175» Eph 4:31 . . Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and
slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.
It wasn't The Lord's wish that Ephesian Christians avoid all bitterness, rage
and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice; no; on
the contrary, he wanted the Ephesians to "get rid" of them.
"bitterness" is from the Greek word pikria (pik-ree'-ah) which means: acrid,
poisonous, and/or toxic (literally or figuratively). Christians like that are
nothing in the world but deadly reptiles.
● Rom 3:13b . .The poison of asps is under their lips
"rage" is from thumos (thoo-mos') which means: passion (as if breathing
hard). Passion is just the opposite of reason; and as everyone knows,
emotions are incoherent; so it's to be expected an emotional person is not
acting rationally. This is a kind of conduct that Paul says brings sorrow to
God's Spirit.
"anger" is from orge (or-gay') which means: desire (as a reaching forth or
excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy,) violent passion, ire, (by
implication: punishment)
People overcome by orge typically want some satisfaction; even to the point
of at least your ruin; if not your death.
"harsh words" is from krauge (krow-gay') which means: outcry.
Out-crying is what protestors do; in other words: assertive, in-your-face
confrontational complaints and/or demands.
"slander" is from blasphemia (blas-fay-me'-ah) which means: to vilify.
Webster's defines "vilify" as: (1) to lower in estimation or importance, and
(2) to utter slanderous and abusive statements against; viz: defame,
discredit, and/or denigrate.
A statement need not be false in order to qualify as slander; it need only to
be unnecessary; viz: you'll often hear people say: Well, I was only telling the
truth. Were they? No, that's a ruse. In reality, they're insensitive; and they
don't care who gets hurt by their thoughtless remarks.
The Lord notices the words people say, and he also takes note of the spirit in
which they say them.
● Matt 12:36 . . But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day
of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
"malicious behavior" is from kakia (kak-ee'-ah) which means: badness, i.e.
(subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble:
Malice sometimes includes the element of "spite" which Webster's defines
as: petty ill will, or hatred, with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart.
Compare that to the Greek word for "persecute" in the eighth Beatitude
which means, literally: to pursue; viz: to stalk, to hound, to harass.
Webster's defines "thwart" as: (1) to run counter to so as to effectively
oppose or baffle; viz: contravene, and (2) to oppose successfully; viz: to
defeat the hopes or aspirations of; in other words: to deliberately get in
someone's way; block, discourage.
Whew, that Ephesian church was as rough-hewn and crude as the old
logging community of Stump Town (now Portland) out here in the Oregon of
the 1800's. They cussed, they brawled, they bad-mouthed, they held
grudges, they were thieves, they were arrogant, they somehow had the idea
that Jews were below them, they were immodest, conceited, vain, and
impatient, they walked unworthy of their calling, and they were splintered
into cliques.
NOTE: I've heard more than one expositor praise the Ephesians as "the
church at its spiritual peak" but I thoroughly disagree. Yes, there were some
outstanding individuals, but by and large that congregation's spiritual
condition was decadent, deplorable, despicable, and unbecoming.
Paul began his letter to the Ephesians by saying that he made mention of
them in his prayers; asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, might give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation; and
also that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened. (Eph 1:17-19)
Well, it seems to me that kind of prayer isn't for advanced Christians, rather,
for Christians just starting out. From thence, Paul went on to explain some
of Christianity's most treasured doctrines, which I assume the Ephesians had
no knowledge of till Paul wrote to them.
I'll grant that the letter to the Ephesians is lofty, but I wion't grant that the
Ephesians themselves were lofty: not from how Paul lectured them.
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