Ephesians 6:1-4
Other relative duties those of parents and children. With this the concise paragraph in Colossians 3:20-21 is specially to be compared.... [ Continue Reading ]
Other relative duties those of parents and children. With this the concise paragraph in Colossians 3:20-21 is specially to be compared.... [ Continue Reading ]
τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν [ἐν Κυρίῳ]: _children obey your parents in the Lord_. The duty of the _wife_ has been described by the terms _subjection_ or _submission_ (ὑποτάσσεσθαι) and _fear_ (φοβεῖσθαι). The duty of the _child_ is now described in terms of _obedience_ (ὑπακούειν, = readiness... [ Continue Reading ]
τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα : _honour thy father and mother_. Obedience is the _duty; honour_ is the _disposition_ of which the obedience is born. The authoritative terms of the OT Law (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), given in the exact words of the LXX, are adopted in order to enforce regar... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ ἔσῃ μακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς : _that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the land_. The quotation of the commandment is continued according to the LXX, but with some variations, _viz._, ἔσῃ for γένῃ, and the omission of τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἧς (Exodus 20:12, or ἧς alo... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οἱ πατέρες, μὴ παροργίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν : _and, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath_. The καί continues the statement of this second of the relative or domestic duties, presenting now the other side. The duty is one not only of children to parents, but also of parents to children. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κυρίοις κατὰ σάρκα : _servants obey them who according to the flesh are your masters_. As in the case of the two relations already dealt with, so here the statement begins with the dependent member, the _servant_, who in these times was a _bond-servant_. Many questions woul... [ Continue Reading ]
Other relative duties those of masters and servants. With this compare the paragraph in the sister Epistle, Colossians 3:22 to Colossians 4:1, and the statement in 1 Peter 2:18-25.... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ κατʼ ὀφθαλμοδουλείαν : _not in the way of eye-service_. TWH prefer the form ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν. Negative explanation of what ἁπλότης τῆς καρδίας means. κατά points to the _principle_ or _rule_ of action. The noun occurs only here and in Colossians 3:22; but ὀφθαλμόδουλος is found also in the _Constit... [ Continue Reading ]
μετʼ εὐνοίας δουλεύοντες [ὡς] τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις : _with good will doing service_ [as] _to the Lord and not to men_. Further explanation of what is meant by the bond-service of Christ, _viz._, a service rendered with _good will_ and as a service to the Lord Himself, not to men. μετʼ εὐνοίας... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰδότες ὅτο ὅ ἐάν τι ἕκαστος ποιήση ἀναθόν : _knowing that whatsoever good thing each shall have done_. Or, according to the text of T and WH = “knowing that each, if he shall have done any good thing”. Participal clause subjoining a reason or encouragement for a service rendered in sincerity, with... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οἱ Κύριοι, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖτε πρός αὐτούς : _and ye masters_ [or _lords_, RV marg.], _do the same things unto them_. The καί has the same force as in Ephesians 6:4 above. The duty of the masters is a corresponding duty, essentially the same as that of the servants (τὰ αὐτά), and it is stated first... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ λοιπόν [ἀδελφοί] μου, ἐνδυναμοῦσθε [δυναμοῦσθε] ἐν Κυρίῳ : _finally_ (or, _henceforth_) [_my brethren_], _be strengthened in the Lord_. For τὸ λοιπόν, the reading of TR with [781] [782] [783] [784] [785] 3, etc., τοῦ λοιποῦ, is to be preferred (with LTTrWHRV) as sustained by [786] [787] [788] [78... [ Continue Reading ]
General concluding exhortation, following up the injunctions bearing on the particular, domestic duties. This comprehensive charge, which is expressed in terms of the Christian's spiritual warfare, the powers of evil with which he has to contend, and the weapons with which he is to arm himself, brin... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐνδύσασθε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ : _put on the whole armour of God_. Further explanation of what has to be done in order to become strong enough to meet all enemies, even the devil. τοῦ Θεοῦ is the gen. of _origin_ or _source_, = the panoply which comes from God or is provided by Him. To put the emp... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν [ὑμῖν] ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἶμα καὶ σάρκα : _for our_ [_your_] _wrestling is not against flesh and blood_. Reason for speaking of the μεθοδεῖαι τοῦ διαβόλου as dangers against which the Christian must stand his ground. The ὅτι is explanatory, = “the wiles of the Devil, I say, for it is no... [ Continue Reading ]
