Lessons #199 and 200
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
…. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
The apostle has provided the first reason believers should not be involved in sinful activities but rather to expose them. This first reason we have considered is that things unbelievers do, especially, those that are done secretly are shameful to speak of. On the one hand, these secret sins of unbelievers are difficult for believers to speak of but they must. On the other hand, the unbelievers realize how shameful these special class of sins (i.e. those involving sexual immorality) are hence they practice them in secret. Nonetheless, the apostle proceeds to provide an additional reason believers are to expose the sinful activities of unbelievers. This reason is that once the sinful activities have been exposed then unbelievers would be placed in a position where they could not deny their sinful conducts. It is this reason that is given in verse 13, But everything exposed by the light becomes visible.
It is not readily apparent that verse 13 provides a second reason to expose sinful activities of unbelievers because the verse begins with a conjunction of contrast but in nearly all of our English versions. True, the Greek conjunction (de) used does mean “but”; however, it has several other usages. For example, it could be interpreted as an indicator of resuming a discourse that has been interrupted, that is, after a parenthesis in which case it may be translated “now.” In fact, the interpreters who consider verse 12 as a parenthesis view verse 13 as resuming from what is stated in verse 11. This notwithstanding, it seems that the Greek conjunction does a double duty in verse 13. It is used to provide additional reason for exposing sinful deeds of unbelievers and also to provide a contrast between things done in secret and the things that are visible. The reason for this explanation is that the apostle shows a connection between verses 11 and 13 because he used the same Greek word in both verses that is rendered “exposed” in the English. It is because of this that some interpreters consider verse 12 as parenthetical since it does not directly deal with exposing sinful activities of unbelievers. However, it does not seem that the apostle intended for verse 12 to be considered parenthetical because he indicates that there is a connection between verses 12 and 13 since he began both with a definite article that is to be understood as referring to activities of unbelievers that in verse 12 are secretive but are visible in verse 13. Acceptance of our interpretation that the Greek conjunction translated but does a double duty will mean that verse 13 should begin with the conjunction and. This is because our Greek conjunction can be used as a marker of addition that sometimes implies the concept of contrast that can be deduced from the context. This would be the case in verse 13 in that the idea of light in verse 13 stands in contrast to darkness mentioned in verse 11 and the concept of secrecy mentioned in verse 12. The point is that verse 13 should be understood not merely as one that is intended to convey contrasting concept between it and the two verses 11 and 12 but also one that adds to the reason for exposing the useless or fruitless deeds of darkness that we have interpreted as reference to sinful activities of unbelievers.
In any case, the apostle’s second reason for exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness, that is, sinful activities of unbelievers is given in the sentence of verse 13, But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. This sentence appears to be making a general statement of the effect of natural light on things since natural light dispels darkness and so makes things that are not seen to become visible. This could hardly be what thate apostle intended in our verse. He made a statement that makes sense literally but he meant to convey truth that is beyond the literal understanding of the function of light. This is particularly the case because of the word exposed used in our verse. It is translated from the same Greek word (elegchō) used in verse 11 that has a range of meanings that cover from “to correct” to “to expose.” Because the word can mean either “to correct” or “to expose” it is unlikely that in our context, the apostle was simply thinking of light as that which makes natural objects that are hidden to become visible. So, the question is what does the apostle mean when he wrote but everything exposed by the light becomes visible? To answer this question, requires first answering three questions that once we answer lead to the interpretation of what the apostle meant. First, what does the apostle mean by everything? Second, what is light in our context? Third, to whom does everything become visible and what is meant by being visible?
The first question of what everything means in our passage seems unnecessary or even trivial but it is not. This is particularly the case if we understand that the word everything of the NIV is literally from the Greek the all things or all the things. The literal translation helps us to recognize that the apostle is concerned with completeness or wholeness in contrast to a part in the context. So, the question of what everything means reduces to what the apostle means by all the things. You see, the apostle had written about the fruitless deeds of darkness in verse 11 that we interpreted as a reference to sinful activities of unbelievers. But in verse 12 he used a Greek word that literally means the things only that he confined what he means by the things to activities that are carried out in secrets implying that the apostle had in mind a specific class of sins, especially, sexual sins. For, we know that not all sins of unbelievers or even believers are those that are carried out in secret because people are ashamed of such sins. Therefore, when the apostle comes to the second reason for exposing sinful activities, it became necessary for him to ensure that we do not think that he was still speaking of the specific sins he had in mind in verse 12. Hence, the word everything of the NIV is used to refer to sins in general and not a specific class of sins that are conducted in secret because people are ashamed. In effect, we are saying the word everything refers to all sinful activities of people in this planet. This brings us to our second question.
