Commentary on The Epistle to the Ephesians CHAPTER I Chapter 1 Verses 1 14 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its Eternal Foundation in Christ After the opening salutation (1and 2) Paul blesses God for the fact that this is a foundation: 1. resulting in every spiritual blessing for believers, unto the praise of the glory of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (3 14) 1:1, 2 Opening Salutation 11Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints and believers who are in Ephesus in Christ Jesus; 2grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as he elected us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and faultless before him, 5having in love foreordained us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved, 7in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he caused to overflow toward us in the form of all wisdom and insight, 9in that he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, the purpose which he cherished for himself in him, 10to be put into effect in the fulness of the times, to bring all things together under one head in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth; in him 11in whom we also have been made heirs, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, 12to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who beforehand had centered our hope in Christ; 13in whom you also (are included), having listened to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation; and having also believed in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the first instalment of our inheritance, for the redemption of (God's) own possession, to the praise of his glory. 1.As is not unusual with Paul, the letter opens with a salutation and closes with a benediction. At the beginning God, as it were, walks into the church assembled for worship and breathes his blessing upon it. He remains throughout and at the close of the worship-service walks out again, not out ofthe church but out withthe church. Yet, it is Paulhimself who is speaking in this letter. And he is not playing back electrically recorded dictation. Ephesians is not a belt from a transcriber or a reel from a recorder. On the contrary, here is Paul in person, pouring out his heart in praise and thanksgiving. What he writes is in very fact the product of his own meditation and reflection. It is both a spontaneous utterance of hisheart and a careful composition of hismind. The gold that pours forth from his heart has been molded into definite and (one may even say) artistic shape by his mind. But this heart and this mind are so thoroughly Spirit-controlled that the ideasexpressed and the very wordsby means of which they are conveyed are also (in a sense, were first of all) the ideas and the words of the Holy Spirit. Hence, the word of Paul is the Word of God. Ephesians, as well as the rest of Scripture, is God-breathed. Cf. II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:16; and on the latter passage see N.T.C.on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 301–304. The author of this epistle was a man whose Hebrew name was Saul, and whose Latin name was Paulus(here, in the original, grecized to Paulos). He is not just any private individual who happens to have something on his mind to which he wants to give expression. No, he is, and wants the Ephesians to know that he is, an apostle of Christ Jesus,and this not in the broader sense merely but in the fullest meaning that can properly be given to the word apostle. Has he not received his call to office directly from Christ? Were not the marks of plenary apostleship abundantly evident in his life and work? He belongs to Christ, and represents him, so that Paul smessage is Christ sown message. When Paul salutes the Ephesians, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are bestowing theirblessing upon them. Paul continues, through the will of God.The apostle has attained his high office neither through aspirationnor through usurpationnor yet through nominationby other men but by divine preparation,having been set apart and qualified by the activity of God's sovereign will. Having thus in some detail set forth the name of the addressor, Paul now turns to the addressees. He is writing (to the saints and believers who are in Ephesus in Christ Jesus.The saints are those who by the Lord have been set apartto glorify him, the consecrated ones,whose task it is to proclaim God's excellenciesI Peter 2:9). The phrase the saints and believers forms a unit. The same people who are called saintsare also called believers,for saints who are true to their calling do, indeed, repose their trust in the one true God who has revealed himself in Christ. The phrase in Ephesus has been fully discussed in the (Introduction,IV A. Destination. Paul writes to God's people in Ephesus and surroundings. Those addressed are in Christ Jesus, that is, they are what they are by virtue of union with him. This phrase may without exaggeration be called the most important one in all the Pauline epistles. In Ephesians it or its equivalent or near-equivalent occurs in 1:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 13, 15, 20; 2:5–7, 10, 13, 21, 22; 3:6, 11, 12, 21; 4:1, 21, 32; 5:8; and 6:10, 21. It also occurs with greater or lesser frequency in Paul's other epistles (exception Titus). It was by virtue of union with Christthat the addressees were saints and believers, for in connection with him they receive every spiritual blessing1:3); here particularly and basically (electionbefore the foundation of the world1:4–6), (redemptionthrough blood1:7–12), and (certification as sons and therefore heirs1:13, 14). It will be clear that this interpretation of the phrase fits the present context. Had it not been for their connection with Christ, a connection infinitely close, these people would not now be saints and believers. Moreover, their present life of faith has its center in him. For them to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21). They now love him because he has first loved them. 2 (.The salutation proper is as follows: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Thus, there is pronounced upon the Ephesian saints and believers grace. This word may at times indicate kindness, as a quality or attribute of God or of the Lord Jesus Christ. It may also describe the state of salvation,and thirdly, the believer's gratitudefor the salvation received or for any gift of God. But in the present instance it refers undoubtedly to God's spontaneous, unmerited favor in action, his freely bestowed lovingkindness in operation, bestowing salvation upon guilt-laden sinners. Graceis the fountain. Peacebelongs to the stream of spiritual blessings which issues from this fountain. This peace is the smile of God as it reflects itself in the hearts of the redeemed, the assurance of reconciliation through the blood of the cross, true spiritual wholeness and prosperity. It is the great blessing which Christ by his atoning sacrifice bestowed upon the churchJohn 14:27), and it surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Now this grace and this peace have their origin in God the Father (James 1:17), and have been merited for the believer by him who is the great Master-Owner-Conqueror, Savior, and Office-Bearer and who, because of his threefold anointing namely, as Prophet, Priest, and King is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near to God through him (Heb. 7:25). For further details about certain aspects of Paul's opening salutations see N.T.C.on I and II Thessalonians, pp. 37–45; on Philippians, pp. 43–49; and on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 49–56; 339 344. 1:3–14 Proceeding now to the body of the letter, Paul blesses God for the church's Eternal Foundationin Christ, a foundation: 1. resulting in every spiritual blessing for believers, to the praise of the glory of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 3. Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Goodness, truth, and beauty are combined in this initial doxology, in which the apostle, in words that are beautifulboth in the thoughts they convey and in their artistic arrangement, pours out his soul in trueadoration for God's goodnessin action. He ascribes to God the honor due him for spiritual blessings past(election), present(redemption), and future(certification as sons with a view to complete possession of the inheritance reserved for them). The apostle realizes that divine blessings bestowed upon God's people should be humbly, gratefully, and enthusiastically acknowledged in thought, word, and deed. That response is the only proper way in which these spiritual bounties can be returned to the Giver. The circle must be completed: what comes from God must go back to him! That is the meaning of saying, Blessed (be).& The sentence begun by Blessed (be) rolls on like a snowball tumbling down a hill, picking up volume as it descends. Its 202 words, and the many modifiers which they form, arranged like shingles on a roof or like steps on a stairway, are like prancing steeds pouring forward with impetuous speed. Says John Calvin, The lofty terms in which he [Paul] extols the grace of God toward the Ephesians, are intended to rouse their hearts to gratitude, to set them all on flame, to fill them even to overflowing with this disposition. Paul's heart aflame is bent on setting other hearts aflame also, with sincere, humble, overflowing praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Cf. (Rom. 15:6; II Cor. 1:3; 11:31. Since Jesus was and is not only God but also man, and since he himself addressed the first Person of the Trinity as my GodMatt. 27:46), it is evident that the full title the (Godand Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is justified. As to the term Father, it is evident that if the title Godof our Lord Jesus Christ places emphasis on Christ's humannature, that of Fatherof our Lord Jesus Christ calls attention to the Son's divinenature, for not nativisticbut trinitariansonship is referred to in this thoroughly trinitarian epistle, in which the Beloved, by whatever name he is called, is constantly placed on a par with, and mentioned in one breath with, the Father and the Spirit2:18; 3:14–17; 4:4–6; 5:18–20). Christ is the Son of God by eternal generation. See also (N.T.C.on the Gospel according to John, Vol. I, pp. 86–88. Now, calling the first person of the Holy Trinity the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has a very practical purpose, as the apostle shows plainly in II Cor. 1:3. In his capacity as Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Via Christ every spiritual blessing flows down to us from the Father. And if Christ is the Son of God's loveCol. 1:13), then God must be the Father of love, the loving Father. Note also that beautiful word of appropriating faith, namely, our:the Father of ourLord Jesus Christ. How close this draws Christ to the believers hearts, and not only Christ but the Father also. Truly, Christ and the Father are one!On the title Lord Jesus Christ see verse 2above. Paul continues, (who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.The Father blesses his children when he lavishes gifts upon them in his favor so that these bounties or these experiences, of whatever nature, work together for their goodRom. 8:28). Together with the gift he imparts himself (Ps. 63:1; cf. Rom. 8:32). While it is (nottrue that the Old Testament regards material goods as being of higher value than spiritual, for the contrary is clearly taught in such passages as Gen. 15:1; 17:7; Ps. 37:16; 73:25; Prov. 3:13, 14; 8:11, 17 19; 17:1; 19:1, 22; 28:6; Isa. 30:15; cf. Heb. 11:9, 10, it is true, nevertheless, that between the two Testaments there is a difference of degree in the fulness of detail with which earthly or physical blessings are describedExod. 20:12; Deut. 28:1–8; Neh. 9:21–25). God is ever the wise Pedagogue who takes his children by the hand and knows that in the old dispensation, when Israel is a child it needs this circumstantial description of earthly values in order that by means of these as symbols (e.g., earthly Canaan is the symbol of the heavenly), it may rise to the appreciation of the spiritual (I Cor. 15:46). The New Testament, while by no means deprecating earthly blessings (Matt. 6:11; I Tim. 4:3, 4), places all the emphasis on the spiritual (II Cor. 4:18), and it may well have been that in order to emphasize this difference between the old and the new dispensation it is here stated that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ blessed us with every spiritualblessing. It is best to allow the context to indicate the nature and content of these blessings. Though, to be sure, the very word everyclearly proves that it would be wrong to subtract even a single invisible bounty from the list of those vast benefits divine which we in Christ possess, yet the context indicates that the apostle is thinking particularly of or subsuming all these benefits under those that are mentioned in the present paragraph, namely, election(and its accompaniment, foreordination to adoption), redemption(implying forgiveness and grace overflowing in the form of all wisdom and insight), and certification as sons and heirs. The phrase in the heavenly places or simply in the heavenlies (1:20; 2:6; 3:10, and probably also locally in 6:12) indicates that these spiritual blessings are heavenly in their origin, and that from heaven they descend to the saints and believers on earth (4:8; and see N.T.C.on Phil. 3:20and on Col. 3:1). For the meaning of in Christ see on verse (1above. It or its equivalent occurs more than ten times in this short paragraph1:3–14), clear evidence of the fact that the apostle regarded Christas the very foundation of the church,that is, of all its benefits, of its complete salvation. It is in connection with Christ that the saints and believers at Ephesus (and everywhere else) have been blessed with every spiritual blessing: election, redemption, certification as children and heirs, and all the other benefits subsumed under these headings. Apart from him they not only can do nothingbut are nothing,that is, amount to nothing spiritually. 4.Paul continues, just as he elected us in him before the foundation of the world. Election (1) Its Author The Author is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as has been indicated (3). This, of course, by no means cancels the fact that all the activities which affect extra-trinitarian relationships can be ascribed to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, it is the Father who, as here shown, takes the lead in the divine work of election. (2) Its Nature To electmeans to pickor choose out of(for oneself). Although the passage itself does not indicate in so many wordsthe mass of objects or individuals out of which the Father chose some, this larger group is, nevertheless, clearly indicated by the purpose clause, in order that we should be holy and faultless before him. Accordingly, the larger mass of individuals out of which the Father chose some are here viewed as unholy and vile. This interpretation suits the context. It supplies one of the reasons (see Synthesis at end of chapter for more reasons) why the soul of the apostle is filled with such rapture that he says, Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who &elected us. He means: us, thoroughly unworthy in his sight! He does not try to explain how it was possible for God to do this. He fully realizes that when men are confronted with this manifestation of amazing grace their only proper response is adoration,not explanation. (3) Its Object The object is us, not everybody. This pronoun us must be explained in the light of its context. Paul is writing to saints and believers (1). He says that the Father has blessed us, that is, all saints and believers (here with special reference to those at Ephesus) including Paul (3). Therefore, when the apostle now continues, just as he elected us, this us cannot suddenly have reference to all men whatever,but must necessarily refer to all those who are (or who at one time or another in the history of the world are destined to become) saints and believers; that is, to all those who, having been set apart by the Lord for the purpose of glorifying him, embrace him by means of a living faith. It is for this contextual reason (and for others also) that I cannot agree with the contention of Karl Barth that in connection with Christ all men whateverare elect, and that the basic distinction is not between elect and non-elect but rather between those who are aware of their election and those who are not. (4) Its Foundation The foundation of the church, of its entire salvation from start to finish, hence surely also of its election, is Christ. Paul says, He elected us (in him. The connection between verses 3and 4hinges on this phrase. One could bring this out in the translation as follows, God the Father blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as in himhe elected us.& In other words, in timethe Father blessedus in Christ, just as from all eternityhe electedus in him. Though some maintain that this just as denotes no more than correspondence,in the sense that there is perfect agreement between the blessings and the election, for both are in Christ, it may well be asked whether this interpretation exhausts the meaning of the word used in the original. Aside from a point of grammar (for which see the footnote), it is the teaching of Paul that election from eternity and the further steps in the order of salvation are not to be considered as so many separate items but rather as links in a golden chain, asRom. 8:29, 30makes abundantly clear. Election, then, is the root of all subsequent blessings. It is as Jesus said in his highpriestly prayer, &that to all whom thou hast given him he might give everlasting lifeJohn 17:2). See also John 6:37, 39, 44; 10:29. Hence, since election is from eternity, and since it is the foundation of all further blessings, and since it is in him, Christ is not only the Foundationof the church but its Eternal Foundation. The question must now be answered, How is it to be understood that it was in Christthat saints and believers were chosen? The answer that is often given is this, that it was determined in the counsel of God that in timethese people would come to believe in Christ. Though, to be sure, that, too, is implied, it is not a sufficient answer and fails to do justice to all that is taught by Paul and other inspired writers with respect to this important point. The basic answer must be that from before the foundation of the world Christ was the Representative and Surety of all those who in time would be gathered into the fold. This was necessary, for election is not an abrogation of divine attributes. It has already been established that in the background of God's decree is the dismal fact that those chosen are viewed as being, at the very outset, totally unworthy, having involved themselves in ruin and perdition. Now sin must be punished. The demands of God's holy law must be satisfied. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does not, by means of election, cancel his righteousness or abolish the demands of his law. How then is it ever possible for God to bestow such a great, glorious, and basic blessing as election upon children of wrath, and to do so without detriment to his very essence and the inviolability of his holy law? The answer is that this is possible because of the promise of the Son (in full co-operation with the Father and the Spirit), Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart (Ps. 40:7, 8. Cf. Heb. 10:5–7; Gal. 4:4, 5; Phil. 2:6–8). In Christ, then, saints and believers, though initially and by nature thoroughly unworthy, are righteous in the very sight of God, for Christ had promised that (in their steadhe would satisfy all the requirements of the law, a promise which was also completely fulfilledGal. 3:13). This forensic righteousness is basic to all the other spiritual blessings. Therefore, To thee, O Lord, alone is due All glory and renown; Aught to ourselves we dare not take, Or rob thee of thy crown. Thou wast thyself our Surety In God's redemption plan; In thee his grace was given us, Long ere the world began. (Augustus M. Toplady, 1774; revised by Dewey Westra, 1931 (5) Its Time This election is said to have occurred before the foundation of the world, that is, from eternity. Moreover, since it occurred in him, this is altogether reasonable, for he is the One who and whose precious blood as of a lamb without blemish and without spot were (foreknown even before the foundation of the worldI Peter 1:19, 20). The fixity of God's eternal plan with respect to his chosen ones was not a Pauline invention. It was the teaching of Jesus himself. It was he who referred to those whom he loved as (the given onesJohn 6:39; 17:2, 9, 11, 24; cf. 6:44). The fact that from all eternity he had promised to make atonement for them may well have been an element that entered into the Father's love for him; cf. the words of the highpriestly prayer, Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, in order that they may gaze on my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world (John 17:24). In such and similar passages (Matt. 13:35; Heb. 4:3) the universe is viewed as a building, and its creation as the laying of the foundation of this building. The point that should be emphasized in this connection is the fact that if already before the foundation of the world those destined for everlasting life were elected, then all the glory for their salvation belongs to God, and to him alone. Hence, Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! See 2:5, 8 10. (6) Its Purpose The purpose of election is found in the words, that we should be holy and faultless before him.It is worthy of special note that Paul does not say, The Father elected us becausehe foresaw that we were going to be holy, etc. He says, that[or: in order that] we should be holy, etc. Election is not conditioned on man's foreseen merits or even on his foreseen faith. It is salvation's root, not its fruit! Nevertheless, it remains true that man's responsibility and self-activity are not diminished even in the least. When the divine decree unto salvation is historically realized in the life of any individual it does not operate by means of external compulsion. It motivates, enables, actuates. It impels but does not compel. The best description is probably that which is found in Canons of DortIII and IV. 11, 12: Moreover, when God accomplishes this, his good pleasure, in the elect, or works in them true conversion, he not only provides that the gospel should be outwardly preached to them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by the Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and discern what are the things of the Spirit of God, but he also, by the efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit, pervades the innermost recess of man, opens the closed, softens the hardened, and circumcises the uncircumcised heart, infuses new qualities into the will, and makes that will which had been dead alive, which was evil good, which had been unwilling willing, which had been refractory pliable, and actuates and strengthens it, that, as a good tree, it may be able to bring forth the fruit of good works.& Whereupon the will, being now renewed, is not only actuated and moved by God, but being actuated by God, itself also becomes active. Wherefore man himself, by virtue of that grace received, is rightly said to believe and repent. See Phil. 2:12, 13and II Thess. 2:13. From the stated purpose it is evident that election does not carry man half-way only; it carries him all the way. It does not merely bring him to conversion; it brings him to perfection. It purposes to make him (holythat is, cleansed from all sin and separated entirely to God and to his service and faultless that is, without any blemish whateverPhil. 2:15), like a perfect sacrifice. Nothing less than this becomes the conscious goal of those in whose hearts God has begun to work out his plan of eternal election. It is their goal in this present life (Lev. 19:2), and it attains ultimate realization in the hereafter (Matt. 6:10; Rev. 21:27). The absolute and undiminished perfection of the ethical goal is given added emphasis by the phrase before him, that is, before God in Christ. Not what we are in the estimation of men but what we are in the sight of God is what counts most. (7) Its Further Description 5 (.A further definition of election, showing the form it takes, is found in the words, having in love foreordained us to adoption as sons.This foreordination is not to be regarded as a divine activity prior to election. It is the latter's synonym, a further elucidation of its purpose. The Father is described as having pre-horizonedor pre-encircledhis chosen ones. In his boundless love,motivated by nothing outside of himself, he set them apart to be his own sons. As the hills are round about Jerusalem, so Jehovah is round about his peoplePs. 125:2). He destined them to be members of his own family (cf. (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5). It is rather useless to look for human analogies, for the adoption of which Paul speaks surpasses anything that takes place on earth. It bestows upon its recipients not only a new name, a new legal standing, and a new family-relationship, but also a new image, the image of ChristRom. 8:29). Earthly parents may love an adopted child ever so much. Nevertheless, they are, to a large extent, unable to impart their spirit to the child. They have no control over hereditary factors. When God adopts, he imparts his Spirit! This adoption is through Jesus Christ for himself.It is through the work of Christ that this adoption becomes a reality. By his atonement the new standing and also the transformation into the spirit of sonship were merited for the chosen ones. Thus, they become God's children who glorify him. The modifier (according to the good pleasure of his willnot only fits the immediate context, but also harmonizes excellently with the words having in loveforeordained us. When the Father chose a people for himself, deciding to adopt them as his own children, he was motivated by love alone. Hence, what he did was a result not of sheer determination but of supreme delight. A person may be fully determined to submit to a very serious operation. Again, he may be just as fully determined to plant a beautiful rose garden. Both are matters of the will. However, the latter alone is a matter of delight,that is, of his will's good pleasure. Thus, God, who does not afflict from the heartLam. 3:33), delights in the salvation of sinners (Is. 5:4; Ezek. 18:23; 33:11; Hos. 11:8; Matt. 23:37; cf. Luke 2:14; Rom. 10:1). 6 (.This election, which was further described as a foreordination to adoption as sons, is to the praise of the glory of his [the Father's] grace.That is its ultimatepurpose. The immediate(or intermediate) design has already been designated, namely, that we should be holy and faultless before him, and along the same line, that we should receive adoption as sons. The final goal, to which everything else is contributory, is the adoring recognition of the manifested excellence of the favor to the undeserving of him who was called the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.gloryhas been treated rather fully in N.T.C.on Philippians, p. 62 footnote 43. For the meaning of gracesee also on 1:2; 2:5, 8.) It is clear that it is especially that marvelous (graceto which the emphasis now shifts. It was the rapturous contemplation of that freely bestowed love to those viewed as lost in sin and ruin which moved the soul of the apostle to cry out, Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That exclamation, moreover, was genuine. Heathen also at times ascribe praise and honor to their gods, but in their case the motivation is entirely different. They do it to appease them or to extract some favor from them. Actually, therefore, such praise ends in man, not in the god to whom honor is ascribed. It resembles Cain's offering, which the Lord could not accept. Here in Ephesians, however, at the close of each paragraph6, 12, 14) there is genuine adoration, such adoration as was not only God's intention in saving man, but also the thanksgiving offering presented to God by his servant Paul, whose heart is in harmony with the purpose of his Maker-Redeemer. It is but natural that the grace of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ should center in the Beloved. Hence, Paul continues, which he graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.One might translate as follows: with which he has generously blessed us. But the rendering, as given in bold type above, to some extent preserves the wordplay of the original. When the Father imparts a favor he does so with gladness of heart, without stint. Moreover, his gift reaches the very heart of the recipient and transforms it. It is, of course, as explained earlier, in connection with the Son that the Father so generously bestows his grace on us3and 4above . That Son is here called the Beloved. Cf. (Col. 1:13, the Son of his love. Since Christ by means of his death earned every spiritual blessing for us, and therefore wants us to have these goods, and since the Father loves the Son, it stands to reason that, for the sake of this Beloved One, the Father would gladly grant us whatever we need. To this must be added the fact that the Father himself gave his Son for this very purpose. Hence, He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also together with him graciously giveus all things?Rom. 8:32). It is said at times that Christ is the Father's Beloved because he always obeyed the Father. This is true and scriptural (John 8:29). However, it is necessary in this connection to point out that it was especially the (qualityof this obedience that evoked the Father's love. The Son, knowing what is pleasing to the Father and in harmony with his will, does not wait until the Father orders him to do this or that, but willingly offers himself. He volunteersto do the Father's will. He is not passive even in his death, but lays downhis life. For this reason the Father loves me because I lay down my life in order that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me; on the contrary, I lay it down of my own accordJohn 10:17, 18; cf. Is. 53:10). It is this marvelous (delight,on the part of the Son, in doing the Father's will and thereby saving his people even at the cost of his own death, yes, death by means of a crossPhil. 2:8), that causes the Father, again and again, to exclaim, This is my beloved Son. In substance the Father already made this exclamation before the world began. Even then he bestowed his infinite love upon his Son (John 17:24), moved, no doubt, among other things, by the latter's glorious resolution, Lo, I come (Ps. 40:7; cf. Heb. 10:7). To be sure, this is a very human way of speaking about these realities, but how else can we speak about them? The Father's exclamation was repeated in connection with the Son's baptism (Matt. 3:17), when in a visible manner the Son took upon himself the sin of the world (John 1:29, 33); and once more in connection with the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5; II Peter 1:17, 18), when again, and most strikingly, the Son voluntarily chose the way of the cross. 7 (.In the second paragraph the attention is shifted from heaven to earth, from the past to the present, and, in a sense, from the Father to the Son. I say in a sense, for the change is by no means abrupt. The infinitely close connection between the Father and the Son in the work of redemption is fully maintained. It is the Fatherwho caused hisgrace to overflow toward us8), made known to us the mystery of (hiswill according to hisgood pleasure9), etc. Nevertheless, the emphasis has changed from the work of the Father to that of the Son. It is (the Beloved,that is, the Son,in whom we have our redemption. It is hewho shed hisblood for us7). It is (healso in whom the Father's purpose of grace was concentrated9), under whose headship all things are brought together (10), in connection with whom we have been made heirs (11), and in whom we centered our hope (12). Accordingly, Paul continues: (the Beloved) (in whom we have our redemption.Redemptionhere, as in Col. 1:14Exod. 21:30; Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:24, Heb. 9:12, 15), indicates deliverance as a result of the payment of a ransom. There was no other way for sinners to be saved. God's justice must be satisfied. Anyone who doubts the necessary, objective, voluntary, expiatory, substitutionary, and efficacious character of the act of the Father's Beloved whereby he offered himself for his people should make a diligent study of the passages mentioned in N.T.C.on I and II Timothy and Titus, p. 376. This redemption implies: (a. emancipationfrom the curse, that is, from the guilt, punishment, and power of sinJohn 8:34; Rom. 7:14; I Cor. 7:23; Gal. 3:13), and (b. restorationto true libertyJohn 8:36; Gal. 5:1). It was, moreover, a redemption (through his blood,a redemption, therefore, which implied substitutionof the life of One for the life of others. Thus, thus only,atonement could be madeLev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22). Moreover, the blood through which alone redemption could be accomplished was (hisblood, that of the perfect Redeemer. The blood of animals was merely symbolical and typicalPs. 40:6–8; Heb. 9:11–14; 10:1–14). Yet, when mention is made of redemption through his (blood,this blood must never be dissociated from the voluntary sacrifice of the entire life,the selfLev. 17:11; Isa. 53:10–12; Matt. 26:28; cf. 20:28; I Tim. 2:6). Expressions such as, He gave his blood, He gave his soul, and He gave himself, are synonymous. They all indicate that the Redeemer was made (and made himself) an offering for sin (Isa. 53:10; II Cor. 5:21); that he suffered the eternal punishment due to sin; that he did this vicariously, and that he did all this for those who by nature were children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). What enhances the glory of this sacrifice even more is the fact that although the Beloved came into the world to do many things, for example, to still the boisterous waves, cast out demons, cleanse lepers, open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, feed the hungry, heal the sick, and even raise the dead, yet the over-arching purpose of his coming was to seek and to save the lost, to give himself a ransom for many (Isa. 53:12; Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10; I Tim. 1:15). Truly, Jesus from his throne on high came into this world (to die. No wonder that Paul cries out, Blessed (be), that Peter urges upon those committed to his charge the thankful response of a holy life, adding knowing that you were redeemed not with corruptible things, with silver or gold &but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, (even the blood) of ChristI Peter 1:15–19), that angels desire to look into the sufferings of Christ and the glories that were to follow them (I Peter 1:10–12), that, with their minds and hearts fixed on the infinite greatness of this sacrifice, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in their new song are forever exclaiming, Worthy art thou &for thou wast slain, and didst purchase with thy blood men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev. 5:9), and that the ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels join in with this grand jubilation by lifting up their voices in exuberant adoration, shouting, Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain! (Rev. 5:12). Now the purpose of this redemption was that we might from sin be free. It was with that objective in mind and heart that he bled and died upon the tree. Hence, Paul says, the Beloved, in whom we have our redemption through his blood, (the forgiveness of our trespasses.These two a.redemption by blood and b.forgiveness of trespasses go together. Redemption would not be complete without procuring pardon. Even Israel in the old dispensation understood this. On the day of atonement the bloodof one goat was sprinkledon the mercy-seat. The other goat, over whose head the people's sinshad been confessed, was sent away,never to return. Now here in Eph. 1:7this idea of complete removal of sinconstitutes the very meaning of the word, used in the original, rendered forgivenessremission). Other passages that shed light on the meaning are Ps. 103:12( As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us ), Isa. 44:22( I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and as a cloud your sins: return to me, for I have redeemed you ), Jer. 31:34, Mic. 7:19, and I John 1:9( If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ). As to its derivation, the word rendered (trespassmeans a falling to the side of. A trespass, then, is a deviation from the path of truth and righteousness. Such deviations may be either of a gross or of a less serious nature. That in Ephesians no deviation is excluded, and that the totality of these deviations is regarded as a serious matter, one that is rooted in the very nature of man as corrupted by the fall, is clear from 2:1, And you (he made alive) when you were deadthrough your trespasses and sins2:3, 5). With reference to forgivenesssee also N.T.C.on Colossians, pp. 118–120. Now forgiveness takes place (according to the riches of his [the Father's] grace.Forgiveness and grace are in complete harmony. The standard established by God's grace determines the measure of his forgiveness. For the meaning of gracesee on 1:2above; cf. also 1:6; 2:5, 7, 8. Note that the Father forgives not merely of,but according to,his riches, riches of grace. Illustration: Here are two very rich persons. When asked to contribute toward a good cause, both give oftheir riches. The first one, however, donates a very paltry sum, far less than had been expected of him. He merely gives ofhis riches, not according to. The second is lavish in his support of every noble cause. He gives according tothe amount of his wealth. God ever gives and forgives according tohis riches. And heis rich, indeed! His favor toward the undeserving is infinite in character. 8.The apostle continues, which he caused to overflow toward us in the form of all wisdom and insight.In a similar passageI Tim. 1:14) the apostle states, And it (super-abounded,namely, the grace of our Lord, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Just as in that passage grace is said to have kindled faithand love,so here grace floods the souls of believers with wisdomand insight. Wisdomis knowledge plus. It is the ability to apply knowledge to the best advantage, enabling a person to use the most effective means for the attainment of the highest goal. InsightCol. 1:9, understanding) is the result of (setting one's mind onGod's redemptive revelation in Christ, the mystery of his will, for Paul continues: 9.& in that he made known to us the mystery of his will.God had made it known to Paul3:3), who, in turn, rejoices in being able to proclaim it to others. In addition, grace sanctifies this knowledge to the hearts of those destined to be saved. Paul says, He made it known to (us 8), that is, to myself and to those whom I am addressing (1). He caused his grace to overflow &in that he made knownto us the mystery of his will! He did not keep it to himself. The Father did not desire that the saints and believers in Ephesus (and everywhere else) should be like the people in the city of Samaria, described in II Kings 7:3–15, who were unaware of their riches. The greatest story ever told, that of God's grace in Christ, must be made known. In that respect, too, the true gospel of salvation differs from other gospels invented by men. In the days of Paul certain cults imposed on their devotees tremendous oaths notto reveal their secrets to the uninitiated. Even today there are societies which demand that their members make similar solemn promises on pain of dire punishment if they fail to keep them. It was the Father's will that the most sublime secret be broadcast far and wide, and that it penetrate deeply into the hearts of those who were his own. God's plan of salvation, moreover, must be made known in order that it may be accepted by faith, for it is by faith that men are saved. Exactly what did Paul mean when he mentioned the mystery? Here in Ephesians the answer is not given until we reach verse 10, and even then it is merely introduced. Even so, however, we are told that the mystery of which the apostle is thinking is that of God's will,that is, of the Father's desire. The mystery and the Father's desire, good pleasure, cherished purpose,go together. They cannot be separated, for the mystery is that ofhis eternal purpose. Its disclosure, too, was according to his good pleasure.Cf. verse 5above, where foreordinationis also ascribed to the Father's good pleasure. We learn from this that the Father, far from being less loving than the Son, takes special delightin planning whatever must be planned in order to bring about the salvation, full and free, of men who had plunged themselves into misery and ruin, and takes equal pleasure in telling them about this marvelous plan! Is it any wonder that Paul's heart was filled with adoration so that he exclaimed, Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? The apostle further defines this (good pleasureby adding: the purpose which he cherished for himself in him.This in him must mean in the Beloved, as the preceding context indicates. The Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing &in Christ 1:3), elected us (in him 4), and graciously bestowed his grace upon us (in the Beloved 6). It is natural, therefore, that we should now be referred to the purpose which he cherished for himself in him. In what sense this purpose of the Father was cherished (inthe Beloved has been explained above4). 10 (.The Father's good pleasure, his cherished purpose, the plan in which his soul delighted, a plan drawn up in eternity,was to be realized in time. Hence, Paul continues: to be put into effect in the fulness of the times.Literally, for administration [or: for effectuation], etc. The expression fulness of the times (or: seasons) and the similar (though not exactly identical) one in Gal. 4:4indicate the momentGal. 4:4) or (the periodEph. 1:10) when, as it were, the lower compartment of the hourglass of God's eternal decree had become filled, that is, when all the preceding times and seasons which the Father had set within his own authority had been completed (Acts 1:7; cf. 17:26). It is, in other words, the appropriate time. As is evident from (1:20–23, in the present case the reference is to the entire New Testament era, particularly to the period which began with Christ's resurrection and coronation. It will not end until the Lord, upon his glorious return, will have pronounced and executed judgmentI Cor. 15:24, 25). It is well, in this connection, to stress what was said before, namely, that mysteryand purposego together: the effectuation of the purpose is the revelation of the mystery,for it was exactly the Father's purpose of love to reveal that which to men was a mystery. This effectuation and revelation was destined to take place, therefore, in the present Messianic age. The purpose actualized in the fulness of the times, the mystery (thenrevealed, is expressed in these words: to bring all things together under one head in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.What Paul is saying here receives amplification in verses 20 22. Therefore it is not necessary to enlarge upon it here. It is the identical doctrine expounded also in other letters that belong to this same imprisonment; see especially Col. 1:20and Phil. 2:9–11, and the N.T.C.on these passages. As to the mysterywhich the apostle here introduces, but on which he later on expatiates in far greater detail2:11–22, though in that paragraph the word mysteryis not used; 3:1–13, note especially verse 4; 6:19), suffice it at this point to say that this mystery centers in Christ, and that one element in it is that which is expressed here, namely, that literally (everything,things in heaven, things on earth, everything above us, around us, within us, below us, everything spiritual and everything material, has even now been brought under Christ's rule. This is, indeed, a mystery,for no one would ever have guessed it, had it not been revealed. Now we do flat yet see all things subjected to himHeb. 2:8). It takes nothing less than (faithand not a very weak faith either to see Jesus crowned with glory and honorHeb. 2:9), actually ruling the entire universe from his heavenly abode. It is as Dr. Herman Bavinck has so aptly expressed it, Round about us we observe so many facts which seem to be unreasonable, so much undeserved suffering, so many unaccountable calamities, such an uneven and inexplicable distribution of destiny, and such an enormous contrast between the extremes of joy and sorrow, that anyone reflecting on these things is forced to choose between viewing this universe as if it were governed by the blind will of an unbenign deity, as is done by pessimism, or, upon the basis of Scripture and by faith, to rest in the absolute and sovereign, yet however incomprehensible wise and holy will of him who will one day cause the full light of heaven to dawn upon these mysteries of lifeThe Doctrine of God, my translation from the Dutch; Grand Rapids, Mich., second printing, 1955 . This bringing together of all things under one head in Christ, so that things are not allowed to drift by themselves but our Lord is fully in charge, is taught by many passages in Scripture. In heaven the exalted Mediator lives and reigns (Rev. 20:4), receiving the adoration of all the redeemed and of all the angelic hosts (Rev. 5). But the thoughts of this great Uniter are turned earthward also, so much so, in fact, that he not only (intercedesfor his people who are still engaged in struggle and turmoilRom. 8:34), but even (lives to make intercessionfor themHeb. 