¦¦ ' , ¦ ¦ ¦ '.'¦.. ¦ . - ¦.¦¦.¦¦¦ ¦ ¦¦¦'-," ; " ¦ '.¦¦¦¦¦
i j- ¦
' *'
. • -., - - " . .. .
\ : ,' . >' i • " . ¦ ¦ - '
L !.: ¦¦[¦ , "

THE LIBRARY OF THE
DIVINITY SCHOOL

NOTES,

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL,

EPISTLES OF PAUL

TV ISi

EPHESIANS, PH1LIPPIANS, AND COLOSSIANS.

BY ALBERT BARNES.

NEW YORKt
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS
329 & 331 PEARL STREET,
TRANKLIH SQUARE.
1854.

Entered, according vc Act of CongTess, in the year 1845, by
ALBER1 BARNES,
in the office of the clerk of the District Court of the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania.

INTRODUCTION.

} 1. The Situation of Ephesus, and the Character of its People.
This epistle purports to have been written to the " Saints in Ephesus,
and to the faithful in Christ Jesus," though, as we shall see, the fact of
its having been directed to the church at Ephesus has been called in
question. Assuming now that it was sent to Ephesus, it is of importance
to have a general view of the situation of that city, of the character of
its people, and of the time and manner in which the gospel was intro
duced there, in order to a correct understanding of the epistle. Ephesus
was a celebrated city of Ionia in Asia Minor, and was about 40 miles
south of Smyrna, and near the mouth of the river Cayster. The river,
though inferior in beauty to the Meander which flows south of it, waters a
fertile vale of the ancient Ionia, Ionia was the most beautiful and fertile
part of Asia Minor ; was settled almost wholly by Greek colonies ; and
embosomed Pergamos, Smyrna, Ephesus, and Miletus. See Travels of
Anacharsis, i. 91. 208 ; vi. 192. 97, 98. The climate of Ionia is repre
sented as remarkably mild, and the air as pure and sweet, and this region
became early celebrated for every thing that constitutes softness and
effeminacy in life. Its people were distinguished for amiableness and
refinement of manners, and also for luxury, for music and dancing, and
for the seductive arts that lead to vicious indulgence. Numerous festivals
occupied them at home, or attracted them to neighbouring cities, where
the men appeared in magnificent habits, and the women in all the ele
gance of female ornament, and with all the desire of pleasure. — Anachar.
Ephesus was not, like Smyrna, distinguished for commercial advantages.
The consequence has been that, not having such advantage, it has fallen
into total ruin, while Smyrna has retained some degree of its ancient im-
, portance. It was in a rich region of country, and seems to have risen
into importance mainly because it became the favourite resort of foreigners
1 in the worship of Diana, and owed its celebrity to its temple more than to
any thing else. This city was once, however, the most splendid city in
Asia Minor. Stephens, the geographer, gives it the title of Epiphanes-
tate, or " Most Illustrious ;" Pliny styles it "The Ornament of Asia." In
Roman times it was the metropolis of Asia, and unquestionably rose to a
degree of splendour that was surpassed by few, if any, oriental cities.
^ That for which the city was most celebrated was the Temple of Diana.
This temple was 425 feet in length, and 220 in breadth. It was encom
passed by 127 pillars, each 60 feet in height, which were presented by as
many kings. Some of those pillars, it is said, are yet to be seen in the
mosque of St. Sophia at Constantinople, having been removed there when
the church of St. Sophia was erected. These, however, were the pillars
that constituted a part of the temple after it had been burned and was
(iii)

IV INTRODUCTION.
repaired, though it is probable that the same pillars were retained in the
second temple which had constituted the glory of the first. All the pro
vinces of Asia Minor contributed to the erection of this splendid temple,
and two hundred years were consumed in building it. This temple was
set on fire by a man named Herostratus, who, when put to the torture,
confessed that his only motive was to immortalize his name. The gene
ral assembly of the states of Ionia passed a decree to devote his name to
oblivion; but the fact of the decree has only served to perpetuate it.
Cicer. de Nat. Deor. 2. 27. Plutarch, Life of Alex. Comp. Anachar. vi.
189. The whole of the edifice was consumed except the four walls and
some of the columns. It was, however, rebuilt, with the same magnifi
cence as before, and was regarded as one of the wonders of the world.
It is now in utter ruin. After the temple had been repeatedly pillaged
by the barbarians, Justinian removed the columns to adorn the church of
St. Sophia at Constantinople. The place where it stood can now be
identified certainly, if at all, only by the marshy spot on which it was
erected, and by the prodigious arches raised above as a foundation. The
vaults formed by them compose a sort of labyrinth, and the water is knee-
deep beneath. There is not an apartment entire ; but thick walls, shafts
of columns, and fragments of every kind, are scattered around in confu
sion. Ency. Geog. ii. 273, 274.
In the reign of Tiberius, Ephesus was greatly damaged by an earth
quake ; but it was repaired and embellished by the emperor. In the war
between Mithridates and the Romans, Ephesus took part with the former,
and massacred the Romans who dwelt in it. Sylla severely punished this
cruelty ; but Ephesus was afterwards treated with lenity, and enjoyed its
own laws, with other privileges. About the end of the eleventh century,
it was seized by a pirate named Tangripermes, but he was routed by
John Ducas, the Greek Admiral, in a bloody battle. Theodorus Lascarus,
a Greek, made himself master of it in 1206. The Mohammedans re
covered it in 1283. In the year 1401, Tamerlane employed a whole
month in plundering the city and the neighbouring country. Shortly
after the city was set on fire, and was mostly burnt in a combat between
the Turkish governor and the Tartars. In 1405, it was taken by Maho
met I., and has continued since that time in the possession of the Turks.
Calmet. There is now a small and mean village, named Ayasaluk, near the site
of the ancient town, consisting of a few cottages, which is all that now
represents this city of ancient splendour. Dr. Chavolla says, " the in
habitants are a few Greek peasants, living in extreme wretchedness, de
pendence, and insensibility ; the representatives of an illustrious people,
and inhabiting the wreck of their greatness — some in the substructions
of the glorious edifices which they raised — some beneath the vaults of the
stadium, once the crowded scene of their diversions — and some by the
abrupt precipice in the sepulchres which received their ashes. Its streets
are obscured and overgrown. A herd of goats was driven to it for shelter
from the sun at noon, and a noisy flight of crows from the quarries
seemed to insult its silence. We heard the partridge call in the area of
the theatre and the stadium. The glorious pomp of its heathen worship
is no longer numbered ; and Christianity, which was here nursed by
apostles, and fostered by general councils, until it increased to fulness of
stature, barely lingers on in an existence hardly visible." Travels, p.

INTRODUCTION. V
131. Oxford, 1775. A very full and interesting description of Ephesus,
as it appeared in 1739, may be seen in Pococke s Travels, vol. ii. Part ii.
pp. 45—53, ed. Lond. 1745. Several ruins are described by him, but
they have mostly now disappeared. The Temple of Diana was on the
western side of the plain on which the city was built, and the site is now
in the midst of a morass which renders access difficult The ruins of
several theatres and other buildings are described by Pococke.
In the year 1821, Mr. Fisk, the American Missionary, visited the ruins
of Ephesus, of which he has given the following account. " We sent
back our horses to Aisaluck, and set out on foot to survey the ruins of
Ephesus. The ground was covered with high grass or grain, and a very
heavy dew rendered the walking rather unpleasant On the east side
of the hill, we found nothing worthy of notice ; no appearance of having
been occupied for buildings. On the north side was the circus or stadium.
Its length from east to west is forty rods or one stadium. The north or
lower side was supported by arches which still remain. The area where
the races used to be performed, is now a field of wheat. At the west
end was the gate. The walls adjoining it are still standing, and are of
considerable height and strength. North of the stadium, and separated
only by a street, is a large square, inclined with fallen walls, and filled
with the ruins of various edifices. A street running north and south
divides this square in the centre. West of the stadium is an elevation
of ground, level at the top, with an immense pedestal in the centre of it
What building stood there it is not easy to say. Between this and the
stadium was a street passing from the great plain north of Ephesus, into
the midst of the city.
"I found on the plains of Ephesus some Greek peasants, men and
women, employed in pulling up tares and weeds from the wheat. I as
certained, however, that they all belonged to villages at a distance, and
came there to labour. Tournefort says, that when he was at Ephesus,
there were thirty or forty Greek families there. Chandler found only
ten or twelve individuals. Now no human being lives in Ephesus ; and
in Aisaluck, which may be considered as Ephesus under another name,
though not on precisely the same spot of ground, there are merely a few
miserable Turkish huts.
" The plain of Ephesus is now very unhealthy, owing to the fogs and
mists which almost continually rest upon it The land, however, is rich,
and the surrounding country is both fertile and healthy. The adjacent
hills would furnish many delightful situations for villages, if the diffi
culties were removed which are thrown in the way by a despotic govern
ment, oppressive agas, and wandering banditti" Missionary Herald for
1821, p. 319.
The following cuts represent — the first, a general view of the ruins
of Ephesus, and the second, from the Pictorial Bible, a view of one part
of that city.

I*

Tl

INTRODUCTION.

mmpHnn
mBmm

INTRODUCTION.

m

rill INTRODUCTION.
} 2. The Introduction of the Gospel at Ephesus.
It is admitted by all that the gospel was introduced into Ephesus by the
apostle Paul. He first preached there when on his way from Corinth to
Jerusalem, about the year 54. Acts xviii. 19. On this visit he went
into the synagogue, as was his usual custom, and preached to his own
countrymen, but he does not appear to have preached publicly to the
heathen. He was requested to remain longer with them, but he said he
must by all means be in Jerusalem at the approaching feast — probably
the passover. Acts xviii. 21. He promised, however, to visit them again
if possible, and sailed from Ephesus to Jerusalem. Two persons had
gone -with Paul from Corinth — Priscilla and Aquila — whom he appears
to have left at Ephesus, or who at any rate soon returned there. Acts
xviii. 18. 26. , During the absence of Paul, there came to Ephesus a cer
tain Jew, born in Alexandria, named Apollos, an eloquent man, and
mighty in the Scriptures, who had received the baptism of John, and who
taught the doctrine that John had taught. Acts xviii. 24. 25. What was
the precise nature of that doctrine it is difficult now to understand. It
seems to have been in substance that repentance was necessary, that
baptism was to be performed, and that the Messiah was about to appear.
This doctrine Apollos had embraced with zeal, was ready to defend
it, and was in just the state of mind to welcome the news that the Mes
siah had come. This zealous and talented man, Priscilla and Aquila in
structed more fully in the doctrines of the Christian religion, and com
municated to him the views which they had received from Paul. Acts
xviii. 26. Paul having gone to Jerusalem as he purposed, returned again
to Asia Minor, and taking Phrygia and Galatia in his way, revisited
Ephesus, and remained there about three years. Acts xviii. 23 ; xix. 1,
seq. It was during this time that the church was founded, which after
wards became so prominent, and to which this epistle was written. The
principal events in the life of Paul there were, (1.) his baptizing the
twelve persons whom he found there, who were disciples of John. Notes,
Acts xix. 1 — 7. (2.) Paul went into the synagogue there, and engaged
in an earnest discussion with the Jews, about three months, respecting
the Messiah. Acts xix. 8 — 10. (3.) When many of the Jews opposed
him, he left the synagogue, and obtained a place to preach in, in the
school-room of a man by the name of Tyrannus. In this place he con
tinued to preach without molestation for two years, and proclaimed the
gospel so that a large portion of the inhabitants had an opportunity ot
hearing it. (4.) The cause of religion was greatly promoted by the
miracles which Paul wrought. Acts xix. 11 — 17. (5.) Paul remained
there until his preaching excited great commotion, and he was at last
driven away by the tumult which was excited by Demetrius. Acts xix.
23 — 41. At this time the gospel had secured such a hold on the people
that there was danger that the temple of Diana would be forsaken and
that all who were dependent on the worship of Diana for a livelihood
would he thrown out of employment. It is not probable that Paul visited
Ephesus after this, unless it was after his first imprisonment at Rome.
See Intro, to II. Timothy. On his way from Macedonia to Jerusalem he
came to Miletus, and sent for the elders of Ephesus, and gave them his
deeply affecting parting address, expecting to see them no more. Acta
zx. 16, seq.

INTRODUCTION. iX
Paul remained longer at Ephesus than he did at any other one place
preaching the gospel. He seems to have set himself deliberately to work
to establish a church there, which would ultimately overthrow idolatry.
Several reasons may have led him to depart so for from his usual plan,
by labouring so long in one place. One may have been that this was
the principal seat of idolatry then in the world. The evident aim of Paul
in his ministry was, to reach the centres of influence and power. Hence
he mainly sought to preach the gospel in large cities, and thus it was that
Antioch, and Ephesus, and Corinth, and Athens, and Philippi, and Rome,
shared so largely in his labours. Not ashamed of the gospel any where,
he yet sought mainly that its power should be felt where wealth, and
earning, and genius, and talent were concentrated. The very places,
therefore, where the most magnificent temples were erected to the gods,
and where the worship of idols was celebrated with the most splendour
and pomp, and where that worship was defended most strongly by the
civil arm, were those in which the apostles sought first to preach the
gospel. Ephesus, therefore, as the most splendid seat of idolatry at that
time in the whole Pagan world, particularly attracted the attention of the
apostle, and hence it was that he was willing to spend so large a part of
his public life in that place. It may have been for this reason that John
afterwards made it his permanent abode, and spent so many years there
as the minister of the church which had been founded by Paul. See § 3.
Another reason why Paul sought Ephesus as a field of labour may have
been, that it was at that time not only the principal seat of idolatry, but
was a place of great importance in the civil affairs of the Roman empire.
It was the residence of the Roman Proconsul, and the seat of the courts
of justice in Asia Minor, and consequently was a place to which there
would be attracted a great amount of learning and talent Macknight.
The apostle, therefore, seems to have been anxious that the full power of
the gospel should be tried there, and that Ephesus should become as im
portant as a centre of influence in the Christian world, as it had been in
Paganism and in civil affairs.
{ 3. Notices of the History of the Church at Ephesus.
The church at Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia, and the
first one mentioned to which John was directed to address an epistle from
Patmos. Rev. ii. 1 — 7. Little is said of it in the New Testament from
the time when Paul left it until the book of Revelation was written. The
tradition is, that Timothy was a minister at Ephesus, and was succeeded
by the apostle John ; but whether John came there while Timothy was
living, or not until his removal or death, even tradition does not inform
us. In the subscription to the sacred epistle to Timothy, it is said of
Timothy that he was " ordained the first Bishop of the church of the
Ephesians ;" but this is of no authority whatever. All that can be with
certainty learned about the residence of Timothy at Ephesus, is what the
Apostle Paul says of him in his first epistle to Timothy. Ch. i. 3. " As
I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia,
that thou mightest charge some that they teach no. other doctrine."
From this it would appear that the residence of Timothy at Ephesus was
a temporary arrangement, designed to secure a result which Paul wished
particularly to secure, and to avoid an evil which he had reason to dread

* INTRODUCTION.
would follow from his own absence. That it was a temporary arrange
ment, is apparent from the fact that Paul soon after desired him to come
to Rome, 2 Tim. iv. 9. 11. The second epistle of Paul to Timothy was
written but a few years after the first According to Lardner, the first
was written in the year 56, and the second in the year 62 ; according to
Hug, the first was written in the year 59, and the second in the year 61 ;
according to the Editor of the Polyglott Bible, the first was written A. D.
65, and the second A. D. 66. According to either calculation the time
of the residence of Timothy in Ephesus was brief. There is not the
slightest evidence from the ,New Testament that he was a permanent
Bishop of Ephesus, or indeed that he was a Bishop at all in the modern
sense of the term. Those who may be disposed to look further into this
matter, and to examine the relation which Timothy sustained to the
church of Ephesus, and the claim which is sometimes set up for his
having sustained the office of a Bishop, may find an examination in the
Review of Bishop Onderdonk's Tract on Episcopacy, published in the
Quarterly Christian Spectator in March 1834, and March 1835, and re
published in 1843 under the title of " The Organization and Government
of the Apostolic Church," pp. 99—107.
Whatever was the relation which he sustained to the church in Ephe
sus, it is agreed on all hands that John the apostle spent there a consider
able portion of his life. At what time he went to Ephesus, or why he
did it, is not now known. The common opinion is, that he remained at
or near Jerusalem for some fifteen years after the crucifixion of the Lord
Jesus, during which time he had the special charge of Mary the mother
of the Saviour; that he then preached the gospel to the Parthians and
the Indians, and that he then returned and went to Ephesus, in or near
which he spent his latter days, and in which, at a very advanced age, he
died. It was from Ephesus that, under the Emperor Domitian, A. D. 95,
he was banished to the island of Patmos, from which he returned A. D.
97, on the accession of Nerva to the crown, who recalled all who had
been banished. John is supposed at that time to have been about ninety
years of age. He is said to have died at Ephesus in the third year
of Trajan, A. D. 100, aged about ninety-four years. For a full and
interesting biography of the Apostle John, the reader may consult the
" Lives of the Apostles," by David Francis Bacon, pp. 307 — 376.
Of the subsequent history of the church at Ephesus, little is known,
and it would not be necessary to dwell upon it in order to an exposition
of the epistle before us. It is sufficient to remark, that the " candlestick
is removed out of its place," (Rev. ii. 5,) and that all the splendour of
the temple of Diana, all the pomp of her worship, and all the glory of
the Christian church there, have alike faded away.
5 4. The time and place of writing the Epistle.
It has never been denied that the Apostle Paul was the author of this
epistle, though it has been made a question whether it were written to
the Ephesians or to the Laodiceans. See § 5. Dr. Paley (//one Paulina)
has shown that there is conclusive internal proof that this epistle was
written by Paul. This argument is derived from the style, and is carried
out by a comparison of this epistle with the other undoubted writings of
the apostle. The historical evidence on this point also is undisputed.

INTRODUCTION. XI
It is generally supposed, and indeed the evidence seems to be clear,
that this epistle was written during the imprisonment of the apostle at
Rome ; but whether it was during his first or his second imprisonment,
is not certain. Paul was held in custody for some two years m Cesarea,
(Acts xxiv. 27,) but there is no evidence that during that time, he ad
dressed any epistle to the churches which he had planted. That this was
written when he was a prisoner, is apparent from the epistle itself. " The
two years in which Paul was imprisoned at Cesarea," says Wall, as
quoted by Lardner, "seem to have been the most inactive part of St.
Paul's life. There is no account of any proceedings or disputations, or of
any epistles written in this space." This may have arisen, Lardner sup
poses, from the fact that the Jews made such an opposition that the Ro
man governor would not allow him to have any intercourse with the
people at large, or procure any intelligence from the churches abroad.
But when he was at Rome, he had more liberty. He was allowed to
dwell in his own hired house, (Acts xxviii. 30,) and had permission to ad
dress all who came to him, and to communicate freely with his friends
abroad. It was during this period that he wrote at least four of his
epistles; — to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and Philemon.
Grotius, as quoted by Lardner, says of these epistles, that though all
Paul's epistles are excellent, yet he most admires those written by him
when a prisoner at Rome. Of the epistle to the Ephesians, he says it
eurpasses all human eloquence — rerum sublimitatem adequans verbis
sublimioribus, quam ulla unquam habuit lingua humana — describing the
sublimity of the things by corresponding words more sublime than are
found elsewhere in human language. The evidence that it was written
when Paul was a prisoner, is found in the epistle itself. Thus in ch. iii.
1, he says, " I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ — b Hamas ™b ^pun-oB —
for you Gentiles." So he alludes to his afflictions in ch. iii. 13. " I de
sire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you." In ch. iv. 1, he calls
himself the " prisoner of the Lord," or in the margin, " in the Lord" —
b lfoiw>s Iv Ktpioi. And in ch. vi. 19, 20, there is an allusion which seems
to settle the inquiry beyond dispute, and to prove that it was written
while he was at Rome. He there says that he was an "ambassador in
bonds" — iv i\aoa — in chains, manacles, or shackles ; and yet he desires
(ver. 19, 20) that they would pray for him, that utterance might be given
him to open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
that he might speak boldly, as he ought to speak. Now this is a remark
able circumstance. A man in custody, in bonds or chains, and that too
for being an " ambassador," and yet asking the aid of their prayers, that
in these circumstances he might have grace to be a bold preacher of the
gospel. If he was in prison this could not well be. If he was under a
strict prohibition it could not well be. The circumstances of the case
tally exactly with the statement in the last chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles, that Paul was in custody in Rome ; that he was permitted to
" dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him," (ver. 16 ;) that he was
permitted to call the Jews together, and to debate with them freely, (vs.
17 — 28 ;) and that Paul dwelt in his own hired house for two years, and
" received all that came in with him, preaching the kingdom of God,"
&c. (vs. 30, 31.) So exactly do these circumstances correspond, that I
have no doubt that was the time when the epistle was written. And so
unusual is such a train of circumstances — so unlikely would it be to

XII INTRODUCTION.
occur to a man to forge such a coincidence, that it furnishes & striking
proof that the epistle was written, as it purports to be, by Paul. An. im.
poster would not have thought of inventing such a coincidence. If it
had occurred to him to make any such allusion, the place and time would
have been more distinctly mentioned, and not have been left as a mere
incidental allusion. The Apostle Paul is supposed to have been at Rome
as a prisoner twice, (Comp. Intro, to 2 Tim.,) and to have suffered
martyrdom there about A. D. 65 or 66. If the epistle to the Ephesians
was written during his second imprisonment at Rome, as is commonly
supposed, then it must have been somewhere between the years 63 and
65. Lardner and Hug suppose that it was written April 61 ; Macknight
supposes it was in 60 or 61 ; the Editor of the Polyglott Bible places it at
64. The exact time when it was written cannot now be ascertained, and
is not material. } 5. To whom was the Epistle written?
The epistle purports to have been written to the Ephesians — " to the
saints which are at Ephesus," — i. 1. But the opinion that it was written
to the Ephesians, has been called in question by many expositors. Dr.
Paley (Hor. Paul.) supposes that it was written to the Laodiceans,
Wetstein also maintained the same opinion. This opinion was expressly
stated also by Marcion, a " heretic" of the second century. Michaelis
(Intro.) supposes that it was a "circular epistle,' addressed not to any
church in particular, but intended for the Ephesians, Laodiceans, and
some other churches of Asia Minor. He supposes that the apostle had
several copies taken ; that he made it intentionally of a very general
character, so as to suit all ; that he affixed with his own hand the sub
scription, ch. vi. 24, to each copy — " Grace be with all them that love our
Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ;" that at the beginning of the epistle the
name was inserted of the particular church to which it was to be sent—
as " to the church in Ephesus " — " in Laodicea," &c. When the several
works composing the New Testament were collected into a volume, he
supposes that it so happened, that the copy of this epistle which was used,
was one obtained from Ephesus, containing a direction to the saints there.
This is also the opinion of Archbishop Usher and Koppe. It does not
comport with the design of these Notes, to go into an extended examina
tion of this question ; and after all that has been written on it, and the
different opinions which have been entertained, it certainly does not be
come any one to be very confident It is not a question of great import
ance, as it involves no point of doctrine or duty ; but those who wish to
see it discussed at length, can be satisfied by referring to Paley's Hora
Paulina ,- to Michaelis' Intro., vol. iv. ch. xx., and to the Prolegomena of
Koppe. The arguments which are alleged to prove that it was addressed
to the church at Laodicea, or at least not to the church at Ephesus, are
summarily the following : — (1.) The testimony of Marcion, a heretic of
the second century, who affirms that it was sent to the church in Laodicea,
and that instead of the reading (ch. i. 1) " in Ephesus," in the copy
which he had it was " in Laodicea." But the opinion of Marcion is now
regarded as of little weight. It is admitted that he was in the habit of
altering the Greek text to suit his own views. (2.) The principal objec
tion to the opinion that it was written to the church at Ephesus u found

INTRODUCTION. X11I
in certain internal marks, and particularly in the want of any allusion to
the fact that Paul had ever been there, or to any thing that particularly
related to the church there. This difficulty comprises several particulars.
(a) Paul spent nearly three years in Ephesus, and was engaged there in
deeply interesting transactions and occurrences. He had founded the
church, ordained its elders, taught them the doctrines which they held,
and had at last been persecuted there and driven away. If the epistle
was written to them, it is remarkable that there is in the epistle no allu
sion to any one of these facts or circumstances. This is the more remark
able, as it was his usual custom to allude to the events which had occurred
in the churches which he had founded, (see the epistles to the Corinthians
and Philippians,) and as on two other occasions at least he makes diregt
allusion to these transactions at Ephesus. See Acts xx. 18 — 35, 1 Cor.
xv. 32. (6) In the other epistles which Paul wrote, it was his custom to
salute a large numBer of persons by name ; but in this epistle there is no
salutation of any kind. There is a general invocation of " peace to the
brethren," (ch. vi. 23,) but no mention of an individual by name. There
is not even an allusion to the "elders" whom, with so much affection, he
had addressed at Miletus, (Acts xx.,) and to whom he had given so solemn
a charge. This is the more remarkable, as in this place he had spent
three years in preaching the gospel, and must have been acquainted with
all the leading members in the church. To the church at Rome, which
he had never visited when he wrote his epistle to the Romans, he sends a
laTge number of salutations, (ch. xvi.) ; to the church at Ephesus, where
he had spent a longer time than in any other place, he sends none, (c)
The name of Timothy does not occur in the epistle. This is remarkable,
because Paul had left him there with a 'special charge, (1 Tim. i. 3,) and'
if he was still there, it is singular that no allusion is made to him, and no
salutation sent to him. If he had left Ephesus, and had gone to Rome to
meet Paul as he requested, (2 Tim. iv. 9,) it is remarkable that Paul did
not join his name with his own in sending the epistle to the church, or at
least allude to the fact that he had arrived. This is the more remark
able, because in the Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2
Thessalonians, the name of Timothy is joined with that of Paul at the
commencement of the epistle, (d) Paul speaks of the persons to whom
this epistle was sent, as if he had not been with them, or at least in a
manner which is hardly conceivable, on the supposition that he had been
the founder of the church. Thus in ch i. 15, 16, he says, " Wherefore
also after I heard of your faith in Christ Jesus," &c. But this circum
stance is not conclusive. . Paul may have been told of the continuance
of their faith, and of their growing love and zeal, and he may have
alluded to that in this passage, (e) Another circumstance on which some
reliance has been placed, is the statement in ch. iii. 1, 2. " For this
cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have
heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to you-
ward," &c. It is argued (see Michaelis) that this is not language which
would have been employed by one who had founded the church, and with
whom they were all acquainted. He would not have spoken in a. man
ner implying any doubt whether they had ever heard of him and his
labours in the ministry on account of the Gentiles. Such are the con
siderations relied on to show that the epistle could not have been written
to the Ephesians. 2

XIV INTRODUCTION.
On the other hand there is proof of a very strong character that it wai
written to them. That proof is the following :
1. The common reading in ch. i. 1, "To the saints which are in
Ephesus." It is true, as we have seen, that this reading has been called
in question. Mill says that it is omitted by Basil, (Lib. 2. Adversus
Eunomium,) as he says, " on the testimony of the fathers and of ancient
copies." Griesbach marks it with the sign om., denoting that it was
omitted by some, but that in his judgment it is to be retained. It is found
in the Vulgate, the Syriac, the Arabic, and the Ethiopic in Walton's
Polyglott Rosenmiiller remarks that " most of the ancient codices, and
all the ancient versions, retain the word." To my mind this fact is con
clusive. The testimony of Marcion is admitted to be of almost no au
thority : and as to the testimony of Basil, it is only one against the testi
mony of all the ancients, and is at best negative in its character. See
the passage from Basil, quoted in Hug's Introduction.
2. A slight circumstance may be adverted to as throwing light inci
dentally on this question. This epistle was sent by Tychicus. Ch. vi.
21. The Epistle to the Colossians was also sent from Rome by the same
messenger. Col. iv. 7. Now there is a strong improbability in the opinion
held by Michaelis, Koppe and others, that this was a circular letter, sent
to the churches at large, or that different copies were prepared, and the
name Ephesus inserted in one, and Laodicea in another, &c. The im
probability is this, that the apostle would at the same time send such a
circular letter to several of the churches, and a special letter to the
church at Colosse. What claim had that church to special notice!
What pre-eminence had it over the church at Ephesus? And why should
he send them a letter bearing so strong a resemblance to that addressed
to the other churches, when the same letter would have suited the church
at Colosse as well as the one which was actually sent to them ; for there
is a nearer resemblance between these two epistles, than any other two
portions of the Bible. Besides, in 2 Tim. iv. 12, Paul says that he had
sent " Tychicus to Ephesus ;" and what is more natural than that at that
time he sent this epistle by him 1
3. There is the utter want of evidence from MSS. or versions, that this
epistle was sent to Laodicea, or to any other church, except Ephesus.
Not a MS. has been found having the name Laodicea in ver. i. 1. ; and
not one which omits the words " in Ephesus." If it had been sent to
another church, or if it had been a circular letter addressed to no par
ticular church, it is scarcely credible that this could have occurred.
These considerations make it plain to me. that this epistle was ad
dressed, as it purports to have been, to the church in Ephesus. I confess
myself wholly unable, however, to explain the remarkable circumstances
that Paul does not refer to his former residence there ; that he alludes to
none of his troubles or his triumphs ; that he makes no mention of the
" elders," and salutes no one by name ; and that throughout he addresses
them as if they were to him personally unknown. In this respect it is
unlike all the other epistles which he ever wrote, and all which we should
have expected from a man in such circumstances. May it not be ac
counted for from this very fact, that an attempt to specify individuals
where so many were known, would protract the epistle to an unreason
able length 1 There is, indeed, one supposition suggested by Dr. Mac
knight, which may possibly explain to some extent the remarkable circum-

INTRODUCTION, XV
stances above referred to. It is, that a direction may have been given by
Paul to Tychicus, by whom he sent the letter, to send a copy of it to the
Laodiceans, with an order to them to communicate it to the Colossians.
In such a case every thing local would be designedly omitted, and the .
epistle would be of as general a character as possible. This is, however,
mere conjecture, and does not remove the whole of the difficulty.
{ 6. The object for which the epistle was written.
Very various opinions have been formed in regard to the design for
which this epistle was written. Macknight supposes that it was with
reference to the Eleusinian mysteries, and to various religious rites in the
Temple of Diana, and that Paul intended particularly to state the " mys
teries" of the gospel in contradistinction from them. But there is no
clear evidence that the apostle had any such object, and it is not neces
sary to go into an explanation of those mysteries in order to an under
standing of the epistle. The epistle is such as might be addressed to any
Christians, though there are allusions to customs which then prevailed,
and to opinions then held, which it is desirable to understand in order to
a just view of it That there were Jews and Judaizing Christians in
Ephesus, may be learned from the epistle itself That there were those
there who supposed that the Jews were to have a more elevated rank than
the Gentiles, may also be learned from the epistle ; and one object was to
show that all true Christians, whether of Jewish or Heathen origin,
were on a level, and were entitled to the same privileges. That there
was the prevalence of a false and dangerous philosophy there, may also
be learned from the epistle ; and that there were those who attempted to
cause divisions, and who had violated the unity of the faith, may also be
learned from it
The epistle is divided into two parts — I. The doctrinal part, ch. i. —
iii. ; and, II. The practical part, or the application, ch. iv. — vi.
I. The doctrinal part comprises the following topics.
(1.) Praise to God for the revelation of his eternal counsels of recover
ing mercy. Ch. i. 3 — 14.
(2.) A prayer of the apostle, expressing his earnest desire that the
Ephesians, might avail themselves fully of all the advantages of this
eternal purpose of mercy. Ch. i. 15 — 23.
(3.) The doctrine of the native character of man, as being dead in
sins, illustrated by the past lives of the Ephesians. Ch. ii. 1 — 3.
(4.) The doctrine of regeneration by the grace of God, and the advan
tages of it Ch. ii. 5 — 7.
(5.) The doctrine of salvation by grace alone without respect to our
own works. Ch. ii. 8, 9.
(6.) The privilege of being thus admitted to the fellowship of the
saints. Ch. ii. 11—22.
(7.) A full statement of the doctrine that God meant to admit the Gen
tiles to the privileges of his people, and to break down the barriers be
tween the Gentiles and the Jews. Ch. iii. 1 — 12.
(8.) The apostle prays earnestly that they might avail themselves fully
of this doctrine, and be able to appreciate fully the advantages which it
was intended to confer ; and with this prayer he closes the doctrinal part
of the epistle. Ch. iii. 13—21.

