Ephesians 2.3b-The Pre-Conversion Lifestyle of the Gentile Christians in the Roman Province of Asia
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday September 14, 2023
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:3b-The Pre-Conversion Lifestyle of the Gentile Christians in the Roman Province of Asia
Lesson # 77
Ephesians 2:1 Now, correspondingly, even though, each and every one of you as a corporate unit were spiritually dead ones because of your transgressions, in other words, because of your sins. 2 Each and every one of you formerly lived by means of these in agreement with the standard of the unregenerate people of this age, which is the production of the cosmic world system, in agreement with the standard of the sovereign ruler, namely the sovereign governmental authority ruling over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere. Specifically the spirit who is presently working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience. 3 Among whom, each and every one of us also formerly for our own selfish benefit conducted our lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh. Specifically, by indulging those inclinations which are produced by our flesh, in other words, those impulses, which are the product of our flesh. Consequently, each and every one of us caused ourselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of our natural condition from physical birth. Just as the rest correspondingly caused themselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of their natural condition from physical birth. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 2:3 begins with the declarative statement en hois kai hēmeis pantes anestraphēmen pote en tais epithymiais tēs sarkos hēmōn (ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν), “Among whom, each and every one of us also formerly for our own selfish benefit conducted our lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh.”
The nominative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ) refers to Paul and these Gentile Christians living in the Roman province of Asia as a corporate unit.
The nominative masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς) means “each and every of” since the word is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
The use of the nominative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ) here in Ephesians 2:3 is unnecessary in Greek since the form of a finite verb in this language indicates the person, number and gender of the subject.
Here in Ephesians 2:3, the first person plural aorist middle indicative conjugation of the verb anastrephō (ἀναστρέφω), “lived out our lives” indicates the person, number and gender of the subject.
In Ephesians 2:3, the nominative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ) is used for emphasis as well as contrast.
First, it is emphasizing that prior to their justification, Paul and each one of these Gentile Christians living in the Roman province who are the recipients of the Ephesian epistle for our own selfish benefit conducted their lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh.
Secondly, it is marking a contrast between Paul and these Gentile Christians prior to their justification and those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience to God.
The contrast is with the expression tois huiois tēs apeitheias (τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας), “those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience,” which appears at the end of Ephesians 2:2 and refers to unrepentant, unregenerate humanity.
Therefore, the contrast is between God the Father saving Paul and these Gentile Christians from enslavement to the sin nature and Satan and his cosmic system through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ and the rest of unregenerate humanity who are not saved because they have rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The verb anastrephō (ἀναστρέφω) is used here in a figurative sense with regards to a person’s lifestyle.
The middle voice of the verb is an indirect middle, which is expressing the idea that Paul and each one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle “for their own selfish benefit” conducted their lives among the unregenerate prior to their justification by means of those desires, which are produced by the old Adamic sin nature.
This verb is modified by the indefinite temporal particle pote (ποτέ), “formerly” and as was the case in Ephesians 2:2 when the word appeared, it speaks of a period of time prior to Paul and these Gentile Christians being declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
The articular dative feminine plural form of the noun epithumia (ἐπιθυμία), “those lusts” pertains to the various lust patterns of the sin nature.
However, this word not only refers to sexual lust but also to power lust, approbation lust, social lust, monetary lust, materialism lust, inordinate ambition resulting in inordinate competition, revenge lust, criminal lust, chemical lust, crusader lust, and pleasure lust.
At the heart of such lusts is the desire to live independently of the will of God.
The articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun sarx (σάρξ) pertains to the human body with emphasis upon its substance or what it is composed of indicating that the genetic structure of the human body is the location of the sin nature.
It indicates that the various lust patterns, which were unique to Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle prior to their justification, resided in their human bodies.
The noun sarx (σάρξ) functions as a genitive of production, which indicates that these various lust patterns in unregenerate humanity are “produced by” the flesh, i.e. the old Adamic sin nature.
The noun epithumia (ἐπιθυμία) is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which expresses the idea that prior to their conversion, Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle conducted their lives “by means of” these lusts which are produced by the flesh, i.e. produced by the indwelling old Adamic sin nature.
The declarative statement, which begins Ephesians 2:3, is followed by the participial clause poiountes ta thelēmata tēs sarkos kai tōn dianoiōn (ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν), “Specifically, by indulging those inclinations which are produced by our flesh, in other words, those impulses, which are the product of our flesh,” which stands in apposition to this declarative statement.
It describes specifically what Paul means by the declarative statement because it presents the means by which he and the recipients of the epistle conducted their lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by their flesh.
The nominative masculine plural present active participle conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω) means “to indulge” since the word pertains to excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying one’s own desires.
The articular accusative neuter plural form of the noun thelēma (θέλημα), “those inclinations” pertains to an intense nature disposition, preference or propensity, a particular disposition of mind and character.
The articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun sarx (σάρξ) identifies why these inclinations are unique or in a class by themselves.
The articular construction of this word is anaphoric, which means that the article is pointing back to the use of this word earlier in the verse indicating that it is retaining the same referent and meaning as it had earlier in the verse.
As was the case when the word appeared earlier in the verse, the noun sarx (σάρξ) functions as a genitive of production, which indicates that these inclinations are “produced by” the flesh, i.e. the old Adamic sin nature.
The nominative case of the participle conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω) functions as a nominative of simple apposition.
This indicates that the participle conjugation of this verb defines or explains how Paul and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle formerly conducted their lives by means of those lusts which are produced by the flesh among unregenerate humanity prior to their justification.
The participle conjugation of this verb poieō (ποιέω) functions as a participle of means, which would indicate that Paul and each one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle conducted their lives “by means of” indulging those inclinations, which are produced by the flesh, i.e. the indwelling old Adamic sin nature.
Once again, Paul employs the conjunction kai (καί) but this time the word is epexegetical because the word, which it is introducing, which is the noun dianoia (διάνοια), is explaining specifically what Paul means by the noun thelēma (θέλημα).
The articular genitive feminine plural form of the noun dianoia (διάνοια), “those impulses” since it pertains to a force producing motion suddenly, the act of driving onward with sudden force, a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usually unpremeditated action, a propensity or natural tendency.
This noun also functions as a genitive of product, which indicates that the genitive case of the noun dianoia (διάνοια) is the product of the old Adamic sin nature.
Therefore, the expression kai tōn dianoiōn (καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν), “in other words, those impulses, which are the product of the flesh” is describing the expression ta thelēmata tēs sarkos (τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς), “those lusts which are produced by the flesh” from a different perspective.
Therefore, this indicates that when Paul asserts that he and the recipients of the Ephesian epistle prior to their conversion indulged those inclinations produced by the flesh, he means they indulged those impulses which are the product of the flesh, i.e. the indwelling old Adamic sin nature.
In Romans 7:23, the apostle Paul teaches that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the human body.
Romans 7:23 However, I habitually recognize a different kind of propensity in my members as perpetually waging war against the propensity originating from my mind and in addition perpetually making me a prisoner of war with respect to the propensity originating from the sin nature, which does perpetually exist in my members. (Author’s translation)
These “inclinations” or “impulses,” which are produced by a person’s old indwelling Adamic sin nature through the function of their volition are listed by Paul in Galatians 5:19-20 and in Colossians 3:5.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions. (NET)
Colossians 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. (NET)