7:25), and is already preparing places for them (John 14:2). He imparts gifts to men (Eph. 4:8), performs acts of healing (Acts 3:6, 16), and through his Spirit dwells in the midst of the seven light-bearers (Rev. 1:13). This indwelling is very active and produces fruits of sanctification in the lives of believers (Eph. 3:17–19). At the same time Christ wages war victoriously against the dragon (Satan) and his allies (Rev. 17:14), and, in general, governs the entire universe in the interest of his church (Eph. 1:22). That Christ's interest in this church is deep, indeed, is shown also in the statement which follows, namely, in him 11. in whom we I,Paul, and you, the addressed also have been made heirs.Note the word also, meaning: not onlydid we, in vital union with Christ, receive such blessings as redemption, forgiveness of sin, and spiritual illumination (wisdom, insight), favors which have already been mentioned7 10above but, in addition to these initial favors, which, though they have abidingsignificance, focus the attention upon the pastwerebound, pardon of pastsins, banishment of formerdarkness , the right to futureglory was bestowed upon us. We were made heirs, says Paul. Heirs are those who, apart from any merit of theirs, were given the right to all the blessings of salvation in Jesus Christ, nevermore to lose them. The inheritance is given to them in two stages: certain blessings are bestowed upon them in the here and now, others in the hereafter13and 14below . The objection might occur, But will all the blessings of salvation (futureas well as present really be ours? Does God's plan for our lives also securethe future? The apostle answers this by continuing: having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.Neither fate nor human merit determines our destiny. The benevolent purpose that we should be holy and faultless4), Sons of God (5), destined to glorify him forever (6, cf. verses 12and 14) is fixed, being part of a larger, universe-embracing plan. Not only did God (makethis plan that includes absolutely all things that ever take place in heaven, on earth, and in hell; past, present, and even the future,pertaining to both believers and unbelievers, to angels and devils, to physical as well as spiritual energies and units of existence both large and small; he also wholly carries it out. His providence in time is as comprehensive as is his decree from eternity. Literally Paul states that God worksoperates with his divine energy in) all things. The same word occurs also in verses (19and 20, which refer to the workingenergetic operation) of the infinite might of the Father of glory, which he (wroughtenergetically exerted) in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Hence, nothing can upset the elect's future glory. Moreover, although everything is included in God's universe-embracing plan and in its effectuation in the course of history, there is nothing in this thought that should scare any of the children of God. Quite the contrary, for the words clearly imply that the only true God, who in Christ loves his own with a love that passes all understanding, acts with divine deliberation and wisdom. All his designs are holy, and he delights to reward those who trust in him. Human responsibility and the self-activity of faith are never violated in any way. There is plenty of room for them in the decree and in its effectuation. Scripture is very clear on this (Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; Phil. 2:12, 13; II Thess. 2:13). Besides, God is not like the heathen deities who are moved by changing circumstances, by whim and caprice, so that one never knows how long their favor is going to last. He who in his love has foreordained his people to adoption as sons will never forsake them, but will finish that which he began in them (Phil. 1:6). He will carry out his plan to the very finish. Nothing will ever be able to frustrate his design. Nor sin, nor death, nor hell can move his firm predestinating love. 12 (.If, then, God's decree from eternity is thus all-embracing, and if it is fully carried out in history, and if the destiny of his children was included in this plan, then Paul and the readers have no reason whatever for boasting in themselves. Whatever they areor haveor dois from God. Hence, in language similar to that employed in verse 6above, Paul concludes this section by saying: to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who beforehand had centered our hope in Christ.Beforethe inheritance has been fullyreceived for only the first instalment has been received here and now13, 14) Paul and those addressed (1) have already centered their hope in Christ. That hope will not be crushed. And the ransomed of Jehovah will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads: they will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (12and you in verse 13, see on verse 13.) 13 (.As the center of interest shifts once more, this time from the Son12) to the Holy Spirit, here again instead of an abrupt change there is a gradual transition7, with its stair-step transition from the Father to the Son . Paul writes, (in whom you also (are included), having listened to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation.The Ephesians must not doubt their inclusion in Christ and all his benefits. They have heard, have listened attentively to, the message of the truth. Did not Luke report, All those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks?Acts 19:10). Such (hearingwas necessary in order that by faith they might be saved. The answer to be given to those who say that men who can properly be considered objects (or potential objects) of missionary activity are able to be saved without hearing the gospel is, And how will they believe in him whom they did not hear?Rom. 10:14; cf. Matt. 1:21; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Of course, it makes a difference (howmen hear. Some hear and become gospel-hardened. As men may become deaf because of a constant pounding noise, so also hearers of the gospel may become completely immune to the preaching of the truth. Moreover, to some the proclamation of the gospel is like a love-song sung beautifully and played wellEzek. 33:32).They hear but do not take to heart (Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18). Christ told his audiences to take care (howthey heard. By means of unforgettable parables he emphasized this lessonMatt. 7:24–27; 13:1–9, 18 23). Christ, however, also stressed that men should give heed (whatthey heard. The Ephesians had listened attentively to the message of the truth. There were many errors abroad in those days, many false gospelsCol. 1:23; 2:4, 8; cf. Gal. 1:6–9). The Ephesians, by and large, had ignored or rejected them. They wanted to hear only the very best. It is called the message of (the truthbecause it reveals man's true condition, proclaims and advocates the only true way of escape, and admonishes saved sinners to show true gratitude in their whole lives. It is, accordingly, the gospel of your salvation, not in the sense that in and by itself it saves anyone, but thus that, when accepted by true faith in Christ, its good tidings of great joy become the power of God for salvationRom. 1:16). This true faith the Ephesians had shown, for Paul continues: (and having also believed in him.& They had surrendered their lives to their Lord, had reposed their trust in him. The better they knew him, the more they had trusted him. The more they had trusted him, the better they had learned to know him. Hence, Paul says: you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.A seal not stamped on but attached to an object in ancient times was used a. to guaranteethe genuine characterof a document, etc.Esther 3:12), or, figuratively, of a person (I Cor. 9:2); (b. to mark ownershipSong of Sol. 8:6); and/or (c. to protect against tampering or harmMatt. 27:66; Rev. 5:1). The context (14) would seem to indicate that the first of these three ideas, that of authentication or certification, is basic in the present passage. The Spirit had testified within their hearts that they were children of God (Rom. 8:16; I John 3:24), and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), people whom nothing can harm, and to whom all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28). It is immediately apparent that in such matters the three aforementioned purposes for which a seal is used combine: authenticationimplies ownershipand protection. In this connection see also N.T.C.on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 266–270. When the very practical question is asked, How did the Ephesians or how does anyone get that seal, that inner assurance? the answer is: not merely or mainly as the result of agonizing self-searching to see whether all the marks of having been elected are present, but rather by a (livingfaith in the triune God, as revealed in Christ, a faith working through loveGal. 5:6). That those addressed had indeed received it in no other way is a fact to which the apostle immediately calls attention (Eph. 1:15). The Spirit who had given them this seal is here called by his full name, the Holy Spirit, to indicate not only that he is holy in himself but also that he is the source of holiness for believers, a holiness which in the case of the addressed was expressed not only by their inner disposition but also by their loving words and deeds. Moreover, this third person of the Trinity is here called the Holy Spirit (of promise, that is, the promised Holy Spirit,the One given in fulfilment of divine promisesJohn 14:16, 17; 15:26; 16:13: Acts 1:4). Does not the very fact that in his coming and work divine promises were gloriously fulfilled indicate that promises of future blessings for believers will also attain fruition? In that vein the apostle continues by writing, (14. who is the first instalment of our inheritance.For first instalment Paul uses the word arrabMnarabMn). In the papyri it often refers to earnest money in the purchase of an animal or even of a wife. In the LXX rendering of (Gen. 38:17 20the word occurs three times. It is of Semitic, probably Phoenician, origin. The Phoenicians were sea-faring traders who had not copyrighted their business-terminology. In the New Testament the word occurs also inII Cor. 1:22; 5:5, passages from which we learn that when God deposited the Spirit in the hearts of his children he obligated himself to bestow upon them subsequently the full remainder of all the blessings of salvation merited for them by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The first instalmentis, accordingly, a pledgeor guaranteeof glory to come, a glory arriving not only when soul and body part but also and especially in the great consummation of all things at Christ's return. The fruits which this indwelling and sanctifying Spirit bestowsGal. 5:22, 23) such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control, and their marvelous product: assurance of salvation (II Peter 1:5–11) are first-fruits (Rom. 8:23). They are a foretaste of future, ineffable bliss. The full inheritancesalvation viewed as God's gracious and abiding gift, not bought with money, nor earned by the sweat of human toil, nor won by conquest will one day be the believers portion, for them to possess and to enjoy, to God's glory. Now the end or purpose of all things lies never in man but always in God: (for the redemption of (God's) own possession.At the moment when believers receive theirfull inheritance, which includes a glorious resurrection body4:30), the redemption of God's own possession takes place, that is, the full release to him of that which is his by virtue of the fact that he both made it and bought it. Fully released from all the effects of sin, his people will then be made manifest as being in very deed his peculiar treasure. When the apostle also at the close of this third paragraph, which centers in the work of the Holy Spirit, adds (to the praise of his glory,he is echoing what he had said in an earlier epistle: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price; glorify God therefore in your bodyI Cor. 6:19, 20). The fact that believers do not belong to themselves but to God (or: to Christ) is familiar Pauline doctrine: (You belong to ChristI Cor. 3:23); Whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord; therefore, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's (Rom. 14:8). This, too, is the believers only comfort both in life and in death. It is exactly as the Heidelberg Catechism expresses it: Question 1:What is your only comfort in life and death? Answer:That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready, to live unto him. Moreover, the combination which we have here inEph. 1:14, namely, (God's) own possession &to the praise of his glory reminds one immediately of Isa. 43:20, 21, my people, my chosen, the people which I formed for myself, in order that they might proclaim my praise. Is it any wonder that when the apostle ponders the fact that he himself and also those addressed had been emancipated from the most dreadful evil and had been restored to the most unimaginable good, and this by the very God against whom they had rebelled, and at such a cost, and that God had even given to them the Holy Spirit as a pledge and foretaste of future climactic bliss when they would receive their full inheritance and would stand forth in dazzling splendor as God's very own, in view of all this is it any wonder that he begins his magnificent doxology by saying, Blessed (be) and that he ends it with to the praise of his glory? Chapter 1 Verses 15 23 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its Eternal Foundation in Christ 2. leading to thanksgiving and prayer, that the eyes of those addressed may be illumined in order to see God's saving power, exhibited in the resurrection and coronation of Christ (15 23) 1:15–23 2. Thanksgiving and Prayer 15For this reason, because I have heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus that (exists) among you and of your love for all the saints, 16I do not cease to give thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers, 17(asking) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the clear knowledge of him, 18(having) the eyes of your hearts illumined, so that you may know what is the hope for which he called you, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance among the saints, 19and what the surpassing greatness of his power (displayed) with respect to us who believe, as seen in that manifestation of his infinite might 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places 21far above every principality and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the coming one; 22and he ranged everything in subjection under his feet, and him he gave as head over everything to the church, 23since it is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all. Christ as the eternal foundation of the church (I Cor. 3:11), of its complete salvation, so that it was in Christ that believers received every spiritual blessing, is the theme not only of verses 3 14, as has been shown, but also of the rest of the chapter. This is evident from the fact that the apostle beginsthis single sentence of 169 words (in the original) by expressing gratitude because he has heard of the faith of those addressed in the Lord Jesus. He endsit by describing the Christ as the One who in the interest of the churchfills all in all. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/ CHAPTER II Chapter 2 Verses 1 10 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its U niversal Scope (embracing both Jew and Gentile), 1. secured by the great redemptive blessings for both which center in Christ and parallel his resurrection and triumphant life 2:1–10 1. Redemptive Blessings for Both Jew and Gentile 2 1 And you, even though you were dead through your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked in line with the course of this world, in line with the prince of the domain of the air, (the domain) of the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom we also once lived in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and its reasonings, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest, 4 God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead through our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved 6 and raised us up with him and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace (expressed) in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this not of yourselves, (it is) the gift of God; 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast, 10 for his handiwork are we, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The record of the prayer and thanksgiving has ended. But the deep feeling continues, as is evident from such expressions as rich mercy &great love &surpassing riches of grace. This, too, as well as in chapter 1, is the language of gratitude and adoration. Nevertheless a new subdivision begins here. There is no sudden break. In chapter 2, as in chapter 1, Christ, in whom the Holy Trinity is revealed, is regarded as the basis of blessing (2:6, 7, 9, 13, 21, 22). But the emphasis has shifted, as is shown by the fact that in this second chapter the phrase in Christ or its equivalent occurs with far less frequency. It is the universal scope or extent of the church on which chapter 2 concentrates our attention. The apostle begins to show that in Christ the palace of salvation has opened its gates to all, that is, to Gentiles as well as to Jews. When Jesus died on the cross the wall between these two formerly hostile groups came tumbling down, never to be re-erected (2:14). In him all are now one, that is, all those who have embraced him by a living faith. The easy manner in which Paul shifts from you to we and back again, in verses 1 10 with you in verses 1, 2, and 8; we in verses 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10; and a we that clearly includes a you in verse 5 indicates that though a distinction is being drawn at times, it is upon what all have in common that the emphasis falls. The blessings enumerated are shared by addressor and addressed, by Jew and Gentile alike, for all, being by nature dead through sins and trespasses, had to be made alive. Not until verse 11 is reached are we told how the two groups Jew and Gentile erstwhile bitter enemies, have become friends. The logic is simple and clear. The establishment of peace between God and man (verses 1 10), so that children of wrath stand revealed as objects of love, naturally precedes and brings about peace between man and man, in this case between Jew and Gentile (verse 11 ff.). The horizontal line is the proliferation of the vertical. Not only does chapter 2 contain an echo of the main emphasis of chapter 1, namely, that Jesus Christ, as the revelation of God Triune, is the One in whom all blessings, past, present, and future, are bestowed upon believers, so that in that sense he is the church's eternal foundation, but it also foreshadows the ideas on which the apostle is going to dwell in greater detail in later chapters. Particularly, does it give a preview of 4:1 16: the church's organic unity and growth. In the main, however, chapter 2, by implication, assails the spirit of sinful exclusivism, and stresses the fact that God's love is broader than the ocean, and embraces not only Jews but also Gentiles (Rom. 1:14; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11; then also John 3:16; 10:16; Rev. 5:9; 7:9), welding them into an organic unity, and doing this by the strangest instrument imaginable, namely, a death upon a cross! The church's universal scope is the thought on which Paul's mind is centered here, and which he introduces as follows: 1. And you, even though you were dead through your trespasses and sins &The word you is the object of the sentence, placed first for the sake of emphasis. It is as if the apostle were saying, It was on you, so unworthy, that God took pity. Yet, in the original the subject of the sentence, namely, God, and the predicate, made alive, are not mentioned until verses 4 and 5. And even then Paul does not really say, God made you alive, but God made us alive. In dwelling on the great mysteries of salvation, matters with which the apostle is himself so vitally concerned, and the effects of which he has experienced so dramatically in his own life and is still experiencing, it was impossible for him to leave himself out of the picture. He is unable to write about such things in an abstract, detached manner. Hence, he is going to substitute us for you. This us is, however, broad enough to include you. In many English translations, however, already in verse 1 subject and predicate are inserted, so that verse 1 reads, And you did he make alive. Sometimes the words did he make alive (A.R.V.) or hath he quickened (A.V.) are printed in italics (A.R.V.; A.V.), to indicate their absence in the original; sometimes they are not (R.S.V.), which, as I see it, is worse. Either way, their insertion in verse 1 beclouds Paul's purpose.^[47] The apostle, I believe, was so completely overwhelmed by the sense of gratitude when he contrasted the former utter wretchedness of the addressed with their present riches in Christ that he purposely postponed the description of the latter until he had portrayed the former. No doubt he did this in order that the Ephesians, having been reminded at some length (verses 1 3) of the dreaded darkness of death in which they formerly walked, would rejoice all the more when at last (verse 4 ff.) they are told that all this is now past, since God, in his infinite mercy, love, and grace, had caused the light of life to dawn upon them. The more men learn to see the dimensions of their utterly lost condition the more they will also, by God's grace, appreciate their marvelous deliverance. Before their conversion, then, the addressed were dead in their trespasses (deviations from the straight and narrow path; see on 1:7) and sins (inclinations, thoughts, words, and deeds which miss the mark of glorifying God). Now the fact that these people are here described as having been dead does not mean that in their hearts and lives the process of moral and spiritual corruption had run its full course. Ursinus, in his explanation of the Heidelberg Catechism, John Calvin, and many, many others, have pointed out that even the unregenerate can perform natural good: eating, drinking, taking exercise, etc., and civic or moral good. Some worldly men have uniformly conducted themselves in a most virtuous manner through the whole course of their lives. So wrote John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (translated by John Allen, Philadelphia, 1928), Vol. I, p. 263. To deny this would be to close our eyes to facts that confront us every day of our lives.^[48] Also such a denial would amount to a rejection of the plain teaching of Scripture. King Joash did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest (II Chron. 24:2). But note how his life ended (II Chron. 24:20–22). Jesus said, If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same thing (Luke 6:33). Truly at times the barbarians show us no common kindness (Acts 28:2; cf. Rom. 2:14). In an emergency the crowd that is willing to donate blood is frequently so numerous that at the proper time an announcement has to be issued, No more blood needed. When a case of pitiable poverty makes the headlines, and is covered by an emotional write-up, accompanied by sensational pictures, men's feelings are stirred to such an extent that food, clothing, money, toys, etc., come pouring in to help those in distress. And by no means all the givers are believers! However, though it would be foolish to deny that even apart from regenerating grace men show some regard for virtue and for good outward behavior (Canons of Dort, III and IV, article 4), such conduct does not even begin to compare with spiritual good. Only the Lord knows to what extent, in each man's life, the outwardly good deed springs from genuine sympathy because God's image in him was not completely lost, and in how far it resulted from the realization that absolute self-seeking is self-defeating, or from some other not exactly altruistic motive. In any event such a good deed does not spring from the root of gratitude for the salvation merited by Jesus Christ. It is not a work of faith, therefore. It is not done with a conscious purpose to please and glorify God and to obey his law. Now it is with respect to such spiritual good that men are by nature dead. It is a fact that even men with a reputation for virtue have been known to answer every gospel appeal with utter disdain. Their proud heart refuses to accept the urgent invitation to confess their sins and to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord. Natural man is not even able properly to discern God. The things of the Spirit are foolishness to him (I Cor. 2:14). He lacks the ability to bestir himself so as to give heed to that which God demands of him (Ezek. 37; John 3:3, 5). Only when God turns him is he able to turn from his wicked way (Jer. 31:18, 19). Besides all this, he is under the sentence of death, under the curse because of his sin in Adam (original sin) to which he has added his own trespasses and sins. 2. With respect to these trespasses and sins Paul continues: in which^[49] you formerly walked in line with the course of this world, that is, in which environment you formerly moved about freely, feeling perfectly at home, conducting yourselves in complete harmony with the spirit of the age that marks mankind alienated from the life of God, ^[50] in line with the prince of the domain^[51] of the air &Must this word air be taken more or less literally as indicating the region above the earth but below the heaven of the redeemed, or must it be interpreted in an ethical or figurative sense: the moral atmosphere or prevailing mood of the period in which one happens to live? Lenski's candor must be admired. He confesses that he does not know what to do with this term (op.cit., pp. 408–410). He does, however, reject both the literal and the figurative meaning. Simpson accepts the figurative sense. In rejecting the literal meaning, calling it a queer fancy, he adds, else we should earnestly dissuade all Godfearing souls from setting foot in an aeroplane (op.cit., p. 48). At this point I allow myself the following observations: (1) Why only Godfearing souls? If air-travel is so dangerous because of all those minions of evil, should not the wicked be warned also? Moreover, should not the earth be avoided also, or, in spite of (Rev. 16:14, is its terrain off limits to the evil spirits? But if that be true why did Jesus call Satan the prince of this worldJohn 12:31; 14:30)? (2) Is there even one other instance in Scripture where the word air is used in this figurative sense? (3) As to Satan for it is he who, in line with the references just mentioned, is the prince of the domain of the air is he omnipresent like God? Are his servants, the demons, omnipresent? Is it wrong to ascribe whereness to them because they are spirits? Obviously the distinguished and scholarly author of the work on Ephesians in New International Commentary would not endorse such a view, for it would be in conflict with the demonology of the New Testament. According to (Mark 5:13the unclean spirits came out (of the man) and entered into the swine. If, then, a place must be assigned to Satan's servants, so that, by means of them he can influence men, can that domain be restricted to hell, even in this present dispensation before Christ's return? But that opinion would clash with such passages as Matt. 8:29; 16:18; I Peter 5:8. Surely, neither Satan nor his agents are in the heaven of the redeemedJude 6). If, therefore, according to the consistent doctrine of Scripture, the evil spirits must be somewhere, but not in the heaven of the redeemed, and if in this present age they cannot be restricted to hell, is it so strange that Eph. 2:2speaks about the prince of the domain of the air? Is it not rather natural that the prince of evil is able, as far as God in his overruling providence permits, to carry on his sinister work by sending his legions to our globe and its surrounding atmosphere? (4) Does not also 6:12 point in this same general direction? Surely, if the cherubim in Ezekiel's vision were able to be on earth one moment but lifted up from the earth into the sky the next moment (Ezek. 1:19; cf. 10:19; 11:22), it is not impossible that the demons too would have that power. Accordingly, whatever figurative overtones the word air may have due to the fact that the air is the region of fog, cloudiness, darkness the literal meaning here is basic. This passage, in conjunction with others (3:10, 15; 6:12), clearly teaches that God has tenanted the supermundane realm with innumerable hosts, and that in its lower region the minions of Satan are engaged in their destructive missions. Grosheide is right when in his comments on this passage he states that according to the New Testament the atmosphere is inhabited by spirits, including evil spirits, who exert an evil influence on people (op.cit., p. 36).^[52] Note this word including. The evil spirits do not have it all to themselves by any means! And as far as they and their leader are concerned, the Christian's real comfort is found in such passages as 1:20–23; Col. 2:15; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 20:3, 10. Cf. Gen. 3:15; John 12:31, 32. The Ephesians, then, had formerly conducted themselves in line with the course of this world, in line with the prince of the domain of the air, to which Paul now adds: (the domain) of the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience. That spirit, again, is Satan, who, by means of his agents, the demons, and probably even directly and personally (Zech. 3; I Peter 5:8), is busily engaged in the hearts and lives of those wicked people who by the use of a Semitic expression are here designated as the sons of disobedience, that is, those who, as it were, spring from disobedience as the mother that gave them birth. Cf. (II Thess. 2:3. This is the disobedience of unbeliefHeb. 4:6), and hence of rebellion against God and his commandments. Note the fact that this prince or spirit is said to be at work, that is energetically engaged to make what is bad even worse. Satan never rests. Now it was in line with this spirit that the Ephesians had previously conducted themselves. 3. But not the Ephesians only. Paul is careful to add: among whom we also once lived in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and its reasonings. It is touching to read, Among these sons of disobedience were also we, we Jews as well as you Gentiles. Paul includes himself. Yet, this is the apostle who during this same imprisonment said concerning his own pre-Christian life, &as to legal righteousness &blameless (Phil. 3:6). The point is that both the Gentile, steeped in immorality, and the Jew, who imagines that he can save himself by obeying the law of Moses, are living (a synonym of walking in verse 2) in the lusts of the flesh, for when the word flesh is used in such a context it refers to the corrupt human nature, or, more in general, to anything apart from Christ on which one bases his hope for happiness or salvation. The moral man came to the judgment, But his self-righteous rags would not do. Cf. (Rom. 7:18: &in my flesh dwells no good thing. As to desires, in the present connection this can refer only to unrighteous cravings, such as belong to and are spawned by the flesh. For the Jew this undoubtedly included a yearning to enter the kingdom on the basis of his own supposedly meritorious law-works. For the Gentile the reference is to such matters as immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, and, in general, self-assertiveness in its several sinister manifestations.^[53] The flesh or depraved human nature, accordingly, produces evil desires. These, in turn, in order to be realized, lead to reasonings, all kinds of hostileCol. 1:21), self-righteous, and/or immoral plans and cogitations, which finally result in wicked deeds. Cf. (James 1:14, 15; 4:1. Illustrations of this process: the story of Cain and AbelGen. 4:1–8); of Amnon and Tamar (II Sam. 13:1–19); of Absalom in his rebellion against his father David (II Sam. 15 ff.); and of Ahab and Naboth (I Kings 21). However, though the indicated sequence of the elements in the progress of evil is as here summarized, life itself is too complex for such a simplification. There is constant interaction.^[54] This is a matter that demands attention, for it shows how terrible is man's lost condition: the one sin breeds another which not only, in turn gives rise to still another but also turns around, as it were, and reacts upon its begetter, adding to the latter's virility and effectiveness for evil! No wonder that Paul continues: and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest. This wrath is not to be compared to fire in straw, quickly blazing and quickly burnt out. On the contrary, it is settled indignation, the attitude of God toward men viewed as fallen in Adam (Rom. 5:12, 17 19) and refusing to accept the gospel of grace and salvation in Christ. It is with respect to them that it is written: He who &disobeys the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). By nature must mean apart from regenerating grace. It refers to men as they are in their natural condition, as descendants of Adam; specifically, as included in him as their representative in the covenant of works. Such, then, says Paul, were we before the great change took place. It was true with respect to the addressed and true also with respect to the one who was addressing them. Moreover, in order that no one might conclude that among the children of men there were any at all to whom these words would not apply, Paul adds even as the rest. Cf. (Rom. 3:9–18. Children of wrath (another Semitism) means objects of God's settled indignation now and for all time to comeJohn 3:36), unless God's marvelous grace intervenes to crush sinful pride and stubborn disobedience, the disobedience of unbelief. But is not God also merciful? Yes, indeed, for though he hates the stubborn sinner because of his stubbornness, his inexcusable impenitence, yet he loves him as his creature. As such he loves all men. He loves the world (John 3:16). The amazing character of that love makes it understandable, at least to some extent, that God's wrath should rest on those who spurn it. 4, 5. And now the great change is vividly portrayed. Upon men so totally unworthy such mercy, love, and grace is bestowed: God,^[55] being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead through our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved. As far as the present paragraph is concerned the tragic account of man's forlorn condition is finished. But the main idea with which the apostle started out has not yet been expressed. The words and you, as the object of the chapter's opening sentence, must not be left hanging in mid-air. The Ephesians cannot be left in their state of wrath and condition of misery. Both object and Ephesians must be rescued. And it is high time that this be done. The great throbbing heart of this marvelous missionary, a heart so filled with compassion,^[56] can wait no longer. Here then finally, after all these modifiers and in connection with the repetition in verse 5 of the words of verse 1 even though &dead through &trespasses comes the main clause: the subject and the main verb: God (verse 4) &made alive (verse 5). However, for the reason already given, the apostle chooses to take his stand alongside of the Ephesians. He is convinced that his own state (and, in fact, the state of all the Jews who in former days were trusting in their own righteousness for salvation) was basically no better than that of the Gentiles, and also that the new-found joy is the same for all. So instead of saying, And you he made alive, he says, And us he made alive. Now if this be a case of syntactical inconsistency it is one of the most glorious cases on record! Paul ascribes the dramatic and marvelous change that has taken place, in his own life and in that of the others, to the mercy, love, and grace of God. Love is basic, that is, it is the most comprehensive of the three terms. Paul says, God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us &made us alive, etc. This love of God is so great that it defies all definition. We can speak of it as his intense concern for, deep personal interest in, warm attachment to, and spontaneous tenderness toward his chosen ones, but all this is but to stammer. Those, and those only, who experience it are the ones who know what it is, though even they can never fully comprehend it (3:19). They know, however, that it is unique, spontaneous, strong, sovereign, everlasting, and infinite (Isa. 55:6, 7; 62:10–12; 63:9; Jer. 31:3, 31 34; Hos. 11:8; Mic. 7:18–20; John 3:16; I John 4:8, 16, 19). It is the love that has been shed abroad in our hearts (Rom. 5:5), his own love toward us (Rom. 5:8), the love from which no one and nothing will be able to separate us (Rom. 8:39). Now when this love is directed toward sinners viewed in their wretchedness and need of commiseration and succor, it is called mercy. See N.T.C. on Philippians, p. 142 for a list of over 100 Old and New Testament passages in which this divine attribute is described, showing how rich this mercy is. It is as rich as God's love is great. God's grace of which mention is made in the statement, By grace you have been saved, is his love viewed as focused on the guilty and undeserving. Mercy pities. Grace pardons. But it does more than that. It saves all the way, delivering men from the greatest woe (everlasting damnation), and bestowing upon them the choicest blessing (everlasting life for soul and body). Being saved by grace is the opposite of being saved by merit, the merit that supposedly accrues from inherent goodness or from strenuous effort. Cf. 2:8, 9. The expression clearly indicates that the ground of our salvation lies not in us but in God. We love him because he first loved us (I John 4:19). This sovereign nature of divine love in its various aspects is illustrated in such beautiful passages as Deut. 7:7, 8; Isa. 48:11; Dan. 9:19; Hos. 14:4; John 15:16; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 1:4; I John 4:10. It was because of the riches of his mercy, greatness of his love, and amazing character of his grace, that God made us alive together with Christ even though we were dead through our trespasses. ^[57] Together with Christ, for when the Father made his Son alive, by causing the latter's soul to return from Paradise in order to re-inhabit the body which it had left, he in this very act furnished proof that the substitutionary atonement had been accepted, and that, accordingly, the sentence of death which otherwise would have doomed believers had been lifted, their sins forgiven. And this justification, in turn, is basic to all the other blessings of salvation. 6. This is true because vivification does not stand by itself, for the apostle continues: and raised us up with him and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Christ's resurrection and exaltation to the Father's right hand in the heavenly places (here and in 1:3 the heaven of the redeemed is meant; contrast 6:12) not only foreshadows and guarantees our glorious bodily resurrection and all the consequent glory that will be our portion at the great consummation, but is also the basis of present blessings. Whatever happens to the Bridegroom has an immediate effect upon the Bride. This effect has reference not only to the church's state or legal standing before God's law, but also to its condition, the latter because from the place of his heavenly glory and majesty Christ sends forth the Spirit into the hearts of believers, so that they die to sin and are raised to newness of life. Therefore, both as to state and as to condition we can say that with Christ Jesus we ourselves were tried, condemned, crucified buried (Rom. 6:4–8; 8:17; Col. 2:12; II Tim. 2:11), but also, made alive, raised, and set in heavenly places (Rom. 6:5; 8:17; Col. 2:13; 3:1 3: II Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4). To be sure, there is a time factor. Not at once do we receive this glory in full measure. But the right to receive it fully has been secured, and the new life has already begun. Even now our life is hid with Christ in God. Our names are inscribed in heaven's register. Our interests are being promoted there. We are being governed by heavenly standards and motivated by heavenly impulses. The blessings of heaven constantly descend upon us. Heaven's grace fills our hearts. Its power enables us to be more than conquerors. And to heaven our thoughts aspire and our prayers ascend. 7. What now was the purpose which God had in mind when he bestowed on us this great salvation? Paul answers: in order that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace (expressed) in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Therefore, God's purpose in saving his people reaches beyond man. His own glory is his own chief aim. It is for that reason that he displays his grace in all its matchless beauty and transforming power. To some this may seem somewhat cold or even selfish. Yet, on rereading the passage one will soon discover that God's overshadowing majesty and his condescending tenderness combine here, for the glory of his attributes is placed on exhibition as it reflects itself in kindness toward us! We are his sparkling jewels. Illustration: A Roman matron when asked, Where are your jewels? calls her two sons, and, pointing to them, says, These are my jewels. So also, throughout eternity the redeemed will be exhibited as the monuments of the marvelous grace of our loving Lord, who drew us from destruction's pit and raised us to heights of heavenly bliss, and did all this at such a cost to himself that he spared not his own Son, and in such a manner that not a single one of his attributes, not even his justice, was eclipsed. In Christ Jesus this divine kindness^[58] was displayed in various ways, mostly, of course, in the death on the cross. It was displayed also in such sayings as are recorded in Matt. 5:7; 9:13; 11:28–30; 12:7; 23:37; Mark 10:14; Luke 10:25 37, to mention only a few; and in such attitudes and actions, among many others, as are commemorated in Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:21–28; 20:34; Luke 7:11 17, 36 50; 8:40–42, 49 56; 23:34; John 19:27; 21:15–17. Paul does not say God's grace, nor even the riches of his grace, but the sur- (super) passing riches of his grace. This is characteristic Pauline language. Earlier he had written to the Romans, Where sin abounded, grace super-overflowed (Rom. 5:20). During the present imprisonment he was going to tell the Philippians about the peace of God which sur- (super) passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). And, during his brief period of freedom between the first and second Roman imprisonments he would write to Timothy, And it super-abounded (namely) the grace of our Lord, with faith and love in Christ Jesus (I Tim. 1:14). See also II Cor. 7:4; I Thess. 3:10; 5:13; II Thess. 1:3. As Paul sees it, there is nothing narrow about this grace of God, nothing stingy. Its loving arms embrace both Gentile and Jew. It reaches even to the chief of sinners (Paul himself), and so rich is it that it enriches every heart and life which it touches, filling it with marvelous love, joy, peace, etc. God will display the surpassing riches of his grace in the ages to come. But what is meant by these ages? In the main, there are three opinions: (1) The ages that will precede Christ's Parousia. The expression ages to come must not be understood to refer to the future world. Paul is speaking about the earthly dispensation which has not yet run its course (Grosheide; cf. Barry). A possible objection to this view would be that in that case Paul would probably have spoken about the fulness of the times (as in 1:10) or about this age (as in 1:21). Though not even in his early epistles did he proceed from the assumption that the second coming was the very next item on God's program for the history of the world (II Thess. 2:1–12), nevertheless, it was not his custom to posit continuing lengths of time that would intervene between his own day and Christ's return. (2) The ages that will follow Christ's Parousia. With variations as to detail this view is held by Abbott, Greijdanus, Lenski, Salmond, Van Leeuwen, and many others. In its defense an appeal is made to 1:21: the coming age. However, it is debatable whether this argument is valid, for in 1:21 a contrast is drawn between this age and the coming one. That is not the case in 2:7. Also 1:21 has the singular aeon; 2:7, the plural aeons. And when, with one commentator, these post-Parousia ages, as they affect us, turn out to be the timeless [?] aeons of eternity, while another perhaps forgetting that in that glorious life there will be no more sin and misery? in his comments on the grace that will then be expressed in kindness toward us, interprets this to mean personal pity shown to those in need, one begins to wonder whether, after all, the restriction of the ages to come to the post-Parousia era is legitimate. (3) All future time. In commenting on this passage John Calvin says, It was the design of God to hallow in all ages the remembrance of so great a goodness. Scott expresses the same idea in these words, The new life now begun will endure forever, so that the manifestation of God's grace will be always renewing itself. To bring out more forcibly this idea of goodness that will extend through all eternity Paul speaks not of the age but the ages yet to come. And Hodge states, It is better therefore to take it [the phrase in the ages to come ] without limitation, for all future time. Since nothing in the context limits the application of the phrase to any one period either before or after Christ's return, and since the apostle himself when he dwells more fully on the church's lofty goal (chapter 3) speaks about both the gathering in of the Gentiles in the present pre-Parousia age, and of the ultimate perfection of the church in the coming age, I regard explanation (3) as the best. The purpose, then, which God had in mind when he bestowed on us this great salvation described in verses 4 6, was that in Christ Jesus (see on 1:1, 3, 4) throughout this entire new dispensation and forever afterward he might place us, Jew and Gentile alike, on exhibition as monuments of the surpassing riches of his grace expressed in kindness of which we are and forever will be the recipients. 