And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

“"And have no fellowship," he adds, "with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; for the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of; but all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light." Hearken, I entreat you, all, as many of you as like not to be hated for nothing, but to be loved. "What need is there to be hated?" one says. A man commits a robbery, and dost thou not reprove him, but art afraid of his hatred? though this, however, is not being hated for nothing. But dost thou justly convict him, and yet fear the hatred? Convict thy brother, incur enmity for the love's sake which thou owest to Christ, for the love's sake which thou owest to thy brother. Arrest him as he is on his road to the pit of destruction. For to admit him to our table, to treat him with civil speeches, with salutations, and with entertainments, these are no signal proofs of friendship. No, those I have mentioned are the boons which we must bestow upon our friends, that we may rescue their souls from the wrath of God. When we see them lying prostrate in the furnace of wickedness, let us raise them up. "But," they say, "it is of no use, he is incorrigible." However, do thou thy duty, and then thou hast excused thyself to God. Hide not thy talent. It is for this that thou hast speech, it is for this thou hast a mouth and a tongue, that thou mayest correct thy neighbor. It is dumb and reasonless creatures only that have no care for their neighbor, and take no account of others. But dost thou while calling God, "Father," and thy neighbor, "brother," when thou seest him committing unnumbered wickednesses, dost thou prefer his good-will to his welfare? No, do not so, I entreat you. There is no evidence of friendship so true as never to overlook the sins of our brethren. Didst thou see them at enmity? Reconcile them. Didst thou see them guilty of covetousness? Check them. Didst thou see them wronged? Stand up in their defense. It is not on them, it is on thyself thou art conferring the chief benefit. It is for this we are friends, that we may be of use one to another. A man will listen in a different spirit to a friend, and to any other chance person. A chance person he will regard perhaps with suspicion, and so in like manner will he a teacher, but not so a friend.”

“Above, the Apostle forbade carnal sins, threatening punishment and removing the deception; here he assigns a reason taken from their condition, and he does two things. For first he sets forth their condition; second he draws two conclusions from these, at the place "that you may be children of light," etc. Now he sets down two conditions: first the past one, second the present condition, at "but now light," etc. He says therefore, "you were at one time darkness," that is, blinded by ignorance and error. Above, IV, 18: "having their understanding darkened with darkness." Ps. 81:5: "They have not known, nor understood; they walk in darkness." Likewise, dark through sin. Prov. 4:12: "The way of the wicked is darksome; they know not where they fall." But it should be noted that he does not indefinitely say "darksome," but "darkness"; because just as anyone seems to be what predominates in him — just as the whole city seems to be the king, and what the king does is said to be done by the city — so when sin reigns in a man, then the whole man is called sin and darkness. There follows, "but now light," etc., where he sets down the present condition; as if to say: but now you have the light of faith. Phil. 2:15: "Among whom you shine as lights in the world." Matt. 5:14: "You are the light of the world." But against this it is said of John the Baptist: "he was not the light"; how then are the other faithful called light? I respond: they are not called light by essence, but by participation. Then, when he says "walk then as children of light," etc., he draws two conclusions. For he had said that they had been darkness and that now they are light. And therefore first he concludes that they should conform themselves to what they now are; second, that they should avoid what they formerly were, at "and have no fellowship," etc. The first is divided into two. First he sets down the admonition; second he expounds it, at "for the fruit of the light," etc. He says therefore: because you are now light, you should do the works of light; therefore "walk as children of light." John 12:35: "Walk whilst you have the light," etc. Now he expounds this when he says "for the fruit," etc. Now one walks as a child of light in two ways: first as to the substance, or genus, of the work; second as to the manner, or the intention of the one doing it. First, therefore, he sets down the works which must be done; second, with what intention they ought to be done, at "proving," etc. He says therefore: I have said that you should walk as children of light; now the fruit of light are works that are fruitful and clear. Ecclesiasticus 24:23: "My flowers are the fruit of honor," etc. And this "in all goodness," etc. Where it should be noted that every act of virtue is reduced to three things. For it is necessary that the agent be ordered in himself, toward his neighbor, and toward God. In himself, that he be good in himself, and for this reason he says "in all goodness." Ps. 118:66: "Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge," etc. Likewise, toward the neighbor through justice; therefore he says "in justice." Ps. 118:121: "I have done judgment and justice," etc. Toward God through knowledge and confession of the truth, and therefore he says "and truth." Zach. 8:19: "For love ye truth and peace." Or otherwise, so that goodness is referred to the heart, justice to the deed, truth to the mouth. Above, IV, 25, and Zach. 8:16: "Speak ye truth every one with his neighbor." Then, when he says "proving," etc., he shows with what intention they ought to work: namely, not abruptly, but "proving," that is, discerning by reason. "Let every one prove his own work," as is said in Gal. 6:4. And this, "what is well-pleasing to God," that is, that you intend to do what pleases God. Rom. 15: "that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God." Then, when he says "and have no fellowship," etc., he exhorts them not to return to the state which they had left, because, as is said in Gal. 2:18: "For if I build up again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a prevaricator"; 2 Peter 2:22: "The dog is returned to his vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." Now this part is divided into two. First he sets down the admonition; second he assigns the reason, at "for the things that are done by them in secret," etc. The first is again divided into two. First he admonishes them not to do evil; second, that they reprove evils, at "but rather reprove them," etc. He says therefore, "proving what is well-pleasing to God," "and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," that is, with carnal works leading to perpetual darkness; which indeed are unfruitful, because they have only a momentary delight, most swiftly passing away. Rom. 6:21: "What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed?" Jude 1:12: "Trees of autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own confusion," etc. Likewise, they seek dark places on account of shamefulness, because in them they associate with brute beasts. Job 24:15: "The eye of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me; and he covereth his face. In the dark he diggeth through houses," etc. Therefore have no fellowship with these, by imitating, by helping, by consenting. Ecclesiasticus 13:22: "What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog?" But certainly this does not suffice, unless you also reprove them, because, as Augustine says, sometimes God punishes the innocent who associate with them, because some good men do not reprove the evil. Ecclesiasticus 17:12: "And he gave to every one of them commandment concerning his neighbor." And therefore he says "but rather reprove." 2 Tim. 4:2: "Reprove, entreat, rebuke," etc. But do we always sin if we do not reprove? Augustine responds: for what you do not reprove out of the fear of charity — namely, lest he become worse, and being scandalized, afflict the good — you do not sin. But if out of the fear of cupidity — namely, lest he become indignant and you lose his benefits to you — then you sin.”

