Ephesians 4:28

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Greek, 'Let the stealing person (whether a bandit, a thief, or one more covert in dishonesty) steal no more.' Bandits frequented the mountains near Ephesus. BUT RATHER. It is not enough to cease from a sin; you must do its opposite. The stealer, when repentant, should labour more than he would be called on to do if he had never stolen. LET HIM LABOUR. Theft and idleness go together. WITH HIS HANDS - in contrast with his former thievish use of his hands. "His" [A Delta G 'Aleph (') g read idiais (G2398), 'his own']: opposed to his past living on the labours of others' hands. B, Vulgate, omit it. The thing which is good...

28._Let him that stole steal no more. _This includes not merely the grosser thefts which are punished by human laws, but those of a more concealed nature, which do not fall under the cognizance of men, — every kind of depredation by which we seize the property of others. But he does not simply forbid us to take that property in an unjust or unlawful manner. He enjoins us to assist our brethren, as far as lies in our power. _That he may have to give to him that needeth. _“Thou who formerly stolest must not only obtain thy subsistence by lawful and harmless toil, but must give assistance to others.” He is first required _to labor, working with his hands, _that he may not supply his wants at the expense of his brethren, but may support life by honorable labor. But the love which we owe to our neighbor carries us much farther. No one must live to himself alone, and neglect others. All must l...

25-28 Notice the particulars wherewith we should adorn our Christian profession. Take heed of every thing contrary to truth. No longer flatter or deceive others. God's people are children who will not lie, who dare not lie, who hate and abhor lying. Take heed of anger and ungoverned passions. If there is just occasion to express displeasure at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it be without sin. We give place to the devil, when the first motions of sin are not grievous to our souls; when we consent to them; and when we repeat an evil deed. This teaches that as sin, if yielded unto, lets in the devil upon us, we are to resist it, keeping from all appearance of evil. Idleness makes thieves. Those who will not work, expose themselves to temptations to steal. Men ought to be industrious, that they may do some good, and that they may be kept from temptation. They must labour, not only...

Verse 28. _LET HIM THAT STOLE STEAL NO MORE_] It is supposed that, among the rabbins, stealing was not entirely discountenanced, provided a portion was given to the poor. The apostle here teaches them a different doctrine: as they should speak truth every man with his neighbour, so they should in every respect act _honestly_, for nothing contrary to _truth_ and _righteousness_ could be tolerated under the Christian system. Let no man, under pretence of helping the poor, defraud another; but let him _labour, working with his hands_ to provide that which is _good_, that he may have to give to him who is in necessity. _Stealing, overreaching, defrauding, purloining_, c., are consistent with no kind of religion that acknowledges the _true_ _God_. If Christianity does not make men honest, it does nothing for them. Those who are not saved from dishonesty _fear_ not _God_, though they may _drea...

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 Ephesus had been long addicted to it, there was danger that they would fall into it again; and hence the necessity of special cautions on that head. We are not to suppose that “pilfering” was a common vice in the church, but the cautions on this point proceed on the principle that, where a man has been long in the habit of a particular sin, he is in great danger of falling into it again. Hence, we caution the man who has been intemperate against the least indulgence in intoxicating drinks; we exhort him not to touch that which would be so strong a temptation to him. The object of the apostle...

EXPOSITION PRACTICAL PORTION OF THE EPISTLE. EPHESIANS 4:1 CHURCH PRINCIPLE OF GROWTH AND PROGRESS; THE CHURCH A BODY. EPHESIANS 4:1 I THEREFORE. Inference not only from last chapter, but the whole Epistle. Paul's interest in the Ephesians led him to a double application of the great subject which he had expounded: (1) to ask God on their behalf that he would bestow on them the full measure of the blessing to which of his grace they were entitled ...

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, unlawful usury, unfaithfulness in anything committed to trust, advising, encouraging, and receiving from thieves: theft is a very great evil; it is a breach of the common law of nature, to do to others, as we would be done by; it is contrary to particular laws of God, and is against common justice, and ought not to be continued in, and is punishable by God and man; it springs from a corrupt heart, and often arises from poverty, idleness, sloth, covetousness, and prodigality: the remedy against it follows, BUT RATHER LET HIM LABOUR, WORKING WITH HIS HANDS THE THING WHICH IS GOOD; labouring with dili...

Ephesians 4:1. _I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;_ It is a loving call. Walk lovingly. It is the condescension of God that called you. Be, therefore, lowly. It is God in tenderness who has loved you. Be, therefore, meek, «forbearing one another in love.» Ephesians 4:3. _Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all._ Therefore, strive for unity. Woe unto those who divide believers that rob

EPHESIANS 4:28 tai/j @ivdi,aij# cersi.n to. avgaqo,n {C} The differences of reading are numerous in this brief clause. As concerns the sequence of words, copyists would have been more likely to move to. avgaqo,n next to the participle than to separate them; furthermore, the stronger external evidence also supports such a sequence (î46, 49vid a B D G 81 330 451 it vg syrp copsams, bo goth arm eth). It is more difficult to decide whether ivdi,aij is an interpolation from 1 Corinthians 4:12, or whether it was deleted as superfluous, or whether i...

3. THE WALK IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS Chapter S 4:17-5:21 _ 1. Not as the Gentiles walk (Ephesians 4:17)_ 2. The putting off and putting on (Ephesians 4:20) 3. Followers of God (Ephesians 5:1) 4. Exhortations (Ephesians 5:3) At this point the exhortations to walk in separation begin. The “therefore” of Ephesians 4:17 refers us to the “wherefore” of Ephesians 2:11. What Gentiles are in their natural c