8. Reflecting on what he has just now said about grace, and repeating the parenthetical clause of verse 5b, the apostle says, For by grace^[59] you have been saved.& For explanation see on verse 5. He continues: through faith; and this not of yourselves, (it is) the gift of God & Three explanations deserve consideration: (1) That offered by A. T. Robertson. Commenting on this passage in his Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. IV, p. 525, he states, Grace is God's part, faith ours. He adds that since in the original the demonstrative this (and this not of yourselves) is neuter and does not correspond with the gender of the word faith, which is feminine, it does not refer to the latter but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part. Even more clearly in Gram.N.T., p. 704, he states categorically, In Eph. 2:8& there is no reference to [Greek] [through faith] in [Greek] [this], but rather to the idea of salvation in the clause before. Without any hesitancy I answer, Robertson, to whom the entire world of New Testament scholarship is heavily indebted, does not express himself felicitously in this instance. This is true first because in a context in which the apostle places such tremendous stress on the fact that from start to finish man owes his salvation to God, to him alone, it would have been very strange, indeed, for him to say, Grace is God's part, faith ours. True though it be that both the responsibility of believing and also its activity are ours, for God does not believe for us, nevertheless, in the present context (verses 5 10) one rather expects emphasis on the fact that both in its initiation and in its continuation faith is entirely dependent on God, and so is our complete salvation. Also, Robertson, a grammarian famous in his field, knew that in the original the demonstrative (this), though neuter, by no means always corresponds in gender with its antecedent. That he knew this is shown by the fact that on the indicated page of his Grammar (p. 704) he points out that in general the demonstrative agrees with its substantive in gender and number. When he says in general, he must mean, not always but most of the time. Hence, he should have considered more seriously the possibility that, in view of the context, the exception to the rule, an exception by no means rare, applies here. He should have made allowance for it.^[60] Finally, he should hare justified the departure from the rule that unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise the antecedent should be looked for in the immediate vicinity of the pronoun or adjective that refers to it. (2) That presented, among others, by F. W. Grosheide. As he sees it, the words and this not of yourselves mean and this being saved by grace through faith is not of yourselves but is the gift of God. Since, according to this theory also endorsed, it would seem, by John Calvin in his Commentary faith is included in the gift, none of the objections against theory (1) apply with respect to theory (2). Does this mean then that (2) is entirely satisfactory? Not necessarily. This brings us to (3) That defended by A. Kuyper, Sr. in his book Het Werk van den Heiligen Geest (Kampen, 1927), pp. 506–514. Dr. Kuyper is, however, not this theory's sole defender, but his defence is, perhaps, the most detailed and vigorous. The theory amounts, in brief, to the following: Paul's words may be paraphrased thus, I had the right to speak about the surpassing riches of his grace for it is, indeed, by grace that you are saved, through faith; and lest you should now begin to say, But then we deserve credit, at least, for believing, I will immediately add that even this faith (or: even this exercise of faith) is not of yourselves but is God's gift. With variations as to detail this explanation was the one favored by much of the patristic tradition. Supporting it were also Beza, Zanchius, Erasmus, Huigh de Groot (Hugo Grotius), Bengel, Michaelis, etc. It is shared, too, by Simpson (op. cit., p. 55) and by Van Leeuwen and Greijdanus in their commentaries. H. C. G. Moule (Ephesian Studies, New York, 1900, pp. 77, 78) endorses it, with the qualification, We must explain [Greek] [this] to refer not to the feminine noun [Greek] [faith] precisely, but to the fact of our exercising faith. Moreover, it is perhaps no exaggeration to say that the explanation offered is also shared by the average man who reads 2:8 in his A.V. or A.R.V. Salmond, after presenting several grounds in its favor, particularly also this that the formula [Greek] might rather favor it, as it often adds to the idea to which it is attached, finally shies away from it because salvation is the main idea in the preceding statement, which fact, of course, the advocates of (3) would not deny but do, indeed, vigorously affirm, but which is not a valid argument against the idea that faith, as well as everything else in salvation, is God's gift. It is not a valid argument against (3), therefore. I have become convinced that theory (3) is the most logical explanation of the passage in question. Probably the best argument in its favor is this one: If Paul meant to say, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this being saved is not of yourselves, he would have been guilty of needless repetition for what else is grace but that which proceeds from God and not from ourselves? a repetition rendered even more prolix when he now (supposedly) adds, it, that is, salvation, is the gift of God, followed by a fourth and fifth repetition, namely, not of works, for we are his handiwork. No wonder that Dr. A. Kuyper states, If the text read, For by grace you have been saved, not of yourselves, it is the work of God, it would make some sense. But first to say, By grace you have been saved, and then, as if it were something new, to add, and this having been saved is not of yourselves, this does not run smoothly but jerks and jolts.& And while with that interpretation everything proceeds by fits and starts and becomes lame and redundant, all is excellent and meaningful when you follow the ancient interpreters of Jesus church. ^[61] This, it would seem to me also, is the refutation of theory (1) and, to a certain extent, of theory (2). Basically, however, theories (2) and (3) both stress the same truth, namely, that the credit for the entire process of salvation must be given to God, so that man is deprived of every reason for boasting, which is exactly what Paul says in the words which now follow, namely, 9, 10. not of works, lest anyone should boast. This introduces us to the subject: Works in relation to our salvation (1) Rejected As a basis for salvation, a ground upon which we can plead, works are rejected. Not the labors of my hands can fulfil thy law's demands. In this connection it must be remembered that the apostle is not thinking exclusively or even mainly of works in fulfilment of the Mosaic law, by means of which the Jew, unconverted to Christ, sought to justify himself. Surely, also by such works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight (Rom. 3:20; cf. Gal. 2:16). But in view of the fact that Paul was addressing an audience consisting mostly of Christians from the Gentile world it is clear that he wishes to emphasize that God rejects every work of man, be he Gentile, Jew, or believer in his moments of spiritual eclipse, every work on which any man bases his hope for salvation. If, then, salvation is completely from God, who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all (Rom. 8:32), every ground of boasting in self is excluded (Rom. 3:27; 4:5; I Cor. 1:31). When the Lord comes in his glory, those at his left hand will do all the boasting (Matt. 25:44; cf. 7:22); those at his right hand will be unable even to recall their good deeds (Matt. 25:37–39). Now all boasting is excluded, Unearned bliss is now my own. I, in God thus safely rooted, Boast in sovereign grace alone. Long before my mother bore me, E en before God's mighty hand Out of naught made sea and land, His electing love watched o er me. God is love, O angel-voice, Tongues of men, make him your choice.^[62] (2) Confected Paul continues: for his handiwork are we, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand &Fact is that though good works are non-meritorious, yet they are so important that God created us in order that we should perform them. We are his handiwork: that which he made, his product (Ps. 100:3). To him we owe our entire spiritual as well as physical existence. Our very birth as believers is from God (John 3:3, 5). We are created in Christ Jesus (see on 1:1, 3, 4), for apart from him we are nothing and can accomplish nothing (John 15:5; cf. I Cor. 4:7). As men in Christ, believers constitute a new creation, as the apostle had said previously (II Cor. 5:17): Wherefore if any man is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old things are passed away; behold they are become new (II Cor. 5:17). Believers were made alive together with Christ (Gal. 6:15). Now along with creating us God also prepared good works. He did this first by giving us his Son, our great Enabler, in whom good works find their most glorious expression (Luke 24:19; Acts 2:22). Not only does Christ enable us to perform good works but he is also our Example in good works (John 13:14, 15; I Peter 2:21). God did this secondly by giving us faith in his Son. Faith is God's gift (verse 8). Now in planting the seed of faith in our hearts, and causing it to sprout and with great care tending it, making it grow, etc., God also in that sense prepared for us good works, for good works are the fruit of faith. Living faith, moreover, implies a renewed mind, a grateful heart, and a surrendered will. Out of such ingredients, all of them God-given, God confects or compounds good works. Thus, summarizing, we can say that by giving us his Son and by imparting to us faith in that Son God prepared beforehand our good works. When Christ through his Spirit dwells in the hearts of believers, his gifts and graces are bestowed upon them, so that they, too, bear fruits, such as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). (3) Expected Paul concludes this paragraph by adding: that we should walk in them. Though good works are a divine preparation, they are at the same time a human responsibility. These two must never be separated. If salvation can be illustrated by the figure of a flourishing tree, then good works are symbolized not by its roots nor even by its trunk but by its fruit. Jesus requires of us fruit, more fruit, much fruit (John 15:2, 5, 8). He said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, with me abiding in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. To bear much fruit and to walk in good works is the same thing. When a certain occupation has the love of a man's heart, he is walking in it. Note: walk in them, no longer in trespasses and sins (verses 1, 2). (4) Perfected Combining (2) and (3) we see that by walking in good works we have entered into the sphere of God's own activity. Hence, we know that though our own efforts may often disappoint us, so that we are ashamed even of our good works, victory will arrive at last; not fully, to be sure, in the present life but in the next. Moral and spiritual perfection is our goal even here, but will be our portion in the life hereafter, for we are confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in us will carry it to completion (Phil. 1:6). Cf. Eph. 1:4; 3:19; 4:12, 13. This doctrine of good works, when accepted by faith, deprives man of every reason for boasting in self but also takes away from him every ground for despair. It glorifies God. Chapter 2 Verses 11 18 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its U niversal Scope (embracing both Jew and Gentile), 2. shown by the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile through the cross 2:11–18 2. The Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in flesh, handmade! 12 that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far away have been brought nearby through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who made both one and has broken down the barrier formed by the dividing wall, the hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments with its requirements, in order that in himself he might create of the two one new man, (so) making peace, 16 and might reconcile both of them in one body to God through the cross, having slain the hostility by means of it; 17 and he came and proclaimed the good news: Peace to you, those far away, and peace to those nearby; 18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. When Paul wrote the present paragraph he was in high spirits. This is very clear from the fact that the prayer and the doxology found in chapter 3 are the natural climax to 2:11–18 and 2:19–22. In order to understand the present paragraph it should be borne in mind that the apostle knew by personal experience how difficult it was to weld Jew and Gentile into an organic unity, a unity of perfect equality. Jewish Christians had often been loath to admit Gentiles into the church except via Judaism. Immediately after Paul's return to Syrian Antioch from his first missionary journey certain men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved (Acts 15:1). Even Peter, who, because of the vision he had received, should have known better (Acts 10, 11), refused for a while to eat with the Gentiles, and by his conduct merited Paul's stinging rebuke (Gal. 2:11–21). When Paul wrote Galatians the controversy over the question How can salvation be obtained?, implying the further question On what terms can the Gentiles be accepted into the church?, was at its height. The apostle reminded these foolish Galatians that those who desired to be justified by the law were severed from Christ (Gal. 5:4). The epistles to the Romans and to the Corinthians clearly indicate that when these were written the battle had not yet been completely won. In fact, until the end of Paul's life the fire which at one time had been raging furiously was never completely put out but showed intermittent flashes. That was true during the present Roman imprisonment (Col. 2:11–17; Phil. 3:2–11), during the brief period of freedom that followed it (I Tim. 1:6–11; Titus 3:5, 9), and even during the apostle's final incarceration (II Tim. 1:9, 10). But though this is true, yet officially the answer had been given long before the present letter was written. It had been furnished by the Synod of Jerusalem, before the apostle started on his second missionary journey. See (Acts 15. The great principle that salvation in all its riches is freely given to all those whether Jew or Gentile who accept Christ through a living faith (this faith also God-given) had become the accepted doctrine of the church. Whatever remained of the struggle after the Jerusalem Synod had been held and Galatians had been written was aftermath. The ferocious attack upon the truth had been repulsed. Yet all was not over. To the very end Paul defended the principle of freedom from the law in its saving and ceremonial aspects, the principle of salvation for all men without any distinction as to national or racial origin and without the requirement that anyone reach the church by means of a detour.I Tim. 2:3–7; Titus 2:11; II Tim. 4:1–8.) Now it was especially in Ephesus and its surroundings that Jew and Gentile who had accepted Christ lived together in love and unity and constituted one ecumenical church. It was a flourishing church, from which, as from a center, many other congregations were founded (Acts 19:10; cf. Rev. 1:11; 2:1–7). This was one reason why Paul, though a prisoner, rejoiced greatly and glorified his God. Though even in Ephesus conditions were by no means perfect, yet, by and large, the apostle witnessed here the realization of his own ideal and, more important, of God's plan! Moreover, he bears testimony to the fact that Jew and Gentile, reconciled to God through faith in Christ, are reconciled to each other also! Hence, in the spirit of exultation he desires that the Ephesians, mostly formerly Gentiles, will rejoice with him in God's works. This goal can best be achieved by comparing their past wretchedness with their present reason for cheerfulness. 11, 12. So Paul writes, Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in flesh, handmade! that you were at that time separate from Christ,^[63] alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Therefore, that is, because you Ephesians, once dead, were made alive by grace through faith and for good works (verses 1 10), consider your present high estate in the light of your former low position, that you may glorify God, your Benefactor. As to your past, your case was in a sense even more hopeless than that of the highly privileged Jews, for you were Gentiles. You carried the evidence of your Gentile state in your very flesh, for you were uncircumcised. Hence the Jews, unconverted to Christ, call you uncircumcision. They do this even though they themselves, proud of being called circumcision, possess only the sign, not the thing signified. They were circumcised only in flesh, not in their hearts (Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Ezek. 44:7, earsJer. 6:10), and lips (Exod. 6:12, 30). It was all merely a matter of minor surgery, a manual operation, the cutting away of foreskin. It was outward, not inward. The real meaning or value of circumcision has been erased with Christ's death on the cross. Yet in this outward mark the Jews continue to glory, while they despise all others, including you Ephesians. Now at that time when you, as also now, were being held in such low esteem, your misery was great, for you were Christless, stateless, friendless, hopeless, and Godless. (1) Christless: separate from Christ Paul cannot have meant that before their conversion Christ had paid no attention to them, for the apostle has clearly indicated that those whom he addresses had been included in the number of the elect from all eternity (1:3 ff.). He must mean that before their conversion this oneness in Christ had not been experienced by them in any sense whatever. They had been groping in the darkness, filth, and despair of sin. The light, holiness, and hopefulness of those who come to know Christ had not as yet become their portion. Hence, in that former state they had been unspeakably wretched. The Christians greatest joy is the solemn assurance that no one and nothing can ever separate them from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35). From this great joy the Ephesians had been far removed. (2) Stateless: alienated from the commonwealth of Israel To be sure, they had not been stateless in every conceivable sense. But though included in the Roman province of Asia, they were excluded from the many blessings that pertained to the Jewish theocracy. They lacked citizenship among the chosen people. This was, indeed, a deplorable lack, for it was to Israel (Gen. 32:28) that God of old had revealed himself in a special manner. To that people he had given his law, his special protection, his prophecies and promises. Read the following stirring passages: Deut. 32:10–14; 33:27–29; Ps. 147:20; Isa. 63:9; Ezek. 16:6–14; Amos 3:2. From all this the Ephesians had been excluded. (3) Friendless: strangers to the covenants of the promise The essence of the covenant of grace, to which the present passage refers, is the experience of the friendship of Jehovah (Ps. 25:14). Now in their unconverted state the Ephesians had been strangers to this friendship. They had been mere foreigners from whom the rights and privileges of citizens had been withheld. Ranking high among these withheld privileges were the covenants of the promise. Paul speaks about covenants, plural. He has reference, no doubt, to the many reaffirmations of the one and only covenant of grace. He calls it the covenant of promise, because its main element is, indeed, God's promise: I will be your (or at times your) God. That this promise was made to Abraham, reaffirmed to Isaac, to Jacob, and, in fact, to all God's people in both dispensations, so that, while in a sense there is only one covenant of grace, there were many reaffirmations (and in that sense many covenants), is clear from such passages as the following: (Gen. 17:7, 8; 26:1–5; 28:10–17; Exod. 20:2; Deut. 5:2, 3, 6; Jer. 24:7; 30:22; 31:33; Ezek. 11:20; Zech. 13:9; II Cor. 6:16; Gal. 3:8, 9, 29; Rev. 21:3. On the basis of all the passages that refer to it, this covenant can be defined as that divinely established arrangement between the triune God and his people whereby God carries out his eternal decree of redemption by promising his friendship, hence full and free salvation, to his people, upon the basis of the vicarious atonement of Christ, the Mediator of the covenant, and they accept this salvation by faith. Because of the greatness of God and the lowliness of man it stands to reason that such a covenant cannot be a fifty-fifty agreement but must be a one-sided disposition, a divine grant, settlement, ordinance, or institution. It is never a mere contract between two parties God and man each with equal rights. Though in a sense it is two-sided, because man must exercise faith, as has been indicated, yet even that faith is God's giftJer. 31:33). In that respect this covenant partakes of the nature of a testament. In fact, the word used in the original, namely, diath�k, has both meanings: testament and covenant. It means testament in Heb. 9:16, 17. See also Gal. 3:15. Elsewhere both in Hebrews and in the rest of the new Testament (as in the LXX) the translation covenant is probably the best. Now to this covenant, too, the Ephesians, in their lost condition, had been strangers. At that time God had never revealed himself to them as their special Friend. And the Jews, having robbed God's covenant of its real, spiritual meaning, and having substituted for it the hope of earthly glory, had not even been able to convey to the Ephesians the glory of God's promise. See Matt. 23:15. (4) Hopeless: having no hope This follows very naturally, for the Christian's hope is based on the divine promise. Accordingly, since in the earlier period the covenant-promise had not been revealed to the Ephesians, as has just been indicated, hence they also lacked hope: solid, firmly-anchored assurance of salvation. Such hope is one of God's most precious gifts, and is mentioned alongside of faith and love (I Cor. 13:13). It is knowledge of God's promise plus confidence with respect to its fulfilment (II Cor. 1:7). It is the proliferation of faith. It amounts to the conviction that all things will be well, even when all things seem to be wrong (Rom. 4:18). It never disappoints, because it, too, like faith and love, is a divine gift (Rom. 5:5). In their state of unbelief the Ephesians had lacked this hope. Instead, they had been filled with fear and despair. The Greek and Roman world of Paul's day was, indeed, a hopeless world. For details on this see N.T.C. on I and II Thessalonians, pp. 110, 111. (5) Godless: and without God in the world Surely they had gods, but these were vain. The Ephesians were without the one true God. This cannot mean that they were utterly abandoned by God, for we know that this is not true, for from eternity they had been included in God's decree of election. Moreover, for them, too, Christ had died (see 1:4 ff.). Besides, on the Ephesians, as well as on the people of Lystra, God had bestowed many blessings which they shared with all earth's inhabitants, though not with all in the same degree, namely, rains and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). But they had been in truth without God in the world in the sense that they had been without the true knowledge of God, and therefore without holiness, righteousness, peace, and the joy of salvation. They had resembled mariners who without compass and guide were adrift in a rudderless ship during a starless night on a tempestuous sea, far away from the harbor. Nothing less than that is meant by the gloomy, awe-inspiring phrase without God in the world. That world is the mass of fallen mankind, lost, sin-laden, and exposed to the judgment. 13. Out of the darkness and despair of heathendom the Ephesians had emerged directly into the radiance and rapture of Christianity. The great change is described in the following words: But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far away have been brought nearby through the blood of Christ. The words but now indicate a sharp contrast with formerly (verse 11) and at that time (verse 12). Formerly far away, now nearby. These expressions have an Old Testament background. In the old dispensation Jehovah, in a sense, had his dwelling in the temple. That temple was in Jerusalem. Israel, therefore, was nearby. On the other hand, the Gentiles were far away. ^[64] Not only was this true literally, but even more so in a spiritual sense: they generally lacked the true knowledge of God. All this, however, was going to change. Isaiah records, in words reflected here in (Eph. 2:17: I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him that is far off and to him that is near &and I will heal himIsa. 57:19). The fact that this type of phraseology was carried over into the New Testament is clear from Acts 2:39, The promise is to you and your children and to all that are far away. It should be evident that a person could be nearby and yet far away. He could be nearby in a merely external sense, namely, because he was a sharer in the privileges of the Old Testament economy, or simply, a Jew. His heart, however, could still be far away from God. Taken in the external sense, then, those who are far away are the Gentiles, those nearby are the Jews (as in verse 17). Through faith in Christ all those to whom the gospel is proclaimed have the opportunity to draw near. In the spiritual sense, however, those nearby are genuine believers; or as we today would say: Christians. The expression nearby through the blood of Christ, here in 2:13, must mean spiritually nearby. Moreover, in order to do justice to the entire context, the idea formerly far away but now nearby must be explained in the light of verse 12 taken in its entirety. The meaning that results is this: formerly separate from Christ, now in Christ Jesus saved by grace through faith (verse 8); formerly alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, now fellow-citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (verse 19); formerly strangers to the covenants of the promise, now covenant members (Gal. 3:29); formerly without God, now at peace with him (verse 17) and in possession of the privilege of blessed access (verses 16 18). With this explanation justice is done to the context, which shows that the terms far away and nearby must be construed both perpendicularly and horizontally. As to the first the God-man relationship the Ephesians in their former state had been so far removed from God that the intervening distance could be measured only by the greatness of the sacrifice required to bring them nearby. But by faith they had been brought close to God's heart. As to the second, the annihilation of the perpendicular distance had brought about the cessation of the horizontal also, for at the cross Jew and Gentile, both reconciled to God, had embraced each other. Through the blood of Christ (for explanation see on 1:7) sin, the great separator, had been vanquished. With reference to this horizontal reconciliation brought about by Christ crucified, the apostle continues: 14. For he himself is our peace, who made both one and has broken down the barrier formed by the dividing wall, the hostility.^[65] The forward position of the pronoun that refers to Christ shows that the proper English translation is he himself, or he alone. He himself is our peace, that is, what everything else whether the law with its ordinances, human merit, law-works of whatever kind, sacrifices, etc. could not do, he, he alone in his own person, has done, for he is the very embodiment of peace. In his capacity as the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6) he, by means of his voluntary sacrifice, has brought about peace (John 14:27; 16:33; 20:19, 20): reconciliation between God and man, hence also between Gentiles and Jews. As to the latter groups, he has made both^[66] one, has welded them into one organic unit, namely, the church. That the reference is here to the reconciliation between Gentiles and Jews is clear from the fact that these are the two groups mentioned in the immediate context (verses 11 and 12). Between the Gentiles and the Jews there had long been a formidable obstacle, a hatred-barrier.^[67] It is called a barrier of or formed by the dividing wall or fence, a figurative reference to the law considered as a cause of separation and enmity between Jews and Gentiles. See on verse 15. When Paul speaks about this barrier of hostility, there may be an allusion to the barricade which in Jerusalem separated the court of the Gentiles from the temple proper, and on which there was an inscription threatening death to any non-Jew who tried to pass it: No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. ^[68] But the allusion, if any, to that literal barricade is only by way of illustration. What the apostle was actually speaking of was something far more serious and dreadful, namely, inveterate hostility between the two groups. Humanly speaking, the wall of hatred and contempt that divided Jew and Gentile had been strengthened by centuries of mutual disparagement and mudslinging. A few more years and the pent-up hostility of generations would burst into an open flame, and one of the most cruel and bitter wars would be fought. It would result in the destruction of Jerusalem, a.d. 70. To the Jews the Gentiles were dogs. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/ CHAPTER III Chapter 3 Verses 1 13 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its L ofty Goal 1. To declare to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places God's iridescent wisdom, reflected in the mystery revealed especially, though not exclusively, to Paul, namely, that the Gentiles are fellow-members of the body of Christ 3:1–13 1. The Church Should Strive to Declare God's Marvelous Wisdom to the Principalities and the Powers in the Heavenly Places 3 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2 for surely you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 how that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, 4 whereby, as you read it, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets, 6 namely, that the Gentiles are fellow-sharers in the inheritance and fellow-members of the body and fellow-partakers of the promise (realized) in Christ Jesus (as conveyed) through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace that was given to me according to the working of his power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given: to proclaim to the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to enlighten all on what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 in order that now to the principalities and the authorities in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the iridescent wisdom of God, 11 according to the eternal purpose which he formed in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have the courage of confident access through faith in him. 13 Therefore I ask (you) not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory 1. The very beginning of the present chapter, namely, the words For this reason, already indicate its close material connection with the preceding one. The meaning, accordingly, must be, Because blessings so great have been bestowed upon both Gentile and Jew reconciliation with God and with one another, and the erection of one sanctuary consisting of Jew and Gentile therefore, etc. In fact, in view of the equally close relation between chapters 1 and 2, and the recurrence in 3:4, 9 of the concept mystery, first mentioned in 1:9, it is very probable that the connection goes back even further and includes all that has gone before in this epistle. The mode of humble gratitude and adoration also continues; see especially verses 8, 14 21. Paul is about to resume his prayer on behalf of his readers.& This prayer forms the framework of the whole first half of the epistle.& His thought is pitched in a solemn key (Scott, op. cit., p. 181). The first part of the epistle (chapters 1 3), which after the salutation began with one main type of doxology, namely, Blessed (be) (1:3 ff.), is going to end with the other main type, Now to him &be the glory (3:20, 21). That closing doxology is immediately preceded by one of the most glorious prayers to be found anywhere (3:14–19), a prayer which, in a sense, is already introduced in 3:1. Nevertheless, there is progress in thought. Chapter 2 has shown what God has done. Chapter 3, therefore, is going to indicate what the church, mentioned distinctly in verse 10, now must do. It indicates the church's Lofty Goal. In the realization of this purpose Paul himself has played a prominent role, for to him, to him especially though not exclusively, the great mystery, to be published far and wide, has been disclosed. So Paul continues, I, Paul (II Cor. 10:1; Gal. 5:2; Col. 1:23; I Thess. 2:18; Philem. 19), the prisoner of Christ Jesus (Philem. 1, 9; II Tim. 1:8). In every reference to himself as a prisoner Paul stresses the fact that as such he belongs to his Lord, for it was while engaged in his service and thus for his sake that he was imprisoned. Moreover, all the details of the imprisonment as well as the outcome, whether it be the death-sentence or acquittal, are in the hands that were pierced for this prisoner, those very hands that now control the entire universe in the interest of the church (1:22). Paul's imprisonment is therefore a very honorable one. In fact, it strengthened his claim as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And since he is going to remind the church of its exalted task, its Lofty Goal, namely, to declare God's marvelous wisdom, it is entirely proper for him to make mention of his chains in authentication of his apostleship (II Cor. 11:16–33). This is true all the more since enemies were constantly questioning his claims, as is clear from I and II Corinthians, Galatians, I and II Thessalonians, and from passages scattered here and there throughout his epistles. It is not improbable that these opponents viewed his very imprisonment as a sign of the falsity of his pretensions. So, instead of carefully avoiding this subject he starts right out by boldly calling attention to it. He emphasizes, however, that he is a prisoner in a righteous cause, so that his very confinement is a reason why they should listen all the more attentively to what he has to say. He regards it, in fact, as an honor, and this not only for himself but even for them (verse 13), for he is the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles It was because of the fact that he had been proclaiming the love of God for Gentile and Jew alike, without any racial or national distinction whatever, that he had been imprisoned (Acts 21:17ff.; 22:21–24). The Ephesians especially knew about this, for surely they must have heard that at the close of his third missionary journey his association with Trophimus the Ephesian had led to the false charge which resulted in his capture and incarceration. Moreover, not only had his work for the Gentiles brought about his imprisonment but he had been specifically charged by his Lord to be an apostle to Gentiles as well as to Jews (Acts 9:15). In fact, to him, in distinction from the other apostles (Gal. 2:9), had been entrusted the glorious assignment of being above all else the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 13:47; 22:21; 26:12ff.; Rom. 11:13; 15:16; Gal. 2:8, 9; I Tim. 2:7; Titus 1:7). It must be borne in mind, in this very connection, that big-hearted Paul wanted everybody to share his joy in the Lord. It was he who had said in a letter written previously, I have become all things to all men, that in one way or another I may save some (I Cor. 9:22). But in order to be saved men must accept the gospel-message which Paul had been commissioned to bring. And confidence in his credentials was necessary if his message was going to be accepted, his exhortations obeyed, his prayers appreciated. This also explains the digression (verses 2 13), in which he dwells at some length on the charge given to him by the Lord. Hence, having said, For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles, he does not at once add bend my knees to the Father, but postpones this until verse 14 is reached. He never loses sight of this petition, however. It is definitely on his mind throughout the paragraph. But by inserting the words of verses 2 13 he adds strength to the prayer that he was about to utter and to the doxology which follows that prayer. 2. Paul continues, accordingly: for surely you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit. A strictly literal translation of what Paul actually writes is perhaps impossible in English. The nearest to it would be something like this: If, indeed, you have heard. Cf. A.V., If ye have heard; A.R.V., If so be that ye have heard. However, that type of rendering will hardly do, since it might suggest that Paul is questioning whether or not the Ephesians, by and large, have ever heard about the task committed to him by his Lord. There are those who, upon the basis of this kind of rendering, have argued that Paul could not have written Ephesians, and/or that this letter was never meant for them. They base their argument upon the fact that the book of Acts assigns a lengthy ministry to Paul at Ephesus, making it impossible for him to write to the Ephesians, If you have heard of my stewardship, for Paul knew that they must have heard of his stewardship. However, such reasoning is not convincing. It proceeds from the assumption that the little word if whether in Greek or in English must indicate uncertainty. But that is incorrect. Two contrasted examples in the English language will make this clear: (1) If our team wins, there will be a celebration. Here if expresses uncertainty, mere possibility. (2) If you do not know the day of your death, you should be prepared now. Here if indicates an assumption that is taken for granted. This if could be translated since. ^[81] But what ground have we for believing that in the present instance if means since you heard rather than maybe you heard, and maybe you did not hear? The answer is that this epistle, which from the beginning has been almost universally viewed as a writing of Paul to the Ephesians (in some sense), elsewhere clearly states (1:13; 2:17; 4:20) and throughout implies that the readers have heard the gospel. Would they then not have heard about Paul's part in it? Anent Paul's work in Ephesus Luke writes: All those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. With this cf. Eph. 3:2: &you have heard of the stesardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit. Therefore, such renderings as the following must be considered excellent: You have heard have you not? of the stewardship of God's grace (Bruce's paraphrase); If you have heard, as I presume you have (Grosheide); &assuming that you have heard (R.S.V.); You must have heard (Phillips); Surely you have heard (Moffat; N.E.B.). Of course, even on the basis of this translation and interpretation it must be granted that the if of the original may, perhaps, leave room for the possibility that a relatively small number of people living in the province of Asia, and addressed here, might never have heard about Paul and his commission, or that they might claim not to have heard. After all, the people to whom the epistle was addressed did not all live inside the city of Ephesus. The circle addressed was very wide! And some time had elapsed since Paul had labored in this region. The apostle says that the addressed, by and large, must have heard about the stewardship of God's grace that had been granted to him. For a discussion of the word stewardship see Introduction, p. 44. The gospel of the grace (see on 1:2; 2:5, 8) of God in Christ had been assigned to Paul as a sacred trust (I Cor. 4:1, 2; 9:17; I Tim. 1:4; Titus 1:7). It had been given to him for the benefit of the Ephesians. Cf. (Col. 1:25. In their case that was true in a special sense, for most of them had been won over from the Gentiles (3:1, 8), and, as has already been indicated, it was especially to the Gentiles that Paul had been sent. Paul continues, 3. how that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery. Here begins a brief description of the stewardship of grace that had been entrusted to Paul. It had reference to the mystery, that is, to something that would have remained unknown had it not been revealed, as Paul also indicates by writing how that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery. Such revelation is generally in the form of a divine communication by means of voice or vision. Paul's stewardship with respect to the Gentiles had been made known to him by both of these forms of thought-transmission, as is clear directly from such passages as Acts 16:9; 22:21; 26:17, 18; and indirectly from Acts 9:15; Gal. 1:11–17; 2:8. Paul always insisted, over against the allegations of his critics, that the stewardship which he had received was not of human origin. As he had been one of the strictest of Pharisees it could not have occurred to him that God's grace would be extended to Gentiles as well as to Jews and on equal terms. And as far as Peter and other leaders of the church were concerned, Paul could not originally have received his commission as the apostle to the Gentiles from them, for the Book of Acts shows how difficult it had been for them to divest themselves of their Judaistic exclusivism. They only agreed after they had perceived the grace that had been given to PaulGal. 2:9). Peter, in fact, needed the vision of the sheet (Acts 10:9 16) and Paul's rebukeGal. 2:11ff. to get over his error. In connection with the fact that the mystery had been made known to him by revelation Paul adds, as I wrote before in few words. Calvin prefers the translation as I wrote a little before, that is, somewhat earlier. He inclines to the view, rather popular in his day, that the reference is to an earlier letter to the Ephesians, one that has not been preserved. But of such earlier epistles to the Ephesians there is no hint anywhere, and it would seem far more reasonable to interpret Paul's word as having reference to the brief account he had already given in this same letter, with respect to God's plan of salvation for both Gentiles and Jews, with special emphasis on the changed position of the former (2:11–22; cf. 1:9 ff.). Accordingly, the clause, as I wrote before in few words is tantamout to as I briefly indicated above. Continued, 4. whereby, as you read it, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ. When, in the various churches for which this epistle was intended, those of Ephesus and surroundings, this letter was read, particularly also 2:11–22, lectors and listeners would be able to perceive (I Tim. 1:7) Paul's insight into this Christ-mystery, that is, the mystery of which Christ is both the source and the substance. One can say that the mystery is, in a sense, Christ himself, that is Christ in all his glorious riches actually dwelling through his Spirit in the hearts and lives of both Jews and Gentiles, united in one body, the church. Cf. Col. 1:26, 27.^[82] However, here in Ephesians the actual content of the mystery is not given until verse 6 is reached. We find no fault with Handel who said that when he began to compose the Hallelujah Chorus it seemed as if all heaven and earth were lying open to his gaze. Why then should we criticize Paul for saying, You can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ? The reason which prompted him to write this was altogether honorable, as was pointed out previously. See Introduction, p. 46, and also on verse 1 above. Besides, as did Handel in later days, Paul, too, gives the credit for his insight to God, not to himself (verses 3, 7, 8). 5, 6. In verse 5 Paul continues to speak about the mystery mentioned in verses 3 and 4, but still no description of its content is given. In verse 6, however, this description is finally supplied. Unless we know the content of the mystery it is impossible to interpret it, and to show in what sense it is true that is was concealed in other generations. Therefore verses 5 and 6 should be considered together. The apostle writes: which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets, namely, that the Gentiles are fellow-sharers in the inheritance and fellow-members of the body and fellow-partakers of the promise (realized) in Christ Jesus (as conveyed) through the gospel. It is a mystery which in other generations, that is, at other timesActs 14:16: in past times or ages , was not made known to the sons of men (not even to anybody) as meaning as clearly as it has now been revealed or unveiled by the Spirit (I Cor. 12:4–11) to his holy apostles and prophets (see on 1:1; 2:20; 4:11).^[83] Cf. Rom. 16:25, 26; Col. 1:26, 27. This does not mean that before Pentecost no one, not even prophets, like Moses, Isaiah, etc., knew anything about the future blessing in which the Gentiles, too, would share. The Old Testament writers, in fact, did know about it and referred to it again and againGen. 