The Language of Heaven (Ephesians 5:4)

Your mouth is important to God. It will either be characterized by the culture or marked by the language of heaven. Whichever you choose, you will either promote God’s Kingdom or the Kingdom of the World.

In this study, we examine Ephesians 5:4 and Paul’s command for a Christian not to talk with foolishness or filthiness, but instead to have a mouth full of thanksgiving.

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Key Passage: Ephesians 5:4

… nor filthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
– Ephesians 5:4

Contrasting Kingdoms

• Ephesians 5:1–2– Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
  • Content of the Kingdom of God: LOVE
• Ephesians 5:3– But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints …
  • Content of the Kingdom of World: LUST
• Behavior: self-focused or others-focused?

The Importance of the Tongue

• James 3:3–8– Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our existence, and is set on fire by hell. … But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
  • the tongue can’t be tamed, it needs to be transformed
  • one of the first thing the HS does when He gets a hold of a life is to grab their tongue (Pentecost)
• James 1:26– If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
• 1 Peter 3:10– [quoting Psalm 34:12–16] For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

The Communication of the Kingdoms

• Ephesians 5:4 – … nor filthiness and foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
  • Paul uses 3 words that are only found here in the NT
  • FILTHINESS (aischrotēs) – obscene, shameful, ugly, indecent, disgraceful behavior or speech
    • Idea: you take the beauty and purity of romance and sexuality and you make it ugly; you twist it into something indecent or shameful; you lie about how God really made it. 
    • Root: aischros (shameful, dishonest) – 46x
  • FOOLISH TALK (mōrologia) – foolish talk, idle talk, silly speech; the conversation of a drunk man ⁽¹⁾
    • Root: legō (say, tell) + mōros (foolish, stupid, fool … where we get “moron”) 
    • 67x in Proverbs the “fool” is mentioned … it is never a good thing
  • COARSE JESTING (eutrapelia) – coarse jesting, risqué wit, vulgar speech, indecent or dirty talk; idea of wittiness – that has the power to evoke laughter; especially what is appreciated by the culture
    • In classical Greek, this word was often used in a positive sense as “wittiness” (regarded as essential to good social conversation) … but the word became known as suggesting overtones and double entendres. In other words, it is that witty skill that often gives a double meaning to the phrase with an indecent or perverse intent. It usually causes people to laugh over things that are debased morally but esteemed in culture (often sexually focused, “bathroom humor,” making fun of someone, or just vulgar speech) ⁽²⁾

These are NOT Fitting for the Christian

• NOT FITTING (anēkō) – not proper, does not fit; is not marked by being suitable, right, or appropriate
  • Illustration: trying to wear clothing that doesn’t fit
• Paul commands that there should not even be a hint of improper outward behavior, especially sexually … but the verbal expression of such things also does not fit within a believer’s life. In other words, a pure mouth must accompany a pure heart and hands.
  • Psalm 24:3–5– Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? And who may rise in His holy place? He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall lift up a blessing from Yahweh and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
• The mouth is prohibited from the same immorality as the body is
  • Why?
  • I am not to lift up and celebrate that which is twisted and opposite the nature of Jesus Christ
  • I am in a Kingdom and everything in my life (external AND internal) is to align (partakers v7) with that Kingdom
  • Ephesians 5:7–8– Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light …

The Communication Contrast

• The communication of the Kingdom of the World: filthiness, foolish talk, coarse jesting
• The communication of the Kingdom of God: thanksgiving
• GIVE THANKS (eucharistia) – thanksgiving, thanks; the act of expressing gratitude or showing appreciation to someone
  • Found: 15 – Interesting that in several cases (Phil 4:6, Col 4:2, 1 Tim 2:1) the context is prayer … in light of our “language of heaven” concept in E5.4 that is fascinating 
  • Thanksgiving changes our focus from ourselves to God … and what He has done and is doing through His Spirit and grace.***

The Declaration of Scripture

• 2 Corinthians 4:15– For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
• Philippians 4:6– Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
• Colossians 4:2– Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving …
• 1 Timothy 2:1– First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men …
• Revelation 4:9–11 – And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
• Revelation 7:11–12– And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
• Ephesians 5:20– … always [give] thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God …

In summary, Peter Thomas O’Brien says, “Thanksgiving is almost a synonym for the Christian life. It is the response of gratitude to God’s saving activity in creation and redemption, and thus a recognition that he is the ultimate source of every blessing.” ⁽³⁾

4 Thoughts about the Tongue of Thanksgiving

1. Thanksgiving reveals the internal reality

• Matthew 12:34–36– “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless [useless] word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”

2. Thanksgiving at times is a choice … but it should become the natural outflow of our lives

• When troubles come I often need to choose a response of thanksgiving
• But I shouldn’t have to “force” thanksgiving – when I see the reality of all Jesus has done it should naturally flow out of me
• Illustration: When a kid sees a puddle they don’t have to make a decision NOT to jump in it, they can’t help themselves

3. Thanksgiving results in a life of leaping

• Root: chairō (rejoice, be glad, joy) – 74x
  • leap for joy (cheerio in milk) … even has “cheer” in its name
• Philippians 3:1– Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
• Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
• Colossians 1:24 – Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake …
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18– Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Peter 4:13– But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
• Not based on circumstance but upon the internal focus of one’s soul

4. Thanksgiving is a great deterrent for sin

• Use thanksgiving to defeat sin
  • thank you for the victory You have already provided

You are promoting a Kingdom … which one?

• Do you have culture’s twisted tongue or heaven’s tongue of thanksgiving?
• Is your communication marked by thanksgiving or the foolishness and filthiness of the world?
• Which kingdom are you promoting in your speech?

FOOTNOTES

(1) “’foolish talk,’ is used by the first-century moral philosopher Plutarch in his descriptions of drunkenness at a Roman banquet.” // Plutarch, Moralia 504A–C … as quoted in Lynn H. Cohick, The Letter to the Ephesians, ed. Ned B. Stonehouse et al., New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2020), 316.
(2) Statements about “coarse joking”:
(2a) The third word in the triad was used in classical Greek in the good sense of ‘wittiness’ or that sense of wit which was regarded as essential to good social converse. Even in early times, however, the term could have negative connotations, perhaps ‘buffoonery or some kind of inhumane or degrading jesting’. P. W. van der Horst thinks that the context of Ephesians 5:4 suggests the meaning of coarse joking that has suggestive overtones and double entendres. All three terms refer to a dirty mind expressing itself in vulgar conversation. // Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 361.
(2b) “Coarse joking” (eutrapelia) usually has a positive meaning outside the New Testament, but clearly is negative here. It suggests something easily turned, a double entendre—speech innocuous in itself but turned to have an indecent intent. Such speech is not fitting for the believer. // Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 269.
(2c) [Coarse jokes] twist the beautiful intimacy that God created between lovers into a transactional event as common and ordinary as shopping at the market. // Lynn H. Cohick, The Letter to the Ephesians, ed. Ned B. Stonehouse et al., New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2020), 316.
(3) Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 361.

Photo Credit: Lesly Juarez

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In Our Next Study Together …

I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your life, and learn how to practically live out an abundant and fruitful Christian life. 

• The focus of our next study: Ephesians 5:5
  • We are going to dive into the idea of being freed from idolatry so that we might receive an inheritance.
  • I encourage you to read through Ephesians a couple of times this week and focus specifically on Ephesians 5.