XVI INTRODUCTION.
II. The practical part of the epistle embraces the following topics, viz.
(1.) Exhortation to unity, drawn from the consideration that there was
one God, one faith, &c. Ch. iv. 1 — 16.
(2.) An exhortation to a holy life in general, from the feet that they
differed from other Gentiles. Ch. iv. 17—24.
(3.) Exhortation to exhibit particular virtues — specifying what was
required by their religion, and what they should avoid — particularly to
avoid the vices of anger, lying, licentiousness, and intemperance. Ch.
iv. 25—32. Ch. v. 1—20.
(4.) The duties of husbands and wives. Ch. v. 21 — 33.
(5.) The duties of parents and children. Ch. vi. 1 — 3.
(6.) The duties of masters and servants. Ch. vi. 4 — 9.
(7.) An exhortation to fidelity in the Christian warfare. Ch. vi. 10
—20. (8.) Conclusion. Ch. vi. 21—24.
The style of this epistle is exceedingly animated. The apostle is
cheered by the intelligence which he had received of their deportment in
the gospel, and is warmed by the grandeur of his principal theme — the
eternal purposes of divine mercy. Into the discussion of that subject he
throws his whole soul, and there is probably no part of Paul's writings
where there is more ardour, elevation, and soul evinced, than in this
epistle. The great doctrine of predestination he approaches as a most
important and vital doctrine ; states it freely and fully, and urges it as
the basis of the Christian's hope, and the foundation of eternal gratitude
and praise. Perhaps nowhere is there a better illustration of the power
of that doctrine to elevate the soul and fill it with grand conceptions of the
character of God, and to excite grateful emotions, than in this epistle;
and the Christian, therefore, may study it as a portion of the sacred
writings eminently fitted to excite his gratitude, and to fill him with
adoring views of God.

THE EPISTLE OF

PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.

CHAPTER I.
)AUL, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God,

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
(1.) The salutation. Vs. 1, 2.
(2.) The doctrine of predestina
tion, and its bearing and design.
Vs. 3—14.
(a) It is the foundation of praise
to God, and is a source of gratitude.
Ver. 3.
(6) Christians have been chosen
before the foundation of the world.
Ver. 4.
(c) The object was that they
should be holy and blameless. Ver. 4.
(d) They were predestinated to
be the children of God. Ver. 5.
(e) The cause of this was the
good pleasure of God, or he did it
according to the purpose of his will.
Ver. 5.
(/) The object of this was his
own glory. Ver. 6.
(3.) The benefits of the plan of
predestinatfon to those who are thus
chosen. Vs. 7 — 14.
(a) They have redemption and
the forgiveness of sins. Vs. 7, 8.
(b) They are made acquainted
with the mystery of the divine will.
Vs. 9, 10.
(c) They have obtained an in
heritance in Christ Ver. 11.
(d) The object of this was the
praise of the glory of God. Ver. 12.
(e) As the result of this, or in
2*

to the saints ° which are at Ephe
sus, * and to the faithful ' in Christ
Jesus :
a Ro. 1. 7. b Ac. ch. 19, 20. c Col. 1. 3.

the execution of this purpose, they
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise. Vs. 13, 14.
(4.) An earnest prayer that they
might have a full understanding of
the great and glorious plan of re
demption. Vs. 15 — 23.
(a) Paul says that he had been
informed of their faith. Ver. 15.
(6) He always remembered them
in his prayers. Ver. 16.
(c) His especial desire was that
they might see the glory of the
Lord Jesus, whom God had exalted
to his own right hand in heaven
Vs. 17—23.
1. Paul, an apostle. See Notes
on Rom. i. 1. IT By the will of God.
See Notes on 1 Cor. i. 1. T To the
saints. A name often given to Chris
tians because they are holy. See
Notes on 1 Cor. i. 2. IT In Ephe
sus. See the Introduction, § 1. 5.
IT And to the faithful in Christ
Jesus. This evidently refers to
others than to those who were in
Ephesus, and it is clear that Paul
expected that this epistle would be
read by others. He gives it a gene
ral character, as if he supposed that
it might be transcribed, and become
the property of the church at large.
It was not uncommon for him thus to
give a general character to the epis-
07)

18

EPHESIANS.

[AD. 64.

2 Grace " be to you, and peace,
from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed* be the God and
«Gn. 1. 3; Ti. 1. 4. b 2Co. 1.3; 1 Pe. 1.3.

ties which he addressed to particular
churches, and so to write that others
than those to whom they were par
ticularly directed, might feel that
they were addressed to them. Thus
the first epistle to the Corinthians
was addressed to " the church of
God in Corinth — with all that in
every place call upon the name of
Christ Jesus our Lord." The second
epistle to the Corinthians in like
manner was addressed to "the
church of God which is at Corinth,
with all the saints which are in all
Achaia." Perhaps, in the epistle be
fore us, the apostle referred particu
larly to the churches of Asia Minor
which he had not visited, but there
is no reason for confining the address
to them. All who are " faithful in
Christ Jesus" may regard the epis
tle as addressed by the Holy Spirit
to them, and may feel that they are
as much interested in the doctrines,
promises, and duties set forth in this
epistle, as- were the ancient Chris
tians of Ephesus. The word "faith
ful" here is not used in the sense
of trust-worthy, or in the sense of
fidelity, as it is often employed, but
in the sense of believing, or having
faith in the Lord Jesus. The apos
tle addresses those who were firm
in the faith — another name for true
Christians. The epistle contains
great doctrines about the divine pur
poses and decrees in which they, as
Christians, were particularly con
cerned ; important " mysteries," (ver.
9,) of importance for them to under
stand, and which the apostle pro
ceeds to communicate to them as
such. The fact that the letter was
designed to be published, shows that
he was not unwilling that those high

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly
1 places in Christ:
1 or, things. He. 9. 23.

doctrines should be made known to
the world at large ; still they per
tained particularly to the church,
and they are doctrines which should
be particularly addressed to the
church. They are rather fitted to
comfort the hearts of Christians, than
to bring sinners to repentance.
These doctrines may be addressed
to the church with more prospect of
securing a happy effect than to the
world. In the church they will ex
cite gratitude, and produce the hope
which results from assured promises
and eternal purposes ; in the minds
of sinners they may arouse envy,
and hatred, and opposition to God,
2. Grace to you, &c. See Notes,
Rom. i. 7.
3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. This
commences a sentence which con
tinues to the close of ver. 12. The
length of the periods in the writings
of Paul, is one cause of the ob
scurity of his style, and renders an
explanation often difficult. The
meaning of this phrase is, that God
has laid a foundation for gratitude
for what he has done. The ground
or reason of the praise here referred
to, is that which is stated in the
following verses. The leading thing
on which the apostle dwells is God's
eternal purpose — his everlasting
counsel in regard to the salvation of
man. Paul breaks out into the ex
clamation that God is worthy of
praise for such a plan, and that hi?
eternal purposes, now manifest to
men. give exalted views of the cha
racter and glory of God. Most
persons suppose the contrary. They
feel that the plans of God are dark,
and stern, and forbidding, and such

A. D. 64.J CHAPTER I.

19

as to render his character any thing
but amiable. They speak of him
when he is referred to as a sove
reign, as if he were tyrannical and
unjust, and they never connect the
idea of that which is amiable and
lovely with the doctrine of eternal
purposes. There is no doctrine that
is usually so unpopular ; none that
is so much reproached ; none that is
so much abused. There is none that
men desire so much to disbelieve or
avoid; none that they are so un
willing to have preached ; and none
that they are so reluctant to find in
the Scriptures. Even many Chris
tians turn away from it with dread ;
or if they tolerate it, they yet feel
that there is something about it that
is peculiarly dark and forbidding.
Not so felt Paul. He felt that it
laid the foundation for eternal praise ;
that it presented glorious views of
God ; that it was the ground of con
fidence and hope ; and that it was
desirable that Christians should
dwell upon it, and praise God for it.
Let us feel, therefore, as we enter
upon the exposition of this chapter,
that God is to be praised for au his
plans, and that it is possible for
Christians to have such views of the
doctrine of eternal predestination as
to give them most elevated concep
tions of the glory of the divine cha
racter. And let us also be willing
to know the truth. Let us approach
word after word, and phrase after
phrase, and verse after verse, in this
chapter, willing to know all that
God teaches; to believe all that he
has revealed; and ready to say,
' Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ for all that he
has done.' IT Who hath blessed us.
Who does Paul mean here by " us ?"
Does he mean all the world] This
cannot be, for all the world are not
thus blessed with all spiritual bless
ings. Does he mean nations? For
the same reason this cannot be. Does
be mean the Gentiles in contradis

tinction from the Jews) Why then
does he use the word us, including
himself, who was a Jew 1 Does he
mean to say that they were blessed
with external privileges, and that
this was the only object of the eter
nal purposes of God ] This cannot
be, for he speaks of " spiritual bless
ings ;" he speaks of the persons re
ferred to as having " redemption"
and " the forgiveness of sins ;" as
having "obtained an inheritance,"
and as being sealed with the " Holy
Spirit of promise." These apper
tain not to nations, or to external
privileges, or the mere offers of the
gospel, but to true Christians ; to
persons who have been redeemed.
The persons referred to by the word
" us," are those who are mentioned
in ver. 1, as "saints" — iyiois-z-holy ;
and " faithful" — n-ioToTs— believing,
or believers. This observation is
important, because it shows that the
plan or decree of God had reference
to individuals, and not merely to
nations. Many have supposed (see
Whitby, Dr. A. Clarke, Bloomfield
and others) that the apostle here re
fers to the Gentiles, and that his
object is to show that they were now
admitted to the same privileges as
the ancient Jews, and that the
whole doctrine of predestination
here referred to, has relation to that
fact But, I would ask, were there
no Jews in the church at Ephesus]
See Acts xviii. 20. 24 ; xix. 1—8.
The matter of fact seems to have
been, that Paul was uncommonly
successful there among his own
countrymen, and that his chief diffi
culty there arose, not from the Jews,
but from the influence of the hea
then. Acts xix. 24. Besides, what
evidence is there that the apostle
speaks hi this chapter peculiarly of
the Gentiles, or that he was writing
to that portion of the church af
Ephesus which was of Gentile ori*
gin ] And if he was, why did he
name himself among them a? PUB

20

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

4 According as he hath chosen
# us in him before the foundation
of the world that we should be

on whom this blessing had been
bestowed) The fact is, that this
is a mere supposition, resorted
to without evidence, and in the
fece of every fair principle of in
terpretation, to avoid an unplea
sant doctrine. Nothing can be
clearer than that Paul meant to
write to Christians as such; to
speak of privileges which they en
joyed as peculiar to themselves;
and that he had no particular refer
ence to nations, and did not design
merely to refer to external privi
leges. IT With all spiritual blessings.
Pardon, peace, redemption, adop
tion, the earnest of the Spirit, &c,
referred to in the following verses
¦ — blessings which individual Chris
tians enjoy, and not external privi
leges conferred on nations. T In
heavenly places in Christ. . The
word places is here understood, and
is not in the original. It may mean
heavenly places, or heavenly things.
The word places does not express
the best sense. The idea seems to
be, that God has blessed us in Christ
in regard to heavenly subjects or
matters. In ver. 20, the word
"places" seems to be inserted with
more propriety. The same phrase
occurs again in ch. ii. 6; iii. 10;
and it is remarkable that it should
occur in the same elliptical form
four times in this one epistle, and, I
believe, in no other part of the
writings of Paul. Our translators
have in eaph instance supplied the
word "places," as denoting the
rank or station of Christian?, of
the angels, and of the Saviour, to
each of whom it is applied. The
phrase probably means, in things per
taining to heaven ; fitted to prepare
us for heaven ; and tending toward

holy, l and without blanie before
him in love :
4Lu. 1.75; Col. I. 22.

heaven. It probably refers here to
every thing that was heavenly in its
nature, or that had relation to hea
ven, whether gifts or graces. As
the apostle is speaking, however, of
the mass of Christians on whom
these things had been bestowed, I
rather suppose that he refers to what
are called Christian graces, than to
the extraordinary endowments be
stowed on the few. The sense is,
that in Christ ; i. e. through Christ,
or by means of him, God had be
stowed all spiritual blessings that
were fitted to prepare for heaven —
such as pardon, adoption, the illu
mination of the Spirit, &c.
4. According as. The importance
of this verse will render proper a
somewhat minute examination of
the words and phrases of which it
is composed. The general sense of
the passage is, that these blessings
pertaining to heaven were bestowed
upon Christians in accordance with
an eternal purpose. They were not
conferred by chance or hap-hazard.
They were the result of intention
and design on the part of God.
Their value was greatly enhanced
from the feet that God had designed
from all eternity to bestow them,
and that they come to us as the re
sult of his everlasting plan. It was
not a recent plan; it was not an
after-thought; it was not by mere
chance ; it was not by caprice ; it was
the fruit of an eternal counsel. Those
blessings had all the value, and all
the assurance of permanency, which
must result from that fact The
phrase "according as"— M^s— im
plies that these blessings were in
conformity with that eternal plan, and
have flowed to us as the expression
of that plan, They are limited hy

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
that purpose, for it marks and mea
sures all. It was as God had chosen
that it should be, and had appointed
in his eternal purpose. IT He hath
chosen us. The word " us" here
shows that the apostle had reference
to individuals, and not to communi
ties. It includes Paul himself as
one of the "chosen," and those
whom he addressed — the mingled
Gentile and. Jewish converts in
Ephesus. That it must refer to in
dividuals is clear. Of no commu
nity as such can it be said that it
was "chosen in Christ before the
foundation of the world to be holy."
It is not true of the Gentile world
as such, nor of any one of the na
tions making up the Gentile world.
The word rendered here "hath
chosen" — iftX^iro — is from a word
meaning to lay out together, (Pas-
sow,) to choose ofit, to select It
has the idea of making a choice or
selection among different objects or
things. It is applied to things, as in
Luke x. 42. Mary uhath chosen
that good part;" — she has made a
choice, or selection of it, or has
shown a preference for it 1 Cor. i.
27. " God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world ;" he has pre
ferred to make use of them among
all the conceivable things which
might have been employed " to con
found the wise." Comp. Acts i. 2.
24; vL 5; xv. 22. 25. It denotes
to choose out, with the accessary
idea of kindness or favour. Mark
xiii. 20. "For the elect's sake
whom he hath chosen, he hath short
ened the days." John xiii. 18. " I
know whom I have chosen." Acts
xiii. 17. " The God of this people
of Israel chose our fathers ;" that
is, selected them from the nations to
accomplish important purposes. This
is evidently the sense of the word
in the passage before us. It means
to make a selection or choice with
the idea cf favour or love, and
with a view to impart important

21

benefits on those whom he chose.
The idea of making some distinc
tion between them and others, is es
sential to a correct understanding of
the passage — since there can be no
choice where no such distinction is
made. He who chooses one out of
many things makes a difference, or
evinces a preference — no matter
what the ground or reason of his
doing it may be. Whether this re
fers to communities and nations, or
to individuals, still it is true that a
distinction is made, or a preference
given of one over another. It may
be added, that so far as justice is
concerned, it makes no difference
whether it refers to nations or to in
dividuals. If there is injustice in
choosing an individual to favour,
there cannot be less in choosing a
nation — for a nation is nothing but
a collection of individuals. Every
objection which has ever been made
to the doctrine of election as it re
lates to individuals, will apply with
equal force to the choice of a nation
to peculiar privileges. If a distinc
tion is made, it may be made with
as much propriety in respect to indi
viduals as to nations. IT In him.
In Christ. The choice was not with
out reference to any means of saving
them; it was not a mere purpose to
bring a certain number to heaven; it
was with reference to the mediation
of the Redeemer, and his work. It
was a purpose that they should be
saved by him, and share the benefits
of the atonement The whole choice
and purpose of salvation had refer
ence to him, and out of him no one
was chosen to life, and no one out
of him will be saved. T Before
the foundation of the world. This
is a very important phrase in deter
mining the time when the choice
was made. It was not an after
thought. It was not commenced in
time. The purpose was far back in
the ages of eternity. But what is
the meaning of the phrase " before

23

EPHESIANS,

[A. D. 64.

•he foundation of the world)" Dr.
Clarke supposes that it means " from
the commencement of the religious
system of the Jews, which," says
he, 't the phrase sometimes means."
Such principles of interpretation are
they compelled to resort to who en
deavour to show that this refers to a
national election to privileges, and
who deny that it refers to individuals.
On such principles the Bible may
be made to signify any thing and
every thing. Dr. Chandler, who
also supposes that it refers to na
tions, admits, however, that the
word "foundation" means the be
ginning of any thing ; and that the
phrase here means, "before the
world began." There is scarcely
any phrase in the New Testament
which is more clear in its significa
tion than this. The word rendered
" foundation" — *ara/JoXi7 — means pro
perly a laying down, a founding, a
foundation — as where the foundation
of a building is laid — and the phrase
"before the foundation of the world"
clearly means before the world was
made, or before the work of creation.
See Matt xiii. 35;xxv. 34. Lukexi.
50. Heb. ix. 26. Rev. xiii. 8, in all
which places the phrase "the foun
dation of the world" means the he-
ginning of human affairs ; the be
ginning of the world; the beginning
of history, &c. Thus in John xvii.
24, the Lord Jesus says, "thou
lovedst me before the foundation of
the world," i. e. from eternity, or
before the work of creation com
menced. Thus Peter says (1 Epis.
i. 20) of the Saviour, " who verily
was fore-ordained before the founda
tion of the world." It was the pur
pose of God before the worlds were
made, to send him to save lost men.
Comp. Rev. xvii. 8. Nothing can
be clearer than that the phrase be
fore us must refer to a purpose that
was formed before the world was
made. It is not a temporary ar
rangement; it has not grown up

under the influence of vacillating
purposes; it is not a plan newly
formed, or changed with each com
ing generation, or variable like the
plans of men. It has all the import
ance, dignity, and assurances of sta
bility which necessarily result from
a purpose that has been eternal in
the mind of God. It may be ob
served here, (1.) that if the plan
was formed "before the foundation
of the world," all objections to the
doctrine of an eternal plan are re
moved. If the plan was formed be
fore the world, no matter whether
a moment, an hour, a year, or mil
lions of years, the plan is equally
fixed, and the event equally neces
sary. All the objections which will
lie against an eternal plan, will lie
against a plan formed a day or an
hour before the event The one
interferes with our freedom of
action as much as the other. (2.)
If the plan was formed "before
the foundation of the world," it was
eternal. God has no new plan.
He forms no new schemes. He is
not changing and vacillating. It
we can ascertain what is the plan
of God at any time, we can ascer
tain what his eternal plan was with
reference to the event It has al
ways been the same — for " he is of
one mind, and who can turn him )"
Job xxiii. 13. In reference to the
plans and purposes of the Most High,
there is nothing better settled than
that WHAT HE ACTUALLY DOES, HE
always meant to do — which isthe
doctrine of eternal decrees — and the
whole of it. 1" That we should be
holy. Paul proceeds to state the
object for which God had chosen his
people. It is not merely that they
should enter into heaven. It is not
that they may live in sin. It is not
that they may flatter themselves
that they are safe, and then live as
they please. The tendency among
men has always been to abuse the
doctrine of predestination and "elec-

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER I.

23

5 Having predestinated • us
unto the adoption * of children by
a Ro. a 29, 30. 4 Jno. 1. 13.

Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure ' of his will,
e I.u. 12. 32.

tion ; to lead men to say that if all
things are fixed there is no need of
effort; that if God has an eternal
plan, no matter how men live, they
will be saved if he has elected them,
and that at all events they cannot
change that plan, and they may as
well enjoy life by indulgence in sin.
The apostle Paul held no such view
of the doctrine of predestination. In
his apprehension it is a doctrine
fitted to excite the gratitude of
Christians, and the whole tendency
and desigc of the doctrine, accord
ing to him, is to make men holy,
and without blame before God in
love. IT And without blame before
him in love. The expression "in
love," is probably to be taken in
connection with the following verse,
and should be rendered lIn love,
having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children.' It is all to
be traced to the love of God. (1.) It
was love for us which prompted to
it (2.) It is the highest expression
of love to be ordained to eternal
life — for what higher love could
God show us) (3.) It is love on
his part, because we had no claim to
it, and had not deserved*it If this
be the correct view, then the doc
trine of predestination is not incon
sistent with the highest moral excel
lence in the divine character, and
should never be represented as the
offspring of partiality and injustice.
Then too we should give thanks that
" God has, in love, predestinated us
to the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ, according to the good plea
sure of his will."
5. Having predestinated us. On
the meaning of the word here used,
see Notes on Rom. i. 4; viii. 29.
The word used (*poopf{w) means pro
perly to set bounds before ; and then

to pre-determine. There is the es
sential idea of setting bounds or
limits, and of doing this beforehand.
It is not that God determined to do
it when it was actually done, but
that he intended to do it beforehand.
No language could express this
more clearly, and I suppose this in
terpretation is generally admitted.
Even by those who deny the doctrine
of particular election, it is not de
nied that the word here used means
to pre-determine; and they maintain
that the sense is, that God had pre
determined to admit the Gentiles to
the privileges of his people. Ad
mitting then that the meaning is to
predestinate in the proper sense, the
only question is, who are predesti
nated) To whom does the expres
sion apply ) Is it to nations, or to
individuals ) In reply to this, in ad
dition to the remarks already made,
I would observe, (1.) that there is
no specification of nations here as
such, no mention of the Gentiles in
contradistinction from the Jews. (2.)
those referred to were those included
in the word " us," among whom
Paul was one — but Paul was not a
heathen. (3.) The same objection
will lie against the doctrine of pre
destinating nations which will lie
against predestinating individuals.
(4) Nations are made up of indi
viduals, and the pre-determination
must have had some reference to in
dividuals. What is a nation but a
collection of individuals) There is
no such abstract being or thing
as a nation; and if there was
any purpose in regard to a nation,
it must have hod some reference
to the individuals composing it
He that would act on the ocean,
must act on the drops of water that
make up the ocean ; for besides the

24

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

collection of drops of water there is
no ocean. He that would remove
a mountain, must act on the par
ticles of matter that compose that
mountain ; for there is no such thing
as an abstract mountain. Perhaps
there was never a greater illusion
than to suppose that all difficulty is
removed in regard to the doctrine of
election and predestination, by say
ing that it refers to nations. What
difficulty is lessened] What is
gained by it) How does it make
God appear more amiable and good)
Does it render him less partial to
suppose that he has made a differ
ence among nations, than to sup
pose he has made a difference among
individuals) Does it remove any
difficulty about the offer of salvation,
to suppose that he has granted the
knowledge of his truth to some na
tions, and withheld it from others)
The truth is, that all the reasoning
which has been founded on this sup
position, has been merely throwing
dust in the eyes. If there is any
well-founded objection to the doc
trine of decrees or predestination,
it is to the doctrine at all, alike in
regard to nations and individuals,
and there are just the same difficul
ties in the one case as in the other.
But there is no real difficulty in
either. Who could worship or
honour a God who had no plan, or
purpose, or intention in what he
did) Who can believe that the
universe was formed and is govern
ed without design) Who can doubt
that what God does he always meant
to do) When, therefore, he con
verts and saves a soul, it is clear
that he always intended to do it
He has no new plan. It is not an
after-thought It is not the work
of chance. If I can find out any
thing that God has done, I have the
most certain conviction that he al
ways meant to do it — and this is all
that is intended by the doctrine of
election or predestination. What

God does, he always meant to do.
What he permits, he always meant
to permit. I may add further, that
if it is right to do it, it was right to
intend to do it. If there is no in
justice or partiality in the act itself,
there is no injustice or partiality in
the intention to perform it. If it ia
right to save a soul, it was always :
right to intend to save it. If it is
right to condemn a sinner to wo, it
was right to intend to do it. Let us
then look at the thing itself, and if
that is not wrong, we should not
blame the purpose to do it, however
long it has been cherished. IT Unto
the adoption, &c. See Notes, John
i. 12. Rom. viii. 15. IT According
to the good pleasure of his will.
The word rendered " good pleasure"
— (ivSonia) — means a being well
pleased; delight in any tiling,
favour, good-will. Luke ii. 14. Phil.
i. 15. Comp. Luke xii. 32. Then
it denotes purpose, or will, the idea
of benevolence being included.
Robinson. Rosenmiiller renders the
phrase, "from his most benignant
decree." The evident object of the
apostle is to state why God chose
the heirs of salvation. It was done
as it seemed good to him in the cir
cumstances of the case. It was not
that man had any control over him,
or that maji was consulted in the
determination, or that it was based
on the good works of man, real or
foreseen. But we are not to sup
pose that there were no good rea
sons for what he has thus done.
Convicts are frequently pardoned by
an executive. He does it accord
ing to his own will, or as seems good
in his sight He is to be the judge,
and no one has a right to control him
in doing it It may seem to be entirely
arbitrary. The executive may not
have communicated the reasons why
he did it, either to those who are par
doned, or to the other prisoners, or
to any one else. But we are not to
infer that there was no reason for

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
6 To the praise * of the glory
of his grace, wherein he hath
a 1 Pe. 2. 9.

25

doing it If he is a wise magistrate,
and worthy of his station, it is to be
presumed that there were reasons
which, if known, would be satisfac
tory to all. But those reasons he is
under no obligations to make known.
Indeed, it might be improper that
they should be known. Of that he
is the best judge. Meantime, how
ever, we may see what would be
the effect in those who were not
forgiven. It would excite, very
likely, their hatred, and they would
charge him with partiality or with
tyranny. But they should remem
ber that whoever might be pardon
ed, and on whatever ground it might
be done, they could not complain.
They would suffer no more than
they deserve. But what i£ when
the act of pardon was made known
to one part, it was offered to the
others also on certain plain and easy
conditions ) Suppose it should ap
pear that while the executive meant,
for wise but concealed reasons, to
forgive a part, he had also deter
mined to offer forgiveness to all.
And suppose that they were in fact
disposed in the highest degree to
neglect it, and that no inducements
or arguments could prevail on them
to accept of it Who then could
blame the executive } Now this is
about the case in regard to God, and
the doctrine of election. All men
were guilty and condemned. For
wise reasons, which God has not
communicated to us, he determined
to bring a portion at least of the hu
man race to salvation. This he did
not intend to leave to chance and
hap-hazard. He saw that all would
of themselves reject the offer, and
that unless some efficient means
were used, the blood of the atone
ment would be shed in vain. He

made us accepted* in the Be
loved : »ire.2. s.

did not make known to men who they
were that he meant to save, nor the
reason why they particularly were
to be brought to heaven. Meantime
he meant to make the offer univer
sal ; to make the terms as easy as
possible, and thus to take away every
ground of complaint If men will
not accept of pardon ; if they pre
fer their sins; if nothing can induce
them to come and be saved, why
should they complain) If the doors
of a prison are open, and the chains
of the prisoners are knocked offj and
they will not come out, why should
they complain that others are in
feet willing to come out and be
saved) Let it be borne in mind
that the purposes of God correspond
exactly to facts as they actually oc
cur, and much of the difficulty is
taken away. If in the facts there
is no just ground of complaint, there
can be none, because it was the
intention of God that the facts
should be so.
6. To the praise of the glory of
his grace. This is a Hebraism, and
means the same as " to his glorious
grace." The object was to excite
thanksgiving for his glorious grace
manifested in electing love. The
real tendency of the doctrine in
minds that are properly affected, is
not to excite opposition to God, or to
lead to the charge of partiality,
tyranny, or severity; it is to excite
thankfulness and praise. In accord
ance with this, Paul introduced the
statement (ver. 3) by saying that
God was to be regarded as "bless
ed" fof forming and executing
this plan. The meaning is, that
the doctrine of predestination and
election lays the foundation of ador
ing gratitude and praise. This will
appear plain by a few considerations.

26

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

7 In whom " we have redemp-
a He. 9. 12 ; 1 Pe. 1. 18, 19.

(1.) It is the only foundation of hope
for man. If he were left to himself,
all the race would reject the offers
of mercy and would perish. History,
experience, and the Bible alike de
monstrate this. (2.) All the joys
which any of the human race have,
are to be traced to the purpose of
God to bestow them. Man has no
power of originating any of them,
and if God had not intended to con
fer them, none of them would have
been possessed. (3.) All these fa
vours are conferred on those who
had no claim on God. The Chris-
tain who is pardoned had no claim
on God for pardon ; he who is ad
mitted to heaven could urge no
claim for such a privilege and
honour ; he who enjoys comfort and
peace in the hour of death, enjoys
it only through the glorious grace
of God. (4.) All that is done by
election is fitted to excite praise.
Election is to life, and pardon, and
holiness, and heaven. But why
should not a man praise God for these
things) God chooses men to be holy,
not sinful; to be happy, not misera
ble ; to be pure, not impure ; to be
saved, not to be lost. For these
things he should be praised. He
should be praised that he has not
left the whole race to wander away
and die. Had he chosen but one to
eternal life, that one should praise
him, and all the holy universe should
join in the praise. Should he now
see it to be consistent to choose but
one of the fallen spirits, and to make
him pure, and to readmit him to
heaven, that one spirit would have
occasion for eternal thanks, and all
heaven might join in his praises.
How much more is praise due to
him, when the number chosen is not
onr, or a few, but when millions
which no man can number, shall be
found to be chosen to life. Rev. vii.

tion through his blood, the forgive-

9. (5.) The doctrine of predestina
tion to life has added no pang of
sorrow to any one of the human
race. It has made millions happy
who would not otherwise have been,
but not one miserable. It is not 8
choice to sorrow, it is a choice to
joy and peace. (6.) No one has
a right to complain of it. Those
who are chosen assuredly ehould
not complain of the grace which has
made them what they are, and which
is the foundation of all their hopes.
And they who are not chosen, have
no right to complain ; for (a) they
have no claim to life. (6) They are
in fact unwilling to come. They
have no desire to be Christians and
to be saved. Nothing can induce
them to forsake their sins and come
to the Saviour. Why then should
they complain if others are in fact
willing to be saved ) Why should
a man complain for being left to take
his own course, and to walk in his
own way) Mysterious, therefore,
as is the doctrine of predestination ;
and fearful and inscrutable as it is
in some of its aspects, yet, in a just
view of it, it is fitted to excite the
highest expressions of thanksgiving,
and to exalt God in the apprehen
sion of man. He who has been re
deemed and saved by the love of
God ; who has been pardoned and
made pure by mercy ; on whom "the
eye of compassion has been tenderly
fixed, and for whom the Son of God
has died, has abundant cause for
thanksgiving and praise. 1 Where
in he hath made us accepted.
Has regarded us as the objects of
favour and complacency. IT In the
Beloved. In the Lord Jesus Christ,
the well-beloved Son of God. Notes,
Matt iii, 17. He has chosen us in
him, and it is through him that these
mercies have been conferred on us.
1 7. In whom we have redemption,

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER 1.

27

ness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace ;
8 Wherein he hath abounded
On the meaning of the word here
rendered redemption — (aroXOrpunt)
— See Notes on Rom. iii. 24. The
word here, as there, denotes that de
liverance from sin and from the evil
consequences of sin, which has been
procured by the atonement made by
the Lord Jesus Christ This verse
is one of the passages which prove
conclusively that the apostle here
does not refer to nations and to na
tional privileges. Of what nation
could it be said that it had "re
demption through the blood of Je
sus, even the forgiveness of sins )"
IT Through his blood. By means of
the atonement which he has made.
See this phrase fully explained in
the Notes on Rom. iii. 25. If The
forgiveness of sins. We obtain
through his blood, or through the
atonement which he has made, the
forgiveness of sins. We are not to
suppose that this is all the benefit
which we receive from his death, or
that this is all that constitutes re
demption. It is the main, and per
haps the most important thing. But
we also obtain the hope of heaven,
the influences of the Holy Spirit,
grace to guide us and to support us
in trial, peace in death, and perhaps
many more benefits. Still forgive
ness is so prominent and important,
that the apostle has mentioned that
as if it were all. ^ According to
the riches of his grace. According
to his rich grace. See a similar
phrase explamed in the Notes on
Rom. ii. 4. The word riches, in
the form in which it is used here,
occurs also in several other places
in this epistle. Ch. i. 18 ; ii. 7 ; iii.
S. 16. It is what Paley {Hora.
Paul.) calls "a cant phrase," and
occurs often in the writings of Paul.
See Rom. ii. 4 ; ix. 23 ; xi. 12. 33.
PhiL iv 19. Col. i. 27; ii. 2. It

toward us in all wisdom and pru
dence ;
9 Having made known unto

is not found in any of the other
writings of the New Testament,
except once in a sense somewhat
similar, in James (ii. 5), " Hath not
God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith," and Dr. Paley from
this feet has constructed an argu
ment to prove that this epistle was
written by Paul. It is peculiar to
him, and marks his style in a. man
ner which cannot be mistaken. An
impostor, or a forger of the epistle,
would not have thought of intro
ducing it, and yet it is just such a
phrase as would naturally be used
by Paul.
8. Wherein he hath abounded.
Which he has liberally manifested
to us. This grace has not been
stinted and confined, but has been
liberal and abundant If In all wis.
dom. That is, he has evinced great
wisdom in the plan of salvation ;
wisdom in so saving men as to se
cure the honour of his own law, and
in devising a scheme that was emi
nently adapted to save men. Set
Notes on 1 Cor. i. 24. ^ And pru
dence. The word here used (0f>oi>ij»if)
means understanding, thinking, pru
dence. The meaning here is, that,
so to speak, God had evinced great
intelligence in the plan of salvation.
There was ample proof of mind and
of thought. It was adapted to the
end in view. It was fer-seeing;
skilfully arranged; and carefully
formed. The sense of the whole is,
that there was a wise design run
ning through the whole plan, and
abounding in it in an eminent de
gree. 9. Having made known to us the
mystery of his will. The word
mystery (jivarijptov) means literally
something into which one must be
initiated before it is fully known
(from ;¦»&>. to initiate, to instruct) ;

28

EPHESIANS.

