God tries to teach them (John 7:17; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Ephesians 4:17–32 is a valuable, highly practical explanation of how to live out a Christian life. Paul notes the difference between a life wallowing under the power of sin, as opposed to a life thriving in the power of Christ. Christians are called on to ''put away'' the things which entangle unbelievers. This includes sins such as malice, slander, commotion, and bitterness. Instead, we should demonstrate a Christ-like attitude of love and forgiveness.

Truly understanding saving grace, as Paul explained in prior chapters, is the Christian's first motivation for living a godly life. Here, Paul encourages believers to live in way which honors that gift. All saved Christians are part of a single, unified family, part of the ''body'' of Christ. At the same time, different believers are given different talents. Some are called to positions of leadership and authority. All Christians should turn away from the ''old self'' we were prior to being saved. Paul's explanation of the ''new self'' includes some basic, practical steps.

The first half of Ephesians focuses mostly on doctrine, setting up ideas related to the Christian faith. The last half, beginning in chapter 4, puts those theories into practice. Paul begins by emphasizing the ultimate unity of all Christians, regardless of individual spiritual gifts. Paul also begins to explain how knowledge of the truths should translate into action. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 feature specific, real-world applications of Christianity to daily life.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.