Bibelkommentare

We had several important exhortations in the close of the foregoing chapter, and they are continued in this: particularly, I. We have here an exhortation to mutual love and charity, Eph 5:1,2. II. Against all manner of uncleanness, with proper arguments and remedies proposed against such sins: and some further cautions are added, and other duties recommended, Eph 5:3-20. III. The apostle directs to the conscientious discharge of relative duties, Eph 5:21-6:9, throughout this, and in the beginning of the next chapter.

This chapter Ephesians 5 is a continuation of the practical exhortations commenced in Ephesians 4. It comprises the following points, or subjects:

1. The exhortation to be followers of God, and to walk in love; Ephesians 5:1-2.

2. The duty of avoiding the impure practices of the surrounding pagan, and of wholly breaking off from the vices in which even they themselves had indulged, before their conversion to Christianity; Ephesians 5:3-17.

3. The apostle cautions them particularly against the use of wine, and the revelry which attends its use, and exhorts them rather to engage in the exercises to which the Holy Spirit would prompt them, and to the services of praise and thanksgiving; Ephesians 5:18-20.

4. He exhorts they to mutual subjection; and particularly enjoins on wives the duty of being subject to their husbands; Ephesians 5:21-24.

5. The chapter closes with a statement of the duty of husbands to love their wives, illustrated by that which Christ showed for the church; Ephesians 5:25-33.

Christians should imitate their heavenly Father, and walk in love, after the example of Christ, Ephesians 5:1, Ephesians 5:2. They should avoid all uncleanness, impurity, covetousness, and foolish jesting, and idolatry, because these things exclude from the kingdom of God, Ephesians 5:3-7. The Ephesians were once in darkness, but being now light in the Lord, they are exhorted to walk in that light, and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit; and to have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity, whose evil deeds are manifested by the light, Ephesians 5:8-13. All are exhorted to awake; to walk circumspectly; to redeem the time; and to learn what the will of the Lord is, Ephesians 5:14-17. The apostle gives particular directions relative to avoiding excess of wine, Ephesians 5:18. To singing and giving thanks, Ephesians 5:19, Ephesians 5:20. Submission to each other, Ephesians 5:21. To husbands that they should love their wives, as Christ loved the Church; for by the marriage union, the union between Christ and the Church is pointed out; and wives are exhorted to reverence their husbands, Ephesians 5:22-33.