[AD. 64

us the mystery of his will, ac
cording to his good pleasure which
he hath" purposed in himself:

<j2Ti. 1.9.

and then any thing which is con
cealed or hidden. We commonly
use the word to denote that which
is above our comprehension or unin
telligible. But this is never the
meaning of the word in the New
Testament It means there some doc
trine or fact which has been con
cealed, or which has not before been
fully revealed, or which has been
set forth only by figures and sym
bols. When the doctrine is made
known, it may be as clear and plain
as any other. Such was the doc
trine that God meant to call the
Gentiles, which was long concealed,
at least in part, and which was not
fully made known until the Saviour
came, and which had been till that
time a mystery — a concealed truth
— though when it was revealed, there
was nothing incomprehensible in it
Thus in Col. i. 26, "The mystery
which hath been hid from ages and
from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints." So it was
in regard to the doctrine of election.
It was a mystery until it was made
known by the actual conversion of
those whom God had chosen. So in
regard to the incarnation of the Re
deemer ; the atonement ; the whole
plan of salvation. Over all these
great points there was a veil thrown,
and men did not understand them
until God revealed them. When
they were revealed, the mystery
was removed, and men were able to
see clearly the manifestation of the
will of God. If Which he hath pur
posed in himself. Without foreign
aid or counsel. His purposes origi
nated in his own mind, and were
concealed until he chose to make
them known. See 2 Tim. i. 9.
10. That in the dispensation.

10 That in the dispensation of
the fulness of times, he might ga-
ther together in one all things in

The word here rendered ' dispensa
tion,' ohovoiiia, means properly the
management of household affairs.
Then it means stewardship or ad
ministration ; a dispensation or ar
rangement of things : a scheme or
plan. The meaning here is, that
this plan was formed in order {ch)
or unto this end, that in the full ar
rangement of times, or in the ar
rangements completing the filling
up of the times, God might gather
together in one all things. Tindal
renders it, "to have it declared
when the time was full come," &c.
If The fulness of times. When
the times were fully completed;
when all the periods should have
passed by which he had prescribed,
or judged necessary to the comple
tion of the object The period re
ferred to here is that when all
things shall be gathered together in
the Redeemer at the winding up of
human affairs, or the consummation
of all things. The arrangement
was made with reference to that,
and embraced all things which con
duced to that The plan stretched
from before 'the foundation of the
world' to the period when all times
should be completed ; and of course
all the events occurring in that in
termediate period were embraced in
the plan. «f He might gather to
gether in one. The word here used
— avaKapa\ai6ui— means literally, to
sum up, to recapitulate, as an orator
does at the close of his discourse. It
is from m^ay^, the head; or kl^oXiuov,
the sum, the chief thing, the main
point. In the New Testament, the
word means to collect under one
head, or to comprehend several
things under one. Rom. xiii. 9.
"It is briefly comprehended, L e.

A D. 64.] CHAPTER L
Christ, both which are in ' heaven
1 the heavens.

summed up under this one precept,"
sc., love. In the passage before us,
it means that God would sum up, or
comprehend all things in heaven
and earth through the Christian dis
pensation ; he would make one em
pire, under one head, with common
feelings, and under the same laws.
The reference is to the unity which
will hereafter exist in the kingdom
of God, when all his friends on earth
and in heaven shall be united, and
all shall have a common head. Now
there is alienation. The earth has
been separated from other worlds by
rebellion. It has gone off into apos
tasy and sin. It refuses to acknow
ledge the Great Head to which other
worlds are subject, and the object is
to restore it to its proper place, so
that there shall be one great and
united kingdom. If All things, ri
wavri. It is remarkable that Paul
has here used a word which is in
the neuter gender. It is not all per
sons, all angels, or all men, or all
the elect, but all things. Bloom-
field and others suppose that persons
are meant, and that the phrase is
used for rob; v&vtcs. But it seems to
me that Paul did not use this word
without design. All things are
placed under Christ, (ver. 22. Matt
xxviii. 18,) and the design of God
is to restore harmony in the universe.
Sin has produced disorder not only
in mind, but in matter. The world
is disarranged. The effects of trans
gression are seen everywhere ; and
the object of the plan of redemp
tion is to put things on their pris
tine footing, and restore them as
they were at first. Every thing is,
therefore, put under the Lord Jesus,
and all things are to he brought
under his control, so as to constitute
one vast harmonious empire. The
amount of the declaration here is,
that there is hereafter to be one
3*

2s>
and which are on earth : even in
him,

kingdom, in which there shall be no
jar or alienation; that the now
separated kingdoms of heaven and
earth shall be united under one head,
and that henceforward all shall be
harmony and love. The things
which are to be united in Christ,
are those which are " in heaven and
which are on earth." Nothing is
said of hell. Of course this passage
cannot teach the doctrine of univer
sal salvation, since there is one
world which is not to have a part in
this ultimate union. If In Christ.
By means of Christ, or under him,
as the great head and king. He is
to be the great agent in effecting
this, and he is to preside over this
united kingdom. In accordance with
this view the heavenly inhabitants,
the angels as well as the redeemed,
are uniformly represented as uniting
in the same worship, and as acknow
ledging the Redeemer as their com
mon head and king. Rev. v. 9, 10,
11, 12. ^f Both which are in heaven.
Marg. as in Gr., in the heavens.
Many different opinions have been
formed of the meaning of this ex
pression. Some suppose it to mean
the saints in heaven, who died be
fore the coming of the Saviour ; and
some that it refers to the Jews, de
signated as the heavenly people, in
contradistinction from the Gentiles,
as having nothing divine and heaven
ly in them, and as being of the earth.
The more simple and obvious inter
pretation is, however, without doubt,
the correct one, and this is to sup
pose that it refers to the holy inha
bitants of other worlds. The object
of the plan of salvation is to pre*
duce a harmony between them an(J
the redeemed on earth, or to produce
out of all, one great and united,
kingdom. In doing this, it is not
necessary to suppose that any change
is to be produced in the inhabitants!

80

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

11 In whom also we have ob-

of heaven. All the change is to oc
cur among those on earth, and the
object is to make out of all, one
harmonious and glorious empire.
% And which are on earth. The re
deemed on earth. The object is to
bring them into harmony with the
inhabitants of heaven. This is the
great object proposed by the plan
of salvation. It is to found one
glorious and eternal kingdom, that
shall comprehend all holy beings on
earth and all in heaven. There is
now discord and disunion. Man is
separated from God, and from all
holy beings. Between him and every
holy being there is by nature dis
cord and alienation. Unrenewed
man has no sympathy with the feel
ings and work of the angels; no
love for their employment ; no desire
to be associated with them. No
thing can be more unlike than the
customs, feelings, laws, and habits
which prevail on earth, from those
which prevail in heaven. But the
object of the plan of salvation is to
restore harmony to those alienated
communities, and produce eternal
concord and love. Learn hence,
(1.) The greatness and glory of the
plan of salvation. It is no trifling
undertaking to reconcile worlds, and
of such discordant materials to found
one great and glorious and eternal
empire. (2.) The reason of the in
terest which angels feel in the plan
of redemption. 1 Peter i. 12. They
are deeply concerned in the redemp
tion of those who, with them, are to
constitute that great kingdom which
is to be eternal. Without envy at
the happiness of others ; without any
feeling that the accession of others
will diminish their felicity or glory,
they wait to hail the coming of
others, and rejoice to receive even
one who comes to be united
«p their number, (3.) This plan

tained an inheritance, * being pre-

a Ac. 20. 32.

was worthy of the efforts of the Son
of God. To restore harmony in
heaven and earth; to prevent the
evils of alienation and discord ; to
rear one immense and glorious king
dom, was an object worthy the in
carnation of the Son of God. (4.)
The glory of the Redeemer. He is
to be exalted as the Head of this
united and ever-glorious kingdom,
and all the redeemed on earth and
the angelic hosts shall acknowledge
him as their common Sovereign and
Head. (5.) This is the greatest and
most important enterprise on earth.
It should engage every heart, and
enlist the powers of every soul. It
should be the earnest desire of all to
swell the numbers of those who shall
constitute this united and ever-glo
rious kingdom, and to bring as many
as possible of the human race into
union with the holy inhabitants of
the other world.
11. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance. We who are Chris
tians. Most commentators suppose
that by the word " we" the Jews
particularly are intended, and that
it stands in contradistinction from
" ye," as referring to the Gentiles,
in ver. 13. This construction, they
suppose, is demanded by the nature
of the passage. The meaning may
then be, that the Jews who were
believers had first obtained a part
in the plan of redemption, as the
offer was first made to them, and
then that the same favour was con
ferred also on the Gentiles. Or
it may refer to those who had
been first converted, without par
ticular reference to the fact that
they were Jews; and the refer
ence may be to the apostle and
his fellow-labourers. This seems
to me to be the correct inter-
pretaUon ' We the ministers of
religion first believed, and have

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
destinated according to the pur
pose of him who worketh all
obtained an inheritance in the hopes
of Christians, that we should be to
the praise of God's glory ; and you
also, after hearing the word of
truth, believed.' Ver. 13. The word
which is rendered "obtained our
inheritance" — hXijjnSu — means lite
rally to acquire by lot, and then to
obtain, to receive. Here it means
that they had received the fevour
of being to the praise of his glory
for having first trusted in the Lord
Jesus. If Being predestinated. Ver.
5. If According to the purpose.
On the meaning of the word pur
pose, see Notes, Rom. viii. 28.
^f Of him who worketh all things. Of
God, the universal agent The af
firmation here is not merely that God
accomplishes the designs of salvation
according to the counsel of his own
will, but that he does everything.
His agency is not confined to one
thing, or to one class of objects.
Every object and event is under his
control, and is in accordance with
his eternal plan. The word rendered
worketh — ivtpyia — means to work, to
be active, to produce. Eph. i. 20.
Gal ii. 8. Phil. ii. 13. A univer
sal agency is ascribed to him.
" The same God which worketh all
in all." 1 Cor. xii. 6. He has an
agency in causing the emotions of our
hearts. " God, who worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good
pleasure." Phil. ii. 13. He has an
agency in distributing to men their
various allotments and endowments.
"All these worketh that one and the
self-same Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will." 1 Cor.
xii. 11. The agency of God is seen
everywhere. Every leaf, flower,
rose-bud, spire of grass; every sun
beam, and every flash of lightning ;
every cataract and every torrent, all
ieclare his agency ; and there is not
an object that we see that does not

31

things after the counsel of his own
will ;

bespeak the control of an All-present
God. It would be impossible to affirm
more explicitly that God's agency is
universal, than Paul does in the
passage before us. He does not at
tempt to prove it. It is one of those
points on which he does not deem it
necessary to pause and reason, but
which may be regarded as a con
ceded point in the discussion of other
topics, and which may be employed
without hesitation in their illustra
tion. Paul does not state the mode
in which this is done. He affirms
merely the fact. He does not say
that he compels men, or that he
overbears them by mere physical
force. His agency he affirms to be
universal; but it is undoubtedly in
accordance with the nature of the
object, and with the laws which he
has impressed on them. His agency
in the work of creation was absolute
and entire ; for there was nothing to
act on, and no established laws to be
observed. Over the mineral kingdom
his control must also be entire, yet in
accordance with the laws which he
has impressed on matter. The crys
tal and the snow are formed by his
agency ; but it is in accordance with
the laws which he has been pleased
to appoint. So in the vegetable
world his agency is everywhere
seen ; but the lily and the rose bios-1
som in accordance with uniform
laws, and not in an arbitrary manner.
So in the animal kingdom. God
gives sensibility to the nerve, and
excitability and power to the mus
cle. He causes the lungs to heave,
and the arteries and veins to bear
the blood along the channels of life ;
but it is not in an arbitrary manner.
It is in accordance with the laws
which he has ordained and he never
disregards in his agency over these
kingdoms. So in his government af
mind. He "works" everywhere.

32

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

12 That we should be to the

But he does it in accordance with
the laws of mind. His agency is
not exactly of the same kind on the
rose-bud that it is on the diamond,
nor on the nerve that it is on the
rose-bud, nor on the heart and will
that it is on the nerve. In all these
things he consults the laws which
he has impressed on them ; and as
he chooses that the nerve should be
affected in accordance with its laws
and properties, so it is with mind.
God does not violate its laws. Mind
is free. It is influenced by truth
and motives. It has a sense of right
and wrong. And there is no more
reason to suppose that God disre
gards these laws of mind in control
ling the intellect and the heart, than
there is that he disregards the laws
of crystallization in the formation
of the ice, or of gravitation in the
movements of the heavenly bodies.
The general doctrine is, that God
works in all things, and controls all ;
but that his agency everywhere is in
accordance with the laws and nature
of that part of his kingdom where
it is exerted. By this simple prin
ciple we may secure the two great
points which it is desirable to secure
on this subject, (1.) the doctrine of
the universal agency of God; and
(2.) the doctrine of the freedom and
responsibility of man. If After the
counsel of his own will. Not by
consulting his creatures, or conform
ing to their views, but by his own
views of what is proper and right.
We are not to suppose that this is
by mere will, as if it were arbitrary,
or that he determines anything with
out good reason. The meaning is,
that his purpose is determined by
what he views to be right, and with
out consulting his creatures or con
forming to their views. His dealings
often seem to us to be arbitrary.

praise of his glory who first
trusted in Christ.

» or, hoped.

We are incapable of perceiving the
reasons of what he does. He makes
those his friends who we should
have supposed would have been the
last to have become Christians. He
leaves those who seem to us to ba
on the borders of the kingdom, and
they remain unmoved and unaffect
ed. But we are not thence to
suppose that he is arbitrary. In
every instance, we are to believe
that there is a good reason for what
he does, and one which we may be
permitted yet to see, and in which
we shall wholly acquiesce. The
phrase " counsel of his own will" is
remarkable. It is designed to ex
press in the strongest manner the
fact that it is not by human counsel
or advice. The word "counsel"—
Pov\/j — means a council or senate;
then a determination, purpose, or de
cree. See Rob. Lex. Here it means
that his determination was formed
by his own will, and not by human
reasoning. Still, his will in the case
may not have been arbitrary. When
it is said of man that he forms his
own purposes, and acts according to
his own will, we are not to infet
that he acts without reason. He
may have the highest and best rea
sons for what he does, but he does
not choose to make them known to
others, or to consult others. So it
may be of God, and so we should
presume it to be. It may be added,
that we ought to have such confi
dence in him as to believe that he
will do all things well. The best
possible evidence that anything ia
done in perfect wisdom and goodness,
is the fact that God does it When
we have ascertained that, we should
be satisfied that all is right
12. That we should be to the
praise of his glory. Should be the
occasion or the means cf celebrating

A. D. 64.J

CHAPTER I.

sa

13 In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard ¦ the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation :

a Ro. 10. 17.

his glory ; or that praise should be
ascribed to him as the result of our
salvation. If Who first trusted in
Chi ist. Marg., hoped. This is in
accordance with the original. The
foundation of their hope was the
Saviour. Some suppose that the
apostle here refers to the Jews who
were converted before the gospel
was preached extensively to the
Gentiles. The reason for this opi
nion is, that in the following verse
he contrasts those to whom he here
refers with others whom he was ad
dressing. But it may be that by the
word "we" in vs. 11, 12, he refers
to himself and to his fellow-labourers
who had first hoped in the Saviour,
and had then gone and proclaimed
the message to others. See Notes
on ver. 11. They first believed, and
then preached to others; and they
also believed, and became partakers
of the same privileges.
13. In whom ye also trusted. This
stands in contrast with those who
had first embraced the gospel. —
If Heard the word of truth. The gos
pel ; called the word or message of
truth, the word of God, &c. See
Rom. x. 17. The phrase ' the word
of truth' means ' the true word or
message.' It was a message un
mixed with Jewish traditions or Gen
tile philosophy. % The gospel of
your salvation. The gospel bringing
salvation to you. % In whom also.
In the Lord Jesus. A little different
translation of this verse will convey
more clearly its meaning. ' In whom
also, ye, having heard the word of
truth (the gospel of your salvation),
in whom having also believed, ye
were sealed,' &c. The sealing was
the result of believing, and that was
the result of hearing the gospel.
Comp. Rom. x. 14 15. If Ye were

in whom also, after that ye be
lieved, ye were sealed * with that
holy Spirit of promise,

4 2 Co. 1. 22.

sealed. On the meaning of the word
seal, see Notes on John iii. 33 ; vi.
27. On the phrase 'ye were sealed,'
see Notes on 2 Cor. i. 22. f With
that holy Spirit of promise. With
the Holy Spirit that was promised.
See John xvi. 7 — 11. 13; xv.26; xiv.
] 6, 17. It is not improbable, I think,
that the apostle here refers particu
larly to the occurrence of which we
have a record in Acts xix. 1 — 6.
Paul, it is there said, having passed
through the upper provinces of Asia
Minor, came to Ephesus. He found
certain persons who were the disci
ples of John, and he asked them if
they had received the Holy Ghost
since they " believed," ver. 2. They
replied that they had not heard whe
ther there was any Holy Ghost, and
that they had been baptized unto
John's baptism. Paul taught them
the true nature of the baptism of
John ; explained to them the chris
tian system; and they were bap
tized in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and "the Holy Ghost came upon
them, and they spake with tongues,
and prophesied." They were thus
sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise,
'after they had believed' (Eph. i.
13) ; they had the full evidence of
the favour of God in the descent of
the promised Holy Spirit, and in his
miraculous influences. If this be
the true interpretation, it constitutes
a striking coincidence between the
epistle and the Acts, of such a na
ture as constitute the arguments in
Paley's Horce Paulina (though he
has not referred to this), which
shows that the epistle was not
forged. The circumstance is such
that it would not have been alluded
to in this manner by one who should
forge the epistle ; and the mention
of it ia the epistle is so slight, that

34

EPHESIANS.

LA. D 64

14 Which is the earnest ° of
our inheritahce, until the redemp
tion h of the purchased ' posses
sion, unto the * praise of his glory.

a 2 Co. 5. 5.
e Ac. 20. 28.

4 Ro. 8. 23.
d ver. 6, 12.

no one, from the account there,
would think of forging the account
in the Acts. The coincidence is
just such as would occur on the
supposition that the transaction ac
tually occurred, and that both the
Acts and the epistle are genuine.
At the same time, there is a sealing
of the Holy Spirit which is common
to all Christians. See the Notes
referred to on 2 Cor. i. 22.
14. Which is the earnest of our
inheritance. On the meaning of
this, see Notes on 2 Cor. i. 22.
If Until the redemption. See Notes
on Rom. viii. 23. The meaning here
is, we have the Holy Spirit as the
pledge that that shall be ours, and
the Holy Spirit will be imparted to
us until we enter on that inherits
ance. If Of the purchased posses
sion. Heaven, purchased for us by
the death of the Redeemer. The
word here used — ffr|>;™v« — occurs
in the following places in the New
Testament : 1 Thess. v. 9, rendered
"to obtain salvation;" 2 Thess. ii.
14, "to the obtaining of the glory
of the Lord;" Heb. x. 39, "to the
saving of the soul ;" 1 Pet. ii. 9,
"a peculiar people;" literally, a
people of acquirement to himself;
and in the passage before us. It
properly means, an acquisition, an
obtaining, a laying up. Here it
means, the complete deliverance
from sin, and the eternal salvation
acquired for us by Christ. The in
fluence of the Holy Spirit, renewing
and sanctifying us, comforting us in
trials, and sustaining us in afflictions,
is the pledge that the redemption is
vet to be wholly ours. If Unto the
praise of his glory. See ver. 6.

15 Wherefore I also, after I
heard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in
my prayers ;
15. Wherefore I also, after I
heard of your faith in the Lord
Jesus. This is one of the passages
usually relied on by those who sup
pose that this epistle was not written
to the Ephesians. The argument
is, that he writes to them as if they
were strangers to him, and that it is
not language such as would be used
in addressing a people among whom
he had spent three years. See the
Intro. { 5. But this inference is not
conclusive. Paul had been some
years absent from Ephesus when
this epistle was written. In the dif-
ficult communication in those times
between distant places, it is not to
be supposed that he would hear often
from them. Perhaps he had heard
nothing after the time when he bade
farewell to the elders of Ephesus at
Miletus (Acts xx.), until the time
here referred to. It would be, there
fore, a matter of great interest with
him to hear from them ; and when
in some way intelligence was brought
to him at Rome of a very gratifying
character about their growth in
piety, he says that his anxiety was
relieved, and that he did not cease
to give thanks for what he had heard,
and to commend them to God in
prayer. 16. Cease not to give thanks for
you. In the prosperity of the church
at Ephesus he Could not but feel the
deepest interest, and their welfare
he never forgot IT Making men
tion of ynu in my prayers. Paul
was far distant from ttem, and ex
pected to see them no more. But
he had faith in prayer, and he sought
that they might advance in know
ledge and m grace. What was tluj

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

35

17 That the God « of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the Spirit of
wisdom ' and revelation ' in the
knowledge of him :
o Jno. 20. 17. 4 Col. 1. 9.
1 or, for the acknowledgment.

particular subject of his prayers, he
mentions in the following verses.
17. That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The God who has
sent the Lord Jesus into the world,
and appointed him as the Mediator
between himself and man. The parti
cular reason why Paul here speaks
of him as 'the God of the Lord Je
sus' is, that he prays that they might
be further acquainted with the Re
deemer, and be enlightened in regard
to the great work which he came to
do. If The Father of glory. The
glorious Father, that is, the Father
who is worthy to be praised and
honoured. IT May give unto you
the Spirit of wisdom. May make
you wise to understand the great
doctrines of the religion of the Re
deemer. % And revelation. That
is, revealing to you more and more
of the character of the Redeemer,
and of the nature and results of his
work. It is probable here that by
the word 'Spirit' the apostle refers
to the Holy Spirit as the author of
all wisdom, and the revealer of all
truth. His prayer is, that God would
grant to them the Holy Spirit to
make them- wise, and to reveal his
will to them. % In the knowledge
of him. Marg. for the acknowledg
ment. That is, in order that you
may more fully acknowledge him,
or know him more intimately and
thoroughly. They had already made
high attainments (ver. 15), but Paul
felt that they might make still
higher; and the idea here is, that
however far Christians may have
advanced in knowledge and in love,
there is an unfethomed depth of

18 The eyes e of your under
standing beingenlightened; thatye
may know what is the hope d of
his calling, and what the riches •
of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints,

c Is. 42. 7.

rfc. 4. 4.

knowledge which they may still ex
plore, and which they should be ex
horted still to attempt to fathom.
How far was Paul from supposing
that the Ephesians had attamed to
perfection !
18. The eyes of your understand
ing being enlightened. The con
struction here in the Greek is, pro
bably, ' that he may give you (Jm^
ver. 17) the Spirit of wisdom, &c.
— eyes of the understanding enlight
ened,' &c. Or the phrase, 'the
eyes of your understanding being
enlightened,' may be in the accu
sative absolute, which Koppe and
Bloom field prefer. The phrase, ' the
eyes of the understanding,' is a fig
ure that is common in all languages.
Thus Philo says, ' What the eye is
to the body, that is the mind to the
soul.' Comp. Matth. vi. 22. The
eye is the instrument by which we
see ; and in like manner the under
standing is that by which we per
ceive truth. The idea here is, that
Paul not only wished their hearts to
be right, but he wished their under
standing to be right also. Religion
has much to do in enlightening the
mind. Indeed, its effect there is not
less striking and decisive than it is
on the heart The understanding
has been blinded by sin. The views
which men entertain of themselves
and of God are narrow and wrong.
The understanding is enfeebled and
perverted by the practice of sin. It
is limited in its operations by the
necessity of the case, and by. the
impossibility of fully comprehending
the great truths which pertain to the
divine administration. One of the

36

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

19 And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power " to us-
a Ps. 110. 3.

first effects of true religion is on the
understanding. It enlarges its views
of truth; gives it more exalted con
ceptions of God ; corrects its errors ;
raises it up towards the great Foun
tain of love. And nowhere is the
effect of the true religion more ap
parent than in shedding Jight on the
intellect of the world, and restoring
the weak and perverted mind to a
just view of the proportion of things,
and to the true knowledge of God.
If That ye may know what is the
hope of his calling. What is the
full import of that hope to which he
has called and invited you by his
Spirit and his promises. The mean
ing here is, that it would be an ines
timable privilege to be made fully
acquainted with the benefits of the
christian hope, and to be permitted
to understand fully what Christians
have a right to expect in the world
of glory. This is the first thing
which the apostle desires they should
fully understand. % And what the
riches of the glory of his inherit
ance. This is the second thing
which Paul wishes them to under
stand. There is a force in this lan
guage which can be found perhaps
nowhere else than in the writings
of Paul. His mind is full, and lan
guage is burdened and borne down
under the weight of his thoughts.
See Notes on 2 Cor. iv. 17. On the
word "riches" here used, see Notes
on ver. 7. The phrase 'riches of
glory' means glorious wealth ; or,
as we would say, 'how rich and
glorious !' The meaning is, that
there is an abundance — an infinitude
of wealth. It is not such a posses
sion as man may be heir to in this
world, which is always limited from
the necessity of the case, and which
cannot be enjoyed long ; it is infinite
and inexhaustible. Comp. Notes,

ward who beheve, according to
the working ' of his mighty power,
• the might of his power.
Rom. ii. 4 The " inheritance" here
referred to is eternal life. Notes,
Rom. viii. 17. If In the saints.
Among the saints. Note, 1 Cor. i. 2.
19. And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power. On the
language here used, comp. Notes on
2 Cor. iv. 17. There is much em
phasis and energy of expression here,
as if the apostle were labouring under
the greatness of his theme, and
wanted words to express the magni
tude of his conception. This is the
third thing which he was particu
larly desirous they should know —
that they should be fully acquainted
with the power of God in the salva
tion of men. He refers not merely
to the power which he had evinced
in their salvation, but also to what
the gospel was able to accomplish,
and which they might yet experi
ence. The "power" referred to here
as exercised towards believers does
not refer to one thing merely. It is
the whole series of the acts of power
towards Christians which results
from the work of the Redeemer.
There was power exerted in their
conversion. There would be power
exerted in keeping them. ^There
would be power in raising them up
from the dead, and exalting them
with Christ to heaven. The religion
which they professed was a religion
of power. In all the forms and
stages of it the power of God was
manifested towards them, and would
be until they reached their final in
heritance. If To us-ward. Towards
us, or in relation to us. f Who be
lieve. Who are Christians. If Ac
cording to the working of his mighty
power. Marg., The might of his
power. This should be taken with
the clause in the following verse,
"which he wrought in Christ;" and
the meanmg is, that the power which

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
20 Which he wrought in
Christ, when he • raised him from
the dead, and set him at his own
right hand in the heavenly places,
a Ac 2. 24, 33.

37

God has exerted in us is in accord
ance with the power which was
shown in raising up the Lord Jesus.
It was the proper result of that, and
was power of a similar kind. The
same power is requisite to convert a
sinner which is demanded in raising
the dead. Neither will be accom
plished but by omnipotence (see
Notes, ch ii. 5); and the apostle
wished that they should be fully
apprised of this feet, and of the
vast power which God had put forth
in raising them up from the death
of sin. To illustrate this sentiment
is one of his designs in the follow
ing verses ; and hence he goes on to
show that men before their conver
sion were "dead in trespasses and
sins ;" that they had no spiritual life ;
that they were the "children of
wrath;" that they were raised up
from their death in sin by the same
power which raised the Lord Jesus
from the grave, and that they were
wholly saved by grace. Ch. ii. 1 —
10. In order to set this idea of the
power which God had put forth in
their regeneration in the strongest
light, he goes into a magnificent de
scription of the resurrection and ex
altation of the Lord Jesus, and shows
now that was connected with the
renewing of Christians. God had
set him over all things. He hod put
all things under his feet, and had
made principalities and dominions
everywhere subject to him. In this
whole passage (ch. i. 19 — 23; ii. 1
— 10), the main thing to be illus
trated is the power which God has
shown in renewing and saving his
people; and the leading sentiment
is, that the same power is evinced in
that which was required to raise up
4

21 Far • above all principality,
and power, and might, and domi
nion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world, but
also in that which is to come ;

4 Ph. 2. 9. Col. 2. 10.

the Lord Jesus from the dead, and
to exalt him over the universe.
20. Which he wrought in Christ.
Which he exerted in relation to the
Lord Jesus when he was dead. The
power which was then exerted was
as great as that of creation. It was
imparting life to a cold and " man
gled" frame. It was to open again
the arteries and veins, and teach the
heart to beat and the lungs to heave.
It was to diffuse vital warmth through
the rigid muscles, and to communi
cate to the body the active functions
of life. It is impossible to conceive
of a more direct exertion of power
than in raising up the dead ; and
there is no more striking illustration
of the nature of' conversion than
such a resurrection. If And set him
at his own right hand. The idea
is, that great power was displayed
by this, and that a similar exhibition
is made when man is renewed and
exalted to the high honour of being
made an heir of God. On the ./act
that Jesus was received to the right
hand of God, see Notes on Mark
xvi. 19. Comp. Notes on Acts ii.
33. IT In the heavenly places. See
Notes on ver. 3. The phrase here
evidently means in heaven itself.
21. Far above all principality.
The general sense in this verse is,
that the Lord Jesus was exalted to
the highest conceivable dignity and
honour. Comp. Phil. ii. 9. Col. ii.
10. In this beautiful and most im
portant passage, the apostle labours
for words to convey the greatness of
his conceptions, and uses those which
denote the highest conceivable dig
nity and glory. The main idea is,
that God had manifested great power
in thus exalting the Lord Jesus

38

22 And hath put • all things
under his feet, and gave him to
a Ps. 8. 6. Mat. 28. 18.

EPHESIANS. [A, D. 64
be the head over all things to the
church,

and that similar power was exhibit
ed in raising up the sinner from the
death of sin to the life and honour
of believing. The work of religion
throughout was a work of power ; a
work of exalting and honouring the
dead, whether dead in sin or in the
grave ; , and Christians ought to
know the extent and glory of the
power thus put forth in their salva
tion. The word rendered ' far above'
— Inepdvu — is a compound word,
meaning high above, or greatly ex
alted. He was not merely above
the ranks of the heavenly beings,
as the head ; he was not one of their
own rank, placed by office a little
above them, but he was infinitely
exalted over them, as of different
rank and dignity. How could this
be if he were a mere man; or if he
were an angel ) The word render
ed 'principality' — apx<i — means pro
perly, the beginning; and then the
first, the first place, power, dominion,
pre-eminence, rulers, magistrates,
&c. It may refer here to any rank
and power, whether among men or
angels, and the sense is, that Christ
is exalted above all. If And power.
It is not easy to distinguish between
the exact meaning of the words
which the apostle here uses. The
general idea is, that Christ is elevat
ed above all ranks of creatures how
ever exalted, and by whatever name
they may be known. As in this he
refers to the ' world that is to come,'
as well as this world, it is clear that
there is a reference here to the ranks
of the angels, and probably he means
to allude to the prevailing opinion
among the Jews, that the angels are
of different orders. Some of the
Jewish Rabbies reckon four, others
ten orders of angels, and they pre
sume to give them names accord
ing to their different ranks and'

power. But all this is evidently the
result of mere fancy. The Scrip
tures hint in several places at a diP
ference of rank among the angels,
but the sacred writers do not go into
detail. It may be added that there
is no improbability in such a subor
dination, but it is rather to be pre
sumed to be true. The creatures
of God are not made alike ; and dif
ference of degree and rank, as far
as our observation extends, every
where prevails. On this verse comp.
Notes on Rom. viii. 38. If Domi
nion. Gr. Lordship. If And every
name that is named. Every crea
ture of every rank, ^f Not only in
this world. Not only above all
kings, and princes, and rulers of
every grade and rank on earth.
% But also in that which is to come.
This refers undoubtedly to heaven.
The meaning is, that he is supreme
over all.
22. And hath put all things un
der his feet. See Notes on 1 Cor.
xv. 27. If And gave him to be the
head over all things. Appointed
him to be the supreme ruler. If To
the church. With reference to the
church, or for its benefit and wel
fare. See Notes on John xvii. 2.
The universe is under his control
and direction for the welfare of his
people. (1.) All the elements— the
physical works of God — the winds
and waves — the seas and rivers— all
are under him, and all are to be
made tributary to the welfare of the
church. (2.) Earthly kings and
rulers; kingdoms and nations are
under his control. Thus far Christ
has controlled all the wicked rulers
of the earth, and they have not been
able to destroy that church which
he redeemed with his own blood.
(o\) Angels m heaven, with all their
ranks and orders, are under his con-

