Ephesians 6:1-4. The Christian Home: Children and Parents 1. _Children_ Cp. Colossians 3:20. _obey_ The Gr. word differs from that rendered "submit yourselves" (Ephesians 6:22). It is the same as that below, Ephesians 6:5, rendered "be obedient." The child, and the bondservant, are to render an ob... [ Continue Reading ]
_Honour_, &c. Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16. The Gr. here is verbatim that of the LXX. On the duty, cp. Matthew 19:19; Mark 7:10; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20. The "honour" is that not of mere sentiment but of obedience. See for illustration, Matthew 15:4-8. _which is_ He adds a significant circumstance... [ Continue Reading ]
_that_, &c. The Gr. is nearly verbatim from the LXX. of Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. It is observable that the Apostle omits the last words of the original promise. Is not this on purpose, to dilate the reference to the utmost? The Sinaitic limitation was but a special application of a perpetual pri... [ Continue Reading ]
_fathers_ We may equally well render, PARENTS. Moses" parents are called (Hebrews 11:23, Gr.) his _fathers_. The expression is found in the classics, Greek and Latin. The father is the head of authority in the home, but the oneness of husband and wife, to speak of that only, secures the high authori... [ Continue Reading ]
The Christian Home: Servants and Masters 5. _Servants_ BONDSERVANTS, SLAVES. Cp. Colossians 3:22-25; and see 1 Corinthians 7:21-22; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; Philemon; 1 Peter 2:18-25. The Gospel nowhere explicitly condemns slavery. But both O.T. and N.T. state principles which are fatal to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_eyeservice_ The word is found elsewhere only Colossians 3:22, and was possibly coined by St Paul. It is the "service" which works for another only under the compulsion of inspection, and only in external action. _menpleasers_ With no higher aim than the personal comfort of getting, anyhow, the mas... [ Continue Reading ]
_knowing_ as a certainty of the Gospel. For the Christian's prospect of "reward," cp. Matthew 5:12; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:4; Matthew 16:27; Luke 6:35; Luke 14:14; Romans 2:6-10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 10:35;... [ Continue Reading ]
_masters_ The Gr. is lit. "Lords." But English usage forbids that word here. See last note; and the parallel passage, Colossians 4:1. _do the same_things] Faithfully consult their true interests, be loyal to your responsibilities in regard of them. These are "the things" you look for from them towa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Finally_ Lit., "_for the rest;_" "_for what remains_." This may possibly mean "for the future," "from henceforth" (R. V. marg.). But the more probable reference is to "what remains of thought and precept." Had the Epistle dwelt on spiritual _weakness_as a previous characteristic of Ephesian Christi... [ Continue Reading ]
The Spiritual Combat: the Secret of Strength; the Antagonists; the Armour; Intercessory Prayer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Put on_ For the word, cp. Romans 13:12; Romans 13:14 (a close parallel); 1 Corinthians 15:53-54; 2 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 3:27 (a parallel); above, Ephesians 4:24; below, 14; Colossians 3:10; Colossians 3:12;... [ Continue Reading ]
_we wrestle_ Lit., OUR WRESTLING IS. War and the games are associated in the language of 2 Timothy 2:4-5. But here, as Ellicott observes, there need be no mingling of metaphors. War involves wrestling, in many a hand to hand encounter. The Gr. word (_palê_, wrestling) is found only here in Gr. liter... [ Continue Reading ]
_take unto_you] Lit., TAKE UP, even as Æneas (if the illustration may be reverently offered) took up, and examined, and girt on, the god-wrought panoply brought him by his Mother, on the verge of war (_Æn._viii. 608, &c.). The Divine armour, perfect, and perfectly ready, lies at the Christian's feet... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stand_ See last note. Here, as throughout the passage, the tense of this verb is aorist. A decisive act of _taking a conscious stand_, or a succession of such acts, is implied. _having your loins girt_ Lit., and far better, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS (R. V.). The girding is the own act, by grace, of... [ Continue Reading ]
your _feet shod_ Lit., and better, HAVING SHOD YOUR FEET. See note above, on "having on." If the warrior is to "_stand_" he must have no unprotected and uncertain _foot_-hold. _the preparation_ The Gr. word occurs here only in N.T. In the LXX. it occurs several times, and tends, curiously, to denot... [ Continue Reading ]
_above all_ The Gr. admits the renderings, "_over_all things"; "_besides_all things"; "_on occasion of_all things, (on all occasions)"; "_against_all things." We incline to this last, as suitable to the imagery of the shield _shifted to meet_any and every stroke. Another reading gives "_in_all thing... [ Continue Reading ]
_take_ Lit., RECEIVE, as from the hands of Another, who presents it to all His soldiers. _the helmet_ Cp. Isaiah 59:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8. See also Psalms 140:7. The head needs protection not only as a vital part, but as the seat of sight. The believer "looks up, and lifts up his head, as his red... [ Continue Reading ]
_praying always_ Lit., PRAYING ON EVERY OCCASION, every incident of life, especially every incident of temptation. Cp. the yet broader and deeper precept, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "pray _without intermission_." See too Luke 18:1; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 1:3; Colossians 1:9; Colossians 4:2. The atti... [ Continue Reading ]
_for me_ Lit., ON BEHALF OF ME. This change of phrase, by change of preposition, is perhaps due to the Apostle's strong personal sense of his need of the _help_of intercessory prayer. He wisely covets for his apostolic work the prayers of the obscurest militant believer. Cp. Rom 15:30; 2 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
_for which_ ON BEHALF OF WHICH, in the interests of which. The Gospel is, so to speak, the _Power_whose envoy he is. Cp. 2 Corinthians 5:20 for the same phrase and image with express mention of the _Sovereign_, Christ, represented by His envoys. _an ambassador_ Cp. 2 Cor. just quoted. And see Phile... [ Continue Reading ]
The mission of Tychicus 21. _ye also_ as well as my other friends, near or distant. Perhaps the emphasis has to do with Colossians 4:7, words written so nearly at the same time: Ephesus as well as Colossæ should be kept informed. This, however, opens the question (not to be discussed here) which Ep... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have sent_ Lit., "_I did send_." The aorist is "epistolary"; it speaks from the time of the arrival, not the sending, of the messenger. Cp. 2 Corinthians 8:18; 2 Corinthians 8:22; Philippians 2:28; Colossians 4:8 (where see Lightfoot's note); Philemon 1:12, &c. _our affairs_ The circumstances of... [ Continue Reading ]
Benediction 23. _Peace_ The Apostle returns to his opening benedictory prayer. See on Ephesians 1:2 and note. We may remark here that the phrase "Grace and peace," in apostolic salutations, though no doubt connected with ordinary Greek and Hebrew greetings, is not to be explained by them. Both noun... [ Continue Reading ]
_Grace_ Lit., "_the_grace." So in the closing benedictions of Col., 1 Tim., 2 Tim., Tit., Heb. In Rom., Cor., Gal., Phil., Thess., Philem., Rev., the benedictions are in the full form (or nearly so), "the grace _of our Lord Jesus Christ_." The shorter form is very probably the epitome of the larger;... [ Continue Reading ]