Ephesians 4:17-19
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart: who being past feeling, gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
These words are not addressed to the Ephesians only, but are now addressed also to you; and that, not from me, but from Paul; or rather, neither from me nor from Paul, but from the grace of the Spirit. And we then ought so to feel, as though that grace itself were uttering them. And now hear what it says. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart. If then it is ignorance, if it is hardening, why blame it? if a man is ignorant, it were just, not that he should be ill-treated for it, nor be blamed, but that he should be informed of those things of which he is ignorant. But mark how at once he cuts them off from all excuse. Who being past feeling, says he, gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness; but you did not so learn Christ. Here he shows us, that the cause of their hardening was their way of life, and that their life was the consequence of their own indolence and want of feeling.
Who being past feeling, says he, gave themselves up.
Whenever then ye hear, that God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, remember this expression, that they gave themselves up. If then they gave themselves over, how did God give them over? And if again God gave them over, how did they give themselves over? You see the seeming contradiction. The word, gave them over, then, means this, He permitted them to be given over. Do you see, that the impure life is the ground for like doctrines also? Every one, says the Lord, that does ill hates the light, and comes not to the light. For how could a profligate man, one more immersed in the practice of indiscriminate lewdness than the swine that wallow in the mire, and who is a lover of money, and has not so much as any desire after temperance, enter upon a life like this? They made the thing, says he, their work. Hence their hardening, hence the darkness of their understanding. There is such a thing as being in the dark, even while the light is shining, when the eyes are weak; and weak they become, either by the influx of ill humors, or by superabundance of rheum. And so surely is it also here; when the strong current of the affairs of this life overwhelms the perceptive power of the understanding, it is thrown into a state of darkness. And in the same way as if we were placed in the depths under water, we should be unable to see the sun through the quantity of water lying, like a sort of barrier, above us, so surely, in the eyes of the understanding also a blindness of the heart takes place, that is, an insensibility, whenever there is no fear to agitate the soul. There is no fear of God, it says, before his eyes; and again, The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Now blindness arises from no other cause than from want of feeling; this clogs the channel; for whenever the fluids are curdled and collected into one place, the limb becomes dead and void of feeling; and though thou burn it, or cut it, or do what you will with it, still it feels not. So is it also with those persons, when they have once given themselves over to lasciviousness: though thou apply the word to them like fire, or steel, yet nothing touches, nothing reaches them; their limb is utterly dead. And unless you can remove the insensibility, so as to touch the healthy members, everything you do is vain.
With greediness, says he.
Here he has most completely taken away their excuse; for it was in their power, if at least they chose it, not to be greedy, nor to be lascivious, nor gluttonous, and yet to enjoy their desires. It was in their power to partake in moderation of riches, and even of pleasure and of luxury; but when they indulged the thing immoderately, they destroyed all.
To work all uncleanness, says he.
You see how he strips them of all excuse by speaking of working uncleanness. They did not sin, he means, by making a false step, but they worked out these horrid deeds, and they made the thing a matter of study. All uncleanness; uncleanness is all adultery, fornication, unnatural lust, envy, every kind of profligacy and lasciviousness.
Ver. 20, 21. But ye did not so learn Christ, he continues, if so be that you heard Him, and were taught in Him even as truth is in Jesus.
The expression, If so be that you heard Him, is not that of one doubting, but of one even strongly affirming: as he also speaks elsewhere, If so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you. That is to say, It was not for these purposes that ye learned Christ.