Ephesians Chapter 5.

Ephesians Chapter 5.

Bedale:  In Ephesians the Church is presented under three images. The:-

            BODY.              BRIDE.             TEMPLE.   (Mowbray).

Macphail says, "Buy back your days from foulness and futility." Your faith must be a working faith.

H.G.Miller Commentary.:-

           

5:1.  `Ginesthe'. A resumption of the `ginesthe' of 4:32.  A studied conformity to the Divine Standard and Pattern. 

           

"As children beloved."  Imitation is to be looked for as a natural result, not merely as a moral duty.   As `tekna', they bear the Father's likeness and inherit His character.  As `agapeta', there should be a response of love, and love is an assimilating power.

           

5:2.  "Walk in love."  Observe the tense.  The successive steps are to be "in love," not merely life as a whole.  The tense indicates this.

           

5:3.  Paul now warns against love's antagonists, the vicious counterfeits of love.  "Let it not even be named among you."  Paul himself has named them.  But he has named them only with horror to dismiss them.  He uses a tense which signifies, "Dwelling," upon them.  Great harm has been done by those who pry into the evil of our great cities that they may publish it.  By a strange law of nature, the greater the shock to our moral sensibilities, the greater the fascination exerted by the cause which has shocked them. Pope wrote:-  Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, as, to be hated, needs but to be seen, yet seen too often, familiar with her face.  We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

           

5:4.  `Morologia', "foolish talking."  Limited by the following, to that vulgar course buffooning, which knows no restraint of propriety.  The boisterous, unrestrained humour of the street corner and tap-room. `Eutrapelia', "polished wittiness."  The easy bad language and flippant vivacity of the drawing room and club.  The word primarily signifies "versatility," quick and graceful play of wit and fancy in the conversation of polite society.  Paul is speaking of "unhallowed wit," the light and trifling banter from which all that is serious is excluded.  The word will cover all such things as innuendo, the lightning thrust of wounding repartee.  It includes the ready employment of ridicule in the place of argument, of wit instead of graver reason, of nicknames.  It is not the speech that shocks modesty that is likely to encourage licentiousness.  It is not the course sneer which will frighten the young from religion, but the polished satire which will make them ashamed of being pious. 

           

"But rather giving of thanks." - Light and cheerful moods are recognized as legitimate, but they find no true and proportionate vent in buffoonery.  Gladness is not necessarily killed, nor mirth destroyed, by a grateful remembrance of the Author of all good.  Paul attaches great importance to duty, and thanksgiving.

           

5:8.  The Christian walk is in light as well as in love.

           

5:9.  The light itself lives, it communicates itself, it germinates and fruits.  Fruit is the outcome of what one is, the expression of real character.  "Works" may be done in hypocrisy, and can never be taken as an index to character.  The central word is "righteousness."  Mere righteousness might repel by its austerity, even while it compels our respect; but as "tempered" with "goodness" it wins our affection, and by its "truth" it commands our full confidence.  "Truth" is added as a crowning quality - not merely veracity, but reality, sincerity, through-and-through.

           

5:10.  "Proving."  "Do not talk to me of the evidence of Christianity."  "Try it," said Coleridge to those who asked if Christianity were true.

           

5:11.  "And having fellowship," i.e. make no common cause with, "but rather utterly convict them."  The rendering "reprove," is forbidden by the context.  Paul looks for a remedy for corrupt society around, in the shining example of Christians.  It is not making attacks on evil, or crusades against them, but letting the light shine and the darkness will be dispelled.

           

5:16.  "Redeeming your opportunity."  Paul sets a good example of his own precept by his own practice.  He made his prison a pulpit.  The Roman soldier's presence was a perpetual memento to him that he himself was a soldier of Christ.  The soldiers armour suggested to him the weapons of the Christian warfare.

           

5:17.  `Athrones', foolish, inconsiderate, blundering.  "The will of the Lord."  The same "will" which has eternity for its sphere and is occupied with a dispensation of the "fullness of seasons," as shown now in connection with each particular opportunity of personal service and bringing about the `kairon' from time to time presented to us.  To our God everything is little and everything is great.

           

5:18.  Men drink wine to promote fellowship with another. 

`Asotia' - profligacy.  A term that is broadly descriptive of moral degeneracy, laxity, and recklessness of conduct.

`Plerousthe' - be filled - attain your fullness, the `pleroma,' or compliment of your being.  We are so constituted that each must seek in a true union with his fellows the completion of his personal incompleteness.  Miller emphasizes that this fulness is only possible in the fellowship of the Church.