INTRODUCTION TO Ephesians 5

The apostle, in this chapter, goes on with his exhortations to the duties of religion; and such in general as relate to purity of life, and against uncleanness; and particularly treats of the duties of married persons. And whereas in the latter part of the preceding chapter, he had exhorted to kindness and tenderness, and which he enforced by the example of God himself, he here repeats and urges it; and to it adds the example of Christ in loving his people, and giving himself for them a propitiatory sacrifice, acceptable to God, Ephesians 5:1, then follows a dehortation from several vices of the impure kind, some as being filthy actions, and unbecoming saints, and not to be named by them, and much less done, Ephesians 5:3, others, and such as are vices of the tongue, as being inconvenient, and to which thanksgiving is preferred, Ephesians 5:4, and the former especially, as excluding from having any part or portion in the kingdom of God and Christ Ephesians 5:5, and all of them, as bringing the wrath of God upon men, Ephesians 5:6, wherefore professors of religion should avoid such sins, and not join with the children of disobedience in the commission of them, Ephesians 5:7, to which exhortation they should the rather give heed, from the consideration of their present state, illustrated by their former one; who were once darkness, but now light, and therefore should walk as enlightened persons, Ephesians 5:8, and as having the Spirit of God, which is known by its fruits, Ephesians 5:9, studying to know, approve of, and do that which is acceptable to God, Ephesians 5:10, and on the contrary, should have no society and communion with men in the commission of sins, the works of darkness, but should reprove them for them, Ephesians 5:11, since the things done by them were such, that it was a shame to relate them, and much more to commit them, Ephesians 5:12, and the rather this was incumbent upon them, since it was agreeably to their character, as being made light in the Lord; seeing it is the property of light to make manifest and detect what is done in the dark, Ephesians 5:13, which is confirmed by a passage of Scripture pertinently produced, to stir up drowsy and lifeless professors to the discharge of their duty, Ephesians 5:14, and from hence the apostle enforces a wise and circumspect walk and conversation, one part of which lies in redeeming time; and which should be done for this reason, because the present days were evil ones, Ephesians 5:15, and that they might avoid a foolish walk, and order their conversation wisely and aright, he suggests it would be proper to learn what was the will of the Lord, which is the rule of a Christian's walk and conversation, Ephesians 5:17, and whereas drunkenness is oftentimes the cause of all the above mentioned vices, the apostle cautions against that, and on the contrary advises them to be concerned for a larger measure of the Spirit of God; that under his influence they might sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, in a melodious manner, and heartily to the Lord; and so express their thankfulness to him, for all mercies from him; and not abuse their mercies and themselves, spend their time in singing lewd and profane songs, as drunkards often do, Ephesians 5:18, and hence he passes to the special duties of wives and husbands, to which he premises a general exhortation to submission to one another, Ephesians 5:21, and begins with the subjection of wives to their husbands, this being the will of the Lord, Ephesians 5:22, and besides, the relation which the wife stands in to her husband, being her head, requires it; and which is illustrated by Christ being the head and Saviour of his body, the church, Ephesians 5:23, and which is further urged and enforced by the instance and example of the church's subjection to Christ, Ephesians 5:24, and next the apostle exhorts husbands to love their wives, in imitation of Christ, who has loved his church; and as an instance of it, has given himself to death for her; than which, there cannot be a greater instance of love, Ephesians 5:25, the ends of which were, the sanctification and cleansing of the church with his blood, by means of water and the word; and the presentation of her to himself, all glorious and beautiful, Ephesians 5:26, and then another argument is used, to engage the affections of husbands to their wives, they being their own bodies; so that loving them, is loving themselves, Ephesians 5:28, nor was it ever known, and it would be unnatural, for a man to hate his own flesh, but on the contrary, he nourishes and cherishes it; and therefore seeing the wife is a man's own flesh, he ought not to hate her, but to nourish and cherish her; and this is also enforced by the example of Christ, who does not hate his church, but nourishes and cherishes her, Ephesians 5:29, the reason of which is, because the saints which make up the church are members of him, one flesh and blood with him, Ephesians 5:30, which is the case of a man and his wife; and hence it is, that according to the original law of marriage, a man was to leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife, Ephesians 5:31, the whole of which is a mystery, and typical of the marriage relation and union between Christ and his church, Ephesians 5:32, and the chapter is closed with a recapitulation of the mutual duties of husband and wife, love in the one, and reverence in the other, Ephesians 5:33.

CHAPTER 5

Ephesians 5:2. ἡμας … ἡμῶν] Tisch.: ὑμᾶς … ὑμῶν. But the witnesses for this are of unequal value and not strong enough, specially as the pronoun of the second person naturally presented itself from the context.

Ephesians 5:4 καὶ αἰσχρ. καί] A D* E* F G, min. Sahid. Vulg. It. and Fathers of some importance: ἢ αἰσχρ. ἤ. Approved by Griesb., adopted by Lachm. and Rück., and rightly so; the Recepta appears to be an old alteration in accordance with Ephesians 5:3, where also it is only at the third vice that ἤ comes in. א* has καὶ αἰσχρ. ἥ, as also Syr. p.

τὰ οὐκ ἀνήκοντα] A B א, 31, 67, 73, Clem. Antioch. Ephr. Cyr.: ἃ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν. So Lachm. and Rück.; commended also by Griesb. An interpretation, probably occasioned by the fact that the following ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαρ. was regarded as the contrast to τὰ οὐκ ἀνήκοντα.

Ephesians 5:5. ἴστε] Elz.: ἐστέ, in opposition to far preponderant evidence. Defended, it is true, by Matth. (“pluribus Graecis in mentem venire poterat ἴστε”), but evidently a mechanical miswriting or alteration; rejected also by Reiche.