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

23 Which is his body, « the
a 1 Co. 12. 10. Col. 1. 18, 24.
trol with reference to the church.
See Notes on Heb. i. 14. Comp.
Matt xxvi. 53. (4) Fallen angels
are under his control, and shall not
be able to injure or destroy the
church. See Notes on Matt xvi.
18. The church, therefore, is safe.
All the great powers of heaven,
earth, and hell, are made subject to
its Head and King ; and no weapon
that is formed against it shall pros
per. 23. Which is his body. This
comparison of the church with a per
son or body, of which the Lord Je
sus is the head, is not uncommon in
the New Testament Comp. Notes
on 1 Cor. xi. 3 ; xii. 27. Eph. iv.
15,16. If The fulness of him. The
word here renderedyuZness — irA^pupa
— means properly, that with which
any thing is filled; the filling up;
the contents. Notes, Rom. xi. 12.
The exact idea here, however, is
not very clear, and interpreters have
been by no means united in their
opinions of the meaning. It seems
probable that the sense is, that the
church is the completion or filling
up of his power and glory. It is
that without which his dominion
would not be complete. He has
control over the angels and over
distant worlds, but his dominion
would not be complete without the
control over his church, and that is
so glorious, that it fills up the honour
of the universal dominion, and
makes his empire complete. Ac
cording to Rosenmuller, the wnrd
fulness here means a great number
or multitude : a multitude, says he,
which, not confined to its own terri
tory, spreads afar, and fills various
regions. Koppe also regards it as
synonymous with multitude or many,
and supposes it to mean all the do
minion of the Redeemer over the
body — the church. He proposes to

fulness of him that filleth ail in
all.

translate the whole verse, ' He has
made him the Head over his church,
that he might rule it as his own
body — the whole wide state of his
universal kingdom.' "This," says
Calvin {in loc), " is the highest ho
nour of the church, that the Son of
God regards himself as in a certain
sense imperfect unless he is joined
to us." The church constitutes the
complete body of the Redeemer. A
body is complete when it has all its
members and limbs in proper propor
tions, and those members might be
said to be the completion, or the fill-
ing-up, or the fulness — irX^pu/ia —
of the body or the person. This
language would not, indeed, be such
as would usually be adopted to ex
press the idea now ; but this is evi
dently the sense in which Paul uses
it here. The meaning is, that the
church sustains the same relation to
Christ which the body does to the
head. It helps to form the entire
person. There is a close and neces
sary union. The one is not complete
without the other. And one is de
pendant on the other. When the
body has all its members in due pro
portion, and is in sound and vigorous
health, the whole person then is
complete and entire. So it is to be
in the kingdom of the Redeemer.
He is the head ; and that redeemed
Church is the body, the fulness, the
completion, the filling-up of the en
tire empire over which he presides,
and which he rules. On the mean
ing of the word fulness — iXfyupa —
the reader may consult Storr's Opus
cula, vol. 1, pp. 144 — 187, particu
larly pp. 169 — 183. Storr under
stands the word in the sense of full or
abundant mercy, and supposes that
it refers to the great benignity which
God has shown to his people, and ren
ders it "The great benignity of him
who filleth all things with good, as

40

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

he called Jesus from the dead to life
and placed him in heaven, so even
you, sprung from the heathen, who
were dead in sin on account of your
many offences in which you formerly
lived, &c. — hath he called to life by
Christ." This verse, therefore, he
would connect with the following
chapter, and he regards it all as de
signed to illustrate the great power
and goodness of God. Mr. Locke
renders it, "Which is his body, which
is completed by him alone," and sup
poses it means, that Christ is the
head, who perfects the church by
supplying all things to all its mem
bers which they need. Chandler
gives an interpretation in accord
ance with that which I have first
suggested, as meaning that the
church is the full ' complement' of
the body of Christ; and refers to
./Elian and Dionysius Halicarnassus,
who use the word ' fulness' or irXfyw/ia
as referring to the rowers of a ship.
Thus also we say that the ship's
crew is its ' complement,' or that a
ship or an army has its complement
of men ; that is, the ranks are filled
up or complete. In like manner, the
church will be the filling-up, or the
complement, of the great kingdom
of the Redeemer — that which will
give completion or perfectness to his
universal dominion. ^ Of him. Of
the Redeemer, f That filleth all
in all. That fills all things, or who
pervades all things. See Notes, 1
Cor. xii. 6 ; xv. 28. Comp. Col. iii.
11. The idea is, that there is no
place where he is not, and which he
does not fill; and that he is the
source of all the holy and happy in
fluences that are abroad in the works
of God. It would not be easy to
conceive of an expression more cer
tainly denoting omnipresence and
universal agency than this; and if
it refers to the Lord Jesus, as
seems to be indisputable, the passage
teaches not only his supremacy, but
demonstrates his universal agency,

and his omnipresence — things that
pertain only to God. From this
passage we may observe, (1.) That
just views of the exaltation of ths
Redeemer are to be obtained only
by the influence of the Spirit of God
on the heart Vs. 17—19. Man, by
nature, has no just conceptions of th»
Saviour, and has no desire to have.
It is only as the knowledge of that
great doctrine is imparted to the
mind by the Spirit of God, that we
have any practical and saving ac
quaintance with such an exaltation.
The Christian sees him, by faith,
exalted to the right hand of God,
and cheerfully commits himself and
his all to him, and feels that all his
interests are safe in his hands. (2.)
It is very desirable to have such
views of an exalted Saviour. So
Paul felt when he earnestly prayed
that God would give such views to
the Ephesians, vs. 17 — 20. It was
desirable in order that they might
have a right understanding of their
privileges ; in order that they might
know the extent of the power which
had been manifested in their redemp
tion ; in order that they might com
mit their souls with confidence to
him. In my conscious weakness
and helplessness ; when I am borne
down by the labours and exposed to
the temptations of life ; when I con
template approaching sickness and
death, I desire to feel that that Sa
viour to whom I have committed my
all is exalted fer above principalities
and powers, and every name that is
named. When the church is perse
cuted and opposed; when hosts of
enemies rise up against it and
threaten its peace and safety, I re
joice to feel assured the Redeemer
and Head of the church is over all,
and that he has power to subdue all
her foes and his. (3.) The church
is safe. Her great Head is on the
throne of the universe, and no wea
pon that is formed against her can
prosper. He has defended it hiti lerto

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

41

A:

CHAPTER II.
ND you • hath he quickened,
a Jno. S. 24. Col. 2. 13.

who were dead in trespassea and
sins ;

in oJ times of persecution, and the
past is a pledge that he will continue
to protect it to the end of the world.
(4) Let us commit our souls to this
exalted Redeemer. Such a Re
deemer we need — one who has all
power in heaven and earth. Such
a religion we need — that can restore
the dead to life. Such hope and con
fidence we need as he can give —
such peace and calmness as shall
result from unwavering confidence
in him who filleth all in all.
CHAPTER H.
ANALYSIS.
This chapter is closely connected
in sense with the preceding, and
should not have been separated from
it The great object is to illustrate
the subject which was commenced
in the previous chapter (ver. 19) —
the greatness of the power of God,
evinced in the salvation of his peo
ple. The great manifestation of his
power had been in raising up the
Lord Jesus from the dead. That
had been connected with and fol
lowed by their resurrection from the
death of sin ; and the one had in
volved the exercise of a power simi
lar to the other. In the illustration
of this main idea, the apostle observes
(ver. 1) that God had quickened
those who had been dead in tres
passes and sins, and proceeds (vs. 2,
3) to show the condition in which
they were before their conversion.
He then observes (vs. 4 — 7), that
God of his infinite mercy, when they
were dead in sin, had quiokened them
together with Christ, and had raised
them up to sit with him in heavenly
places. He then states that this was
not by human power, but was the
work of divine power, and that they
were the workmanship of God, vs. 8

— 10. The remainder of the chap
ter (vs. 11 — 22) is occupied with a
statement of the privileges resulting
from the mercy of God in calling
them into his kingdom. The apostle
endeavours to impress their minds
strongly with a sense of the mercy
and love and power of God in thus
calling them to himself. He re
minds them of their former condition
when Gentiles, as being without God,
and that they were now brought nigh
by the blood of Christ (vs. 11—13) ;
he states that this had been done by
one great Mediator, who came to
break down the wall of partition be
tween the Jews and Gentiles, and
who had now made both one (vs. 14
— 18) ; and he compares them now
to a temple raised for God, and to
constitute the place of his dwelling
on the earth. Vs. 19—22. By all
these considerations he endeavours
to impress their minds with a sense
of obligation, and to lead them to de
vote themselves to that God who had
raised them from the dead, and had
breathed into them the breath of
immortal life.
1. And you hath he quickened.
The words ' hath he quickened,' or
made to live, are supplied, but not
improperly, by our translators. The
object of the apostle is to show the
great power which God had evinced
towards the people (ch. i. 19) ; and
to show that this was put forth in
connexion with the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus, and his exaltation to
the right hand of God in heaven.
See Notes on Rom. vi. 4 — 11. Comp.
Col. ii. 12, 13 ; iii. 1. The words
'hath he quickened' mean, hath he
made alive, or made to live. John
v. 21. Rom. iv. 17. 1 Cor. xv, 36,
If Who were dead in trespasses and
sins. On the meaning of the word,

42

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

2 Wherein" in time past ye
a Ac. 19. 35.

dead, see Notes on Rom. v. 12 ; vi. 2.
It is affirmed here of those to whom
Paul wrote at Ephesus, that before
they were converted they were
'dead in sins.' There is not any
where a more explicit proof of de
pravity than this, and no stronger
language can be used. They were
dead in relation to that to which they
afterwards became alive — i.e., to
holiness. Of course, this does not
mean that they were in all respects
dead. It does not mean that they
had no animal life, or that they did
not breathe, and walk, and act. Nor
can it mean that they had no living
intellect or mental powers, which
would not have been true. Nor does
it settle any question as to their abi
lity or power while in that state. It
simply affirms a fact — that in rela
tion to real spiritual life they were, in
consequence of sin, like a dead man
in regard to the objects which are
around him. A corpse is insensible.
It sees not, and hears not, and feels
not The sound of music, and the
voice of friendship and of alarm, do
not arouse it The rose and the lily
breathe forth their fragrance around
it, but the corpse perceives it not.
The world is busy and active around
it, but it is unconscious of it all. It
sees no beauty in the landscape;
hears not the voice of a friend;
looks not upon the glorious sun and
stars ; and is unaffected by the run
ning stream and the rolling ocean.
So with the sinner in regard to the
spiritual and eternal world. He sees
no beauty in religion ; he hears not
the call of God ; he is unaffected by
the dying love of the Saviour ; and he
has no interest in eternal realities. In
all these he feels no more concern,
and sees no more beauty, than a dead
man does in the world around him.
Such is, in fact, the condition of a
sinful world. There is, indeed, life,

walked according to the course

and energy, and motion. There ar«
vast plans and projects, and th«
world is intensely active. But in
regard to religion, all is dead. Tha
sinner sees no beauty there; and no
human power can arouse him to act
for God, any more than human power
can rouse the sleeping dead, or open
the sightless eye-balls on the light
of day. The same power is needed
in the conversion of a sinner which is
needed in raising the dead"; and one
and the other alike demonstrate the
omnipotence of him who can do it
2. Wherein. In which sins, or in
the practice of which transgressions.
Tf Ye walked. You lived, life being
often compared to a journey or a
race. Note, Rom. vi. 4. If Accord
ing to the course of this world. Ib
conformity with the customs and
manners of the world at large. Th«
word here rendered world — alu> —
means properly age, but is often used
to denote the present world, with iti
cares, temptations, and desires ; and
here denotes particularly the men of
this world. The meaning is, that
they had lived formerly as other men
lived, and the idea is strongly con
veyed that the course of the men ef
this world is to walk in trespasses
and sins. The sense is, that there
was by nature no difference between
them and others, and that all the
difference which now existed had
been made by grace. % According
to the prince of the power of the air.
See ch. vi. 12. Comp. Notes on 2
Cor. iv. 4. There can be no doubt
that Satan is here intended, and that
Paul means to say that they were
under his control as their leader and
prince. The phrase, 'the prince of
the power,' may mean either ' the
powerful prince,' or it may mean
that this prince had power over th«
air, and lived and reigned there par.
ticularly. The word 'prince' •

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

43

of this world, according to the
prince ¦ of the power of the air,

Ipxw — Archon, means one first in
authority and power, and is then ap
plied to any one who has the pre
eminence or rule. It is applied to
Satan, or the chief of the fallen
angels, as where he is called ' the
prince — apx""1— of the devils,' Matth.
ix. 34; xii. 24 Mark iii. 22. Luke
xi. 15; 'the prince of this world,'
John xii. 31 ; xiv. 30; xvi. 11. But
why he is here called the prince
having power over the air, it is not
easy to determine. Robinson {Lex.)
supposes it to be because he is lord
of the powers of the air ; that is, of
the demons who dwell and rule in
the atmosphere. So Doddridge sup
poses that it means that he controls
the fallen spirits who are permitted
to range the regions of the atmo
sphere. It is generally admitted
that the apostle here refers to the
prevailing opinions both among the
Jews and heathen, that the air was
thickly peopled with spirits or de
mons. That this was a current opi
nion, may be seen fully proved in
Wetstein. Comp. Bloomfield, Gro-
tius, and particularly Koppe. Why
the region of the air was supposed
to be the dwelling-place of such spi
rits, is now unknown. The opinion
may have been either that such spi
rits dwelt in the air, or that they had
control over it according to the later
Jewish belief. Cocceius and some
others explain the word air here as
meaning the same as darkness, as in
profane writers. - It is evident to my
mind that Paul does not speak of this
as a mere tradition, opinion, or va
gary of the fancy, or as a supersti
tious belief; but that he refers to it
as a thing which he regarded as true.
In this opinion I see no absurdity that
should make it impossible to believe
>t For, (1.) the Scriptures abun
dantly teach that there are fallen,

the spirit that now worketh in the
children * of disobedience :

b Col. 3. c.

wicked spirits; and the existence
of fallen angels is no more improba
ble than the existence of fallen men.
(2.) The Bible teaches that they
have much to do with this world.
They tempted man; they inflicted
disease in the time of the Saviour ;
they are represented as alluring and
deceiving the race. (3.) They must
have some locality — some part of the
universe where they dwell. That
they were not confined down to hell
in the time of the Redeemer, is clear
from the New Testament ; for they
are often represented as having af
flicted and tortured men. (4.) Why
is there any improbability in the be
lief that their residence should have
been in the regions of the air ) That
while they were suffered to be on
earth to tempt and afflict men, they
should have been permitted pecu
liarly to occupy these regions ) Who
can tell what may be in the invisible
world, and what spirits may be per
mitted to fill up the vast space that
now composes the tmi verse) And
who can tell what control may have
been given to such fallen spirits over
the regions of the atmosphere — over
clouds, and storms, and pestilential
air) Men have control over the
earth, and pervert and abuse the
powers of nature to their own ruin
and the ruin of each other. The
elements they employ for the purposes
of ruin and of temptation. Fruit
and grain they convert to poison;
minerals, to the destruction caused
by war. In itself considered, there
is nothing more improbable that spi
rits of darkness may have had con
trol over the regions of the air, than
that fallen man has over the earth ;
and no more improbability that that
power has been abused to ruin men,
than that the power of men is abused
to destroy each other. No one can

44

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 61

3 Among whom also we " all
had our conversation in times past
in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the ' desires of the flesh and of

a 1 Pe. 4. 3.

prove that the sentiment here re
ferred to by Paul is not true ; and
no one can show how the doctrine
that fallen spirits may do mischief in
any part of the works of God, is any
more improbable than that wicked
men should do the same thing. The
word 'power1 here — 'power of the
air' — I regard as synonymous with
dominion or rule ; ' a prince having
dominion or rule over the air.' —
If The spirit that now worketh.
That still lives, and whose energy
for evil is still seen and felt among
the wicked. Paul here means un
doubtedly to teach that there was
such a spirit, and that he was still
active in controlling men. If The
children of disobedience. The wick
ed. Col. iii. 6.
3. We all had our conversation.
See Notes on 2 Cor. i. 12. Comp.
1 Pet. iv. 3. IT In the lusts of our
flesh. Living to gratify the flesh,
or the propensities of a corrupt na
ture. It is observable here that the
apostle changes the form of the ad
dress from "ye" to "we," thus in
cluding himself with others, and
saying that this was true of all be
fore their conversion. He means
undoubtedly to say, that whatever
might have been the place of their
birth, or the differences of religion
under which they had been trained,
they were substantially alike by na
ture. It was a characteristic of all
that they lived to fulfil the desires
of the flesh and of the mind. The
design of the apostle in thus group
ing himself with them was, to show
that he did not claim to be any better
by nature than they were, and that
all which any of them had of value
was to be traced to the grace of Cod.
There is much delicacy here on the

the mind ; and were by nature »
the children of wrath, even as
others.

4 Pa. 51. 5.

part of the apostle. His object was
to remind them of the former gross-
ness of their life, and their exposure
to the wrath of God. Yet he does
not do it harshly. He includes him
self in their number. He says that
what he affirms of them was sub
stantially true of himself— of all —
that they were under condemnation,
and exposed to the divine wrath.
If Fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind. Marg. as in Greek,
wills. Complying with the wishes
of a depraved nature. The 'will
of the flesh' is that to which the
flesh, or the unrenewed nature of
man, prompts; and Paul says that
all had been engaged in fulfilling
those fleshly propensities. This
was clearly true of the heathen,
and it was no less true of the uncon
verted Jew that he lived for himself,
and sought to gratify the purposes
of a depraved nature, though it
might manifest itself in a way differ
ent from the heathen. The 'will
of the mind' referred to here relates
to the wicked thoughts and purposes
of the unrenewed nature — the sins
which relate rather to the intellect
than to the gross passions. Such,
for instance, are the sins of pride,
envy, ambition, covetousness, &c. ;
and Paul means to say, that before
conversion they lived to gratify these
propensities, and to accomplish these
desires of the soul. If And were by
nature. <tt*u. By birth, or before
we were converted. By conversion
and adoption they became the chil
dren of God; before that, they were
all the children of wrath. This is,
I think, the fair meaning of this im
portant declaration. It does not
affirm when they began to be such.
or that they were such as soon as

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
4 But Goa, who is rich in

4b

they were born, or that they were
such before they became moral
ugents, or that they became such in
virtue of their connection with Adam
— whatever may be the truth on
these points ; but it affirms that be
fore they were renewed, they were
the children of wrath. So far as this
text is concerned, this might have
been true at their very birth ; but it
does not directly and certainly prove
that It proves that at no time be
fore their conversion were they the
children of God, but that their whole
condition before that was one of ex
posure to wrath Comp. Rom. ii. 14.
27. 1 Cor. xi. 14. Gal.ii. 15. Some
men are born Jews, and some hea
then; some free, and some slaves;
some white, and some black; some
are born to poverty, and some to
wealth; some are the children of
kings, and some of beggars ; but,
whatever their rank or condition,
they are born exposed to wrath, or
in a situation which would render
them liable to wrath. But why this
is, the apostle does not say. Whe
ther for their own sins or for the sins
of another ; whether by a corrupted
soul or by imputed guilt; whether
they act as moral agents as soon as
born, or at a certain period of child
hood, Paul does not say. ^f The
children of wrath. Exposed to wrath,
or liable to wrath. They did not
by nature inherit holiness ; they in
herited that which would subject
them to wrath. The meaning has
been well expressed by Doddridge,
who refers it " to the original apos
tasy and corruption, in consequence
of which men do, according to the
course of nature, fell early into per
sonal guilt, and so become obnoxious
to thedivine displeasure." Manymo-
dern expositors have supposed that
this has no reference to any original
tendency of our fallen nature to sin,

mercy, for his great love where
with he loved us,

or to native corruption, but that it
refers to the habit of sin, or to the
fact of tlieir having been the slaves
of appetite and passion. I admit
that the direct and immediate sense
of the passage is that they were,
when without the gospel, and before
they were renewed, the children of
wrath ; but still the fair interpreta
tion is, that they were born to that
state, and that that condition was the
regular result of tlieir native depra
vity; and 1 do not know a more
strong or positive declaration that
can be made to show that men arc
by nature destitute of holiness, and
exposed to perdition. If Even as
others. That is, 'do not suppose
that you stand alone, or that you are
the worst of the species. You are
indeed, by nature, the children of
wrath; but not you alone. All
others were the same. You have a
common inheritance with them. 1
do not mean to charge you with
being the worst of sinners, or as being
alone transgressors. It is the com
mon lot of man — the sad, gloomy in
heritance to which we all are born.'
The Greek is, 6i Wtfi — ' the re
mainder, or the others,' — including
all. Comp. Notes on Rom. v. 19.
This doctrine that men without the
gospel are the children of wrath,
Paul had fully defended in Rom. i.,
ii., iii. N° truth, perhaps, is more
frequently stated in the Bible ; none
is more fearful and awful in its cha
racter. What a declaration, that we
' are by nature the children of wrath !'
Who should not inquire what it
means ) Who should not make an
effort to escape from the wrath to
come, and become a child of glory
and an heir of life )
4. But God, v;ho is rich in mercy.
On the use of the word rich by
Paul, see Notes on ch. i. 7. It is a
beautiful expression. 'God is rich

46

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

5 Even • when we were dead
in sins, hath quickened us to
gether with Christ, (by ' grace '
ye are saved ;)
a Ro. S. C, 8, 10. < by whose. 4 Ro. 3. 24.
in mercy;' overflowing, abundant.
Mercy is the riches or the wealth of
God. Men are often rich in gold,
and silver, and diamonds, and they
pride themselves in these posses
sions; but God is rich in mercy.
In that he abounds; and he is so
rich in it that he is willing to im
part it to others ; so rich that he can
make all blessed. If For his great
love. That is, his great love was
the reason why he had compassion
upon us. It is not that we had any
claim or deserved his favour; but it
is, that God had for man original and
eternal love, and that love led to the
gift of a Saviour, and to the bestow-
ment of salvation.
5. Even when we were dead in
sins. Notes, ver. 1. Comp. Rom.
v. 8. The construction here is,
' God, who is rich in mercy, on ac
count of the great love which he
bare unto us, even being dead in
sin, hath quickened us,' &c. It does
not mean that he quickened us when
we were dead in sin, but that he
loved us then, and made provision
for our salvation. It was love to the
children of wrath; love to those who
had no love to return to him ; love
to the alienated and the lost That
is true love — the sincerest and the
purest benevolence — love, not like
that of men, but such only as God
bestows. Man loves his friend, his
benefactor, his kindred — God loves
his foes, and seeks to do them good.
If Halh quickened us. Hath made
us alive. See ver. 1. J Together
with Christ. In connection with
him ; or in virtue of his being raised
up from the grave. The meaning
is, that there was such a connection
between Christ and those whom the
Father had given to him, that his

6 And hath raised ' us up to
gether, and made us sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Je

sus;

resurrection from the grave involved
their resurrection to spiritual life.
It was like raising up the head and
the members — the whole body to
gether. Comp. Notes on Rom. vi.
5. Everywhere in the New Testa
ment, the close connection of the
believer with Christ is affirmed.
We are crucified with him. We
die with him. We rise with him.
We live with him. We reign with
him. We are joint heirs with him.
We share his sufferings on earth
(1 Pet iv. 13), and we share his
glory with him on his throne. Rev.
iii. 21. *|f By grace ye are saved.
Marg., by whose. See Notes on
Rom. iii. 24. Paul's mind was full
of the subject of salvation by grace,
and he throws it in here, even in an
argument, as a point which he
would never have them lose sight of
The subject before him was one emi
nently adapted to bring this truth
to mind, and though, in the train of
his arguments, he had no time- now
to dwell on it, yet he would not
suffer any opportunity to pass with
out referring to it.
6. And hath raisedusup together.
That is, we are raised from the
death of sin to the life of religion,
in connection with the resurrection
of Jesus, and in virtue of that So
close is the connection between him
and his people, that his resurrection
made theirs certain. Comp. Col. ii.
12. Notes, Rom. vi. 5. IT And
made us sit together. Togethet
with him. That is, we share his
honours. So close is our connection
with him, that we shall partake of
his glory, and in some measure do
now. Comp. Notes on Matt xix.
28, and Rom. viii. 17. % In heaven
ly places. See Notes on ch. i. 3.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
7 That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace, in his kindness " to
ward us through Christ Jesus.
9 Tit. 3. 4.

The meaning is, that he has gone to
the heavenly world as our Head and
Representative. His entrance there
is a pledge that we shall also enter
there. Even here we have the anti
cipation of glory, and are admitted
to exalted honours, as if we sat in
heavenly places, in virtue of our
connection with him. Tf In Christ
Jesus. It is in connection with him
that we are thus exalted, and thus
filled with joy and peace. The
meaning of the whole is,' ' We are
united to Christ We die with him,
and live with him. We share his
sufferings, and we share his joys.
We become dead to the world in
virtue of his death ; we become alive
unto God in virtue of his resurrection.
On earth we are exalted to honour,
peace, and hope, in virtue of his re
surrection; in heaven we shall share
hisglory and partake of his triumphs.'
7. That in the ages to come. In
all future tunes. The sense is, that
the riches of divine grace, and the
divine benignity, would be shown in
the conversion of Christians and
their salvation, to all future times.
Such was his love to those who
were lost, that it would be an ever
lasting,, monument of his mercy, a
perpetual and unchanging proof that
he was good. The sense is, we are
raised up with Christ, and are made
to partake of his honour and glory
in order that others may forever be
impressed with a sense of the divine
goodness and mercy to us. If The
exceeding riches of his grace. The
abounding, overflowing riches of
grace. Comp. Notes, ch. i. 7. This
is Paul's favourite expression — an
expression so beautiful and so full of
meaning that it will bear often to be

47

8 For by grace * are ye saved
through faith ; e and that not " of
yourselves ; it is the gift of God :
4 2 Ti. 1. 9. clto4.lt). d Jno. 6. 44. G5.

repeated. We may learn from this
verse, (1.) That one object of the
conversion and salvation of sinners,
is to furnish a proof of the mercy
and goodness of God. (2.) Another
object is, that their conversion may
be an encouragement to others. The
feet that such sinners as the Ephesians
had been, were pardoned and saved,
affords encouragement also to others
to come and lay hold on life. And
so of all other sinners who are saved.
Their conversion is a standing en
couragement to all others to come
in like manner; and now the his
tory of the church for more than
eighteen hundred years furnishes all
the encouragement which we could
desire. (3.) The conversion of great
sinners is a special proof of the
divine benignity. So Paul argues
in the case before us; and so he
often argued from his own case.
Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. i. 16. (4)
Heaven, the home of the redeemed,
will exhibit the most impressive
proof of the goodness of God that
the universe furnishes. There will
be a countless host who were once
polluted and lost; who were dead in
sins ; who were under the power of
Satan, and who have been saved by
the riches of the divine grace — a
host now happy and pure, and free
from sin, sorrow, and death — the
living and eternal monuments of the
grace of God.
8. For by grace are ye saved. By
mere favour. It is not by your own
merit; it is not because you have
any claim. This is a favourite doc
trine with Paul, as it is with all who
love the Lord Jesus in sincerity.
Comp. Notes on Rom. i. 7 ; iii. 24.
IT Through faith. Grace bestowed

48

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

9 Not of works, lest any man
should boast.

through faith, or in connection with
believing. See Notes on Rom. i. 17 ;
iv. 16. If And that not of yourselves.
That is, salvation does not proceed
from yourselves. The word render
ed that — tovto — is in the neuter gen
der, and the word faith — TtLtrtie — is
in the feminine. The word " that,"
therefore, does not refer particularly
to faith, as being the gift of God,
out to the salvation by grace of
which he had been speaking. This
is the interpretation of the passage
which is the most obvious, and which
is now generally conceded to be the
true one. See Bloomfield. Many
critics, however, as Doddridge, Beza,
Piscator, and Chrysostom, maintain
that the word ' that' (rrWo) refers to
'faith' (rtt's-ftc) ; and Doddridge
maintains that such a use is common
in the New Testament. As a matter
of grammar this opinion is certainly
doubtful, if not untenable ; but as a
matter of theology it is a question
of very little importance. Whether
this passage proves it or not it is
certainly true that faith is the gift
of God. It exists in the mind only
when the Holy Ghost produces it
there, and is, in common with every
other Christian excellence, to be
traced to his agency on the heart.
This opinion, however, does not
militate at all with the doctrine that
man himself believes. It is not God
that believes for him, for that is impos
sible. It is his own mind that actu
ally believes, or that exercises faith.
See Notes on Rom. iv. 3. In the
same manner repentance is to be
traced to God. It is one of the fruits
of the operation of the Holy Spirit
on the soul. But the Holy Ghost
does not repent for us. It is our own
mind that repents; our own heart
that feels ; our own eyes that weep
— and without this there can be no
true repentance. No one can repent

10 For we are his workman-
ship, created in Christ Jesus unto
for another; and God neither can
nor ought to repent for us. He has
done no wrong, and if repentance is
ever exercised, therefore, it must be
exercised by our own minds. So of
faith. God cannot believe for us. We
must believe, or we shall be damned.
Still this does not conflict at all with
the opinion, that if we exercise faith,
the inclination to do it is to be traced
to the agency of God on the heart
I would not contend, therefore, about
the grammatical construction of this
passage, with respect to the point of
the theology contained in it ; still it
accords better with the obvious gram
matical construction, and with the de
sign of the passage to understand the
word " that" as referring not to faith
only, but to salvation by grace. So
Calvin understands it, and so it is
understood by Storr, Locke, Clarke,
Koppe, Grotius, and others. IT It is
the gift of God. Salvation by grace
is his gift. It is not of merit ; it is
wholly by favour.
9. Not of works. See Notes on
Rom. iii. 20. 27.
10. For we are his workmanship.
We are his making — rtot'^o. That
is, we are created or formed by him,
not only in the general sense in
which all things are made by him,
but in that peculiar sense which is
denoted by the new creation. See
Notes on 2 Cor. v. 17. Whatever
of peace, or hope, or purity we have,
has been produced by his agency on
the soul. There cannot be con
ceived to be a stronger expression
to denote the agency of God in the
conversion of men, or the fact that
salvation is wholly of grace. If Cre
ated in Christ Jesus. On the word
created, see Notes on 2 Cor. v. 17.
H Unto good works. With refer
ence to a holy life; or, the design for
which we have been created in
Uhnst is, that we should lead a holy

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

49

good works, which • God hath be
fore ' ordained that we should
walk in them.
1 1 Wherefore remember, that
a c. 1. 4. ! or, prepared.
life. The primary object was not
to bring us to heaven. It was that
we should be holy. Paul held per
haps more firmly than any other
man, to the position that men are
saved by the mere grace of God,
and by a divine agency on the soul ;
but it is certain that no man ever
held more firmly that men must lead
holy lives, or they could have no
evidence that they were the chil
dren of God. If Which God hath
before ordained. Marg., prepared.
The word here used means to pre
pare beforehand, then to predesti
nate, or appoint before. The proper
meaning of this passage is, ' to which
(olj) good works God has predesti
nated us, or appointed us beforehand,
that we should walk in them.' The
word here used — rtposroiiuafio— ^oc
curs in the New Testament nowhere
else except in Rom. ix. 23, where it
is rendered ' had afore prepared.' It
involves the idea of a previous de
termination, or an arrangement be
forehand for securing a certain re
sult The previous preparation here
referred to was, the divine inten
tion ; and the meaning is, that God
had predetermined that we should
lead holy lives. It accords, there
fore, with the declaration in ch. i. 4,
that he had chosen his people before
the foundation of the world, that
they should be holy. See Notes on
that verse. II That we should walk
in them. That we should live holy
lives. The word walk is often used
in the Scriptures to denote the course
of life. Notes on Rom. vi. 4.
] 1. Wherefare remember. The
design of this evidently is, to excite
8 sense of gratitude in their bosoms
for that mercy which had called
5

ye being in time past Gentiles in
the flesh, who are called Uncir-
cumcision by that which is called
the Circumcision in the flesh made
by hands ;

them from the errors and sins of
their former lives, to the privilege?
of Christians. It is a good thmg
for Christians to ' remember' what
they were. No faculty of the mind
can be better employed to produce
humility, penitence, gratitude, and
love, than the memory. It is well
to recall the recollection of our
former sins ; to dwell upon our hard
ness of heart, our alienation, and
our unbelief; and to remember our
wanderings and our guilt, until the
heart be affected, and we are made
to feel. The converted Ephesians
had much guilt to recollect and to
mourn over in their former life ; and
so have all who are converted to the
Christian faith, ^f That ye being
in time past. Formerly — {note.)
If Gentiles in the flesh. You were
Gentiles in the flesh, i. e. under the
dominion of the flesh, subject to the
control of carnal appetites and plea
sures. Tf Who are called Uncir-
cumcision. That is, who are called
'the uncircumcised.' This was a
term similar to" that which we use
when we speak of ' the nnbaptized.'
It meant that they were without the
pale of the people of God ; that they
enjoyed none of the ordinances and
privileges of the true religion ; and
was commonly a term of reproach.
Comp. Judges xiv. 3; xv. 18. 1
Sam. xiv. 6; xvii. 26; xxxi. 4.
Ezek. xxxi. 18. If By that which
is called the Circumcision. By those
who are circumcised, i. e. by the
Jews. If In the flesh made by hands.
In contradistinction from the circum
cision of the heart. See Notes or.
Rom. ii. 28, 29. They had exter
nally adopted the rites of the true
religion, though it did not follow that

