Ephesians 5:21

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (; .) He passes from relations to God to those which concern our fellow-men. (; .) He passes from relations to God to those which concern our fellow-men. SUBMITTING YOURSELVES. A thankful spirit toward God () will be humble toward men. IN THE FEAR OF GOD. 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate, read 'in the fear of CHRIST.' The believer passes from under bondage to the law as a letter to be 'the servant of Christ' (), whi...

21._Submit yourselves. _God has bound us so strongly to each other, that no man ought to endeavor to avoid subjection; and where love reigns, mutual services will be rendered. I do not except even kings and governors, whose very authority is held for the _service _of the community. It is highly proper that all should be exhorted to be subject to each other in their turn. But as nothing is more irksome to the mind of man than this mutual subjection, he directs us to _the fear of Christ, _who alone can subdue our fierceness, that we may not refuse the yoke, and can humble our pride, that we may not be ashamed of serving our neighbors. It does not much affect the sense, whether we interpret _the fear of Christ, _passively, thus, — let us submit to our neighbors, because we fear Christ; or actively, — let us submit to them, because the minds of all godly persons ought to be influenced by suc...

15-21 Another remedy against sin, is care, or caution, it being impossible else to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what trifles they daily sacrifice it! People are very apt to complain of bad times; it were well if that stirred them more to redeem time. Be not unwise. Ignorance of our duty, and neglect of our souls, show the greatest folly. Drunkenness is a sin that never goes alone, but carries men into other evils; it is a sin very provoking to God. The drunkard holds out to his family and to the world the sad spectacle of a sinner hardened beyond what is common, and hast...

Verse 21. _SUBMITTING - ONE TO ANOTHER_] Let no man be so tenacious of his own will or his opinion in matters indifferent, as to disturb the peace of the Church; in all such matters _give_ _way_ to each other, and let _love_ rule. _IN THE FEAR OF GOD._] Setting him always before your eyes, and considering that he has commanded you to _love one another_, and _to_ _bear each other's burdens_; and that what you do in this or any other commanded case, you do as unto the Lord. Instead of εν φοβω θεου, _in the fear of_ GOD, εν φοβω χριστου, _in the fear of_ CHRIST, is the reading of ABDEFG, with all others of most value; besides the _Syriac, Coptic, Sahidic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate,_ and _Itala; Basil_ the Great, and _Chrysostom_. Neither reading makes any difference in the _sense_....

SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER - Maintaining due subordination in the various relations of life. This general principle of religion, the apostle proceeds now to illustrate in reference to wives Ephesians 5:22; to children Ephesians 6:1; and to servants, Ephesians 6:5. At the same time that he enforces this duty of submission, however, he enjoins on others to use their authority in a proper manner, and gives solemn injunctions that there should be no abuse of power. Particularly he enjoins on husbands the duty of loving their wives with all tenderness Ephesians 5:25; on fathers, the duty

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 5:1 BE YE THEREFORE IMITATORS OF GOD, AS CHILDREN BELOVED. These words are closely connected with the preceding. In Ephesians 4:32 he had urged the example of God in one very momentous matter; he now urges it in a more general sense and on another ground. We ought to forgive men because God has forgiven us—all admit that; but moreover, we ought to imitate our Father in his forgiveness and in his loving spirit, be-because beloved children should always imitate, and will always strive to imitate, what is good in a beloved father. Forgiving love is one of the great glories of our Father; it has been made peculiarly attractive in our eyes, because it has been exercised by him towards us; every consideration, therefore, ought to ind

SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER,.... Which may be understood either in a political sense, of giving honour, obedience, and tribute, to civil magistrates, since they are set up by God for the good of men, and it is for the credit of religion for the saints to submit to them; or in an economical sense; thus the wife should be subject to the husband, children to their parents, and servants to their masters, which several things are afterwards insisted on, as explanative of this rule; or in an ecclesiastic sense, so the Ethiopic version renders it, "subject yourselves to your brethren": thus members of churches should be subject to their pastors, not in the same sense as they are to Christ, the head, nor are they obliged to believe or do everything they say, right or wrong; yet honour and esteem are due to them, and submission and obedience should be yielded to their doctrines, precepts...

Ephesians 5:1. _Be ye therefore followers of God,_ Or, imitators of God,- Ephesians 5:1. _As dear children;_ Children are naturally imitators. They are usually inclined to imitate their father; this is, therefore, a most comely and appropriate precept: «Be ye therefore imitators of God, as dear children.» Ephesians 5:2. _And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor._ What a path to walk in! «Walk in love.» What a well-paved way it is! «As Christ also hath loved us.» What a blessed Person for us to follow in that divinely royal road! It would have been hard

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

THE WAY OF LIGHT AND THE WAY OF DARKNESS. There are other sins which among God's people, should be literally unmentionable fornication, uncleanness, coveting, filthiness, foolish speech, improper jesting. (The true seemliness of speech is thanksgiving.) No one who practises any of the above can inherit the Kingdom. Let no sophistries deceive you; God's wrath befalls the disobedient dissociate yourselves from such things. You have passed from darkness to light and must walk accordingly. Goodness, righteousness, truth these are the fruits of Light. You must test things, and discover what is well-pleasing to the Lord. Nay, you must not only avoid participation in the unfruitful deeds of darkness; you must show them up for things are being done in secret which it is shameful even to mention. Things are always made manifest when they are shown up by the light: for whatever is made manifest _i...