διὰ τοῦτο ἀναλάβετε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ : _wherefore take up the whole armour of God_. διὰ τοῦτο, _i.e._, because your enemies are such as these. ἀναλαβεῖν is the accepted term for taking up arms, as κατατίθεσθαι is for laying them down (Deuteronomy 1:41; Jeremiah 26:3). ἵνα δυνηθῆτε ἀντιστῆναι ἐ... [ Continue Reading ]
στῆτε οὑν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ : _stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth_. In some few authorities στῆτε οὐν is omitted (Victor., Ambrstr.); in others the οὖν is omitted and στῆτε is retained ([824] * [825] [826], Cyp., etc.). ὀσφυς is accentuated ὀσφῦς by TR and Tr... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ὑποδησάμενοι τοὺς πόδας : _and having shod your feet_. So the RV; better than “and your feet shod” of AV. The reference comes in naturally in connection with the στῆτε. The soldier, who will make this _stand_, must have his feet protected. The Heb. נַעַל, _sandal_, is represented in the LXX by ὑ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπὶ [ἐν] πᾶσιν ἀναλαβόντες τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς πίστεως : _in addition to all_ (or, _withal_) _taking up the shield of faith_. The readings vary between ἐπί and ἐν. The former, that of the TR, is supported by [827] [828] [829] [830] [831], most cursives, and such Versions as the Syr.-P, and the Arm.; the... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου δέξασθε : _and receive the helmet of salvation_. The construction changes here, as is often the case with Paul, and passes from the participial form to the direct imperative. There is no necessity, however, for marking this by a full stop at the close of the preced... [ Continue Reading ]
διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως προσευχόμενοι : _with all prayer and supplication praying_. This clause is a further explanation of the manner in which the injunction στῆτε οὖν is to be carried. It is connected by some with the preceding δέξασθε; but it is not appropriate to the δέξασθε, which repre... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ : _and for me_. καί has here its _adjunctive_ force, in the special form of appending the particular to the general (Win.-Moult., p. 544), = “and for me in particular”. Paul passes from the requirement of intercession for all to that of intercession for himself, and that with a view to... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑπὲρ οὗ πρεσβεύω ἐν ἁλύσει : _in behalf of which I am an ambassador in a chain_. The οὗ is best referred, not to τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, but to τὸ μυστήριον, the mystery contained in the Gospel being the thing that Paul desired to make known (γνωρίσαι). So in Colossians 4:3 it is this μυστήριον that the wri... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς [καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰδῆτε] τὰ κατʼ ἐμέ, τί πράσσω : _but that ye also may know my affairs, how I do_. The metabatic δέ, passing on to a different subject. The order καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰδῆτε is given in [876] [877] [878] [879], etc.; εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς in [880] [881] [882], Syr., etc. The evide... [ Continue Reading ]
Statement regarding Tychicus and his mission.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὂν ἔπεμψα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο : _whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose_. ἔπεμψα, in idiomatic English = “I have written,” but literally = “I did write”. If it were certain that the Epistle to the Colossians preceded that to the Ephesians, that the special mission on which Tychicus was... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰρήνη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ ἀγάπη μετὰ πίστεως : _peace be to the brethren and love with faith_. Paul's benedictions are usually addressed _directly_ to the reader, μεθʼ ὑμῶν or some similar form being employed. This one is addressed to the _brethren_ in the third person, as is perhaps more appropriate... [ Continue Reading ]
Closing Benediction.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ. [ἀμήν]: _Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness_. As in Colossians, the three Pastoral Epistles, and also in Hebrews, we have here ἡ χάρις, “ _the_ grace,” the grace beside which there is n... [ Continue Reading ]