IV.
[4.
Final Summary of Doctrine (Ephesians 4:1).
(1) THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST (Ephesians 4:1).
(_a_)
_Its ground_ in the unity of the Holy Trinity;
(_b_)
_Its means_ in the one baptism;
(_c_)
_Its conditions and effects_ in one faith, one hope, one charity.
(2)
THE DIVERSITY OF... [ Continue Reading ]
WORTHY OF THE VOCATION WHEREWITH YE ARE CALLED. — This “being
worthy of the Christian calling” may obviously show itself in any of
the graces of regenerate humanity, all being features of the image of
Christ. Thus in 1 Peter 1:15 it expresses itself in “holiness” (as
in the frequent phrase “called t... [ Continue Reading ]
(1) Ephesians 4:1, although cast in a hortatory form contain the final
summary of the great doctrine of the Epistle — the UNITY OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH — in words which have all the glowing freedom of
spiritual enthusiasm, and all the clear-cut precision of a creed.
Thus (_a_) the ground of that unit... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH ALL LOWLINESS AND MEEKNESS, WITH LONGSUFFERING. — See
Colossians 3:12, where the same three qualities are dwelt upon, but
there introduced by “compassion and kindness.” They seem to
correspond almost exactly to the first, third, and fifth beatitudes of
the Sermon on the Mount, in which the prin... [ Continue Reading ]
FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE ... — The word rendered
“endeavouring” is, in the original, a word expressing
“earnestness” of thought and exertion to secure a thing not
lightly obtained. (See 2 Timothy 4:9; Hebrews 4:11; 2 Peter 1:10.) It
shows that St. Paul here passes from the negative aspects of... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 4:12 return from diversity of functions to singleness of
object — viz., the perfecting individual souls in the likeness of
Christ, and so building up of the whole Church in unity with Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE BODY, AND ONE SPIRIT. — The words “There is” are
not in the original, which starts with a striking abruption, and with
that terse concentration of thought and word which marks out an embryo
creed.
The “one body” is the Body of Christ, “from whom it is fitly
framed, joined together, and... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE LORD, ONE FAITH. — From the idea of “the calling,” the
Apostle passes naturally to Him who calls — the “one Lord” —
and to the method of His calling to Himself, first, by the “one
faith,” and then by the “one baptism” at which profession of
that one faith is made. It is on the indwelling of Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL. — Necessarily, through the Son, we pass
to the Father (as the Lord Himself invariably teaches us to do), since
He is (to use the old Greek expression) “the fount of Deity.” He
is said to be the “Father of all.” We cannot limit this universal
Fatherhood; although, undoubted... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO EVERY ONE OF US IS GIVEN GRACE. — This verse should be
rendered, _To every one of us the grace_ (the one “grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ”) _was given_ — that is, given in the Divine purpose
in the regeneration of the whole body, although it has to be received
and made our own, separately in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE HE SAITH. — The reference is to Psalms 68 — a psalm
which (as the quotation from Numbers 10:35, in the first verse, shows)
is a psalm celebrating some moving of the ark, traditionally (and most
probably) connected with David’s bringing up of the ark (2 Samuel 6)
to Mount Zion. The very cha... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH. — This may mean either _the regions of
the earth,_ as “lower” than heaven, or the _regions beneath the
earth._ The reasoning of the text in itself would be satisfied by the
former. For St. Paul is simply arguing that the use of the phrase
“ascended” from earth to heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses form a parenthesis, designed to bring out the pervading
idea of this and the parallel Epistle — the Divine humanity of
Christ as “filling all in all” and “gathering all things” into
Himself.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS. — Compare the description in
Ephesians 1:23 of the Lord as “filling all in all.” In both cases
the reference is more particularly to the gift of the fulness of His
grace, flowing from His glorified humanity to all His members. But the
words are too wide for any limitat... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GAVE. — In the original “He” is emphatic — He and He alone,
as the ascended Head of humanity. The word “gave,” instead of the
more obvious word _set,_ or _appointed_ (used in 1 Corinthians 12:28),
is, of course, suggested by Ephesians 4:8. They who are ministers of
His gifts are themselves gifts... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PERFECTING... — The parallelism of the three clauses of our
version of this verse does not exactly correspond to the original,
though we notice that Chrysostom supports it, and therefore evidently
saw nothing in the Greek to contradict it. The preposition (_eis_)
used in the two latter claus... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL WE ALL COME. — The marginal rendering is correct: _till we all
arrive at the unity of the faith._ The “one faith” has been spoken
of above; the full grasp of that faith by each and all is the first
object of all the ministries of the Church, since by it both the
individual perfection and the co... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WE BE NO MORE CHILDREN. — Here the process of growth is
described negatively; in the next verse positively. We are to _be no
more children._ The word used here and in 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1
Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 4:1; Galatians 4:3; Hebrews 5:13 (often
rendered “babes”), is a word almost al... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE. — It has been doubted whether the
words “in love” should not be connected with “may grow up,”
&c., exactly as in Ephesians 4:16, “maketh increase of the body...
in love.” But both order and sense seem to point to the connection
given in our version. The correct render... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM WHOM THE WHOLE BODY FITLY JOINED TOGETHER AND COMPACTED. — The
word rendered “fitly joined together” is the same used in
Ephesians 2:21, with more technical accuracy, of a building —
“clamped” or “bonded together.” Here the two words are applied
to the union of the limbs of the body, as being “... [ Continue Reading ]
[5.
