Ephesians 5:15 – Walking Perfectly

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise“:

Following the imperative of verse 14, Paul now commands the reader to ‘see then’. To “see “can also be translated as ‘to look at, to discern’. It’s a verb that points to the individual taking action. You see. You look. You discern.

The next word, ‘then’, calls back to the previous verse. It can be translated as ‘accordingly, consequently’. What was in the previous verse? A call for the individual to awake from sleep. To break the cycle of unconsciousness and become conscious. Only when one is awake can they then ‘see’.

Awake, Paul says, and Christ shall give thee light. Now that you are awake, and there is light to see, SEE.

See what? That you walk circumspectly. Before we look at the continuation of the verse, it is beneficial to simplify the word ‘circumspectly’. Translated literally, it means ‘exactly’. It is a superlative in the Greek, to be most exact. It can also be translated as ‘perfectly’. Moving forward, I will use the word ‘perfectly’ as it conveys the meaning most effectively for the layman. Now we can then read this passage in a more literal reading: That you walk perfectly.

What is it that we are looking to? That we are walking perfectly, or another way to phrase it, that the place where we are putting our feet is solid ground. Wake from sleep, cries the preacher, and Christ will give thee light with which to see where to walk safely!

It is in the light of this, that Paul directs them how to walk: wisely, not as fools (unwisely). Such advice seems very obvious, yet it is human nature that we get caught up in desire for comfort and the short term that we often make unwise decisions despite the apparent obviousness of choosing what is wise.

Note the imperative nature of these passages, for it will continue unabated in chapter 5: YOU awake, Christ will give light, then YOU walk – walk wisely.

What then are you waiting for?