Ephesians 5:3-5
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Paul uses "or covetousness" to set it apart, linking this desire for more with the grosser sins of impurity. This highlights that even a "respectable" vice like greed is as fundamentally incompatible with a holy life as sexual immorality.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is transitioning from the example of Christ's love to a call for believers to live as children of light, contrasting them with the darkness of the world. He urges them to shun sexual immorality, impurity, and greed, emphasizing that such sins shouldn't even be mentioned among them because they are set apart as holy. This instruction directly leads into a warning against foolish talk, obscenity, and coarse joking, all of which are incompatible with their new identity in Christ.
Paul's command to 'not even name' certain sins sounds absolute. Does this mean we can never talk about them, even to condemn them?
Paul's instruction, "let it not be once named among you," isn't about complete silence. The Greek suggests it shouldn't be named as something done or as an acceptable practice within the community. It's a call to eradicate these sins from your life so thoroughly that they become irrelevant, almost unthinkable, among believers.
Think of it this way: if a particular sin is so foreign to your community that bringing it up is unnecessary and even shocking, you've achieved the goal. This doesn't mean we can't discuss these sins to warn others or understand God's commands, but they should have no place in the daily life and conversation of a saint.
Paul himself names these sins here to expose and condemn them, showing that the command is about their practice and tolerance, not about their mere mention.
Paul links sexual immorality and impurity with covetousness. Why lump a desire for 'things' with sins of the flesh?
It’s easy to see sexual immorality and impurity as wrong, but covetousness—an intense, unsatisfied desire for more—often flies under the radar. The Bible, however, places it in the same category as debasing sins.
Covetousness is fundamentally about placing your desire for possessions, status, or gratification above God and others. It’s a deep-seated selfishness that can manifest as greed for money, power, or even sensual pleasures. The original Greek word highlights an insatiable desire for what belongs to others, or simply for than you have.
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When connected with sexual immorality and impurity, it reveals a common root: an unchecked appetite. Whether that appetite is for sexual gratification or material gain, it’s a desire that seeks to consume and control, making you disregard God’s will and the well-being of your neighbor. It’s a sin that can blind you, just as other impurities do.
The verse ends by saying these sins shouldn't be named 'as is proper among saints.' What does it truly mean to live as a saint?
The word 'saints' in the Bible doesn't mean sinless perfection or being some kind of super-spiritual elite. It literally means 'holy ones' or 'set-apart ones.' When God calls you to be a saint, He is declaring that you are set apart for Him and separated from the world’s sinful ways.
This separation isn't just a status change; it's a call to a different way of living. Your life should reflect the holiness of the One who called you. Therefore, sins like sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness—which are contrary to God's character and draw you back into worldly patterns—are incompatible with this new identity.
Living as a saint means embracing your new identity in Christ and actively pursuing a life that honors Him. It means rejecting the patterns of the world and conforming your desires and actions to God’s revealed will, making these gross sins unthinkable and unnamed among you.
Understand the original words
porneia · Greek Noun
A broad term for all forms of sexual activity outside the bounds of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman; it denotes a fundamental perversion of God's design for human sexuality.
akatharsia · Greek Noun
Moral uncleanness or corruption, often implying a lack of purity in heart, thought, or lifestyle; it stands in opposition to the holiness expected of believers.
pleonexia · Greek Noun
An insatiable desire to have more, often at the expense of others; it is essentially the worship of material things over God.
hagiois · Greek Noun
Holy ones; believers who have been set apart (sanctified) by God for His exclusive use and purpose.
eidōlolatrēs · Greek Noun
A state of being in which one worships or serves a created thing or concept rather than the Creator; it is the ultimate rebellion against the first commandment.
klēronomian · Greek Noun
The legal right or promise of receiving a share in the eternal blessings, blessings, and future glory associated with the rule and reign of God.
basileia · Greek Noun
The spiritual and future dominion where God is recognized as King; it refers both to the present reality of His rule in the hearts of believers and the future manifestation of His sovereignty over all creation.
The letter to the Ephesians was written during a period of intense political upheaval and early Christian persecution under the Roman Empire. This context highlights the urgency of Paul's exhortations to the believers to live distinctly holy lives, separate from the prevalent immorality and greed of the surrounding pagan culture.
c. 44 BC
Death of Julius Caesar
The assassination of Julius Caesar plunged Rome into a series of civil wars, destabilizing the Roman Republic and setting the stage for the rise of the Roman Empire. This period of turmoil and shifting political power likely influenced the social and moral landscape of the regions where Paul ministered.
c. 60-62 AD— this verse
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
The Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome during this period. It is widely believed that during this time, he wrote several epistles, including Ephesians, to churches he had previously ministered to or had a strong connection with.
c. 64 AD
Great Fire of Rome
A devastating fire swept through Rome, leading Emperor Nero to blame and persecute Christians. This event intensified the existing pressures and potential dangers faced by the early Christian communities in the Roman Empire.
c. 67 AD
Martyrdom of Paul
According to tradition, the Apostle Paul was martyred in Rome during Nero's persecution. His death marked the end of his prolific missionary work and the continuation of his theological influence through his letters.
This passage directly parallels Ephesians 5:3 by listing covetousness as a form of idolatry, reinforcing its serious spiritual implications beyond mere financial greed.
1 Corinthians 6:18It connects sexual immorality with sinning against one's own body, highlighting the destructive nature of these 'uncleannesses' that Paul warns against.
Galatians 5:19-21This passage lists 'sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies' as 'works of the flesh,' providing a broader context for the types of impurity Paul addresses.
Matthew 15:19Jesus himself states that 'from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, malice, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness,' showing that these sins originate internally and are deeply serious.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5This passage explicitly states that 'this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God,' underscoring the call to purity as central to God's will for believers.
vincentEphesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
Or covetousnessOr sets this sin emphatically by itself.Let itIt refers to each of the sins.
barnesEphesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;"
But fornication - A "common" vice among the pagan then as it is now, and one into which they were in special danger of falling; see Romans 1:29 note; 1 Corinthians 6:18 note. And all uncleanness - Impurity of life; see the notes on Romans 1:24; compare Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Colossians 3:5. Or covetousness - The "connection" in which this word is…
Paul uses "or covetousness" to set it apart, linking this desire for more with the grosser sins of impurity. This highlights that even a "respectable" vice like greed is as fundamentally incompatible with a holy life as sexual immorality.
Paul is transitioning from the example of Christ's love to a call for believers to live as children of light, contrasting them with the darkness of the world. He urges them to shun sexual immorality, impurity, and greed, emphasizing that such sins shouldn't even be mentioned among them because they are set apart as holy. This instruction directly leads into a warning against foolish talk, obscenity, and coarse joking, all of which are incompatible with their new identity in Christ.
Paul is transitioning from the example of Christ's love to a call for believers to live as children of light, contrasting them with the darkness of the world. He urges them to shun sexual immorality, impurity, and greed, emphasizing that such sins shouldn't even be mentioned among them because they are set apart as holy. This instruction directly leads into a warning against foolish talk, obscenity, and coarse joking, all of which are incompatible with their new identity in Christ.
"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving…" — Paul uses "or covetousness" to set it apart, linking this desire for more with the grosser sins of impurity. This highlights that even a "respectable" vice like greed is as fundamentally incompatible…
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Last reviewed October 2026
