Ephesians 5:3-4

5:3

But – contrast, this time between the self-sacrificing love seen in verses 1 – 2 as opposed to self-centered anti-love described below

among you – you/we who come together from very different backgrounds; we who have been made into one body out of those contrasting backgrounds; we who are a tertium quid — neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither American nor Mexican

there must not be – command, authority

even a hint – suggestion, tiniest possibility; it’s not enough to escape formal charges, I must not give any room or reason for speculation
of sexual immorality – is there another kind of immorality? In this computer age, it has become so easy to let the mind/eyes roam into the world of immorality. What harm is a fantasy? “If a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

or – start of a short list

any kind – similar to “even a hint” above

of impurity – This could mean different things. First thought is to connect it with immorality. But that would leave “greed” (below) hanging disconnected. What else could impurity suggest? Dirty, soiled, trashy, unethical. Corporations or officials, caught doing something shameful, often reply, “We did not break any laws.” Perhaps that is true; but perhaps they violated ethical standards, took bribes or paid them, or took advantage of weaker people. Could that qualify as impurity, dirty, soiled, trashy, or unethical?

or of greed – materialism, worship of matter, finding significance or personal value in terms of financial figures and/or material possessions
The phrase “even a hint” applies to all three of these vices: immorality, impurity and greed.

because – the reason we in the body of Christ must not allow even a hint of these vices is found in the following…

these – umbrella terms for broad categories of offenses

are improper for – inappropriate, do not fit; do not go with, conflict with
God’s holy people – Holy god identifies with those He called; He calls them into a holy life, a life free from sin, characterized by victory over sin rather than continuous spiritual failure. Holy, victorious lifestyle cannot abide even a hint of these vices.

5:4

Nor – the list continues

should there be – previous 3 behaviors were tied to the imperative “must.” Here the phrase seems softer. Curious why this would be.

obscenity [NLT: obscene stories] – verbal filth; I still remember obscene stories from my childhood. I focus this application to verbal filth, because the rest of the series deals only with our speech. But the issue of obscenity in forms other than speech comes under the umbrella term in the previous verse, “any hint of sexual immorality.”

foolish talk – talking like a fool. How does a fool talk? He brags, boasts of accomplishments, most of which he never did. Finally, an activity that (I think) I score fairly well in, i.e., this is not me.

coarse joking – double entendres; much of what passes for sitcom humor involves statements with double meanings with sexual innuendo

which – these kinds of speech, language, conversations

are – present tense, ongoing reality

out of place – inappropriate; not fitting for a Christ-follower; these typify society at large; but they draw me away from Christ instead of closer to Him

but rather – emphatic contrast, replacing negative with the positive

thanksgiving – All of the foregoing negative speech can be replaced with thankful talk: Thanking God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; thanking my spouse, my parents, my siblings, my children; thanking others in our fellowship; thanking believers from other groups; thanking non-believers. Giving thanks: show appreciation, give recognition for good service