This exegetical paper by Jason Piland, submitted to Dr. Richard Cara for NT506 – Greek Exegesis at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, analyzes Ephesians 5:3–4 to explore Paul’s teaching on sexual sin. Piland contends that Paul’s six-item vice list is not a random moral catalog but a comprehensive unpacking of sexual impurity in every human faculty—behavior, thought, and expression.
The paper demonstrates that both triads of vices (in verses 3 and 4) share grammatical and thematic unity. The first—sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness—addresses physical and internal corruption. The second—obscenity, foolish talk, and suggestive speech—extends the warning to verbal expression and communal conduct. Piland argues that Paul’s use of the verb ὀνομαζέσθω (“let not even be named”) implies a call for believers to maintain absolute moral distance from sexual sin, both privately and publicly.
In its final section, the paper extends Paul’s logic beyond the ancient world, applying it to modern issues of pornography, entertainment, and digital media. Piland concludes that sexual sin in all its forms—acts, thoughts, speech, and sight—is inconsistent with the identity of those who are “beloved children of God,” calling Christians to pursue holiness through gratitude rather than indulgence.
Course and semester: NT506 Greek Exegesis — Spring 2017
