Ephesians 5 - Introduction

After general exhortations to love, to flee fornication and all uncleanness not to converse with the wicked, to walk warily, and to be filled with the Spirit; he descendeth to the particular duties: how wives ought to obey their husbands, and husbands ought to love their wives, even as Christ his church.

Anno Domini 62.

BECAUSE the characters and actions of the heathen deities, according to the notions which were entertained of them, were vicious in the extreme, and had a most pernicious influence in corrupting the mannersof their worshippers,—the Apostle, in different parts of this epistle, but in a more solemn manner in the beginning of this chapter, held up to the Ephesians the character of God, or Christ, as truly venerable and worthy of imitation.For he commanded the Ephesians, now become the children of God through faith, chap. Ephesians 1:5 to be imitators of God, as his beloved children, and to walk in love to one another, after the example of Christ, the Head of their fellowship, who had loved them so exceedingly, as to give himself a sacrifice for their sins, Ephesians 5:1.—Next he ordered them to avoid fornication; a vice which the heathens practised without restraint; and to abstain from obscene discourse; because the persons guilty of these impurities are so odious to God, that they shall have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God, Ephesians 5:3.—And because the heathens pretended to justify these practices by the example of their false deities, the Apostle cautioned the Ephesiansagainst being deceived with false speeches; and told them, that God had declared his disapprobation of such enormities by his judgments brought on the nations who were guilty of them, Ephesians 5:6.—The Ephesian Christians therefore were not to be partakers with the heathens in their vices, Ephesians 5:7.—Because though formerly such of them as were initiated into the mysteries thought themselves enlightened, theywere really in darkness as to matters of religion, spiritual experience, and morality. Whereas being truly enlightened by the gospel, it became them to walk as persons rightly instructed, Ephesians 5:8.—Withal, to lead them to a proper behaviour, he pointed out to them the graces and virtues, which are the fruits of minds well enlightened, Ephesians 5:9.—and forbade them to join in any of the fellowships of the heathen mysteries, which he justly termed the unfruitful works of darkness, because they produced no fruit to those who continued in them, except eternal death, Ephesians 5:11.—He added, that the things done in the mysteries during the darkness of the night, were so abominable, that it was an offence against modesty so much as to mention them, Ephesians 5:12.—Besides, the gospel expressly condemns these base actions; by which its excellent nature is clearly manifested, Ephesians 5:13.—Next, he ordered the Ephesian brethren to walk carefully and accurately, as Christian converts, in correspondence to their new light and obligations, and according to the rule of the word; as persons under the eye of God and men, of enemies as well as friends, Ephesians 5:15.—and to redeem time and opportunity, particularly because the days in which they lived were days of great immorality, ignorance, and profaneness, and days of trouble, danger, and persecution for the sake of Christ, Ephesians 5:16.—He then charged them to take heed that they did not actan inconsiderate foolish part, as in the days of their ignorance and unregeneracy; nor needlessly expose themselves to the malice and fury of their enemies; but endeavour to consider attentively the mind and will of the Lord. Christ, in respect to the prudence of their behaviour, Ephesians 5:17.—And to prevent their running into the abominable practices against which he had been already cautioning them, he warns them against so free an use of intoxicating liquors as would cloud themind and disorder the faculties of the soul; and commands them to get theirsouls filled with the holy influences and consolations of the Divine spirit, Ephesians 5:18.—speaking among themselves, bysinging forth the praises of God, in all the variety of them, by joining their voices in proper tunes to utter poetic compositions; which are to be sung, he adds, in a spiritual manner, for spiritual ends; and their united praises, with the voice together (Isaiah 52:8.), should be with the sweetest harmony and delight in their own hearts, by their ascending with their voices to the Lord Jesus, and shewing forth his glory, Ephesians 5:19.—And to conclude this subject, the Apostle requires that the work of praise should run through their whole lives; and that, on all occasions, they should express their thankfulness for all things to God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father in him; and this thanksgiving should be rendered to him through our Lord Jesus Christ, as our only Mediator, and the purchaser of all blessings, on whose account they are bestowed upon us, Ephesians 5:20.

With respect to relative duties, the Apostle, in a general manner, exhorted the Ephesians to be subject to one another in the fear of God: that is, to perform to each other, from a principle of piety, all the duties of social life, according to their different stations, and according to the relations and subordinations in which they stood to each other, Ephesians 5:21.—Then proceeding toparticulars, in the natural order of these relations, he began with the duties of wives and husbands, which he illustrated by the example of Christ and the church; and on that occasion explained a very deep mystery relating to Christ and the church, couched in the formation of Eve, and in her marriage with Adam, Ephesians 5:22.