PRACTICAL EXHORTATION (Ephesians 4:17).
(1) THE NEW LIFE; first, taught in Christ and learning Christ; and
secondly, regenerate in Him to the image of God (Ephesians 4:17).
(2) HENCE THE POWER OF CONQUEST OF SIN GENERALLY —
(_a_)
_Falsehood_ (Ephesians 4:25);
(_b_)
_Passionate anger_ (Eph... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS I SAY THEREFORE. — The phrase “This I say” seems to be used
by St. Paul in returning (so to speak) from some lofty aspiration or
profound reasoning, in which some might not be able to follow him, to
a solid, practical ground, which all may tread. (See, for example, 1
Corinthians 15:50.) Here he... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED. — Of this vanity the first result
noted is the intellectual. They are “darkened in the
understanding,” and so, “by the ignorance in them alienated from
the life of God.” The phrase “the life of God” is unique. It
may, however, be interpreted by a similar phrase, th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BEING PAST FEELING... — We note that St. Paul, passing lightly
over the intellectual loss, dwells on the moral with intense and
terrible emphasis. They are (he says) “past feeling”; or,
literally, carrying on the metaphor of callousness, _they have lost
the capacity of pain_ — the moral pain whi... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST. — Better, _ye did not so learn the
Christ._ To “learn Christ” is a phrase not used elsewhere; but
easily interpreted by the commoner phrase to “know Christ” (see
John 14:7; John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 5:16; Philippians 3:10), which is
still nearer to it in the original, f... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SO BE THAT. — The word is the same which is used in Ephesians
3:2; Colossians 1:23, indicating no real doubt, but only that
rhetorical doubt which is strong affirmation.
YE HAVE HEARD HIM... — The true rendering here is, _ye heard Him,
and were taught in Him._ St. Paul begins with the first mean... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING THE FORMER CONVERSATION. — So far, that is, as concerns
the conversation or mode of life described above (Ephesians 4:17) as
the moral condition of heathenism. It is in relation to this, the
corruption of the true humanity, and not in relation to the true
humanity itself, that the “old ma... [ Continue Reading ]
(22-24) These verses explain the substance of the teaching of
Ephesians 4:21. The original may be interpreted either of the teaching
of a fact, “that ye did put off... and are being renewed,” &c., or
of a duty, “that ye put off... and be renewed.” The latter is, on
the whole, the more probable, alth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND. — The word translated
“renewed” is not the same as the word “new” below. It is
properly “to be made young again,” and the process of recovery is
described as the natural effect of putting off the decrepitude of the
old man, and the decay engendered by flesh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT YE PUT ON... — But this effect of “the putting off of the
old man” is at once absorbed in the stronger idea of “putting on
the new man.” In the “new man” here is implied not merely
youthfulness, but the freshness of a higher nature (as in Ephesians
2:15). To “put on the new man” is, therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE ARE MEMBERS. — Accordingly the reason given for “putting
away lying” is that “we are members one of another.” Truth is
the first condition of the mutual confidence which is the basis of all
unity. Hence it is the first duty of that “membership one of
another,” which follows from our being “on... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT. — A quotation from the LXX. version of
Psalms 4:4. Anger itself is not sin, for our Lord Himself felt it
(Mark 3:5) at the “hardness of men’s hearts;” and it is again
and again attributed to God Himself, in language no doubt of human
accommodation, but, of course, accommoda... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER GIVE PLACE (_i.e., scope_) TO THE DEVIL. — The name
“Devil” is used by St. Paul only in his later Epistles (see
Ephesians 6:11; 1 Timothy 3:6; 1 Timothy 6:9; 2 Timothy 2:26; Titus
2:3); in the earlier Epistles (Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1
Corinthians 7:5;... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM THAT STOLE (properly, _the stealer_) STEAL NO MORE.... — In
this verse St. Paul treats dishonesty, virtually, although less
distinctly, from the same point of view as before. For he is not
content with forbidding it, or even with forbidding it as fatal to
society; but he directs that it be s... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NO CORRUPT COMMUNICATION... — The word rendered “corrupt,”
is a strong word, signifying “rotten”; used in Matthew 7:17, and
elsewhere in the literal sense, here alone in the metaphorical. By the
corrupt word, probably, here is meant especially the foul word, which
is rotten in itself, and spread... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT. — This verse refers to all the
practical commands given above. The four cardinal sins forbidden are
regarded as “grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” In that expression,
even more than in the cognate expressions of “quenching the
Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), and “resi... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ALL BITTERNESS. — There is a similar enumeration in the parallel
passage, Colossians 3:8; and in all such catalogues in St. Paul’s
Epistles, while it is vain to seek for formal and elaborate system,
there is always profound method and connection of idea. Here the first
symptom of the temper forb... [ Continue Reading ]
(3 _a_) In Ephesians 4:31 to Ephesians 5:2, he deals with malignity,
as utterly unworthy of the love of God manifested to us in Jesus
Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
KIND... TENDERHEARTED. — “Kindness” is gentleness in bearing
with wrong (Luke 6:35; Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; 1 Peter 2:3).
“Tenderheartedness” (see 1 Peter 3:8) is more positive warmth of
sympathy and love. Both issue in free “forgiveness,” after the
model of the universal and unfailing forgiven... [ Continue Reading ]