A paragraph ruled by the general idea of the imitation of God in the forgiving love which has been appealed to in the preceding verse. In the light of that Divine example Paul charges his readers to follow purity, unselfishness, sobriety and other graces, and to avoid all heathen vices and indulgenc... [ Continue Reading ]
γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ : _become ye therefore imitators of God_. γίνεσθε, as in Ephesians 4:32, = “become ye,” rather than “be ye”. This γίνεσθε also resumes the former γίνεσθε (Ephesians 4:32), and continues the general injunction expressed by it. The οὖν points to the same connection of idea... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ : _and walk in love_. Here, again, καί _explains_ in _connecting_ and _adding_. The “imitation” must take effect in the practical, unmistakable form of a loving course of life. καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς : _even as Christ also loved us_ [_you_]. The reading ὑμᾶς (with... [ Continue Reading ]
πορνεία δὲ καὶ πᾶσα ἀκαθαρσία : _but fornication and all uncleanness_. The better order ἀκαθαρασία πᾶσα (LTTrWHRV) throws the emphasis on πᾶσα, = “fornication and uncleanness, every kind of it”. The metabatic δέ carries the exhortation over to a prohibition expressed in the strongest terms, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ αἰσχρότης : _and filthiness_. This is taken by many (Eth., Theophyl., Oec., Rück., Harl., etc.) to refer to indecent _talk_, which, however, would be expressed by αἰσχρολογία (Colossians 3:8). The context shows it to refer to sins of the flesh, but there is nothing to limit it to sinful _speech_... [ Continue Reading ]
τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες : _for this ye know, being aware that_. The TR reads ἐστε = _ye are_ (with [523] 3 [524] [525], Theod., Theophyl., etc.), taking it with the participle as = “ye are aware”. But ἴστε (which is supported by [526] [527] [528] [529] * [530] [531], Vulg., Goth., Sah., Boh., Arm... [ Continue Reading ]
μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς ἀπατάτω κενοῖς λόγοις : _let no one deceive you with vain words_. A solemn warning, made the more pointed by being given without any connecting particle. κενός is “vain” in the sense of _empty_, without the substance of truth or reality, and so = _sophistical; cf._ κενολογεῖν in Isaiah 8... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ οὖν γίνεσθε συμμέτοχοι αὐτῶν : _become not ye then partakers with them_. γίνεσθε again = “do not become,” “suffer not yourselves to be”; not ἐστε, “be not”. What is meant is a possible falling back into ways by grace forsaken. The _participation_ which is negatived is obviously taking part with t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος : _for ye were once darkness_. A consideration in support of the previous exhortation, _viz._, the consideration that with them the condition in which such sins could be indulged was wholly past and gone. The ἦτε is put emphatically first to throw stress on the fact that all _tha... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος [φωτός]: _for the fruit of the Spirit_ [_the light_]. The reading of the TR, τοῦ πνεύματος, which is that of such uncials as [540] 3 [541] [542], most cursives, Syr.-P., Chrys., etc., must give place to τοῦ φωτός, which is supported by [543] [544] [545] [546] * [547] [548]... [ Continue Reading ]
δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ : _proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord_. The exhortation given in Ephesians 5:8, interrupted by the enforcement introduced in Ephesians 5:9, is now continued and explained. The participial sentence defines the _walk_ which was enjoined in respect of the... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ μὴ συγκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους : _and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness_. TWH again prefer the form συνκοινωνεῖτε. The verb has its usual force here, and takes us back to the συμμέτοχοι αὐτῶν of Ephesians 5:7. The only question is whether it governs... [ Continue Reading ]
τὰ γὰρ κρυφῆ γινόμενα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν : _for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of_. This rendering of the RV, which follows Ellicott's, does more justice to the _order_ of the Greek than that of the AV. The term κρυφῆ occurs only this once in t... [ Continue Reading ]
τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται, πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστί : _but all, when they are reproved, are made manifest by the light: for everything that is made manifest is light_. Both the connection and the import of some of the words here are difficult to determine, and various i... [ Continue Reading ]
διὸ λέγει, Ἔγειραι ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἑκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ χριστός : _Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee_. So the RV, better on the whole than the “shall give thee light” of the AV. The verse contains a quotation, b... [ Continue Reading ]
βλέπετε οὖν πῶς ἀκριβῶς [ἀκριβῶς πως] περιπατεῖτε : _take heed then how ye walk with strictness_ [or, _take heed carefully how ye walk_]. The writer passes from the statement of the need of the ἔλεγξις and its profitable effects into which he had been led for a space, and returns to the exhortation... [ Continue Reading ]
A paragraph closely connected with the former, and specifying various things belonging to the correctness and consistency of the Christian walk.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν : _buying up for yourselves the opportunity_. Definition of the ὡς σοφοί, specifying the way in which they were to give token of the quality of wisdom. The expression occurs only once again in the NT (in Colossians 4:5); and there are but few proper parallels to it. The phr... [ Continue Reading ]