           

We must be inspired by the principles and powers of a higher sphere.  It implies a harmonious relation between men.  It places its members in a social and personal relationship to a Divine head.  It is the social incorporation of a spirit which penetrates and hallows every region of human activity, of a spirit which consecrates for the common service every variety of heritage and endowment, which combines in a harmonious union the manifold energies of enterprise, which crowns every faithful servant with blessedness which none can take away or disturb.

           

The enlarging, the quickening, the exhilaration of our being, which it is a natural instinct to seek, is to be truly found, not in Bacchic alien orgies, but by submitting ourselves to the Divine influence by which we are surrounded, and drinking in the revelation of His Spirit, "in whom we live and move and have our being."

           

On the `day of Pentecost' the effects of the Spirit were confounded with those of "new wine," Spirituous excitement is the ghastly counterfeit of spiritual invigoration.

           

5:19-20.  The four co-ordinate participle clauses.:-  `Lalountes......adonteskai psallontes......eucharistountes.... upotassomemenoi', are appended to `plerousthe' to show how the thing enjoined is to be accomplished.

           

5:19.  Heart music.

           

5:21.  "In the fear of Christ."  It is remarkable how seldom "fear" is associated with any of the Divine names in the New Testament.  Fear still is His due, but it is a fear controlled by love.  In the New Testament fear is swallowed up in more generous emotions.  "The fear of Christ," is a phrase on which to ponder.

           

5:24.  She is to be subject in everything.  The subjection is not limited to any one sphere or department of the social life, but extends to all.  It does not mean that the authority of the husband is unlimited.

           

5:27.  A church which is glorious.  The word tells of royal state and dignity. 

           

5:31.  Moore is asked of a man now then to be natural, he is required to be Christlike - not only true to his own nature, but true to the example of Christ. 

           

"A man shall leave." - The word is generic `anthropos'.  It is the duty of the woman as well as the man.

           

5:33.  `Plen', "howbeit," i.e. even apart from these deep considerations, even though you fail to apprehend the "mystery,"  which has been unfolded, still - "both do ye (husbands) severally, each one, so love his own wife (as though she were) himself." - Even if unable to accept or follow the argument for real identification with himself. "And on the other hand, let the wife love, that she may fear her husband."  It is not simple and natural to repeat `agapato' from the preceding clause. - Miller.

           

F.C. - Commentary.:-

           

5:1.  "Walk in love,"  i.e. in Christ who redeemed you.  "The odour of a sweet smell," see Gen.8:21.

           

5:14.  Perhaps a quotation from a Christian hymn.

           

5:18.  It is far from easy to interpret `en pneumati'.  It may be that it is used in contrast to `sarx' (flesh), to be understood.  "Do not be exhilarated by wine in the flesh, or sing drunken fleshly songs.  Rather be filled to overflowing in the Spirit and sing spiritual songs."  It may be that we ought to write the word with a capital: "be Filled with the Holy Spirit."  Or it may be that `pneuma' denotes not so much the source of inspiration, as the outward manifestation of a spiritual gift - namely, in this passage, speaking with tongues. 

           

But a powerful objection forbids acceptance of these last two interpretations: who are we to say whether or not we are filled with the Spirit?  That is not for us to determine.  But in the passage before us, Paul implies that we have a choice before us.  The first interpretation is therefore to be preferred.

           

5:22-23.  Once again `kephalaion', means summary or conclusion.  See 1.Cor.11:3.  She is no wife without a husband.  Similarly, the Church is no Church without Christ.  He is the Completion, the Essence of the Church, her whole.

           

5:28.  Synge disagrees with Robinson that `outos' refers to what has gone before.

           

5:32.  "This is a great mystery."  Synge suggests that this refers to the previous verse and should be followed by a full stop.  Paul then adds in effect, "but my primary purpose is not to expound the rules for Christian husbands and wives.  I speak in respect of Christ and the Church."  Finally, so that he may not seem to dreary the importance of the code for husbands and wives, he adds, "Nevertheless, do ye also love each his own wife," etc.

           

Synge believes Paul is making use of a written Code of rules here.  - Best (the Bride of Christ).   The nuptial metaphor is common in religion.  See Hosea chapters 1-3;  Jer.3:8;  Isa.54:1-8;  Ezek.16:23;  Mark.2:18-20;  Jn.3:23-30.

           

Best says on Ephes.5:23, "there is no distinction between the relationships of the Church and Christ, and wife and husband, and this is made by the concluding words, `antos soter ton somatas'; Christ is the saviour of the Church, but the husband is not the saviour of the wife."  Best here goes against Robinson.

