Bible Mastery - Ephesians 5:15-17

Thanks for listening to the Bible Mastery Podcast, brought to you by Teleios. In this episode, William and Jeanette Stewart will cover Ephesians 5:15-17.

The Bible Mastery Podcast brings you verse-by-verse teaching that’s clear, grounded, and life-changing. We take the Bible at its word—interpreting it in a normal, literal way—so you can uncover its deep truths about salvation, spiritual well-being, and daily living. Our goal is simple: to help you understand Scripture and equip you with the tools to interpret it confidently, without getting lost in noise or speculation.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Bible Mastery Podcast, sponsored by Teleos and hosted by co-founders Bill and Jeanette Stewart. Here, we give you verse-by-verse teaching from the truth of Scripture that's clear, grounded, and life-changing. Our goal is to help you understand the Bible and equip you with tools to interpret it yourself confidently and correctly. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Hi, I'm William Store, co-founder of Teleos. I'm here with my wife, Jeanette Retines.

SPEAKER_03 0:40

Hello, everybody. I'm also co-founder of Teleos. Yes, we're here. We're so happy to have you with us today.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

We are in the book of Hebrews as we are in chapter 5, and just some amazing verses as a final reminder. We're doing Ephesians and Epistle. Epistle is a bundle thumbnail, Apostolic Father, to the church. And you're listening to Romans, Epic Holmes through Revelation chapter 3. These are our marginal commands or admonitions, our wisdom specifically to the church. All scripture is scriptural, but from Genesis to Revelation, because is how God and specifically Christ through the Holy Spirit wants us to live and think. So we focused on Ephesians because but it's efficiency, it's telling us about salvation, the ministry of Christ, all about Christ, and the Christian rock. We're in the Christian walk section. And again, if you know this book, and especially with the book that's much Colossians, you will have grass major issues of the Christian like Christian theology as well. Start today in verse 15 of chapter 5. Now to put things in context, in this chapter, God tells us to be a mimic of God. Don't live like you did when you were a non-believer. And basically you don't participate in thread. Live like them. But you prove you spend your time and your dogs proving what the will of God is, and you reprove you. Now having said all that, we start today about what we do. Should do. Should do. Thank you. And the Christian walk, and I'll toss it over to you, my Lord.

SPEAKER_03 2:37

Thank you. So thanks for that context. And it is important. We are, when we come to faith in Christ and put our trust in him for our salvation, that he made the payment through his death for our sins, then we actually become new regenerated people. We are born again to use the terminology from John chapter three. We are newly adopted into God's family. So we basically get a new status. We're new people, new, new creations. And so because of that, by virtue of who we are, we should be living basically up to our character, our new character. And so he's been through all that, as Bill said, and now in verse 15, he says, see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. So always remember that the conjunctions in Greek are pretty important. And actually in English translation here it says see then, but really we could have then go first. And it's the little Greek word, and it really is like a therefore. He's saying, okay, because of what I just said, now see, and that's just the general word um lepo just means to see. So make sure that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. So I don't know about you, but I never want to be called a foolish person. I want to execute my life in wisdom to do things that are profitable and good. So he's basically saying, I don't want you to be fools, be wise, and this is how you do it. So remember the word walk is peripateo. It's not walk, put one foot in front of another, but it's more the idea of how your lifestyle is when a pilot gets before a pilot flies his or her plane. They do a walk around, they look at everything from the outside and inspection, and that's what the word means. So we should conduct our lives in a lifestyle that's looking around, making sure that everything is right. And circumspecting them, this is an important word in this verse. It literally means accurately or diligently, it could mean, or exactly. But I think if we maybe we would say live an accurate lifestyle and don't be a fool. So what on earth does that mean? How do you live accurately? And I take that to mean you exercise thoughtfulness in all your decisions, what you spend your time on, how you do it. To me, it speaks of organization, just making sure that you're not making stupid mistakes. And Bill, you and I have talked about this verse before, but what would you like to add to that?

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Oh, wow, what a great passage this morning. Just note about the word weapon. It means there's about six verbs in ancient Greek, but biblical Greek, to see. You can use to see, as you said. The had it had the abstract meaning was used here is pay attention. We say to see it too in English. Hebab did have that silence. I would everything I really agree on two points. One is to walk circumspectly in the Christian life is to know scripture. That's our guidebook, and you have to know it to be careful. I think the second point is being careful on your decisions. I think that's entirely entirely right to you. I would have we do it ahead of time. We plan it out, and we don't react to situations, we even make situations. And like a good company, they don't want to be reactive to the marketplace, they want to make and disrupt the marketplace. And we as Christians should be planning our Christian life controls, making sure it's according to scripture, because when we live according to scripture, that's what bears me. That's how we know we love other people who's job by abusive C and believe. And we're bearing from 3 Colossians 1 10, I guess, and we do things out of knowledge. Nice thing about this, which I guess I only should know to walk loose, but it keeps us so many bad things. So we're doing things, controlling our lives, and controlling our situations. Well, it it's a problem. Christian was they go to church which should do, and sometimes just the society they didn't say the right things, they do the right things, and if you get bought as a Christian or perhaps even a terror, become a believer in the church, just by doing that, Christian society things, which which has its benefits. Christian society is good, but it does not help you live circumspect. It doesn't help you know God's men so often on the Christians avoid God's will because you're afraid about what it might tell them not to do. They don't have to do those things before being somebody. So but yet they know the truth and of obeying God, knowing him, hearing and doing what he wants us to do, and seeing the results, vegetables, spiritually, family, that you learn to love him. And walking is such a key, gross scripture.

