Ephesians 5:4 Commentary and Bible Study

I think every Christian catches his breath when he or she reads this fourth verse. ‘Filthiness’ is anything you should be ashamed of. The Greek word translated here filthiness does not actually mention filth; it mentions things that are shameful. It would include even immodesty. ‘Foolish talking’ could be unclean talk with double meaning, or it could just be foolish exaggeration and gibber, the stuff of which the television and radio chat shows are made. The word translated here ‘jesting’ is a Greek word which means well-turned. Think of repartee, the witty, quick response. The person always comes back with something which is very witty; that is actually what is meant by the term jesting, but then there is added ‘which are not convenient’, which are inappropriate. It suggests that, sparingly, somebody could be very smart and quick-witted and make replies which are genuinely humorous and appropriate to lighten the mood and cheer the heart. Some people may be good at that. What is condemned here is triviality and shallowness, smart answers which are really quite banal and silly, rather than being substantial and serious. There are people like this: they cannot be serious for two minutes and will not take you seriously. They lighten everything up for the sake of it, and sometimes it is smutty and dubious humour. True humour, we never disparage. ‘But rather giving of thanks.’ It always used to strike me on reading the pastoral epistles that both in Timothy and in Titus one of the qualities for elders and deacons is that they are, in the language of the King James Version, to be ‘grave’ people. I don't think that means permanently grave. You could better translate it as venerable, but then that makes them look very old. However venerable gets the sense of the Greek better. Weighty people, substantial in their thoughts, serious minded people. That is what is in mind here, the exact opposite of frivolity for the sake of it. ‘Nor jesting, which are not convenient.’