Bible Commentaries

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Worthy of the vocation — There is a το πρεπον , a seemliness appertaining to each calling; so here. We must walk nobly and comfortably, as becometh the heirs of God and coheirs of Christ. Scipio, when a harlot was offered him, answered, Vellem, si non essem Imperator; I would if I were not general of the army. Antigonus being invited to a place where a notable harlot was to be present, asked counsel of Menedemus, what he should do? He bade him only remember that he was a king’s son. So let men remember their high and heavenly calling, and do nothing unworthy of it. Luther counsels men to answer all temptations of Satan with this only, Christianus sum, I am a Christian. They were wont to say of cowards in Rome, There is nothing Roman in them: of many Christians we may say, There is nothing Christian in them. It is not amiss before we be serviceable for the world, to put Alexander’s question to his followers, that persuaded him to run at the Olympic games, Do kings use to run at the Olympics? Every believer is God’s firstborn; and so higher than the kings of the earth, Psalms 89:27 . He must therefore carry himself accordingly, and not stain his high blood.

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With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

With all lowliness and meekness — These are virtutes collectaneae, as Bernard calleth them, a pair of twin sisters, never asunder.

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Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The unity of the Spirit — That is, unanimity; this keeps all together which else will shatter and fall asunder. The daughter of dissension is dissolution, saith Nazianzen.

Endeavouring — σπουδαζοντες , Or using all possible carefulness: this imports, 1. The necessity; 2. Difficulty of the duty. Satan will endeavour, by making division, to get dominion.

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There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

In one hope of your calling — That is, unto one inheritance, which we all hope for. Fall not out therefore by the way, as Joseph charged his brethren.

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One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One baptism — The author to the Hebrews speaketh of baptisms, Ephesians 6:2 . But either he puts the plural for the singular; or else he meaneth it of the outward and inward washing, which the schools call baptismum fluminis et flaminis, the baptism of water and fire. See Trapp on " Matthew 3:11 "

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One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

One God and Father of all — Have we not all one Father? saith Malachi. Malachi 2:10 Why then dissent and jar we? How is it that these many ones here instanced unite us not? "My dove, mine undefiled is but one," Song of Solomon 6:9 .

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But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

According to the measure — And may not Christ do with his own as he listeth? Those of greater gifts are put upon hotter service, στεργε παροντα .

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Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

He led captivity captive, … — As in the Roman triumphs, the victor ascended up to the Capitol in a chariot of state, the prisoners following on foot with their hands bound behind, and they threw certain pieces of coin abroad, to be picked up by the common people; so Christ in the day of his solemn inauguration into his heavenly kingdom, triumphed over sin, death, and hell, Colossians 2:15 , and gave gifts to men.

And gave gifts unto men — The Hebrew hath it,Psalms 68:18; Psalms 68:18 ; "Thou receivest, gifts for men." Christ received them that he might give them, and said, "It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive." The Psalmist adds, "Ever for the rebellious." To them also Christ gives common gifts, for the benefit of his people. Augustus in his solemn feast gave gifts; to some gold, to others trifles. So God in his ordinances, to some saving grace, to others common grace, and with this they rest content.

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