           

Robinson sees a parallel between the saving work of Christ and the function of the husband.  Best thinks the parallel between the saviourhood of Christ and the preservation of the wife by the husband as not at all complete.  The latter is a day affair; the former was achieved once and for all.  The meaning of Christ's saviourhood is surely to be explained by verses 25-27, which links it with death; the husband does not die for his wife.  It cannot mean the husband is the saviour of the wife by fulfilling her desire for motherhood, for the idea of motherhood does not enter into the passage.  Best agrees with Abbott, and most others in giving `alla' its full sense, and places a full stop after `ekklesias' (v.23), and a comma after `alla'.  Abbott paraphrases it:  "A man is the head of his wife, even as Christ also is the head of the Church."  Although there is a vast difference, since He is himself the saviour of the Body, of which He is Head;  "but notwithstanding this difference," etc.

           

The analogy, therefore between human marriage and the marriage of Christ and the Church is not perfect.  Christ, as it were, has an additional claim upon the obedience of the Church since He is its saviour.

           

5:25-27.  Christ's love for the Church does not start with a perfect Church, worthy to be loved;  He loves the Church and then makes it worthy and perfect.  The Church is already the Bride, at least, according to this passage here.  Best disagrees with Muirhead (Sc.J.Th.).  Muirhead says, "It is only in the end the Church becomes the Bride."  This may be true according to Rev.19 and 21, but in Ephesians 5, the marriage is conceived as already existing.  The Church is already the Bride, and it is no idealized church, but the existing Church.  The husband is to treat his wife as Christ now treats His Bride.  The marriage of Christ and the Church has also a future aspect.  Apart from Christ the Church has no beauty of her own; He gives her that, and makes her complete.

           

5:28.  `Outos', - "even so."  Verse 28 begins by recapitulating the thought of the verses 25-27.  `Outos' refers back to:  "Husbands should love their wives, as I have said above."  If we associate `outos' with the following `os', which is grammatically unnecessary, we are forced to compare a man's love for his wife with his love for his own body, - which is a most degrading conception of marriage.  `Os ta eauton somata', then, if not governed by `outos' answers the question, "why?" and not "how?" Men should love their wives because they are (part of) their own bodies, even as the Church is the Body of Christ, and He loves her.  The remainder of the verse, "He that loveth his own wife loveth himself." - Is explanatory of `os ta eauton somata'. The body is the whole man; so in loving his wife, who is part of his body, the husband loves himself.

           

5:29.  Christ's relationship to the Church is set as the example to the husband.  He nourishes and sustains the Church.  This refers to Christ's daily care of the Church.  Christ in his gracious love looks upon the Church as part of himself.  The doctrine of the unity of the Church and Christ, and of the husband and wife, is finally clinched with the quotation from Gen.2:24.  The passage began with subjection of the Church to Christ, it has now ended with the teaching of their perfect unity.

           

The picture of the Church as the wife of Christ takes us further into the relationship of Christ and the Church than any other, because it shows us both sides of that relationship:  dependence and obedience on one side;  love and unity on the other.  In so far as the Church is regarded as Bride, she is regarded as a "whole" in herself, as being a "person," in so far as she is regarded as married, she is regarded as forming part of a "whole," the remainder of which is Christ, and the two together form one "person."  The Church regards herself as subject to Christ.  The unity she has with Christ is His gift which He bestows upon her. 

           

Headship implies here not organic unity, but to power to rule. - Best.

Lock - Commentary.:-

5:1.  "Become," - "show yourself to be."  "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful!"  Lk.6:36.  The character of our God and our calling in the Church, these are the great foundations of Christian morality. "Gave himself up." - a reminiscence of the Suffering Servant Isa.53:9.

5:3.  "Covetousness." - the context suggests "adultery," but need not be limited to that.  "Let it not even be named among you." - so the Israelites were forbidden to maintain the name of the heathen gods.  Ex.23:13.

           

5:4.  "Jesting," literally, "adaptability," "versatility,"  the word had degenerated into a bad sense;  Aristotle defined it as "refined, gentle manly insolence."  Midway between buffoonery and boorishness.  "Smartness"; "clever innuendo"; "doubtful badinage."  Trench notes that character of this kind in Plautus boasts that it was natural to him because he was born in Ephesus.

           

5:4.  "Ye know of a surety."  The Greek words are very emphatic, combining two kinds of knowledge, "ye know, recognizing the truth of it."   "Ye know," may refer to the instruction given to converts at first.  "Recognizing the truth," to their subsequent realization of the truth.

           

5:5.  "Covetous man, which is an idolater," Col.3:5.  There may be a close connection with immorality and idolatry:  but the thought is wider, that all covetousness, all selfishness, all determination to have more than one's right, share in material blessings, is to Mammon in the place of God.