SPEAKER_03 8:17

Yeah, to add on to that, Bill, what you said about thinking things through beforehand, that's when I said earlier that it really speaks to me of organization. If you live haphazardly, you can't think things out beforehand. You can't plan your ways. You know, what Proverbs says that God orders, oh long because I'm forgetting the quote now. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps, right? So we plan, God directs. So the idea that you have to be thoughtful and plan out all your activities, that's living exactly. And it's so important in every area of life that we basically create our own opportunities, control the situation in a good way, just really critical.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

You are the greed of organization. So you told me that, man, you're exactly right. It allows you to get up every day and function. It does efficiently in your family without chaos and it can work and get inspired and so 716 then can be done.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

No, please take it as a strictness. I love this verse.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Redeeming the time because days are evil. So we'll be here. We think it's usually off it's usually used about Christ on the cross. Pain price for us and the ransom for our sin, pain price that we shouldn't pay. Here has a different rexorato or great more to cows and what in a great will choose the market. So if you go to Central Athens to make three season old and world downtown, which you go to the old marketplace. If you make a word about it, Matt, it means to basically shop. Shops can you drop. Shops may drop. Go to the limit on your credit card page per second. It's saying purchase your twice, the limit until you drop. I like that as well. It's a time here in this kairos in the regional Greek, otherwise it's not a specific time like 2 p.m. But just the times in which you live. Otherwise, use everything to the maximum. Yeah, I think the implication is most neutral. I think you're gonna fight professionally with your family, every aspect of mind. Otherwise, set your goals, plan, get organized, and all use that slime to the maximum. So you have to think in why. And we can please God, which will work since I was 1316, and you've gonna enjoy good things say God has you go. Now, what's the contrast to your days of reboot? How does that interact? Well, the world wants you to behave like them. So they lump you, make fun of you, get you dumb, and side typical, so they drag you into behaving like that. Which is often lazy, bad getting into bad things, they would speech and behave and sin, which of course will drag you down, and away people speak things, and you don't want to snow can stop, which also something's not supposed to bad in your own life, especially on the spiritual and you'll end how to avoid that. Oftentimes I'll tell people don't sin. That's easier to sit and go. And you often say don't sin, but you have to replace something good. And that is redeeming as well. Why is being fine ahead, use your time efficiently, organize on God's, and knowing all aspects of life, enclosed your professional family and church.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

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SPEAKER_03 12:34

Yes, Miss Burst is so interesting to me because we the idea of redeeming the time, we can't stop the coffee times if we're having a good experience. Oh, I just want to save this. I want to put this in a bottle because it's so great. We can't stop time, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:52

So to understand the word redeeming so we can't put time in a bottle? I've done that. No, shopping. So that doesn't work.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Yeah, unfortunately not.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

The idea of what redeeming really means here, use it to the maximum. The shop to your drop idea. Get every, it's like squeeze every inch out of every minute to the glory of God. And just so important because the days are evil. In other words, there will be many people and events and things that try to distract you, but he's saying, don't do that. Use every moment for good for God because you are a new regenerated person. This is who you are. And so the concept of redeeming time is really always makes me smile.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

Yes. I think too, we will we live in it's not just evil things, but we live in a society that gives a lot of potential progress. We do enough HB TV, story to me, sports events, parties. And these are good things. We can use in the world everything we can. Everything is good in the world. We are for Christians ultimately by one by the word and clear. So we have to consemble that. I think that's in question what the toolbooks for and buy. However, we're to use our time with repeating. And sometimes we're going to too many sports events, too many parties, maybe we'll be getting weight by eating while the unit smells its hips. But that's part of Little Circumspect where we better find a way to serve and balance that out in that focus and perhaps save money. So when you get financial situation, otherwise, instead of doing those things, even if they don't seem bad. But you do you're doing those all the time. They are they become bad because the world again has taken them away from God with foods. And you haven't considered them and willn't burn. Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

