Notes on the Epistle to the Ephesians (New Testament Bible Commentary Series) by JOHN MILLER

Author:JOHN MILLER
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hayes Press
Published: 2018-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS 5

Eph.5:1

This verse continues the same theme as that contained in the exhortation in the closing words of the previous chapter (Eph.4:32), “Be ye kind one to another”, and is carried on in the following verse (Eph.5:2): “and walk in love”. These words are in agreement with the Lord’s command to His disciples in Matt.5:43-48 which closes with the words, “Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect”, He who in His perfect ways towards men is kind to the unthankful and unholy, and who “maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust”. God’s beloved children should copy their Father’s ways and imitate His works of goodness.

Eph.5:2

The new commandment is here enjoined upon the saints by Paul – “that ye love one another; even as I loved you” (Jn 13:34). The “old commandment” (1 Jn 2:7) was, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”, which was truly a high standard, and was only possible to such as sought to fulfil the first and great commandment of the law – “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God”. Heart devotion to the Divine Being alone could lead men to love their neighbours, beings like themselves that their God had made. But when we come to the Lord’s new commandment, which is His command to His own, it can only be fulfilled by and among His disciples – “which thing is true in Him and in you” (1 Jn 2:8) – and it is the outward mark of true discipleship: “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (Jn 13:35). Thus the standard of love is “as Christ loved you, and gave Himself up for us”.

Paul seems to have the burnt offering before His mind in the thought of the Lord’s offering of Himself as an odour of a sweet smell. The burnt offering typified Him in the complete devotion of Himself to God. In His love for God His Father He was completely resigned and devoted to His God – a whole burnt offering – and in His perfect love and complete devotion we are accepted. His love in the offering of Himself is the pattern of love – love to God and to one another. Christ’s offering of Himself was a sacrifice – an offering in blood, an offering made through the death of a victim.

Eph.5:3

Saints, holy ones, are to eschew the very name of such sins among them. They are not in keeping with their saintly character. Note the contrast of “not even be named among you” of verse 3, and “which are not befitting” of verse 4: The former verse describes sins of a more serious character, “for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Col.3:6). These things are begotten of cruelty and lust, and are in their nature the very opposites of “walk in love”. Covetousness was the first sin of Eden.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.