HORTATORY PART. CHAPTER S 4-6. THE WALK WORTHY OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE CHURCH IN CHRIST. As in most of his Epistles, the Apostle turns his didactic statements into practical exhortations. The latter are not appended, but grow out of the former (‘therefore,' chap. Ephesians 4:1). This Apostolic ‘t... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:1. BECOME THEREFORE. ‘Therefore' connects the exhortation with chap. Ephesians 4:31-32, but there is an advance in thought, so that a new section begins here. Strictly speaking Ephesians 5:1-2 are transitional; an inference from what precedes, a basis for the following exhortation. FOL... [ Continue Reading ]
III. GENERAL CHRISTIAN DUTIES. This part of the Epistle is difficult to analyze. The ethical precepts are not arranged in any discoverable logical order. For convenience a division into two sections is adopted: (1) Chap. Ephesians 4:17-32, in which the duties are based upon the contrast between the... [ Continue Reading ]
_2. Precepts based upon the Self-sacrificing Love of Christ._ The connection of thought with chap. Ephesians 4:32 is very close; God's forgiving love is directly presented as a motive (‘therefore') for the exhortation to follow Him (Ephesians 5:1). But God's forgiving love cannot, so far as its effe... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:2. AND WALK IN LOVE; since in this (chap. Ephesians 4:32) they are to be imitators of God. ‘Love' is God's characteristic (chap. Ephesians 1:4-5), and our aim (chap. Ephesians 3:17-19). AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED YOU. Some authorities read ‘us,' and a few have ‘you' in both clauses, but the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:3. BUT. The exhortation forbids what is in marked contrast with the previous injunction. FORNICATION; to be taken in its strict sense, since this was scarcely accounted a sin among the heathen of that time. AND ALL UNCLEANNESS; every kind of impurity. OR COVETOUSNESS. ‘Or' sets this... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:4. NEITHER FILTHINESS, or, ‘obscenity;' whether of thought, word, or deed; in Colossians 3:8 the reference is to words. NOR FOOLISH TALKING; insipid, stupid speech, perhaps including more than this: ‘the talk of fools, which is folly and sin together' (Trench). OR JESTING. ‘Or' is us... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:5. FOR OF THIS YE ARE SURE, KNOWING, etc. ‘For' introduces the ground for the preceding prohibitions in an appeal to the Christian knowledge of the readers. It seems better to refer ‘this' to what precedes, and to take the first clause as indicative, not imperative. The change of a singl... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:6. LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU WITH EMPTY WORDS; words that do not contain truth; the special reference being to palliations of the vices just named. Heathen unbelievers would be most likely to excuse their sins, but in all ages attempts have been made to extenuate them. Covetous-ness especia... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:7. BECOME; not ‘be,' but a warning against what might take place. THEREFORE; because of the fact stated in the last clause. PARTAKERS WITH THEM, _i.e.,_ ‘the sons of disobedience;' sharing in their sins, which involves sharing in their punishment, but there is no direct reference to... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:8. FOR. TO become partakers with those who indulge in these sins would be a relapse. YE WERE ONCE; ‘were' is emphatic; it is _past_ DARKNESS; ‘not merely living or abiding in it (comp. Romans 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:4), but themselves actual and veritable darkness' (Ellicott). BUT N... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:9. FOR. This verse is a parenthetic reason for the last exhortation, inciting them to walk thus. THE FRUIT OF THE LIGHT; ‘Spirit' is poorly supported, apparently taken from Galatians 5:22. As there, ‘fruit' is singular, pointing to the unity of the moral results. Is in , consists in,... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:10. PROVING; putting to a practical test. It seems best to take Ephesians 5:9 as parenthetical, and to join this participle with ‘walk' (Ephesians 5:8). WHAT IS WELL-PLEASING TO THE LORD, _i.e.,_ to Christ. The walk of the children of light is a continuous attempt to give a practical a... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:11. AND HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP. The connection is with Ephesians 5:7; neither be partakers with the disobedient, nor have fellowship with their works, which are UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS. Comp. Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:22, where there is a similar contrast between ‘fruit' and ‘works.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:12. FOR THE THINGS, etc. The E. V. has unnecessarily transposed the order of this verse. D ONE IN SECRET. The reference is not to heathen mysteries, nor to ‘works of darkness in general (Ephesians 5:11), but to special forms of sin, ‘which presented the worst features of the germs, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:13. BUT ALL THINGS. Either ‘all things' in general, or' all things spoken of in Ephesians 5:12. The principle is a general one, but as the connection with Ephesians 5:12 is close, it seems better to accept the special reference. The Apostle confirms his precept about reproof, by showing... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:14. WHEREFORE HE SAITH, _i.e.,_ God saith; comp. chap. Ephesians 4:8. The connection of this verse also has been much discussed. It seems best to regard it as a confirmation of Ephesians 5:12-13. The Apostle would show by this paraphrase from the Old Testament, not only that the effect o... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:15. TAKE HEED THEN. This is a resumption of the exhortations, after the digression of Ephesians 5:12-14. STRICTLY HOW (not, ‘that') YE WALK. The order of words in the oldest authorities joins strictly,' or ‘accurately,' with ‘take heed.' The common reading gives the sense: ‘take heed h... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:16. BUYING UP THE OPPORTUNITY. This describes the walk of the ‘wise.' The impression made by the E. V. (‘making the most of our time,' not wasting or abusing it) is quite incorrect. The simple sense is: improve the opportunities which occur, looking out for them as a merchant does. ‘Buyi... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:17. ON THIS ACCOUNT; referring to Ephesians 5:15-16, rather than to the last clause. BECOME (as usual in exhortations to Christians) NOT SENSELESS, not rightly using the mind, BUT UNDERSTANDING, more than knowing, discerning intelligently, WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD (_i.e.,_ Christ) is;... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:18. AND adds to the general precept of Ephesians 5:17 a special prohibition of a common form of becoming ‘senseless.' BE NOT MADE DRANK. To be taken literally, since the vice deserved then, and has ever since deserved, such special mention. WITH WINE; the usual intoxicating liquor.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:19. SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER; lit, ‘yourselves,' but the reciprocal sense is not unusual; and demanded here, as in Colossians 3:16. Some find here a reference to antiphonal singing, such as Pliny speaks of (‘to sing a song to Christ as God _by turns_ among themselves'); but this is doubtf... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:20. GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THING. This is the third and more general expression of the result of being ‘filled in the Spirit' The phrases need not be limited to blessings, nor regarded as hyperbolical. Thankfulness is the constant sign of the Spirit's presence, the tone of the whol... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:21. SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER. While this precept is expounded in several directions in the sections which follow, it stands here as a fourth qualification of being ‘filled with the Spirit' (so nearly all recent commentators), not as an imperative. The connection of thought is... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:22. WIVES, SUBMIT YOURSELVES, etc. The verb rendered ‘submit yourselves' must be supplied, from the general statement of Ephesians 5:21. In fact nearly all of our Greek manuscripts contain the word in different forms and positions. Most modern editors rightly reject it, since in addition... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _Christian Duties of Wives and Husbands._ All the relative duties discussed in this portion of the Epistle are based upon the fact of a common relation to Christ: the exhortations are all ‘in the Lord.' But the fundamental social relation, namely, that between husband and wife, has a yet deeper b... [ Continue Reading ]
IV. SPECIAL CHRISTIAN DUTIES IN HOUSEHOLD RELATIONS. (1.) Of wives and husbands; chap. Ephesians 5:22-33. (2.) Of children and parents; chap. Ephesians 6:1-4. (3.). Of servants and masters; chap. Ephesians 6:5-9.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:23. BECAUSE A HUSBAND IS HEAD OF HIS WIFE. The basis of the duty is this unalterable fact ‘A husband,' as an example of the class (the article is not found in Greek); ‘his wife' brings out the force of the article, pointing to the definite person in the supposed case. AS CHRIST ALSO IS... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:24. BUT. This is strongly adversative; notwithstanding this difference the resemblance in the matter of duty remains. The other explanations are far less satisfactory. AS THE CHURCH IS SUBJECT TO CHRIST (the word is the same as that rendered ‘submit yourselves' in Ephesians 5:21-22), SO... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:25. HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES. This is the husband's duty, corresponding to the relative position, as indicated in Ephesians 5:23. EVAN AS CHRIST ALTO LOVED THE CHURCH. Comp. Ephesians 5:2, with which the latter part of this verse closely corresponds. Here, however, the matter is made m... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:26. THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY IT. Not, ‘separate and consecrate for Himself' (Calvin), but, ‘make holy,' as appears from Ephesians 5:27. ‘Both sanctification and purification are dependent on the atoning death of Christ, the former as an act contemplated _by_ it, the latter as an act includ... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:27. THAT HE MIGHT HIMSELF PRESENT TO HIMSELF. A slight change of reading gives this sense. This is the purpose of the sanctification (Ephesians 5:24), but also of the giving up of Himself (Ephesians 5:25). ‘Present,' as a bride, not as an offering, is presented. But ‘Christ permits neith... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:28. THUS; in this manner, as Christ loved the Church; not to be referred to the following ‘as.' OUGHT HUSBANDS ALSO TO LOVE THEIR OWN WIVES. ‘Also' is well supported, and shows that the example of Christ is referred to. ‘Own' is emphatic AS THEIR OWN BODIES. Not, ‘as if they were,' b... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:29. FOR. We may supply: if a man does not love his wife he acts against nature, for, etc. HO ONE, no human being, EVER HATED HIS OWN FLESH. ‘Flesh' as here used is nearly equivalent to ‘body,' but was probably chosen by the Apostle, ‘because he already had in mind the quotation (Ephesi... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:30. BECAUSE WE ARE MEMBERS OF HIS BODY. The thought is quite familiar (see marginal references); here it gives a reason for Christ's nourishing and cherishing His Church; it is His mystical body, made up of members, ‘integral parts,' of one organic whole. This organic whole is not the ‘c... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:31. FOR THIS CAUSE, etc. The Apostle cites Genesis 2:24, somewhat freely from the LXX. The Apostle recalls a passage based upon the fact of Eve's having been taken out of Adam. Whether the language is that of Adam or an inspired comment (comp. Matthew 19:5) is immaterial in this connecti... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:32. THIS MYSTERY IS GREAT. On the word ‘mystery' comp. chap. Ephesians 3:9. Here it stands in emphatic position and refers to what was spoken of in Ephesians 5:31, namely, the relation of husband and wife constituting them one flesh. A secondary application to the union of Christ and His... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 5:33. NEVERTHELESS. ‘Not to enter further upon this greater mystery;' enough has been said. This is preferable to explaining: ‘to return to the subject of marriage,' to finding a contrast between ‘I say' and ‘ye also.' Whether more of the mystery be known or not, the analogy has been suffi... [ Continue Reading ]