And that's part of living accurately, to be thoughtful and to look at every aspect. Things in and of themselves, as you said, are not bad. They're tools, for example, TV, internet, artificial intelligence, AI. It's a tool. It's how you use it. And so to live exactly and precisely in a way that's pleasing and in as a in the image of God means you have to consider all the aspects. So it's really living thoughtfully.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Yes, as dear apostle Paul says most plenty of six, well, everything is welcome to believe. I will not be explained. Verse 17.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

17, wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. So again, conjunctions. When you see wherefore or therefore, always ask what's it there for? So basically he's building on the fact that he just said, Don't be, don't live as a fool. Make sure that you use your time wisely. And then he repeats it, don't be unwise. So instead, understand what the will of the Lord is. So the word understand, remember, we've seen this in chapter one when Paul prayed that the Ephesians would have wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. So again, it's a general word to comprehend, perceive. So he says, know God's will. What is God's will? God's will is revealed to us in scripture. So you gotta know scripture to know what God would have you to do as a believer. And he's basically saying that's how you prevent being unwise fools. Know scripture. And you'll have when you understand it and know it and apply it, then you're not gonna be a fool.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Nice. Great verse. I'll just make a comment about where I don't know why it's translating like news and one reads only colored books. Yeah, which folks ways to say so interesting here, unwise is afro, whereas in 15 unwise or dark nobles fools is which is contrasting with wise is a soporce. Literally unboxed. So there's a difference here, interestingly, that a soporce is wisdom. When we think of wisdom as proper application of knowledge, that's what it meant to find a box and why you know something which have to apply quite, and we'll come back to this just a moment. So it's somebody who has a knowledge and who's thinking just can't manage to do things quite after in verse 17 is when we have a mind. So it's strong. So if you don't have the wisdom, you don't really have the knowledge, but then it says to understand me. Me is just that you don't want to understand the world more than you would is in structure.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

So we there's a false sense who wants to know, to understand it, and then apply it for a no, I like that, and I'm glad you made that distinction. I should have said that because it is important, the difference in the word. But the idea that you don't have knowledge is one thing, but to say that you don't have a mind, it's basically saying this is the epitome of stupidity, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:39

Yeah, and it is just saying, get on with it here, guys. Don't be idiots. Understand, know scripture, then you know how to live. It becomes so clear, and as you alluded to a few minutes ago, people are afraid many times to get into scripture because they think it's going to limit them. But on the contrary, it's just the opposite. The more you know scripture, the more freedom you have because you know exactly what God wants, and he's given us much freedom. He doesn't prescribe all the little minute things. We live in faith according to the general principles of what he wants us to do. It's so freeing. It's the best thing in life.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

So let's take an example. We don't often use examples, but this is so important. Let's talk about choosing on life or for so often in marriage, which is so important to our society and such an important choice. Society says you have a wife to get married inexpecting. Why do you get married all the time for guys? It's sex. Both for men and women, it's couples, the companionship, the eternacy, which is size between man and a woman, vaping for kids, the marriage ceremony itself, acceptance in society. It could be surprised to the woman with the fact that you had gotten a safe environment in which you'd raise kids. But in that choice, again, how do we make that choice? I think these verses will be telling us the first thing to do is to know scripture ahead of time and to live a godlin' life, to live circumstances, standard, and knowledge of God and doing the things of God. Because when we're doing those things, we're trying to choose a part, but in those things ahead of time, the likeness choose somebody who's also doing those things, a godly partner. And and that's what you would look for naturally, and they'll push you with those things in your own relationship. So by knowing and understanding, let's talk about the two persons that reflect twice in the church to understand that the own marriages are evangelical, and that we want to live a golden life, I think by having that knowledge and understanding with the oriented and choosing somebody who also leads those things. So it's easier to see and to watch than already seeing those things, and they're gonna be attracted to you because you're doing those things, at least in part, then it makes that decision maybe better, clearer, much easier. Do you know? It's a great example.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

I and I think actually we live in unique times because in our culture we choose who we want to marry. In many cultures, still the marriages are arranged, and historically marriages were typically arranged by parents, and the bride and groom didn't have much say-so over it. So here, when we do have that freedom, as you said, using scripture, and we'll get to in a few verses the specifics of marriage, so you know how to identify what a godly husband and a godly wife should look like, what their character is, but to say it practically, you're right. Do the things that are right, and that's where you'll meet the people that are also doing the things that are right. And it's that's a really good example. So I think it's really important to use the principles of scripture in in making decisions both large and small.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

Great. So we've covered new monetes about how to be really respectable, careful, be knowledgeable about the world, understanding it, and applying it correctly. And from that, we'll see about practice and curve next time. It will help us understand. Glad you are here today, and you will get to see me on the next video. Bye cleaning.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

Thank you for joining us today. We look forward to next time.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_03 22:49

Bye.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Bible Mastery Podcast. Join us next week for another exciting episode.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

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