In Ephesians chapters 4 and 5, the apostle Paul highlights the main message of truth he believed the Ephesians would have learned from the gospel preaching about Jesus. He starts to iterate and highlight several such teachings. It seems these are the very teachings the apostle John relates in chapter 8 of John’s gospel, plus other teachings from that part of his gospel account. Lying according to the truth in Jesus is something to be put off, says Paul. Jesus in chapter 8 is shown teaching how lies are characteristic of the supernatural being called the devil, or Satan. So to be a child of God lying must stop. Paul mentions devilishness coming from indulging one’s angry sentiments too long. Jesus in John 8 calls murder another devilish characteristic and so murderous inclinations must stop. Paul mentions stealing as something to put off and replace with hard work. Jesus later in the gospel of John is seen throwing out money changers from the Temple because he sees them as robbers. Paul says marriage faithfulness is part of this truth which is in Jesus and John starts John chapter 8 with the account of a woman caught in adultery, who Jesus saves but tells to sin no more, implying her adultery must stop. John shows Jesus teaching in John chapter 8 about how these areas needing change are to bring into one’s life essential behaviours to be a permanent child of God, no longer a child of the devil, no longer a slave to sin. Paul introduces his relating of such things to the Ephesians by mentioning their adoption as children of God. Truth itself, truth that is in Jesus, is highlighted by Paul as the subject matter according to which the Ephesians received what they learned. Jesus in John 8 stresses that learning from his teachings leads to knowing truth that sets free from sin. Paul does not say the Ephesians learned what they learned from John’s written gospel as we have it today, but he seems to be using the same material about Jesus as John used in his gospel account. John is even noted in scriptures as having had a lot to do with Ephesians.
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