           

5:8.  "Children of light."  The contrast between darkness and light is universal in all teachers of morality and religion.

           

5:14.  "Sleeper, awake." - "From death arise, Christ's dawning light shall fill thine eyes."   The words may be a quotation from a hymn, possibly, a baptismal hymn.

           

5:15.  "Buying up the opportunity." - The metaphor is from the market place:  there is a bad harvest;  the food supply is short;  you must haste to the market and buy up for yourselves.  So for Christians the days are bad, lose no time, buy up the opportunity.

           

5:18.  "But not drunken with wine."  Prov.23:21.LXX.  "Riot." - "Waste," "spendriftiness."  "Be filled in Spirit,"  (perhaps, in contrast with being filled with wine), - "reach the fullness of your personality, in feeling and utterance, under the influence of God's Spirit."  This command is unlimited, but there is probably a special reference to the common meetings of the Christians.

           

"Singing to yourselves." - The thought is still of singing in community.  "Giving thanks always for all things." - But the form would include "all men."

           

5:21.  "Submitting yourselves one to another." - True liberty is consistent with due subordination.  "Submitting" is Paul's favourite word.

           

5:22-6:9.  Among Gentiles the marriage standards were low.  The Christian doctrine of liberty was in danger of being exaggerated by women and slaves.

           

The family is treated as a sphere of training for the Churchmanship, the wife's subordination will help to understand the Church's subordination to Christ;  the husband's love for his wife helps him to understand  Christ's self-sacrifice;  the child's obedience trains him to Christian obedience, the father's training  of the child makes him think over the way in which the Lord trains His people;  the servant's obedience helps to make him the Lord's servant;  the master's forbearance reminds him of the Lord's impartial judgment.

           

5:22.  "As unto the Lord." - This implies the necessary limitations of the obedience.

           

5:23.  "The saviour of the Body." - This is probably confined to Christ.

           

5:27.  "Present." - Properly used of the friend of the bridegroom, 2.Cor.11:2.  Here Christ is represented as doing the whole work Himself. 

            "Not having spot or winkle."  i.e. free from sin and with no mark of old age.

           

5:32.  "This mystery is great," i.e. the secret principle implied in marriage, the close oneness of husband and wife, lay in it from the time of creation;  now it is revealed.  It was meant to illustrate the relation of Christ to the Church.

           

5:33.  "Fear." - See 1.Pet.3:2;  Levi.19:3.  - Lock.

           

E.F.Scott Commentary. :-

The filling of the Spirit.  Paul contrasts the true elevation of the soul, which gives insight into the will of God, with all base imitations, (e.g. drunkenness of it).

           

In ancient religions a high value was placed on the ecstatic mood.  It was believed that no true approach to God was possible unless men were caught out of themselves and the chief aim of religious rites was to produce this condition of rapture.  Dancing and exciting music was employed for the purpose, and the most obvious method was intoxication.  It was in connection with the worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, that Greek religion found its highest expression. 

           

Paul recognizes the truth of this belief that to have fellowship with God, men must attain to the mood of Joy and Enthusiasm, but he says that mere drunkenness is the very reverse of this mood.  All the sensual excess can possibly result in is the debasing of body and soul.  Instead of intoxicating themselves with wine, men are to seek fullness in the Spirit.   The thought is, "find your overflow of soul in the rapture which the Spirit will give you.":  "Possessed or filled with the Spirit," a man is truly lifted out of himself.  He rises into that higher mood in which he can commune with God and understand His will. The nature of the Spiritual mood is described in language repeated from Col.3:16.  Paul has in mind a meeting for Christian worship in which the Song uttered by one believer, under the influence of the Spirit, would be answered, in a like strain, by another. - E.F. Scott.

           

5:31.   "Cleave to his wife." - Personal, mutual communion is the true relationship of man and woman. - Barry. (Philosopy from Prison).

           

John Mackay - Commentary:-

           

5:18.  "Be filled with the Spirit."  The Christian is an intoxicated being.  But his inebriation is not caused by alcohol.  Emotion must be given a legitimate expression in religion.  All great creative deeds are the fruit of passion in the purest sense.  Only souls aflame accomplish great things. Arnold Toynbee bids us beware lest we stifle fanaticism at the cost of extinguishing faith. Protestantism is often too cold and drab.  Communism is a singing faith, as also was Nazism.

           

Be filled with Holy inebriation.  Enthusiasm often tends to make us individualists, but enthusiasm and brotherliness must go together.  We need spiritual ardour.  We need permanent intoxication of vital ardour.  - John Mackay.