This verse is closely parallel with Colossians 3.5, where all three nouns are also used: sexual immorality, indecency, greed. The first Greek word (Revised Standard Version “fornication”) is defined by Arndt and Gingrich (A&G) as “every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse.” The second one, “impurity” (Revised Standard Version), is usually associated with sexual sins (see its use with “fornication” in Rom 1.24; 2 Cor 12.21; Gal 5.19; Col 3.5; 1 Thes 4.7). Perhaps it means “perversion.” It is strange that greed should be included in a list that has to do with sexual sins, but the usual meaning of the Greek word (see 4.19) is “covetousness, greed, desire,” and Lightfoot, Murray, and Barth take that to be the meaning here. C. F. D. Moule in his commentary on Colossians 3.5, defines it as “ruthless and aggressive self-seeking.” But Beare objects that here it must mean something like “adultery” or “sensual self-indulgence”; likewise Westcott: “sensual indulgement at the cost of others” (also Abbott and Salmond). Moffatt, New American Bible, Translator’s New Testament translate “lust”; Jerusalem Bible “promiscuity.” But most translations (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, and others) have the idea of greed, covetousness.

Sexual immorality must sometimes be defined in more or less concrete terms, for example, “having sexual intercourse with someone who is not one’s spouse.” The term indecency likewise refers to sexual sin, but it is a somewhat stronger term and may often be translated in an idiomatic manner, for example, “to live like a dog” or “to act like a rooster” or “to dirty one’s genitals.” Greed may be defined in this same type of context as “always desiring what others have” or “always wanting to take away from others what they have.”

Should even be mentioned: is this to be taken strictly in the sense that the subject should never arise, not even to condemn these sins? That would seem rather improbable, and the meaning more likely is that not even rumors about these kinds of sins in the Christian fellowship should ever circulate; their conduct should be so spotless that there would not be a chance that any rumor or gossip about sexual misconduct would ever get started. The expression may be satisfactorily rendered as “no one should ever have a reason to talk about any of you ever doing such things.”

In Greek the verse ends with “as is fitting among saints” (Revised Standard Version). Good News Translation places this first: Since you are God’s people, it is not right. But in many languages, of course, the proper place for this would be at the end of the verse: “This would not be right, since you are God’s children.” Jerusalem Bible “this would hardly become the saints!” New International Version “improper.” The meaning is that which is not morally appropriate or suitable.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .