Therefore, I say this, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk like the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Truth to Learn
Don’t live your life like the unsaved people of this world.
Behind the Words
“Testify” is translated from marturomai, a form of martus, meaning “a witness.” The verb form that we have here means “to give a testimony of that which has been witnessed.” This is the word from which we get our English word martyr, meaning “one who gives his or her life as a witness of his or her faith.”
“Walk” appears twice in this verse. In each case it is the Greek verb peripateō. This word is made up of peri, meaning “around” or “about” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” Thus, it literally means “to walk around.” Paul uses it as a metaphor for the manner in which a person lives his or her life.
Loipos is the Greek adjective that is translated “rest.” It is derived from the verb leipō, meaning “to leave” or “to be absent.” Loipos refers to “that which remains.” In today’s verse, it is a reference to “the rest of the Gentiles,” that is, those who are not part of the body of Christ. Although this word does not appear in the best Greek texts, the concept is still valid as an implication.
“Vanity” is from mataiotēs, which refers to “worthlessness” or “moral depravity.”
The word “mind” is translated from nous which refers to “mental perception and intelligent understanding.” Thus, it means “the intellectual part of man” or “the mind.”
Meaning Explained
Paul has just instructed us as to why we should all be at work in the church, serving each other and building-up each other. In doing so, we experience the growth that God provides for the entire body. Each of us is specially gifted for our service and, like stones perfectly fitted together, we are an integral part of the body. Also, as we serve each other, we grow together as a unit, a single body whose head is Christ.
Therefore – Paul cautions us that we should not conduct our lives the way those outside the church do. Paul refers to these people as “the rest of the Gentiles.” If you look carefully at how Paul uses this expression, you will recognize that there are three groups of people in Paul’s teaching: Jews, Christians, and the rest of the Gentiles. Everyone who is alive right now, who has ever lived, or who will ever live is in one of these three categories, Jews, Christians, and Gentiles. Jews and Christians worship the same God, Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth. The rest of mankind rejects God. These, instead of living their lives by faith, live their lives by intellect. They think they understand the source of all things (they call it “The Big Bang”) and they think they understand how they got here (by evolution). Paul will talk a little bit more about their thinking in the next verse.
Before we leave today’s verse, however, note that Paul says that we should “no longer” live our lives like they do. That means that there was a time when we did live like that. In fact there are many Christians today who still live their lives intellectually instead of faith-fully. To them Christianity is an intellectual pursuit or it is a set of rules to live by. Paul says, however, that Christians are not to live their life that way because the Christian life is a life characterized by faith, not intellect.
Application
Does your life resemble a member of the world system more than a disciple of Christ? Are you living by a set of rules in hopes of pleasing God? Or, are you living each day in humble submission to God, walking by faith and giving Him all the praise and all the glory? Which do you think He wants?
In God's service, for His glory,
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