50

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

12 That at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel, and
they had the circumcision of the
heart, or that they were the true
children of God.
12. Ye were without Christ. You
were without the knowledge of the
Messiah. You had not heard of him;
of course you had not embraced him.
You were living without any of the
hopes and consolations which you
now have, from having embraced
him. The object of the apostle is
to remind them of the deplorable
condition in which they were by na
ture ; and nothing would better ex
press it than to say they were " with
out Christ," or that they had no
knowledge of a Saviour. They knew
of no atonement for sin. They had
no assurance of pardon. They had
no well-founded hope of eternal life.
They were in a state of darkness
and condemnation, from which no
thing but a. knowledge of Christ
could deliver them. All Christians
may in like manner be reminded of
the fact that, before their conver
sion, they were "without Christ"
Though they had heard of him, and
were constantly under the instruc
tion which reminded them of him,
yet they were without any true
knowledge of him, and without any
of the hopes which result from hav
ing embraced him. Many were in
fidels. Many were scoffers. Many
were profane, sensual, corrupt
Many rejected Christ with scorn ;
many, by simple neglect. All were
without any true knowledge of him ;
all were destitute of the peace and
hope which result from a saving ac
quaintance with him. We may add,
that there is no more affecting de
scription of the state of man by na
ture than to say, he is without a
Saviour. Sad would be the condi
tion of the world without a Re
deemer — sad is the state of that por-

strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world:
tion of mankind who reject him.
Reader, are you without Christ]
•f Being aliens from the common
wealth of Israel. This is the second
characteristic of their state before
their conversion to Christianity.
This means* more than that they
were not Jews. It means that they
were strangers to that polity — rtou-
tiia — or arrangement by which the
worship of the true God had been
kept up in the world, and of course
were strangers to the true religion.
The arrangements for the public
worship of Jehovah were made
among the Jews. They had his law,
his temple, his Sabbaths, and the
ordinances of his religion. See Notes
on Rom. iii. 2. To all these the
heathens had been strangers, and of
course they were deprived of all the
privileges which resulted from hav
ing the true religion. The word
here rendered commonwealth — rtou-
¦tsia — means properly citizenship, or
the right of citizenship, and then a
community, or state. It means here
that arrangement or organization by
which the worship of the true God
was maintained. The word afens —
dftrjMuotpiunii/ot, — here means merely
that they were strangers to. It
does not denote, of necessity, that
they were hostile to it ; but that they
were ignorant of it, and were, there
fore, deprived of the benefits which
they might have derived from it, if
they had been acquainted with it
If And strangers. This word — Jl-
voc — means properly- a guest, or a
stranger, who is hospitably enter
tained ; then a foreigner, or one from
a distant country ; and here means
that they did not belong to the com
munity where the covenants of pro
mise were enjoyed; that is, they
were strangers to the privileges of
the people of God. If The cove-

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
nants of promise. See Notes on
Rom. ix. 4. The covenants of pro
mise were those various arrange
ments which God made with his
people, by which he promised them
future blessings, and especially by
which he promised that the Messiah
should come. To be in possession
of them was regarded as a high ho
nour and privilege; and Paul refers
to it here to show that, though the
Ephesians had been by nature with
out these, yet they had now been
brought to enjoy all the benefits
of them. On the word covenant,
see Notes on Gal. iii. 15. It may
be remarked, that Walton (Poly
glott) and Rosenmuller unite the
word 'promise' here with the word
' hope' — having no hope of the pro
mise. But the more obvious and
usual interpretation is that in our
common version, meaning that they
were not by nature favoured with
the covenants made with Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, &c, by which there
was a promise of future blessings
under the Messiah If Having no
hope. The apostle does not mean to
affirm that they did not cherish any
hope, for this is scarcely true of any
man; but that they were without
any proper ground of hope. It is
true of perhaps nearly all men that
they cherish some hope of future
happiness. But the ground on which
they do this is not well understood
by themselves, nor do they in gene
ral regard it as a matter worth par
ticular inquiry. Some rely on mo
rality; some on forms of religion;
some on the doctrine of universal
salvation; all who are impenitent
believe that they do not deserve eter
nal death, and expect to be saved by
justice. Such hopes, however, must
be unfounded. No hope' of life in a
future world can be founded on a
proper basis which does not rest on
some promise of God, or some assur
ance that he will save us ; and these
hopes, therefore, which men take up

51

they know not why, are delusive
and vain, ^f And without God in
the world. Gr. oSsm — atheists ; that
is, those who had no knowledge of
the true God. This is the last spe
cification of their miserable condi
tion before they were converted;
and it is an appropiate crowning of
the climax. What an expression!
To be without God — without God in
his own world, and where he is all
around us ! To have no evidence of
his favour, no assurance of his love,
no hope of dwelling with him ! The
meaning, as applied to the heathen
Ephesians, was, that they had no
knowledge of the true God. This
was true of the heathen, and in an
important sense also it is true of all
impenitent sinners, and was once
true of all who are now Christians.
They had no God. They did not
worship him, or love him, or serve
him, or seek his favours, or act with
reference to him and his glory. No
thing can be a more appropriate and
striking description of a sinner now
than to say that he is ' without God
in the world.' He lives, and feels,
and acts, as if there were no God.
He neither worships him in secret,
nor in his family, nor in public. He
acts with no reference to his will.
He puts no confidence in his pro
mises, and fears not when he threat
ens ; and were it announced to him
that there is no God, it would pro
duce no change in his plan of life,
or in his emotions. The announce
ment that the emperor of China, or
the king of Siam, or the sultan of
Constantinople, was dead, would pro
duce some emotion, and might change
some of his commercial arrange
ments; but the announcement that
there is no God would interfere with
none of his plans, and demand no
change of life. And, if so, what is
man in this beautiful world without
a God) A traveller to eternity
without a God ! Standing over the
grave without a God ! An immortal

52

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

13 But now, in Christ Jesus,
ye who sometimes were far off!
are made nigh by the blood ° of
Christ.

a He. 9. 12.

being without a God! A man —
fallen, sunk, ruined, with no God to
praise, to love, to confide in; with
no altar, no sacrifice, no worship, no
hope; with no Father in trial, no
counsellor in perplexity, no support
in death ! Such is the state of man
by nature. Such are the effects of
sin. 13. But now in Christ Jesus. By
the coming and atonement of the
Lord Jesus, and by the gospel which
he preached. If Ye who sometimes
were afar off. Who were formerly
— rto-ff. Tindal translates it, a whyle
agoo. The phrase afar off — fiaxgcw
— means that they were formerly
far off from God and his people. The
expression is derived from the cus
tom of speaking among the Hebrews.
God was supposed to reside in the
temple. It was a privilege to be
near the temple. Those who were
remote from Jerusalem and the tem
ple were regarded as far off from
God, and hence as peculiarly irreli
gious and wicked. See Notes on
Isa. lvii. 19. Tf Are made nigh.
.Are admitted to the favour of God,
and permitted to approach him as
his worshippers. Tf By the blood of
Christ. The Jews came near to the
mercy-seat on which the symbol of
the divine presence rested (Notes on
Rom. iii. 25), by the blood that was
offered in sacrifice ; that is, the High
Priest approached that mercy-seat
with blood and sprinkled it before
God. Now we are permitted to ap
proach him with the blood of the
atonement The shedding of that
blood has prepared the way by which
Gentiles as well as Jews may ap
proach God, and it is by that offering
that we are led to seek God.

14 For he • is our peace, who
hath made both" one, and hath
broken down the middle wall of
partition between us;

c Jno. 10. 16. Ga. 3.-28.

14. .For he is our peace. There
is evident allusion here to Isa. lvii.
19. See Notes on that verse. The
peace here referred to is that by
which a union in worship and in
feeling has been produced between
the Jews and the Gentiles. For
merly they were alienated and sepa
rate. They had different objects ot
worship; different religious rites
different views and feelings. The
Jews regarded the Gentiles with ha
tred, and the Gentiles the Jews with
scorn. Now, says the apostle, they
are at peace. They worship the
same God. They have the same
Saviour. They depend on the same
atonement. They have the same
hope. They look forward to the
same heaven. They belong to the
same redeemed family. Reconcili
ation has not only taken place with
God, but with each other. The best
way to produce peace between alien
ated minds is to bring them to the
same Saviour* That will do more
to silence contentions, and to heal
alienations, than any or all other
means. Bring men around the same
cross; fill them with love to the
same Redeemer, and give them the
same hope of heaven, and you put a
period to alienation and strife. The
love of Christ is so absorbing, and
the dependence in his blood so en
tire, that they will lay aside these
alienations, and cease tlieir conten
tions. The work of the atonement
is thus designed not only to produce
peace with God, but peace between
alienated and contending minds.
The feeling that we are redeemed
by the same blood, and that we have
the same Saviour, will unite the rich
and the poor, the bond and the free,

A D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
15 Having abolished • in his
flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordi-

53

the high and the low, in the ties of
brotherhood, and make them feel that
they are one. This great work of
the atonement is thus designed to
produce peace in alienated minds
everywhere, and to diffuse abroad
the feeling of universal brotherhood.
If Who hath made both one. Both
Gentiles and Jews. He has united
them in one society. IT Having
broken down the middle wall. There
is an allusion here undoubtedly to
the wall of partition in the temple
by which the court of the Gentiles
was separated from that of the Jews.
See Notes and the plan of the tem
ple, in Matt xxi. 12. The idea here
is, that that was now broken down,
and that the Gentiles had the same
access to the temple as the Jews.
The sense is, that in virtue of the
sacrifice of the Redeemer they were
admitted to the same privileges and
hopes. 15. Having abolished. Having
brought to naught or put an end to
it — xa-tagytjdae. % In his flesh. By
the sacrifice of his body on the cross.
It was not by instruction merely ; it
was not by communicating the know
ledge of God ; it was not as a teach
er ; it was not "by the mere exertion
of power; it was by his flesh — his
human nature — and this can mean
only that he did it by his sacrifice
of himself. It is such language as
is appropriate to the doctrine of the
atonement — not indeed teaching it
directly — but still such as one would
use who believed that doctrine, and
such as no other one would employ.
Who would now say of a moral
teacher that he accomplished an im
portant result by his flesh ? Who
would say of a man that was instru
mental in reconciling his contending
neighbours, that he did it by his
' 5 +

nances ; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making
peace ;

flesh? Who would say of Dr.
Priestley that he established Unita-
rionism in his flesh ? No man would
have ever used this language who
did not believe that Jesus died as a
sacrifice for sin. IT The enmity.
Between the Jew and the Gentile.
Tindal renders this, " the cause of
hatred, that is to say, the law of
commandments contained in the law
written." This is expressive of the
true sense. The idea is, that the
ceremonial law of the Jews, on
which they so much prided them
selves, was the cause of the hostility
existing between them. That made
them different people, and laid the
foundation for the alienation which
existed between them. They had
different laws ; different institutions ;
a different religion. The Jews look
ed upon themselves as the favourites
of Heaven, and as in possession of
the knowledge of the only way of
salvation; the Gentiles regarded
their laws with contempt, and look
ed upon the peculiar institutions
with scorn. When Christ came,
and abolished by his death their pe
culiar ceremonial laws, of course the
cause of this alienation ceased.
If Even Ihe law of commandments.
The law of positive commandments.
This does not refer to the moral law,
which was not the cause of the alien
ation, and which was not abolished
by the death of Christ, but to the
laws commanding sacrifices, festi
vals, fasts, &c, which constituted the
peculiarity of the Jewish system.
These were the occasion of the en
mity between the Jews and the Gen
tiles, and these were abolished by
the great sacrifice which the Re
deemer made ; and of course when
that was made, the purpose for which
these laws were instituted was ac-

•*4

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

16 And that he might recon
cile • both unto God in one body
by the cross, having slain the en
mity ' thereby ;

a Col. 1.20-2-2.

1 or, in himself.

complished, and they ceased to be
of value and to be binding. IT Con
tained in ordinances, In the Mo
saic commandments. The word or
dinance means, decree, edict, law.
Luke ii. 1. Acts xvi. 4; xvii. 7.
Col. ii. 14. ^ For to make in him
self. By virtue of his death, or un
der him as the head. If Of twain
one new man. Of the two — Jews
and Gentiles — one new spiritual per
son ; that they might be united. The
idea is, that as two persons who had
been at enmity, might become re
conciled and be one in aim and pur
suit, so it was in the effect of the
work of Christ on the Jews and Gen
tiles. When they were converted
they would be united and harmonious.
16. And that he might reconcile
both unto God. This was another
of the effects of the work of redemp
tion, and indeed the main effect It
was not merely to make them har
monious, but it was that both, who
had been alienated from God, should
be reconciled to him. This was a
different effect from that of pro
ducing peace between themselves,
though in some sense the one grew
out of the other. They who are re
conciled to God will be at peace
with each other. They will feel
that they are of the same family,
and are all brethren. On the sub
ject of reconciliation, see Notes on
2 Cor. v. 18. IT In one body. One
spiritual personage — the church.
See Notes on ch. i. 23. If By the
cross. By the atonement which he
made on the cross. See Col. i. 20.
Comp. Notes on Rom. iii. 25. It is
by the atonement ouly that men
ever become reconciled to God.
If Having slain the enmity. Not
only the enmity between Jews and

17 And came and preached
peace to you h which were afar
off and to them that were nigh.
18 For through c him we both

cJno.14.fi. IPc. 3.18.

Gentiles, but the enmity between
the sinner and God. He has by that
death removed all the obstacles to
reconciliation on the part of God
and on the part of man. It is made
efficacious in removing the enmity
of the sinner against God, and pro
ducing peace. IT Thereby. Marg.,
in himself. The meaning is, in his
cross, or by means of his cross.
17. And came and preached peace.
That is, the system of religion which
he proclaimed, was adapted to pro
duce peace with God. This he
preached personally to those who
" were nigh," that is, the Jews ; to
those were " afar off" — the Gentiles
— he preached it by his apostles.
He was the author of the system
which proclaimed salvation to both
The word peace here refers to re
conciliation with God. T To you
which were afar off, &c. See Notes
on ver. 13. Comp. Notes on Acts
ii. 39.
18. For through him. That is,
he has secured this result that we
have access to God. This he did by
his death — reconciling us to God ;
by the doctrines which he taught —
acquainting us with God; and by
his intercession in heaven— by which
our " prayers gain acceptance" with
him. If We both have access. Both
Jews and Gentiles. See Notes on
Rom. v. 2. We are permitted to
approach God through him, or in his
name. The Greek word here—
rtpoffayioyfj — relates properly to the
introduction to, or audience which we
are permitted to have with a prince
or other person of high rank. This
must be effected through an officer
of court to whom the duty is in
trusted. Rosenmuller, Alt. und neu.
Morgenland, in loc. If By one Spirit.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
have access by one Spirit unto the
Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no
more strangers and foreigners, but

55

By the aid of the same Spirit — the
Holy Ghost. See Notes, 1 Cor. xii.
4. % Unto the Father. We are
permitted to come and address God
as our Father. See Notes on Rom.
viii. 15. 26.
19. Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners. You are
reckoned with the people of God.
You are entitled to their privileges,
and are not to be regarded as out
casts and aliens. The meaning is,
that they belonged to the same com
munity — the same family — as the
people of God. The word rendered
strangers — iexot — mea.as foreigners
in a state, as opposed to citizens.
The word rendered foreigners —
jtapoixot — means guests in a private
family, as opposed to the members
of the family. Rosenmuller. Stran
gers and such as proposed to reside
for a. short time in Athens, were
permitted to reside in the city, and
to pursue their business undisturbed,
but they could perform no public
duty ; they had no voice in the pub
lic deliberations, and they had no
part in the management of the state.
They could only look on as specta
tors, without mingling, in the scenes
of state, or interfering in any way in
the affairs of the government. They
were bound humbly to submit to all
the enactments of the citizens, and
observe all the laws and usages of the
republic. It was not even allowed
them to transact any business in
their own name, but they were
bound to choose from among the
citizens one to whose care they com
mitted themselves as a patron, and
whose duty it was to guard them
against all injustice and wrong.
Potter's Gr. Ant. 1. 55. Proselytes,
who united themselves to the Jews,

fellow-citizens • with the saints,
and of the household * of God ;
20 And are built" upon the1*
a Hfi. 12. 22, 23. 4 c. 3. 15.
c 1 Co. 3. 9, 10. d Mot. 16. 18. Re. 21. 14.

were also called in the Jewish writ
ings, strangers. All foreigners were
regarded as 'strangers,' and Jews
only were supposed to have near
access to God. But now, says the
apostle, this distinction is taken
away, and the believing heathen, as
well as the Jew, has the right of
citizenship in the New Jerusalem,
and one, as well as another, is a
member of the family of God. Bur-
der, Ros. Alt u. neu. Morgenland,
in loc. The meaning here is, that
they had not come to sojourn merely
as guests or foreigners, but were a
part of the family itself, and entitled
to all the privileges and hopes which
others had. If But fellow-citizens
with the saints. Belonging to the
same community with the people of
God. If And of the household of
God. Of the same family. En
titled to the same privileges, and
regarded by him as his children
See ch. iii. 15.
20. And are built upon the foun
dation. The comparison of the
church with a building, is common
in the Scriptures. Comp. Notes on
ICor. iii. 9, 10. The comparison
was probably taken from the temple,
and as that was an edifice of great
beauty, expense, and sacredness, it
was natural to compare the church
with it. . Besides, the temple was
the sacred place where God dwelt on
the earth; and as the church was
the place where he delighted now
to abide, it became natural to speak
of his church as the temple, or the
residence of God. See Notes on
Isa. liv. 11, 12. That building, says
Paul, was permanently founded, and
was rising with great beauty of pro
portion, and with great majesty and
splendour. If Of the apostles. The

56

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself
doctrines which they taught are the
basis on which the church rests. It
is possible that Paul referred here
to a splendid edifice, particularly
because the Ephesians were distin
guished for their skill in architec
ture, and because the celebrated
temple of Diana was among them.
An allusion to a building, however,
as an illustration of the church, oc
curs several times in his other epis
tles, and was an allusion which
would be everywhere understood.
If And prophets. The prophets of
the Old Testament, using the word,
probably, to denote the Old Testa
ment in general. That is, the doc
trines of divine revelation, whether
communicated by prophets or apos
tles, were laid at the foundation of
the Christian church. It was not
founded on philosophy, or tradition,
or on human laws, or on a venerable
antiquity, but on the great truths
which God had revealed. Paul
does not say that it was founded on
Peter, as the Papists do, but on the
prophets and apostles in general. If
Peter had been the ' vicegerent of
Christ,' and the head of the church,
it is incredible that his brother Paul
should not have given him some
honourable notice in this place.
Why did he not allude to so import
ant a fact) Would one who be
lieved it have omitted it ! Would a
Papist now omit it) Learn here,
(1.) That no reliance is to be placed
on philosophy as a basis of religious
doctrine. (2.) That the traditions
of men have no authority in the
church and constitute no part of the
foundation. (3.) That nothing is to
be regarded as a fundamental part
of the Christian system, or as bind
ing on the conscience, which can
not be found in the ' prophets and
apostles ;' that is, as it means here,

being the chief" corner-stone ;
21 In whom all the building

in the Holy Scriptures. No decrees
of councils ; no ordinances of synods ;
no 'standard' of doctrines; no creed
or confession, is to be urged as au
thority in forming the opinions of
men. They may be valuable for
some purposes, but not for this; they
may be referred to as interesting
parts of history, but not to form the
faith of Christians; they may be
used in the church to express its
belief, but not to form it What is
based on the authority of apostles
and prophets is true, and always
true, and only true ; what may be
found elsewhere, may be valuable
and true, or not but, at any rate, is
not to be used to control the faith of
men. If Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner-stone. See Notes
on Isa. xxviii. 16. Rom. ix. 33.
The corner-stone is the most im
portant in the building. (1.) Be
cause the edifice rests mainly on the
corner-stones. If they are small,
and unstable, and settle down, the
whole building is insecure; and
hence care is taken to place a large
stone firmly at each corner of an
edifice. (2.) Because it occupies a
conspicuous and honourable place
If documents or valuable articles
are deposited at the foundation of a
building it is within the corner
stone. The Lord Jesus is called the
' corner-stone,' because the whole
edifice rests on him, or he occupies
a place relatively as important as
the corner-stone of an edifice. Wera
it not for him, the edifice could not
be sustained for a moment Neither
prophets nor apostles alone could
sustain it. See Notes on 1 Cor. iii.
11. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 6.
21. In whom. That is, by whom,
or upon whom. It was in connec
tion with him, or by being reared on
him as a. foundation, ^f All tht

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

57

fitly framed together, groweth
unto an holy " temple in the
Lord: a 1 Co. 3. 17. 2 Co. 6. 16.
building. The whole church of
Christ % Fitly framed together.
The word here used means to joint
together, as a carpenter does the
frame-work of a building. The
materials are accurately and care
fully united by mortices and tenons,
so that the building shall be firm.
Different materials may be used, and
different kinds of timber may be
employed, but one part shall be
worked into another, so as to con
stitute a durable and beautiful edi
fice. So in the church The dif
ferent materials of the Jews and
Gentiles ; the people of various na
tions, though heretofore separated
and discordant, become now united,
and form an harmonious society.
They believe the same doctrines;
worship the same God ; practise the
same holiness, and look forward to
the same heaven. If Groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord. See
Notes on 1 Cor. hi. 17. 2 Cor. vi. 16.
22. In whom. In Christ, or on
Christ, as the solid and precious
foundation. IT Ye also are builded
together. You are built into that,
or constitute a part of it You are
not merely added to it, but you con
stitute a part of the budding. If For
an habitation of God. For the in
dwelling, or the dwelling-place, of
God. Formerly he dwelt in the
temple. Now he dwells in the
church, and in the hearts of his peo
ple. See Notes on 2 Cor. vi. 16.
REMARKS.
1. We were by nature dead in
sin. Ver. 1. We had no spiritual
life. We were insensible to the
calls of God, to the beauty of reli
gion, to the claims of the Creator.
We were like corpses in the tomb
in reference to the gay and busy

22 In whom ye also are build
ed * together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit.
b 1 Pe. 2. 4, s.

and happy world around them.—
There we should have remained,
had not the grace of God given us
life, just as the dead will remain in
their graves for ever, unless God
shall raise them up. How humble
should we be at the remembrance
of this fact ! how grateful that God
has not left us to sleep that sleep of
death for ever !
2. Parents should feel deep so
licitude for their children. Ver. 3.
They, in common with all others,
are "children of wrath." They
have a nature prone to evil; and
that nature will develope itself in
evil for ever, unless it is changed —
just as the young thorn-bush will be
a thorn-bush, and will put forth
thorns, and not roses; and the Bohon
Upas will be a Bohon Upas, and not
an olive or an orange ; and as the lion
will be a lion, and the panther a
panther, and not a lamb, a kid, or a
gazelle. They will act out their
nature, unless they are changed;
and they will not be changed, but by
the grace of God. I do not mean
that their nature is in every sense
like that of the lion or the asp ; but
I mean that they will be as certainly
wicked, if unrenewed, as the lion
will be ferocious, and the asp poison
ous. And if so, what deep anxiety
should parents feel for the salvation
of their children! How solicitous
should they be that, by the grace of
God, the evil propensities of their
nature may be eradicated, and that
they become the adopted children
of God!
3. The salvation of sinners in
volves all the exercise of power that
is put forth in the resurrection of the
dead. Ver. 5. It is not a work to
be performed by man; it is not a
work of angelic might. None can

58

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

impart spiritual life to the soul but
he who gave it life at first. On that
great Source of life we are depend
ant for our resurrection from spirit
ual death ; and to God we must look
for the grace by which we are to
live. — It is true that though we are
by nature "dead in sins," we are
not in all respects like -the dead.
Let not this doctrine be abused to
make us secure in sin, or to prevent
effort. The dead in the grave are
dead in all respects. We by nature
are dead only in sin. We are active
in other things; and indeed the
powers of man are not less active
than they would be if he were holy.
But it is a tremendous activity for
evil, and for evil only. The dead
in their graves hear nothing, see no
thing, and feel nothing. Sinners
hear, and see, and feel; but they
hear not God, and they see not his
glory, any more than if they were
dead. To the dead in the grave, no
command could with propriety be
addressed; on them, no entreaty
could be urged to rise to life. But
the sinner may be commanded and
entreated ; for he has power, though
it is misdirected ; and what is need
ful is, that he should put forth his
power in a proper manner. While,
therefore, we admit, with deep hu
miliation, that we, our children and
friends, are by nature dead in sin,
.et us not abuse this doctrine as
though we could be required to do
nothing. It is with us wilful death.
It is death because we do not choose
to live. It is a voluntary closing
our eyes, and stopping our ears, as
if we were dead ; and it is a volun
tary remaining in this state, when
we have all the requisite power to
put forth the energies of life. Let
a sinner be as active in the service
of God as he is in the service of the
Devil and the world, and he would
be an eminent Christian. Indeed,
all that is required is, that the mis
directed and abused energy of this

world should be employed in the
service of the Creator. Then all
would be well.
4. Let us remember our former
course of life. Vs. 11, 12. Nothing
is more profitable for a Christian
than to sit down and reflect on his
former life — on his childhood, with
its numerous follies and vanities ; on
his youth, with its errors, and pas
sions, and sins ; and on the ingrati
tude and faults of riper years. Had
God left us in that state, what would
be now our condition ) Had he cut
us off, where had been our abode)
Should he now treat us as we de
serve, what would be our doom)
When the Christian is in danger of
becoming proud and self-confident,
let him remember what he was.
Let him take some period of his lifa
— some year, some month, or even
some one day — and think it all over,
and he will find enough to humble
him. These are the uses which
should be made of the past. (1.) It
should make us humble. If a man
had before his mind a vivid sense of
all the past in his own life, he would
never be lifted up with pride. (2.) It .
should make us grateful. God cut
off the companions of my childhood
— why did he spare me) He cut
down many of the associates of my
youth in their sins^why did he pre
serve me) He has suffered many to
live on in their sins, and they are in
' the broad road' — why am I not with
them, treading the path to death
and hell) (3.) The recollection of
the past should lead us to devote
ourselves to God. Professing Chris
tian, ' remember' how much of thy
life is gone to waste. Remember
thy days of folly and vanity. Re
member the injury thou hast done
by an evil example. Remember
how many have been corrupted by
thy conversation ; perverted by thy
opinions ; led into sin by thy exam
ple ; perhaps ruined in body and soul
for ever by the errors and follies of

A. D. 64] CHAPTER II.
thy post life. And then remember
how much thou dost owe to God, and
how solemnly thou art bound to en
deavour to repair the evils of thy
life, and to save al least as many as
thou hast ruined.
5. Sinners are by nature without
any well-founded hope of salvation.
Ver. 12. They are living without
Christ, having no belief in him, and
no hope of salvation through him.
They are ' aliens' from all the privi
leges of the friends of God. They
have no ' hope.' They have no well-
founded expectation of happiness
beyond the grave. They have a
dim and shadowy expectation that
possibly they may be happy; but it
is founded on no evidence of the di
vine favour, and no promise of God.
They could not tell on what it is
founded, if they were asked ; and
what is such a hope worth ) These
false and delusive hopes do not sus
tain the sold in trial ; they flee away
in death. And what a description is
this ! In a world like this, to be with
out hope ! Subject to trial ; exposed
to death ; and yet destitute -ef any
well-founded prospect of happiness
beyond the tomb! They are ' without
God' also. They worship no God ;
they confide in none. They have
no altar in their families ; no place
of secret prayer. They form their
plans with no reference to the will
of God; they desire not to please him.
There are multitudes who are living
just as if there were no God. Their
plans, their lives, their conversation,
would not be different if they kid
the assurance that there was no
God. All that they have ever asked
of God, or that they would now ask
of him, is, that he would let them
alone. There are multitudes whose
plans would be in no respect differ
ent, if it were announced to them
that there was no God in heaven.
The only effect might be to psoduce
a more hearty merriment, and a
deeper plunge into sin. What a

world ! How strange that in God's
own world it should thus be ! How
sad the view of a world of atheists —
a race that is endeavouring to feel
that the universe is without a Father
and a God ! How wicked the plans
which can be accomplished only by
labouring to forget that there is a
God ; and how melancholy that state
of the soul in which happiness can
be found only in proportion as it be
lieves that the universe is without a
Creator, and moves on without the
superintending care of a God !
6. The gospel produces peace.
Vs. 14 — 17. (1.) It produces peace
in the heart of the individual, recon
ciling him to God. (2.) It produces
peace and harmony between differ
ent ranks and classes and complex
ions of men, causing them to love
each other, and removing their alien
ations and antipathies. The best
way of producing friendship between
nations and tribes of men; between
those of different complexions, pur
suits, and laws, is, to preach to them
the gospel. The best way to pro
duce harmony between the oppressor
and the oppressed, is to preach to
both of them the gospel of peace,
and make them feel that they have
a common Saviour. (3.) It is fitted
to produce peace among the nations.
Let it spread, and wars will cease
right and justice will universally pre
vail, and harmony and concord will
spread over the world. See Notes
on Isa. ii. 4.
7. Let us rejoice in the privileges
which we now have as Christians.
We have access to the Father. Ver.
18. None are so poor, so ignorant, so
down-trodden that they may not come
to God. In all times of affliction,
poverty, and oppression, we may ap
proach the Father of mercies. Chains
may bind the body, but no chain can
fetter the soul in its intercourse with
God. We may be thrown into a
dungeon, but communion with God
may be maintained there. We may

60

EPHESIANS.

[A. D 64

be cast out and despised by men, but
we may come at once unto God, tnd
he will not cast us away. Further.
We are not now strangers and for
eigners. We belong to the family
of God. We are fellow-citizens with
the saints. Ver. 19. We are parti
cipants of the hope of the redeemed,
and we share their honours and their
joys. It is right that true Christians
should rejoice, and their joy is of
such a character that no man can
take it from them.
8. Let us make our appeal on all
doctrines and duties to the Bible —
to the prophets and the apostles.
Ver. 20. On them and their doc
trine we can build. On them the
church is reared. It is not on the
opinion of philosophers and lawgiv
ers; not on creeds, symbols, tradi
tions, and the decisions of councils ;
it is on the authority of the inspired
book of God. The church is in its
most healthy state when it appeals
for its doctrines most directly to the
Bible. Individual Christians grow
most in grace when they appeal
most to this 'book of books.' The
church is in great danger of error
when it goes off from this pure
'standard' and makes its appeal to
other standards — to creeds and sym
bols of doctrine. " The Bible is the
religion of Protestants;" and the
church will be kept pure from error,
and will advance in holiness, just as
this is made the great principle
which shall always govern and con
trol it. If a doctrine is not found
in the 'apostles and prophets' — in
some part of the Bible, it is not to
be imposed on the conscience. It
may, or may not be true ; it may, or
may not be fitted to edify a people ;
but it is not to be an article of faith,
or imposed on the consciences of
men. 9. Let us evince always special
regard for the Lord Jesus. Ver. 20.

He is the precious corner-stoike on
which the whole spiritual temple is
reared. On him the church rests.
How important, then, that the church
should have correct views of the
Redeemer ! How important that the
true doctrine respecting his divine
nature; his atonement ; his incarna
tion; his resurrection, should be
maintained. It is not a matter of
indifference whether he be God or
man ; whether he died as an atoning
sacrifice or as a martyr; whether
he be the equal of God, or whether
he be an archangel. Everything
depends on the view which is held
ofthatRedeemer — and as men enter
tain different opinions about him, they
go oft' into different systems as wide
from each other as the poles. Every
thing in the welfare of the church,
and in the individual peace of its
members, depends on proper views
of the Lord Jesus.
10. The church is designed as the
place of the special residence of the
Holy Spirit on earth. Vs. 21, 22. It
is the beautiful temple where he
dwells ; the edifice which is reared
for his abode. How holy should that
church be ; how pure should be each
Christian to be an appropriate habi
tation for such a guest ! Holy should
be the heart where that Spirit dwells.
With what anxious care should we
cherish the presence of such a guest ;
with what solicitude should we guard
our conduct that we may not grieve
him away ! How anxious we are so
to live that we may not grieve away
our friends from our dwellings!
Should an illustrious guest become
an inmate in our abode, how anx
ious should we be to do all that we
can to please him, and to retain him
with us ! How much more anxious
should we be to secure the indwelling
of the eternal Spirit ! How desirous
that he should make our hearts and
the church his constant abode !

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

61

CHAPTER HI.

