Ephesians 4:23

Ephesians 4:23. And become renewed. ‘Be renewed' is more literal, but the present tense refers to a continued process, as ‘become' suggests. In Colossians 3:10, the word ‘renewed ‘is slightly different; here the root is the word meaning ‘young,' which there occurs in the phrase ‘new man;' comp. Ephesians 4:24. This ‘renewing' is God's work, and yet we have here an exhortation. The paradox is frequent in the Scriptures, and need occasion no practical difficulty.

In the spirit, or, ‘by the Spirit,' of your mind. It is difficult to decide between the two views. The one refers ‘spirit' to the human spirit, which belongs to the ‘mind,' the whole phrase indicating that with reference to which the renewal takes place. The other refers ‘Spirit' to the Holy Spirit indwelling in the human spirit' (see Excursus on Romans 7), taking the phrase as instrumental. Both are grammatically admissible. The New Testament use of ‘sprint' favors the latter, since the unrenewed human spirit is rarely spoken of. The main difficulty is that the subject and the agency of the renewing are confused. But a process is referred to, in which this ‘indwelling Spirit' of the mind is the continuous Agent.