This chapter Ephesians 4 is the commencement of the “practical” part of the Epistle, and is made up, like the remaining chapters, of various exhortations. It is in accordance with the usual habit of Paul to conduct an “argument” in his epistles, and then to enforce various practical duties, either g... [ Continue Reading ]
I, THEREFORE - In view of the great and glorious truths which God has revealed, and of the grace which he has manifested toward you who are Gentiles. See the previous chapters. The sense of the word “therefore” - οὖν oun - in this place, is, “Such being your exalted privileges; since God has done... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH ALL LOWLINESS - Humility; see the notes on Acts 20:19, where the same Greek word is used; compare also the following places, where the same Greek word occurs: Philippians 2:3, “in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves;” Colossians 2:18, “in a voluntary humility;” Colos... [ Continue Reading ]
THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT - A united spirit, or oneness of spirit. This does not refer to the fact that there is one Holy Spirit; but it refers to unity of affection, of confidence, of love. It means that Christians should be united in temper and affection, and not be split up into factions and partie... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE BODY - One church - for so the word “body” means here - denoting the body of Christ; see the notes on Romans 12:5; compare notes on Ephesians 1:23. The meaning here is, that as there is really but one church on earth, there ought to be unity. The church is, at present, divided into many... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE LORD - This evidently refers to the Lord Jesus. The “Spirit” is mentioned in the previous verse; the Father in the verse following. On the application of the word “Lord” to the Saviour, see the notes on Acts 1:24. The argument here is, that there ought to be unity among Christians, because they... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE GOD - The same God; therefore there should be unity. Were there many gods to be worshipped, there could be no more hope of unity than there is among the worshippers of Mammon and Bacchus, and the various other idols that people set up. People who have different pursuits, and different objects of... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO EVERY ONE OF US - Every Christian. IS GIVEN GRACE - The favor of God; meaning here that God had bestowed upon each sincere Christian the means of living as he ought to do, and had in his gospel made ample provision that they might walk worthy of their vocation. What “are” the endowments th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE HE SAITH - The word “he” is not in the original; and it may mean “the Scripture saith,” or “God saith.” The “point” of the argument here is, that Christ, when he ascended to heaven, obtained certain “gifts” for people, and that those gifts are bestowed upon his people in accordance with th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THAT HE ASCENDED - That is, it is affirmed in the Psalm that he “ascended” - “Thou hast ascended on high.” This implies that there must have been a previous “descent;” or, as applicable to the Messiah, “it is a truth that he previously descended.” It is by no means certain that Paul meant to say... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DESCENDED IS THE SAME ALSO THAT ASCENDED - The same Redeemer came down from God, and returned to him. It was not a different being, but the same. FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS - see the notes on Ephesians 1:20; compare Hebrews 7:26. He is gone above the visible heavens, and has ascended into the hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GAVE SOME, APOSTLES - He gave some to be apostles. The “object” here is to show that he has made ample provision for the extension and edification of his church On the meaning of the word “apostles,” and on their appointment by the Saviour, see the notes on Matthew 10:1. AND SOME, PROPHETS -... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS - On the meaning of the word rendered here as “perfecting” - καταρτισμὸν katartismon - see the notes on 2 Corinthians 13:9. It properly refers to “the restoring of anything to its place;” then putting in order, making complete, etc. Here it means that these various... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL WE ALL COME - Until all Christians arrive at a state of complete unity, and to entire perfection. IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH - Margin, into. The meaning is, until we all hold the same truths, and have the same confidence in the Son of God; see the notes on John 17:21. AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF T... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE HENCEFORTH BE NO MORE CHILDREN - In some respects Christians “are” to be like children. They are to be docile, gentle, mild, and free from ambition, pride, and haughtiness; see the notes on Matthew 18:2. But children have other characteristics besides simplicity and docility. They are often... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE - Margin, “being sincere.” The translation in the text is correct - literally, “truthing in love” - ἀληθεύοντες alētheuontes. Two things are here to be noted: (1) The truth is “to be spoken” - the simple, unvarnished truth. This is the way to avoid error, and this... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM WHOM THE WHOLE BODY - The church, compared with the human body. The idea is, that as the head in the human frame conveys vital influence, rigor, motion, etc., to every part of the body; so Christ is the source of life, and rigor, and energy, and increase to the church. The sense is, “The whole... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS I SAY THEREFORE, AND TESTIFY IN THE LORD - I bear witness in the name of the Lord Jesus, or ministering by his authority. The object of this is, to exhort them to walk worthy of their high calling, and to adorn the doctrine of the Saviour. With this view, he reminds them of what they were befor... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED - That is, because they were alienated from the true God, and particularly because of “the blindness of their hearts.” The apostle does not say that this was a “judicial” darkening of the understanding; or that they might not have perceived the truth; or that they h... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BEING PAST FEELING - Wholly hardened in sin. There is a total want of all emotion on moral subjects. This is an accurate description of the state of a sinner. He has no “feeling,” no emotion. He often gives an intellectual assent to the truth, But it is without emotion of any kind. The heart is... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST - You have been taught a different thing by Christ; you have been taught that his religion requires you to abandon such a course of life.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SO BE THAT YE HAVE HEARD HIM - If you have listened attentively to his instructions, and learned the true nature of his religion. There may be a slight and delicate doubt implied here whether they had attentively listened to his instructions. Doddridge, however, renders it, “Seeing ye have heard... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE PUT OFF - That you lay aside, or renounce. The manner in which the apostle states those duties, renders it not improbable that there had been some instruction among them of a contrary character, and that it is possible there had been some teachers there who had not enforced, as they should b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE RENEWED - That is, it is necessary that a man who has been following these should become a new man; see the notes on John 3:3 ff., compare the notes on 2 Corinthians 4:16. The word used here - ἀνανεόω ananeoō - does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament; but it has the same meaning as t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN - The new man refers to the renovated nature. This is called in other places, the “new creature, or the new creation” (see the notes on 2 Corinthians 5:17), and refers to the condition after the heart is changed. The change is so great, that there is no impropriety in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE PUTTING AWAY LYING - It may seem strange that the apostle should seriously exhort Christians to put away “lying,” implying that they were in the habit of indulging in falsehood. But we are to remember: (1) That lying is the universal vice of the pagan world. Among the ancient pagans, as a... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE ANGRY AND SIN NOT - It has been remarked that the direction here is conformable to the usage of the Pythagoreans, who were bound, when there were any differences among them, to furnish some token of reconciliation before the sun set. Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgenland, in loc. It is impli... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL - This has respect probably to the exhortation in the former verse. “Do not yield to the suggestions and temptations of Satan, who would take every opportunity to persuade you to cherish unkind and angry feelings, and to keep up a spirit of resentment among brethren.”... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM THAT STOLE STEAL NO MORE - Theft, like lying, was, and is, almost a universal vice among the pagan. The practice of pilfering prevails in, probably, every pagan community, and no property is safe which is not guarded, or so locked up as to be inaccessible. Hence, as the Christian converts at... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NO CORRUPT COMMUNICATION PROCEED - see the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:33. The word rendered “corrupt” (σαπρὸς sapros) means bad, decayed, rotten, and is applied to putrid vegetable or animal substances. Then it is applied to a tree that is of a useless character, that produces no good fruit; Mat... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD - This is addressed to Christians, and it proves that it is possible for them to grieve the Holy Spirit. The word used here - λυπεῖτε lupeite - means properly to afflict with sorrow; to make sad or sorrowful. It is rendered to make sorry, or sorrowful, Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ALL BITTERNESS - see the notes on Ephesians 4:2. AND WRATH - The word here does not differ essentially from anger. ANGER - see the note on Ephesians 4:26. All cherished, unreasonable anger. AND CLAMOUR - Noise, disorder, high words; such as men use in a brawl, or when they are excited. Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER - Benignant, mild, courteous, “polite” - χρηστοὶ chrēstoi. 1 Peter 3:8. Christianity produces true courteousness, or politeness. It does not make one rough, crabby, or sour; nor does it dispose its followers to violate the proper rules of social contact. The secret of... [ Continue Reading ]