Our second question is concerned with the meaning of light in verse 13. The answer that everything in our verse is a reference to all sinful activities of people in this planet helps us to eliminate any possibility of understanding light in the natural sense of absence of darkness. In effect, we have to seek the meaning of light in a figurative sense. In this sense, there are several possibilities to consider. Light is used figuratively for God. Thus, Prophet Isaiah described the God of Israel as light in Isaiah 10:17:
The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.
The phrase Light of Israel is a description of God as we can learn from the parallel title their Holy One. The description of God as light in this passage refers not just to God’s royal splendor but to His vengeance in that He eventually destroyed the Assyrians. The idea that light represents God is also conveyed in Acts 26:18:
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
In this passage, darkness refers to Satan and so light refers to God. It is because light is used figuratively for God that Jesus described Himself as the light of the world in John 8:12:
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Prior to Jesus identifying Himself as the light of the world, the Apostle John in commenting about John the Baptist had already identified Jesus as the light in John 1:8–9:
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Thus, light is used figuratively not only as a reference to God but also for the true revelation of God. It is probably also because of this that light is used figuratively for salvation in Isaiah 9:2:
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Here, darkness symbolizes judgment and its effects while the light represents deliverance and its effects and so light represents salvation. Another figurative usage of light is as a reference to the word of God. Hence, it is used as symbol of God’s word as perceived by those who are believers as implied by the declaration of the psalmist in Psalm 119:105:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
The Apostle Peter perceived light as the word of God as he discussed the importance of God’s word or the Scripture in 2 Peter 1:19:
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
It is not only believers that perceive the word of God as light so do unbelievers. This, we learn from the unbelievers in the time of Christ that did not want to hear His teaching of truth less it exposes their evil deeds, as stated in John 3:20:
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Another figurative usage of light is as a reference to believers. Thus, Jesus Christ described believers as bearers of light in Matthew 5:14:
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Still another usage of light is figuratively for those who teach others the word of God or simply as those who guide others in truth. Thus, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas were so described in Acts 13:47:
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
It is in the sense of “guide” that the apostle used it in his description of those Jews who pass themselves off as teachers of the law in Romans 2:19:
if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
We have considered the various figurative usages of light so the problem is to determine the best usage that fits our context. It is true that light can refer to God who reveals His truth to us but in our context, it seems that apostle used it in a complex sense so that light refers to the word of God as communicated by believers. This is because light can refer to the word of God but if the word of God is not communicated by someone who is in a position to communicate it then God’s truth will not be known by anyone. The Scripture indicates that no one hears the word of God without someone communicating it to that individual, as implied in Romans 10:14:
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Furthermore, because making something visible is the concern of Ephesians 5:13, it makes more sense to accept that the apostle used the word light in a figurative manner as we have interpreted it. In effect, it is our interpretation that light is used in Ephesians 5:13 in a figurative sense that refers to the word of God as communicated by believers who are in a position to do so. This brings us to the third question.