διὰ τοῦτο μὴ γίνεσθε ἄφρονες : _for this cause become not ye foolish_. The διὰ τοῦτο _may_ refer to the immediately preceding clause (Rück., De Wette, etc.), the evil of the days being a reason for avoiding folly. It is better, however, to refer it to the main idea, that of the _walk_, than to the s... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ : _and be not made drunk with wine_. A particular case of the ἀφροσύνη to be avoided is now mentioned. The καί is used here, as, _e.g._, also in Mark 1:5, to add a _special_ designation to a _general, inclusive_ statement; Win.-Moult., p. 546. The case is the abuse of wine. Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
λαλοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς : _speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs_. Lachm. inserts ἐν before ψαλμοῖς; Tr and WH place it in the margin, on the authority of [578] [579] 17, 67 2, Vulg., Jer. πνευματικαῖς is bracketed by Lach., but is to be... [ Continue Reading ]
εὐχαριστοῦντες πάντοτε ὑπὲρ πάντων : _giving thanks always for all things_. Another _coordinate_ clause giving a third and more particular way in which the being “filled with the Spirit” should express itself. The two preceding sentences referred to _praise_, both outwardly with the mouth and inward... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις : _subjecting yourselves one to another_. The connection of this clause is by no means clear. It is taken by not a few (Calv., Matthies, etc.) as an independent clause, the participle being dealt with as an imperative. But there is nothing to suggest the ἐστε which would have... [ Continue Reading ]
Αἱ γυναῖκες, τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν [ὑποτάσσεσθε]: _Wives, be in subjection to your own husbands_. The great Christian law of mutual subjection or submissive consideration is now to be unfolded in its bearing on three particular relations which lie at the foundation of man's social life those of husba... [ Continue Reading ]
A paragraph which, in dealing with the duties of wives and husbands as seen in the new light of Christian truth, gives the Christian ideal of the marriage-relation. It is the loftiest conception of that relation that has ever come from human pen, and one than which no higher can be imagined.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι ὁ ἀνήρ ἐστι κεφαλὴ τῆς γυναικός, ὡς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας : _because the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the Church_. Reason for a wifely subjection of the kind indicated. It is found in the relation of headship. In the marriage union the husband holds... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ ἐκκλησία ὑποτάσσεται τῷ Χριστῷ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί : _nevertheless as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be subject to their husbands in everything_. For ἀλλʼ the best editors give ἀλλά. For the ὥσπερ of the TR, supported by [624] 3 ... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας [ἑαυτῶν], καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν : _husbands, love your wives, even as also Christ loved the Church_. The reflexive ἑαυτῶν introduced by the TR after γυναῖκας, as in [641] [642] [643], Syr., etc., is not found in [644] [645] [646], 17, Clem., etc.,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ : _that He might sanctify it_. Statement of the great object with which Christ in His love for the Church gave Himself up to death for it. An object worthy of the self-sacrifice, described in definite terms and with a solemn significance the sanctification and cleansing of the Churc... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα παραστήση αὐτὴν [αὐτὸς] ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοξον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν : _that He might Himself present to Himself the Church, glorious_. Statement of the remote, ultimate object with which Christ “gave Himself up” to death; as the _immediate_ object, which has that final purpose in view, is expressed by the ἁγιάσ... [ Continue Reading ]
οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν [καὶ] οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαπᾷν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖκας : _even so_ [_also_] _ought husbands to love their own wives_. The reading and the order vary somewhat. The ὀφείλουσιν _precedes_ οἱ ἄνδρες in most manuscripts, [656] 2 [657] [658] 17, etc.; in others ([659] [660] [661] [662], etc.) it _fol... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐμίσησεν : _for no one ever hated his own flesh_. The γάρ gives a reason for the preceding statement, looking to the _thought_, however, rather than to the _form_ of the statement. The _thought_ is the oneness of husband and wife, the position of the wife as part of... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι μέλη ἐσμὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ : _for we are members of His body_. The μέλη, which is the heart of the statement, has the emphatic position. We are not something apart from Christ, nor do we occupy only an accidental relation to Him. We are veritable parts of that body of which He is head, and thi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος [τὸν] πατέρα [αὐτοῦ] καὶ [τὴν] μητέρα : _for this cause shall a man leave_ [_his_] _father and mother_. Lachm. and Tregelles omit τόν and τήν; which are bracketed by WH. The αὐτοῦ is omitted by LTTrWHRV, as not supported by [689] [690] [691] [692] * [693], 17, Vulg.,... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν : _this mystery is great_. Not “this is a great mystery,” as it is rendered by the AV and Rhem.; nor “this is a great secret,” Tynd., Cran., gen. The term μυστήριον (on which see under Ephesians 1:9 above) cannot mean _allegory_ or _dark-saying_, but must have its usual... [ Continue Reading ]
πλὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ καθʼ ἕνα : _nevertheless ye also severally_. πλήν, connected probably with πλέον and meaning primarily _further, besides_, is used both for _unfolding_ (= moreover); and for _restricting_ (= _howbeit, nevertheless; cf._ Thayer-Grimm, _ut sup._, p. 517; Donaldson, _Greek Gram._, § 5... [ Continue Reading ]