B. Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 6:20. THE FRUITS OF SONSHIP TO BE LOOKED FOR FROM THE NATIONS The foundation for the exhortations that follow is now securely laid in the vision of truth unfolded both by direct exposition and by prayer, the prayer being no digression but an integral part of the exposi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤἈ ΠΆΣΗΣ ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΦΡΟΣΎΝΗΣ ΚΑῚ ΠΡΑΥ̓́ΤΗΤΟΣ. Cf. Colossians 3:12. The combination irresistibly recalls Matthew 11:29, and is perhaps a conscious echo of it. ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΦΡΟΣΎΝΗ in Acts 20:19; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5 describes an attitude of mind towards our fellow men. St Paul is here thinking primar... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΠΟΥΔΆΖΟΝΤΕΣ ΤΗΡΕΙ͂Ν ΤῊΝ ἙΝΌΤΗΤΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΟΣ ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΣΥΝΔΈΣΜΩΙ ΤΗ͂Σ ΕἸΡΉΝΗΣ. The reference here to the unity described in Ephesians 2:14 ff. is unmistakeable. It is the condition of the growth and ultimate perfecting of the Church, and therefore needs to be guarded with zealous care, whether in t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΝ ΣΩ͂ΜΑ ΚΑῚ ἜΝ ΠΝΕΥ͂ΜΑ. ‘As the body is one so also is the spirit.’ The unity of the body is taken as an axiom, and the unity of the spirit, on which attention is being concentrated, is shown to be a necessary corollary. Cf. Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 2:18. ΚΑΘῺΣ ΚΑῚ ἘΚΛΉΘΗΤΕ ἘΝ ΜΙΑ͂Ι ἘΛΠΊΔΙ ΤΗ͂Σ ΚΛ... [ Continue Reading ]
5. The ‘subjective’ unity of the Spirit in love and hope has an ‘objective’ counterpart in the service of a common Lord, confessed by a common Creed sealed by a common Sacrament of incorporation. ΕἾΣ ΚΎΡΙΟΣ. Cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 1:2 (where the confession of a common faith in Jesus C... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἾΣ ΘΕῸΣ ΚΑῚ ΠΑΤῊΡ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ, Ὁ ἙΠῚ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ ΚΑῚ ΔΙᾺ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ ΚΑῚ ἘΝ ΠΑ͂ΣΙΝ. The deepest ground of unity, underlying and sustaining both the unity of love and hope, and the unity of common service of the One Lord who has been revealed in human flesh, is the unity and universal fatherhood of God. This truth... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝῚ ΔῈ ἙΚΆΣΤΩΙ ἩΜΩ͂Ν. Cf. Ephesians 4:16. The all-embracing unity which St Paul has been describing calls for resolute self-repression on the part of each individual. Strange as it may seem, individuality is not thereby destroyed or weakened. It is consecrated and perfected. For, on the one hand, th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙὈ ΛΈΓΕΙ. Cf. Ephesians 5:14. Supply ἡ γραφὴ as in Romans 4:3; Romans 9:17; Romans 10:11; Romans 11:2; Galatians 4:30; 1 Timothy 5:18. Similarly indeterminate are Romans 9:25; Romans 10:8;... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΔΈ ἈΝΈΒΗ ΤΊ ἘΣΤΙΝ ΕἸ ΜῊ ὌΤΙ ΚΑῚ ΚΑΤΈΒΗ Κ.Τ.Λ. It is possible that the Ascent of the Ark to Zion was also a return, but it is more likely that St Paul simply takes occasion from the occurrence of the word in the quotation to call attention to a further feature in the Antitype. This passage is in l... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΚΑΤΑΒᾺΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΌΣ ἘΣΤΙΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ�. The personal identity of the subject of these contrasted experiences is the condition of His power. St Paul is led to lay stress upon it in order that all who are working for the perfecting of the Body might realize that there was no condition so low that the power at... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ is emphatic. He who descended and ascended. The stress laid on the direct action of the Ascended Lord in supplying the Church with living agents is in keeping with the whole thought of the passage, cf. Ephesians 4:7 τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ χριστοῦ and Ephesians 4:16 ἐξ οὖ. It carries on the reference... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡῸΣ ΤῸΝ ΚΑΤΑΡΤΙΣΜῸΝ ΤΩ͂Ν ἉΓΊΩΝ ΕἸΣ ἜΡΓΟΝ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΊΑΣ. ‘With a view to the equipment of the saints for ministerial duty.’ This whole clause must be taken together, the saints, i.e. all the members of the Church, are to be fitted to render their appropriate service, cf. Ephesians 2:10. It is however no... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤΑΝΤΉΣΩΜΕΝ. Cf. Philippians 3:11; Acts 26:7. ΟἹ ΠΆΝΤΕΣ. ‘One and all.’ The whole of redeemed humanity. Cf. Romans 11:32. ΕἸΣ ΤῊΝ ἙΝΌΤΗΤΑ ΤΗ͂Σ ΠΊΣΤΕΩΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. Cf. on Ephesians 4:3. Unity is at once our starting point and our goal. The unity from which we start is the unity of the Spirit among those... [ Continue Reading ]
ἽΝΑ ΜΗΚΈΤΙ ὮΜΕΝ ΝΉΠΙΟΙ. The ‘infant’ is still dependent on others for instruction (Romans 2:20; Galatians 4:2). The Christian ideal is not satisfied until every member is capable of exercising his own judgement on the problems of life and thought by which he is confronted; cf. Colossians 1:28; Hebre... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΛΗΘΕΎΟΝΤΕΣ ΔῈ. ‘Being’ or ‘Living the truth.’ The context shows that far more than truth-speaking is required, and the use of ἀληθεύειν in LXX. is in favour of a wide extension of meaning to truth in all relations of life. Genesis 20:16 καὶ πάντα� = Niph. יָכַח ‘in respect of all thou art righted’;... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞ ΟὟ is to be connected with τὴν αὔξησιν ποιεῖται as with αὔξει in Colossians 2:19. It is used of the dependence of all on God in Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 11:12. Cf. γεννᾶσθαι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ in Jn. ΣΥΝΑΡΜΟΛΟΓΟΎΜΕΝΟΝ ΚΑῚ ΣΥΝΒΙΒΑΖΌΜΕΝΟΝ. Cf. Ephesians 2:21, ‘fitted and knit togeth... [ Continue Reading ]
17–5:14. THE GREAT CONTRAST... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONTRAST IN PRINCIPLE ΜΑΡΤΎΡΟΜΑΙ. Of solemn protest. Acts 20:26 (at Ephesus), Acts 26:22; Galatians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:12. ἘΝ ΚΥΡΊΩΙ. Ephesians 2:21; Ephesians 4:1. ΠΕΡΙΠΑΤΕΙ͂Ν. Cf. on Ephesians 2:2. ἘΝ ΜΑΤΑΙΌΤΗΤΙ ΤΟΥ͂ ΝΟῸΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν. The picture of the ‘gentile’ manner of life should be co... [ Continue Reading ]
17. St Paul resumes the exhortation begun in Ephesians 4:1. But this time from the negative side—the side of the evil habits that have to be given up. This section extends to Ephesians 4:14. It falls into two divisions: Ephesians 4:17-24. The contrast between the old and the new in principle. Ephesi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΣΚΟΤΩΜΈΝΟΙ. Cf. Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:11; Ephesians 6:12. Darkness is the condition of the Gentile world apart from Christ; cf. Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:17. There is an O.T. background to the thought in Isaiah 9:1 =... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΗΛΓΗΚΌΤΕΣ, ‘in a state of moral insensibility.’ ‘Past feeling.’ ἙΑΥΤΟῪΣ ΠΑΡΈΔΩΚΑΝ. Just as in Exodus the narrative speaks at times of Pharaoh’s hardening his heart, and at times of the Lord as hardening Pharaoh’s heart, so here the Gentiles are said ‘to give themselves up,’ whereas in Romans 1:24... [ Continue Reading ]