Our third question is concerned with whom everything becomes visible and what is meant by being visible. To provide the answer to our third question requires we examine the expression “becomes visible” that appears in Ephesians 5:13. The expression is translated from a Greek word (phaneroō) that has two major categories of meaning in which one category is concerned mostly with the sensory aspect of revelation while the second category is concerned with cognitive aspect of revelation, that is, acquiring knowledge through thought, experience, and the senses although it is not always easy to distinguish the two categories. The first category of meaning is concerned with making someone or something visible. When the word is used in the passive voice, as it is used in our passage, and it refers to a person, it can mean “to appear, to be revealed” as the Apostle Paul used it in connection with believers appearing before the judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:10:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
When the word is used in this first category in connection with revelation of something and in the passive voice then the word means “to become visible or known, be revealed” as the apostle used it to indicate that he and his team conduct themselves in such a way that as they suffer for Christ’s sake other people may see the life of Jesus through their bodies in 2 Corinthians 4:10:
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
The second category of meaning is concerned with causing someone or something to become known. When our Greek word is used in this second category of meaning in the passive voice, as in our passage, and in connection with a person, it means “to be made known” or “to be made plain.” It is in this sense that the apostle used the word in appealing to the Corinthians with the hope that as they are well known by God, probably in terms of their sincerity, they will also be well known to them, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:11:
Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
The sentence what we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience may alternatively be translated but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too, as in the NET. When the Greek word is used in connection with things under the second category of meaning and in the passive voice it means “to become public knowledge,” “to be disclosed” or “to become known.” Thus, the apostle used it for disclosing of God’s mystery in Colossians 1:26:
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
In our passage of Ephesians 5:13, the meaning of the word probably falls in the first category so that it means “to become known” or “to be revealed.” In effect, the expression “becomes visible” means to become known or to be revealed. In this case, everything will be made known or revealed. As we have noted that the word everything refers to all sinful activities of people in this planet, therefore the recipients of the revelation in question would be both believers and unbelievers with primary emphasis on believers.
Having answered the three questions we raised in connection with the sentence everything exposed by the light becomes visible of Ephesians 5:13, we can now interpret what the apostle meant. He means that through the communication of the word of God by believers who are knowledgeable of it, all sinful activities of people in this planet will be made known or become evident to both believers and unbelievers. Unbelievers are often not aware that their activities are sinful until they hear the communication of the word of God that shines light on the sinfulness of their activity. Believers are also guilt of this kind of ignorance. For it is not uncommon that many believers are unaware of the teaching of the word of God regarding their conduct until someone points that to them through the Scripture. I am sure that some of you have had the experience where you tried to convince fellow believers of the sinfulness of their conduct by taking them to a particular passage of the Scripture that condemns their conduct and to their surprise they have never heard any teaching that reveals the sinfulness of their conduct. The truth is that it is through the teaching of the word of God that both believers and unbelievers would know about their sinful activities. The implication is that those who have the gift of teaching of the word of God should endeavor to expose sinful activities of people as revealed in the word of God. Teachers of God’s word should endeavor not to be the kind of prophets condemned for not exposing the sins of the Israelites to spare them from God’s judgment, as we read in Lamentations 2:14:
The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading.
Of course, when people do not want to live by the truth they avoid the communication of God’s word where sins are exposed. Those who desire to live according to God’s word are not afraid of being corrected of any conduct that is contrary to truth. Such individuals fit well to what our Lord stated about those who do not shy away from the light in John 3:21:
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Thus, the additional reason believers are to expose the sinful activities of unbelievers is that only through the communication of the word of God that unbelievers would know they have sinned. This is equally applicable to beleivers.
The apostle having provided additional reason for believers to expose the sinful activities of unbelievers, proceeds to draw an inference that is tantamount to reiterating the function of light in exposing things in verse 14 which is a difficult verse to interpret as we will note in course of our study. This notwithstanding, we contend that the verse is concerned with drawing an inference with respect to the function of light. We say this because of the first word for that begins verse 14 which is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that has three major usages. It can be used as a marker of reason or cause of something in which case it can be translated “for” or “because.” Another usage is as a marker of clarification of something so that it can be translated “for” or “you see.” Of course, under this usage comes its usage for continuation of a narrative or to signal an important point that is made or simply to indicate a transition to some other point or topic. Still, another usage of the Greek conjunction is as a marker of inference, especially, in a self-evident conclusion and so the word may be translated as “so,” “then”, “by all means” or “certainly.” The problem is to understand how it is used in our passage. It is not easy to determine the sense the apostle used it. Most of our English versions used the word “for” in their translation which leaves us with two possible interpretations; either of providing reason or providing clarification so that it is not clear what the use of for means. The GWT is clearer in that the translators interpreted the conjunction as a marker of reason because they began the verse with “because”, implying that what follow gives the grounds for the statement of verse 13. At least two English versions, the CEV and the CEB, omit translating it implying either that the conjunction should be taken as marking transition or pointing to an important point. The NCV and the NEB imply that verse 14 is a continuation or a coordinate statement to verse 13 since they translated the Greek conjunction with the word “and.” These various approaches notwithstanding, it seems that the apostle used it in a sense that implies that he drew an inference from what preceded in verse 13. In other words, the apostle having stated the function of light in exposing things in verse 13 then says it should be self-evident from that verse what light does regarding all things hidden and so he states it in verse 14. There is then a sense that what he states in the first clause of verse 14 is a reiteration of what was said in verse 13. Anyway, the interpretation of the Greek conjunction used at the beginning of verse 14 is a problem but it is not the only problems of the verse.