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Ps. 72; 87; Isa. 11:10; 49:6; 54:1–3; 60:1–3; Hos. 1:10; Amos 9:11ff.; Mal. 1:11, to mention only a few references . But what these prophets did not make clear was that in connection with the coming of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Spirit the old theocracy would be completely abolished and in its place would arise a new organism in which the Gentiles and the Jews would be placed on a footing of perfect equality. As has already been shown, even some of the leaders in the early church were slow to grant this point. Moreover, there is nothing which sheds so much light on the full meaning of a prophecy a meaning not always fully grasped even by the Old Testament prophets (I Peter 1:10) as does its fulfilment! The holy apostles and prophets of the new dispensation lived in the era of fulfilment. Illumined by the Spirit given to the church on the day of Pentecost, they were able to set forth with greater clarity than ever before the meaning of the prophecies and their application to the new order of events. Hence, for Gen. 12:3; 22:18see Gal. 3:8; for Isa. 49:6see Acts 13:47; for Isa. 54:1 3see Gal. 4:27; for Amos 9:11ff. see Acts 15:16 18; etc. Paul makes it very clear that God's unveiled secret has to do not merely with an alliance of Jew and Gentile, or perhaps a friendly agreement to live together in peace, or even an outward combination or partnership, but, on the contrary, with a complete and permanent fusion, a perfect spiritual union of formerly clashing elements into one new organism, even a new humanity (2:15). In God's house there are no boarders; all are children. Note the climactic arrangement: the Gentiles are, in the first place, fellow-sharers in the inheritance (Gal. 3:29; 4:7). In the abstract it might, however, be possible for someone outside the inner family-circle (for example, a slave) to receive a share of an inheritance. So the next term makes the picture even clearer, namely, fellow-members of the body;^[84] that is, the Gentiles are actually members of God's church (see 1:23; 2:16; 4:4, 16). As such they are equal in standing with all the other members. The blessed result and climax is that they are fellow-partakers of the promise (II Tim. 1:1). Full salvation is their portion, all this in Christ Jesus, who merited it for them and apart from whom there can be no share in the inheritance or in the body or in the realization of the promise. And this marvelous union of the two who were formerly enemies but now in Christ have become one elect race, royal priesthood, holy nation, people for God's own possession (I Peter 2:9), was effected through the gospel preached, heard, and accepted by faith (Rom. 10:14, 15; I Cor. 4:15). On the gospel, its essence, power, author, emphasis, etc. see N.T.C. on Philippians, pp. 81–85. 7. Paul returns now to the very personal manner of speaking begun in verses 1 4. Perhaps the reason for this is that he has just made mention of the gospel. Paul and the gospel are friends. In (Rom. 2:16he speaks of my gospel. It is a gospel in which he gloriesRom. 1:16, 17). In fact, he tells us that he was set apart in a special way to preach the gospel (Rom. 1:1). He just cannot get over it that God chose him, even himself, Paul, the great persecutor of the church, to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God in Christ. So, speaking about this glorious gospel and about his share in it, he writes: of which I was made a minister. That was the task that had been assigned to him, the cause which he had been called to serve according to the gift of God's grace that was given to me. Paul had not arrogated to himself the distinction of being a gospel-minister. He was no self-constituted ambassador. The office with which he had been invested was a gift of God's grace, a fact which is stressed over and over in Paul's lettersRom. 1:1; I Cor. 1:1, 17; 15:10; II Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1; etc. . The bountiful nature of this grace becomes all the more clear in the light of verse 8. But before coming to that the apostle adds: (God's grace that was given to me) according to the working of his power. How mightily that power of God had operated, and continued to operate, in the life and ministry of the apostle is clear from II Cor. 11:16–33; 12:9; cf. Phil. 4:13; and I Tim. 1:15, 16. For the working of his power see on 1:10. However, the thought which Paul emphasizes is rather this, that not be but his Lord deserves all the credit for whatever he, as gospel-minister, in proportion to the talents and opportunities given to him, may have accomplished. He continues: 8. To me, the very least of all saints,^[85] was this grace given: to proclaim to the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ. That the man who wrote verse 4 whereby, as you read it, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ was not a proud individual, appears very clearly here in verse 8. A similar note is struck in I Cor. 15:9, For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God; and in I Tim. 1:15, Reliable (is) the saying, and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world sinners to save, foremost of whom am I. Since in the present passage Paul does not give the reason for calling himself the very least of all saints, it is impossible for any interpreter to supply this reason. The nearest we can come to a sensible conjecture would be to quote the apostle's own reference to his former life as a persecutor of the church. Note forward position of to me, for emphasis. On to the Gentiles see 3:1, 2, 6. Unfathomable riches are riches that cannot be tracked or traced, the illimitable resources of the grace of God in Christ, ocean-depths that can never be plummeted, treasure-stores that are inexhaustible. See on 1:7 and on 3:17–19. Any one who wishes to learn how magnificently Paul fulfilled his God-given task, what excellent use he made of the grace given to him should read such chapters and passages as the following: Rom. 5; 8; 12; 13:11–14; I Cor. 13; 15; II Cor. 4; 5; II Cor. 8(see especially 8:9); 11; Gal. 5; 6; Phil. 2; 3; Col. 3:1–17; I Thess. 4; 5; etc.; also, of course, the account of Paul's life and preaching in the book of Acts. 9. To proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ was, however, only part of Paul's task. In two respects his mission was broader: a. it concerned not only the Gentiles but all men. Had not God described him as a chosen vessel, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel? (Acts 9:15); b. it had to do not only with the proclamation of the gospel but also with the illumination of men's eyes so that they might see how this gospel, accepted by faith, was operating in the hearts and lives of men. Not only must the mystery of the unfathomable riches of Christ be set forth. To be sure, that mystery is great and marvelous, and reveals salvation for both Jew and Gentile by grace through faith. But the attention must also be focused upon the manner in which in Paul's own day that mystery was actually working out, replacing fear by trust, gloom by gladness, hatred by love, and separation by fellowship. Speaking, then, about the administration or effectuation of the mystery, the apostle continues: and to enlighten all on what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things. In connection with the expression to enlighten see on 1:18 and 5:7–9. The original light is Christ himself. It is with reference to him that it was said, The true light, which illumines every man, was coming into the world (John 1:9). Jesus called himself the light of the world (John 8:12). In a secondary sense, Christ's followers, too, are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). They are light-bearers (Rev. 1:20). The great missionary, Paul, was functioning in this capacity in a pre-eminent manner by bearing testimony, even while in prison, to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (II Cor. 4:4). As such he had become all things to all men that in one way or another he might save some. Hence, here in 1:9 he says, to enlighten all,^[86] (Jews and Gentiles alike) on what is the administration of the mystery. He describes the mystery as the one which for ages has been hidden in God. Cf. Col. 1:26. From the beginning of time the mystery had been concealed. Now, however, it is being revealed both by the worldwide preaching of the gospel and by the crystallization of its precious truths in the life and conduct of the church universal. It is not clear why Paul adds: (God) who created all things. If I may be permitted to add just one more guess to all those that have been made by others, I would say that the expression may, perhaps, rivet the attention on God's sovereignty. He is the God who, by virtue of the very fact that he created all things, also proves himself to be the sovereign Disposer of their destinies. In other words, he does not owe it to any one to explain why for a long time the mystery was concealed from the Gentiles, and why it is now revealed to all, regardless of race or nationality. The purpose which Paul has in mind in proclaiming to the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and in enlightening all men on what is the administration of the mystery, is that by means of these two (to some extent overlapping) activities, the church, being formed and strengthened, might display God's marvelous wisdom even to the angelic world. He writes, 10. in order that^[87] now to the principalities and the authorities in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the iridescent wisdom of God. The church, therefore, does not exist for itself. It exists for God, for his glory. When the angels in heaven behold the works and the wisdom of God displayed in the church, their knowledge of the God whom they adore is increased and they rejoice and glorify him. That the designation principalities and authorities refers to angels has been established. See on 1:21 and N.T.C. on Colossians 1:16and 2:18. By no means all commentators who adopt this position are in agreement, however, with respect to the kind of angels indicated here (3:10). Some defend the position that the reference is to evil powers exclusively.^[88] Robertson, in his Word Pictures, Vol. IV, p. 531, equates them with gnostic aeons or what not. Greijdanus states that although the reference is, first of all, to the good angels, the fallen angels need not be excluded (op. cit., p. 72). Now it is true, indeed, that the expression principalities and authorities is neutral just like angels. Gabriel is an angel, but so is Satan. In each case it is the context that determines whether the designation refers to angels in general, as in 1:21, to evil angels, as in 6:12, or to good angels. Even the addition here in 3:10 of the words in the heavenly places is not decisive in determining whether good angels or demons are meant, as 6:12 proves. Nevertheless, I still see no reason for disagreeing with Calvin, Bavinck, Grosheide, Hodge, Lenski, and a host of other leading theologians and commentators, in believing that 3:10 refers to the good and not to the evil angels. My reasons are as follows: (1) Here (3:10) there is no reference to any conflict between believers and spiritual hosts of wickedness. In 6:12 the matter is entirely different. (2) Both language and thought-content are elevated. Calvin's comments may well be taken to heart. Says he, Some prefer to refer these words to devils, but without due reflection &There can be no doubt about the fact that the apostle labors to place in the strongest light the mercy of God toward the Gentiles, and the high value of the gospel &Paul's meaning is, The church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, is a mirror, in which the angels behold the astonishing wisdom of God displayed in a manner unknown to them before. They see a work which is new to them, and the reason whereof was hid in God. (3) The fact that the church, as God's masterpiece in which his excellencies are mirrored forth, is an object of interest and scrutiny to the good angels is clear also from other passagesLuke 15:10; I Cor. 11:10; I Peter 1:12; Rev. 5:11ff. . Eph. 3:10harmonizes beautifully with all this. Now what the principalities and powers see reflected in the church is the iridescent wisdom of God. The adjective that modifies wisdom means literally multi-colored or much-variegated. Unless the word used in the original has lost its full etymological significance, and should therefore simply be rendered manifold (as in A.V., A.R.V., R.S.V.) or many-sided (L.N.T. (A. and G.)), which in the present highly elevated context is improbable, it calls attention to the infinite diversity and sparkling beauty of God's wisdom. For both of these characteristics one is reminded of the rainbow. Hence, iridescent or something on that order (like many-splendoured suggested by Bruce) would seem to be a reasonable English equivalent, unless one wishes to retain the literal rendering multi-colored. In every phase of redemption (as well as of creation) the brilliance of God's wisdom reveals itself. Since in chapters 2 and 3 of Ephesians (see especially 2:16; 3:6) the matter of the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile to God and to each other through the cross which to the Jew was a stumblingblock and to the Gentiles foolishness (I Cor. 1:22–25) is never absent from Paul's mind, it would seem that this is one of the manifestations of the divine wisdom which he mentions. Cf. (Rom. 16:25–27, where the revelation of the mystery is ascribed to the only wise God. God's wisdom reconciles seeming irreconcilables. So also the very word wisdom is again used in the text when elsewhere reference is made to the fact that the very rejection of carnal Israel results, by various links, in the salvation of all of God's people: By their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy &that by the mercy shown to you [Gentiles] they [Israel] may now obtain mercy.& O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments; how untraceable his ways!Rom. 11:11, 31, 33). Accordingly, when in the past certain commentators, in interpreting the expression iridescent wisdom, have fixed the attention upon various paradoxes such as the following, that God in Christ produces life by means of death, glory by means of shame (the shame of the cross), the blessing by means of the curse, power by means of weakness, etc., they were simply following where Scripture itself had led them. The true dimensions of the term iridescent wisdom are, however, much broader than this. There is not a single work of God whether in creation or, as here, in redemption, where that richly variegated wisdom does not manifest itself. It is seen in the church as a whole when it strives earnestly to live to God's glory. It is seen also in every individual believer, drawn out of the darkness into God's marvelous light. We catch glimpses of it now, as we study Scripture or as we reflect on the divine providence in our own lives. By the sea of crystal, where at last all things become crystal-clear to us, we shall see it as we have never seen it before, and, filled with rapture, we shall say, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty. Righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages (Rev. 15:3). The words of the Psalmist with reference to God's works in the physical realm will then be applied, with emphasis greater than ever before, also to the spiritual realm, namely, O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom thou hast made them all! The more the church lives in harmony with its high calling, the more also will the angels be able to see in it God's marvelous wisdom. To make manifest in its life and character the excellencies of its Maker-Redeemer, so that the principalities and the authorities may, indeed, see this wisdom is, therefore, part of the church's Lofty Goal. 11. That God's iridescent wisdom might be made known through the church was according to the eternal purpose which he formed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul is speaking here about the plan which spans the ages; hence, his eternal purpose, the same purpose which was mentioned also in 1:11. Cf. II Tim. 1:9. It governs the ages in all their continuity and contents. That this purpose centers in Christ has been made abundantly clear in chapter 1. Christ is, in fact, the church's Eternal Foundation. His very name, fully spelled out here in 3:11, namely, Christ Jesus our Lord, is essentially the same as that mentioned in 1:2, 3, 17. See on 1:2, but note that the beautiful word of appropriating faith, namely, our is added only in 1:3, 17, and in the present passage. There are those who maintain that this very title points to Christ in his historical manifestation here on earth, and, accordingly, that the entire passage deals not with God's purpose in Christ from eternity but rather with the historical realization of that plan. Hence, they interpret the words which he formed (or made) in Christ Jesus our Lord to mean which he has realized in him (thus R.S.V.). But although the verb used allows that translation, it is hardly true that the church's Lofty Goal of making known God's iridescent wisdom has already been fully realized. Only in glory will it be fulfilled in perfection. And there can be no objection to stating that even from eternity God's plan or purpose centered in him whom we now call Christ Jesus our Lord. All things considered, therefore, it is best to interpret 3:11 as a very comforting passage, which assures believers that God's ultimate design for the church, namely, that it serve as a school in which the glorious angels may learn more and more about his marvelous wisdom, cannot fail to be realized, resting, as it does, not on the sinking sand of merely human striving but on the impregnable rock of the sovereign and eternal will of the Almighty, a will centered in the Anointed Savior, who is Lord of the entire Church Glorious, yes, our Lord. Continued, 12. in whom we have the courage of confident access through faith in him. Literally, we would have to translate: in whom we have the courage and access in confidence. But if this be hendiadys we obtain the resultant meaning: courage of confident access. The three important words here are courage, access, and confidence. The word used for courage, namely, parrs�a, is very picturesque. It is derived from two Greek words, meaning all and telling; hence, telling all. The word occurs with great frequency in the New Testament, and in more than one resultant meaning. Light is shed upon its connotation here by such a passage as (Phil. 1:20, by my unfailing courage Christ will be magnified in my person, and by Heb. 4:16, Let us therefore draw near with courage ( boldness, A.V., A.R.V.) to the throne of grace. The word access has already been explained. See on 2:18. It has been defined as freedom of approach to the Father, in the confidence that we, Jew and Gentile, have found favor with him. The third word, confidenceII Cor. 1:15, but ground of confidence in Phil. 3:4), strengthens the idea already present in access. Since, then, Christ Jesus is ours and we are his, bought with his blood, indwelt by his Spirit, we know that we have free and unrestricted access to the Father. Cf. 2:18. We can and should approach him without restraint, telling him all our troubles, asking him to help us in all our needs. We know that he will welcome us most heartily. Particularly, we should ask him to enable us so to live that the fruits of his grace may be exhibited in us, and the wisdom of God reflected in us, so that the angels may see us as the mirror of God's virtues. Such courage of confident access is possible only through faith in him, namely, in Christ Jesus our Lord, the very One in whom we were chosen from eternity. God's eternal purpose which cannot fail and the redemption accomplished by Christ Jesus our Lord make such fearless access possible. 13. The apostle concludes this parenthetical paragraph by writing: Therefore I ask (you) not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Meaning: because we have been endowed with this courage of confident access, we should rise above discouragement. Joy in the Lord should fill our hearts at all times, for no one can take from us the blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus our Lord (see especially verses 6 and 12; cf. 1:3 ff.). In the original we have here a case of abbreviated expression, of which the Bible, and literature in general as well as human speech, is full. See N.T.C. on the Gospel according to John, Vol. I, p. 206. Actually all we have in the Greek text is this: Therefore I ask not to loseheart (II Cor. 4:1, 16; Gal. 6:9; II Thess. 3:13) in my afflictions for you, etc. In the abstract various meanings are possible. The main ones are these: (1) Therefore I ask God that I may not lose heart (2) Therefore I ask God that you may not lose heart (3) Therefore I ask you that you may not lose heart Since nothing in the context suggests God as the One to whom the request is presented, (1) and (2) can be ruled out. Also, another reason for ruling out (1) is that in the situation in which the apostle, a prisoner in Rome, finds himself, it was far more probable that those whom he addressed would lose heart than that he himself would become discouraged. That this is true appears quite clearly from another letter written, perhaps just a little later, during this same imprisonment, namely, Philippians. The church at Philippi seems to have been filled with anxious concern. It was for that very reason that Paul was then going to write, Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things that have happened to me in reality turned out to the advantage of the gospel (Phil. 1:12). We may well believe, therefore, that also here in Ephesus and surroundings not Paul but those whom he addressed were in danger of losing heart. Accordingly, the third possibility, Therefore I ask you that you may not lose heart, is the one which I, along with many others, accept. It is as if the apostle were saying, What an honor it is for you that in the very eyes of God you are regarded as being worthy of so much suffering endured by me in your behalf! (see on verse 1). How precious you must be to him! On the glory of suffering for Christ's sake see N.T.C. on Philippians, pp. 90, 91. Chapter 3 Verses 14 21 Theme: The Church Glorious I. Adoration for its L ofty Goal 2. To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so as to be filled to all the fulness of God 3:14–21 2. The Church Should Strive to Know the Love of Christ That Surpasses Knowledge in Order to Be Filled to All the Fulness of God. Paul's Prayer That This Lofty Goal May Be Increasingly Realized. Doxology 14 For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name: the Father's Family, 16 (praying) that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; in order that you, being rooted and founded in love, 18 may be strong, together with all the saints, to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge; in order that you may be filled to all the fulness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever; Amen. In the preceding paragraph Paul has pointed out that the church of Jew and Gentile must live in harmony with its high calling, so that to the principalities and the authorities in the heavenly places it may display God's iridescent wisdom. How is this end going to be achieved? The answer is given in verses 14 19, which point to the strength-imparting Spirit and the indwelling Christ. These will enable believers to attain to an ever increasing, though necessarily never complete, realization of the second aspect of their Lofty Goal, namely, to learn to know the love of Christ in all its dimensions so as to be filled to all the fulness of God. That the apostle is still writing about The Church Glorious is very clear. In fact, he supplies us with a double description of the concept church, calling it, first, the whole family in heaven and on earth, and afterward, you [Ephesian believers] together with all the saints. Similarly, the fact that here, too, as in verses 1 13, Paul is centering our attention on the church's Lofty Goal, the very word goal being used by several commentators,^[89] appears from the wording: in order that you may be enabled to grasp and to know; &in order that you may be filled. And surely no one can quarrel with the adjective lofty modifying the noun goal, for what could be a loftier purpose or ideal than to know the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ, in order to be filled to all the fulness of God? Now inasmuch as in its own strength the church will never be able even to make progress in trying to achieve this objective, the apostle makes this a matter of earnest intercession. He begins by writing, 14, 15. For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name: the Father's Family. It is clear that the apostle resumes the sentence begun in 3:1. The meaning of the opening words is therefore here as it was there: Because blessings so rich have been bestowed upon both Gentile and Jew reconciliation with God and with one another, and the erection of one sanctuary consisting of Jew and Gentile therefore I bend my knees to the Father. In the intervening verses 2 13 another element, however, has been added to this first reason. Paul has made clear that the Lord has highly favored him by imparting to him the privilege of proclaiming to the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and by enabling him to illumine the minds and hearts of all men with respect to the fact that the marvelous mystery, now unveiled, is, on the part of many, being translated into actual day by day living, a fact of amazement and instruction even to angels. Surely, God's wonderful dealings with him, Paul, a man in himself so unworthy, have made him all the more confident in prayer. Blessings already received encourage him to ask for even greater ones. Summarizing, we can say, therefore, that what the apostle means when here in verse 14 he writes, For this reason I bend my knees, is this: It is because God has dealt so kindly with you, Ephesians, and with me, Paul, that I have the courage of confident access to the Father in heaven. The apostle speaks about bending his knees. Posture in prayer is never a matter of indifference. The slouching position of the body while one is supposed to be praying is an abomination to the Lord. On the other hand, it is also true that Scripture nowhere prescribes one, and only one, correct posture. Different positions of head, arms, hands, knees, and of the body as a whole, are indicated. All of these are permissible as long as they symbolize different aspects of the worshiper's reverent attitude, and as long as they truly interpret the sentiments of his heart. For a listing of various prayer postures to which Scripture makes reference see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 103 and 104. As to kneeling, in addition to Eph. 3:14see II Chron. 6:13; Ps. 95:6; Isa. 45:23; Dan. 6:10; Matt. 17:14; Mark 1:40; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; 21:5. This particular posture pictures humility, solemnity, and adoration. It is to the Father ^[90] that this moving supplication, a true pattern of intercessory prayer, is presented. It should be borne in mind, however, that the One addressed is our Father by virtue not only of creation (3:9) but also of redemption. In fact, it is upon this redemptive aspect that the emphasis clearly rests. He is the Father to whom both Jew and Gentile have access through Christ, through him alone, in one Spirit (2:18). In this redemptive or soteriological sense he is definitely not the Father of all men. Paul gives a further description of the Father in the words: (I bend my knees) to the pat�ra (Father) from whom every or all or the whole (or all the)^[91] patrié in heaven and on earth derives its name. The sound-similarity between pat�r (here acc. patra) and patri is clearly an intentional play on words. It creates a problem in translation. The other question, as indicated in footnote 91, concerns the translation of the word p�sa which in the original precedes patrié, whether it should be rendered every or all or the whole. The main translations that have been suggested are the following: (1) every family (A.R.V., R.S.V., N.E.B.). Objection: In a context in which the emphasis from start to finish is on oneness, how Jew and Gentile have become one organism (2:14–22; 3:6; 4:4–6), an emphasis so strong that the theme of the entire epistle is The Church Glorious or The Unity of All Believers in Christ, it is as dubious to speak of every family as it was in 2:21 to think of each several building. Those who, nevertheless, adopt this rendering become entangled in all kinds of questions such as: How many families does Paul have in mind? Do the Jews constitute one family, the Gentiles another? Do the angels form a family all by themselves or must we think of several angelic families: a family of principalities and another family of authorities, etc.? (2) all fatherhood (Phillips, Bruce). Simpson writes that Father of all fatherhoods is a rendering entitled to strong support (op. cit., p. 79). Evaluation: This translation has a certain appeal; first, because the play on words (paronomasia) of the original can thus be preserved in the translation, which then becomes, I bend my knees to the Father from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its name, or something similar; secondly, because it suggests a beautiful and comforting thought, in itself entirely true, namely, that, compared to the heavenly Father's original fatherhood, all other fatherhood anywhere in the universe is only derived and secondary, a faint likeness. If then human fathers love their children so intensely and care for them so generously, how marvelous must be the love and care of the heavenly Father! This thought, in turn, also provides an excellent basis for Paul's confidence that the request which he is about to make will be granted. There are, nevertheless, two reasons that prevent me from adopting this translation: a. nothing in the context has prepared us for a discussion of the abstract concept of fatherhood, and b. the meaning fatherhood for patrié is foreign to Luke 2:4, Joseph was of the house and family of David; and to Acts 3:25, In your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. These are the only other New Testament passages in which the term patrié occurs. It is evident that even though it does not necessarily always refer to family in the most restricted sense of the term but can also indicate a wider group of persons united by descent from a common ancestor, it always has a concrete connotation. In the references given in M.M., p. 498, and in L.N.T. (A. and G.), p. 642, to contemporary Greek sources it also has the concrete sense. (3) the whole family. Evaluation: I consider this rendering to be correct. It is entirely in harmony with the context. In fact, in words that differ but slightly, the apostle has just told us that all those who believe in Christ, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, now constitute one household, a synonym for one family. Not only that, but he has even mentioned the Father's relation to this household or family. His words were: For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are &members of the household of God (2:18, 19). In subsequent passages he has re-emphasized this same thought, though by the use of different metaphors (2:20–22; 3:6). He is going to stress it again in 4:1–6. It was, in fact, this very circumstance that filled his heart with great joy. The only drawback which this translation has is its failure to reproduce the obviously intentional connection between pat�r (Father) and patrié (family), a sound-similarity almost impossible to reproduce in English while still retaining the meaning of the words in the original. Whether to give up the attempt, in which case A.V. s rendering, or something similar, is still the best that has been offered: the Father &of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, or else to look with favor upon my solution: the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name: the Father's Family, I leave to anyone's preference. Perhaps someone can suggest a more excellent way. What is Paul's purpose in attaching this modifier to the words the Father? I answer: He probably wishes to indicate that if it be true that the relation between believers and their heavenly Father is so very close that they constitute one family, whose very name hence, existence, essence, character as the Father's Family is derived from his name Father, then this Father can be trusted to supply every need. See Matt. 7:11; Luke 11:13. This modifier, therefore, far from being inconsequential, furnishes an adequate introduction to the petition which Paul is about to present. Another point must not be passed by, namely, that, according to this clause, the family in heaven and on earth, the Father's Family, is one. We speak about the Church Militant on earth and the Church Triumphant in heaven, but these are not two churches. They are one church, one family. It is in the interest of that one church that Christ governs the entire universe (1:22, 23). If even to us who are living in a day of travel by jet, short wave radio transmission, and the automatic relaying of electronic signals by means of synchronous satellites from and to any place on earth, distances seem to vanish, so that places on this planet once considered far apart are now viewed as close together, it should not be too difficult to understand that in the sight of the God who created all things the church of the redeemed in glory and the church of the redeemed on earth constitute one family. To be sure, there is nothing in Scripture that warrants the belief that there is direct contact between the dead and the living.^[92] There is, however, indirect contact (Luke 15:7). Besides, the names of all believers, whether still on earth or already in heaven, are written in one book of life, and engraved on the breastplate of the one Highpriest. The Spirit, too, though in different measure, dwells in the hearts of all. All have one Father, of whom they are children by adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5). Christ, being the Son by nature, is not ashamed to recognize these adopted children as his brothers (Heb. 2:11). Every day the praise of the entire church, in heaven and on earth, is directed to the same Triune God. The book of Revelation especially indicates how close are the ties that unite that part of the church which is in heaven with the part that is still on earth. In the early church this glorious truth was not a dead letter. Also in later times some have given beautiful expression to it. Thus, for example, the little girl, one of seven children, two of whom, however, had died, was certainly right when, according to Wordsworth's famous poem, she continued to maintain, We are seven. The reader recalls, no doubt, the ending: How many are you then? said I, If they two are in heaven? Quick was the little maid's reply, O master, we are seven. But they are dead; these two are dead! Their spirits are in heaven! Twas throwing words away; for still The little maid would have her will, And said, Nay, we are seven! When we recite the Apostles Creed and reach the line, (I believe in) the communion of saints, we will have failed to pour full meaning into this part of our confession unless we understand that we are confessing that we have come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the innumerable hosts of angels [a different category of beings but vitally interested in our salvation], to the general assembly and church of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect (Heb. 12:22, 23). We will have fallen short unless we cherish the memory of those who at one time were our leaders, reflect on the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7). We will have missed the mark unless we bear in mind and are comforted by the fact that today too the ascended Christ is in the Spirit walking on earth in the midst of the lightbearers (Rev. 1:12, 13); and unless by faith we peer into heaven's opened door (Rev. 4:1), meditate upon the songs of its choirsRev. 4, 5, 12, 15, 19 , and sense our oneness with all those who have come out of the great tribulation and, having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, are living and reigning with Christ in glory (Rev. 7:13–17; 20:4). As to the intercessory prayer itself, it should be observed that it works its way toward a momentous climax. It is, as it were, a staircase consisting of three steps, a ladder with three rungs; steps or rungs, however, by means of which one is lifted to the very heights of heaven. The three parts of the prayer are readily visible, for the boundaries between them are marked out clearly by the words in order that in verses 17 and 19.^[93] 16, 17a. Paul has introduced his moving trinitarian prayer by saying, For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name: the Father's Family, and he continues, (praying) that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. God is glorious in all his attributes, as has been indicated. See on 1:17. His power (1:19; 3:7) is infinite; his love (1:5; 2:4) is great; his mercy (1:4) and his grace (1:2, 6; 2:7, 8) are rich; his wisdom (3:10) is iridescent; etc. Note particularly such expressions as the surpassing riches of his grace (expressed) in kindness (2:7) and compare the unfathomable riches of Christ (3:8). In the work of salvation it is never right to stress one attribute at the expense of another.^[94] Hodge is right when he states, It is not his power to the exclusion of his mercy, nor his mercy to the exclusion of his power, but it is everything in God that renders him glorious, the proper object of adoration (op. cit., p. 181). Paul prays therefore that all of God's resplendent attributes may be richly applied to the spiritual progress of those whom he addresses. In particular, he asks that the One who, as 1:19 (Col. 1:11) has shown, is himself the Source of power in all its various manifestations, may grant to the Ephesians that, in accordance with the measure of God's glory, they may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man. This inner man is not that which is rational in man as contrasted with man's lower appetites. Paul's terminology is not that of Plato or of the Stoics. On the contrary, the inner man is the opposite of the outer (or: outward) man. Cf. (II Cor. 4:16. The former is hidden from the public gaze. The latter is open to the public. It is in the hearts of believers that the principle of a new life has been implanted by the Holy Spirit. See on 3:17. What the writer is praying for is therefore this, that within these hearts such a controlling influence may be exerted that they may be strengthened more and more with Spirit-imparted power. See on 1:19; cf. Acts 1:8. Another way of putting the same thought is this: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Wrong is the idea, rather popular among some commentators, that first, for a while, the Spirit imparts strength to believers, after which there arrives a time when Christ establishes his abode in these now strengthened hearts. Christ and the Spirit cannot be thus separated. When believers have the Spirit within themselves they have Christ within themselves, as is very clear from Rom. 8:9, 10. In the Spirit Christ himself inhabits the believers inner selves. Cf. Gal. 2:20; 3:2. The heart is the mainspring of dispositions as well as of feelings and thoughtsMatt. 15:19; 22:37; Phil. 1:7; I Tim. 1:5). Out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Christ's precious indwelling is through faith, the latter being the hand that accepts Gods gifts. Faith is full surrender to God in Christ, so that one expects everything from God and yields everything to him. It works through love (Gal. 5:6). It is instructive to note that the long list of exhortations (4:1 6:17) by means of which the apostle is about to urge the Ephesians to work out their own salvation (Phil. 2:12) is wedged in between two references to prayer; the first one, here in 3:14–19, being Paul's own prayer; the second in 6:18 ff., being the exhortation unto prayer, in which connection Paul reminds the Ephesians that as he prays for them, they too should pray for him. It is as if the writer were saying: To be sure, believers should strive to reach their goal. They should exert themselves to the utmost. But they should remember at all times that apart from the power of the Holy Spirit or, stating it differently, apart from the indwelling of Christ they are completely powerless. With fear and trembling work out your own salvation; for it is God who is working within you both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:12, 13). And since so much in a sense everything depends on God, hence prayer for his strength-imparting power is all important. The immediate purpose of the strengthening and the indwelling is stated in words which indicate, as it were, the second rung of this prayer-ladder: 17b 19a. in order that you, being rooted and founded in love,^[95] may be strong, together with all the saints, to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Since faith works through love, and amounts to nothing without it (I Cor. 13:2), it is easy to see that if by faith Christ has established his abiding presence in the heart, believers will be firmly rooted and founded in love, a love for God in Christ, for the brothers and sisters in the Lord, for the neighbors, even for enemies. Moreover, this love, in turn, is necessary in order to comprehend Christ's love for those who love him. And in the measure in which the believers vision of that love which proceeds from Christ expands, their love for him and their ability to grasp his love for them will also increase, etc. Thus the most powerful and blessed chain-reaction in the whole universe is established. It all began with God's love in Christ for the Ephesians (I John 4:19). Like a continuing circle it will never end. The words rooted and founded suggest a twofold metaphor: that of a tree and that of a building. To insure the stability of the tree roots are required, roots that will be in proportion to the spread of the branches. Similarly, as a guarantee for the solidity of a building a foundation is necessary, one that will adequately support the superstructure. Thus firmly rooted the tree, which represents all those who love the Lord, will flourish and bear the indicated fruit. Thus solidly founded the building will continue to grow into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, and will achieve its purpose. That fruit and purpose is to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ. Since such grasping or appropriating^[96] and knowing can be practised only by those who are rooted and founded in love, it is clear that the reference is not to an activity that is purely mental. It is experiential knowledge, heart-knowledge, which Paul has in mind. And since the heart is the very core and center of life and influences all of life's inner activities and outward expressions, what is indicated is a grasping and a knowing with one's entire being, that is, with all the faculties of heart and mind. Mental appropriation is certainly included. It should not be necessary to point out that when the apostle speaks of being strong (exercising great inherent strength; see on 1:19) to grasp &and to know, he does not have two objects in mind but one, namely, the love of Christ. So great is that love that no one will ever be able to appropriate and to know it all by himself alone; hence, together with all the saints. The saints will tell each other about their discoveries and experiences with respect to it, in the spirit of Ps. 66:16, Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul. This activity of getting to know more and more about the love of Christ begins here on earth and will, of course, continue in the life hereafter. The fact that Paul in this very prayer is not forgetting about the church in heaven is clear from verse 14. The Lofty Ideal is to get to know thoroughly Christ's deep affection, self-sacrificing tenderness, passionate sympathy, and marvelous outgoingness. All of these are included in love but do not exhaust it. Paul prays that the addressed may appropriate and know this love in all its breadth and length and height and depth! Here, as I see it, the expositor should be on his guard. He should not pluck this expression apart, so that a separate meaning is ascribed to each of these dimensions. What is meant is simply this: Paul prays that the Ephesians (and all believers down through the centuries) may be so earnest and zealous in the pursuit of their objective that they will never get to the point where they will say, We have arrived. Now we know all there is to know about the love of Christ. Just as Abraham was told to look toward heaven and number the stars, so that he might see that numbering them was impossible; and just as we today are being urged by means of a hymn to count our many blessings, and to name them one by one, so that their uncountable multitude may increase our gratitude and astonishment, so also the apostle prays that the addressed may concentrate so intensely and exhaustively on the immensity and glory of Christ's love that they will come to understand that this love ever surpasses knowledge. The finite heart and mind can never fully grasp or know infinite love. Even in the life hereafter God will never say to his redeemed, Now I have told you all there is to be told about this love. I close the book, for the last page has been read. There will always be more and more and still more to tell. And that will be the blessedness of the heavenly life. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/ CHAPTER IV:1 16 Chapter 4:1–16 Theme: The Church Glorious II. Exhortation describing and urging upon all O rganic Unity (amid Diversity) and Growth into Christ 4:1–16 4 1 I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, entreat you to live lives worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, enduring one another in love, 3 making every effort to preserve the unity imparted by the Spirit by means of the bond (consisting in) peace. 4 (There is) one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope which your calling brought you; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who (is) over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us this grace was given within the limits which Christ apportioned. 8 Therefore he says: When he ascended on high he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 9 Now this expression, he ascended, what can it mean but that he had (previously) descended into the regions lower than the earth?