20. In sharp contrast with this picture of heathen degradation St Paul puts the moral ideal of the Gospel. This illustrates afresh the manifold applicability of St Paul’s fundamental truth. As ‘in Christ’ we are brought into unity with the Father, and with our brethren, so we each find the law of ou... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἼ ΓΕ. Cf. on Ephesians 3:2 not implying doubt. ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ἨΚΟΎΣΑΤΕ. ‘If He was the subject of the message that ye heard.’ If St Paul had thought of Him as the speaker he would (as in Romans 10:14) have used the gen. ΚΑῚ ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ἘΔΙΔΆΧΘΗΤΕ. Cf. on Ephesians 1:13. ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι, in realized union with... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΟΘΈΣΘΑΙ. Romans 13:12; Colossians 3:8; cf. 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:21; Hebrews 12:1. ‘Laying aside.’ The context in the Pauline passages suggests the figure of putting off clothes, expressed most forcibly in Colossians 3:9 ἀπεκδυσάμενοι. Notice the Aor. It implies a resolute effort to take a decisive... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΝΕΟΥ͂ΣΘΑΙ ΔῈ ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΙ ΤΟΥ͂ ΝΟῸΣ ὙΜΩ͂Ν, ‘be made young again in the spirit of your mind.’ Notice the present. The process of renewal is continuous. Notice also the characteristically Pauline thought of the newness of life to which the Gospel gives access. In O.T. the thought is found in Isaia... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἘΝΔΎΣΑΣΘΑΙ, the Aorist again. ‘Putting on’ is the natural antithesis to the ‘putting off,’ cf. Ephesians 4:22. Cf. Galatians 3:27; Romans 13:14 and esp. Colossians 3:10; Colossians 3:12. In Gal. and Rom. ‘Christ’ or ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’ is the new vesture. Here and in Colossians 3:10 it is th... [ Continue Reading ]
25. We pass on now to consider in detail special forms of evil that must be put off. ΔΙῸ�. τὸ ψεῦδος after ἡ� and ἡ πλάνη cannot be simply ‘the habit of lying,’ it must include the whole false attitude towards life, the principle of selfishness from which every form of evil springs. ΛΑΛΕΙ͂ΤΕ�. The... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 4:25 to Ephesians 5:14. THE CONTRAST IN DETAIL... [ Continue Reading ]
ὈΡΓῊ is forbidden absolutely in Ephesians 4:31 in the sense of personal outburst of passion. There is good reason therefore for taking this verse as referring to ‘righteous indignation’; cf. James 1:19 βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν. For the anger here is regarded as inevitable and right, though needing to be kep... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΊΔΟΤΕ ΤΌΠΟΝ, ‘give room’ or ‘allow scope.’ Romans 12:19; Sir 4:5; Sir 19:17; Sir 38:2. See Robinson ΤΩ͂Ι ΔΙΑΒΌΛΩΙ. See Hort on James 4:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΚΛΈΠΤΩΝ ΜΗΚΈΤΙ ΚΛΕΠΤΈΤΩ. This implies, as indeed Ephesians 4:17 does, that the bad habits of their former life still hung about some of the converts. The moral atmosphere of an establishment of slaves must have been terribly degrading for those who were still immersed in it. St Paul, however, as t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΑΠΡῸΣ. It is worth notice that in Matthew 12:33 ff. the reference to δένδρον σαπρὸν and καρπὸν σαπρὸν is connected directly with a reference to the character of words proceeding out of the mouth, cf. Luke 6:45 (which has points of contact with Matthew 12:34 f. no less than with Matthew 7:17 f.). σα... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΜῊ ΛΥΠΕΙ͂ΤΕ ΤῸ ΠΝΕΥ͂ΜΑ ΤῸ ἍΓΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂, Κ.Τ.Λ. Cf. Ephesians 1:13. This verse introduces a further consideration which would help to the control of the tongue, because the Spirit is especially connected with the gift of Christian utterance, cf. Ephesians 6:17; Luke 12:12. The Spirit however... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑ͂ΣΑ ΠΙΚΡΊΑ ΚΑῚ ΘΥΜῸΣ ΚΑῚ ὈΡΓῊ ΚΑῚ ΚΡΑΥΓῊ ΚΑῚ ΒΛΑΣΦΗΜΊΑ. We pass now to a warning against all tokens of an unbrotherly temper. The stress laid on this side of Christian Ethics by all the N.T. writers is worth careful attention. The words here mark the stages in the development of a quarrel: ΠΙΚΡΊΑ... [ Continue Reading ]
32. St Paul passes from the discord to sketch in a few pregnant lines the nature and the ground of the Christian harmony. ΓΊΝΕΣΘΕ. ‘Show yourselves in thought and word and deed,’ ‘live according to your true nature.’ No doubt in a real sense the character is acquired (we win our souls, Luke 21:19) a... [ Continue Reading ]