Another problem of the verse 14 is to understand what the apostle meant in the first clause for it is light that makes everything visible of verse 14. There are generally three major interpretations of this clause. A first interpretation is that light is what reveals everything. Anything which will reveal the real form and nature of an object deserves to be called light. Therefore, the gospel should be considered a system of light and truth. A second interpretation is that the clause is a statement about the transforming power of salvation, with “light” as a metaphor expressing that transformation. A third interpretation is that the clause is a statement of a general truth in support of the preceding particular affirmation: everything that is revealed becomes light. Which of these interpretations did the apostle intend? It is difficult to be certain since each of these interpretations makes sense within the context. This notwithstanding, it seems that the third interpretation is closer to what the apostle meant as it also the interpretation that is closer to the one we provide here based on focusing on a particular verb used in the clause as will be evident in what follows.
The translation for it is light that makes everything visible of the NIV is quite interpretative since the more literal translation of the Greek is everything made visible is light. A problem with interpreting the literal sentence is with the word “is.” A question is how to interpret “is.” The word “is” is translated from a Greek verb (eimi) with several meanings but let me mention some of the meanings that are possible in our passage. The Greek word can mean “to be/come from somewhere” as the Apostle Paul used the word to indicate that as far as the order in creation is concerned, a woman came originally from a man although subsequently a man comes from a woman as the apostle stated in 1 Corinthians 11:8:
For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
The clause for man did not come from woman is more literally for man is not from woman. Another meaning of the Greek verb translated “is” in our passage is “to belong” as the apostle used it in 2 Corinthians 10:7:
You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.
The clause if anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ is more literally if anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s. Still another meaning of the Greek verb is “to represent”, “to stand for.” It is in this sense that the apostle used it to indicate that Hagar represents or stands for the law in Galatians 4:25:
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
The sentence Hagar stands for Mount Sinai is more literally Hagar is Mount Sinai. There is nothing wrong with the literal translation so long as a person recognizes that a metaphor is involved since a woman is not a mountain. The sense of the sentence is that Hagar represents that which Mount Sinai conveys to Israel, which is the receiving of the law. The literal translation of Galatians 4:25 is similar to the literal translation of the clause of Ephesians 5:14 that we are considering since it reads everything made visible is light.
We have considered the possible meanings of the Greek verb translated “is” in the first clause of Ephesians 5:14 so the issue is to determine in what sense the apostle used it here. The truth is that it is difficult to decide since the three meanings in our passage makes sense. It makes sense to say that things revealed or visible come from light. Likewise, it makes sense to say that the things revealed or visible belong to light or that such things stand for light. So, this may be a situation where the Holy Spirit through the apostle intends for us to consider all three possible interpretations in connection with the word “light.” Light here is certainly used in a metaphorical sense to represent illumination. This being the case the clause it is light that makes everything visible or more literally everything made visible is light should be understood to mean that everything revealed is related to illumination without specifying what the relationship is, which is similar to the third interpretation that the clause is a statement of a general truth in support of the preceding particular affirmation: everything that is revealed becomes light. Nonetheless, it our interpretation that the apostle meant for us to understand the clause to mean that everything revealed is related to illumination without specifying what the relationship is.