ANALYSIS.
This chapter consists properly of
three parts : —
I. A statement that the Gentiles
were to be made partakers of the
gospel, and that the work of pro
claiming this was especially intrust
ed to Paul. Vs. 1—12. In illustrat
ing this, Paul observes.
(1.) That he was the prisoner of
Jesus Christ in behalf of the Gen
tiles. Ver. l.f He was in bonds for
maintaining that the gospel was to
be preached to the Gentiles, and for
endeavouring to convey it to them.
(2.) He reminds them all of the
feet that he was called by special
revelation to make known this truth,
and to convey to the Gentiles this
gospel — supposing that they had
heard of the manner of his conver
sion. Vs. 2, 3.
(3.) He refers them to what he
had said before in few words on this
point as proof of his acquaintance
with this great plan of the gospel.
Vs. 3, 4 S V
(4.) He speaks of this great truth
as a 'mystery' — the 'mystery of
Christ;' the great and important
truth which was concealed until
Christ came, and which was fully
made known by him. Vs. 4, 5, 6.
This had been hidden for ages.
But now it had been fully revealed
by the Spirit of God to the apostles
and prophets in the Christian church
that the great wall of partition was
to be broken down, and the gospel
proclaimed alike to all.
(5.) The apostle says, that to him
especially was this office committed
to proclaim among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ Vs.
8,9. (6.) The design of this was to
illustrate, in view of all worlds, the
great wisdom of God in the plan of
salvation. Vs. 10 — 12. It was in
tended to show to other intelligent
6

beings the glory of the divine per
fections, and to make manifestations
of the divine character which could
be perceived nowhere else.
II. Paul expresses an earnest wish
that they should comprehend the
glory of this, plan of salvation. Vs.
13 — 19. Particularly he desires
them not to feint on account of his
afflictions in their behalf; declares
that he bows his knees in prayer be
fore the Great Father of the redeem
ed family, that God would be pleased
to strengthen them, and enlighten
them, and give them clear views of
the glorious plan.
III. The chapter concludes with
an ascription of praise to God, in
view of the great goodness which
he had manifested, and of the glory
of the plan of salvation. Vs. 20, 21.
1. For this cause. On account
of preaching this doctrine ; that is,
the doctrine that the gospel was to
be proclaimed to the Gentiles. % I
Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ.
A prisoner in the service of the Lord
Jesus; or made a prisoner in his
cause. Not a prisoner for crime, or
debt, or as a captive in war, but a
captive in the service of the Re
deemer. This proves that at the
time of writing this, Paul was in
bonds, and there can be no question
that he was in Rome. This would
be more correctly rendered, 'For
this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner,'
&c. So Tindal renders it, "For
this cause I, Paul, the servant of
Jesus, am in bonds." So also Locke,
Rosenmuller, Doddridge, Whitby,
Koppe, and others understand it By
this construction the abruptness now
manifest in our common version is
avoided. If For you Gentiles. Made
a prisoner at Rome on your behalf,
because I maintained that the gos
pel was to be preached to the Gen
tiles. See Acts xxii. 21—23. He
was taken first to Cesarea, and then
I to Rome. The cause of his impris-

62

CHAPTER in.
FOR this cause I Paul, the pri
soner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles, 2 (If ye have heard of the dis-

EPHESIANS. [A. D. 64
pensation ° of the grace * of God,
which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation c he
made known unto me the mys-
a Col. 1. 25. 6 Ro. 12. 3. c Ga. 1. 12.

onment and of all his difficulties
was, that he maintained that the
goipel was to be preached to the
Gentiles; that when the Jews re
jected it God rejected them; and
that he was specially called to carry
the message of salvation to the hea
then world.
2. If ye have heard. E'y£. "If
at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken
of what is taken for granted." Ro
binson. Comp. 2 Cor. v. 3. Gal.
iii. 4 Eph. iv. 21. Col. i. 23, for
the use of the particle. The par
ticle here is not designed to express
a doubt whether they had heard of
it or not, for he takes it for granted
that they had. Doddridge renders
it, 'since I well know you have
heard,' &c. He had informed them
of his being called to be the minister
to the Gentiles (ver. 3), but still there
was a possibility that they had not
received the letter containing the
information, and he goes, therefore,
into another statement on the sub
ject, that they might fully compre
hend it. Hence this long parenthe
tical sentence — one of the longest
that occurs in the writings of Paul,
and expressed under the impulse of
a mind full of the subject ; so full,
as we would say, that he did not
know what to say first. Hence it is
exceedingly difficult to understand
the exact state of mind in which he
was. It seems to me that the whole
of this long statement grew out of
the incidental mention (ver. 1) of
the fact that he was a prisoner for
the Gentiles. Instantly he seems
to have reflected that they would be
grieved at the intelligence that he
was suffering on their account He
goe*, therefore, into this long ac

count, to show them how it happen
ed ; that it was by the appointment
of God ; that it was in the evolving
of a great and glorious mystery ;
that it was in a cause adapted to
promote, in an eminent degree, the
glory of God; that it was according
to an eternal purpose ;'and he, there
fore (ver. 13), says, that he desires
that they would not " feint" or be
unduly distressed on account of his
sufferings for them, since his suffer
ings were designed to promote their
"glory." He was comforted in the
belief that he was making known
the glorious and eternal plan of
God, and in the belief that it was
for the welfare of mankind; and he,
therefore, entreated them also not
to be troubled inordinately at his
sufferings. Tf The dispensation. Gr.
economy ; rendered stewardship,
Luke xvi. 2, 3, 4 ; and dispensation,
Eph. i. 10; iii. 2. Col. i. 25. See
Notes on ch. i. 10. It means here
that this arrangement was made that
he should be the apostle to the Gen
tiles. In the assignment of the dif
ferent parts of the work of preach
ing the gospel, the office had been
committed to him of making it
known to the heathen. If Of the
grace of God. In the arrangements
of his grace, f Which is given me
to you-ward. Toward you who are
Gentiles. Not to the Ephesians par
ticularly, but to the nations at large.
See Notes on Gal. ii. 7.
3. How that by revelation. See
Notes on Gal. i. 12. He refers tc
the revelation which was made to
him when he was called to the apos
tolic office, that the gospel was to be
preached to the Gentiles, and that
he was converted for the special pur-

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER III.

63

tery ; as I wrote afore ' in few
words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye
may understand my knowledge
in the " mystery of Christ ;

> or, a little before.

a c. 1. 9.

pose of carrying it to them. See
Acts ix. 15; xxii. 21. % Unto me
the mystery. The hitherto conceal
ed truth that the gospel was to be
preached to the Gentiles. See Notes,
ch. i. 9, on the meaning of the word
mystery. If As I wrote afore in
few words. Marg., a little before.
To what this refers commentators ore
not agreed. Bloomfield, Doddridge,
Rosenmuller, Erasmus, Grotius,
Locke, and others, suppose that he
refers to what he had written in
the two previous chapters respecting
the plan of God to call the Gentiles
to his kingdom. Calvin supposes
that he refers to some former epistle
which he had written to them, but
which is now lost. He remarks in
regard to this, 'If the solicitude of
Paul be rightly considered ; if his
vigilance and assiduity ; if his zeal
and studious habits ; if his kindness
and promptitude in assisting his
brethren, it is easy to suppose that
he wrote many epistles publicly and
privately to this place and to that
place. But those only which the
Lord saw necessary to the welfare
of his church has he taken care to
have preserved.' In this opinion
there is nothing in itself improbable
(Comp. Introduction to Isaiah, § 5,
(1.) ), but it may be doubted whether
Paul here refers to any such epis'le.
The addition which he makes,
' whereby, when ye read,' &c, seems
rather to imply that he refers to
what he had just written.
4. Whereby, when ye read. By
the baTe reading of which you may
understand the view which I enter
tain of the plan of salvation, and the
knowledge which I have of God's

5 Which in other ages was not
* made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto
the holy apostles and prophets by
the Spirit ;
4 Mat. 13. 17. Ro. 16. 25. 1 Pc. 1. 10-12.
method of saving men, particularly
of his intention in regard to the sal
vation of the Gentiles. If In t he mys
tery of Christ. This does not refer
to anything mysterious in the person
of Christ; or the union of the divine
and human nature in him ; or to any
thing difficult of apprehension in the
work of the atonement It means
the hitherto concealed doctrine that
through the Messiah, the Gentiles
were to be received to the same pri
vileges as the Jews, and that the plan
of salvation was to be made equally
free for all. This great truth had
been hitherto concealed, or but par
tially understood, and Paul says that
he was appointed to make it known
to the world. His knowledge on
the subject, he says, could be under
stood by what he had said, and from
that they could judge whether he
was qualified to state and defend the
doctrines of the gospel. Paul evi
dently supposed that the knowledge
which he had on that subject was
of eminent value ; that it was pos
sessed by few; that it was important
to understand it. Hence he dwells
upon it He speaks of the glory of
that truth. He traces it back to the
counsels of God. He shows that it
entered into his eternal plans ; and
he evidently felt that the truth which
he had communicated in the former
part of this epistle, was among the
most important that could come be
fore the mind.
5. Which in other ages. The
great purposes of God in regard to
the salvation o£ mankind were not
revealed. See Notes on Rom. xvi.
25. ^f And prophets. Those who
exercised the office of a prophet or

64

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

6 That the Gentiles should be
fellow-heirs, and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in
Christ by the gospel ;
7 Whereof I was made a min
ister, according to the gift of the

inspired teacher in the Christian
church. See Notes on 1 Cor. xii. 1.
Tf By the Spirit. This proves that
those who exercised the office of
prophet in the Christian church were
inspired. They were persons en
dowed in this manner for the pur
pose of imparting to the newly form
ed churches the doctrines of the
Christian system. There is no evi
dence that this was designed to be
a permanent order of men in the
church. They were necessary for set
tling the church on a permanent basis,
in the absence of a full written reve
lation, and when the apostles were
away. When the volume of reve
lation was finished, and the doctrines
of the gospel were fully understood,
the functions of the office ceased.
6. That the Gentiles should be
fellow-heirs. Fellow-heirs with the
ancient people of God — the Jews —
and entitled to the same privileges.
See Notes on Rom. viii. 17, and
Eph. ii. 13—18.
7. Whereof I was made a minis
ter. See Notes on ver. 2. If Ac
cording to the gift of the grace of
God. It was not by my own seek
ing or merit; it was a free gift.
If Of the grace of God. The sen
timent is, that throughout it was a
mere matter of grace that he was
called into the ministry, and that so
important an office was intrusted to
him as that of bearing the gospel to
the Gentiles. If By the effectual
working of his power. Not by any
native inclination which / had to
the gospel, and not by any power
which I have put forth. It is by ' the
energy of his power.' Comp. Notes,

grace of God given unto me by
the effectual ° working of his
power. 8 Unto me, who am less b than
the least of all saints, is this grace
given, that I should preach among

a Is. 43. 13. c. 1. 19.

4 1 Co. 15. 9.

Gal. ii. 8. Locke understands this
of the energy or power which God
put forth in converting the Gentiles
under his ministry. But it seems to
me that it refers rather to the power
which God put forth in the conver
sion of Paul himself, and putting
him into the ministry. This is clear
from the following verse. The mean
ing is, that such was his opposition
to the gospel by nature, that nothing
but the 'energy of God' could over
come it, and that his conversion was
to be traced to that alone.
8. Unto me, who am less than the
least of all saints. This is one of
the class of expressions peculiar to
Paul. The ordinary terms of lan
guage do not express the idea which
he wishes to convey, and a word is
therefore coined to convey an idea
more emphatically. Comp. Notes
on 2 Cor. iv. 17. The word here
used — lia%iat6ttfos — does not occur
elsewhere in the New Testament
It is a comparative made from the
superlative. Similar expressions are
found, however, in later Greek
writers. See Bloomfield and Ro-
senmuller for examples. The word
means here, ' who am incomparably
the least of all the saints ; or who
am not worthy to be reckoned among
the saints.' It is expressive of the
deep sense which he had of the sin
fulness of his past life ; of his guilt
in persecuting the church and the
Saviour ; and perhaps of his sense of
his low attainments in piety. See
Notes on 1 Cor. xv. 9. Paul never
could forget the guilt of his former
life ; never forget the time when he
was engaged in persecuting the

A. D. 64.]
the Gentiles the
riches " of Christ ;

CHAPTER III.

65

9 And to make all men see,
a Co. 1. 27.

unsearchable | what is the fellowship of the
mystery, J which from the begin-

church of God. If The unsearch
able riches of Christ. On the word
riches, as used by Paul, see Notes
on ch. i. 7. The word rendered un
searchable, uvt%ixiiLrustov, occurs but
once elsewhere in the New Testa
ment (Rom. xi. 33), where it is ren
dered past finding out. See Notes
on that verse. It means that which
cannot be traced out, or explored ;
which is inscrutable, or incompre
hensible. The meaning here is,
that there was a sufficiency in Christ
which could not be traced out or ex
plored. It was wholly incomprehen
sible. The fulness of the riches in
him could not be appreciated. There
is no more emphatic expression in
the New Testament th?a this. It
shows that the heart of ths apostle
was full of admiration of ihe suffi
ciency and glory that was in the Sa
viour; that he wanted words to ex
press it; and that he considered it
the highest honour to be permitted
to tell the world that there were such
riches in the Redeemer.
9. And to make all men see. In
order that the whole human family
might see the glory of God in the
plan of salvation. Hitherto the re
velation of his character and plans
had been confined to the Jews. Now
it was his design that all the race
should be made acquainted with it.
% What is the fellowship of the mys
tery. Instead offellowship here — xom
vavla — most MSS. and versions read
olxonofua — dispensation. See Mill,
This reading is adopted by Gries
bach, Tittman, Rosenmuller, Koppe,
and is regarded by most critics as
being the genuine reading. The
mistake might easily have been
made by a transcriber. The mean
ing then would be, ' to enlighten all
in respect to the dispensation of this
6*

ning of the world hath been hid
4 ver. 4, 5. 1 Ti. 3. 115.

mystery ;' that is, to cause all to un
derstand the manner in which this
great truth of the plan of salvation
is communicated to men. If the
word fellowship is to be retained, it
means that this doctrine, or secret
counsel of God, was now common to
all believers. It was not to be con
fined to any class or rank of men.
Locke renders it, " and to make all
men perceive how this mystery
comes now to be communicated to the
world." Archbishop Whately (Er
rors of Romanism, ch. ii. J 1) renders
it, " the common participation of
the mystery ;" that is, of truths for
merly unknown, and which could not
be known by man's unaided powers,
but which were now laid open by the
gracious dispensation of Divine Pro
vidence; no longer concealed, or
confined to a few, but to be partaken
of by all. The allusion, according
to him, is to the mysteries of the an
cient pagan religions; and he sup
poses that the apostle designs to con
trast those 'mysteries' with Chris
tianity. In tfcose ' mysteries' there
was a distinction between the ini
tiated and uninitiated. There was
a revelation to some of the worship
pers, of certain holy secrets from
which others were excluded. There
were in some of the mysteries, as
the Eleusinian, great and lesser doc
trines, in which different persons
were initiated. In strong contrast
with these, the ' great mystery' in
Christianity was made known to all.
It was concealed from none, and
there was no distinction made among
those who were initiated. No truths
which God had revealed were held
back from any part, but there was a
common participation by all. Chris
tianity has no hidden truths for a
part only of its friends; it has no

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 04

in God, who created all things by
* Jesus Christ :
a Pa. 33. 6. Jno. 1. 3. Co. 1. 16. He. 1. 2.
'reserved' doctrines ; it has no truths
to be intrusted only to a sacred
priesthood. Its doctrines are to be
published to the wide world, and
every follower of Christ is to be a
partaker of all the benefits of the
truths which Christ has revealed.
It is difficult to determine which is
the true reading, and it is not very
important. The general sense is,
that Paul felt himself called into the
ministry in order that all men might
understand now that salvation was
free for all — a truth that had been
concealed for ages. Bearing this
great truth, he felt that he had a
message of incalculable value to
mankind, and he was desirous to go
and proclaim it to the wide world.
On the word mystery, see Notes, ch.
i. 9. If Hath been hid in God.
With God. It has been concealed
in his bosom. The plan was formed,
but it had not before been made
known. % Who created all tiling
This is plain enough ; but it '^ noj
quite so plain why the decl-^tioj, js
introduced in this place. Locke and
Rosenmuller suppose. fhat ;t refers
to the new creat^ and that me
sense is, that fj<od frames and ma
nages this ^ew creation wholly by
Jesus Ch^st. But the expression
contarjl a truth of larger import, and
naturally conveys the idea that all
"flings were made by God, and that
this was only a part of his great and
universal agency. The meaning is,
that God formed all things, and that
this purpose of extending salvation
to the world was a part of his great
plan, and was under his control.
If By Jesus Christ. As this stands
in our common Greek text, as well
as in our English version, there is a
striking resemblance between the
passage and that in Col. i. 15, 16.
But the phrase is wanting in the

10 To the intent that now unto
the principalities and powers in

Vulgate, the Syriac, the Coptic, and
in several of the ancient MSS. Mill
remarks that it was probably insert
ed here by some transcriber from the
parallel passage in Col. i. 16 ; and it
is rejected as an interpolation by
Griesbach. It is not very material
whether it be retained in this place
or not, as the same sentiment is
elsewhere abundantly taught See
John i. 3 ; Col. i. 16 ; Heb. i. 2. If
it is to be retained, the sentiment is
that the Son of God — the second per-.
son of the Trinity — was the great
and immediate agent in the creation
of the universe.
10. To the intent. Cheek, ' that'
— "Ira. The sense, k,, that it was
with this desif-r., oi that this was the
purpose for w).;xh all things were
made. Ojip grand purpose in the
c""eat'-on of the universe was, that
tn j wisdom of God might be clearly
shown by the church. It was not
enough to evince it by the formation
of the sun, the stars, the earth, the
seas, the mountains, the floods. It
was not enough to show it by the
creation of intelligent beings, the
formation of immortal minds on
earth, and the various ranks of the
angelic world. There were views
of the divine character which could
be obtained only in connection with
the redemption of the world. Hence
the universe was created, and man
was made upon the earth, not merely
to illustrate the divine perfections in
the work of creation, but in a still
more illustrious manner in the work
of redemption. And hence the deep
interest which the angelic hosts have
ever evinced in the salvation of man.
If That now. The word now — nv—
is wanting in the Vulgate, Syriac,
and Arabic ; and is omitted by many
of the Fathers. See Koppe. If it is
to be retained, it means that this

AD. 64]

CHAPTER III.

67

heavenly places might be known,
by the church, the manifold wis
dom * of God,
a Ro. 11.33. I Co. 2. 7.

11 According to the eternal*
purpose which he purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord :

display is to be made under the gos
pel. 'Now, since the Messiah is
come ; now, under the christian dis
pensation, this revelation is to be
made to distant worlds.' If Unto the
principalities and powers. To the
angelic hosts — the intelligent beings
that surround the throne of God. See
Notes on ch i. 21. If By the church.
By the incarnation of the Redeemer
to save it; by the mercy shown to
it; by the wise arrangement made
to recover his people from the fell ;
and by all the graces and beauties
which that redeemed church will
evince on earth and in heaven. —
If The manifold wisdom of God.
Literally, much-variegatcd. It means
the greatly-diversified wisdom. It
does not mean merely that there was
great wisdom, but mat the wisdom
shown was diversified and varied;
like changing, variegated colours.
There was a "beautiful and well-
ordered variety of dispensations" to
wards that church, all of which tend
ed to evince the wisdom of God. It
is like a landscape, or a panoramic
view passing before the mind, with
a great variety of phases and aspects,
all tending to excite admiration. In
the redemption of the church, there
is not merely one form or one phase
of wisdom. It is wisdom, ever-vary
ing, ever-beautiful. There was wis
dom manifested when the plan was
formed ; wisdom in the selection of
r the Redeemer ; wisdom in the incar
nation; wisdom in the atonement;
wisdom in the means of renewing
the heart, and sanctifying the soul ;
wisdom in the various dispensations
by which the church is sanctified,
guided, and brought to glory. The
wisdom thus shown is like the ever-
varying beauty of changing clouds,
when the sun is reflected on them at

evening. Each aspect is full of
beauty. One bright cloud differs in
appearance from others ; yet all tend
to fill the mind with elevated views
of God.
11. According to the eternal pur
pose. See Note ch. i. 4. Literally,
' the purpose of ages,' or of eternity.
Locke, Chandler, and Whitby ren
der this, ' according to that disposi
tion or arrangement of the ages
which he made in Jesus Christ, or
through him.' The object of such
an interpretation seems to be to
avoid the doctrine that God had a
purpose or plan in the salvation of
men, and hence such expositors sup
pose it refers to the arrangement of
the ages of the world by which the
plan of redemption was introduced.
On the word here rendered jjhtj??*"
— rtpo^ierts — see Notes on Rom. viii.
28. Comp. Eph. i. 11. It is ren
dered shewbread — 'the bread of set
ting- before,' Matt xii. 4. Mark ii.
26. Luke vi. 4. Heb. ix. 2 ; purpose,
Acts xi 23; xxvii. 13. Rom. viii.
28; ix. II. Eph. i. H; hi n. 2
Tim. L 9 ; iii. 10. It does not occur
elsewhere in the New Testament.
In most of these cases it refers to the
purpose or intention of God ; in not
a single case does it mean arrange
ment or disposition in any sense like
that of making an arrangement of
ages or periods of the world ; and
the interpretation proposed by Whit
by, Locke, Clarke, and others, is
wholly at variance with the settled
use of the word. The word render
ed eternal — aiuviav — may mean ages ;
but it also most usually means eter
nity. See ver. 9. Here it may
mean ' the purpose of ages ,-' i. e.
the purpose formed in past ages'; but
the word is most commonly used in
the New Testament m. the sense of

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

12 In whom we have boldness "
and access with confidence by the
faith of him.

o-He. 4. 16.

ever, and for ever. Comp. the fol
lowing places, where it is so render
ed in our common version, and be
yond a doubt correctly. Matt. vi.
13; xxi. 19. Mark iii. 29; xi. 14.
Luke i. 33. 55. John iv. 14 ; vi.
51. 58; viii. 35; xiv. 16. Rom.
i. 25; ix. 5; xi. 36; xvi. 27. 2 Cor.
ix. 9; xi. 31. Gal. i. 5. The fair
meaning of the passage here is, that
God had formed a plan which was
eternal in reference to the salvation
of men ; that that plan had reference
to the Lord Jesus; and that it was
now executed by the gospel. It is
impossible to get away from the idea
that God has a plan. It is too often
affirmed in the Scriptures, and is too
consonant with our reason, to be dis
puted. It is as undesirable as it is
impossible to escape from that idea.
Who could respect or honour an in
telligent being that had no plan, no
purpose, no intention, and that did
all tilings by caprice and hap-hazard )
If God has any plan, it must be eter
nal. He has no new schemes; he
has no intentions which he did not
always have, ^f Which he purposed.
Literally, 'which he made.' % In
Christ Jesus. With reference to
him ; or which were to be executed
through him. The eternal plan had
respect to him, and was to be exe
cuted by his coming and work.
12. We have boldness. The word
here used — 7tapfyalav — means, pro
perly, boldness of speaking. 2 Cor.
vii. 4. John vii. 26. Acts iv. 13.
29. 31. Here it seems to mean
' freedom of utterance ;' and the idea
is, that we may come to God now in
prayer with confidence through the
Lord Jesus. See Heb. iv. 16. IT And
access. See Notes ch. ii. 18. If By
the faith of him. By faith in him.
The sense js, that we may now come

13 Wherefore I desire that ye
faint not at my tribulations for
you, which * is your glory.
4 2 Co. 1.6.

confidently and boldly to the throne
of grace for mercy in the name of
the Redeemer. Boldness is not rash
ness ; and faith is not presumption ;
but we may come without hesitat
ing, and with an assurance that our
prayers will be heard.
13. Wherefore I desire that ye
faint not. The connection here is
this. Paul was then a prisoner at
Rome. He had been made such in
consequence of his efforts to diffuse
the Christian religion among the
Gentiles. See Notes on ver. 1. His
zeal in this cause, and the opinions
which he held on this subject, had
roused the wrath of the Jews, and
led to all the calamities which he
was now suffering. Of that the
Ephesians, he supposes, were aware.
It was natural that they should be
distressed at his sufferings, for all
his privations were endured on their
account But here he tells them not
to be troubled and disheartened. He
was indeed suffering ; but he was
reconciled to it, and they should be
also, since it was promoting their
welfare. The word rendered " feint"
— Ixxaxtu — means literally, to turn
out a coward, or to lose one's cour
age ; then to be faint-hearted, &c.
Notes, 2 Cor. iv. 1. It is rendered
faint in Luke xviii. 1. 2 Cor. iv. 1.
16. Eph. iii. 13, and weary in Gal.
vi. 9. 2 Thess. iii. 13. It does not
elsewhere occur. It is rendered here
by Locke dismayed. Koppe sup
poses it means that they should not
suppose that the Christian religion
was vain and false because he was
suffering so much from his country
men on account of it. But it rather
means that they might be in danger
pf being discouraged by the fact that
he was enduring so much. They
might become disheartened in their

A. D. 64.]
14 For this cause I bow
knees unto the Father of
Lord Jesus Christ,

CHAPTER III.

69

my
our

attachment to a system of religion
which exposed its friends to such
calamities. Paul tells them that this
ought not to follow. They were to
be profited by all his sufferings, and
they should, therefore, hold fast to a
religion which was attended with
so many benefits to them — though
he should suffer. If Which is your
glory. Which tends to your honour
and welfare. You have occasion to
rejoice that you have a friend who is
willing thus to suffer for you ; you
have occasion to rejoice in all the
benefits which will result to you from
his trials in your behalf
14 For this cause. Some sup
pose that this is a resumption of what
he had commenced saying in ver. 1,
but which had been interrupted by
a long parenthesis. So Bloomfield
explains it But it seems to me
more probable that he refers to what
immediately precedes. ' Wherefore,
that the great work may be carried
on, and that the purposes of these
my sufferings may be answered in
your benefit and glory, I bow my
knees to God, and pray to him.' If 1
bow my knees. I pray. The usual,
and the proper posture of prayer is
to kneel. Comp. 2Chron. vi. 13.
Dan. vi. 10. Luke xxii. 21. Acts
vii. 60; ix. 40; xx. 26; xxi. 5. It
is a posture which indicates rever
ence, and should, therefore, be as
sumed when we come before God.
It has been an unhappy thing that
the custom of kneeling in public
worship has ever been departed from
in the Christian churches. If Unto
the Father of our Lord Jesus Clirist.
To whom, undoubtedly, prayer should
ordinarily be addressed. But this
does not make it improper to address
the Lord Jesus in prayer. See Notes
on Acts L 24; vii. 59,60.

15 Of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named,

15. Of whom the whole family.
This expression ' of whom,' may re
fer either to ' the Father,' or to the
Lord Jesus. Commentators have
been divided in opinion in regard to
it Bloomfield, Chandler, Erasmus,
Koppe, and some others, refer it to
the Father. Locke, Doddridge, Cal
vin, and some others, refer it to the
Lord Jesus. This is the more natu
ral interpretation. The whole 'fa
mily of God,' means all his children;
and the idea is, that they all bear
the same name, derived from the
Redeemer; all are Christians. No
matter where they are, in heaven or
in earth; no matter from what na
tion they are converted, whether
Jews or Gentiles, they all have one
name, and one Redeemer, and all
belong to one family. See ch. iv. 4
— 6. If In heaven. Spirits of just
men made perfect. It does not pro
perly refer to angels, for he is not
speaking of them, but of the family
of the redeemed. If the phrase 'in
heaven,' could ever be taken to de
note the Jews as contradistinguished
from the Gentiles, I should think
that this was one of the places.
Many expositors have supposed that
it is frequently so used in this epis
tle, but I see no clear evidence of it,
and no instance where it seems very
probable, unless this should be one.
And it is not necessary here, for it
may mean all the redeemed, whether
in heaven or earth, though the con
nection would seem rather to have
suggested a reference to the Jews
and the Gentiles. An expression
similar to this occurs in Col. i. 20.
" To reconcile all things to himself
whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven." The passage be
fore us is one that is commonly ex
plained by a reference to Jewieh

70

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

16 That he would grant you
according to the riches " of his
glory, to be * strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner
man;c a Ph. 4. ID. 6 c. 6. 10. Col. 1. 11. c Ho. 7. 22.
opinions. The Jews were accus
tomed to call the angels in heaven
God's upper family, and his people
on earth his lower family. See the
passages cited from the Rabbinical
writers in Wetstein. Tf Is named.
This means substantially the same
as is. They are all of one family.
They all have one father, and are
all of one community. The expres
sion is taken from the custom in a
family, where all bear the name of
the head of the family ; and the
meaning is, that all in heaven and
on earth are united under one head,
and constitute one community. It
does not mean that all are called by the
same name, or that the name Chris
tian is given to the angels, but that
they all pertain to the same commu
nity, and constitute the same great
and glorious brotherhood. Part are
in heaven, near his throne ; part in
distant worlds; part are angels of
light; part redeemed and happy
spirits; part are in the church on
earth ; but they are all united as one
family, and have one head and
Father. This glorious family will
yet be gathered together in heaven,
and will encompass the throne of
their common Father rejoicing.
16. According to the riches of
his glory. According to the glorious
abundance of his mercy. See Phil.
iv. 19. Out of those stores of rich
grace which can never be exhausted.
The word riches, so often used by
Paul, denotes abundance, and the
idea here is, that his grace was
inexhaustible and ample for all their
wants. "ff To be strengthened with
might. To be powerfully strength
ened. That is, to give you abun-

17 That Christ, may dwell •
in your hearts by faith ; that ye,
being • rooted and grounded in
love, 18 May be able to comprehend

d Jno. 14. 23. c. 2. 22.

e Co. 2. 7.

dant strength to bear trials ; to per.
form your duties; to glorify his
name. If In the inner man. In the
heart, the mind, the soul. See
Notes on Rom. vii. 22. The body
needs to be strengthened every day.
In like manner the soul needs con
stant supplies of grace. Piety needs
to be constantly invigorated, or it
withers and decays. Every Chris.
tian needs grace given each day to
enable him to bear trials, to resist
temptation, to discharge his duty, to
live a life of faith.
17. That Christ may dwell in
your hearts by faith. See Notes,
ch. ii. 22. Expressions like this
often occur in the Scriptures, where
God is said to dwell in us, and we
are said to be the temples of the
Holy Ghost. See Notes on John
xiv. 23. 1 Cor. vi. 19. If That ye
being rooted. Firmly established—
as a tree is whoso roots strike deep,
and extend afar. The meaning is,
that his love should be as firm in our
hearts, as a tree is in the soil, whose
roots strike deep into the earth.
If And grounded. ftSipAiofii'voi —
founded — as a building is on a foun
dation. The word is taken from
architecture where a firm founda
tion is laid, and the meaning is, that
he wished them to be as firm in the
love of Christ, as a building is that
rests on a solid basis. If In love
In love to the Redeemer — perhija
also in love to each other — ancto
all. Love was the great principle
of the true religion, and the apostle
wished that they might be fully
settled in that.
18. May be able to comprehend
with all saints. That all others

A D. 64]

CHAPTER III.

