Ephesians 6:24

Grace Lit., "thegrace." 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; "thegrace" is Hisgrace. On the word "grace," see note on Ephesians 1:2. It is nothing less than God Himself in action, in His Son, by His Spirit, in the salvation of man.

with all them that love, &c. In this short clause, at once so broad and so deep in its reference, so exclusive from one point of view, so inclusive from another, we find the last expression of those great ideas of the Epistle, the local Universality and spiritual Unity of the true, the truly believing and loving, Church. All who answer this description are, as a fact, in contact with the Fountain of Grace, and on all of them the Apostle invokes "grace for grace" (John 1:16), the successive and growing supplies of the gift of God.

" Our Lord Jesus Christ" :the full name and style of the Object of love is given. In this lies the needful warning that the Object must be no creature of the individual's, or of the community's, thought, but the Redeemer and King of history and revelation.

in sincerity Lit., (as R.V.,) in uncorruptness. The word is the same as that in Romans 2:7 (A.V., "immortality"); 1 Corinthians 15:42; 1 Corinthians 15:50; 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 (A.V., "incorruption"); 2 Timothy 1:10 (A.V., "immortality"). The cognate adjective occurs Romans 1:23; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 1Co 15:52; 1 Peter 1:4; 1 Peter 1:23 (A.V., in each case, "incorruptible" and so, practically, 1 Peter 3:4); and 1 Timothy 1:17 (A.V., "immortal") [41]. Thus the word tends always towards the spiritual and eternal, as towards that which is in its own nature free from elements of decay. "In spiritual reality" would thus represent a part, but only a part, of the idea of the present phrase. The whole idea is far greater in its scope. The "love of our Lord Jesus Christ" in question here is a love living and moving "in" the sphere and air, so to speak, of that which cannot die, and cannot let die. God Himself is its "environment," as He lives and works in the regenerate soul. It is a love which comes from, exists by, and leads to, the unseen and eternal. "Thus only," in Alford's words, "is the word worthy to stand as the crown and climax of this glorious Epistle."

[41] The Genevan English Version (1557) renders the words in the text here, "to their immortalitie." The preposition ("to") cannot stand, but the noun conveys part of the true meaning.

Amen See note on Ephesians 3:21, above. The evidence for the omission of the word here is considerable, though not overwhelming. The early Versions; and the Fathers (in quotation), retain it, almost without exception in both cases. Some very important MSS. omit it. What reader will not supply it from his own spirit?

The Subscription

Written from Rome, &c. Lit., ( The Epistle) to (the) Ephesians was written from Rome, by means of Tychicus. It may safely be assumed that no such Subscription appeared in the original MS. of the Epistle, and the question of various forms has, accordingly, an antiquarian interest only. In the oldest Gr. MSS. the form is the same as that of the Title (see note there); To (the) Ephesians. Old, but later, MSS., along with some early Versions and some Fathers, read, exactly or nearly, as the A.V. Among other forms we find, (Here) ends (the Epistle) to (the) Ephesians, (and) begins (that) to (the) Colossians (sic), or, that to (the) Philippians.

The Subscriptions (to St Paul's Epistles) in their longer form (as in the A.V.) are ascribed to Euthalius, a bishop of the fifth century, and thus to a date later than that of the earliest known MSS. (See Scrivener's Introduction to the Criticism of the N. T., ed. 1883, p. 62.)

The Subscription here is obviously true to fact, (assuming the rightness of the words "at Ephesus," Ephesians 1:1). In this it resembles those appended to Rom., Phil., 2 Tim. Other Subscriptions are either (1 Cor.; Galat.; 1 Tim.) contradictory to the contents of the respective Epistles, or (Thess.; Titus) difficult to be reconciled with them.

Additional Note (see p. 54)

The Rev. C. T. Wilson, M.A., of Jerusalem, has favoured the Editor with the following remarks:

"The word ἀρραβὼν occurs in the colloquial Arabic of Palestine, in the form arraboon, and is frequently used … for the sum of money paid in advance to a tradesman or artizan to seal a bargain. It is also used to signify a sum deposited as a pledge for the fulfilment of a bargain. When engaging a muleteer, it is usual to take a small sum from him as a pledge that he will be forthcoming at the appointed time. The arraboonis forfeited if he fails."