^[98] 10 The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order that he might fill all things 11 And it was he who gave some (to be) apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 in order fully to equip the saints for the work of ministry, with a view to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the clear knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and whirled around by every gust of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by (their) talent for deceitful scheming; 15 but adhering to the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the entire body, harmoniously fitted together and held together by every supporting joint, according to the energy that corresponds to the capacity of each individual part, brings about bodily growth with a view to its own upbuilding in love. It is clear as daylight and universally admitted that this section, especially in its opening verses, emphasizes unity. This unity, moreover, is not external and mechanical, but internal and organic. It is not superimposed, but, by virtue of the power of the indwelling Christ, proceeds from within the organism of the church. Those, therefore, who in their ecumenical zeal are anxious to erase all denominational boundaries and to create a mammoth super-church can find no comfort here. On the other hand, neither can those who exaggerate differences and even stand in the way of inter-ecclesiastical co-operation when this can be accomplished without sacrificing any real principle. The first six verses can be summarized as follows: the church is spiritually one; therefore, let it be spiritually one! This does not imply any contradiction, the meaning being that believers should make every effort to preserve the unity imparted by the Spirit by means of the bond (consisting in) peace. The unity is, however, not such that the individual believer becomes a mere cog in the wheel. Personal initiative or individual expression, far from being crushed, is encouraged, as verses 7 12, 16, clearly indicate. Also, the oneness is not an end in itself. It is not a superficial desire for togetherness in the spirit of the familiar lines: For your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends; And the more we get together, the happier we'll be. On the contrary, it is a unity with the purpose of being a blessing to one another, so that the church can be built up, and can thus be a blessing to the world. There is work to be done, as verse 12 clearly shows. And in order to accomplish the tasks assigned, believers should co-operate, each contributing his share to the inner growth of the church. This is all the more necessary because the opponents are very clever (verse 14). It is clear that in this section the idea of growth is just as prominent as is that of unity. If there be any difference in emphasis I would say the former is even more prominent, especially in verses 12 16. In verse 15 the apostle expresses the idea of growth in these words: &that we, speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head, even Christ. Everything considered, therefore, it would seem that the subtitle Organic Unity (amid Diversity) and Growth into Christ supplies the true key to the contents of this section. 1. The apostle begins, saying, I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, entreat you to live lives worthy of the calling with which you were called. Paul the prisonerII Tim. 1:8; in Eph. 3:1and in Philem. 1, 9of Christ Jesus, with no essential difference in meaning has been faithful to his trust, as his very imprisonment, brought about by his loyalty, proves. He, therefore, is all the more justified in entreating the addressed to be likewise faithful, that is, to live lives worthy of your calling (Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10; I Thess. 2:12; III John 6). Let them conduct themselves in harmony with the responsibilities which their new relationship to God had imposed upon them and with the blessings which this effectual calling (for which see on 1:18) had brought them. As to these responsibilities, the addressed had been foreordained to sonship (1:5). It is their responsibility, therefore, to behave in the manner in which adopted children of the heavenly Father could be expected to behave: believing his teachings, trusting his promises, and obeying his will. And as to the blessings, these were described in the preceding chapters: election, redemption, sealing, being made alive, being reconciled not only to God but also to those who had formerly been their enemies, having freedom of access to the throne of grace, etc. Surely, a life of gratitude, abounding in good works as its fruit, was in order! It is as if Paul were saying, If you are believers, and wish to be known as such, live as believers. It reminds us of the manner in which Mordecai answered the accusations of those who found fault with him because he refused to obey the king's order to bow down to Haman. He simply answered, I am a Jew (Esther 3:4). Be what you are! says Paul, as it were. He continues this thought by adding: 2, 3. with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, enduring one another in love, making every effort to preserve the unity imparted by the Spirit by means of the bond (consisting in) peace. The seven-fold description of the Christian life resembles very closely what is found in the twin-letter (Col. 3:12–15).^[99] To avoid repetition may I, accordingly, ask the reader to consult N.T.C. on Colossians and Philemon, pp. 155–160. What is about to be presented is additional material, not mere duplication. Though not intended as a complete list of qualities which believers should reveal in their lives, the Ephesian list furnishes a broad characterization of this new disposition and behavior. First mentioned is lowliness or humility. Having received blessings so great that their true value cannot be expressed in words, it is altogether proper that the recipients be filled with the very basic virtue of lowliness. Note the emphasis: all lowliness and meekness. Humility has been called the first, second, and third essential of the Christian life. The mention of lowliness leads naturally to that of meekness. The meek individual is slow to insist on his rights. He realizes that in the sight of God he has no rights at all that are his by nature. All his rights were secured by grace. And although with reference to men he may at times have to insist on his rights (Acts 16:35 40), he does not rashly throw himself into the fray. He would rather take wrong than inflict it (I Cor. 6:7). With Abraham he prefers to let Lot have first choice (Gen. 13:7–18), with great reward &for Abraham! He exercises longsuffering. Emphasis on this virtue was greatly needed in the early church, when believers suffered misunderstanding, harshness, and cruelty from those who did not share their faith. For example, the lot of a Christian wife who was married to an unbeliever was by no means easy. Nevertheless, as long as her husband was willing to live with her in the marriage relationship, the wife must remain with him and try, by means of her God-fearing behavior, to win him for Christ. Thus, the grace of longsuffering would be beautifully illustrated in her life. See I Cor. 7:13and I Peter 3:2. However, not only with respect to outsiders must this grace be exhibited, also with reference to fellow-believers. All have their faults and weaknesses. Let every one say to himself, therefore, In view of the fact that God has been so longsuffering toward me, even though in his holy eyes my sins must stand out far more clearly than do my brother's blemishes in my eyes, I must surely be patient with my brother. The mention of longsuffering is followed by that of endurance or forbearance. Literally the apostle says, combining two virtues, enduring one another in love. The person who endures injury tries to pay no attention to it. He holds himself up, as the derivation of the word in the original implies, is not shaken up, but continues to keep himself erect and firm. We, too, at times use a somewhat similar expression when we say, You should put up with his ill behavior. However, in saying this we do not always mean exactly what the apostle has in mind. We may simply be referring to suffering injury without open resentment, though we boil within! Paul, however, very aptly combines the forbearance of which he is speaking with the inner disposition of love. He everywhere emphasizes this virtue of outgoingness, true and tender affection toward the brother, the neighbor, and even the enemy, the noble endeavor to benefit him and never to harm him in any way. In addition to the Colossian verses to which reference was made earlier, see also Rom. 12:9–21; I Cor. 8:13; 9:22; 10:33; and Gal. 5:22, to select only a few references among the many that could be mentioned. The most complete and strikingly touching chapter on love toward all is I Cor. 13. To be appreciated it should be read, if possible, in the original, and if not possible, at least in several versions! Now if, by the aid of the Holy Spirit and of prayer, a person truly endeavors so to conduct himself that his life will sparkle with these virtues, unity, to which Paul turns next, will be promoted. The spiritual oneness here indicated is an indispensable prerequisite for promoting the health and happiness of the church, for advancing the cause of missions, and for winning the victory over Satan and his allies. It does not come of its own accord but is the result of both effort and prayer; of effort, for the apostle says, making every effort (II Tim. 2:15), and doing this constantly (note the present participle, continuative); and of prayer, for he refers to a unity of the Spirit (thus literally, but meaning: imparted by the Spirit); hence, the result of earnest prayer (Luke 11:13). It is a oneness of Jew and Gentile, as was emphasized by Paul (2:11–22; 3:6), of lofty purpose (3:10, 18, 19), and of true affection (4:2; 5:1, 2). This unity is promoted by peace. Cf. I Cor. 14:33; II Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:7; Col. 3:15; II Thess. 3:16; II Tim. 2:22. Here in Ephesians the apostle has already referred to it in 1:2; 2:14, 15, 17; and will refer to it again in 6:15, 23. When there is strife there is disunity. Peace, on the other hand, promotes the perpetuation of unity. Hence, it is, after all, not surprising that Paul writes, making every effort to preserve the unity imparted by the Spirit by means of the bond ( of, that is, consisting in) peace. This bond or tie that binds believers together is peace, just as in Col. 3:14it is love. This involves no contradiction, for it is exactly love that makes peace possible. Hence, both here in Eph. 4:2, 3and in Col. 3:14, 15, love and peace are mentioned in close succession. Surely, if it be correct to say that the stability of the roof depends in a sense on the foundation that underlies the entire superstructure, then it is also correct to say that the roof's stability depends on the strength of the walls that immediately uphold it. And since especially in Ephesians the apostle dwells in such detail on the peace established between God and men, resulting in peace between Jews and Gentiles, it is entirely natural that he should here speak of peace as the bond. Take it in whatever sense one prefers, spiritual peace is ever the gift of love. Unity results. The exhortation that the addressed may live in love and unity (verses 1 3) is followed by a description of this unity. In this description unity and all those characteristics associated with it are traced first to the Spirit, who had entered into the hearts of the believers; from there back to the Lord (Jesus Christ), whose vicarious sacrifice had made possible the gift of the Spirit; and, finally, to God the Father, who had given his Son and who, together with the Son, was also the Giver or Sender of the Spirit. In close association with the Spirit two other elements of Christian unity are mentioned, making three in all: one body, one Spirit, one hope. So also, in connection with the Lord, two others, again resulting in a triad: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The Father is mentioned all by himself, for the six already named are traceable to him in the sense that whatever is associated with the Spirit and with the Son must, of necessity, also be associated with the Father, for it is he who is over all and through all and in all. Accordingly, what we have here is a sevenfold description of a threefold unity, a statement of the character of Christian unity and of its trinitarian Source.^[100] 4. The first triad is: (There is) one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope which your calling brought you. The one body is, of course, the church consisting of Jews and Gentiles (2:14–22), the one family in heaven and on earth (3:15). Though in a sense, we are many, yet we are one body in Christ (Rom. 12:5). There is one loaf, one body (I Cor. 10:17). This body or church, moreover, is not an earth-born or man-made institution but a product of the Holy Spirit; hence, one body and one Spirit. The urgent invitation of the gospel (the external call) has been applied to the hearts of the Ephesians by the Holy Spirit, producing the internal or effectual call. See on 1:18 and 4:1. Their call had brought them hope, a hope firmly grounded in God's promises which cannot fail. It was a hope of receiving the inheritance among the saints in the light (Col. 1:12), as God's gracious reward for a life consecrated to him. The main reason, I believe, why the call had filled them with hope was that the very possession of the Spirit in their hearts was already the first instalment of their inheritance (1:14), and as such a pledge or guarantee of glory to come, a glory arriving not only when soul and body part but also and especially in the great consummation of all things at Christ's return. The fruits (Gal. 5:22, 23) which the indwelling and sanctifying Spirit was bestowing upon them were firstfruits (Rom. 8:23), a foretaste of future, ineffable bliss. The Spirit, in the very process of imparting to the Ephesians the effectual call, also united them, so that they became one spiritual organism: For by one Spirit we were also baptized into one body, whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (I Cor. 12:13; cf. 3:16; 6:19; Rom. 8:9, 11). Just as it is exactly because the human body is pervaded by the spirit that it is one and is able to function as a unit, every member in co-operation with all the others, so also it is precisely because the church, Christ's body, is indwelt and influenced throughout by the Holy Spirit that it is a single organism and operates as such. 5. Now the second triad: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. This Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Lord in the sense that since he bought us we are his. He owns us, loves us, cares for us, and protects us. We recognize his sovereignty, own him as our Deliverer and Ruler, trust, obey, love, and worship him (I Cor. 6:13–15, 20; 7:23; 12:3, 5; Phil. 2:11; I Peter 1:18, 19; Rev. 19:16). Whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11), already in heaven or still on earth (Rom. 14:9), we all confess this one Lord as ours. We embrace him with one faith. What is meant by this one faith? Is it faith in the objective sense, body of truth, creedGal. 1:23; 6:10; Phil. 1:27and frequently in the Pastoral Epistles , or is it faith in the subjective sense, reliance on our Lord Jesus Christ and on his promises? Among commentators there is great difference of opinion with respect to this question.^[101] For myself, the subjective sense seems to be the one indicated here. It is one faith not historical nor miraculous nor temporary but true and genuine trust by means of which we embrace the one Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that the subjective and the objective cannot be separated: when a person surrenders himself to Christ as his Lord he at the same time also accepts the body of truth with reference to him. Yet this is not the same as saying that the term faith is here used in a double sense. The fact that faith is mentioned immediately after Lord and is immediately followed by baptism, all in one very short sentence, would seem to indicate that the triad is a closely knit unit (which was true also with respect to the first triad, mentioned in verse 4). Hence, I agree with Scott, op. cit., p. 204, when he states, It is better to take the whole sentence as expressive of a single fundamental fact: one Lord in whom we all believe and in whose name we have been baptized. With respect to the one baptism Grosheide states, There is only one baptism which is received by many (perhaps a number of persons simultaneously). All the members of the congregation are baptized in the same manner, and we may well assume, after or in connection with the same sermonic elucidation. By means of baptism the fellowship of believers with their Lord was sealed (Gal. 3:27). In baptism lies the evidence that all sorts of people (Gal. 3:28), without any discrimination, share in the grace of Christ (H. N. Ridderbos, The Epistle of Paul to the Churches of Galatia, a volume in New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1953, p. 147).^[102] 6. To show the unity within the Trinity as ultimate basis for the unity of the church, the apostle, turning now to the Father, writes, one God and Father of all, who (is) over all and through all and in all. The emphasis here, as in 1:3, 17; 2:18; 3:14, 15, is on redemptive Fatherhood. The first person of the divine Trinity is our Father in Jesus Christ. He is the Father from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. To be sure, as our Father he is also our Creator, for he created all things (3:9). This fact makes his Fatherhood in the sphere of redemption stand out even more beautifully. He recreated what he had created, so that we are his in a double sense, and therefore all the more owe him our full devotion. But that it is on his Fatherhood with reference to the family of believers that the emphasis here falls is clear not only from the fact that this is the prevailing sense in which the term Father is used in Ephesians but also from the immediate context. The first person of the Trinity is, accordingly, Father of all,^[103] that is, of all those who belong to the family of the faith. Whether they are converts from the Jewish or from the Gentile world makes no difference, just so they are converts. As such he bears a threefold relationship to all his children: As Father he is over all, for he exercises control over all. He is, however, also through all, for he blesses us all through Christ our Mediator. And he is in all, for he draws us close to his heart in the Spirit. Thus the three strands are gathered into one, and we perceive that the Spirit about whom verse 4 was centered, and the Lord (Jesus Christ) on whom verse 5 was concentrated, are not to be viewed as separate entities. We worship one God (Deut. 6:4), not three gods. Though it is true that Scripture ascribes election especially to the Father, redemption especially to the Son, and sanctification especially to the Spirit, yet in each of these departments all co-operate. The three never work at cross purposes. As has often been remarked, the Father thought our salvation, the Son bought it, the Spirit wrought it. Moreover, the unity amid diversity which pertains to the Trinity is the basis for the essential unity in the midst of the circumstantial variety which characterizes the church, and to which Paul now turns. 7. He writes, But to each one of us this^[104] grace was given within the limits which Christ apportioned. The apostle has dwelt in detail on the unity of the church. This was necessary, for only when the church recognizes its unity and strives more and more to preserve it, each member co-operating with all the others, will the gospel move mightily forward among the nations, will the church itself rejoice, will Satan tremble, and will the name of God be glorified. However, this unity makes allowance for diversity of gifts among the many members of the one body. In fact, this very diversity, far from destroying the unity, will, if properly used, promote it. The proper use of the gift, that is, the particular endowment (see on 3:2, 7) which in his grace God has bestowed on anyone, implies the following: a. that the recipient shall indeed recognize it as a gift, and not as the product of his own skill or ingenuity; b. that he view his gift as only one among many and as limited in extent, a measured gift; and c. that he be eager to use it not for his own glory but for the benefit of the entire body, and thus, to God's glory. The best commentary on this verse is what Paul himself writes in I Cor. 12, the entire chapter. In verses 4 6 he states, Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of service, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of working, but it is the same God who works all in all. And significantly he adds, But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (verse 7). It seems that in the early church as also today there was a twofold danger: a. that those who had received very special endowments might overestimate their importance, give themselves the credit for them, and fail to use them for the benefit of the entire church; and b. that those who had not been so richly endowed might lose courage, thinking that they were of no benefit to the church. It was not only Paul who reacted against this real peril; in a slightly different sense so did James even earlier: Let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate, and the rich in that he is made low (1:9). The real comfort and glorious lesson for everyone must ever be: I have received my gift, be it great or small, from Christ himself.^[105] I must use it, therefore, as he requires. The Giver will not fail me when I use my gift for the benefit of all. But is it really true that the Jesus who once walked the earth is now so highly exalted, so glorious, and so richly endowed with authority that he is able to bestow his gifts upon the church and upon its members in lavish quantity? In answer to this question the apostle writes about the ascended Christ and the gifts which he bestowed and is still bestowing. What follows in verses 8 16 is really a unit. However, since the reference to Christ's ascension and its implication is found especially in verses 8 10, this will be studied first of all. Paul writes 8 10. Therefore he says: When he ascended on high he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. Now this expression, he ascended, what can it mean but that he had (previously)^[106] descended into the regions^[107] lower than the earth? The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order that he might fill all things. The word therefore must here be interpreted to indicate something like in accordance with this. By direction of the Holy Spirit Paul introduces a passage from the PsalmsPs. 68:18; LXX 69:19 that has a bearing upon the present subject. He does not intend to quote literally but rather, as occurs so often in such cases, to elucidate a passage by showing how that which in the Psalter was said concerning God attained its fulfilment in Christ.^[108] When we bear in mind the typical character of the old dispensation, the fact that the Old is by the New explained, so that we do not have two Bibles but one Bible inspired by one original Author, the Holy Spirit, we will not be able to find fault with this method. The expression he says means God says. This appears rather clearly from the context in such passages as (Rom. 9:25; Gal. 3:16, 17; and Heb. 1:5–7; and may be assumed also in such other passages as Rom. 15:10; I Cor. 6:16; II Cor. 6:2; etc.^[109] There follows the application of Ps. 68:18to Christ's ascension and the gifts he bestowed. In A.V. this passage reads as follows: Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men. In A.R.V. the first line is identical; the second reads thou hast led away captives. This, however, is not a material change, for captivity can be interpreted as meaning a host of captivesJudg. 5:12), just as, for example, the circumcision means the circumcized (Eph. 2:11). The third line is thou hast received gifts among men. Paul appears to have had in mind the LXX version of the passage, with which, with respect to the points which require comment, our English versions agree substantially, though not in every little detail. However, in the apostle's application for, as the passage from the Psalms reads in Eph. 4:8it is applied rather than literally quoted the words undergo three changes. Two of them, however, are of such minor significance that they can be relegated to a footnote.^[110] The one really important change is this, that the passage from which the apostle was borrowing stated that the One who ascended received gifts, but the apostle himself in referring to it here says that he gave gifts. According to the Old Testament passage God is represented, it would seem, as descending from heaven to wage war against his enemies. He ascends again as Victor, loaded with spoils. What gave Paul the right to apply this receiving of gifts to the activity of Christ whereby he gives gifts to his church? Ever so many explanations have been offered with which I shall not weary the reader. The one I accept is the following: Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the apostle had every right to make this application, for the Victor receives the spoils with a view to giving them away. The giving is implied in the receiving. When Christ ascended he was not returning to heaven with empty hands. On the contrary, as a result of accomplished mediatorial work he returned in triumph to heaven, in the full possession of salvation for his people. These people were, so to speak, in his triumphant procession. They were captives in his train, chained, as it were, to his chariot. There was a vast host of captives. Among them was also Paul, destined, along with the others, to spread abroad the fragrance of the gospel. Thanks be to God! See II Cor. 2:14. Now Christ received in order to give. He had earned in order to bestow. He received these captives in order to give them to the kingdom, for kingdom-work. Reasons for adopting this interpretation: 1. The prevailing custom that the victor divides the spoil is recognized also in Scripture. Thus, when Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer and his allies he took booty with the intention of giving it away: to Lot, what he had lost; to Melchizedek, the tithe; to Aner, Eschcol and Mamre, their portion (Gen. 14). Did not David also receive the spoil in order to give it away? (I Sam. 30:26–31). Israel's enemies, too, were in the habit of dividing the spoil, first taking it and then distributing it (Judg. 5:30). 2.Isa. 53:12says with reference to the coming Messiah, He will divide the spoil with the strong. 3. According to Acts 2:33Peter on the day of Pentecost distinctly reminded his audience that having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he [Christ] has poured out this which you see and hear. 4. The Aramaic Targum on the Psalter and also the Peshitta read, Thou hast given gifts to men. At the root of this interpretation there must have been a very ancient oral tradition. Now the Targum explained the words of the Psalmist as having reference to Moses, who received the law on Sinai in order to give it to the people of Israel. All the same, the receiving implied the giving. 5. This explanation suits the present context in which the apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc., are described as the gifts of the ascended Christ to the church. When Paul adds, Now this expression, he ascended, what can it mean but that he had (previously) descended, the logic is not immediately clear. An ascent does not necessarily presuppose a previous descent. The fact, for example, that Elijah ascended to heaven does not mean that he had previously come down from heaven. The solution lies in the fact that Paul is not stating a general law but is speaking about Christ, and is saying that in his case ascent implied (previous) descent. This is true, for, as we have seen, Christ's ascension was glorious. He was welcomed back by his Father into heaven (John 20:17; Acts 1:11), and at his entrance into glory all heaven rejoiced (Rev. 12:5, 10). Now this ascension whereby he, as Victor over Satan, sin, and death, re-entered heaven in the full merits of his atoning sacrifice would never have been possible had he not first descended from the glories of heaven to earth's shame and suffering. This is simply another way of saying that Christ's exaltation resulted from his humiliation, a humiliation so deep and ineffable that the apostle characterizes it by saying that he descended into the regions lower than the earth. This expression of verse 9 is in direct contrast with higher than all the heavens of verse 10. The two expressions can be understood only when they are viewed in their relation to each other. And they should be so considered for they concern the same person: The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended higher than all the heavens. Paul is the best commentator of his own words. He furnishes this commentary in Phil. 2:5 11: He emptied himself &and became obedient even to the extent of death; yes, death by a cross. Therefore God raised him to the loftiest heights, etc.^[111] For believers in every age it is certainly a comfort to know that he who ascended higher than all the heavens, an expression that must not be taken in a merely literal sense but in the sense of majesty and exaltation to the Father's right hand so that he reigns over the entire universe and over every creature (1:20–23), is still the same Jesus, filled with the same tender love and sympathetic concern which he showed when on Calvary's cross he descended to regions lower than the earth, that is, to the experience of the nethermost depths, the very agonies of hell (Matt. 27:46). Add to this the equally comforting truth that when he returns on clouds of glory he will still be this same Jesus (Acts 1:11), the one loving and ruling head of the one church. What an incentive to the spirit of unity among all the members of the church! This Same Jesus This same Jesus! Oh, how sweetly Fall those words upon the ear, Like a swell of far-off music In a night-watch still and drear! * He, the lonely Man of Sorrows, Neath our sin-curse bending low, By his faithless friends forsaken In the darkest hours of woe, * This same Jesus! When the vision Of that last and awful day Bursts upon the prostrate spirit, Like a midnight lightning ray; * Then, we lift our hearts adoring This same Jesus, loved and known; Him, our own most gracious Savior, Seated on the great white throne. * (Frances Ridley Havergal) Paul concludes this elaboration on Christ's humiliation and consequent exaltation by adding that his purpose was that he might fill all things. This has been variously interpreted as meaning: (1) that he might fulfill all predictions; (2) that he might accomplish every task that had been assigned to him; (3) that he might fill the universe with his omnipresence; and (4) more in detail, that his human nature, including his body, might pass into the full enjoyment and exercise of the divine perfections, and thus become permanently omnipresent, omnipotent, etc. I reject all these because, as I see it, they are foreign to the present context. This applies very clearly to (1) and (2) about which nothing is said in this context. As to (3), favored by Hodge and others, it is not clear how Christ, by means of his ascension, could become omnipresent. As to his deity he was already omnipresent. And as to his human nature, unless we accept the general proposition that by means of the ascension something peculiar to the divine nature is communicated to the human nature which is not the Reformed position it is hard to see how that human nature could now become omnipresent. And as to (4), the Lutheran position (see Lenski, op. cit., pp. 524, 525), with reference to which, however, there is a difference of opinion among Lutheran theologians, here again the connection between the communication of divine attributes to the human nature, on the one hand, and the gift of apostles, prophets, etc., of which the context speaks, is not immediately clear. Besides, the ascension accounts as found in Luke 24:50 53and Acts 1:6 11, while clearly describing the transition of Christ, as to his human nature, from one place to another, say nothing at all about any change in Christ's human nature so that it now entered into the full enjoyment and exercise of the divine perfections. Also, it is difficult to see how the human nature can continue its existence when it is fused with the divine. A better interpretation, it would seem to me, is furnished by the immediate context, both preceding and following, namely, this, that as a result of Christ's descent into Calvary's hell where he made atonement for sin, and of his subsequent resurrection and ascension, which served as evidence that this atonement had been fully accepted, Christ, as the now exalted Mediator, fills the entire universe with blessings or, if one prefers, with gifts, the very gifts which he had earned; salvation full and free and the services of those who proclaim it; such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc. Here also it is best to let Paul be his own interpreter. He has already called Christ the One who fills all in all, which has been interpreted to mean, in part, that with a view to his universe-embracing program Christ replenishes the church with his bounteous gifts. See on 1:23. Cf. 1:3; John 1:16; I Cor. 12:5, 28 32. To some of these gifts of the ascended Christ Paul now turns his attention, as he continues: 11. And it was he who gave some (to be) apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. The ascended Savior gave what he had received: men who were to render service to the church in a special way. Before describing each of the groups mentioned in this passage, the following general observations are in order: 1. It is not Paul's intention to furnish us with a complete list of office-bearers, as a comparison with I Cor. 12:28shows. In the latter passage there is a somewhat similar enumeration but no specific mention of evangelists. The combination pastors and teachers is also omitted, but other functionaries, not included in Eph. 4:11, are added. Though there is no scriptural warrant whatever for the tendency to get rid of the idea of office and authority, ^[112] for these concepts are clearly implied in Matt. 16:18, 19; John 20:23; Acts 14:23; 20:28; II Cor. 5:3, 4; 10:8; I Tim. 1:18; 3:1, 5; 4:14; 5:17; II Tim. 4:1, 2; Titus 1:5 9; 3:10, nevertheless, the emphasis in this passage [Eph. 4:11] does not lie on the apostles, prophets, etc. as officers, but as gifts of Christ to his church (Roels, op. cit., p. 185). 2. The reason why in 4:11 ff. the apostle, whose heart went out to the lost (I Cor. 9:22) does not here stress the numerical growth of the church but rather its growth in love and other spiritual qualities, may well have been that the latter is the indispensable prerequisite of the former. 3. In order that the church may be strong it must not only have good leaders (verse 11) but also good, active followers (verse 12). Full salvation cannot be obtained until all of God's children obtain it together, a fact which Paul expresses beautifully in II Tim. 4:8, and which here in Ephesians he brings out by his constant use of the word all (1:15; 3:18, 19; 6:18). 4. Since here in 4:11 all who serve the church in a special way not only apostles, prophets, and evangelists, but also pastors and teachers are designated as Christ's gifts to the church, they should be the objects of the love of the entire church. If, when they truly represent Christ, they are rejected, Christ is thereby rejected. 5. And, on the other hand, there is also here an implied admonition for the leaders themselves, namely, that these gifts were not given to them for their own sake but in the interest of Christ's body, the church. A brief description of the gifts here enumerated is as follows: a. Apostles, in the restricted sense of the term, are the Twelve and Paul. They are the charter-witnesses of Christ's resurrection, clothed with lifelong and church-wide authority over life and doctrine, but introduced here, as already indicated, in order to stress the service they render. For a full statement of the characteristics of plenary apostleship see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 50, 51. b. Prophets, again in the restricted sense (for in a broader sense every believer is a prophet), are the occasional organs of inspiration, for example, Agabus (Acts 11:28; 21:10, 11). Together with the apostles they are described as being the church's foundation. See also on 2:20 and 3:5; and see Acts 13:1; 15:32; and 21:9. c. Evangelists, such as Philip (Acts 21:8; his activity described in Acts 8:26 40) and Timothy (II Tim. 4:5), are traveling missionaries, of lower rank than apostles and prophets. Philip is mentioned first as one of the seven men chosen to serve tables (Acts 6:2). Timothy was one of Paul's assistants and representatives. For more about him and about the nature of his work see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 33–39, 156 160, 312, 313. We know that Timothy had been ordained to office (I Tim. 4:14), as was true also with respect to Philip (Acts 6:6). For what office were these men ordained? In the case of Philip it is clear that he was ordained as deacon, though the term deacon is not used in Acts 6. Must we then assume that when he was used by the Lord for the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch he was on his own, as it were, or serving in a different capacity? Similarly, must we take for granted that Timothy served in two separate offices: a. as apostolic vicar, and b. as evangelist? Is it not more consistent with scriptural data to infer from the account in Acts 6that only those men were to be chosen as deacons who were full of the Spirit and of wisdom, full of faith, and that, accordingly, Philip was a deacon-evangelist? Are we doing full justice to the office of deacon if this is lost sight of? And does not the case of Timothy also indicate the flexibility of his office? If Timothy, as evangelist or traveling missionary, can serve the interests of the church best by being Paul's representative, why should he not function as such? Similarly today, instead of multiplying offices, would it not be better to put into practice the full implications of each office and to copy the flexibility of the early church, bearing in mind also that the special charismata of the early church are not ours today? The church of today is not able to produce an apostle like Paul, nor a prophet like Agabus. It is not in need of a Timothy to serve as apostolic delegate, nor of a Philip, addressed by an angel and caught away by the Spirit. In common with the early church, however, it does have ministers, elders, and deacons. It also has the Holy Spirit now as then. And it now has the complete Bible. Let all its offices then be utilized to the full as occasion demands, and in the spirit of true service. d. Pastors and teachers are best considered one group.^[113] Hodge remarks, There is no evidence in Scripture that there was a set of men authorized to teach but not authorized to exhort. The thing is well nigh impossible (op. cit., p. 226). I fully agree. What we have here, accordingly, is a designation of ministers of local congregations, teaching elders (or over-seers). By means of expounding the Word these men shepherd their flocks. Cf. Acts 20:17, 28; also John 21:15 17. They cannot do so properly without love for Christ. 12. The purpose of Christ's gifts to the church is now stated: in order fully to equip the saints for the work of ministry, with a view to the building up of the body of Christ. A.V. divides this verse into three separate phrases as follows: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Along this line is also the rendering found in A.R.V. and the one in R.S.V. First, it should be pointed out that the original does not speak about the work of the ministry but about the work of ministry, that is, of rendering specific services of various kinds. But even with this change the translation would still be a poor one, for it could easily leave the impression that the saints can be perfected without rendering service to each other and to the church. There should be no comma between the first and second phrases. A better solution, it would seem to me, is that favored by many of the older commentators and more recently by Salmond and by Lenski. These leave out both commas. The resultant idea is that Christ gave some men as apostles, others as prophets, etc., for the purpose of perfecting (I Thess. 3:10; Heb. 13:21; I Peter 5:10) or providing the necessary equipment for all the saints for the work of ministering to each other so as to build up the body of Christ. I grant the possibility of the correctness of this construction. The meaning then would not differ very substantially from the third main rendering, the one to which I, along with many others, would still give the preference. According to this view of the matter the sentence does not have two commas (A.V., etc.) nor no commas (Salmond and Lenski) but one comma,^[114] namely, after the word ministry. This brings out more clearly that the immediate purpose of Christ's gifts is the ministry to be rendered by the entire flock; their ultimate purpose is the building up of the body of Christ, namely, the church (see on 1:22, 23). The important lesson taught here is that not only apostles, prophets, evangelists, and those who are called pastors and teachers, but the entire church should be engaged in spiritual labor. The universal priesthood of believers is stressed here. Would that all Jehovah's people were prophets! (Num. 11:29). Church attendance should mean more than going to hear Rev. A. Unless, with a view to the service, there is adequate preparation, a desire for association, wholehearted participation, and the spirit of adoration, there is bound to be Sabbath-desecration. And during the week, too, every member should equip himself to be engaged in a definite ministry, whether that be imparting comfort to the sick, teaching, neighborhood evangelization, tract distribution, or whatever be the task for which one is especially equipped. The meaning of 4:11, 12 is, moreover, that it is the task of the officers of the church to equip the church for these tasks. To all this it is important to add, however, that the effectiveness of positive, conscious acts of Christian witness depends to a large extent upon the life of the person giving the witness in those moments not devoted to such witness (Roels, op. cit., p. 196). The ideal in view with reference to the building up of the body of Christ is stated in verse 13. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the clear knowledge of the Son of God. This brings us back again to the spiritual unity demanded in verse 3, and to the one faith to which reference was made in verse 5. It also reminds us of 3:19: in order that you may be filled to all the fulness of God. When verse 13 is considered in the light of the preceding verses it becomes clear that what the apostle has in mind is this, that the entire church consisting not only of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, but of all others besides should be faithful to its calling of rendering service, with a view to the upbuilding of the body of Christ, so that true, spiritual unity and growth may be promoted. Note we all. There is no room in Christ's church for drones, only for busy bees. To the Thessalonians the apostle had said, For we hear that some among you are conducting themselves in a disorderly manner, not busy workers but busybodies (II Thess. 3:11). Paul sharply rebuked that attitude. It is exactly unity that is promoted when all become busily engaged in the affairs of the church and when each member eagerly renders service for which the Lord has equipped him. Thus, it has happened repeatedly that young people began to be imbued with enthusiasm when they engaged in this or that church program. For example, the Board of Home Missions of a certain denomination launches a S(ummer) W(orkshop) I(n) M(issions) program. This program requires of the young people who are in it that at different places throughout the country for several weeks during the summer they not only receive special instruction in the aims and methods of missions but also make contact with those who have not been previously reached for Christ. They bring the message, teach, and organize various social and religious activities. They are not afraid to live for a while in a slum district in close and beneficial contact with the community. How the eyes of these young people sparkle upon their return, for they have a story to tell, and are far more aglow with interest in Christ and his church than ever before. Often the contacts made during the summer are continued by means of correspondence and return visits. Also, the Young People's societies and the congregations that have taken part in sponsoring the program, having become thus involved, receive an added blessing when the young witnesses bring their reports. Thus, unity has been promoted, a unity of faith in Christ and of knowledge not just intellectual but heart-knowledge of the Lord and Savior, who, because of his majesty and greatness, is here called the Son of God (Rom. 1:4; Gal. 2:20; I Thess. 1:10). Thus all believers advance to a fullgrown man. The underlying figure is that of a strong, mature, well-built male. In Col. 4:12this maturity is described as follows: fully assured in all the will of God. For a detailed tabulation of the meaning of the word fullgrown or mature see N.T.C. on Phil. 3:15, p. 176, footnote 156. Just as a physically robust man can be pictured as being filled with vibrant strength and without defect, so the spiritually mature individual, which is the ideal for all believers to attain, is without spiritual flaw, filled with goodness, that is, with every Christian virtue that results from faith in, and heart-knowledge of, the Son of God. Continued: to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. One could also translate: to an age-measure marked by the fulness of Christ (cf. Lenski, op. cit., pp. 532, 536).