Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 5:11

"and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them;" — Ephesians 5:11 (ASV)

Another exhortation is added to that in v.8. Christians are not to be involved in “the fruitless deeds of darkness.” Paul is not advocating pharisaical separatism, for the “deeds” must be shunned, not the doers. Followers of Christ will go where their master went and meet those their master met. But though they do not withdraw from the world, they refuse to adopt its standards or fall in with its ways. They are concerned to produce “the fruit of the light” (v.9).

Far from participating in these practices, believers should “expose” (GK 1794) them. When the object of “expose” is a person, the verb means “to convince or reprove”; this is the distinctive work of the Spirit. But when the object is impersonal, the verb may signify “to bring to light or expose.” This exposure is not effected by what is actually said by way of rebuke (cf. vv.3, 12), but simply by letting the light of Christ shine through and show them up.