Day: August 29, 2024

Thursday, August 29, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14, that which precedes today’s Scripture). Someone here is sleeping in the spiritual realm and is thus exhorted to wake up, to rise from functional death, for Christ offers spiritual light in contrast to the surrounding darkness. As mature Bible students, we call to mind a man named Eutychus who was in a similar situation.

Eutychus’ ordeal is featured in Acts chapter 20: “[7] And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. [8] And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. [9] And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. [10] And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. [11] When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. [12] And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”

As his Apostle Paul was preaching, Eutychus became sidetracked and nodded off. This was not just a quick nap but a “deep sleep” (verse 9). There was great light inside the building with Paul’s ministry, but Eutychus focused on the darkness outside and wound up falling asleep and falling down dead! Remember the Corinthians who listened more to false teachers than God’s preachers? The Bible urges them: “Be not deceived: evil communications [companionships, friendships] corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33,34).

Considering all this, we ought to “walk circumspectly….”