^[115] It does not matter whether the underlying figure is fulness of age or fulness of stature, for in either case it is a fulness of Christ that is meant (thus also Grosheide, op. cit., p. 68, footnote 26). It is a fulness of him who completely fulfilled the earthly mission for which he had been anointed, and who is willing to impart to those who believe in him salvation full and free. The question has been asked, Do believers during their present life on earth attain to this measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ? According to some they do. Lenski, for example, mentions Paul as one who had attained to it (op. cit., p. 533). The passage itself, however, does not really teach this. To be sure, it should be granted that not all remain babes in Christ. A degree in fact, a high degree of maturity can be attained even here and now. And the more wholeheartedly all the saints strive to promote it by rendering humble and wholehearted service to one another and to the kingdom in general, the more also the ideal will be realized. Nevertheless, full, spiritual maturity, one that in the highest degree attains to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, cannot be realized this side of death. Paul himself would be one of the first to admit this. See what he said concerning himself in (Rom. 7:14: I am carnal, sold under sin; and what he is going to say very shortly after Ephesians had been delivered to its destination: Brothers, I do not count myself yet to have laid hold. But one thing (I do), forgetting what lies behind (me), and eagerly straining forward to what lies ahead, I am pressing on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ JesusPhil. 3:14, 15). For the rest, as to degree, time, and possibility of attainment, see on 3:19 where the same subject is discussed. Marvelous growth in maturity, nevertheless, is certainly obtainable through human effort springing forth from, and sustained from start to finish by, the Holy Spirit. This is clear from the words which follow: 14, 15 &so that^[116] we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and whirled around by every gust of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by (their) talent for deceitful scheming; but, adhering to the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head, even Christ. The ideal of full Christian maturity is characterized in verse 14 from its negative aspect; in verse 15 positively. In striving to reach the goal and in advancing in that direction believers are goaded by the desire that they may no longer be like helpless children in a tempest-tossed boat which they cannot manage. Paul knew what it meant to be driven to and fro by the waves. While he was writing this, the trip which had brought him to his present Roman imprisonment must have been before him in all its vivid terrorActs 27:14 44; note especially verse 27 . But to be tossed to and fro and whirled around by every gust of doctrine is even worse than to experience the dangers of the sea. Just what did the apostle have in mind when he thus admonished the Ephesians?^[117] Here we do well to bear in mind two facts: a. that most of the addressed were rather recent converts from heathenism; and b. that, although we must, therefore, conclude that his description was particularly fitting with respect to them, yet the apostle cannot have been thinking solely of these converts from the Gentile world, for he uses the first person plural, and says, that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro, etc. The fact that heathen in their blindness and superstition are often swayed by the waves and winds of public opinion, believing whatever they have heard last, is vividly illustrated in Luke's account of the experience of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. First the multitude held Paul to be Hermes, and Barnabas to be Zeus, and was ready to offer sacrifices in their honor. A little later these same people allowed themselves to be persuaded by wicked Jews, and stoned Paul nearly to death (Acts 14:8 20). But even followers of Jesus have much to learn in this respect. A typical example of unsteadfastness, before he became in very deed a rock, was Simon Peter. In the Gospels he is pictured as a man who is constantly oscillating from one extreme to the other. Now he is seen walking courageously on the waters (Matt. 14:28); a little later he is crying, Lord, save me (Matt. 14:30). At one moment he makes a glorious confession (Matt. 16:16). Hardly have the echoes of that wonderful declaration faded, when he begins to rebuke the very Christ whom he has just confessed (Matt. 16:22). He promises to lay down his life for Jesus (John 13:37). A few hours later he is saying again and again, I am not his disciple (John 18:17, 25). After Christ's victorious resurrection he lags behind John to the tomb. Arrived, he enters the tomb before John does (John 20:4 6). At Antioch he first casts aside all ideas of racial segregation and eats with the Gentiles. Soon afterward he withdraws completely from the converts of the pagan world (Gal. 2:11, 12). In addition to his bout with Peter, Paul had had other sad experiences with fluttering and fluctuating mankind. On his first missionary journey John Mark had deserted him (Acts 13:13; 15:38). The Galatians had deserted the gospel (Gal. 1:6). And at this very time, while Paul was writing his prison epistles, some of the members of the Colossian church must have been in real danger of lending a listening ear to false philosophers. The apostle knows that there is nothing so stabilizing as performing day by day loving service for Christ. No one learns truth faster than he who, with consecrated heart, teaches others. Let the Ephesians, therefore, withdraw their attention from the trickery of men, and plunge into the work of the kingdom. That is the context here: all the saints, under the leadership of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, united for the work of ministry. The term trickery, applied to those who in effect were attempting to lead believers astray, is kubeia, from k�bos, meaning cube, die. Paul is thinking, therefore, of dice-playing in which tricks were used in order to win. Hence, the word came to mean trickery; here human trickery, the talent literally, readiness to do anything for deceitful scheming. Constantly the thoughts and plans of these crafty fellows were directed toward (Greek [Greek]) the method of deception. Cf. Col. 2:4, 8, 18, 23; then also Rom. 6:17, 18; II Cor. 2:17; 11:13; Gal. 2:4. Now error is never overcome by mere negation. Over against the deceitfulness of the errorists the Ephesians should adhere to the truth, that is, practice integrity.^[118] And what ministry (see verse 12) can be more noble than that which, while resolutely opposing deceit, setting truthfulness of life and lip over against it, does all this in the spirit of love? There are two great enemies of a successful ministry, whether carried on among believers or among unbelievers. One is departure from truth, compromise with the lie, whether in words or deeds. The other is chilling indifference with respect to the hearts and lives, the troubles and trials, of the people whom one is ostensibly trying to persuade. Paul has the real solution: the truth must be practiced in love (3:18; 4:2; 5:1, 2), which was exactly what he was constantly doing (II Cor. 2:4; Gal. 4:16, 19; I Thess. 2:7–12); and telling others to do (I Tim. 4:11–13). In fact, love (for which see on 4:2) must mark all of life. By means of such behavior we will impart a blessing not only to others but to ourselves also, for we will grow up in all things into him who is the head, even Christ. We must grow up into union with him. The same intimacy of conscious oneness with Christ is stressed in Rom. 6:5, where the idea is expressed that believers are grown together with him. Such statements do not in any way obliterate the infinite distinction between Christ and Christians. They do not indicate identity but intimacy. The distinction between believers and their Lord is clearly enunciated here, for the latter is called the head, while the former are designated the entire body. What is meant by growing up into Christ is interpreted by the apostle himself in Phil. 1:21, For to me to live (is) Christ, and to die (is) gain. In other words: So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free, But all my life, in every step, be fellowship with thee. (Horatius Bonar) 16. Paul concludes this section by saying, from whom the entire body, harmoniously fitted together and held together by every supporting joint, according to the energy that corresponds to the capacity of each individual part, brings about bodily growth with a view to its own upbuilding in love. As head Christ causes his body, the church, to live and to grow (Col. 2:19). He is its Organic Head. As head he also exercises authority over the church; in fact, over all things in the interest of the church (Eph. 1:20–23). He is its Ruling Head. It is doubtful whether either of these two ideas is ever completely absent when Christ is called head of the church, though sometimes one connotation and then again the other receives the greater emphasis, as the context indicates. And in such a passage as 5:23, 24 both ideas (growth and guidance) are brought to the fore. In the present passage (4:16) it is clearly the organic relationship that is stressed. The words reveal a marked resemblance to those found in (Col. 2:19: &the head, from whom the entire body, supported and held together by joints and ligaments, grows with a growth (that is) from God. The fact that the human body which is the underlying figure is, indeed, harmoniously fitted together and held together by every supporting joint is an astounding wonder. It is, however, common knowledge, not refuted by the most up-to-date science. The real message which the apostle is conveying both here in Ephesians and in the Colossian parallel is accordingly this, that to Christ the entire church owes its growth. Just as the human body, when properly supported and held together, experiences normal growth, so also the church, when each of its members supports and maintains loving contact with the others and above all with Christ, will, under the sustaining care of God, proceed from grace to grace and from glory to gloryI Cor. 12). There are, however, two main additions in the Ephesian passage, points not stressed in its Colossian parallel: 1. that the body is fitted together and held together &according to the energy that corresponds to the capacity of each individual part. Meaning: in the church, too, every spiritually alive member does his part, performing his ministry in accordance with his God-given ability. This is a fine repetition of the thought introduced in all the preceding verses of this section, particularly in verses 7, 12, 13. 2. dropping the underlying figure, that when all the individual parts (members) of the church co-operate, the entire church grows spiritually with a view to its own upbuilding in love. The love to which reference is made is the same as that mentioned in verse 2; see on that verse. With this marvelous word Paul ends this marvelous section.^[119] Seed Thoughts of Ephesians 4:1 16 (one thought for each verse) See Verse 1. The best missionary method is the truly consecrated life. 2. The qualities which Christ demands of us are those which he himself exemplified. 3. Though peace is indeed a precious gift imparted by the Holy Spirit, it is at the same time the product of human effort. 4. The church is not a man-made institution but the product of the Holy Spirit whose call to repent and to follow Christ in service we should obey. Obedience to that call imparts hope. 5. The one Lord Jesus Christ in whom all Christians believe and in whose name they have all been baptized welds together into one body God's children, those still on earth and those already in heaven. 6. Anent the first person of the Holy Trinity, as Father he is over all, for he exercises control over all. He is, however, also through all, for he blesses us all through Christ our Mediator. And he is in all, for he draws us all close to his heart in the Spirit. Thus we perceive that we worship one God, not three gods. It is folly therefore to say, God is dead but Jesus is still alive. The three are One. 7. A talent is a gift, and to no one has Christ imparted every gift. The fact that a person's ability in any direction is a gift should keep him humble, for what has he that he has not received? It should also encourage him, for the way to the Giver and his inexhaustible gifts is known. 8. Not only Christ's suffering, death, burial, and resurrection were in our interest; so was also his ascension. He ascended not only to receive glory for himself but also to bestow gifts upon men. 9. The doctrine of Christ's descent into hell on Calvary should be retained. If our Savior did not suffer the torments of hell for us, is he then our Substitute? 10. Did the descended Jesus love us with a love so deep and intimate that nothing on earth can compare with it? The ascended Christ loves us no less! 11. An apostle was a gift of Christ to the church. This was true also with respect to the prophet; and also with respect to an evangelist. Today, too, the man to whom Christ has assigned the task of being a pastor and teacher should be so regarded. If, when he truly represents the will of his Sender, he is rejected, those who are guilty of this sin are rejecting the Master himself. 12. It is the duty of the pastor to impress upon everyone under his care the duty and privilege of lay-ministry. Only when every member does his part is the body of Christ being built up as it should be. 13. Not only unity but also growth is demanded of us. The Church's Organic Unity and Growth is the theme of this chapter. Excelsior! should be our motto. Reaching the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, our aim. 14. The church should emphasize teaching right doctrine. 15. Over against the deceitfulness of the opponent the church should practice truthfulness; always, however, in a context of love. 16. Just as the human body when held together by every supporting joint grows strong, so also the church when it receives the active support of every member, each co-operating according to his ability, will be built up in love. CHAPTER IV:17 VI:9 Chapter 4:17 6:9 Verses 4:17 5:21 Theme: The Church Glorious II. Exhortation urging G lorious Renewal 1. upon all 4:17 5:21 This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/ 5:1, 2.^[133] Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Again and again Jesus and the apostles emphasized that believers should strive to be imitators of God. Now to people who are living in an age which proudly proclaims, We have conquered space, and which drags God down to the level of a benign Santa Claus, it may not seem at all outrageous to strive to imitate God. But if, by the grace of the really living God, the words, Be still and know that I am God! have retained some meaning for us, this crisp command to imitate him may baffle us. We stand in awe before his majesty. How can we imitate him whom we cannot even fathom? With Zophar we are inclined to say, Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; what canst thou know? (Job 11:7, 8). With Isaiah we see the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and we hear the voices of the flying seraphim, as they cover their faces and their feet, and are crying continually, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the fulness of the earth is his glory. And we, too, answer, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips &for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts (Isa. 6:1–5). Rather than even faintly to imagine that we, creatures of the dust, would ever be able to imitate God, we feel like falling down upon our knees and saying, with Simon Peter, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord (Luke 5:8). And we understand why John, when similarly overcome, said, When I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead (Rev. 1:17). It is only in that spirit of awe and humble reverence that we can properly study this glorious theme of the imitation of God. It is only then that the Lord will lay his right hand upon us and say, Fear not! Obedience to the command to imitate him is, after all, possible. This is true for the following reasons: a. we are created as his image; b. his enabling Spirit dwells within us; and c. by his regenerating and transforming grace we have become his children, that is, imitators. To be sure, we cannot imitate God by creating a universe and caring for it day by day, or by devising a method of satisfying the demands of justice and of mercy in saving men from the pit into which they have cast themselves, or by raising the dead, or by creating a new heaven and earth. But in our own finite way we can and must imitate him; that is, we must copy his love. It is amazing how often Jesus and the apostles emphasized that believers should strive to be imitators of God (Matt. 5:43–48; Luke 6:35; I John 4:10, 11), and of Christ, which essentially amounts to the same thingJohn 13:34; 15:12; Rom. 15:2, 3, 7; II Cor. 8:7–9; Phil. 2:3–8; Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:13; I Peter 2:21–24; I John 3:16; a list of passages by no means complete . By adding that those addressed should do so as children, the idea is greatly strengthened, as if to say, Are not children great imitators, and are not you God's children? Moreover, the modifier beloved adds even more weight to this admonition, for, other things being equal, it is exactly the child who is the object of love that will be the most eager imitator of those who love him. Paul adds: and walk in love, that is, let love be the very tenor of your life. Let it characterize all your thoughts, words, and deeds. For walking see also 2:10; 4:1, 17; 5:8, 15. Continued: just as Christ loved you. Not just anything which men may wish to dignify with the name love should be the pattern for our thought and conduct, but very distinctly Christ's own purposeful, self-sacrificing love must be our example. And, to be even more specific, there is added: and gave himself up for^[134] us. Here it must not escape our attention that when Paul urges the addressed to imitate God he, in one and the same breath, illustrates this love of God by directing our attention to that which Christ had done for us. This surely indicates not only that Father and Son are the same in essence but also that what the Father does he does in connection with the Son (4:32) and that neither loves us less than the other. In his great love Christ gave himself up, surrendering himself willingly, to his enemies, and thus to his Father. This surrender is genuine. It was not forced upon him (John 10:11, 15). Among those for whom Christ had thus yielded himself as an offering for sin was also the great persecutor Paul. The thought of Christ's great love grips him to the extent that he changes the pronouns, so that you now becomes us. The apostle never writes in the abstract. Compare Gal. 2:20: the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself up for me. See also Gal. 1:16. It is this spirit of giving oneself sacrificially and voluntarily which believers are urged to imitate. The voluntary self-sacrifice of Christ during the entire period of his humiliation and especially on the cross is here called an offering and a sacrifice^[135] to God. It was an offering for he willingly brought it (Isa. 53:10). It was a sacrifice, and as such could well remind one of the fumes rising from the altar when the burnt-offering was consumed whole, symbolizing entire surrender to God. But though the word used in the original does not always refer to sacrifices consumed on the altar but may also have a more general reference (for which see footnote 135), we learn from other passages of Scripture (Matt. 26:36–46; 27:45, 46; II Cor. 5:21; cf. Isa. 53) that as to his human nature Christ was indeed consumed by the wrath of God in the sense that the weight of our sins and of the wrath of God pressed out of him the bloody sweat in the garden and caused him to suffer the deepest reproach and anguish of hell, in body and soul, on the tree of the cross, when he cried out with a loud voice: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. Thus he had accomplished his task and had fulfilled the prophecies, with special reference now to (Ps. 40:6Ps. 39:7, 8). In that passage the same two words, offering and sacrifice, are used, but now in reverse order, sacrifice and offering, in connection with the Messiah's offering of himself to God: Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in.& Then said I, Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of me. By the author of the epistle to the Hebrews that passage is appropriately applied to Christ and his self-sacrifice (Heb. 10:5–7). In connection, then, with this offering and sacrifice to God, as an example and motive for us, Paul adds: for a fragrant odor; literally, an odor of a sweet smell. Cf. (Exod. 29:18; Ezek. 20:41; Phil. 4:18. The meaning is that this offering and sacrifice was and is in our case, when we imitate the spirit in which Christ presented it well-pleasing to God. Every deed done out of love and gratitude to God, whether it be Abel sGen. 4:4), or Noah's (Gen. 8:21), or that of the Israelites of old (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17) or that of new dispensation believers who dedicate themselves to God (II Cor. 2:15, 16), pleases God. Unique among them all is Christ's self-sacrifice. Yet, the latter's spirit must be reflected every day and every hour in the hearts and lives of his followers,^[136] for a fragrant odor. c. 5:3–14 You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; as children of light ever walk The Glorious Renewal of which Paul is speaking in this entire section (4:17 6:9) calls for self-sacrifice instead of self-indulgence. Since in the preceding verses great emphasis was placed on self-sacrifice in imitation of Christ, the attention is now shifted to its very opposite: self-indulgence. Stating it differently, the admonition to walk in love is followed here by the condemnation of love's perversion. Paul minces no words as he proceeds:3. But immorality and impurity of any kind, or greed, let it not even be mentioned among you. The list of vices which begins here may be compared with similar ones in Paul's other epistles (Rom. 1:18–32; I Cor. 5:9–11; 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19–21; Col. 3:5–9; I Thess. 4:3–7; I Tim. 1:9, 10; II Tim. 3:2–5; and Titus 3:3). Christ, he alone, supplies the example, motive, and power to overcome them. Verse 3 centers around sexual perversion of every description. Though immorality (Matt. 5:32; 15:19; 19:19; John 8:41; I Thess. 4:3) refers basically to unlawful sexual intercourse, it probably includes illicit, clandestine relationships of every description. Evil in the sexual realm was, and is today, a characteristic feature of paganism. It is often closely associated with idolatry. That even those who had turned to Christ had not thoroughly shaken off this sin is clear from I Cor. 5:1ff. Is it also implied in the present epistle: 5:27? Impurity or uncleanness, not only in deeds but also in words, thoughts, intents of the heart, desires, and passions, is here condemned. The phrase of any kind covers a very large territory! For greed (cf. 4:19) the apostle uses a word which means over-reaching. Greed is selfishness. It characterizes the money-grubber. Nevertheless, in the present connection, because of its close association with immorality and impurity, it may well apply especially to ravenous self-assertion in matters of sex, at the expense of others: the going beyond what is proper and defrauding the brotherI Thess. 4:6where the related verb is used in a similar connection . Let it not even be mentioned among you, says Paul, meaning: so far should you be removed from the sin of this type that the very suspicion of its existence among you should be banished once and for all. He cannot have meant that sex must never be discussed, and that warnings with respect to the evil of immorality and its attendant sins must never be heard, for he himself is at this very moment discussing it and issuing such a warning. With respect to the desirable absence of transgression in this area Paul adds: as is fitting among saints. Are not saints (cf. 1:1) those who have been set apart by God to be his very own? Have they not, by the power of the sanctifying Spirit, dedicated themselves completely to their Lord; hence also to a new walk of life? 4. Among the sins that should not even require mention are also filthiness and silly talk or wittiness in telling coarse jokes. Filthiness or shamefulness covers more than shameful language (Col. 3:8). It includes any thought, imagination, desire, word, or deed of which a believer who is sensitive to the demands of God's holy law and who views himself as living constantly in his presence would be ashamed. Silly talk is the kind of conversation one could expect to hear from the lips of a fool or of a drunkard. The next term is hard to translate. Judged on the basis of its derivation it is very innocent, for it means literally that which turns easily. The closest to it as to etymological significance would be versatility; for this, too, has reference to turning easily. The versatile person is able to turn with ease from one subject to another, being at home in all of them. Similarly, the word which the apostle employs was often used in a favorable sense, to indicate the nimble-witted individual. However, it is also possible for certain speakers to move very easily into the mire of unbecoming expressions. They seem to have a garbage can type of mind, and every serious topic of conversation reminds them of an off-color jest or anecdote. The word used in 5:4 has therefore come to mean coarse jesting, wittiness in telling coarse jokes. There need be nothing wrong with a joke. Good humor is what everybody needs. But the kind to which Paul refers should be thoroughly avoided. Regarding such practices the apostle adds: which things are improper. They are improper because they are not worthy of the calling with which believers were called. See on 4:1. What, then, is the remedy for the vices mentioned? The apostle answers this question by stating: but rather the expression of thankfulness. See further on 5:20. When mind and heart are centered on all things bright and beautiful which God grants to us and still has in store for us, the interest in squalid indecency will vanish. So the apostle places thankfulness over against wittiness. This translation not only gives the sense but preserves, to some extent, the wordplay of the original (eucharist�a over against eutrapel�a) Clarion praise should be substituted for the clever (but vulgar) phrase. Continued: 5. For of this you can be very sure, that no immoral or impure person or greedy individual which is the same as an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. The apostle wishes to emphasize this very important point, namely, that immorality and salvation are opposites. Hence, he says what literally could almost be translated, For this you know, knowing. However, since in the original the finite verb and the participle which follows it are not forms of the same word, a better literal rendering would be, For this you know, recognizing. Many translators and interpreters, though differing in their views of this expression, have, however, felt that the reason why the apostle makes use of these two words where ordinarily one would have sufficed is that he wished to lay special stress on what he is about to say. If we accept this position, the rendering would be: For of this you can be very sure. ^[137] The fact of which the Ephesians can be very sure is this, that no one who practices the sins mentioned in verse 3 (and elaborated in verse 4) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. One of these sinful practices is greed. That calling a person a greedy individual is the same as calling him an idolater (Col. 3:5) is clear even on the surface, for such a person is worshiping someone else than the true and living God. That someone else is himself. He has made of himself an idol and is therefore an idolater. To a Jew, like Paul and some of the Ephesians, there was no greater sin than that of idolatry (I John 5:21). Though conditions among those addressed cannot have been very bad morally or spiritually for Paul praises the Ephesian believers in no uncertain terms (1:15) and has nothing to say by way of direct adverse criticism, yet the impression is left that there was still considerable room for improvement. The danger of falling into the errors of licentious gnosticism was never far removed. This seems to have been especially the case in Asia Minor. A few years later, during his second Roman imprisonment, Paul was going to remind Timothy of this peril (II Tim. 3:1–9). Timothy was probably carrying on a ministry at Ephesus at that time. John, too, writing to people in this same region, would have to combat this nefarious error (I John 3:4 10; Rev. 2:6, 14, 15, 20). See also II Peter 2:12 19and Jude 4, 8, 11, and 19. With a pastor's loving heart, therefore, Paul issues his warning. No one who continues to practice the pagan vices, whether because he is following old habit and the course of least resistance or else because he has adopted a reasoned excuse (Rom. 6:1), has a share in the one and only kingdom, namely, that of Christ and of God. Cf. (Rev. 21:27; 22:15. It is, of course, impossible to speak about the kingdom of Christ without speaking about the kingdom of God. In principle this kingdom is already present in the hearts and lives of God's children. One day it will be theirs in full measure (1:18; 3:6). See N.T.C. on Colossians and Philemon, pp. 63, 64, especially footnote 47. Continued: 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words. Cf. Col. 2:4, 8; I Tim. 2:14; James 1:26. Empty words are those that are void of truth and filled with error. When heeded they will prove the sinner's downfall: for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Cf. Col. 3:6. By means of what has been called a prophetic present tenseJohn 4:21; 14:3) Paul stresses the fact that the coming of the wrath of God, to be visited upon those who live in the sins mentioned in verses 3 5 and who listen to empty words assuring them that all is well, is so certain that it is as if that wrath had already arrived, and in principle it actually has arrived. These sinister practices attract God's displeasure like a fully lit up enemy target attracts bombs. The wrath spoken of here, though in a sense already present, is also ever on the way, until on the day of the great consummation of all things it will be fully revealed (John 3:36; Rom. 2:5–11; II Thess. 1:8–10; Rev. 14:9–12), for sons of disobedience are children of wrath (see on 2:2). It should not escape our attention, however, that even this stern warning has repentance as its object, as the tender admonition which immediately follows in verses 7 and 8 clearly shows. See also verses 10, 14 17; and cf. (Rev. 2:16, 21, 22; 3:19; 9:20, 21. As a father pleads with his children whom he dearly loves, so this prisoner of Christ Jesus, a hero of the faith who is facing the possibility of a death sentence and therefore weighs every word, continues: 7. Therefore do not be their partners, fellow-sharers (cf. 3:6) in their sin, their guilt, and their everlasting punishment. Cf. II Cor. 6:4–18. Meaning: in the light of God's marvelous love and mercy in Christ, the upward call that was extended to you, your own profession of faith, and the wrath of God coming upon the sons of disobedience, think on your way, walk in paths of light and be done forever with the works of darkness. Continued: 8. for you were formerly darkness. In earlier days (2:1–3, 11, 12; 4:14, 17) the Ephesians had been darkness. Cf. 4:18, darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, etc. Not only had they been in darkness as in an evil environment, but they themselves had been part of that realm. The darkness had been in them, namely, the darkness of lack of the true knowledge of GodII Cor. 4:4, 6), depravity (Acts 26:18), and despondency (Isa. 9:1, 2). Continued: but now (you are) light in the Lord. Now they belong to the realm of light, for they now have the true knowledge of God (Ps. 36:9), righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24), happiness (Ps. 97:11; Isa. 9:1–7). It is only in the Lord, that is, in vital connection with him, that they are now light. Moreover, since now they are light, they have also become light-transmitters: from them light radiates forth to all those with whom they come into contact. Ever since Jesus, the light of the worldJohn 8:l2 , entered their hearts (II Cor. 4:6), they, too, in their own small way, had become the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). In their entire conduct they reflect Christ, as the moon reflects the sun. Hence, as children of light ever walk. Here is another and beautiful Semitism: they are now, by God's grace, the very offspring of him who is the light. No longer are they children of wrath (2:3) or sons of disobedience (2:2; 5:6), but children of light. Then let them be consistent. Let them in their daily life be and constantly remain true to what in principle they have become. Let them walk and keep on walking as children of light; that is, let the true knowledge of God and of his will be their standard constantly; let righteousness and holiness characterize all their attitudes, words, and actions; and let the joy of salvation be the very tenor of their lives. On walking see also 2:10; 4:1, 17; 5:2, 15. That this is what they are and how they should walk is evident, as the apostle brings out in a parenthetical statement: 9. for the fruit of light^[138] (consists) in all goodness and righteousness and truth. How does one know whether or not he is walking as a child of light? The answer is that light bears fruit, and this fruit will supply the needed evidence (Matt. 5:16; 7:20). The qualities of heart and life from which good works proceed are to be considered light, fruit. Paul mentions all goodness, a very general term, the opposite of all malice (4:31). Such goodness is Spirit-created moral and spiritual excellence of every description. Another way of looking at this goodness is to call it righteousness, the joy in doing what is right in the eyes of God, walking the straight path and never deviating from it. And still another description is truth: integrity, reliability, over against the sham, falseness, and hypocrisy that characterized the old way of life in which the Ephesians had formerly walked (4:14, 25; 5:6). Returning now to the main clause of verse 8b, As children of light ever walk, Paul adds: 10. verifying what is pleasing to the Lord. Meaning: by walking constantly as children of light, and thus producing the fruit of light, you will, by your very attitudes and action, be verifying or proving^[139] what is pleasing to the Lord. That is Paul's glorious answer to the question, How can I know whether I am really a child of God, one with whom God is pleased? The answer amounts to this: Do not worry or speculate or philosophize or argue. Just go right ahead and do the will of God as he has revealed it. The proof or evidence for which you are looking will then be abundantly supplied to you. You will have the verification in your heart. The assurance or peace will be distilled into your life as the dewdrops are distilled and impearled upon the leaves. This is Scripture's answer throughout (Rom. 8:16; 12:1, 2; II Cor. 5:9; Phil. 4:6, 7, 18; Col. 1:10; and II Peter 1:5–11). Since Jesus as the world's light, was ever walking in the light and doing the will of his Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), it is not at all surprising that more than once he was given the assurance that the Father was pleased with him (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; cf. 12:18). And, although in the present life we, his followers, should not expect to hear what he heard, namely, an audible voice from heaven, the Holy Spirit will nevertheless impart that assurance also to us when we walk in the light. Another tender warning, the negative side of what in verses 8 10 was expressed in positive terms, follows, an admonition which recalls verse 7. Paul lovingly pleads: 11. And do not take any part in the unfruitful works of darkness. By works of darkness are meant such things as immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, etc. (5:3, 4), and also those mentioned in 4:25–32; briefly, any and all works belonging to the realm of depravity and inspired by its prince. Such works are called unfruitful. They are sterile in the sense that they do not glorify God, do not win the neighbor for Christ, and do not bring inner peace or satisfaction. Note that Paul recognizes no twilight zone. Although according to Scripture there are degrees of sinfulness and also degrees of holiness, nevertheless, there is no region of the shades. A person is either a believer or an unbeliever. Works belong either to the light or to darkness. Those who have sworn allegiance to the Ruler of the realm of light must take no part whatever in the empty, futile, thoroughly disappointing, works of darkness. Does this mean now that the Ephesians should withdraw themselves from the men of the world; that they should become hermits and move as far as possible away from wicked men? Not at all! Though they are not of the world, yet they are in the world and have a mission to fulfil. Says Paul: but instead even expose^[140] them, that is, these unfruitful works of darkness. Those who belong to the realm of light cannot be neutral with respect to the work of darkness. Compromise, too, is definitely ruled out. For example, when God says, Worship me alone, and another says, Worship idols, it will not do to try to worship Jehovah under the symbolism of images which are on the way to becoming idols. The sin of Jeroboam was an abomination to Jehovah (I Kings 12:25–33). Sin must be exposed. One is not being nice to a wicked man by endeavoring to make him feel what a fine fellow he is. The cancerous tumor must be removed, not humored. It is not really an act of love to smooth things over as if the terrible evil committed by those still living in the realm of darkness is not so bad after all. With respect to this Paul continues: 12. for the things done by them in secret it is a shame even to mention. But if one feels ashamed even to mention the horrible deeds of those who live in darkness, how then can he expose these deeds? Lenski's answer is, To state them in our reproof is shameful not for us who make the statement in reproof, but for those who engage in these works (op. cit., p. 609). This explanation, however, impresses me as being unnatural. I wonder whether any unbiased reader of Scripture would ever have drawn that conclusion. When the apostle tells the Ephesians to expose the works of darkness, does he not mean that they (and all others for whom the letter was intended throughout the course of history) should expose them? So when he now adds in one breath that it is a shame even to mention these secret practices, is not the obvious meaning: You should expose them, for they are so very wicked, that for anyone even to mention them is shameful? But how were they able to expose them and yet not mention them? The answer which is clear from the entire context is that by means of a life of goodness and righteousness and truth (verse 9) they must reveal what a vast contrast there is between the works of those who walk in the light and the works of those who walk in darkness. There are sins so altogether repulsive that it is better by far never to mention them. Conditions in the pagan world of Asia Minor seem to have been particularly bad. Roland Allen, in his work, Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?, London, third edition, 1953, p. 49, remarks, If the moral atmosphere of Greece was bad, in Asia Minor it was even worse. Continued: 13. But when all these (wicked practices) are exposed by the light^[141] they are made visible. Meaning: when, by means of contrast with the conduct of believers as children of light, the terrible deeds of wickedness that mark the sons of disobedience are thus exposed, these horrible practices are shown up for what they really are. That this is true is shown by the rule expressed in the following statement: for everything that is made visible is light; that is, whatever, whether attitudes, words, practices, etc., is made manifest by having been thus contrasted loses its hidden character, takes on the nature of light, and is seen for what it really is. In verses 11 13 the emphasis has been on deeds rather than on the doers. It was the deeds that were exposed. However, it is readily understandable that when wicked men's evil deeds are thus laid bare, the doers are indirectly reproved. They are made to see how great their sins and miseries are; hence, how desperately they need a radical change of life. The transition to the next line is therefore very natural: 14. Therefore he says: Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you. There is no sound reason here to interpret he says in any other way than in 4:8; hence, God says, for the apostle is obviously referring to these words as authoritative, What is their source? Among the many answers given the two most popular ones are: a. Isa. 60:1Isa. 9:2; 26:19: 52:1 ; b. an early Christian hymn. As to the first, favored by Calvin, Findlay, Hodge, and others, today it seems to be in style to dismiss this at once with the remark that there is no, or only very slight, similarity between Eph. 5:14and Isa. 60:1. For myself, the more I study Isa. 60:1in the light of its own context the more I begin to see certain resemblances. It is perhaps instructive to place the two passages alongside of each other: Isa. 60:1Eph. 5:14 Arise, shine; Awake, sleeper, For your light has come, And arise from the dead, And the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. And Christ will shine on you. 1. In the context of the Isaiah passage the daughter of Zion is represented as forsaken, her land as desolate (Isa. 62:4). We read about captives and prisoners (Isa. 61:1). Also the Ephesian passage presupposes a condition of wretchedness, the sleep of death which has or had befallen the one addressed. 2. In both passages the one who is pictured as lying down in sleep or death is commanded to arise. Cf. Rom. 13:11; I Thess. 5:6. 3. In both the one addressed receives encouragement. 4. The substance of this encouragement is the same in both cases, namely, that light will be imparted to the one who heretofore has been in darkness. 5. In Isaiah the One who imparts this light is Jehovah, in a context which by Jesus himself was interpreted as referring to himself. Cf. Isa. 61:1, 2a with Luke 4:16 21. See also footnote 108. In Ephesians it is Christ who shines upon the formerly wretched one. 6. In Isaiah 40 66 deliverance from the Babylonian captivity through Jehovah's anointed Cyrus (see especially chapters 40 48) seems to be a symbol of deliverance from spiritual captivity through the gloriously anointed Servant of Jehovah (see especially chapters 49 57). Chapters 58 66, in which 60:1 occurs, speak of the glory of redeemed Zion. It is not impossible, therefore, that the early church of the new dispensation saw Christ in this passage (Isa. 60:1) as the One who causes the light of salvation to shine forth upon those who arise from their death-sleep of sin. If Jesus was able to interpret a passage from chapter 61 as referring to himself, as has just been indicated (see under 5.), why should it be impossible to explain or at least apply a passage from the immediately preceding chapter similarly? It is my conviction, therefore, that the theory according to which, either directly or indirectly, the Ephesian passage has its root in Isa. 60:1must not be readily dismissed as if it were entirely out of the question. There may not be sufficient reason to consider the connection between the two passages to have been definitely established, but there certainly is no ground whatever for rejecting even the possibility of this connection. Even so, however, there could be an element of truth in theory b. It is conceivable that though (Ephesians 5:14is in the final analysis rooted in Isa. 60:1, the form in which the latter passage is here reproduced by Paul was that of lines from an early Christian hymn. The hymn, in other words, may have been based on the Isaiah passage. It is clear at any rate that when Paul was writing what is now called the fifth chapter of Ephesians he had hymns in mind, for he mentions them only a few verses later, namely, in 5:19. Now if Eph. 5:14was taken from a hymn, was it an Easter hymn, according to which the commemoration of Christ's physical resurrection reminded the one addressed to live a life in harmony with his spiritual resurrection, the two resurrections being related to each other as cause and effect? Or was it perhaps a song chanted in connection with the baptism of those who professed to have been awakened out of their sleep and to have been raised from the dead when they accepted Christ, and who were by means of this hymn urged to die more fully and constantly to the old man and increasingly day by day to put on the new man? We must confess that no one really knows for sure either the origin of these lines or the extent and manner of their use in the early church. What is certain, however, is the fact that they do not seem out of place in the present context. They apply to the man who is still living in paganism. When the wicked deeds of such a person have been exposed, the only way of escape must be clearly pointed out to him, so that he may wake up out of his sleep, may arise from the deadLuke 15:32) and Christ may shine on him. In the light, however, of the entire preceding context (see especially verses 3 11) it is clear that the apostle has in mind not only the pagan but also and especially the convert. Paul's aim is to show that he who has renounced the wicked ways of the world should live a life consistent with his new standing. Therefore, instead of any longer taking part in the unfruitful works of darkness, he should emerge completely from his sleep and arise and withdraw in every respect from the wicked ways of the company of the spiritually dead. The blessed result will be that Christ will shine upon him. That would seem to be the meaning of the passage. This, however, introduces another question. Do not these lines which the apostle is quoting with approval reverse the proper order of the elements in the process of becoming saved? Do they not seem to teach that it is man who turns to God before God turns to man? The sinner, so it would seem, is urged to wake up out of his spiritual sleep, and to arise from the dead (implying a resurrection from his death in sin), and only then will Christ shine upon him. The answer is: a. There is a long list of passages, both Old and New Testament, to which the same objection, if valid, would apply (Deut. 4:29; 30:1–10; Ps. 50:14, 15; 55:16; Isa. 55:6, 7; Jer. 18:5–10; Matt. 11:28–30; Acts 16:31; Rev. 3:20). b. These passages stress human responsibility. c. None of them teaches that man is able, in his own power, to wake up or to arise from the dead. He can do this only by means of the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The very fact that he is called upon to arise from the dead implies this (see what was said about this in the interpretation of 2:1–9). In the process of becoming saved God always takes the lead. No one is able to become converted unless God first regenerates him. Also, after basic conversion has taken place there is never a moment in a person's life when he can do anything of spiritual value apart from his Lord. d. Christ, however, is not only the Alpha (beginning) of his salvation; he is also the Omega (the end); that is, he is not on]y salvation's Originator; he is also its Rewarder. Hence, when by divine grace and power the sinner puts off the old nature and puts on the new, when more and more he awakens and arises from the dead, the light from Christ shines upon him, illumining his entire life with tender, marvelous, mellow radiance, the radiance of the Savior's loving presence. It is thus that the path of the righteous is as the dawning light that shines more and more unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18). d. 5:15–21 Do not get drunk on wine, but be filled with the Spirit Continuing his tender admonitions with respect to the church's Glorious Renewal Paul writes: 15. Be most careful therefore how you walk.