Ephesians 2:20

and are built Better, Having been built; once built (aorist), by your Redeemer. The metaphor here boldly changes, from the inmates of city and house, to the structure. Possibly the element "house" in "household" suggested this. For similar imagery, cp. 1 Corinthians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Judges 20; and see Matthew 7:24-25. And for curious developments of the imagery here, in very early Christian literature, see St Ignatius Ep. to the Eph., ch. ix, and the Shepherd of Hermas, -Vision" iii. And for an application of the imagery in ancient hymnology, the hymn (cent. 8 or 9) Urbs beata Hirusalem(Trench, Sacr. Lat. Poetry, p. 311).

the foundation of the apostles and prophets The foundation which consists of them; in the sense that their doctrine is the basis of the faith, and so of the unity, of the saints. Cp. Revelation 21:14; and the words spoken (Matthew 16:18) to Peter, "upon this rock I will build My Church." Not to enter into the details there, it is plain that the personal address to Peter is deeply connected with the revelation to and confession by Peter of the Truth of Christ. The Collect for the day of SS. Simon and Jude, constructed from this passage, is a true comment on it.

" The apostles and prophets:" Who are the Prophets here? Those of the O. T. or those of the Gospel, (for whom cp. e.g.Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 15:32; and often)? For the first alternative, it is a strong plea that the O. T. prophets are always regarded in the N. T. as Evangelists before the time; cp. e. g.Luke 24:25; Acts 3:18; Acts 3:21; Acts 3:24; Acts 10:43; Romans 16:26. The last passage regards the "prophetic scriptures" as the great instrument of apostolic preaching. But on the other hand we should thus have expected "prophets and apostles" to be the order of mention. And Ephesians 3:5, giving the same phrase with distinct reference to the "prophets" of the Gospel, is a parallel nearly conclusive in itself in favour of that reference here. In Ephesians 4:11, again, we have the "prophet" named next to the "Apostle" among the gifts of the glorified Saviour to this Church; a suggestion of the great prominence and importance of the function. We take the word here, then, to mean such "prophets" as Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32); men, we gather, who, though not of one office with the Apostles, shared some of their functions; were directly inspired, on occasion, with knowledge of the future (Acts 11:28), and with truth of spiritual doctrine (Ephesians 3:5, and 1 Corinthians 14); and were specially commissioned to preach and teach such things revealed. May we not probably class the non-apostolic writers of the N. T. among these "prophets"? See further, Appendix F.

The mention of them here is in special point, because public faith and doctrine is in question. The work of the "prophets" had, doubtless, greatly contributed to the wide spread and settlement of the truth of the free acceptance in Christ of allbelievers, Gentiles with Jews. Observe that in Acts 15:32 it is two "prophets" who "exhort and confirm" (the Gr. word suggests precisely settlement on a foundation) the Gentile believers at Antioch, in the very crisis of the conflict between Pharisaic limits and the universality of the Gospel.

Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone] It is possible to render "the chief corner stone of it(the foundation) being Christ Jesus;" but far less probable. The "Himself" is almost demanded by the separation and contrast of the supreme position of the Lord. So R. V. There is a slight emphasis, by position, on "being."

"The chief corner stone:" one word in the Gr.; found also 1 Peter 2:6; where Isaiah 28:16 (LXX.) is quoted nearly verbatim. Precisely, the LXX. there runs, "I lay among the foundationsof Sion a stone costly, chosen, chief of the corner, precious;" words which indicate that the idea, to the Greek translators, was that of a stone essential to the foundation, not in the higher structure;and this is confirmed by St Peter's use of the quotation. Thus on the whole we take the image to be that of a vast stone at an angle of the substructure, into which the converging sides are imbedded, "in which" they "consist;" and the spiritual reality to be, that Jesus Christ Himself is that which gives coherence and fixity to the foundation doctrines of His Church; with the implied idea that He is the essential to the foundation, being the ultimate Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). Apostles and Prophets reveal and enforce a basis of truths for the rest and settlement of the saints" faith; those truths, at every point of juncture and prominence, are seen to be wholly dependent on Jesus Christ for significance, harmony and permanence.

In the Heb. of Isaiah 28:16 (and so, or nearly, Job 38:6; Psalms 118:22 (Messianic); Jeremiah 51:26) the phrase is "stone," or "head," of "corner," or of "prominence." See too Zechariah 10:4, where the solitary word "corner" appears to convey the same image.

F. APOSTLES AND PROPHETS. (Ch. Ephesians 2:20.)

On this collocation of Apostles with (Christian) Prophets some interesting light is thrown by early non-canonical Christian literature. The "Prophet" appears as a conspicuous and most important element in the life and work of some Christian communities in the closing years of cent. 1. The recently discovered Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, often referred to with high respect by the Christian Fathers (St Clement of Alexandria even seems to quote it as Scripture, Strom, 1. c. xx), belongs most probably to cent. 1, and to the Churches of Syria. Of its sixteen Chapter s, five (10, 11, 13, 14, 15.) explicitly speak of the Prophets of the Church. We gather that they were usually itinerant visitors to the Churches, but sometimes resident, and then supported by firstfruits. They presided at Divine worship, particularly at the weekly "Thanksgiving" (Eucharist), and had the right (as apparently the ordained "Bishops" and "Deacons," ch. 15, had not) of using their own words in conducting the sacramental service (cp. perhaps Justin Martyr, Apol. 1. c. 67). They are called "high priests" (ch. 13). They were to be tested (cp. 1 John 4:1) by known standards of truth, and by their personal consistency of life, but then, so long as their teaching did not contravene those tests, they were to be heard with the submission due to inspired oracles (ch. 11). To sit in judgment on them was to incur the doom of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The local "Bishops" and "Deacons" were in some respects inferior to them. The language of ch. 15 indicates, perhaps, that this inspired superior ministry was gradually passing away, and the regularly ordained ministry taking more and more its place.

The same document (ch. 11) mentions other Visitors called "Apostles;" so entirely itinerant that a stay of three days in one place would betray the man as a "false prophet." The notice of these "Apostles" is very brief. They were evidently a rarer phenomenon, and of less practical influence, than the Prophets. No reference to the Great Apostles is to be sought in the passage. It maybe illustrated by Romans 16:7 (where however see note in this Series); and seems to indicate the existence of a class of constantly moving, and inspired, superintendents and instructors of the Churches, who, as such, would bear a likeness to the Great Apostles. No function of superintendence seems to be assigned to the Prophets.

In the Shepherd of Hermas(first half of cent. 2), -Commandment" xi, is a passage referring to the Christian Prophet and his credentials. These credentials were especially a deep personal humility, a renunciation of gain, and the refusal to "prophesy" in answer to consultations and questions. The Prophet was regarded as "filled by the angel of the prophetic spirit," when it pleased God, and he then spoke not to individuals but to the congregation.

In the "First" Epistle [44] of St Clement of Rome to the Church of Corinth (probably about a.d. 95) there is ample allusion to the ordained ministry, but none to the Prophets. The same is the case in the Epistles of St Ignatius and the Epistle of St Polycarp (early cent. 2). In the Epistle of Barnabas, written probably somewhat later than the Teaching, and possibly based upon it in some measure, no allusion to the "Prophets" occurs.

[44] The "Second Epistle" is probably by another and later writer. It contains nothing to the point here.