Ephesians 6:20

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. FOR, [ huper (G5228)] - 'On behalf of which.' AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS. A paradox. Ambassadors were inviolable by the law of nations, and could not, without outrage to sacred right, be put in chains. Yet Christ's 'ambassador is in a chain!' [ en (G1722) halusei (G254), singular.] The Romans used to bind a prisoner to a soldier by a single chain, in a kind of half-free custody. So Acts 28:16; Acts 28:20. "Bonds" (plural) is used when the...

20._As I ought to speak; _meaning, that to proclaim the truth of the gospel as it ought to be proclaimed, is a high and rare attainment. Every word here deserves to be carefully weighed. Twice he uses the expression _boldly, _— “that I may open my mouth _boldly, _” “that therein I may speak _boldly. _” Fear hinders us from preaching Christ openly and fearlessly, while the absence of all restraint and disguise in confessing Christ is demanded from his ministers. Paul does not ask for himself the powers of an acute debater, or, I should rather say, of a dexterous sophist, that he might shield himself from his enemies by false pretences. It is, _that I may open my mouth, _to make a clear and strong confession; for when the mouth is half shut, the sounds which it utters are doubtful and confused. _To open the mouth, _therefore, is to speak with perfect freedom, without the smallest dread. Bu...

19-24 The gospel was a mystery till made known by Divine revelation; and it is the work of Christ's ministers to declare it. The best and most eminent ministers need the prayers of believers. Those particularly should be prayed for, who are exposed to great hardships and perils in their work. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith. By peace, understand all manner of peace; peace with God, peace of conscience, peace among themselves. And the grace of the Spirit, producing faith and love, and every grace. These he desires for those in whom they were already begun. And all grace and blessings come to the saints from God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace, that is, the favour of God; and all good, spiritual and temporal, which is from it, is and shall be with all those who thus love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and with them only....

Verse 20. _AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS_] An ambassador being the representative of his king, his person was in all civilized countries held sacred. Contrary to the rights of nations, this ambassador of the King of heaven was put in chains! He had however the opportunity of defending himself, and of vindicating the honour of his Master. See above. _AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK._] As _becomes_ the dignity and the importance of the subject....

FOR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS - In chains (see the margin); or in confinement. There is something especially touching in this. He was “an ambassador” - sent to proclaim peace to a lost world. But he was now in chains. An ambassador is a sacred character. No greater affront can be given to a nation than to put its ambassadors to death, or even to throw them into prison. But Paul says here that the unusual spectacle was witnessed of an ambassador seized, bound, confined, imprisoned; an ambassador who ought to have the privileges conceded to all such people, and to be permitted to go everywhere publishing the terms of mercy and salvation. See the word “ambassador” explained in the notes on 2 Corinthians 5:20. THAT THEREIN - Margin, or “thereof.” Greek, ἐν αὐτῶ

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 6:1 CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD: FOR THIS IS RIGHT. The first duty of children is obedience, and "in the Lord," _i.e. _in Christ, this duty is confirmed. The ἐν Κυρίῳ qualifies, not "parents," but "obey," and indicates that the element or life which even children lead in fellowship with Christ makes such obedience more easy and more graceful. The duty itself rests on the first principles of morality—"for this is right." It is an obligation that rests on the very nature of things, and cannot change with the spirit of the age; it is in no degree modified by what is called the spirit of independence in children. EPHESIANS 6:2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first c

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 furnished him with qualifications for it; such as knowledge and faithfulness wisdom and prudence, courage and greatness of mind; and made his embassy successful: and he was chiefly an ambassador to the Gentiles, which showed great condescension in Christ to send him to them, and base ingratitude in the despisers and rejecters of the Gospel, for which he was an ambassador; for the embassy Christ's ministers are sent on, is the embassy of the Gospel of peace: their business is to declare that men by nature are enemies to God; that peace is made by the blood of Christ for such; by which means they...

Ephesians 6:10. _Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might._ Everything depends upon that. Whether you are called upon to work, or to wait, or to watch, or to suffer, you have need to be strong. If you are not yourself strong, the very armor that you wear will be a burden to you. It is of the utmost importance that Christians should be as strong in grace as they can possibly be. And the power that is to be in them is to be the power of God: «the power of his might.» What a wonderful power that is! The power of flesh is weakness, and the power of man is fading but the power of God is almighty and unchangeable; and if we can be girt about with this power there is scarcely any limit to what we may successfully attempt. «Finally,» as if this were a matter of the highest importance, to be considered first and last. «Finally, my brethren, be strong in

EPHESIANS 6:20 evn auvtw|/ {C} In place of evn auvtw|/ (which refers, of course, to to. musth,rion tou/ euvaggeli,ou of ver. Ephesians 6:19), a few important witnesses read auvto,, thus pointing more directly to the antecedent....

6. THE WARFARE AND THE PANOPLY OF GOD CHAPTER 6:10-20 __ 1. The warfare (Ephesians 6:10) 2. The panoply of God (Ephesians 6:13) Christian warfare or conflict is with the devil and his wiles, with the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and with the spiritual armies of wickedness in the heavenly places (literal translation). This revelation given here concerning the powers of darkness, the principalities, the rulers of the darkness of this world and the wicked spirits in the heavenly places, is important and demands a closer attention. The Scriptures clearly teach that there is a vast dominion of darkness over which Satan is the head and that, as the god of this present age, he has rulers over this world and a large army o