| Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,.... It is not said with the workers of darkness, or with the men of the world, who are in darkness, and are darkness itself; to have fellowship with them in a civil way, or to dwell among them, is not prohibited; it is allowed of, and countenanced by the greatest examples; and especially it is lawful and right, when there is any prospect of doing good to the souls of men; and even when natural right, relation, and necessity require it; and indeed, the contrary is impracticable: conversation with them in things sinful and superstitious should be abstained from; and when it tends to draw off the soul from Christ and his interest, and is infectious; and when weak ones are offended, and sinners are hereby hardened and confirmed in sin; and the name of God is blasphemed, and the Gospel is evil spoken of: but fellowship is not to be maintained "with the works of darkness"; which are sins, so called, because they are opposite to light; to the light of nature, to the light of the divine word, both law and Gospel, to the light of grace, to God the fountain of light, and to Christ the light of the world; and because the source and spring of them are the original darkness of the mind, and Satan the prince of darkness; and because they are generally committed in the dark; and because the effect and consequence of them is utter darkness, and blackness of darkness: and these are "unfruitful"; they are of no profit and advantage, they bring forth no fruit, unless it be guilt, fear, shame, corruption, and death; wherefore no fellowship should be had with them, by committing the same, by assisting in them, by consenting to them, by approving of them, by receiving any worldly advantage from them, and by winking and conniving at them: it is contrary to the character of saints to have fellowship with such, as the apostle says, 2 Corinthians 6:14, where he gives the mystical explanation of the law, in Deuteronomy 22:10; agreeably to which, and to the passage here, is the sense of a Jewish commentators (l) who upon it observes, that that law continued...
Vincent's Word StudiesHave - fellowship (συγκοινωνεῖτε) See on Revelation 18:4; see on Revelation 1:9. Unfruitful works (ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις) continued...
Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd have no fellowship - See the sentiment here expressed fully explained in the notes on 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. continued...
Clarke's Commentary on the BibleHave no fellowship - Have no religious connection whatever with heathens or their worship. continued...
Geneva Study BibleAnd have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather {e} reprove them. (e) Make them open to all the world, by your good life.
People's New Testament 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. See Eph 5:7. Works of darkness are those which please the powers of darkness. The Christian must have nothing whatever to do with these. We must not countenance any sinful device, but rather reprove it. This would prevent the patronage of many things which the world countenances.
Wesley's Notes 5:11 Reprove them - To avoid them is not enough.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary11. unfruitful works of darkness-Sins are terminated in themselves, and therefore are called "works," not "fruits" (Ga 5:19, 22). Their only fruit is that which is not in a true sense fruit (De 32:32), namely, "death" (Ro 6:21; Ga 6:8). Plants cannot bear "fruit" in the absence of light. Sin is "darkness," and its parent is the prince of darkness (Eph 6:12). Graces, on the other hand, as flourishing in "the light," are reproductive, and abound in fruits; which, as harmoniously combining in one whole, are termed (in the singular) "the FRUIT of the Spirit" (Eph 5:9). rather, &c.-Translate as Greek, "rather even reprove them" (compare Mt 5:14-16). Not only "have no fellowship, but even reprove them," namely, in words, and in your deeds, which, shining with "the light," virtually reprove all that is contrary to light (Eph 5:13; Joh 3:19-21). "Have no fellowship," does not imply that we can avoid all intercourse (1Co 5:10), but "avoid such fellowship as will defile yourselves"; just as light, though it touch filth, is not soiled by it; nay, as light detects it, so, "even reprove sin."
Ephesians 5:11 Parallel Commentaries
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