EPHESAIANS CHAPTER 6 EPHESIANS 6:1 The relative duties of children, EPHESIANS 6:4 and parents, EPHESIANS 6:5 of servants, EPHESIANS 6:9 and masters. EPHESIANS 6:10 Paul exhorteth the brethren to resist spiritual enemies by putting on the whole armour of God, EPHESIANS 6:18 and by perseverance in pra... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. A special promise annexed to the particular duty commanded. There being promises added to only two commandments, viz. the second and this fifth; that which is annexed to the second commandment is a general one, and which relates to the whole law, but this a special one, and which respects this... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU MAYEST LIVE LONG and happily. This promise is still fulfilled to believers, either in the thing itself here promised, or in a better way, God's giving them eternal life.... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH; viz. by unreasonable severity, moroseness, unrighteous commands, &c. BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE; or correction, as the word signifies, HEBREWS 12:6. AND ADMONITION; this denotes the end of the former; instruction in their duty must be, as well as correction... [ Continue Reading ]
SERVANTS; these servants were generally slaves: Christian liberty doth not take away civil servitude. BE OBEDIENT TO THEM THAT ARE YOUR MASTERS; whether good or bad, as 1 PETER 2:18, is expressly said. ACCORDING TO THE FLESH; as to your outward state, not as to your souls and consciences. WITH FEAR... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT WITH EYESERVICE; not merely having respect to your masters presence, and looking upon you in your work. AS MEN-PLEASERS; such as make it their only business to please their masters, right or wrong, and ingratiate themselves with them, though by offending God. BUT AS THE SERVANTS OF CHRIST; as be... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH GOOD WILL DOING SERVICE; not grudgingly or as of constraint, but freely and cheerfully. AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT TO MEN; not only regarding men your masters, but Christ your great Master. That which is done for the worst masters, and in the hardest things, is service done to Christ, when out of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER GOOD THING ANY MAN DOETH; viz. as the servant of Christ and as unto the Lord. THE SAME SHALL HE RECEIVE OF THE LORD; the reward of the same, by a metonymy. WHETHER HE BE BOND OR FREE: Christ regards not those differences of men at the present, nor will in the day of judgment, 1 CORINTHIAN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, YE MASTERS, DO THE SAME THINGS UNTO THEM; not the same in special, which belong only to servants, but in general, which concern you no less than them, viz. do your duty to them with good will, with an eye to God and Christ, &c.; or rather, do your duty mutually to them, according to your condit... [ Continue Reading ]
BE STRONG; or, strengthen yourselves; i.e. be courageous, and constant in the practice of your duty, against the devil and all his assaults. IN THE LORD: not in yourselves, but in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom your strength lies, and from whom by faith you may obtain it: see PHILIPPIANS 4:13 2 TIMO... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR; get yourselves furnished with every grace, that none be wanting in you, no part naked and exposed to your enemies. OF GOD; i.e. not carnal, but spiritual, and given by God: see 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3,4 1 THESSALONIANS 5:8. THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND; either to fight, or rather... [ Continue Reading ]
WE WRESTLE NOT; not only, or not principally. AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD; men, consisting of flesh and blood, MATTHEW 16:17 GALATIANS 1:16. BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS; devils, COLOSSIANS 2:15: see EPHESIANS 1:21. AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD; either that rule in the... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE EVIL DAY; times of temptation, and Satan's greatest rage: see EPHESIANS 5:16. HAVING DONE ALL; all that belongs to good soldiers of Jesus Christ, all that we can do being little enough to secure our standing. TO STAND; as conquerors do that keep the field, not being beaten down, nor giving wa... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND THEREFORE: standing here (in a different sense from what it was taken in before) seems to imply watchfulness, readiness for the combat, and keeping our places, both as to our general and particular callings: if soldiers leave their ranks they endanger themselves. HAVING YOUR LOINS GIRT ABOUT W... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FEET SHOD; in allusion to the greaves or military shoes with which soldiers covered their feet and legs. A Christian's way lies through rough places, through briers and thorns, and therefore he needs this piece of armour. He must be prepared to hold the faith, and confess Christ in the most dif... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOVE ALL; chiefly, COLOSSIANS 3:14: this he sets, as the principal part of the Christian armour, against the greatest temptations, fiery darts, 1 PETER 5:8,9 1 JOHN 5:4. TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH: faith, as receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, is compared to a shield, (under which sold... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION: _salvation, _ for _the hope of salvation,_ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:8. This follows faith, and is of kin to it. Soldiers dare not fight without their helmet: despair, to which the devil tempts us, makes us quit our combat; whereas hope of salvation makes us lift up our heads i... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAYING ALWAYS; i.e. in every opportunity, so often as our own or others necessities call us to it, 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17. WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION; prayer, when opposed to supplication, seems to signify petitioning for good things, and supplication the deprecating of evil, 1 TIMOTHY 2:1. IN... [ Continue Reading ]
UTTERANCE, or speech, viz. both the things I am to speak, and the faculty of speaking as becomes the matter I deliver. THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH; or, in or unto the opening of my mouth, i.e. full and free profession of the truth, without shame or fear. BOLDLY; either, freely and confidently, the same... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS; for which gospel I still continue, though a prisoner, in the embassy committed to me by Christ. THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY; this may imply not only free speaking, but free acting in all things whereby the gospel may be propagated.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THAT YE ALSO, as well as other churches, MAY KNOW MY AFFAIRS, how I am used by the Romans in my bonds. HOW I DO, or rather, what I do, i.e. how I behave myself: see ACTS 28:30,31. FAITHFUL MINISTER: _minister_ is here taken in a large sense, for any that labour in the gospel, such as were not on... [ Continue Reading ]
That ye might not _faint at my tribulations,_ EPHESIANS 3:13. It might be a comfort to them to hear that Paul was well used, (setting aside his bonds), and had liberty to preach to those that came to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
He prays for their continuance and increase in these graces, which already were begun in them.... [ Continue Reading ]
This is more extensive than the former, he prays here for all true believers every where. IN SINCERITY; or, with incorruption, i.e. so as that nothing can draw them off from the love of Christ, and so it implies constancy as well as sincerity. WRITTEN FROM ROME UNTO THE EPHESIANS BY TYCHICUS.... [ Continue Reading ]