“But all things that are reproved,.... As all sins should be, by the ministers of the Gospel, and by other saints, and will be by God; either by his Spirit convincing of them, or by his judgments, and the letting out of his wrath and fury, either here or hereafter, for the punishment of them: are made manifest by the light: either by the saints, who are made light in the Lord, and detect and reprove the sins of others; or by the word of the Lord, which discovers the heinousness of sins; or by Christ the light of the world, who as Judge will bring to light the hidden things of darkness; or by the omniscience of God, to whom darkness and light are both alike for whatsoever doth make manifest, is light; this is true in things natural and spiritual, whether of the sun in the firmament, or of Christ the sun of righteousness; or of the divine word, or of good men.”

“Have no fellowship - Have no religious connection whatever with heathens or their worship. Unfruitful works of darkness - Probably alluding to the mysteries among the heathens, and the different lustrations and rites through which the initiated went in the caves and dark recesses where these mysteries were celebrated; all which he denominates works of darkness, because they were destitute of true wisdom; and unfruitful works, because they were of no use to mankind; the initiated being obliged, on pain of death, to keep secret what they had seen, heard, and done: hence they were called απορῥητα μυστηρια, unspeakable mysteries - things that were not to be divulged. That the apostle may refer to magic and incantations is also probable, for to these the Ephesians were greatly addicted. See the proofs in the notes on Act 19:19. Rather reprove them - Bear a testimony against them; convince them that they are wrong; confute them in their vain reasons; reprove them for their vices, which are flagrant, while pretending to superior illumination. All these meanings has the Greek word ελεγχω, which we generally render to convince or reprove.”

“unfruitful works of darkness--Sins are terminated in themselves, and therefore are called "works," not "fruits" (Gal 5:19, Gal 5:22). Their only fruit is that which is not in a true sense fruit (Deu 32:32), namely, "death" (Rom 6:21; Gal 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 Mat 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 (Co1 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."”