3. What metaphors did Paul use in his letter to the Ephesians?

³ Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians: “You were once darkness, but you are now light.” (Eph. 5:8) Paul here used the metaphors of darkness and light to explain contrasting or opposing conditions. Let us consider why Paul could say that the Ephesians were “once darkness.”

4. In what sense were the Ephesians in religious darkness?

⁴ Religious darkness. Before learning the truth and becoming Christians, the Ephesians to whom Paul wrote were enslaved to false religious ideas and superstitions. The city of Ephesus was home to the famous temple of Artemis, which the ancients considered one of the seven wonders of the world. The people who worshipped there were steeped in idolatry. The fabrication and sale of false religious shrines of the goddess Artemis was a lucrative business. (Acts 19:23-27) In addition, the city was well-known for magical arts.​—Acts 19:19.

5. In what sense were the Ephesians in moral darkness?

⁵ Moral darkness. Ephesus was famous for its gross immorality and brazen conduct. Obscene talk was commonly heard in the city’s theaters and even at religious festivals. (Eph. 5:3) Many of its inhabitants were “past all moral sense,” an expression that literally means “having ceased to feel pain.” (Eph. 4:17-19) Before learning what was truly right or truly wrong, the Ephesians did not feel pangs of conscience or think that they had any accountability to Jehovah. Paul could thus describe them as being “in darkness mentally and alienated from the life that belongs to God.”

6. Why could Paul say to the Ephesians that they were “now light”?

⁶ Some of the Ephesians, though, did not remain in darkness. Paul wrote that they were “now light in connection with the Lord.” (Eph. 5:8) They had embraced the light of Scriptural truth. (Ps. 119:105) These Ephesians had abandoned their false religious practices and immoral conduct. They had “become imitators of God” and were doing their best to worship Jehovah and to please him.​—Eph. 5:1.

7. In what way is our situation similar to that of many Ephesian Christians?

⁷ In a similar way, before we learned the truth, we were in religious and moral darkness. Some of us celebrated false religious holidays; others of us pursued an immoral lifestyle. But once we learned about Jehovah’s standards of right and wrong, we made changes. We began to bring our life into harmony with his righteous requirements. And as a result, we have enjoyed many benefits. (Isa. 48:17) Now, though, we face ongoing challenges. We need to stay away from the darkness that we left behind and “go on walking as children of light.”

Image digitally reproduced with the permission of the Papyrology Collection, Graduate Library, University of Michigan, P.Mich.inv. 6238. Licensed under CC by 3.0

WALK “AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT”

13. What does it mean to “go on walking as children of light”? (Ephesians 5:7-9)

¹³ Paul encouraged the Ephesian Christians not only to continue rejecting the darkness but also to “go on walking as children of light.” (Read Ephesians 5:7-9.) What does that mean? Simply put, it means to conduct ourselves as true Christians at all times. One way to achieve this goal is by diligently reading and studying the Bible along with our Bible-based publications. It is especially important to pay close attention to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, “the light of the world.”​—John 8:12; Prov. 6:23.

14. How can holy spirit help us?

¹⁴ We also need the help of God’s holy spirit so that we can keep conducting ourselves “as children of light.” Why? Because it is a definite challenge to remain clean in this immoral world. (1 Thess. 4:3-5, 7, 8) Holy spirit can help us to combat the thinking of the world, including its philosophies and viewpoints that conflict with God’s thinking. Holy spirit can also help us to produce “every sort of goodness and righteousness.”​—Eph. 5:9.