Ephesians 5:3 Commentary: Sins Not to Be Named Among the Saints

Ephesus was a major commercial and religious center. The temple of Artemis drew pilgrims from across the Roman world, and temple prostitution was a known practice. Sexual immorality was widespread and lightly regarded by the pagan culture (Cambridge Bible notes this). Paul’s readers came from this background; many had formerly practiced these sins. The command to not even name these things echoes the Old Testament: in Exodus 23:13, God told Israel not to let the names of other gods be heard from their mouths. Just as idolatry was to be utterly foreign, so now these vices are to be foreign to the church.

The linking of covetousness with sexual sin would have struck the Ephesian readers. The city’s wealth fueled greed, and greed often fueled further indulgence. Paul’s point is that both stem from the same rebellious heart, a heart that takes instead of gives thanks. In Ephesians 4:19, Paul had already described the pagans as “having given themselves up to sensuality, to practice every kind of impurity with greediness.” The Greek word for “greediness” there is πλεονεξία, the same word here. So the connection is intentional: sexual sin and material greed are two sides of the same coin, the relentless pursuit of self-gratification.

The phrase “as becomes saints” (καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις) ties the prohibition to identity. Saints are those set apart for God. Their speech and conduct should match that calling. In a culture where these vices were named with pride or amusement, the church was to be a counter-community where such things are simply not part of the conversation.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ephesians 5:3. The Greek text is stable across modern critical editions. The only minor variation involves the conjunction ἤ (or) before πλεονεξία, which is attested in all major manuscripts.

This verse has been a key text for Christian ethics on both sexual purity and the sin of greed. In the early church, it was cited to call converts from pagan permissiveness to a strict standard of holiness. During the Reformation, Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized that these sins must be “entirely unknown” among the faithful, a radical break from the world. Wesley and the Methodist tradition developed this into a call for entire sanctification, where even the desire for such sins is removed. In modern evangelical preaching, the verse is often used to challenge the church’s silence on greed and materialism, reminding believers that covetousness is not a respectable vice but is ranked with idolatry. Catholic moral theology has drawn on this passage in teaching on the capital sins, especially lust and avarice, while Eastern Orthodox tradition has connected it to the healing of the passions.

Three-point outline

1. The sins that must be absent, Paul lists three: sexual immorality (πορνεία), all uncleanness (ἀκαθαρσία), and covetousness (πλεονεξία). The first covers all forms of illicit sex; the second broadens to any impurity of thought, word, or action; the third targets the heart’s insatiable wanting.
2. The standard of absence, “Not even named” means these sins should not exist among believers, let alone be spoken of with approval. Paul himself names them to condemn them, but the ideal is a community where there is no occasion even to mention them.
3. The identity behind the standard, “As becomes saints.” Holiness is not a list of rules but a fitting response to being set apart for God. Because they are saints, believers naturally avoid what dishonors their calling.

Five-point outline

1. Fornication, any sexual relationship outside marriage. In the pagan world it was routine; in the church it must be unthinkable.
2. All uncleanness, impurity in all its forms, including lustful thoughts, pornography, and suggestive speech (see Eph 5:4).
3. Covetousness, an overreaching desire that may target money, sex, or status. Paul groups it with sexual sins because both treat people and things as objects to consume rather than gifts to receive with thanks.
4. Not even named, the prohibition covers both deed and discourse. A joke about greed, a wink at lust, a story that glamorizes impurity, all are forbidden.
5. As becomes saints, the motivation is not fear but fitness. Children of light should match their environment.

Illustration hooks

• In a workplace where colleagues routinely boast about expensive purchases or weekend exploits, the Christian quietly declines to join the conversation about “what you can get away with.”
• In a group chat where someone shares a questionable meme about money or relationships, the believer decides not to react or forward it, because even a laugh signals approval.
• A Christian who struggles with debt from overspending realizes that the same “just one more” drive that fuels impulse buying can also fuel sexual temptation. Both are forms of πλεονεξία.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “Is it really a sin to want more money? I’m just trying to provide for my family.”
• “Why does Paul compare greed to sexual sin? They seem like completely different categories.”
• “Does ‘not even be named’ mean I can’t talk about these issues at all? How do we address them without sinning?”

This verse confronts us with how seriously God views both sexual sin and the love of money. In a culture that jokes about both, Paul calls believers to a standard so high that these vices should not even come up in conversation. As you discuss, consider how your own speech and heart measure up to “as becomes saints.”

Discussion questions

1. Read Ephesians 5:3 aloud. What stands out to you about the three sins Paul lists? Why do you think he puts them together?
2. What does the phrase “not even be named” mean in practical terms? Does it forbid all mention of these topics, or something else? (See Exodus 23:13 and 1 Corinthians 5:1 for comparison.)
3. How does the word “covetousness” (πλεονεξία) connect to the other two sins? In what ways can a desire for more, whether money, attention, or pleasure, become a form of impurity?
4. Barnes wrote that covetousness is often less condemned than sexual sin in the church. Do you agree? Why might we treat greed as less serious?
5. Verse 5 says the covetous person is an idolater. How does greed function as a form of worship? What does it “sacrifice” to get what it wants?
6. Why does Paul ground this command in identity (“as becomes saints”)? How does remembering who you are change how you view these temptations?
7. What is one practical step you can take this week to ensure that these sins are “not even named” in your home, your speech, or your heart?