INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 6 In this chapter the apostle goes on with his exhortations to relative and domestic duties, and considers those of children and parents, and of servants and masters; and next he exhorts the saints in general to constancy and perseverance in the exercise of grace, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD,.... The persons whose duty this is, "children", are such of every sex, male and female, and of every age, and of every state and condition; and though the true, legitimate, and immediate offspring of men may be chiefly respected, yet not exclusive of spurious... [ Continue Reading ]
HONOUR THY FATHER AND MOTHER,.... This explains who parents are, and points at some branches of obedience due unto them; for they are not only to be loved, and to be feared, and reverenced, their corrections to be submitted to, offences against them to be acknowledged, their tempers to be bore with,... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE,.... In this world, and that which is to come; see Deuteronomy 5:16. The Jews z say, "there are four things, which if a man does, he eats the fruit of them in this world, and the capital part remains for him in the world to come; and they are these, אב ואם כיבוד; "hon... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH,.... Neither by words; by unjust and, unreasonable commands; by contumelious and reproachful language; by frequent and public chidings, and by indiscreet and passionate expressions: nor by deeds; preferring one to another; by denying them the necess... [ Continue Reading ]
SERVANTS, BE OBEDIENT TO THEM THAT ARE [YOUR] MASTERS,.... The apostle enlarges on the duty of servants, as well as frequently inculcates it in his epistles; because, generally speaking, they were more rude and ignorant, and less pains were taken with them to instruct them; they were apt to be impat... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT WITH EYESERVICE, AS MENPLEASERS,.... Doing nothing but when under the master's eye, and then pretending a great deal of diligence and industry, in order to ingratiate themselves into his affections, and neglecting his business when he is absent; whereas they ought to attend his service in his ab... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH GOOD WILL DOING SERVICE,.... To their masters; not grudgingly, with an ill will; no otherwise, nor longer than when they are forced to it; but of a ready mind, and with a cheerful spirit, taking delight in their work, and reckoning it a pleasure to serve their masters; as an Israelite that is n... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWING THAT WHATSOEVER GOOD THING ANY MAN DOTH,.... According to the will of God, from right principles in his heart, and with a view to God's glory: THE SAME SHALL HE RECEIVE OF THE LORD; that is, he shall receive the fruit and advantage of it, in a way of grace, WHETHER [HE BE] BOND OR FREE; a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE MASTERS DO THE SAME THINGS UNTO THEM,.... This does not refer to service and obedience, but to singleness of heart, benevolence, humanity, and a regard to Christ, and the will of God, and to the doing of good things, and to the performance of their duty, as they would have their servants do t... [ Continue Reading ]
FINALLY, MY BRETHREN,.... This is the conclusion of the apostle's exhortations, in which he addresses the saints as his brethren; which appellation he uses, not merely as a familiar way of speaking among the Jews, but in regard to them as regenerate persons, and of the same family and household of G... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD,.... Not that which God himself is sometimes clothed with, and uses against his enemies; but what he has provided for his people, and furnishes them with; the particulars of which are after mentioned: and it is called "the armour of God", because it is prepared by him... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD,.... The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read "you", instead of "we". This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD,.... This is a repetition of the exhortation in Ephesians 6:11; which repetition seems necessary by reason of the many powerful enemies mentioned in the preceding verse, and serves to explain what is meant by putting it on: and leads on the apostle to... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND THEREFORE,.... Keep your ground, do not desert the army, the church of Christ, nor his cause; continue in the station in which you are placed, keep your post, be upon your watch, stand upon your guard: HAVING YOUR LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH; by which is meant the Gospel, and the several doct... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. The Gospel is so called, because it makes men to be of peaceable tempers and behaviour, and gives peace to distressed minds: it directs the way to eternal peace, and publishes peace made by the blood of Christ; and has a much better cla... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH,.... Which may be understood either of the grace of faith, which is like a golden shield, precious, solid, and substantial; and like a shield of mighty men, by which mighty things are done, and by which the believer not only repels, but conquers the enemy. The J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION,.... Meaning either Christ himself, the Saviour; and so the Arabic version renders it, "the helmet of the Saviour": or the salvation itself, which he is the author of, and a well grounded hope of it; see 1 Thessalonians 5:8; the allusion is to Isaiah 59:17; and such... [ Continue Reading ]
PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT,.... The last weapon is prayer, and takes in all sorts of prayer, mental and vocal, public and private; and every branch of it, as deprecation of evils, petitions for good things, and thanksgiving for mercies: and which should be used alw... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FOR ME,.... This shows the great humility of the apostle, and the sense he had of the greatness of the work of the ministry; and that it is the duty of people to pray for their ministers; and that no man is perfect in this life; and that the more superior members need the assistance of the infer... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS,.... The character the apostle bore was that of an ambassador; and he was an ambassador from and for Christ, in his room and stead; he represented him, he was sent by him, and entrusted by him with the Gospel; he gave him it, and a commission to preach it, and f... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THAT YE ALSO MAY KNOW MY AFFAIRS, [AND] HOW I DO,.... Both his temporal and spiritual affairs; as that he was in bonds, and how he was supported under them, and of what use they were to others; how that he preached in his own hired house, and with what success; and what ministering brethren he h... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM I HAVE SENT UNTO YOU FOR THE SAME PURPOSE,.... Which shows the great concern the apostle had for the churches, being willing to inform them of everything that might be for their use and service: THAT YE MIGHT KNOW OUR AFFAIRS; temporal and spiritual, and not only the apostle's affairs, but the... [ Continue Reading ]
PEACE [BE] TO THE BRETHREN,.... The members of the church at Ephesus, who stood in a spiritual relation to each other; meaning all prosperity outward and inward, temporal, spiritual, and eternal; especially peace of conscience under the sprinklings of the blood of Christ, and a view of peace made wi... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE [BE] WITH ALL THEM THAT LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,.... Christ is the object of love, and a lovely object he is: he is to be loved because of the loveliness of his person, and the transcendent excellencies that are in him; because of his suitableness and fulness as a Saviour; and because of hi... [ Continue Reading ]