^[142] Here again, in complete harmony with what has gone before, we are shown how very necessary it is for believers to show in every way and at all times that they have repudiated their old nature and have embraced the new and godly life. That is the only effective way of verifying one's own state of salvation, exposing the unfruitful works of darkness, calling the workers to repentance, and doing all this to the glory of God. Continued: not as unwise but as wise. Cf. 1:8, 17; Col. 1:9, 28; 3:16; 4:5. The unwise are those who, having no insight into things that pertain to God and salvation, are not aiming to reach the highest goal and therefore do not know and do not even care to know what are the best means to reach it. They regard as very important what is in reality of minor value or may even be harmful, and they do not appreciate what is indispensable. They conduct themselves accordingly. Those who are wise, on the other hand, have the proper insight and walk in harmony with it. They also make a judicious use of their time. In that trend Paul continues: 16. making the most of the opportunity. They should not wait for opportunity to fall into their laps but should buy it up, not counting the cost. In the light of the entire context the opportunity referred to is that of showing by means of their life and conduct the power and glory of the gospel, thus exposing evil, abounding in good works, obtaining assurance of salvation for themselves, strengthening the fellowship, winning the neighbor for Christ, and through it all glorifying God. The opportunity missed will never return. Let it therefore be used to the full. Read (Mark 1:21 34and see how much work Jesus was able to crowd into a single day, and what he did very early the next morningMark 1:35). Paul adds: because the days are evil. A single glance at the preceding context (Rom. 1:18–32) will show how indescribably evil were the days when this letter was written. Similar admonitions are found in Rom. 13:11–14; I Cor. 7:29; II Cor. 6:14–18; Gal. 6:9, 10; and Col. 4:5. Continued: 17. Therefore do not be foolish but understand what (is) the will of the Lord. The admonition of verse 15 not as unwise is repeated in slightly different language. The Ephesians must not be without reflection or understanding. They must not show want of sense, which amounts to saying that they must not be foolish. The connective therefore in the light of the preceding context may be interpreted as meaning: because the danger is so great, the wickedness so appalling, the opportunity so precious, and because constant watchfulness, earnest effort, and unwavering zeal are so necessary, do not be absurd. On the contrary, understand what is the will of the Lord, that is, of the Lord Jesus Christ. See 2:21; 4:1; 5:10. Do not depend on your own acumen. Do not regard the advice of other people as the ultimate touchstone of the truth. Let the will of your Lord as he has revealed it by means of his own word and example and by the mouth of his chosen messengers be your standard and guide. See 5:10; cf. Rom. 12:2; I Peter 2:21. One outstanding manifestation of want of sense is drunkenness. Its antidote, being filled with the Spirit, indicates a far better avenue to true understanding. Hence, there is a double connection between verses 17 and 18. Paul writes: 18. And do not get drunk on wine, which is associated with unrestrained living, but be filled with the Spirit. There are times when exhilaration of heart and mind is entirely proper. Scripture makes mention of shouting for joyPs. 5:11; 32:11; 35:27; etc. , fulness of joy (Ps. 16:11), good tidings of great joy (Luke 2:10), joy unspeakable and full of glory (I Peter 1:8). Exhilaration is wrong, however, when the method of inducing it is wrong. Thus it is improper to seek excitement from the excessive use of wine. It is the abuse of wine that is forbidden, not the use (I Tim. 5:23). That such abuse was a real danger in the early church, as it certainly is also today, appears from such restrictions as the following: The overseer therefore must be above reproach &not (one who lingers) beside (his) wine (I Tim. 3:3; cf. Titus 1:7); Deacons similarly (must be) dignified, not &addicted to much wine (I Tim. 3:8); and Urge aged women similarly (to be) reverent in demeanor &not enslaved to much wine (Titus 2:3). Intoxication is not the effective remedy for the cares and worries of this life. The so-called uplift it provides is not real. It is the devil's poor substitute for the joy unspeakable and full of glory which God provides. Satan is ever substituting the bad for the good. Has he not been called the ape of God? Getting drunk on wine is associated with unrestrained living or dissolute behavior, recklessness (Titus 1:6; I Peter 4:4). It marks the person who, if he so continues, cannot be saved.^[143] But he need not so continue. The prodigal son of the unforgettable parable lived recklessly (an adverb cognate with the noun recklessness or unrestrained living occurring here in (Eph. 5:18). Extravagance and lack of self-control were combined in his behavior, just as in all likelihood they are combined in the meaning of the word unrestrained living used in this passage from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Nevertheless, there was salvation for him when he repented. Let anyone who may read this take courageIsa. 1:18; Ezek. 33:11; I John 1:9). The real remedy for sinful inebriation is pointed out by Paul. The Ephesians are urged to seek a higher, far better, source of exhilaration. Instead of getting drunk let them be filled. Instead of getting drunk on wine let them be filled with the Spirit. Note the double contrast. Although it is true that the apostle makes use of a word, namely, pne�ma, which in the translation should at times be spelled with, at other times without, a capital letter, it should be capitalized in this instance, as is often the case. Paul was undoubtedly thinking of the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Evidence in support of this view: a. the expression filled with or full of the pne�ma, when the reference is to the Holy Spirit, is very common in Scripture (Luke 1:15, 41, 67; 4:1; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9);^[144] and b. the very contrast here in 5:18 between getting drunk on wine and being filled with the pne�ma occurs also, though in a slightly different form, in Acts 2:4, 13, where the reference can only be to the Holy Spirit.^[145] By the ancients, moreover, an overdose of wine was often used not only to rid oneself of care and to gain a sense of mirth but also to induce communion with the gods and, by means of this communion, to receive ecstatic knowledge, not otherwise obtainable. Such foolishness, often associated with Dionysiac orgies, is by the apostle contrasted with the serene ecstasy and sweet fellowship with Christ which he himself was experiencing in the Spirit when he wrote this letter to the Ephesians (see on 1:3; 3:20). What he is saying therefore is this: getting drunk on wine leads to nothing better than debauchery, will not place you in possession of worthwhile pleasure, usable knowledge, and perfect contentment. It will not help you but hurt you. It leaves a bad taste and produces no end of woe (Prov. 23:29–32). On the other hand, being filled with the Spirit will enrich you with the precious treasures of lasting joy, deep insight, and inner satisfaction. It will sharpen your faculties for the perception of the divine will. Note the immediate context, verse 17. So, do not get drunk on wine, but be filled with the Spirit. ^[146] Being thus filled with the Spirit believers will not only be enlightened and joyful but will also give jubilant expression to their refreshing knowledge of the will of God. They will reveal their discoveries and their feelings of gratitude. Hence Paul continues: 19. speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The term psalms in all probability has reference, at least mainly, to the Old Testament Psalter; hymns, mainly to New Testament songs of praise to God and to Christ (verse 14 above, in which Christ is praised as the Source of light, containing perhaps lines from one of these hymns); and finally, spiritual songs, mainly to sacred lyrics dwelling on themes other than direct praise to God or to Christ. There may, however, be some overlapping in the meaning of these three terms as used here by Paul. The point to note is that by means of these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, Spirit-filled believers must speak to each other.^[147] They are not merely reciting what they have committed to memory. Daughter, do you know that your Redeemer lives? said the director to the soloist. After an affirmative answer he continued, Then sing it again, and this time tell us about it. She did, and there were tears of joy and thanksgiving in every eye. Continued: singing and making melody from your heart to the Lord. The idea of some^[148] that in the two parts of this one verse the apostle has reference to two kinds of singing: a. audible and b. inaudible, must be dismissed. If that had been his intention, he would have inserted the conjunction and or and also between the two parts. The two are clearly parallel. The second explains and completes the first: when believers get together they should not be having wild parties but should edify each other, speaking to one another in Christian song, and doing so from the heart, to the praise and honor of their blessed Lord. They should make music with the voice or in any proper way whatever, whether with voice or instrument. Cf. (Rom. 15:9); (I Cor. 14:15; James 5:13. For further details of interpretation see N.T.C. on Colossians and Philemon, pp. 160–163 where a closely similar passageCol. 3:16) is discussed more at length. By means of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs believers reveal their gratitude to God. On this theme Paul now enlarges as follows: 20. giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to (our) God and Father. See what has been said about this passage earlier, on p. 45. In addition, the following: Proper Thanksgiving (1) What is it? Thanksgiving is grateful acknowledgment of benefits received. It presupposes that the person who engages in this activity recognizes three things: a. that the blessings which he enjoys were bestowed upon himself, so that in all honesty he cannot give himself the credit for them; b. that he is totally unworthy of them; and c. that they are great and manifold. Paul has mentioned the giving of thanks once before in this chapter (5:4). He refers to it again and again in his epistles. So important does he regard it that he wants believers to be overflowing with thanksgiving (Col. 2:7). Gratitude is that which completes the circle whereby blessings that drop down into the hearts and lives of believers return to the Giver in the form of unending, loving, and spontaneous adoration. Properly pursued, such giving of thanks is a self-perpetuating attitude and activity, for it implies a review of blessings received. Naturally, such a review, the purposeful concentration of attention upon benefits, causes them to stand out more clearly, resulting in increased thanksgiving. The expression of gratitude is therefore a most blessed response to favors undeserved. While it lasts, worries tend to disappear, complaints vanish, courage to face the future is increased, virtuous resolutions are formed, peace is experienced, and God is glorified. (2) When must it take place? The apostle says, always. It is proper to give thanks after the blessing has been received, that is, when the situation that caused alarm has passed and quiet has been restored, as did the Israelites after their passage through the Red Sea (Exod. 15); as did the author of (Ps. 116after the Lord had heard his prayer; and as one day the glorious multitude will do on the shores of the sea of crystalRev. 15). It is also proper to give thanks in the very midst of distress, as did Jonah when he was in the fish's belly (Jonah 2:1, 9). It is even proper to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving before the battle has commenced, as Jehoshaphat ordered (II Chron. 20:21). Always believers can and should give thanks because there is never a moment when they are not under the watchful eye of Jehovah whose very name indicates that his mercies are unchangeable and will never fail. (3) For what must thanks be given? Paul answers, for all things. Hence, gratitude must be felt and expressed for blessings physical and spiritual; ordinary and extraordinary; past, present, and future (the latter, because they are included in an infallible promise); and even for things withheld and for things received. It should be constantly borne in mind that the one who, under the guidance of the Spirit, issued this admonition was himself a prisoner while he so commanded. But in spite of his chain, nay rather for his chain, he thanked God (Phil. 1:12–14). He was able to take pleasure in weaknesses, injuries, hardships, and frustrations (II Cor. 12:10). Again and again during this imprisonment Paul thanks God and exhorts those whom he addresses to be thankful also (Eph. 1:16; 5:4, 20; Phil. 1:3, 12 21; Col. 1:3, 12; 2:4; 3:17; 4:2; Philem. 4). This may seem very strange. It is, however, entirely consistent with the rest of Paul's teachings, for it harmonizes beautifully with the assurance that to them that love God all things work together for good and that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us with a love from which we can never be separated (Rom. 8:28–39). (4) How must thanks be given? The answer is in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it was he who earned all these blessings for us, so that we receive them all together with him (Rom. 8:32). It is also he who will purify our petitions and thanksgivings and, thus purified, will present them, together with his own intercession, before the countenance of the Father. (5) To whom must it be offered? The answer is to (our) God and Father. There are those who never give thanks at all. Like the rich fool in the parable that is recorded in (Luke 12:16 21they seem to give themselves the credit for everything they possess or have accomplished. There are others, however, who sense their obligations to their neighbors. They recognize secondary causes, but never the First CauseRom. 1:21). Since, however, the Ephesians knew that all their blessings were constantly coming from God, the God who in Christ Jesus is their Father and since they also were aware of the fact that they constituted part of the Father's Family (see on 3:14, 15), so that every benefit which they had received, were now receiving, or would still receive, proceeded from his love, they must have been able to understand the reasonableness of the exhortation that to this God and Father of theirs they should ascribe constant thanksgiving and praise. Having exhorted the Ephesians with respect to their duty to God, Paul very logically concludes this section by admonishing them in regard to their obligation toward each other. He does this in words which at the same time form an excellent transition to the thoughts with which he will be occupied in the next paragraph.^[149] Paul has been urging the Ephesians to express their thanksgiving to God by means of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Now in order that this may be done successfully two things are necessary: a. that the thanksgiving and praise be addressed in the proper manner to the proper person, and b. that there be harmony among the singers. In a choir every singer must know his place so that his voice may blend with that of others. In an orchestra there must be no discord. Hence, Paul states: 21. subjecting yourselves^[150] to each other out of reverence for Christ.^[151] Again and again our Lord, while on earth, emphasized this very thought, namely, that each disciple should be willing to be the least (Matt. 18:1–4; 20:28) and to wash the other disciples feet (John 13:1 17). Substantially the same thought is also expressed in (Rom. 12:10: in honor preferring one another and in Phil. 2:3: (doing) nothing from selfish ambition or from empty conceit, but in humble-mindedness each counting the other better than himself. Cf. I Peter 5:5. Affection for one another, humility, and a willingness to cooperate with other members of the body are the graces that are implied here in Ephesians 5:21. The thought of the passage recalls what the apostle had said earlier in this same letter: with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, enduring one another in love, making every effort to preserve the unity imparted by the Spirit by means ob the bond (consisting in) peace (4:2, 3). Paul knew by experience what would happen in a church when this rule is disobeyedI Cor. 1:11, 12; 3:1–9; 11:17–22; 14:26–33). He therefore stresses the fact that out of reverence for Christ, that is, with a conscious regard for his clearly revealed will, every member of the body should be willing to recognize the rights, needs, and wishes of the others. Thus believers will be able to present a united front to the world, the blessing of true Christian fellowship will be promoted, and God in Christ will be glorified. Chapter 4:17 6:9 Verses 5:22 6:9 Theme: The Church Glorious II. Exhortation urging G lorious Renewal 2. upon special groups 5:22 6:9 22 Wives, (be subject) to your own husbands as to the Lord, 23 for the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is head of the church, he himself (being) the Savior of the body. 24 Then, just as the church is subject to Christ so also wives (should be subject) to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives just as also Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her; 26 that he might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of water in connection with the spoken word; 27 in order that he might present the church to himself brilliant in purity, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and faultless. 28 That is the way husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh; on the contrary, he nourishes it and cherishes it, just as also Christ (does) the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, let each one of you also love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see to it that she respects her husband. 6 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and your mother, which is a commandment of foremost significance, with a promise attached: 3 that it may be well with you and that you may be on earth a long time. 4 and fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but rear them tenderly in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. 5 Slaves, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ, 6 not in the way of eye-service as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with ready mind rendering service as to the Lord and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does this he will receive back from the Lord, whether (he be) slave or free. 9 And masters, do the same things for them, and stop threatening, knowing that (he who is) both their master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no partiality with him. As indicated previously (see p. 208) the theme Glorious Renewal is here continued but is now applied to special groups; as follows: wives and their husbands (5:22–33); children and their parents (6:1–4); and slaves and their masters (6:5–9). a. 5:22–33 Wives, be subject to your own husbands. Husbands, love your waves 22. Wives, (be subject)^[152] to your own husbands as to the Lord. Some of the material found in 5:22 6:9 parallels Col. 3:18 4:1. Wherever it does, I refer the reader to N.T.C. on Colossians and Philemon, pp. 167–177, for details of exegesis. This will leave more room for expatiating in the present Commentary on those Ephesian passages that are not found in Colossians. No institution on earth is more sacred than that of the family. None is more basic. As is the moral and religious atmosphere in the family, so will it be in the church, the nation, and society in general. Now in his kindness toward womanhood, the Lord, fully realizing that within the family much of the care of children will rest on the wife, has been pleased not to overburden her. Hence, he placed ultimate responsibility with respect to the household upon the shoulders of her husband, in keeping with the latter's creational endowment. So here, through his servant, the apostle Paul, the Lord assigns to the wife the duty of obeying her husband. This obedience must be a voluntary submission on her part, and that only to her own husband, not to every man. What will make this obedience easier, moreover, is that she is asked to render it as to the Lord, that is, as part of her obedience to him, the very One who died for her. Continued: 23. for the husband is head of the wife. A home without a head is an invitation to chaos. It spells derangement and disaster worse even than that which results when a nation is without a ruler or an army without a commander. For excellent reasons (I Tim. 2:13, 14) it has pleased God to assign to the husband the task of being the head of the wife, hence also of the family. This headship, moreover, implies more than rulership, as is clear from the words which follow, namely, as also Christ is head of the church, he himself (being) the Savior of the body. This statement may come as a surprise to those who have been used to place undue stress on a husband's authority over his wife. To be sure, he has that authority and should exercise it, but never in a domineering manner. The comparison with Christ as head of the church (Col. 1:18) reveals in what sense the husband is the wife's head. He is her head as being vitally interested in her welfare. He is her protector. His pattern is Christ who, as head of the church, is its Savior! What Paul is saying, therefore, amounts to this: the wife should voluntarily submit herself to her husband whom God has appointed as her head. She should recognize that, in his capacity as her head, her husband is so closely united to her and so deeply concerned about her welfare that his relation to her is patterned after the sacrificial interest of Christ in his church, which he purchased with his own blood! One is reminded of those many Old Testament passages in which Jehovah's love for his people is vividly portrayed. There is, for example, the story of Hosea's unfailing tenderness toward his wife Gomer. Though the latter was not true to him, went after other lovers, and conceived children of whoredom, nevertheless Hosea, instead of rejecting her, slips away to the haunt of shame, buys her back for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley, and mercifully restores her to her former position of honor (11:8; 14:4). For similar passages describing the Husband's (Jehovah's) marvelous reclaiming love see Isa. 54:1–8; 62:3–5; Jer. 3:6–18; 31:31–34. Let the wife, therefore, obey her husband who loves her so very, very much! And let her bear in mind that by being obedient to her husband she is being obedient to her Lord. Not everyone accepts this interpretation of the passage. In addition to those who interpret the clause, he himself (being) the Savior of the body as a direct reference not to Christ but to the husband as being the defender of the wife (in which case the translation becomes savior, not Savior), an interpretation so completely out of line with the immediately preceding words that it deserves no further comment, there are also those who believe that the reference to Christ as the church's Savior is a kind of aside, or else expresses a relation which Christ bears to the church which finds no analogy in that of the husband to the wife (Hodge, op. cit., p. 313). Just why the apostle would have inserted this clause if it had nothing to do with the subject is not explained. Calvin, on the other hand, in commenting on the words, And he is the Savior [or savior ] of the body, makes the following very apt remark, The pronoun he is supposed by some to refer to Christ; and by others to the husband. It applies more naturally, in my opinion, to Christ, but still with a view to the present subject. In this point, as well as in others the resemblance ought to hold. Incidentally, I might call attention to the fact that in Calvin's own case the resemblance between a. Christ's love and care for his church and b. Calvin's love and care for Idelette certainly held. Contrary to the opinion of many who are ever picturing John Calvin as a stern, autocratic individual, here was a man who loved his wife very tenderly; while she, in turn loved and obeyed him with the same complete devotion.^[153] Says P. Schaff, in commenting on Calvin's character, and in particular on the relation between Calvin and his wife, Nothing can be more unjust than the charge that Calvin was cold and unsympathetic (History of the Christian Church, New York, 1923, Vol. VII, p. 417). Paul summarizes the contents of verses 22 and 23 as follows: 24. Then,^[154] just as the church is subject to Christ so also wives (should be subject) to their husbands in everything. The submission of the church to Christ is voluntary, wholehearted, sincere, enthusiastic. It is a submission prompted not only by a conviction, This is right and proper because God demands it, but also by love in return for Christ's love (I John 4:19). Let the same be true with respect to the submission of wives to their husbands. Moreover, that obedience must not be partial, so that the wife obeys her husband when the latter's wishes happen to coincide with her own, but complete: in everything. This little phrase must, however, not be interpreted as if it meant absolutely everything. If the husband should demand her to do things contrary to the moral and spiritual principles established by God himself, submission would be wrong (Acts 5:29; cf. 4:19, 20). With this exception, however, her obedience should be complete. The admonition addressed to husbands begins as follows: 25. Husbands, love your wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. The love required must be deep-seated, thorough-going, intelligent and purposeful, a love in which the entire personality not only the emotions but also the mind and the will expresses itself.^[155] The main characteristic of this love, however, is that it is spontaneous and self-sacrificing, for it is compared to the love of Christ whereby he gave himself up for the church. More excellent love than that is inconceivable (John 10:11 15; 15:13; I John 3:16). See also on 5:2. When a believing husband loves his wife in this fashion obedience from the side of his believing wife will be easy. Illustration taken from life: My husband loves me so thoroughly and is so good to me that I jump at the opportunity to obey him. That was putting it beautifully! Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26. that he might sanctify her, separating her unto God and to his service, that positively; and negatively: cleansing her, that is, delivering her from sin's guilt and pollution (Heb. 9:22, 23; 10:29), this two-fold process (sanctifying and cleansing) of necessity occurring simultaneously and not finished until death.^[156] Continued: by the washing of water. As to the first noun, here, as in Titus 3:5, the only other occurrence of this word in the New Testament, the right translation is in all probability washing, rather than laver or basin for washing.^[157] But while Titus 3:5(on which see N.T.C. on I and II Timothy and Titus, pp. 391, 392) speaks of a washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, the Ephesian passage mentions the washing of water in connection with the spoken word. Though the two passages are certainly closely related, they are not identical. This washing of water here in Eph. 2:26 can hardly have reference to anything else than to baptism. So much should be clear. However, does this mean that the rite as such purifies and sanctifies? If so I would have to retract everything I said a moment ago with reference to sanctifying and cleansing being two aspects of a lifelong process. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/ b. 6:1–4 Children, obey your parents. Fathers, rear them tenderly 6:1. Children, obey your parents. Compare the following passages: (Exod. 20:12; 21:15–17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 5:16; 21:8; Prov. 1:8; 6:20; 30:17; Mal. 1:6; Matt. 15:4–6; 19:19; Mark 7:10 13; 10:19; 18:20; Col. 3:20. The apostle assumes that among those who will be listening when this letter is read to the various congregations the children will not be lacking. They are included in God's covenantGen. 17:7; Acts 2:38, 39), and Jesus loves them (Mark 10:13 16). Were Paul to be present with us today he would be shocked at the spectacle of children attending the Sunday School and then going home just before the regular worship service. He has a word addressed directly and specifically to the children. The implication is clear that also today sermons should be such that even the children can understand and enjoy them, at least to some extent, varying with age, etc., and at times the pastor should direct his attention especially to them. What the apostle tells the children is that they should obey their parents. This obedience, moreover, should flow not only from the feeling of love, gratitude, and esteem for their parents, though these motivations are very important, but also and especially from reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says that it should be an obedience in the Lord, and he adds, for this obedience is right. The proper attitude of the child in obeying his parents must therefore be this: I must obey my parents because the Lord bids me to do so. What he says is right for the simple reason that he says it! It is he who determines what is right and what is wrong. Hence, when I obey my parents I am obeying and pleasing my Lord. When I disobey them I am disobeying and displeasing him. It is true that, in so ordering, God or, if one prefers, Christ shows his wisdom and love. Under God, these children owe their very existence to their parents. The parents, moreover, are older, have had more experience, know more, and as a rule are wiser. Also, when conditions are normal, until the time of marriage no one loves these children more intensely than do their parents. And even after the parent-child relationship has been replaced by the (in a sense) even closer bond of husband-wife, the parents, if still alive, continue to love their children no less than before. Paul's emphasis on the fact that such obedience is right is strengthened by a reference to an express divine command: 2, 3. Honor your father and your mother, which is a commandment of foremost significance, with a promise attached: that it may be well with you and that you may be on earth a long time. The apostle shows what an excellent pedagogue he is, for just as even today the ten commandments are among those portions of Scripture which children learn by heart in their early youth, so and probably even more so was this true in Israel. And may we not also believe that even the children in formerly Gentile families were soon taught the decalogue, so that their sense of guilt and instant need of the Savior might be sharpened and their gratitude to God for salvation received might find adequate expression in consecrated conduct?^[163] The quotation is from (Exod. 20:12and Deut. 5:16, the first part of it literally according to the Septuagint. To honor father and mother means more than to obey them, especially if this obedience is interpreted in a merely outward sense. It is the inner attitude of the child toward his parents that comes to the fore in the requirement that he honor them. All selfish obedience or reluctant obedience or obedience under terror is immediately ruled out. To honor implies to love, to regard highly, to show the spirit of respect and consideration. This honor is to be shown to both of the parents, for as far as the child is concerned they are equal in authority. What follows, namely, which is the first commandment with promise (A.V., A.R.V., and very similarly also R.S.V., N.E.B., Phillips, Moffatt, Weymouth, Berkeley) has led to much difficulty, in view of the fact that an earlier commandment, regarded by some as the first and by others as the second, also has a promise attached to it: showing lovingkindness to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandmentsExod. 20:6). Surely that promise precedes the one that accompanies the commandment to honor father and mother. How then can Paul say that the latter is the first commandment with a promise? Some proposed solutions: 1. Paul means: the first commandment of the second table of the law. Objection: The division into tables is not always the same. Besides, the Jews generally regarded the commandment to honor father and mother as belonging to the first table. 2. It was the first commandment that spoke to the heart of the child, the first one which had special meaning for him. Objection: The text does not read: the first commandment for the child but &with a promise. 3. It was actually the first commandment with a promise, for the earlier promise (Exod. 20:6) is of a general nature. It is a promise to all who love God and keep his commandments. Objection: Though the general nature of that earlier promise must be granted, it remains true that it was attached to the second (or first, whichever way one prefers to count) commandment, so that the commandment that children honor their parents was not the first with an attached promise. 4. It was the most important commandment of the entire decalogue, the first, therefore, in rank, though not in order of enumeration. Evaluation: I believe this comes close to the truth, though it is still erroneous. Is not the first commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me, at least as important as is the fifth (or fourth)? There is, however, another solution which I personally accept as the right one. We arrive at it by bearing in mind two things: a. that the word generally translated first may indicate rank as well as numerical sequence. Thus, when a scribe asked Jesus, Which commandment is the first of all? he did not mean, Which commandment is mentioned first? but Which is first in importance? And b. the original does not read the first commandment; it reads, a commandment first, that is, commandment of foremost significance, not necessarily the most important of all. In what sense is it true that this commandment is one of extraordinary significance, being so important, in fact, that in (Lev. 19:1ff. the list of commandments under the general heading, You shall be holy, for I Jehovah your God am holy opens with this one? The answer is found in the promise that is attached to it, namely, that it may be well with you and that you may be on earth a long time. Notice the slight change in the wording from what is found in Exod. 20:12and Deut. 5:16. Paul, by divine inspiration, lifts the promise out of its old, theocratic form. He speaks not of living long in the land which God has given you but of being on the earth a long time. The promise that it may be well with youDeut. 5:16) is, however, retained. When the objection is raised that in spite of this promise many disobedient children prosper and become very old, while many obedient children die early, the answer is that the principle here expressed is, nevertheless, entirely valid. To be sure, obedience or disobedience to parents is not the only factor that determines a person's span of life, but it is an important factor. Disobedience to godly parents indicates an undisciplined life. It leads to vice and dissipation. This, in turn, all other things being equal, shortens life. For example, when a devout father warns his son against the evil of chain-smoking, addiction to alcohol, sins pertaining to sex, etc., and the son disregards his advice, he is following a course that does not as a rule lead to long life on the earth. In addition it should be borne in mind that though a disobedient child may live on and on and become a centenarian, as long as he continues in his wickedness it will not be well with him. He will have no peace! Living, as we do, in an age in which such matters as self-discipline and respect for authority are frowned upon, it is well to take to heart what is taught here in 6:2, 3. Undisciplined children spell ruin for the nation, the church, and society! The promise of God to reward obedience still holds. Not only to wives, children, and slaves are these admonitions directed, however. Also to husbands, parents, and masters. Glorious Renewal must be experienced by all. So Paul, having addressed the children, turns now to the parents, and in particular to the fathers, though with application also to the mothers. 4. And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger. Note the fairness of these admonitions. The duty of wives is not stressed at the expense of that of husbands, nor that of slaves to the neglect of that of masters. So also here: the admonition addressed to fathers follows hard upon that directed to children. Although it is true that the word fathers at times includes mothers (Heb. 11:23), just as brothers may include sisters, and that the directive here given certainly applies also to mothers, nevertheless it would hardly be correct in the present passage to substitute the word parents for fathers. The fact that in verse 1 Paul employs the more usual word for parents seems to indicate that here in verse 4 fathers means just that. The reasons why the apostle addresses himself especially to them could well be a. because upon them as heads of their respective families the chief responsibility for the education of the children rests; and b. perhaps also because they, in certain instances even more than the mothers, are in need of the admonition here conveyed. The parallel passage (Col. 3:21) has: Fathers, do not exasperate your children, meaning: Do not embitter them or stir them up. There is very little essential difference between that and Do not provoke your children to anger. The cognate noun is angry mood (4:26). Some ways in which parents may become guilty of this error in bringing up their children: 1. By over-protection. The fathers and mothers too are so fearful that harm may befall their darlings that they fence them in from every direction: Do not do this and do not do that. Do not go here and do not go there, until this process of pampering arrives at a point where we can almost imagine them to advise their offspring, Do not venture into the water until you have learned to swim. Yet swim they must! To be sure, children should be warned against great dangers. On the other hand, a modicum of risk-taking is necessary for their physical, moral, and spiritual development. If the little bird remains in the safety of its nest it will never learn to fly. Besides, the over-protective attitude has the tendency of depriving the children of confidence and of instilling in them the angry mood, especially when they compare themselves with other children who are not receiving this special treatment. 2. By favoritism. Isaac favored Esau above Jacob. Rebekah preferred Jacob (Gen. 25:28). The sad results of such partiality are well known. 3. By discouragement. Example taken from life: Dad, I am going to study hard and become a doctor, or perhaps a lawyer, teacher, mechanic, minister, or whatever it was the boy had in mind. Dad's answer: You might as well forget about that. That will never happen anyway. 4. By failure to make allowance for the fact that the child is growing up, has a right to have ideas of his own, and need not be an exact copy of his father to be a success. 5. By neglect. In the quarrel between David and his son Absalom was the fault entirely on Absalom's side? Was not David also partly to blame because he neglected his son? (II Sam. 14:13, 28). 6. By bitter words and outright physical cruelty. Here is a father who loves to throw his weight around and to make use of his superior strength. Scolding his children and inflicting severe physical punishment has become a habit with him. Court records are filled with cases of unbelievable cruelty to boys and girls, including babes. Paul places the positive over against the negative by continuing: but rear them tenderly. Fathers mothers too must provide their children with food, not only physical but also mental and spiritual. They must nourish them (see on 5:29), rear them tenderly.^[164] Let them be fondly cherished (Calvin). However, this does not exclude firmness: in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. In Heb. 12:11this word discipline refers to chastening, which, though at the time when it is administered may not be pleasant, is appreciated afterward and produces excellent fruit. Cf. I Cor. 11:32; II Cor. 6:9; II Tim. 2:25. In II Tim. 3:16this discipline is the training in righteousness. Discipline, accordingly, may be described as training by means of rules and regulations, rewards, and when necessary, punishments. It refers primarily to what is done to the child. The meaning of the word rendered admonition appears from (I Cor. 10:11, These things were written for our admonition, and from Titus 3:10, After the first and second warning (or: admonition) have nothing to do with a factious person. Admonition is therefore prevailingly training by means of the spoken word, whether that word be teaching, warning, or encouragement. It refers primarily to what is said to the child. Admonition would seem to be somewhat milder than discipline. Nevertheless, it must be earnest, not just a feeble observation such as, No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hearI Sam. 2:24). In fact, it is distinctly reported that Eli did not admonish them [his sons] (I Sam. 3:13).^[165] All of this discipline and admonition must be of the Lord. That should be its quality. It should amount to Christian training, therefore, and this in its most comprehensive sense, certainly including giving the child a noble example of Christian life and conduct. The entire atmosphere in which the training is given must be such that the Lord can place the stamp of his approval upon it. It is improper, in this connection, to overlook the fact that according to this passage (Deut. 6:7) not the state or society in general or even the church is primarily responsible for the training of the youth, though all of them have a vital interest in it and also a measure of responsibility with respect to it. But under God the child belongs first of all and most of all to the parents. It is they who should see to it that as far as they can help it those agencies that exert the most potent influence upon the child's rearing are definitely Christian. The very heart of Christian nurture is this: to bring the heart of the child to the heart of his Savior.^[166] c. 6:5–9 Slaves, obey your masters. Masters, stop threatening A rather detailed account of Scripture on Slavery will be found in N.T.C. on Colossians and Philemon, pp. 233–237. 5. Slaves, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters. Paul does not advocate the immediate, outright emancipation of the slaves. He took the social structure as he found it and endeavored by peaceful means to change it into its opposite. His rule amounted to this: Let the slave wholeheartedly obey his master, and let the master be kind to his slave. Thus the ill-will, dishonesty, and laziness of the slave would be replaced by willing service, integrity, and industry; the cruelty and brutality of the master, by considerateness and love. Slavery would be abolished from within, and a gloriously transformed society would replace the old. Be obedient is the same command used with reference to children in verse 1. There is comfort in the words masters according to the flesh, for it implies: You have another Master, who watches over you, is just and merciful to you in all his dealings, and to whom both you and your earthly masters are responsible. Continued: with fear and trembling. Cf. (II Cor. 7:15. Must they be filled with this spirit because they are slaves? No, fear and trembling befits anyone to whom the Lord has assigned a taskPhil. 