ὅς ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης] Lachm., following only B א, 67** lect. 40, Cyr. Jer., has ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολατρης, which Mill and Griesb. recommended. F G, Vulg. It. Goth. Victorinus, Cyprian, Ambrosiaster have ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολατρεία. By the latter the original ὅς ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης, which seemed to require an explanation, that it might not be misunderstood, was explained, and subsequently εἰδωλολάτρης was restored, whereby the reading of Lachm. arose.

Ephesians 5:9. φωτός] Elz. Matth.: πνεύματος, in opposition to decisive witnesses. Gloss from Galatians 5:25.

Ephesians 5:17. συνίεντες] A B א, min. Chrys. ms. Damasc. Jer.: συνίετε. So Lachm. and Rück. Harless, however, has συνιόντες, after D* F G. The latter, though doubtless to be accented συνιόντες (see on Romans 3:11), is as the less common form to be preferred; the imperative is a gloss from the context, supported by no version.

Ephesians 5:19. πνευματικαῖς] is wanting only in B, Clar. Germ. Ambrosiast., and is bracketed by Lachm. It might have been introduced from Colossians 3:16; but the evidence for its omission is too weak, and the omission might easily be occasioned by the homoeoteleuton.

ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ] Lachm. and Rück.: ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις, after important witnesses (not B). But the plural would in itself very naturally occur to the copyists, and still more from the comparison of Colossians 3:16.

Ephesians 5:21. Χριστοῦ] Elz.: Θεοῦ, in opposition to decisive witnesses, among which D E F G, codd. of It. Ἰησοῦ, some before, some after the Χρ. Mill already rightly judges that φόβος Θεοῦ was the more current conception, whereby Θεοῦ (K: κυρίου) was brought in; φόβος Χριστοῦ does not occur elsewhere.

Ephesians 5:22. After ἀνδράσιν, Elz. Scholz have ὑποτάσσεσθε, and Lachm. ὑποτασσέσθωσαν. The latter in accordance with A א, min. Copt. Vulg. Goth. Clem, (once) Basil, Damasc. Ambrosiast. Pelag. D E F G, lect. 19, It. Syr. have the Recepta, but before τοῖς ἰδίοις. These diversities only confirm the probability that the verb was originally wanting, as also B, codd. Gr. in Jer. Clem, (once) have no verb. The verb, deleted by Tisch. and rejected by Reiche, is an expedient to help the construction.

Ephesians 5:23. ἀνήρ (Elz.: ὁ ἀνήρ) and αὐτός (Elz.: καὶ αὐτός ἐστι) rest on decisive critical evidence; although Reiche again defends the Recepta, which is a smoothing of the text.

Ephesians 5:24. ἰδίοις] is, following B D* E* F G א, min. codd. It., with Lachm. Tisch., to be deleted as an addition from Ephesians 5:22.

Ephesians 5:25. ἑαυτῶν] is wanting in A B א, min. Clem. Orig. Cyr., Chrys. Deleted by Lachm. Tisch. and Rück. But if anything were added to γυναῖκας, it would be most natural to add ἰδίας from Ephesians 5:22. The ὑμῶν read in F G (Vulg. It. etc.: vestras) is an explanation of ἑαυτῶν, and tells in favour of this, the dropping out of which is to be explained from its superfluousness.

Ephesians 5:27. αὐτός] Elz.: αὐτήν, in opposition to far preponderating testimony; altered from a failure to understand the emphatic αὐτός.

Ephesians 5:28. Lachm. has rightly adopted, on decisive authority, οὕτως καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες ὀφείλουσιν. B has the order οὕτως ὀφ. καὶ οἱ ἄνδρος.

Ephesians 5:29. Instead of Χριστός, Elz. has κύριος, in opposition to decisive evidence.