71

with all saints, what is the breadth,
and length, and depth, and height ;
with you may be able to understand
this. It was his desire that others,
as well as they, might appreciate
the wonders of redemption, ^f What
is the breadth, and length, &c. It
has been doubted to what this refers.
Locke says it refers to the mystery
of calling the Gentiles as well as
the Jews. Chandler supposes there
is an allusion in all this to the tem
ple at Ephesus. It was one of the
wonders of the world — exciting ad
miration by its length, and height,
and dimensions in every way, as
well as by its extraordinary riches
and splendour. In allusion to this,
the object of so much admiration
and pride to the Ephesians, he sup
poses that Paul desires that they
should become fully acquainted with
the extent and beauty of the spiritual
temple. But I do not see that there
is clear evidence that there is allu
sion here to the temple at Ephesus.
It seems rather to be the language
of a heart that was full of the sub
ject, and impressed with its great
ness ; and the words are employed
to denote the dimensions of that
love, and are similar to what would
be meant if he had said, 'that you
may know how large, or how great
is that love.' The apostle evidently
meant to express the strongest sense
of the greatness of the love of the
Redeemer, and to show in the most
emphatic manner how much he
wished that they should fully un
derstand it On the phrase ' depth
and height,' comp. Notes on Rom.
viii 39.
19. And to know the love of Christ.
The love of Christ towards us ; the
immensity of redeeming love. It is
not merely the love which he show
ed for the Gentiles in calling them
into his kingdom, which is here re
ferred to ; it is the love which is
shown for the lost world in giving

19 And to know the love ol
Christ, which passeth knowledge,

himself to die. This love is often
referred to in. the New Testament,
and is declared to surpass all other
which has ever been evinced. See
Notes on Rom. v. 7, 8. John xv.
13. To know this ; to feel this ; to
have a lively sense of it, is one of
the highest privileges of the Chris
tian. Nothing will so much excite
gratitude in our hearts; nothing
will prompt us so much to a life of
self-denial ; nothing will make us so
benevolent and so dead to the world.
See Notes on 2 Cor. v. 14 f Which
passeth knowledge. There seems
to be a slight contradiction here in
expressing a wish to know what
cannot be known, or in a desire that
they should understand that which
cannot be understood. But it is the
language of a man whose heart was
full to overflowing. He had a deep
sense of the love of Christ, and he
expressed a wish that they should un
derstand it Suddenly he has such an
apprehension of it, that he says it is
indeed infinite. No one can attain to
a full view of it It had no limit. It
was unlike any thing which had ever
been evinoed before. It was love
which led the Son of God to become
incarnate ; to leave the heavens ; to
be a man of sorrows ; to be reviled
and persecuted ; to be put to death
in the most shameful manner — on a
cross. Who could understand that)
Where else had there been any
thing like that) What was there
with which to compare it) What
was there by which it could be il
lustrated) And how could it be
fully understood) Yet something
of it might be seen, known, felt ;
and the apostle desired that as far
as possible they should understand
that great love which the Lord Jesus
had manifested for a dying world.
IT That ye might be filled with all
the fulness of God. What an ex-

72

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

that ye might be filled with all the
fulness • of God.
20 Now * unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, accord-
a Jno. 1. 6.
4 Ro. 10. 25. He. 13. 20, 21. Jude 24.

pression ! How rich and glorious !
Who can comprehend all that it im
plies ) Let us inquire into its mean
ing. There may be here in these
verses an allusion to the temple.
The apostle had spoken of their being
founded in love, and of surveying
the length, and breadth, and depth,
and height of that love, as of a vast
and splendid edifice, and he now de
sires that those whom he addressed
might be pervaded or filled with the
indwelling of God. The language
here is cumulative, and is full of
meaning and richness. (1.) They
were to be full of God. That is,
he would dwell in them. (2.) They
were to be filled with the fulness of
God— to rtx^ptofia. tov 6cov. On the
word rendered fulness, see Notes on
ch. i. 10. 23. It is a favourite word
with Paul. Thus he speaks of the
fulness of the Gentiles, Rom. xl
25; the fulness of time, Gal. iv. 4;
the fulness of him that filleth all in
all, Eph. i. 23; the fulness of Christ,
Eph. iv. 13; the/ufoiessof the God
head in Christ, Col. L 19 ; ii. 9. It
means here, ' that you may have the
richest measures of divine consola
tion and of the divine presence ; that
you may partake of the entire en
joyment of God in the most ample
measure in which he bestows his
favours on his people.' (3.) It was
to be with all the fulness of God ;
not with partial and stinted measures
of his gracious presence, but with
all which he ever bestows. Reli
gion is not a name. It is not a mat
ter of form. It is not a trifle. It is
the richest, best gift of God to man.
It ennobles our nature. It more
clearly teaches us our true dignity

ing to the power that worketh in
us, 21 Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus, through
out all ages, world without end.
Amen.

than all the profound discoveries
which men can make in science;
for none of them will ever fill us
with the fulness of God. Religion
is spiritual, elevating, pure, Godlike.
We dwell with God; walk with
God ; live with God ; commune
with God; are like God. We be
come partakers of the divine na
ture (2 Pet. i. 4) ; in rank we are
associated with angels; in happiness
and purity we are associated with
God! 20. Now unto him. It is not un
common for Paul to utter an ascrip
tion of praise in the midst of an ar
gument. See Rom. jx. 5; xi. 36.
Gal. i. 5. Here his mind is full of
the subject; and in view of the fact
that God communicates to his people
such blessings — that they may be
come filled with all his fulness, he
desires that praise should be given
to him. Tf That is able to do. See
Notes, Rom. xvi. 25. Tf Exceeding
abundantly. The compound word
here used occurs only in this place,
and in 1 Thess. iii. 10 ; v. 13. It
means, to an extent which we can
not express. If Above all that we
ask or think. More than all that
we can desire in our prayers ; more
than all that we can conceive. See
Notes on 1 Cor. ii. 9. 1f According
to the power that worketh in us.
The exertion of that same power
can accomplish for us more than we
can now conceive.
21. Unto him be glory. See
Notes, Rom. xvi. 27. If In the
church. Or, by the church. Ver. 10.
The church was to be the instrument
by which the glory of God would be
shown; and it was by the church

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

73

that his praise would be celebrated.
If Throughout all ages, world with
out end. There is a richness and
amplification of language here which
shows that his heart was full of the
subject, and that it was difficult to
find words to express his conceptions.
It means, in the strongest sense, for
ever. It is one of "the apostle's
self-invented phrases" {Bloomfield) ;
and Blackwali says that no version
can fully express the meaning. It
is literally, ' Unto all generations of
the age of ages,' or ' unto all the ge
nerations of the eternity of eterni
ties, or the eternity of ages.' It is
the language of a heart full of the
love of God, and desiring that he
might be praised without ceasing for
ever and ever.
remarks.
1. It is a great and glorious truth
that the offers of the gospel are made
to us, who are by nature Gentiles ;
and that those offers are confined to
no class or condition of men — to no
nation or tribe. Vs. 1 — 6. This
truth had been concealed for ages.
The Jews regarded themselves as
a peculiar people, and as exclusively
the favourites of Heaven. The great
effort has been made everywhere to
show that there was a favoured class
of men — a class whom God regarded
with peculiar affection, on account
of their birth, or rank, or nation, or
wealth, or complexion. In one na
tion, there has been a distinction of
caste carefully kept up from age to
age, and sustained by all the power
of the priesthood and the laws ; and
it has been held that that One class
was the favourite of Heaven, and
that every other was overlooked or
despised. In another nation, it has
been held that the services of an il
lustrious ancestry made a difference
among men, and that this fact was
to be regarded, even in religion. In
another, complexion has made a dif
ference ; and the feeling has insen-
7

sibly grown up that one class were
the favourites of Heaven, because
they had a skin not coloured like
others, and that those not thus fa
voured might be doomed to hopeless
toil and servitude. In another, the
attempt is made to create such a
distinction by wealth ; and it is felt
that the rich are the favourites of
Heaven. In all these cases, there is
the secret feeling that in virtue of
rank, or blood, or property, one class
are the objects of divine interest,
more than others; and that the
same plan of salvation is not needed
for them which is required for the
poor, for the ignorant, and for the
slave. The gospel regards all men
as on a level ; offers the same salva
tion to all ; and offers it on the same
terms. This is one of its glories ;
and for this we should love it. It
meets man as he is — as everywhere
a fallen and a ruined being — and
provides a plan adapted to raise all
to the glories of the same heaven.
2. Humility becomes us. Ver. 8.
Paul felt that he was the least of all
saints. He remembered his former
life. He recalled the time when he
persecuted the church. He felt that
he was not worthy to be enrolled in
that society which he had so greatly
injured. If Paul was humble, who
should not be) Who, since his
time, has equalled his ardour, his
zeal, his attainments in the divine
life ) Yet the remembrance of his
former life served always to keep
him humble, and operated as a check
on all the tendencies to pride in his
bosom. So it should be with us—
with all Christians. There has been
enough in our past lives to make us
humble, if we would recall it, and to
make us feel that we are not worthy
to be enrolled among the saints.
One has been an infidel ; one licen
tious; one intemperate; one rash,
revengeful, passionate ; one has been
proud and ambitious ; one has been
false, dishonest, faithless; all have

74

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

had hearts opposed to God, alienated
from good, and prone to evil; and
there is not a Christian in the world
who will not find enough in his past
life to make him humble, if he will
examine himself — enough to make
him feel that he deserves not even
the lowest place among the saints.
So we shall feel if we look over our
live3 since we made a profession of
religion. The painful conviction
will come over our souls, that we
have lived so far from God, and done
so little in his cause, that we are not
worthy of the lowest place among
the blessed.
3. It is a privilege to preach the
gospel. Ver. 8. So Paul felt. It
was an honour of which he felt that
he was by no means worthy. It was
proof of the favour of God towards
him that he was permitted to do it.
It is a privilege — an honour — to
preach the gospel, anywhere, and to
any class of men. It is an honour
to be permitted to preach in chris
tian lands ; it is an honour to preach
among the heathen. It is an ho
nour far above that of conquerors;
and he who does it will win a brighter
and more glorious crown than he
who goes forth to obtain glory by
dethroning kings, and laying nations
waste. The warrior goes with the
sword in one hand, and the torch in
the other. His path is marked with
blood, and with smouldering ruins.
He treads among the slain ; and the
music of his march is made up of
dying groans, and the shrieks of
widows and orphans. Yet he is
honoured, and his name is blazoned
abroad; he is crowned with the
laurel, and triumphal arches are
reared, and monuments are erected
to perpetuate his fame. The man
who carries the gospel goes for a
different purpose. He is the minis
ter of peace. He goes to tell of sal
vation. He fires no city; lays waste
no field ; robs no one of a home, no
wife of a husband, no child of a fa

ther, no sister of a brother ; — he goes
to elevate the intellect to mould the
heart to virtue, to establish schools
and colleges; to promote temper
ance, industry, and chastity ; to wipe
away tears, and to tell of heaven.
His course is marked by intelligence
and order ; by peace and purity ; by
the joy of the domestic circle, and
the happiness of a virtuous fire-side;
by consolation on the bed of pain, and
by the hope of heaven that- cheers
the dying. Who would not rather
be a preacher of the gospel than a
blood-stained warrior ) Who would
not rather have the wreath that shall
encircle the brows of Paul, and
Schwartz, and Martin, and Brain-
erd, than the laurels of Alexander
and Csesar)
4. There is ample fulness in the
plan of salvation by the Redeemer.
Ver. 8. In Christ there is unsearch
able riches. None can understand
the fulness that there is in him;
none can exhaust it Millions, and
hundreds of millions, have been
saved by the fulness of his merits;
and still those merits are as ample
as ever. The sun in the heavens
has shone for six thousand years, and
has shed light and comfort on count
less millions ; but his beams are not
exhausted or diminished in splendour.
To-day, while I write — this beauti
ful, calm, sweet day — (June 24, 1840)
his beams are as bright as rich, as
full, as they were when they were
shed on Eden. So of the Sun of
righteousness. Millions have been
enlightened by his beams; but to
day they are as full, and rich, and
glorious, as they were when the first
ray from that sun reached the be
nighted mind of a penitent sinner.
And that fulness is not to be ex
hausted. No matter how many par
take of his abundance ; no matter how
many darkened minds are enlight
ened ; no matter though nation aftei
nation comes and partakes of his ful
ness, yet there is no approach to ox-

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IU.

76

haustion. The sun in the heavens
may waste his fires and burn out, and
become a dark orb, diffusing horror
over a cold and cheerless world ; but
not so with the Sun of righteousness.
That will shine on in glory for ever
and ever ; and the last penitent sin
ner on earth who comes to partake
of the riches of the grace of Christ
shall find it as full and free as did
the first who sought pardon through
his blood. Oh, the unsearchable
riches of Christ ! Who can under
stand this ) Who can grow weary
in its contemplation )
5. -There is no good reason why
any sinner should be lost Ver. 8. If
the merits of the Saviour were lim
ited; if his arm were a feeble hu
man arm ; if he died only for a part,
and if his merit were already well-
nigh exhausted, we might begin to
despair. But it is not so. The riches
of his grace are unbounded and in
exhaustible. And why then does
the sinner die) I can answer. He
dies like the man who expires of
thirst while fountains bubble and
streams flow all around him; like
him who is starving amidst trees
loaded with fruit; like him who is
dying of fever in the midst of medi
cines that would at once restore him ;
like him who holds his breath and
dies while the balmy air of heaven
— pure,, full, and free — floats all
around him. If a man thus dies,
who is to blame ) If a man goes
down to hell from lands where the
gospel is preached, whose isthe fault)
It is not because the merits of Christ
are limited ; it is not because they
are exhausted.
6. The church is designed to ac
complish a most important purpose
in the manifestation of the divine
glory and perfections. Ver. 10. It
is by that that his great wisdom is
shown. It is by that entirely that
his mercy is displayed. Ch. ii. 7.
His power is shown in the creation
and support of the worlds; his

goodness in the works of creation
and Providence; his truth in his
promises and threatenings ; his great
ness and majesty are everywhere
displayed in the universe which he
has brought into being. His mercy
is shown in the church ; and there
alone. Angels in heaven not having
sinned, have had no occasion for its
exercise; and angels that are fall
en have had no offer of pardon.
Throughout the wide universe there
has been, so far as we know, no ex
ercise of mercy but in the church.
Hence the interest which the angelic
beings feel in the work of redemp
tion. Hence they desire to look
into these things, and to see more
of the heighth and depth and length
and breadth of the love of God
evinced in the work of redemption.
Hence the church is to be honoured
for ever as the means of making
known to distant worlds the way in
which God shows mercy to rebellious
creatures. It is honour enough for
one world thus to be the sole means
of making known to the universe
one of the attributes of God ; and
while other worlds may contain
more proofs of his power and great
ness, it is enough for ours mat it
shows to distant worlds how he can
exercise compassion.
7. All tribulation and affliction
may be intended to do some good,
and may benefit others. Ver. 13.
Paul felt that his sufferings were for
the "glory" — the welfare and ho
nour of the Gentiles in whose cause
he was suffering. He was then a
prisoner at Rome. He was permit
ted no longer to go abroad from land
to land to preach the gospel. How
natural would it have been for hira
to be desponding, and to feel that he
was leading a useless life. But he
did not feel thus. He felt that in
some way he might be doing good.
He was suffering in a good cause,
and his trials had been brought on
him by the appointment of God. He

70

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

gave himself to writing letters ; he
talked with all who would come to
him (Acts xxviii. 30, 31), and he
expected to accomplish something
by his example in his sufferings.
The sick, the afflicted, and the im
prisoned often feel that they are use
less. They are laid aside from pub
lic and active life, and they feel that
they are living in vain. But it is
not so. The long imprisonment of
John Bunyan — so mysterious to him
and to his friends — was the means
of producing the Pilgrim's Progress,
now translated into more than twen
ty languages, and already blessed to
the salvation of thousands. The
meekness, and patience, and kind
ness of a Christian on a bed of pain,
may do more for the honour of reli
gion than he could do in a life of
health. It shows the sustaining
power of the gospel; and this is
much. It is ivorth much suffering
to show to a world what the gospel
can do in supporting the soul in times
of trial ; and he who is imprisoned
or persecuted; he who lies month
after month or year after year on a
bed of languishing, may do more for
the honour of religion than by many
years of active life.
8. There is but one family among
the friends of God. Ver. 15. They
all have one Father, and all are
brethren. In heaven and on earth
they belong to the same family, and
worship the same God. Let Chris
tians, therefore, first love one an
other. Let them lay aside all con
tention and strife. Let them feel
that they are brethren — that though
they belong to different denomina
tions, and are called by different
names, yet they belong to the same
family, and are united under the
same glorious head. Let them, se
condly, realize how highly they are

honoured. They belong to the same
family as the angels of light and
the spirits of just men made perfect
It is an honour to belong to such a
family ; an honour to be a Christian.
Oh, if we saw this in its true light,
how much more honourable would
it be to belong to this "family"
than to belong to the families of the
great on earth, and to have our
names enrolled with nobles and with
kings! 9. Let us seek to know more of
the love of Christ in our redemption
— to understand more of the extent
of that love which he evinced for
us. Vs. 16 — 19. It is worth our
study. It will reward our efforts.
There are few Christians — if there
are any — who understand the rich
ness and fulness of the gospel of
Christ; few who have such elevated
views as they might have and should
have of the glory of that gospel. It
is wonderful that they who profess
to love the Lord Jesus do not study
that system more, and desire more
to know the heighth, and depth, and
length, and breadth of the love of
Christ. True, it passes knowledge.
We cannot hope fully to fethom it in
this world. But we may know more
of it than we do. We may aspire
to being filled with all the fulness
of God. We may long for it ; pant
for it ; strive for it ; pray for it — and
we shall not strive in vain. Though
we shall not attain all we wish;
though there will be an infinity be
yond what we can understand in this
world, yet there will be enough at
tained to reward all our efforts, and
to fill us with love and joy and peace.
The love of God our Saviour is in
deed an illimitable ocean; but we
may see enough of it in this world
to lead us to adore and praise God
with overflowing hearts.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

77

CHAPTER IV.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This chapter is the commence
ment of the practical part of the
epistle, and is made up, like the re
maining chapters, of various exhort
ations. It is in accordance with the
usual habit of Paul to conduct an
argument in his epistles, and then
to enforce various practical duties,
either growing out of the argument
which he had maintained, or, more
commonly, adapted to some particu
lar state of things in the church to
which he wrote. The points of ex
hortation in this chapter ore, in ge
neral, the following:
I. An exhortation to unity. Vs.
1 — 6. He entreats them to walk
worthy of their vocation (ver. 1) ;
shows them how it could be done, or
what he meant; and that, in order
to that they should show meekness
and kindness (ver. 3), and particu
larly exhorts them to unity (ver. 3) ;
for they had one God, one Saviour,
one baptism, one religion. Vs. 4 — 6.
II. He shows then! that God had
made ample provision for his people,
that they might be sound in the
faith, and in unity of life and of doc
trine, and need not be driven about
with every wind of opinion. Vs. 7
— 16. He assures them that to every
Christian is given grace in the Re
deemer adapted to his circumstances
(ver. 7) ; that the Lord Jesus ascend
ed to heaven to obtain gifts for his
people (vs. 8—10); that he had given
apostles, prophets, and evangelists,
for the very purpose of imparting
instruction, and confirming them in
the faith of the gospel (vs. 11, 12) ;
that this was in order that they
might attain to the highest elevation
in christian knowledge and piety
(ver. 13) ; and particularly that they
might not be driven to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of
doctrine. Vs. 14—16.
HI. Having these arrangements
7*

made for their knowledge and piety,
he exhorts them not to live as the
heathen around them lived, but to
show that they were under a better
influence. Vs. 17 — 24. Their un
derstanding was darkened, and they
were alienated from the life of God,
or true religion (ver. 18) ; they were
past feeling, and were given over to
every form of sensuality. Ver. 19.
The Ephesians, however, had been
taught a different thing (vs. 20, 21),
and the apostle exhorts them to lay
aside everything pertaining to their
former course of life, and to become
wholly conformed to the principles
of the new man. Vs. 22 — 24.
IV. He exhorts them to perform
particular christian duties, and to
put away certain evils, of which they
and all others were in danger. Vs.
25 — 32. In particular, he entreats
them to avoid lying (ver. 25) ; anger
(ver. 26); theft (ver. 28); corrupt
and corrupting conversation (ver.
29) ; grieving the Holy Spirit (ver.
30); bitterness, evil-speaking, and
malice (ver. 31) ; and entreats them
to manifest in their intercourse with
each other a spirit of kindness and
forgiveness. Ver. 32.
1. I, therefore. In view of the
great and glorious truths which God
has revealed, and of the grace which
he has manifested towards you who
are Gentiles. See the previous
chapters. The sense of the word
'therefore' — dw— in this place, is,
' Such being your exalted privileges ;
since God has done so much for you ;
since he has revealed for you such a
glorious system; since he has be
stowed on you the honour of calling
you into his kingdom, and making
you partakers of his mercy, I entreat
you to live in accordance with these
elevated privileges, and to show
your sense of his goodness by de
voting your all to his service.' The
force of the word "/," they would
all feel. It was the appeal and ear-

78

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

I

CHAPTER IT.
THEREFORE, the prisoner
1 of the Lord,) beseech you

hortation of the founder of their
church — of their spiritual father —
of one who had endured much for
them, and who was now in bonds
on account of his devotion to the
welfare of the Gentile world. —
If The prisoner of the Lord. Marg.,
in. It means, that he was now
a prisoner, or in confinement in tlie
cause of the Lord ; and he regarded
himself as having been made a pri
soner because the Lord had so will
ed and ordered it. He did not feel
particularly that he was the prisoner
of Nero ; he was bound and kept
because the Lord willed it, and be
cause it was in his service. See
Notes on ch. iii. 1. ^f Beseech you
that ye walk worthy. That you live
as becomes those who have been
called in this manner into the king
dom of God. The word walk is
often used to denote life, conduct,
&c. See Notes on Rom. iv. 12; vi.
4. 2 Cor. v. 7. If Of the vocation.
Of the calling — trj; xJjjfftcoc. This
word properly means a call, or an
invitation — as to a banquet Hence
it means that divine invitation or
calling by which Christians are in
troduced into the privileges of the
gospel. The word is translated call
ing in Rom. xi. 29. 1 Cor. i. 26 ;
vii. 20. Eph. i. 18; iv. 1. 4 Phil.
iii. 14. 2 Thess. i. 11. 2 Tim. i.
9. Heb. iii. 1. 2 Pet. i. 10. It
does not elsewhere occur. The
sense of the word, and the agency
employed in calling us, are well ex
pressed in the Westminster Shorter
Catechism. " Effectual calling is the
work of God's Spirit, whereby con
vincing us of our sin and misery,
enlightening our minds in the know
ledge of Christ, and renewing our
Wills, he doth persuade and qnable

that ye walk « worthy of the vo
cation wherewith ye are called.

a Col. 1. 10.

us to embrace Jesus Christ freely
offered to us in the gospel." This
calling or vocation is through the
agency of the Holy Spirit, and is
his appropriate work on the human
heart. It consists essentially in in
fluencing the mind to turn to God,
or to enter into his kingdom. It is
the exertion of so much influence
on the mind as is necessary to se
cure the turning of the sinner to
God. In this all Christians are
agreed, though there have been al
most endless disputes about the
actual influence exerted, and the
mode in which the Spirit acts on
the mind. Some suppose it is by
" moral suasion ;" some by physical
power ; some by an act of creation ;
some by inclining the mind to exert
its proper powers in a right way,
and to turn to God. What is the
precise agency employed perhaps
we are not to expect to be able to
decide. See John iii. 8. The great,
the essential point is held, if it be
maintained that it is by the agency
of the Holy Spirit that the result is
secured — and this I suppose to be
held by all evangelical Christians.
But though it is by the agency of
the Holy Spirit, we are not to sup
pose that it is without the employ
ment of means. It is not literal
ly like the act of creation. It is
preceded and attended with means
adapted to the end ; means which
are almost as various as the indi
viduals who are called into the king.
dom of God. Among those means
are the following. (1.) Preaching.
Probably more are called into the
kingdom by this means than any
other. It is " God's great ordinance
for the salvation of men." It is
f minently fitted for it The pulpit

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
has higher advantages for acting on
the mmd than any other means of
affecting men. The truths that are
dispensed; the sacredness of the
place ; the peace and quietness of the
sanctuary; and the appeals to the
reason, the conscience, and the heart
— all are fitted to affect men, and to
bring them to reflection. The Spirit
makes use of the word preached, but
in a great variety of ways. Some
times many are impressed simulta
neously; sometimes the same truth
affects one mind while others are
unmoved ; and sometimes truth
reaches the heart of a sinner which
he has heard a hundred times be
fore, without being interested. The
Spirit acts with sovereign power,
and by laws which have never yet
been traced out (2.) The events
of Providence are used to call men
into his kingdom. God appeals to
men by laying them on a bed of
pain, or by requiring them to follow
a friend in the still and mournful
procession to the grave. They feel
that they must die, and they are led
to ask the question whether they are
prepared. Much fewer are affected
in this way than we should suppose
would be the case ; but still there
are many, in the aggregate, who can
trace their hope of heaven to a fit
of sickness, or to the death of a
friend. (3.) Conversation is one of
the means by which sinners are
called into the kingdom of God. In
some states of mind, where the
Spirit has prepared the soul like
mellow ground prepared for the
seed, a few moments' conversation,
or a single remark, will do more to
arrest the attention than much
preaching. (4.) Reading is often
the means of calling men into the
kingdom. The Bible is the great
means — and if we can get men to
read that, we have very, cheering
indications that they will be con
verted. The profligate Earl of Ro
chester was awakened and led to

79

the Saviour by reading a chapter in
Isaiah. And who can estimate the
number of those who have been con
verted by reading Baxter's Call to
the Unconverted ; Alleine's Alarm ;
the Dairyman's Daughter; or the
Shepherd of Salisbury Plain " He
does good who places a good hook in
the way of a sinner. That mother
or sister is doing good, and making
the conversion of a son or brother
probable, who puts a Bible in his
chest when he goes to sea, or in his
trunk when he goes on a journey.
Never should a son be allowed to go
from home without one. The time
will come when, far away from home,
he will read it He will read it
when his mind is pensive and tender,
and the Spirit may bear the truth to
his heart for his conversion. (5.)
The Spirit calls men into the king
dom of Christ by presiding over, and
directing in some unseen manner
their own reflections, or the opera
tions of their own minds. In some
way unknown to us, he turns the
thoughts to the past life ; recalls for
gotten deeds and plans ; makes long
past sins rise to remembrance ; and
overwhelms the mind with conscious
guilt from the memory of crime.
He holds this power over the soul ;
and it is among the most mighty and
mysterious of all the influences that
he has on the heart Sometimes —
a man can hardly tell how — the
mind will be pensive, sad, melan
choly; then conscious of guilt; then
alarmed at the future. Often, by
sudden transitions, it will be chang
ed from the gay to the grave, and
from the pleasant to the sad ; and
often, unexpectedly to himself, and
by associations which he cannot trace
out the sinner will find himself re
flecting on death, judgment and
eternity. It is the Spirit of God that
leads the mind along. It is not by
force; not by the violation of its
laws, but in accordance with those
1 laws, that the mind is thus led along

80

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

2 With all lowliness " and
a Mat. 11. 2D.
to the eternal world. In such ways,
and by such means, are men " call
ed" into the kingdom of God. To
'walk worthy of that calling,' is
to live as becomes a Christian, an
heir of glory ; to live as Christ did.
It is, (1.) To bear our religion with
us to all places, companies, employ
ments. Not merely to be a Chris
tian on the Sabbath, and at the com
munion table, and in our own land,
but every day, and everywhere, and
in any land where we may be placed.
We are to live religion, and not
merely to profess it. We are to be
Christians in the counting-room, as
well as in the closet ; on the farm as
well as at the communion table;
among strangers, and in a foreign
land, as well as in our own country
and in the sanctuary. (2.) It is to
do nothing inconsistent with the
taost elevated Christian character.
In temper, feeling, plan, we are to
give expression to no emotion, and
use no language, and perform no
deed, that shall be inconsistent with
the most elevated Christian charac
ter. (3.) It is to do right always :
to be just to all ; to tell the simple
truth ; to defraud no one ; to main
tain a correct standard of morals;
to be known to be honest There is
a correct standard of character and
conduct ; and a Christian should be
a man so living, that we may always
know exactly where to find him.
He should so live, that we shall have
no doubts that, however others may
act we shall find him to be the un
flinching advocate of temperance,
chastity, honesty, and of every good
work — of every plan that is really
fitted to alleviate human woe, and
benefit a dying world. (4.) It is to
live as one should who expects soon
to be in heaven. Such a man will
feel that the earth is not his home ;
that he is a stranger and a pilgrim

meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another in love ;

here ; that riches, honours, and plea
sures are of comparatively little im
portance; that he ought to watch
and pray, and that he ought to be
holy. A man who feels that- he
may die at any moment, will watch
and pray. A man who realizes that
to-morrow he may be in heaven,
will feel that he ought to be holy.
He who begins a day on earth, feel
ing that at its close he may be
among the angels of Gcd, and the
spirits of just men made perfect;
that before its close he may have
seen the Saviour glorified, and the
burning throne of God, will feel the
importance of living a holy life, and
of being wholly devoted to the ser
vice of God. Pure should be the
eyes that are soon to look on the
throne of God ; pure the hands that
are soon to strike the harps of praise
in heaven ; pure the feet that are to
walk the ' golden streets above.'
2. With all lowliness. Humility.
See Notes on Acts xx. 19, where
the same Greek word is used. Comp.
also the following places, where the
same Greek word occurs : Phil. ii.
3, " in lowliness of mind, let each
esteem other better than them
selves ;" Col. ii. 18, " in a voluntary
humility;" Col. ii. 23 ; iii. 12. 1 Pet
v. 5. The word does not elsewhere
occur in the New Testament. The
idea is, that humility of mind be
comes those who are " called" (ver
1), and that we walk worthy of that
calling when we evince it ^f And
meekness. See Notes on Matt. v. 5.
Meekness relates to the manner in
whieh we receive injuries. We are
to bear them patiently, and not to
retaliate, or seek revenge. The
meaning here is, that we adorn the
gospel when we show its power in
enabling us to bear injuries without
anger or a desire of revenge, or
with a mild and forgiving spirit

A D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
See" 2 Cor. x. 1. Gal. v 23; vi. 1.
2 Tim. ii. 25. Titus iii. 2 ; where
the same Greek word occurs, ^f With
long-suffering, &c. Bearing pa
tiently with the foibles, feults, and
infirmities of others. See Notes on
1 Cor. xiii. 4. The virtue here re
quired is that which is to be mani
fested in our manner of receiving the
provocations which we meet with
from our brethren. No virtue, per
haps, is more frequently demanded in
our intercourse with others. We do
not go far with any fellow-traveller
on the journey of life, before we find
there is great occasion for its exer
cise. He has a temperament differ
ent from our own. He may be san
guine, or choleric, or melancholy;
while we may be just the reverse.
He has peculiarities of taste, and
habits, and disposition, which differ
much from ours. He has his own
plans and purposes of life, and his
own way and time of doing things.
He may be naturally irritable, or he
may have been so trained that his
modes of speech and conduct differ
much from ours. Neighbours have
occasion to remark this in their
neighbours ; friends in their friends ;
kindred in their kindred ; one church-
member in another. A husband and
wife — such is the imperfection of
human nature — can find enough in
each other to embitter life, if they
choose to magnify imperfections, and
to become irritated at trifles; and
there is no friendship that may not
be marred in this way, if we will
allow it Hence, if we would have
life move on smoothly, we must
learn to bear and forbear. We
must indulge the friend that we
love in the little peculiarities of say
ing and doing things which may be
important to him, but which may
be of little moment to us. Like
children, we must suffer each one
to build his play-house in his own
way, and not quarrel with him be
cause he does not think our way the

81

best All usefulness, and all com
fort may be prevented by an unkind,
a sour, a crabbed temper of mind —
a mind that can bear with no differ
ence of opinion or temperament A
spirit of feult-finding ; an unsatisfied
temper; a constant irritability; lit
tle inequalities in the look, the tem
per, or the manner ; a brow cloudy
and dissatisfied — your husband or
your wife cannot tell why — will
more than neutralize all the good
you can do, and render life anything
but a blessing. It is in such gentle
and quiet virtues as meekness and
forbearance, that the happiness and
usefulness of life consist, far more
than in brilliant eloquence, in splen
did talent, or illustrious deeds that
shall send the name to future times.
It is the bubbling spring which flows
gently ; the little rivulet which glides
through the meadow, and which runs
along day and night by the farm
house, that is useful, rather than the
swollen flood or the roaring cataract.
Niagara excites our wonder ; and we
stand amazed at the power and
greatness of God there, as he 'pours
it from his hollow hand.' But one
Niagara is enough for a continent or
a world ; while that same world
needs thousands and tens of thou
sands of silver fountains, and gently
flowing rivulets, that shall water
every farm, and every meadow, and
every garden, and that shall flow on,
every day and every night, with
their gentle and quiet beauty. So
with the acts of our lives. It is not
by great deeds only, like those of
Howard — not by great sufferings
only, like those of the martyrs — that
good is to be done ; it is by the daily
and quiet virtues of life — the chris
tian temper, the meek forbearance,
the spirit of forgiveness in the hus
band, the wife, the father, the mo
ther, the brother, the sister, the
friend, the neighbour — that good is
to be done ; and in this all may be
useful.