2:12), Paul himself not excluded (I Cor. 2:3). It does not mean that slaves must approve of tyrannical methods or that they must melt with fear before their masters. It does mean, however, that they should be filled with conscientious solicitude when they recognize the real nature of their assignment, namely, so to conduct themselves toward their masters that the latter whether they be believers or not, will be able to see what the Christian faith accomplishes within the hearts of all who practice it, not excluding slaves. This implies, of course, that slaves will recognize their own inadequacy and ask the Lord to help them to realize this high purpose. Continued: in the sincerity of your heart; or with singleness of heart. That is, with an undivided mind, with integrity and uprightness (I Chron. 29:17). This obedience should be rendered as to Christ, that is, fully realizing that they are actually rendering it to their heavenly Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, 6. not in the way of eye-service as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. They must not obey simply to catch the eye of their masters for selfish purposes. They should not seek to please men with the ulterior motive of seeking profit for themselves. The apostle means, therefore: Fill your service with the energy and the enthusiasm with which you would fill it were it done for Christ, for it really is being done for Christ. It is to him that you belong. Take then that service of yours and lift it to a higher plain. Do the will of God from the heart, with all enthusiasm. And remember that you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your Lord himself was also a servant, even the Servant of Jehovah. It was he who girded himself with a towel and washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:1 20). It was also he who said, For the Son of man also came not to be ministered to (or: to be served) but to minister (or: to serve), and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). And it was he who emptied himself, as he took on the form of a servant &humbled himself and became obedient even to the extent of death, yes, death by a cross (Phil. 2:7, 8). Continued: 7. with ready mind rendering service as to the Lord and not to men. In spirit people really cease to be slaves as soon as they begin to work for the Lord and are no longer working primarily for men. Beyond their master they see their Master. Illustration: when the man who was conveying a load of bricks on his wheel-barrow was asked what he was doing, his answer was, I am building a cathedral for the Lord. With that thought in mind he was putting his whole soul into his job. Paul ends his admonition to slaves by writing: 8. knowing that whatever good each one does this he will receive back from the Lord, whether (he be) slave or free. With God there is no partiality (Lev. 19:15; Mal. 2:9; Acts 10:34; Col. 3:25; James 2:1). This is brought out very forcefully, for literally the apostle says, knowing that each one [note forward position of each one for emphasis] whatever he does (that is) good, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave, whether free. It is the intrinsic good that was done that will matter in the day of judgment. And that intrinsic good is not determined by the social position of the doer, whether he was a master or a slave. (Matt. 25:31 46brings this out beautifully. It is the nature of the deed that determines the reward. And in that nature the motivation is, of course, included. Not only what one has said or has done is important but also, and especially, why he said or did it. Did his deeds prove that he really meant what he said?Matt. 7:21–23) Only the good is mentioned here. Both good and bad are spoken of in (Eccles. 12:14; Col. 3:25; and II Cor. 5:10. Reason for the difference? We simply do not know. There may be truth in the answer of those who say that only good was mentioned here for the greater encouragement of the Ephesians. It is certain, at any rate, that no good deed is ever done in vain. There's but one life [on this earth]; tWill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. That God Triune, or that the Lord Jesus Christ in his capacity as Judge, will reward the services that were rendered in love and obedience to him, is clear from many a Scripture passage: Gen. 15:1; Ruth 2:12; Ps. 19:11; 58:11; Isa. 40:10, 11; 62:11; Jer. 31:16; Matt. 5:12; 6:4; 25(the entire chapter); Luke 6:35; 12:37, 38; I Peter 1:17; II John 8; and Rev. 2:7, 10, 11, 17, 23, 26 28; 3:4, 5, 9 12, 20, 21; 22:12. This reward is entirely of grace, not of merit. Just as by reason of sin all men stand condemned before GodRom. 3:22, 23), so also by reason of grace all believers, whether slave or free, receive a reward for the good they have done. Among those to whom this letter was addressed there were probably not many slave-owners. Cf. I Cor. 1:26–28. Yet, there were some. In fact, the same messenger who delivered this letter to its destination also delivered another letter, one addressed to a slaveowner, namely, Philemon. This was on the same trip when the Colossians, too, received their epistle. To the masters, therefore, a word must also be addressed, but as these were relatively few in number, and as even that part of the admonition that had been addressed to the slaves was full of implied significance also for their masters, the exhortation directed specifically to the latter could be brief: 9. And masters, do the same things for them. Co-operation must be a two-way street. It must be shown by both groups: masters and slaves. So, in effect Paul is saying to the masters: Promote the welfare of your slaves as you expect them to promote yours. Show the same interest in them and in their affairs as you hope they will show in you and your affairs. Continued: and stop threatening. In other words, Let your approach be positive, not negative. Hence, not, Unless you do this, I will do that to you, but rather, Because you are a good and faithful servant, I will give you a generous reward. Before threatening, the slave stood helpless. He had no means of defending himself, not even, generally speaking, before the law. But as a believer he did have a real Defender. Hence, the apostle directs the attention of the masters to this fact, saying: knowing that (he who is) both their master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no partiality with him. See James 5. Because of all that has already been said on this subject of impartiality (see on verse 8), no further comment is necessary. Summary of Chapter 4:17 6:9 This section consists of two main divisions. In the first (4:17 5:21) the admonitions are addressed to the entire church; in the second (5:22 6:9), to the different members of the family: wives, husbands; children, fathers; slaves, masters. The general theme is (The Church's) Glorious Renewal. This renewal or transformation has the following characteristics: (1) As already indicated, it has reference to the church in general, but also to the individual member. (2) It is both negative and positive. For the first see 4:17, 22, 25a; etc.; for the second, 4:23, 24, 25b, 28b, 32; 5:1, 2; etc. It stresses the positive in the sense that evil must be overcome with good (5:18–21). (3) It opposes self-indulgence (5:3–7, 18a) and encourages self-sacrifice (5:2, 25). (4) Its Author is the Holy Spirit (4:30; 5:18) but it fully recognizes the role of human responsibility (in all the admonitions). (5) It relates to the past (break with it, 4:17, 22), the present (be what you are, 5:8), and the future (the inheritance or the experience of God's wrath, what will it be? 5:5, 6). (6) It combats specific sins: immorality, greed, falsehood, wrath, dishonesty, corrupt speech, slander, malice, drunkenness, etc. (4:25–31; 5:18; etc.) but also the underlying evil nature (4:17, 22). Similarly, it recommends specific virtues: truthfulness, industry, generosity, gracious speech, kindness, tenderheartedness, the forgiving disposition, love, thankfulness, righteousness (4:25b, 28b, 29b, 32; 5:2, 4b, 9) but also the basic godly nature (4:23, 24). (7) It is fair to all and believes in the principle of reciprocity in human (and especially in family) relationships (5:22 6:9). (8) It derives its example, motive, and strength from Christ (4:32; 5:2, 23, 24). (9) It banishes the darkness and welcomes the light (5:7–14). (10) It is gladdening, for it causes the one who experiences it to break forth into cheerful thanksgiving, into the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and into making melody from the heart to the Lord. CHAPTER VI:10 24 Chapter 6:10–24 Theme: The Church Glorious II. Exhortation urging all to put on the Church's God-given E ffective Armor. Conclusion. 6:10–20 1. Put on the full armor of God 10 Finally, find your (source of) power in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the full armor of God in order that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty methods of the devil. 12 For not against flesh and blood is our wrestling but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the full armor of God in order that you may be able to stand your ground in the day of evil, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with readiness derived from the gospel of peace, 16 and in addition to everything else, having taken up the shield of faith, by means of which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the spoken word of God, 18 by means of all prayer and supplication, praying at all times in the Spirit, and with a view to this, being on the alert in all perseverance and supplication, for all the saints; 19 and (praying) for me, that when I open my mouth I may be given a message, so that I may make known courageously the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in a chain, that when I proclaim it I may speak with courage as I ought to speak. 21 But in order that you also may know my affairs, how I am getting along, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make them all known to you, 22 whom I am sending to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may strengthen your hearts. 23 Peace (be) to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace (be) with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with (a love) imperishable. The church's E ternal Foundation U niversal Scope L ofty Goal O rganic Unity and Growth, and G lorious Renewal having now been set forth, there remains the exhortation that believers arm themselves with the church's God-given E ffective Armor. This is followed by the Conclusion to the entire letter: a warm recommendation of the letter's bearer and an equally warm and unique benediction. In all the preceding sections Paul has described salvation as being, on the one hand, the product of God's sovereign grace, on the other hand the promised reward of human effort, the latter being made possible from start to finish by the former. These two elements divine grace and human responsibility are again most beautifully combined in this closing section. Man must equip himself with a full suit of arms, that is, it is he who must put it on. It is also he, he alone, who must use this entire panoply. Nevertheless, the weapons are called the full armor of God. It is God who has forged them. It is God who gives them. Not for one single moment is man able to employ them effectively except by the power of God. But what is it that makes the taking up of this formidable armor absolutely necessary, so essential that salvation is impossible without it? The answer is that the church has an enemy hell-bent on its destruction. So Paul begins this remarkable concluding exhortation with respect to the church's Effective Armor by saying: 10. Finally,^[167] find your (source of) power^[168] in the Lord and in the strength of his might. It is the exercise or manifestation of the might of the Lord that is the source of power for believers.^[169] Apart from Christ Christians can accomplish nothing at all (John 15:1 5). They are like branches severed from the vine. On the other hand, in close fellowship with their Lord they can do whatever they need to do: I can do all things in him who infuses strength into me (Phil. 4:13; cf. II Cor. 12:9, 10; I Tim. 1:12). The reason is that the might of the Lord is infinite. By his strength God not only created the heavens and the earth, caused the mountains to tremble, the rocks to melt, Jordan to be driven back, the cedars of Lebanon to be broken in pieces, and the forests to be stripped bare, but specifically, as already emphasized in the Ephesian context, by his strength he caused a. the Savior to arise from the dead (1:20) and b. his chosen ones to be made alive from their death in trespasses and sins (2:1). It is, therefore, as if Paul were saying: When I urge you to find your source of power in the Lord and in the strength of his might, I am not making an unreasonable request, for you yourselves know that his omnipotence has been revealed by these two marvelous deeds. Hence, we are not dealing with abstractions but with the power of God demonstrated in human history. You are aware, therefore, of the fact that when you ask him to strengthen you, he will certainly hear you, for he is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine (3:20). Paul continues: 11. Put on the full armor of God in order that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty methods of the devil. The question might be asked, In view of the fact that by means of the two marvelous deeds mentioned above it has become clear that the power of God in Christ is infinitely superior to that of Satan and his allies, need we be so concerned about the onslaught of the prince of evil? The answer is: Assurance of this superiority, however, does not diminish the seriousness of any given conflict on any evil day nor give certain assurance of victory in any particular battle (Roels, op. cit., p. 216). I find myself in complete agreement with the words quoted, and wish only to add that, looked at from the angle of man's responsibility, it is even possible to say that not only this or that particular battle but the entire war will be lost unless we exert ourselves. It is true that the counsel of God from eternity will never fail, but it is just as true that in that plan of God from eternity it was decided that victory will be given to those who overcomeRev. 2:7, 11, 17, etc. . Overcomers are conquerors, and in order to conquer one must fight! Moreover, the war must be waged strenuously, for the foe is none other than ho di�bolos, that is, the devil (Matt. 4:1, 5, 8, 11; John 8:44; I Peter 5:8; Jude 9; Rev. 2:10; 12:9; 20:2). It is clear that the apostle believed in the existence of a personal prince of evil. Paul was writing to people most of whom before their rather recent conversion to the Christian faith had been in great fear of evil spirits, as is true also today among pagans. It is almost impossible to appreciate how widespread, haunting, and overwhelming is this dread of demons which one encounters throughout heathendom. How did Paul counteract this fear? Did he say what many are saying today, namely, The world of evil spirits is one huge untruth, a mere figment of the imagination? He did not. Instead, without accepting paganism's demonology or animism, he, nevertheless, emphasizes the great and sinister influence of Satan. So do the other inspired writers. What they all say in describing the power of the devil can be summarized somewhat as follows: Having been cast out of heaven, he is filled with fury and envy. His malevolence is directed against God and his people. His purpose is, therefore, to dethrone his great Enemy, and to cast all God's people in fact, all people into hell. He walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He has a powerful, well-organized army (as will be shown in a moment), and has established an outpost within the very hearts of those whom he aims to destroy. Also, his methods, says Paul, are crafty (see on 4:14). They are the schemes of the deceiver. Of this fact believers are not ignorant (II Cor. 2:11). Now this expression crafty methods will be no more than a hollow sound unless we give scriptural content to it. Some of these clever ruses and vicious stratagems are the following: mixing error with just enough truth to make it appear plausible (Gen. 3:4, 5, 22), quoting (really misquoting!) Scripture (Matt. 4:6), masquerading as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14) and causing his ministers to do likewise so that they fashion themselves as apostles of Christ (II Cor. 11:13), aping God (II Thess. 2:1–4, 9), strengthening people in their belief that he does not even exist (Acts 20:22), entering places where he is not expected to enter (Matt. 24:15; II Thess. 2:4), and above everything else promising people that good can be attained through wrongdoing (Luke 4:6, 7). In view of all this, therefore, it is clear why, in the name of his Sender, the apostle issues the mobilization order: Put on the full armor of God. Leave nothing out. You will need every weapon. Do not try to advance against the devil and his host with equipage from your own arsenal. Rather, say with David, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them (I Sam. 17:39). Such weapons as trusting in human merits, in one's own erudition or mental acumen, in seclusion from the world, in the invocation of saints and of angels, in the theory that sin, sickness, and Satan do not exist, etc. will not avail in the evil day. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, forged by him and furnished by him. Put it on, equip yourselves with it so that you may be able to stand, not to stand idle but in the battle to stand firm, to hold your ground against the devil's crafty methods. Continued: 12. For not against flesh and blood is our wrestling but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. The reason for the urgent character of the admonition is that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, ^[170] that is, against mere, frail men (Gal. 1:16), with all their physical and mental infirmities (I Cor. 15:50and Matt. 16:17). On the contrary it is against an innumerable supermundane host of evil spirits: the devil himself and all the demons under his control, that we are waging warfare. These fallen angels are here characterized as principalities and authorities (Col. 1:6); as the world-rulers of this darkness, that is, as those who under the permissive providence of God are in tyrannical control of the world of ignorance, sin, and sadness; and as the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, that is, in the supermundane realm. The term, heavenly places, although everywhere, including here, referring to what may be called in a very broad sense the celestial sphere cannot have precisely the same meaning here as elsewhere. While in the remaining Ephesian passages it indicates the heaven whence blessings descend (1:3), where Christ sits enthroned at the Father's right hand (1:20), where the redeemed are seated with Christ (2:6), and where the good angels have their abode (3:10), it must here (6:12) refer to the region above the earth but below the heaven of the redeemed; in other words, it must here indicate what in 2:2 is called the domain of the air. Inasmuch as the reference is to the world-rulers of this darkness with whom believers must contend, this alteration in the application of the term should not cause any difficulty. See further on 2:2. When the apostle implies that with the full armor of God, including such weapons as shield and sword (verses 16, 17), we must wrestle against the innumerable spiritual host, he must not be accused of inconsistency, as if he started out with the idea of believers opposing the foe on the field of battle, and then quickly changed the scenery from that of the battle-field to that of the gymnasium. The true explanation is probably far more simple: the apostle means that the battle is such a violent hand-to-hand encounter that in that respect it amounts to wrestling. If this is a mixed metaphor it is not inconsistent. Now it is because of this very intense and personal nature of the warfare against the devil and all his minions that Paul repeats and also develops the thought already expressed in verse 11, by saying: 13. Therefore take up the full armor of God. The language used here is very incisive. The command is curt and crisp, as if to say, Do not allow the enemy to find you defenseless. Take up your armor. Do so at once, without any hesitancy or waste of time. And remember: take up the full panoply! ^[171] The purpose is: in order that you may be able to stand your ground in the day of evil, that is, in the day of severe trial, the critical moments in your lives when the devil and his sinister underlings will assault you most vehemently (Ps. 41:2; 49:5). And inasmuch as one never knows when these crises will occur, the clear implication is: be ready always. We must be careful, however, not to infer from this that Christians are pictured here as sitting back, as it were, waiting in the shelter of their fortress for Satan's attack. The context (see on verses 17 and 19) does not allow this rather common interpretation. The standing of which Paul speaks (verses 11, 14) is not that of a brick wall that is waiting passively, as it were, for the assault of the battering ram. The soldiers referred to here are drawn up in battle array and rushing into the fight. They are both defending themselves and attacking. Only when they make full use of God's armor will they be able to stand their ground, that is, to withstand the foe, stand up against^[172] him, repulse his onrush and even gain ground, for the sentence continues: and having done everything, to stand firm. The assumption is that they will have accomplished thoroughly will have carried through to the end, as implied in the original marvelous things. Resisting the devil, standing up against him, has this comforting result that, at least for the moment, the devil will flee (James 4:7; cf. Matt. 10:22). To give even more substance to the character and the necessity of this battle against the devil and his hosts, this intense and vehement struggle, see what it meant in the life and labors of Paul himself. For him it had been, and/or was even now, a fight against Satan-inspired Jewish and pagan vice and violence; against Judaism among the Galatians and others; against fanaticism among the Thessalonians; against contention, fornication, and litigation among the Corinthians; against incipient Gnosticism among the Ephesians and far more among the Colossians; against fightings without and fears within; and last but not least, against the law of sin and death operating within his own heart. It may be regarded as a trite saying, but it is true nevertheless, that the best defense is an offense. All of Paul's missionary journeys may be regarded as manifestations of offensive warfare. Paul was invading the territory which heretofore had been the devil's own, for the whole world lieth in the evil one (I John 5:19). The reason he had made these incursions into the hostile territory, and was going to make even more, was that the devil had something that was earnestly desired by the apostle, namely, the souls of men. Paul wanted them in order to present them to God. He yearned with all his heart to be used as God's agent in bringing about the rescue of men from the realm of darkness and their transfer into the kingdom of light. Whenever he refers to this subject he uses language that is expressive of deep feelingRom. 1:13; 10:1; I Cor. 9:22; 10:33; etc. . Paul loved ardently! We see, therefore, that in order properly to interpret what the apostle meant by this battle it must be borne in mind that the church and Satan are on a collision course. They are rushing at each other. They clash! With all this by way of introduction, showing why believers must by all means be fully equipped for battle against the forces of evil, their suit of armor is now described. In order to do this the apostle makes use of six metaphors derived from the armor of the Roman hoplite, the heavily armed Roman legionary going forth to battle. To be sure, there is also a seventh weapon, the climax of them all. However, that seventh one stands in a place all by itself. It is not indicated by any figure or metaphor. To do justice to the six one should see the entire picture all at once. Hence, verses 14 17 are printed together here: 14 17. Stand firm therefore, a. having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, b. and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, c. and having shod your feet with readiness derived from the gospel of peace, d. and in addition to everything else, having taken up the shield of faith, by means of which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one; e. and take the helmet of salvation, f. and the sword of the Spirit which is the spoken word of God. When the question is asked, What was the source of this imagery? the answer is anything but unanimous. Some are of the opinion that the Roman guard to which Paul was attached by means of a chain or handcuff (verse 20) naturally suggested the various pieces of the panoply of which mention is made here. But it is hard to believe that a guard inside a prison would be holding the huge shield of which mention is made in verse 16. The lightly armed fighter, equipped with bow and arrows, will not do either as a basis for the symbolism we find here. As to the Roman warrior, the Greek historian Polybius describes him as having a shield, sword, two javelins, a helmet, greaves, and heart-guard or something more elaborate to replace it. It is evident at once that Paul mentions neither greaves nor javelins. On the other hand, he does mention the girdle or belt and, by implication, the shoes. Perhaps the best answer to the question as to source would seem to lie in this general direction: the apostle is thinking of the heavily armed Roman soldier, but in the use of his metaphors is being constantly influenced by such Old Testament passages as (Isa. 11:5; 49:2; 59:17; etc., passages which he does not slavishly copy but modifies for his own purpose. Also, it must be borne in mind that much earlier than this Paul had already made use of somewhat similar language: But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on a breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet (the) hope of salvationI Thess. 5:8). Cf. I Cor. 9:7; II Cor. 6:7. Later he was going to write II Tim. 2:3, 4. After all, the imagery found here in Eph. 6:14 17would naturally suggest itself to a battle-scarred veteran like Paul. When we study the various pieces of the panoply there is one item that must not be left unmentioned, namely, the (by and large) natural order in which the various pieces are mentioned: the soldier would first of all fasten his belt, next put on his breastplate, then his sandals. Also, having taken his shield with his left hand and now holding it, he could not very well follow up this action immediately by taking his sword with his right hand, not sheathing it but holding it in readiness for immediate use, for in that case he would have no hand left with which to take the helmet. Hence, the order is shield, helmet, sword. This, to be sure, was not the only possible sequence, and may not even have been the actual order in which a soldier would equip himself. The order: helmet, sword, and shield suggests itself. But possibly in order to work his way toward a climax Paul mentions first those weapons which in physical warfare are considered defensive, and saves the sword, as the most emphatically and obviously offensive weapon, to the very last. Now before setting out to do battle with as formidable a foe as the devil and all his host, one may well ask the question: Do I really want to fight him at all? Am I sincere about this spiritual warfare? Hence, Paul says, Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist. The girdle or belt, in physical warfare, was fastened or buckled around the short tunic worn by the soldier. Thus his limbs were braced up for action. Both breastplate and sword (the latter when not in use) were subsequently attached to this cincture. The belt, therefore, was very important. It was basic. So also in spiritual warfare truthfulness which Paul has been stressing right along over against the deceitfulness that characterizes the man of the world (4:15, 25; 5:6, 9) is the basic quality needed by the warrior. By this truthfulness is meant sincerity of mind and heart, removal of all guile and hypocrisy. There must be truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6).^[173] Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home (Judg. 7:3). And more than two-thirds of the army went home! In the battle against Satan and his armies there is no room for Demas! Sincerity is a mighty weapon, and this not only defensively. All other things being equal, the sincere person is far more likely to be a blessing to all those with whom he comes in contact than is the hypocrite. The second question is: Am I living the kind of life that enables me to engage in this conflict? Have I put on the breastplate of righteousness? Cf. (Isa. 59:17. In the underlying figure the breastplate has been described as the armor that covered the body from neck to thighs. It consisted of two parts, one covering the front, the other the backI Sam. 17:5, 38; I Kings 22:34; II Chron. 26:14; Neh. 4:16). Spiritually the breastplate is the devout and holy life, moral rectitude (Rom. 6:13; 14:17). It will be recalled that in I Thess. 5:8Paul speaks of the breastplate of faith and love. In both of the previous Ephesian instances the word righteousness was employed in an ethical sense (4:24; 5:9). And in II Cor. 6:7Paul mentions the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that is, such armor as enables one to meet attack from any quarter. This occurs in a context in which purity, kindness, etc. are also mentioned. In addition it should be borne in mind that the apostle in this very epistle has been placing great stress on the necessity of living lives worthy of the calling with which believers were called (4:1). Apart from such a life the would-be Christian has no defense against Satan's accusations. He has no assurance of salvation. And he also lacks the power to attack, for the testimony of the lips will be ineffective, the neighbor will not be won for Christ, and the evil one will not be vanquished. On the other hand, when righteousness in conduct is present, what a mighty weapon for defense and offense it becomes!^[174] Am I prepared to fight? is the next question. In other words, Have I shod my feet with readiness derived from the gospel of peace? The meaning of this expression has been much debated. Nevertheless, the following facts must be admittad: a. In order to promote facility of motion over all kinds of roads Roman soldiers were in the habit of putting on shoes thickly studded with sharp nails (Josephus, Jewish Wars VI.i.8). Thus, one important reason for Julius Caesar's success as a general was the fact that his men wore military shoes that made it possible for them to cover long distances in such short periods that again and again the enemies were caught off guard, having deceived themselves into thinking that they still had plenty of time to prepare an adequate defense. In the victories won by Alexander the Great this same factor had played an important role. Accordingly, proper footwear spells readiness. b. A person who experiences within his own heart the peace of God that passes all understanding, the very peace which the gospel proclaims, has been delivered of a great burden. The conviction of being reconciled with God through the blood of Christ gives him the courage and the zeal to fight the good fight. If the gospel, accepted by faith, had not given him this peace, how could he be prepared to engage in this battle? c. The fact that this readiness is actually derived from the gospel whose message or content is peace is clear from such passages as 2:15, 17; cf. Rom. 5:1. The expression having shod your feet with readiness derived from the gospel of peace makes good sense, therefore. Here again the believer has a twofold weapon, defensive and offensive. Am I able to defend myself against Satan's attack? Prominent among the weapons of defense were the shield for the protection of the body (especially the heart, lungs, and other vital organs) and the helmet for the protection of the head. As to the shield, the one to which reference is made here measured four feet in length by two and one half feet in breadth and was oblong in shape and covered with leather. It was a kind of door for protection against enemy-missiles dipped in pitch or similar material and set on fire before being discharged. When these darts collided with the shields their points were blunted, their flames extinguished. Similarly the exercise of genuine God-given faith enables one to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. In the devil's quiver there are all kinds of fiery bolts. Paul mentions tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, etc. Some of these missiles enkindle doubt, others lust, greed, vanity, envy, etc. Only by looking away from self to God Triune, placing one's trust in him for life, death, and eternity, relying on his word of revelation and promise, is it possible to repel this shower of flaming arrows. Things looked thoroughly hopeless to Jairus when his servants arrived with the announcement, Your daughter is dead, do not bother the Teacher any more. But Jesus answered, Fear not, only believe (Luke 8:49, 50). But faith is more than a weapon of defense. It is also the victory that overcomes the world (I John 5:4).^[175] Surely, this shield must be taken up in addition to everything else. And take the helmet of salvation, says Paul, borrowing this metaphor from Isa. 59:17. However, Paul applies the figure differently, for in Isaiah it is Jehovah who wears this helmet, but here in Ephesians believers are called upon to receive it. In I Thess. 5:8the apostle had identified the helmet with the hope of salvation, here with salvation itself. The difference is perhaps not as important as it may seem, since salvation is both a present possession and an inheritance not yet fully acquired in this life; hence, the object of firmly anchored hope. Take it, says Paul. The verb might also be translated: accept (it). Just as a helmet is accepted by the soldier out of the hand of the officer in charge of supply and distribution, so salvation and all that pertains to it, including even the faith whereby we accept it (2:8), is God's free gift. The helmet of iron and brassI Sam. 17:5, 38; II Chron. 26:14; cf. I Macc. 6:35 afforded a measure of protection for the head, as did the breastplate for the heart, etc. In the Herodian period Greek and Roman helmets both of leather and brass were used extensively. It is easy to see that for the Christian salvation is indeed a weapon of defense. Were it not for the fact that in the midst of hardship and persecution the assurance of salvation both present and future dwells in his heart he might easily give up the fight. It is exactly this precious treasure that fortifies him with strength to continue the fight, for as to himself he knows that what God has begun in him will be carried on to completion (Ps. 138:8; Phil. 1:6). As to the neighbor whom the helmeted believer is trying to rescue from the power of darkness, God's word will never return to him void but will accomplish that which he pleases (Isa. 55:11). Hence, the Christian soldier continues the fight, with blessed assurance clearly evident in his looks and entire demeanor and with a testimony upon his lips. It is clear therefore that also the helmet as Paul here interprets it (= salvation) is not only a piece of defensive armor. Do not the songs of salvation, considered as an essential part of salvation, constitute a mighty weapon in the believers offensive as well as defensive armor? The final question is, Have I learned the art of offensive warfare? We have been studying those weapons that are generally included under the heading defensive armor. We have seen, however, that though in physical warfare this description may be entirely adequate, in spiritual combat it hardly reaches far enough. Even truthfulness or integrity the belt is not exclusively defensive. It captivates! Righteousness the breastplate not only serves as a protection; it also wins the neighbor for Christ, that God may be glorified (Matt. 5:16). The peace that provides readiness for the spiritual battle the shoes furnishes both time and energy for invading the enemy's domain and robbing him of the spoils he has taken. Faith the shield overcomes the world, recapturing the lost. And salvation the helmet sings its way into the enemy's prison-camp, setting the prisoners free. But although all this is undoubtedly true, nevertheless, the most conspicuously offensive weapon, offensive both in physical and spiritual combat, is certainly the sword. Says Paul: (and take) the sword of the Spirit which^[176] is the word of God. The underlying figure is that of the short sword, the one carried and wielded by the heavily armed Roman soldier.^[177] With it he not only defended himself, but sallied forth into the ranks of the enemy and won victories. As has already been indicated (see on 5:26), this sword is the gospel (I Peter 1:25), God's utterance; if you wish, the Bible, the entire Word of God. First it was spoken by him, and now his servants proclaim it to others. As long as what they proclaim is really in harmony with God's special revelation as it was subsequently deposited in written or printed form in what we now call the Bible it remains the very sword here referred to. Even the least deviation from the word as originally given is, of course, the word of man, not of God. Errors in transcription or translation, in doctrine or in ethics, no matter how enthusiastically these may be defended from the pulpit, are no part of the spoken (or: uttered) word. It is this word that stands forever (Isa. 40:8), and cannot be defeated. The hammers that would destroy it will be broken. The anvil remains. This spoken word is called the sword of the Spirit because it is given by the Spirit (II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:21) and perhaps also because by the Spirit it is applied to the heart. Soldiers for Christ handle the word, heed it, hide it in their hearts, and hold it forth among the nations. The sword, thus wielded, is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).^[178] By using this powerful sword Paul and his associates had won amazing victories. And any victory that is being won today either at home or abroad is the result of the wielding of this sword. God is not dead! He lives and speaks in and through his message. It is by means of it that man's state of guilt before God is revealed, his sinful condition exposed. Through it, too, when applied to the heart by the Spirit, man is led to the Savior from sin, and to thanksgiving and praise. Through it doubts are dispelled, fears driven away, assurance of salvation given, and Satan put to flight. When Jesus was tempted he answered every word of the devil by an appeal to the written Word of God! The Four All's ^[179] of Prayer The word of God directed to men (verse 17) is very powerful indeed, especially when it is in close association with the word of men directed to God (verses 18 20), not as if God and men were equal partners but because the word of men directed to God is Spirit-given, Spirit-guided. Paul writes: 18. by means of all prayer and supplication, praying at all times in the Spirit, and with a view to this, being on the alert in all perseverance and supplication, for all the saints. In his own power the soldier can do nothing against so great a foe. Hence, as he takes and puts on each piece of his armor and as he makes use of it in the battle he must pray for God's blessing. 1. The Variety of Prayer: all prayer and supplication The apostle makes a special point of it that the soldier's communion with his General the believer's fellowship with his God should not be of just one kind. Some people are always asking for things. Their entire prayer-life consists of that. But prayer the first word is very general should include not only cries for help but also confession of sin, profession of faith, adoration, thanksgiving, intercession. Moreover, prayer-life should be definite, not just O Lord, bless all that awaits thy blessing, which is a big order, but supplication or petition for the fulfilment of definite needs, a request for specific benefits. This means that the man who prays should become acquainted with concrete situations all over, at least not limited to his own contracted horizon, situations in connection with which help is needed. He should set aside, perhaps, today to stress this need, tomorrow to remember another. 2. The when and the where of Prayer: at all times &in the Spirit. Prayer in time of great calamity or catastrophe has long been in vogue. For many people, however, Thanksgiving Day comes just once a year. It is the day set aside by the national government. The apostle admonishes the addressed to take hold on God at every occasion. In all thy ways acknowledge him (Prov. 3:6). As to the where of prayer, it is not to be confined either to Jerusalem or to this mountain but should always be in (the sphere of) the Spirit, that is, with his help and in harmony with his will as revealed in the Word which he inspired. 3. The Manner of Prayer: being on the alert in all perseverance and supplication. Cf. Col. 4:2. Those who are not alert but listless and indifferent to what is going on in their homes, in the streets of their city, in their state or province, in their country, in their church, in their denomination, or in the world at large will have a very restricted prayer-life. Those who do not know the will of God because they devote so little time to the study of the Word will fail to harvest the fruits of prayer. Those who do not know the promises cannot be expected to go to the deeps of God's promise in their devotions. They will not partake of a deep and satisfying communion with God. Consequently, they will perhaps pray now and then only. There will be no perseverance and little supplication (petition for definite benefits). 4. The Indirect Objects of Prayer: for all the saints Christ during his sojourn on earth evaluated intercessory prayer very highly, as is shown by many incidentsMatt. 9:18–26; 15:21–28; 17:14–21; etc. . So did Paul. The heart of our Great Intercessor who not only intercedes for us but actually lives in order to do so (Heb. 7:25) is deeply touched by such petitions! Thus the fellowship of saints is kept alive and real. In this fellowship of prayer the Jewish convert must not forget the Gentile convert, the old must not ignore the young, the free must not neglect those in bondage, nor vice versa. It must be prayer for all the saints. With God there is no partiality. Up to this point the apostle has said very little about his own physical circumstances. He is not a complainer. He has made brief mention of the fact that he was writing as a prisoner (3:1; 4:1), and has also urged the Ephesians not to lose heart over what he was suffering for them (3:13). But that was all; and even in the given passages he was thinking not of himself so much as of the welfare of those addressed. Now at last he for one brief moment centers the attention on himself, his own needs, and asks that when prayer is made for all the saints, he, too, may be remembered in a special way. Notice, however, how nobly he expresses himself: 19. and (praying) for me, that when I open my mouth I may be given a message, so that I may make known courageously the mystery of the gospel. Cf. Col. 4:2, 3. Even the requested prayer for himself is in reality to be a petition for the progress of the gospel! Paul knew that the Lord had chosen him to be a prominent leader. As such, a heavy load of responsibility rested on his shoulders! Yet, he was aware of his own weakness, of the fact that he stood in need of divine strength and guidance every moment. So, as he had done on other occasionsRom. 15:30; I Thess. 5:25; II Thess. 3:1, 22 and was doing now also in another letter (Col. 4:3), he asks that those whom he addresses will remember him in their prayers. He does not ask, however, that they may pray for his release from prison. What he does ask is that they may invoke God's blessing upon him as an effective witness for Christ. Ask God to give me two things, he says, as it were: a. a message when I open my mouth (Matt. 10:19), and b. courage at all times to deliver that message in a worthy manner (Acts 4:13). In his zeal for the salvation of sinners to the glory of God the apostle considered even his present difficult circumstances to be an opportunity to tell everyone the constantly changing guards, the visitors, the Roman tribunal in case he should (or should again) be summoned to appear before it the mystery of the gospel (Col. 4:3), the blessed truth which would have remained a secret had not God revealed it, namely, that in Christ there is salvation full and free for everyone who embraces him by faith, even for both Jew and Gentile on a basis of perfect equality. Cf. 3:3, 4, 9; (Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:26, 27; 2:2; 4:3; I Tim. 3:9, 16. Continued: 20. for which I am an ambassador in a chain. The fact that when Paul arrived in Rome he, by a chain at the wrist, was fastened to a Roman guard is implied in Acts 28:20. Though his first Roman imprisonment, during which Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians were written, seems never to have been as harsh and severe as his second was going to be, he was a prisoner, nevertheless.Acts 28:16, 30. For the second imprisonment see II Tim. 1:12; 2:3, 10; 4:6–8, 14 16). His imprisonment, however, is not a shame. It is an honor; for whatever men may think, the truth of the matter is that he is, and is conscious of being, an ambassador^[180] in a chain. What a paradox! Is not an ambassador supposed to be free? But here is an official representative of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords, and this ambassador is chained! May he never forget whom he represents. This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/hendriksen/