Ephesians 5:30. ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀστ. αὐτοῦ] is wanting in A B א* 17, 67** al., Copt. Aeth. Method. and perhaps Ambrosiast. Deleted by Lachm., suspected also by Mill and Griesb., defended by Reiche. The omission has arisen either from mere accident, by passing in the process of copying from the first αὐτοῦ immediately to the third, or more probably through design, from want of perceiving the suitableness of the words in the context, and judging their meaning inappropriate. If they had been added from the LXX. Genesis 2:23, we should have found written ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ.

Ephesians 5:31. τὸν πατ. αὐτοῦ κ. τ. μητ.] Lachm. and Tisch. on preponderant testimony have merely πατέρα καὶ μητέρα. Rightly; the Recepta is from the LXX.

πρὸς τὴν γυν.] Lachm. and Rück.: τῇ γυναικί, in accordance doubtless with many and considerable witnesses (not B), but an alteration in conformity with the LXX. (according to A, Ald.) and Matthew 19:5.

CONTENTS.

Exhortation to the imitation of God, to love, as Christ through His sacrificial death has loved us (Ephesians 5:1-2). Warning against unchastity, avarice, and other vices, inasmuch as they exclude from the Messianic kingdom (Ephesians 5:3-5). The readers are not to let themselves be deceived by empty words, and not to hold fellowship with the vicious; for, as those who from being dark have become Christianly enlightened, they are under obligation to walk accordingly, and to have no fellowship with the works of darkness, but rather to rebuke them, which is a course as necessary as it is salutary (Ephesians 5:6-14). They are therefore to be careful in their walk as wise (Ephesians 5:15-17), and not to become drunken, but to become full of the Holy Spirit, which fulness must express itself by alternate utterance in psalms and hymns, by singing praise in the silence of the heart, and by continual Christian thanksgiving towards God (Ephesians 5:18-20). Subject the one to the other in the fear of Christ, the wives are to render to their husbands true Christian subjection (Ephesians 5:21-24), and the men to their wives true Christian love (Ephesians 5:25-33), in connection with which, however, the wife owes reverence to the husband (Ephesians 5:33).

Eph 5:1-33.

EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE: AND AGAINST CARNAL LUSTS AND COMMUNICATIONS. CIRCUMSPECTION IN WALK: REDEEMING THE TIME: BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT: SINGING TO THE LORD WITH THANKFULNESS: THE WIFE'S DUTY TO THE HUSBAND RESTS ON THAT OF THE CHURCH TO CHRIST.

1. therefore--seeing that "God in Christ forgave you"

(Eph 4:32).

followers--Greek, "imitators" of God, in respect to "love"

(Eph 5:2):

God's essential character

(1Jo 4:16).

as dear children--Greek, "as children beloved"; to which

Eph 5:2

refers, "As Christ also loved us"

(1Jo 4:19).

"We are sons of men, when we do ill; sons of God, when we do well" [AUGUSTINE, on Psalm 52]; (compare

Mt 5:44, 45, 48).

Sonship infers an absolute necessity of imitation, it being vain to assume the title of son without any similitude of the Father [PEARSON].

Be ye therefore followers of God - Greek, "Be imitators - μιμηταὶ mimētai - of God." The idea is not that they were to be the friends of God, or numbered among his followers, but that they were to imitate him in the particular thing under consideration. The word "therefore" - οὖν oun - connects this with the previous chapter, where he had been exhorting them to kindness, and to a spirit of forgiveness, and he here entreats them to imitate God, who was always kind and ready to forgive; compare Matthew 5:44-47; As he forgives us Ephesians 4:32, we should be ready to forgive others; as he has borne with our faults, we should bear with theirs; as he is ever ready to hear our cry when we ask for mercy, we should be ready to hear others when they desire to be forgiven; and as he is never weary with doing us good, we should never be weary in benefiting them.

As dear children - The meaning is, "as those children which are beloved follow the example of a father, so we, who are beloved of God, should follow his example." What a simple rule this is! And how much contention and strife would be avoided if it were followed! If every Christian who is angry, unforgiving, and unkind, would just ask himself the question, "How does God treat me?" it would save all the trouble and heart-burning which ever exists in the church.