Ephesians 4.18a-Unregenerate Gentiles are Darkened in Their Understanding of the Revelation of the Triune God
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday June 7, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:18a-Unregenerate Gentiles are Darkened in Their Understanding of the Revelation of the Triune God
Lesson # 256
Ephesians 4:17 Therefore, at this particular time I am communicating, specifically, at this particular time I am solemnly and earnestly making a request on the basis of the Lord’s sovereign authority. Namely, that each and every one of you as a corporate unit continue to no longer make it your habit of conducting your lives as in fact the Gentiles are conducting their lives by means of the futility produced by their thinking. 18 Specifically, because they are darkened with respect to their understanding (of the three-fold revelation of the triune God). Consequently, they are alienated from the life, which originates uniquely in the character and nature of the one and only God because of the ignorance, which is a characteristic within them because of the hardness, which is produced by the function unique to their hearts. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:18 continues to discuss Paul’s last assertion at the end of Ephesians 4:17 that unregenerate Gentile members of the human race are conducting their lives by means of the futility produced by their thinking.
He uses two participial clauses and two prepositional phrases with the first modifying the second participial clause and the second modifying the first prepositional phrase.
The first participial clause describes these unregenerate Gentiles as being darkened with respect to their understanding of the revelation of the triune God.
This assertion presents the reason why these unregenerate Gentile members of the human race are conducting their lives by means of the futility produced by their thinking.
The second participial clause presents the result of unregenerate Gentile members of the human race conducting their lives by means of the futility produced by their thinking.
Namely, it results in them being alienated from the life, which is unique to the one and only God.
The first prepositional phrase asserts that they are alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance, which is a characteristic within them.
The second prepositional phrase presents the reason they are ignorant, namely, because of the hardness, which is unique to their hearts.
Ephesians 4:18 is composed of the following: (1) causal participial clause eskotōmenoi tē dianoia (ἐσκοτωμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ), “Specifically, because they are darkened with respect to their understanding (of the three-fold revelation of the triune God).” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) result participial clause ontes apēllotriōmenoi tēs zōēs tou theou (ὄντες ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ θεοῦ), “Consequently, they are alienated from the life, which originates uniquely in the character and nature of the one and only God.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) prepositional phrase dia tēn agnoian tēn ousan en autois (διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς), “because of the ignorance, which is a characteristic within them” (Lecturer’s translation)
(4) prepositional phrase dia tēn pōrōsin tēs kardias autōn (διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν), “because of the hardness, which is produced by the function unique to their hearts.” (Lecturer’s translation)
As we noted, the causal participial clause, namely, eskotōmenoi tē dianoia (ἐσκοτωμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ), “Specifically, because they are darkened with respect to their understanding (of the three-fold revelation of the triune God)” (Lecturer’s translation) presents the reason why unregenerate Gentile members of the human race conduct their lives in the futility produced by the way they think.
Namely, because they are characterized as being darkened with regards to their understanding of the revelation of the triune God in creation (Rom. 1:20-21) as well as in their souls (Rom. 1:19; 2:14-15) and through the gospel.
The noun dianoia (διάνοια) refers to unregenerate Gentile “understanding” of the revelation of the triune God in creation (Rom. 1:20-21) as well as in their souls (Rom. 1:19; 2:14-15) and through the communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This lack of understanding of this revelation was the result of refusing to worship the triune God but instead practice idolatry.
The verb skotoō (σκοτόω) expresses the idea that these unregenerate Gentile members of the human race are characterized as “being darkened” with respect to their understanding of this three-fold revelation of the triune God.
They are unwilling to perceive and understand it because they have rejected the revelation of the triune God in creation (Rom. 1:20-21) as well as in their souls (Rom. 1:19; 2:14-15) and through the gospel.
This rejection is manifested by the fact that instead they practice idolatry.
In Romans 1:21, Paul employs the cognate verb skotoō (σκοτόω), which is skotizomai (σκοτίζομαι) to describe unregenerate Gentiles being darkened in their understanding of the revelation of the triune God because of rejecting the revelation of the triune God in creation and within their souls and through the communication of the gospel.
The participle conjugation of this verb skotoō (σκοτόω) functions as a nominative of simple apposition, which means it serves to “describe, define,” or “explain why” unregenerate Gentile members of the human race are conducting their lives by means of the futility of their thinking or the way they think.
The perfect conjugation of this verb skotoō (σκοτόω) is an intensive perfect, which expresses the idea of these unregenerate Gentile members of the human race “existing in the present state” of being darkened with respect to their understanding of the three-fold revelation of the triune God because of rejecting this revelation.
The participle conjugation of this verb skotoō (σκοτόω) functions as a causal participle, which expresses the idea that the unregenerate Gentile members of the human race conduct their lives in the futility produced by the way they think “because” they are darkened with regards to their understanding of the revelation of the triune God in creation (Rom. 1:20-21) as well as in their souls (Rom. 1:19; 2:14-15) and through the gospel.
