JEFF TURNER

Ephesians 5:3 says that sexual immorality and greed must not even be named among believers, and one reader took that to mean that Christians struggling with sexual sin should not talk about it with others. But the verse is not about silence; it is about identity. Paul’s point is that these sins should have no place among God’s people, not that the topic is off limits in a context of genuine care and accountability.

Confessing sin to a trusted fellow believer is encouraged throughout scripture, and receiving support and prayer from others is part of what it means to live in Christian community. The verse in Ephesians is calling believers to a standard of holiness where sexual immorality simply does not characterise who they are. It is not a prohibition against the kind of honest, private conversations that help people find freedom from sin. At the same time, there is no need to share every ugly detail publicly; the goal is mutual support and accountability, not a full rehearsal of everything done in darkness.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.

James 5:16