Based on the conclusion of the apostle that it is self-evident that everything made visible is in some way connected to illumination, the apostle moves to cite a quotation that is problematic. The quotation is preceded with the statement This is why it is said of the NIV. A more literal translation is Therefore it says. The literal translation presents difficulty as to how we should interpret the word therefore. There seems to be a consensus that the word “therefor” is concerned with conclusion. The difficulty is what the conclusion is about. Some take the word as a conclusion based on what the apostle wrote that begins in verse 3 and ends in the first clause of verse 14 or what the apostle wrote that begins in verse 8 and ends in the first clause of verse 14. Others take is as a conclusion based on the need for reproof discussed beginning in verse 11 and ending in the first clause of verse 14. These interpretations notwithstanding, it seems to us that the apostle used it as a conclusion based on the first clause of verse 14, being the nearest referent to the word “therefore” so that the word provides the most immediate link to the first clause of verse 14. So, the use of the word “therefore” is that it is for the reason that everything revealed is connected with illumination that the apostle quotes what we have in the passage we are considering. Nonetheless, the sentence this is why it is said introduced the next problem of Ephesians 5:14.
The next problem is to determine what “it” refers. Clearly, the pronoun “it” refers to the source of the quotation the apostle gave in our passage: Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. What is the source of this quotation? There are several answers that have been given by scholars as the source of the quotation but we mention the two most general answers. A first answer is that it comes from a fragment of an early Christian hymn that was originally associated with baptism. A second answer is that the quotation comes from a passage or several passages in the OT Scripture. Those who supply this answer support it from the fact that the preceding sentence it is said is similar to that found in Ephesians 4:8 that the apostle used to introduce his quotation of Psalm 68:18. Another support is that the quotation contains words that appears in several passages in Isaiah. The word “dead” appears in a passage in Isaiah where in the midst of divine discipline God promised that Israel’s dead will live again in Isaiah 26:19:
But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
The expression “wake up” in the quotation of Ephesians 5:14 is related to the command “awake” that is used in two passages where the prophet announced salvation to Israel, implying that God’s anger has passed and so that His salvation would come. The first passage is in Isaiah 51:17:
Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger.
The second passage is in Isaiah 52:1:
Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
The words rise and shine in the apostle’s quotation are found in a passage in Isaiah where the prophet encouraged the people to rise because their darkness is past and a new day is dawning as the light provided by God’s presence would be on earth and displayed in its full glory or splendor in Isaiah 60:1:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
The truth is that we do not know the source of the quotation but our focus is really on what the quotation conveys.
To interpret what the apostle meant in the quotation Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you we need to consider the words used. The expression “wake up” is translated from a Greek word (egeirō) with several meanings. The word can mean to “raise up” in the sense of to cause to return to life as it is used for the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 1:20:
which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
Another meaning of the Greek word is “to wake up from sleep”, as it is used in Romans 13:11:
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
However, when the word is used as a command, as it is used in our passage, the meaning is “to get up” as the word is used in the healing miracle of Jesus Christ in John 5:8:
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
It is in the sense of “to get up” that the word is used in our passage of Ephesians 5:14.
The word “sleeper” is translated from a Greek verb (katheudō) that is used as an adjective in our passage. The verb literally means to sleep as it is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:7:
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
Figuratively, it means to be spiritually lazy or to be indifferent to spiritual things as the Apostle Paul used the word in 1 Thessalonians 5:6:
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
The word “asleep” refers to indifference and insensitivity to the spiritual things which pertain to God so that it can be said that one is unconcerned about the coming day of the Lord and thus unprepared for it. Another figurative meaning of the word is “to be dead” as that is the sense the word “asleep” is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:10:
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
It is because “sleep” here is used figuratively that the translators of the TEV rendered the clause whether we are awake or asleep as whether we are alive or dead. It is in the sense of spiritual indifference that the word is used in our passage of Ephesians 5:14 so that “sleeper” would then refer to believers although it is also possible to understand the word as a reference to spiritual death meaning that “sleeper” refers to unbelievers.
The word “rise” is translated from a Greek verb (anistēmi) that has several meanings but the apostle used the word primarily in two senses. He used it twice in the sense of “to stand up,” “to rise” as he quoted the OT Scripture, as for example, in referring to the incident with the Israelites when they got involved in idolatry in 1 Corinthians 10:7:
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”
Another meaning of our Greek word in which the apostle used it is to come back to life from the dead or to rise up as in connection with the resurrection of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:4:
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
It is in this sense of coming back to life from the dead that it is used in our passage of Ephesians 5:14 but only that it is used figuratively in the sense of spiritual reawakening.
The word “dead” is translated from a Greek word (nekros) that literally refers to a person who is no longer physically alive, that is, a dead person, as it is used in Galatians 1:1:
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
Figuratively, the Greek word means a person who is so spiritually insensitive as to be in effect dead as this is the sense of the word when Jesus used it in Luke 9:60:
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
On a surface reading, this assertion of Jesus does not make sense since a corpse cannot bury another corpse. Therefore, Jesus’ assertion contains both literal and figurative usages of the word “dead.” The first use of the word “dead” is in a figurative sense of being spiritually dead and the second use of the word “dead” is in a literal sense. Hence, Jesus is saying that the spiritually dead should have the responsibility of burying the physically dead, with application that requires believers not to be immersed in the things of this world. Let unbelievers worry about them. Of course, the spiritually dead is first and foremost the unbeliever. However, there is also a sense in which it applies to believers who do not take their spiritual life and discipleship seriously. It is incomplete to think that Jesus meant only those who are unbelievers. Believers who ignore discipleship or who refuse to function as they should spiritually, are also dead but not in the same sense as the unbeliever. We say this because Jesus described members of the church in Sardis as dead although they gave the appearance of being spiritual, so to say in Revelation 3:1:
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
If you read the rest of the charge brought against the church in Sardis you will discover the primary reason for Jesus Christ asserting that they are dead is disobedience to God’s word. So my point is that the spiritually dead that Jesus said would bury the physically dead include also believers who do not take their spiritual life seriously. Anyway, it is in the sense of being spiritually insensitive that a believer can be considered dead spiritually that the word is used in our passage of Ephesians 5:14.
Having considered the meanings of the words used by the apostle in the first part of the quotation, we can interpret the quotation Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead. Some have interpreted this as an invitation to unbelievers to respond to the gospel message. While this is possible since we do not know the source of the quotation, it is more likely that considering the context in which believers are being encouraged not to imitate unbelievers that it is better to take the first part of the quotation in the context as a call to get away from spiritual indifference that manifests itself in the deeds that are characteristic of unbelievers. Furthermore, the apostle would most likely think of a believer in spiritual indifference as a sleeper considering the fact he had described believers in spiritual indifference as those asleep in a passage we cited previously, that is, 1 Thessalonians 5:6:
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
It is true that the primary call according to the context is to the believer but it also has application to unbelievers to respond to the gospel message if the quotation is indeed a part of hymn that is associated with baptism.
In any case, the call to wake up from spiritual indifference will result in spiritual renewal of the believer. It is this that we believe is the concern of the second part of the quotation and Christ will shine on you. It is our interpretation that this second part of the quotation in application is concerned with what will result if the call to get out of spiritual indifference is adhered. We say this because the word and is translated from a Greek conjunction (kai) that here can mean “and so” or “and then” to indicate that what follows results from what precedes. The result of responding to the call of the first part of the quotation is given with the word “shine” that is translated from a Greek word (epiphauskō) that here means to shine or to illuminate. So, the result of responding to the call to get away from spiritual indifference is spiritual reawakening. Christ will illuminate those in spiritual indifference who respond to the call with His truth or so that Christ will teach them His truth through those who have the gift of teaching. Since believers belong to Christ then it is important for them to remain active and receive continuous illumination that comes from teaching of God’s word so that they will be brought out of spiritual ignorance and sinful conducts that characterize unbelievers. In effect, believers so illuminated will live a lifestyle that is different from unbelievers. Again, since we are not certain of the source of the quotation we can also apply the result to unbelievers. The application of the result of responding to the gospel message will be illumination of the mind of unbelievers so that they will believe in Christ and receive eternal life. Anyway, we contend that the primary concern of the apostle is for believers not to become involved in spiritual indifference that will lead them to live like unbelievers. Instead, they should wake up from such state so they can receive teaching of truth to help keep them from sinful activities of unbelievers. Therefore, if you are in spiritual indifference, we appeal to you to wake up so that the Lord will teach you His truth so you can live as child of God and receive the blessing God has for His children. I end with this challenge: Live your life as a child of God by learning and applying God’s word.