INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 4 The apostle having in the three former Chapter s treated of the doctrines of grace, and explained and established them, proceeds in the three following to exhort to the duties of religion; and in this advises to a becoming conversation in general, and to brotherly concor... [ Continue Reading ]
I THEREFORE, THE PRISONER OF THE LORD, BESEECH YOU,.... Or "in the Lord"; that is, for the Lord's sake; Ephesians 3:1. Some connect this phrase, "in the Lord", with the following word, "beseech": as if the sense was, that the apostle entreated the believing Ephesians, in the name of the Lord, and fo... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH ALL LOWLINESS AND MEEKNESS,..... In the exercise of humility, which shows itself in believers, in entertaining and expressing the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; in not envying the gifts and graces of others, but rejoicing at them, and at every increase of them; in a wil... [ Continue Reading ]
ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT,.... That is, a spiritual union: there is an union between God and his people, and between Christ and his members, and between saints and saints, and the bond of each union is love; and that it is which knits and cements them together; and it is the last... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE BODY,.... The church; in what sense that is a body, and compared to one, Ephesians 1:23. It is called "one" with relation to Jews and Gentiles, who are of the same body, and are reconciled in one body by Christ, and are baptized into it by the Spirit; and with respect to saints above an... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE LORD,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by right of creation, is Lord of all; and by right of marriage, and redemption, is the one and only Lord of his church and people; he has betrothed them to himself, and is their husband, and so their Lord, whom they are to worship and obey; he has redeemed t... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL,.... That there is but one God is the voice of nature and of revelation; and may be concluded from the perfections of deity, for there can be but one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being; and from one first cause of all thin... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO EVERYONE OF US IS GIVEN GRACE,.... Which may refer to the saints in common, and may be interpreted of justifying, pardoning, adopting, sanctifying, and persevering grace, bestowed upon them all, freely and liberally, not grudgingly, nor niggardly, and without motive and condition in them; o... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE HE SAITH,.... God in the Scripture, Psalms 68:18 WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH; which is not to be understood of Moses's ascending up to the firmament at the giving of the law, as some Jewish writers q interpret it; for though Moses ascended to the top of Mount Sinai, yet it is never said t... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THAT HE ASCENDED,.... These words are a conclusion of Christ's descent from heaven, from his ascension thither; for had he not first descended from thence, it could not have been said of him that he ascended; for no man hath ascended to heaven but he that came down from heaven, John 3:13 and the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DESCENDED IS THE SAME ALSO THAT ASCENDED,.... It was the same divine Person, the Son of God, who assumed human nature, and suffered in it, which is meant by his descent, who in that nature ascended up to heaven: this proves that Christ existed before he took flesh of the virgin; and that tho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GAVE SOME APOSTLES,.... That is, he gave them gifts by which they were qualified to be apostles; who were such as were immediately called by Christ, and had their doctrine from him, and their commission to preach it; and were peculiarly and infallibly guided by the Spirit of God, and had a po... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, c,] The chosen ones, whom God has sanctified or set apart for himself in eternal election: the ministry of the word is designed for the completing the number of these in the effectual calling and for the perfecting of the whole body of the church, by gathering in al... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH,.... These words regard the continuance of the Gospel ministry in the church, until all the elect of God come in: or "to the unity of the faith"; by which is meant, not the union between the saints, the cement of which is love; nor that which is between Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE HENCEFORTH BE NO MORE CHILDREN,.... Meaning not children of men, for grace does not destroy natural relations; nor children of God, which is a privilege, and always continues; nor indeed children of disobedience, though the saints cease to be such upon conversion; but in such sense children,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE,.... Either Christ himself, who is the truth, and is to be preached, and always spoken of with strong affection and love; or the Gospel, the word of truth, so called in opposition to that which is false and fictitious; and also to the law, which is shadowish; and on ac... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM WHOM THE WHOLE BODY FITLY JOINED GETHER,.... By which is meant, the church; see Ephesians 1:23 sometimes it designs all the elect of God in heaven and in earth, but here the church militant, which only can admit of an increase; this body is from Christ, as an head, and the phrase denotes the ri... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS I SAY THEREFORE AND TESTIFY IN THE LORD,.... These words may be considered either as an assertion, and so a testimonial of the different walk and conversation of the saints at Ephesus, from the rest of the Gentiles; or as an exhortation in the name of the Lord to such a walk, the apostle here r... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED,.... Not that the natural faculty of the understanding is lost in men, nor the understanding in things natural and civil, and which is quick enough, especially in things that are evil; but in things spiritual it is very dark and ignorant, as about the nature and per... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BEING PAST FEELING,.... Their consciences being cauterized or seared as with a red hot iron, which is the consequence of judicial hardness; so that they have lost all sense of sin, and do not feel the load of its guilt upon them, and are without any concern about it; but on the contrary commit i... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST,.... Some distinguish these words, and make two propositions of them, "but ye not so", or "ye are not so, ye have learned Christ"; the first of these propositions has respect to what goes before, and suggests that regenerate persons are not as other men: they do not... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SO BE THAT YE HAVE HEARD HIM,.... Not heard him preach, but heard him preached; and that not merely externally, with the outward hearing of the ear; though oftentimes spiritual conviction and illumination, true faith in Christ, real comfort from him, and establishment and assurance of interest in... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE PUT OFF CONCERNING THE FORMER CONVERSATION, THE OLD MAN,.... Which is the corruption of nature; why this is called a man, and an old man, Romans 6:6, the putting him off, is not a removing him from the saints, nor a destroying him in them, nor a changing his nature; for he remains, and remai... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND. Or by the Spirit that is in your mind; that is, by the Holy Spirit; who is in the saints, and is the author of renovation in them; and who is the reviver and carrier on, and finisher of that work, and therefore that is called the renewing of the Holy Spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN,.... Which some understand of Jesus Christ, who is truly and really man, and a new or extraordinary one, Jeremiah 31:22 and as such is God's creature, and is made after his image, and which appears in his perfect holiness and righteousness; and the phrase of putting on... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE PUTTING AWAY LYING,.... Which is one of the deeds of the old man, and a branch of the former conversation agreeable to him: a lie is a voluntary disagreement of the mind and speech, with a design to deceive; it is to speak that which is false, contrary to truth shining in the mind; and it... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT,.... There is anger which is not sinful; for anger is fouled in God himself, in Jesus Christ, in the holy angels, and in God's people; and a man may be said to be angry and not sin, when his anger arises from a true zeal for God and religion; when it is kindled not against p... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL. Or "to the accuser", or "slanderer"; that is, to any adversary, that takes delight in slandering and reproaching the saints; give such no room, nor reason, to calumniate the doctrine and ways of Christ, through an unbecoming conversation, by lying and sinful anger, o... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM THAT STOLE STEAL NO MORE,.... Stealing, or theft, is a fraudulent taking away of another man's goods, without the knowledge and will of the owner, for the sake of gain; to which evil may be reduced, not making good, or not performing payments, all unjust contracts, detention of wages, unlawf... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NO CORRUPT COMMUNICATION PROCEED OUT OF YOUR MOUTH,.... As unsavoury speech, foolish talking, light and frothy language, that which is filthy, unprofitable, noxious, and nauseous, and all that is sinful; such as profane oaths, curses, and imprecations, unchaste words, angry ones, proud, haughty,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD,.... Not a believer's own spirit, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, which is grieved by sin; nor the spirit of a good man, that hears our words and sees our actions, and is displeased and troubled at them; but the third person in the Trinity: and this is said of him... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ALL BITTERNESS,.... These words are a dehortation from several vices good men are liable to, by which the Spirit of God is grieved: "bitterness" sometimes designs the corruption of nature, which is the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity; and sometimes actual sins and transgressions, even t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER,.... Good, affable, courteous; which appears in looks, words, and actions; by looking pleasantly on each other, speaking kindly to one another, and mutually doing every good office that lies in their way, and in their power: TENDER HEARTED: which is opposed to a being... [ Continue Reading ]