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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].

2. And--in proof that you are so.

walk in love--resuming

Eph 4:1,

"walk worthy of the vocation."

as Christ . . . loved us--From the love of the Father he passes to the love of the Son, in whom God most endearingly manifests His love to us.

given himself for us--Greek, "given Himself up (namely, to death,

Ga 2:20)

for us," that is, in our behalf: not here vicarious substitution, though that is indirectly implied, "in our stead." The offerer, and the offering that He offered, were one and the same

(Joh 15:13; Ro 5:8).

offering and a sacrifice--"Offering" expresses generally His presenting Himself to the Father, as the Representative undertaking the cause of the whole of our lost race

(Ps 40:6-8),

including His life of obedience; though not excluding His offering of His body for us

(Heb 10:10).

It is usually an unbloody offering, in the more limited sense. "Sacrifice" refers to His death for us exclusively. Christ is here, in reference to

Ps 40:6

(quoted again in

Heb 10:5),

represented as the antitype of all the offerings of the law, whether the unbloody or bloody, eucharistical or propitiatory.

for a sweet-smelling savour--Greek, "for an odor of a sweet smell," that is, God is well pleased with the offering on the ground of its sweetness,and so is reconciled to us

(Eph 1:6; Mt 3:17; 2Co 5:18, 19; Heb 10:6-17).

The ointment compounded of principal spices, poured upon Aaron's head, answers to the variety of the graces by which He was enabled to "offer Himself a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savor." Another type, or prophecy by figure, was "the sweet savor" ("savor of rest," Margin) which God smelled in Noah's sacrifice

(Ge 8:21).

Again, as what Christ is, believers also are

(1Jo 4:17),

and ministers are: Paul says

(2Co 2:17)

"we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ."

3. once named--Greek, "Let it not be even named"

(Eph 5:4, 12).

"Uncleanness" and "covetousness" are taken up again from

Eph 4:19.

The two are so closely allied that the Greek for "covetousness" (pleonexia) is used sometimes in Scripture, and often in the Greek Fathers, for sins of impurity. The common principle is the longing to fill one's desire with material objects of sense, outside of God. The expression, "not be even named," applies better to impurity, than to "covetousness."

4. filthiness--obscenity in act or gesture.

foolish talking--the talk of fools, which is folly and sin together. The Greek of it, and of "filthiness," occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

nor--rather, "or" (compare

Eph 5:3).

jesting--Greek, "eutrapelia"; found nowhere else in the New Testament: implying strictly that versatility which turns about and adapts itself, without regard to principle, to the shifting circumstances of the moment, and to the varying moods of those with whom it may deal. Not scurrile buffoonery, but refined "persiflage" and "badinage," for which Ephesus was famed [PLAUTUS, A Boastful Soldier, 3.1,42-52], and which, so far from being censured, was and is thought by the world a pleasant accomplishment. In

Col 3:8,

"filthy communication" refers to the foulness; "foolish talking," to the folly; "jesting," to the false refinement (and trifling witticism [TITTMANN]) Of discourse unseasoned with the salt of grace [TRENCH].

not convenient--"unseemly"; not such "as become saints"

(Eph 5:3).

rather giving of thanks--a happy play on sounds in Greek, "eucharistia" contrasted with "eutrapelia"; refined "jesting" and subtle humor sometimes offend the tender feelings of grace; "giving of thanks" gives that real cheerfulness of spirit to believers which the worldly try to get from "jesting"

(Eph 5:19, 20; Jas 5:13).

5. this ye know--The oldest manuscripts read, "Of this ye are sure knowing"; or as ALFORD, "This ye know being aware."

covetous . . . idolater--

(Col 3:5).

The best reading may be translated, That is to say, literally, which is (in other words) an idolater. Paul himself had forsaken all for Christ

(2Co 6:10; 11:27).

Covetousness is worship of the creature instead of the Creator, the highest treason against the King of kings

(1Sa 15:3; Mt 6:24; Php 3:19; 1Jo 2:15).

hath--The present implies the fixedness of the exclusion, grounded on the eternal verities of that kingdom [ALFORD].

of Christ and of God--rather, as one Greek article is applied to both, "of Christ and God," implying their perfect oneness, which is consistent only with the doctrine that Christ is God (compare

2Th 1:12; 1Ti 5:21; 6:13).

6. vain--empty, unreal words, namely, palliations of "uncleanness,"

Eph 5:3, 4; Isa 5:20

(that it is natural to indulge in love), "covetousness" (that it is useful to society that men should pursue gain), and "jesting" (that it is witty and clever, and that God will not so severely punish for such things).

because of these things--uncleanness, covetousness, &c.

(Eph 5:3-5).

cometh--present, not merely "shall come." Is as sure as if already come.

children--rather, "sons of disobedience"

(Eph 2:2, 3).

The children of unbelief in doctrine

(De 32:20)

are "children of disobedience" in practice, and these again are "children of wrath."

7. Here fellowship with wicked workers is forbidden; in

Eph 5:11,

with their wicked works.

8. sometimes--"once." The emphasis is on "were." Ye ought to have no fellowship with sin, which is darkness, for your state as darkness is now PAST. Stronger than "in darkness"

(Ro 2:19).

light--not merely "enlightened"; but light enlightening others

(Eph 5:13).

in--in union with the Lord, who is THE LIGHT.

children of light--not merely "of the light"; just as "children of disobedience" is used on the opposite side; those whose distinguishing characteristic is light. PLINY, a heathen writing to Trajan, bears unwilling testimony to the extraordinary purity of Christians' lives, contrasted with the people around them.