82

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

3 Endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. 3. The unity of the Spirit. A
united spirit, or oneness of spirit.
This does not refer to the fact that
there is one Holy Spirit ; but it refers
to unity of affection, of confidence,
of love. It means that Christians
should be united in temper and af
fection, and not be split up into fac
tions and parties. It may be implied
here, as is undoubtedly true, that such
a unity would be produced only by the
Holy Spirit ; and that, as there was
but one Spirit which had acted on
their hearts to renew them, they ought
to evince the same feelings and views.
There was occasion among the Ephe
sians for this exhortation; for they
were composed of Jews and Gentiles,
and there might be danger of divi
sions and strifes, as there had been
in other churches. There is always
occasion for such an exhortation;
for (1.) unity of feeling is eminently
desirable to honour the gospel (see
Notes on John xvii. 21); and (2.)
there is always danger of discord
where men are brought together in
one society. There are so many
different tastes and habits ; there is
such a variety of intellect and feel
ing; the modes of education have
been so various, and the tempera
ment may be so different, that there
is constant danger of division. Hence
the subject is so often dwelt on in
the Scriptures (see Notes on 1 Cor.
ii. seq.), and hence there is so much
need of caution and of care in the
churches. If In the bond of peace.
This was to be by the cultivation
of that peaceful temper which binds
all together. The American In
dians usually spoke of peace as a
' chain of friendship' which was to
be kept bright The meaning here
is, that they should be bound or
united together in the sentiments
and affections of peace. It is not

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

mere external unity ; it is not a mere
unity of creed; it is not a mere
unity in the forms of public worship;
it is such as the Holy Spirit pro
duces in the hearts of Christians,
when he fills them all with the same
love, and joy, and peace in believ
ing. The following verses contain
the reasons for this.
4. There is one body. One church
— for so the word body means here —
denoting the body of Christ. See
Notes on Rom. xii. 5. Comp. Notes
on Eph. i. 23. The meaning here
is, that as there is really but one
church on earth, there ought to b»
unity. The church is, at present
divided into many denominations.
It has different forms of worship,
and different rites and ceremonies.
It embraces those of different com
plexions and ranks in life, and it
cannot be denied that there are
often unhappy contentions and jeal
ousies in different parts of that
church. Still, there is but one —
" one holy, catholic (i. e., universal)
church;" and that church should
feel that it is one. Christ did not
come to redeem and save different
churches, and to give them a differ
ent place in heaven. He did not
come to save the Episcopal commu
nion merely, or the Presbyterian or
the Methodist communions only;
nor did he leave the world to fit up for
them different mansions in heaven.
He did not come to save merely the
black man, or the red, or the white
man; nor did he leave the world
to set up for them separate man
sions in the skies. He came that he
might collect into one community a
multitude of every complexion, and
from every land, and unite them
in one great brotherhood on earth,
and ultimately assemble them in the
same heaven. The church is one

A D. 64] CHAPTER IV.
Every sincere Christian is a brother
in that church, and has an equal
right with all others to its privileges.
Being one by the design of the Sa
viour, they should be one in feeling ;
and every Christian, no matter what
his rank, should be ready to hail
every other Christian as a fellow-
heir of heaven. If One Spirit The
Holy Spirit There is one and the
self-same Spirit that dwells in the
church. The same Spirit has awak
ened all; enlightened all; convicted
all ; converted all. Wherever they
may be, and whoever, yet there has
been substantially the same work of
the Spirit on the heart of every
Christian. There are circumstantial
differences arising from diversities
of temperament, disposition, and edu
cation ; there may be a difference in
the depth and power of his opera
tions on the soul; there may be a
difference in the degree of convic
tion for sin and in the evidence of
conversion, but still there are the
same operations on the heart essen
tially, produced by the same Spirit
See Notes on 1 Cor. xii. 6—11. All
the gifts of prayer, and of preach
ing; all the zeal, the ardour, the
love, the self-denial in the church,
are produced by the same Spirit.
There should be, therefore, unity.
The church is united in the agency
by which it is saved; it should be
united in the feelings which influ
ence its members. % Even as ye
are called. See ver. 1. The sense
is, ' there is one body and one spirit,
in like manner as there is one hope
resulting from your calling.' The
same notion of oneness is found in
relation to each of these things.
If In one hope of your calling. In
one hope resulting from your being
called into his kingdom. On the
meaning of the word hope, see Notes
on ch. ii. 12. The meaning here is,
that Christians have the same hope,
and they should therefore be one.
Thev are looking forward to the

83
same heaven; they hope for the
same happiness beyond the grave.
It is not as on earth among the peo
ple of the world, where there is a
variety of hopes — where one hopes
for pleasure, and another for honour,
and another for gain; but there is
the prospect of the same inexhausti
ble joy. This hope is fitted to pro
mote union. There is no rivalry —
for there is enough for all. Hope on
earth does not always produce union
and harmony. Two men hope to
obtain the same office ; two student"
hope to obtain the same honour in
college; two rivals hope to obtain
the same hand in marriage — and the
consequence is jealousy, contention,
and strife. The reason is, that but
one can obtain the object Not so
with the erown of life — with the re
wards of heaven. All may obtain
that crown ; all may share those re
wards. How can Christians contend
in an angry manner with each other,
when the hope of dwelling in the
same heaven swells their bosoms
and animates their hearts )
5. One Lord. This evidently re
fers to the Lord Jesus. The " Spirit"
is mentioned in the previous verse ;
the Father in the verse following.
On the application of the word
" Lord" to the Saviour, see Notes on
Acts i. 24. The argument here is,
that there ought to be unity among
Christians, because they have one
Lord and Saviour. They have not
different Saviours adapted to differ
ent classes ; not one for the Jew and
another for the Greek ; not one for
the rich and another for the poor ;
not one for the bond and another for
the free. There is but one. He be
longs in common to all as their Sa
viour; and he has a right to rule
over one as much as over another.
There is no better way of promoting
unity among Christians than by re
minding them that they have the
same Saviour. And when jealousies
and heart-burnings arise; or when

84

EPHESIANS.

[AD. 04

5 One Lord,one faith,one baptism,
they are disposed to contend about
trifles; when they magnify unim
portant matters until they are in
danger of rending the church asun
der, let them feel that they have one
Lord and Saviour, and they will lay
aside their contentions and be one
again. Let two men who have ne
ver seen each other before, meet in
a distant land, and feel that they have
the same Redeemer, and their hearts
will mingle into one. They are not
aliens, but friends. A cord of sym
pathy is struck more tender than
that which binds them to country or
home ; and though of different na
tions, complexions, or habits, they
will feel that they are one. Why
should contentions ever arise be
tween those who have the same Re
deemer ! If One faith. The same
belief. That is, either the belief of
the same doctrines, or faith of the
same nature in the heart The word
may be taken in either sense. I see
no reason why it should not include
both here, or be used in the widest
sense. If so used, it means that
Christians should be united because
they hold the same great doctrines ;
and also, because they have the same
confidence in the Redeemer in their
hearts. They hold the same system
as distinguished from Judaism, Pa
ganism, Mohammedanism, Deism;
and they should, therefore, be one.
They have the same trust in Christ,
as a living, practical principle — and
they should, therefore, be one. They
may differ in other attachments ; in
temperament ; in pursuit ; in profes
sions in life — but they have a com
mon faith — and they should be one.
If One baptism. This does not affirm
that there is one mode of baptism,
but it refers to the thing itself.
They are all baptized in the name
of the same Father, Saviour, Sancti-
fier. They have all in this manner
been consecrated unto God, and de-

6 One God and Father of all,
voted to his service. Whether by
immersion, or by pouring, or by
sprinkling, they have all been bap
tized with water ; whether it is done
in adult years, or in infancy, the
same solemn act has been performed
on all — the act of consecration to
the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost. This passage cannot be ad
duced to prove that only one mode
of baptism is lawful, unless it can
be shown that the thing referred to
here was the mode and not the thing
itself; and unless it can be proved
that Paul meant to build his argu
ment for the unity of Christians on
the feet that the same form was
used in their baptism. But this is
evidently not the point of his argu
ment The argument is, that there
was really but one baptism — not
that there was but one mode of bap
tism. I could not use this argument
in this form, 'Christians should be
one because they have been all bap
tised by sprinkling ,-' and yet the
argument would be just as forcible
as to use it in this form, ' Christians
should be one because they have all
been baptised by immersion' There
is one baptism, not one mode of bap
tism; and no man has a right to as
sume that there can be but one mode,
and then apply this passage to that
The essential thing in the argument
before us is, that there has been a
consecration to the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost by the applica
tion of water. Thus understood, the
argument is one that will be fell by
all who have been devoted to God
by baptism. They have taken the
same vows upon them. They have
consecrated themselves to the same
God. They have made the same
solemn profession of religion. Water
has been applied to one and all as
the emblem of the purifying influ
ences of the Holy Spirit; and hav
ing been thus initiated in a solemn

A. P. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

65

who is above all, and through all,
and in you all.

manner into the same profession of
religion, they should be one.
6. One God. The same God;
therefore there should be unity.
Were there many gods to be wor
shipped, there could be no more hope
of unity than there is among the
worshippers of Mammon and Bac
chus, and the various other idols that
men set up. Men who have differ
ent pursuits, and different objects of
¦supreme affection, can be expected
to have no union. Men who wor
ship many gods, cannot hope to be
united. Their affections are direct
ed to different objects, and there is
no harmony or sympathy of feeling.
But where there is one supreme ob
ject of attachment, there may be
expected to be unity. The children
of a family that are devoted to a
parent, will be united among them
selves ; and the fact that all Chris
tians have the same great object of
worship, should constitute a strong
bond of union among themselves —
a chain always kept bright f The
Father of all. One God who is the
Father of all ; that is, who is a com
mon Father to all who believe. That
this refers to the Father, in contra
distinction from the Son and the
Holy Spirit, seems evident The
Spirit and the Son are mentioned in
the previous verses. But the fact
that the " Father of all" is men
tioned as "God," does not prove
that the Spirit and the Son are not
also endowed with divine attributes.
That question is to be determined
by the attributes ascribed to the Son
and the Holy Spirit in other places.
All sincere Christians worship one
God, and but one. But they suppose
that this one God subsists as Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost united in a
mysterious manner, and constituting
the one God, and that there is no
other God. That the Father is di-
8

7 But unto every one of us is

vine, they all hold, as Paul affirms
here; that the Son and the Holy
Spirit are also divine, they also hold.
See Notes on John i. Heb. i. Phil.
ii. 6. Rom. ix. 5. The meaning
here is, that God is the common Fa
ther of all his people — of the rich
and the poor ; the bond and the free ;
the learned and the unlearned. He
is no respecter of persons. Nothing
would tend more to overcome the
prejudices of colour, rank, and
wealth, than to feel that we all have
one Father; and that we are all
equally the objects of his favour.
Comp. Notes on Acts xvii. 26.
If Who is above all. Who is su
preme ; who presides over all things.
T And through all. He pervades
universal nature, and his agency is
seen everywhere. If And in you
all. There is no one in whose heart
he does not dwell. You are his
temple ; and he abides in you. See
ch. ii. 22. Notes, 1 Cor. vi. 19.
The argument here is, that as the
same God dwelt in every heart, they
ought to be one. See this argument
beautifully expressed in the Saviour's
prayer, John xvii. 21. Comp. John
xiv. 23.
7. But unto every one of us.
Every Christian. % Is given grace.
The favour of God ; meaning here,
that God had bestowed upon each
sincere Christian the means of living
as he ought to do, and had in his
gospel made ample provision that
they might walk worthy .of their vo
cation. What are the endowments
thus given, the apostle states in the
following verses. The grace re
ferred to here, most probably means
the gracious influences of the Holy
Spirit, or his operations on the heart
in connection with the use of the
means which God has appointed.
If According to the measure of the
gift of Christ. Grace is bestowed

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

given grace according to the mea
sure » of the gift of Christ.
a Ro. 12. 3.

upon all true Christians, and all
have enough to enable them to live
a life of holiness. Yet we are taught
here, (I.) That it is a gift. It is
bestowed on us. It is not what is
originated by ourselves. (2.) It is
by a certain measure. It is not un
limited, and without rule. There
is a wise adaptation ; an imparting
it by a certain rule. The same grace
is not given to all, but to all is given
enough to enable them to live as
they ought to live. (3.) That mea
sure is the gift of Christ, or what is
given in Christ. It comes through
him. It is what he has purchased ;
what he has obtained by his merits.
All have enough for the purposes for
which God has called them into his
kingdom ; but there are not the same
endowments conferred on all. Some
have grace given them to qualify
them for the ministry; some to be
apostles ; some to be martyrs ; some
to make them eminent as public
benefactors. All this has been ob
tained by Christ; and one should
not complain that another has more
distinguished endowments than he
has. Comp. Notes on Rom. xii. 3.
John i. 16.
8. Wherefore he saith. The
word " he" is not in the original ;
and it may mean 'the Scripture
saith,' or 'God saith' The point
of the argument here is, that Christ,
when he ascended to heaven, ob
tained certain gifts for men, and
that those gifts are bestowed upon
his people in accordance with this.
To prove that, he adduces this pas
sage from Ps. lxviii. 18. Much per
plexity has been felt in regard to
the principle on which Paul quotes
this Psalm, and applies it to the as
cension of the Redeemer. The
Psalm seems to have been composed
on the occasion of removing the ark

8 Wherefore he saith, * When

of the covenant from Kirjath-jearim
to Mount Zion. 2 Sam. vi. 1, seq.
It is a song of triumph, celebrating
the victories of Jehovah, and par
ticularly the victories which had
been achieved when the ark was at
the head of the army. It appears
to have no relation to the Messiah ;
nor would it probably occur to any
one on reading it, that it referred to
his ascension, unless it had been so
quoted by the apostle. Great diffi
culty has been felt, therefore, in de
termining on what principle Paul
applied it to the ascension of the
Redeemer. Some have supposed
that the Psalm had a primary refer
ence to the Messiah ; some thai it
referred to him in only a secondary
sense; some that it is applied to
him by way of' accommodation,' and
some that he merely uses the words
as adapted to express his idea, as a
man adopts words which are familiar
to him, and which will express his
thoughts, though not meaning to
say that the words had any such re
ference originally. Storr supposes
that the words were used by the
Ephesian Christians in their hymns,
and that Paul quoted them as con
taining a sentiment which was ad
mitted among them. This is possi
ble; but it is mere conjecture. It
has been also supposed that the
tabernacle was a type of Christ ;
and that the whole Psalm, therefore,
having original reference to the ta
bernacle, might be applied to Christ
as the antitype. But this is both
conjectural and fanciful. On the
various modes adopted to account
for the difficulty, the reader may
consult Rosenmuller in loc. To me
it seems plain that the Psalm had
original reference to the bringing up
the ark to Mount Zion, and is a
triumphal song. In the song or

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
he ascended up on high, he led '
1 or. a multitude of captives.

Psalm, the poet shows why God was
to be praised — on account of his
greatness, and his benignity to men.
Vs. 1 — 6. He then recounts the
doings of God in former times — par
ticularly his conducting his people
through the wilderness, and the fact
that his enemies were discomfited
before him. Vs. 7—12. All this
refers to the God, the symbols of
whose presence were on the taber
nacle, and accompanying the ark.
He then speaks of the various for
tunes that had befallen the ark of
the covenant It had lain among
the pots, ver. 13, yet ithad formerly
been white as snow when God scat
tered kings by it Ver. 14. He then
speaks of the hill of God — the Mount
Zion to which the ark was about to
be removed, and says that it is an
"high hill"— 'high as the hills of
Bashan,' the hill where God desired
to dwell for ever. Ver. 16. God is
then introduced as ascending that
hill, encompassed with thousands of
angels, as in Mount Sinai ; and the
poet says that, in doing it, he had
triumphed over his enemies, and had
led captivity captive. Ver. 18. The
feet that the ark of God thus ascend
ed the hill of Zion, the place of rest ;
that it was to remain there as its
permanent abode, no more to be car
ried about at the head of armies ;
was the proof of its triumph. It had
made everything captive. It had
subdued every foe; and its ascent
there would be the means of obtain
ing invaluable gifts for men. Mercy
and truth would go forth from that
mountain; and the true religion
would spread abroad, even to the
rebellious, as the results of the tri
umph of God, whose symbol was
over the tabernacle and the ark. The
placing the ark there was the proof of
permanent victory, and would be con
nected with most important benefits

87

captivity captive, and gave gifts
unto men.

to men. The ' ascending on high,'
therefore, in the Psalm, refers, as it
seems to me, to the ascent of the
symbol of the Divine Presence ac
companying the ark on Mount Zion,
or to the placing it ' on high' above all
its foes. The remainder of the Psalm
corresponds with this view. This
ascent of the ark on Mount Zion ;
this evidence of its triumph over all
the foes of God ; this permanent re
sidence of the ark there; and this
feet that its being established there
would be followed with the bestow-
ment of invaluable gifts to men,
might be regarded as a beautiful
emblem of the ascension of the Re
deemer to heaven. There were
strong points of resemblance. He
also ascended on high. His ascent
was the proof of victory over his
foes. He went there for a perma
nent abode. And his ascension was
connected with the bestowment of
important blessings to men. It is as
such emblematic language, I sup
pose, that the apostle makes the quo
tation. It did not originally refer to
this ; but the events were so similar
in many points, that the one would
suggest the other, and the same lan
guage would describe both. It was
language familiar to the apostle;
language that would aptly express
his thoughts, and language that was
not improbably applied to the ascen
sion of the Redeemer by Christians
at that time. The phrase, therefore,
'he saith' — yiyct — or 'it saith,' or
'the Scripture saith,' means, 'it is
said ;' or, ' this language will proper
ly express the fact under considera
tion, to wit, that there is grace given
to each one of us, or that the means
are furnished by the Redeemer for
us to lead holy lives.' If When he
ascended up on high. To heaven.
The Psalm is, ' Thou hast ascended
on high.' Comp. Eph. i 22, 23.

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

9 (Now that he ascended, what
is it but that he also descended
first into the lower parts of the
earth ?

% He led captivity captive. The
meaning of this in the Psalm is, that
he triumphed over his foes. The
margin is, ' a multitude of captives'
But this, I think, is not quite the
idea. It is language derived from
a conqueror, who not only makes
captives, but who makes captives of
those who were then prisoners, and
who conducts them as a part of his
triumphal procession. He not only
subdues his enemy, but he leads his
captives in triumph. The allusion
is to the public triumphs of conquer
ors, especially as celebrated among
the Romans, in which captives were
(ed in chains (Tacitus, Ann. xii. 38),
and to the custom in such triumphs
of distributing presents among the
soldiers. Comp. also Judges v. 30,
where it appears that this was also
an early custom in other nations.
Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgen
land, in loc. When Christ ascend
ed to heaven, he triumphed over all
his foes. It was a complete victory
over the malice of the great enemy
of God, and over those who had
sought his life. But he did more.
He rescued those who were the cap
tives of Satan, and led them in tri
umph. Man was held by Satan as
a prisoner. His chains were around
him. Christ rescued the captive
prisoner, and designed to make him
a part of his triumphal procession
into heaven, that thus the victory
might be complete — triumphing not
only over the great foe himself, but
swelling his procession with the at
tending hosts of those who had been
the captives of Satan, now rescued
and redeemed. IT And gave gifts un-
lomen. Such as he specifiesinver.il.
9. Now that he ascended. That
is, it is affirmed in the Psalm that he

10 He that descended is the
same also that ascended up far
above all heavens, that he might
1 fill all things.) » or, fulfil.

ascended — " Thou hast ascended on
high." This implies that there must
have been a previous descent ; or, as
applicable to the Messiah, 'it is a
truth that he previously descended.'
It is by no means certain that Paul
meant to say that the word ' ascend
ed' demonstrated that there must
have been a previous descent; but
he probably means that in the case
of Christ there was, in fact, a de
scent into the lower parts of the
earth first The language here
used will appropriately express his
descent to earth. Tf Into the lower
parts of the earth. To the lowest
state of humiliation. This seems to
be the fair meaning of the words.
Heaven stands opposed to earth.
One is above ; the other is be
neath. From the one, Christ de
scended to the other ; and he came
not only to the earth, but he stooped
to the most humble condition of hu
manity here. See Phil. ii. 6 — 8.
Comp. Notes on Isa. xliv. 23. Some
have understood this of the grave;
others of the region of departed spi
rits ; but these interpretations do not
seem to be necessary. It is the
earth itself that stands in contrast
with the heavens ; and the idea is,
that the Redeemer descended from
his lofty eminence in heaven, and
became a man of humble rank and
condition. Comp. Ps. cxxxix. 15.
10. He that descended is the same
also that ascended. The same Re
deemer came down from God, and
returned to him. It was not a dif
ferent being, but the same, f Far
above all heavens. See Notes on
ch. i. 20—23. Comp. Heb. vii. 26.
He is gone above the visible hea
vens, and has ascended into the
highest abodes of bliss. See Notes

A. D. 64] CHAPTER FV.
11 And * he gave some, apos
tles ; and some, prophets ; and
some, evangelists ; and some, pas
tors and teachers :
a 1 Co. 12. 28.
on 2 Cor. xii. 2. If That he might
fill all things. Marg., fulfil. The
meaning is, " that he might fill all
things by his influence, and direct
and overrule all by his wisdom and
power." Doddridge. See Notes on
ch. i. 23.
11. And he gave some, apostles.
He gave some to be apostles. The
object here is to show that he has
made ample provision for the exten
sion and edification of his church.
On the meaning of the word apos
tles, and on their appointment by
the Saviour, see Notes on Matt x.
1. ^f And some, prophets. He ap
pointed some to be prophets. See
Notes on Rom. xii. 7. 1 Cor. xii. 28 ;
xiv. 1. If And some, evangelists.
See Notes on Acts xxi. 8. Comp.
2 Tim. iv. 5. The word does not
elsewhere occur in the New Testa
ment What was the precise office
of the evangelist in the primitive
church, it is now impossible to deter
mine. The evangelist may have
been one whose main business was
preaching, and who was not particu
larly engaged in the government of
the church. The word properly means
' a messenger of good tidings ;' and
Robinson (Lex.) supposes that it de
notes a minister of the gospel who
was not located in any place, but
who travelled as a missionary to
preach the gospel, and to found
churches. The word is so used now
by many Christians; but it cannot
be proved that it is so used in the
New Testament. An explanation
of the words which here occur may
be found in Neahder on the Primi
tive Church, in the Biblical Reposi
tory, vol. iv. p. 258, seq. The of
fice was distinct from that of the
pastor, the.teacher, and the prophet ;
8*

89

12 For the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the minis
try, for the edifying of the body
of Christ:

and was manifestly an office in which
preaching was the main thing.
If And some pastors. Literally
shepherds — jtoijilvaj. Comp. Matt.
ix. 36; xxv. 32; xxvi. 31. Mark
vi. 34; xiv. 27. Luke ii. 8. 15. 18.
20. John x. 2. 11, 12. 14 16, where
it is rendered shepherd, and shep
herds ; also Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii.
25. In Matt. xxvi. 31. Mark xiv.
27. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25, it
is applied to the Lord Jesus as the
great shepherd of the flock — the
church. It is rendered pastors only
in the place before us. The word
is given to ministers of the gospel
with obvious propriety, and with
great beauty. They are to exercise
the same watchfulness and care over
the people of their charge which a
shepherd does over his flock. Comp.
Notes on John xxi. 15, 16. The '
meaning here is, that Christ exer
cised a special care for his church
by appointing pastors who would
watch over it as a shepherd does
over his flock. If And teachers. See
Notes on Rom. xii. 7.
12. For the perfecting of the
saints. On the meaning of the word
here rendered perfecting — xarao-
¦ttaubv — see Notes on 2 Cor. xiii. 9.
It properly refers to the restoring of
anything to its place; then putting
in order, making complete, &c. Here
it means that these various officers
were appointed in order that every
thing in the church might be well
arranged, or put into its proper place ;
or that the church might be com
plete. It is that Christians may have
every possible advantage for becom
ing complete in love, and knowledge,
an! order. If For the work of the
»ii listry. All these are engaged in
u.: work of the ministry, though in

90

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

13 Till we all come ' in the
unity ° of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God,

a Co. 2. 2.

different departments. Together
they constituted the ministry by
which Christ meant to establish and
edify the church. All these offices
had an existence at that time, and
all were proper ; though it is clear
that they were not all designed to
be permanent. The apostolic office
was of course to cease with the death
of those who were the witnesses of
the life and doctrines of Jesus (comp.
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 1) ; the office of
prophets was to cease with the ces
sation of inspiration; and in like
manner it is possible that the office
of teacher or evangelist might be
suspended, as circumstances might
demand. But is it nof clear from
this that Christ did not appoint mere
ly three orders of clergy to be per
manent in the church) Here are
five orders enumerated, and in 1
Cor. xii. 28, there are eight men
tioned; and how can it be demon
strated that the Saviour intended that
there should be three only, and that
they should be permanent) The
presumption is rather that he meant
that there should be but one perma
nent order of ministers, though the
departments of their labour might
be varied according to circumstances,
and though there might be helpers,
as occasion should demand. In found
ing churches among the heathen,
and in instructing and governing
them there, there is need of reviving
nearly all the offices of teacher,
helper, evangelist, &c, which Paul
has enumerated as actually existing
in his time. If For the edifying.
For building it up ; that is, in the
knowledge of the truth, and in piety.
See Notes on Rom. xiv. 19. f The
body of Christ. The church. See
Notes on ch. i. 23.
13. Till we all come. Till all

unto a perfect * man, unto the
measure of the s stature of the
fulness of Christ :

4 1 Co. 14. 20.

a or, age.

Christians arrive at a state of com
plete unity, and to entire perfection
If In the unity of the faith. Marg
into. The meaning is, till We all
hold the same truths, and have the
same confidence in the Son of God.
See Notes on John xvii. 21 — 23.
If And of the knowledge of the Son
of God. That they might attain to
the same practical acquaintance with
the Son of God, and might thus
come to the maturity of Christian
piety. See Notes on ch. iii. 19.
If Unto a perfect mdn. Unto a com
plete man. This figure is obvious.
The apostle compares their condi
tion then to a state of childhood.
The perfect man here refers to the
man grown up — the man of mature
life. He says that Christ had ap
pointed pastors and teachers that the
infant church might be conducted to
maturity ; or become strong — like a
man. He does not refer to the doc
trine of sinless perfection — but to
the state of manhood as compared
with that of childhood — a state of
strength, vigour, wisdom, when the
full growth should be attained. See
1 Cor. xiv. 20. -f Unto the measure
of the stature. Marg. or age. The
word stature expresses the idea. It
refers to the growth of a man. The
stature to be attained to was that of
Christ. He was the standard — not
in size, not in age, but in moral cha
racter. The measure to be reached
was Christ; or we are to grow till
we become like him. If Of the ful
ness of Christ. See Notes on ch.
i. 23. The phrase ' the measure of
the fulness,' means, probably, the
' full measure' — by a form of con
struction that is common in the He
brew writings, where two nouns are
so used that one is to be rendered as
an adjective — as trees of greatness

A. D. 64] CHAPTER IV.
14 That we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried " about with every
a Ja. 1. 6.

— meaning great trees. Here it
means, that they should so advance
in piety and knowledge as to become
wholly like him.
14 That we henceforth be no
more children. In some respects
Christians are to be like children.
They are to be docile, gentle, mild,
and free from ambition, pride, and
haughtiness. See Notes on Matt
xviii. 2, 3. But children have other
characteristics besides simplicity and
docility. They are often change
able (Matt xi. 17) ;. they are credu
lous, and are influenced easily by
others, and led astray. In these re
spects, Paul exhorts the Ephesians
to be no longer children, but urges
them to put on the characteristics
of manhood ; and especially to put
on the firmness in religious opinion
which became maturity of life.
If Tossed to and fro. x?.vSavt.£6fiam.
This word is taken from waves or
billows that are constantly tossed
about — in all ages an image of in
stability of character and purpose.
If And carried about with every
wind of doctrine. With no firmness ;
no settled course; no helm. The
idea is that of a vessel on the rest
less ocean, that is tossed about with
every varying wind, and that has no
settled line of sailing. So many
persons are in regard to religious
doctrines. They have no fixed views
and principles. They hold no doc
trines that are settled in their minds
by careful and patient examination,
and the consequence is, that they
yield to every new opinion, and sub
mit to the guidance of every new
teacher. The doctrine taught here
is, that we should have settled re
ligious opinions. We should care
fully examine what is truth, and

91
wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to de
ceive ;
having found it, should adhere to it,
and not yield on the coming of every
new teacher. We should not, in
deed, close our minds against con
viction. We should be open to ar
gument, and be willing to follow the
truth wherever it will lead us. But
this state of mind is not inconsistent
with having settled opinions, and
with being firm in holding them
until we are convinced that we are
wrong. No man can be useful who
has not settled principles. No one
who has not such principles can in
spire confidence or be happy, and
the first aim of every young convert
should be to acquire settled views
of the truth, and to become firmly
grounded in the doctrines of the
gospel. If By the sleight of men.
The cunning, skill, trickery of men.
The wordused here — xv^cia — is from
a word (xvj3oc) meaning a cube, a
die, and properly means a game at
dice. Hence it means game, gam
bling; and then any thing that
turns out by mere chance or hap
hazard — as a game at dice does. It
may possibly also denote the trick
or fraud that is sometimes used in
such games; but it seems rather
to denote a man's forming his re
ligious opinions by the throw of a
die ; or, in other words, it describes
a man whose opinions seem to be
the result of mere chance. Any
thing like casting a die, or like
opening the Bible at random to de
termine a point of duty or doctrine,
may come under the description of
the apostle here, and would all be
opposed to the true mode, that by
calm examination of the Bible, and
by prayer. A man who forms his
religious principles by chance, can
unform them in the same wav ; and

93

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

15 But, ' speaking the truth °
in love, may grow up into him in
1 or, being sincere. a 2 Co. 4. 2.
he who has determined his faith by
one cast of the die, will be likely to
throw them into another form by an
other. The phrase ' the sleight of
men,' therefore, I would render ' by
the mere chance of men, or as you
may happen to find men, one hold
ing this opinion, and the next that,
and allowing yourself to be in
fluenced by them without any set
tled principles.' If Cunning crafti
ness. Deceit, trick, art. See 2 Cor.
xii. 16. Luke xx. 23. 1 Cor. iii.
19. Notes, 2 Cor. iv. 2; xi. 3.
If Whereby they lie in wait to de
ceive. Literally, ' Unto the method
of deceit ;' that is, in the usual way
of deceit. Doddridge, "In every me
thod of deceit." This is the true
idea. The meaning is, that men
would use plausible pretences, and
would, if possible, deceive the pro
fessed friends of Christ. Against
such we should be on our guard ;
and not by their arts should our
opinions be formed, but by the word
of God.
15. But speaking the truth in
love. Marg., being sincere. The
translation in the text is correct —
literally, truthing in love. — dta^tv-
otrrif. Two things are here to be
noted. (1.) The truth is to be spoken —
the simple, unvarnished truth. This
is the way to avoid error, and this is
the way to preserve others from
error. In opposition to all trick, and
art, and cunning, and fraud, and de
ception, Christians are to speak the
simple truth, and nothing but the
truth. Eyery statement which they
make should be unvarnished truth ;
every promise which they make
should be true ; every representation
which they make of the sentiments
of others should be simple truth.
Truth is the representation of things
as they are ,- and there is no virtue

all things, which is the head, ' even
Christ : 4 Co. 1. 18, 19.

that is more valuable in a Christian
than the love of simple truth. (2.)
The second thing is, that the truth
should be spoken in love. There
are other ways of speaking truth.
It is sometimes spoken in a harsh,
crabbed, sour manner, which does
nothing but disgust and offend.
When we state truth to others, it
should be with love to their souls,
and with a sincere desire to do them
good. When we admonish a brother
of his faults, it should not be in a
harsh and unfeeling manner, but in
love. Where a minister pronounces
the awful truth of God about de
pravity, death, the judgment, and
future woe, it should be in love. It
should not be done in a harsh and
repulsive manner ; it should not be
done as if he rejoiced that men were
in danger of hell, or as if he would
like to pass the final sentence; it
should not be with indifference, or
in a tone of superiority. And in
like manner, if we go to convince
one who is in error, we should
approach him in love. We should
not dogmatize, or denounce, or deal
out anathemas. Such things only
repel. He has done about half his
work in convincing another of error
who has first convinced him that he
loves him ; and if he does not do
that, he may argue to the hour of
his death and make no progress in
convincing him. ^f May grow up
into him. Into Christ; that is, to
the stature of a complete man in
him. If Which is the head. Notes,
ch. i. 22. 1 Cor. xi. 3.
16. From whom the whole body.
The church, compared with the hu
man body. The idea is, that as the
head in the human frame conveys
vital influences, vigour, motion, &c;
to every part of the body; so Christ
is the source of life, and vigour, and

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

16 From whom • the whole
body fitly joined together, and

a Jno. 15. 5.

energy, and increase, to the church.
The sense is, 'The whole human
body is admirably arranged for
growth and vigour. Every member
and joint contributes to its healthful
and harmonious action. One part
lends vigour and beauty to another,
so that the whole is finely propor
tioned and admirably sustained. All
depend on the head with reference
to the most important functions of
life, and all derive their vigour from
that So it is in the church. It is
as well arranged for growth and
vigour as the body is. It is as beau
tifully organized in its various mem
bers and officers as the body is.
Everything is designed to be in its
proper place, and nothing by the di
vine arrangement is wanting in its
organization, to its perfection. Its
officers and its members are, in then-
places, what the various parts of the
body are with reference to the hu
man frame. The church depends on
Christ, as the head, to sustain, invi
gorate, and guide it, as the body is
dependant on the head.' See this
figure carried out to greater length
in 1 Cor. xii. 12 — 26. f Fitly joined
together. The body, whose mem
bers are properly united so as to
produce the most beauty and vigour.
Each member is in the best place,
and is properly united to the other
members. Let any one read Paley's
Natural Theology, or any work on
anatomy, and he will find innumera
ble instances of the truth of this re
mark ; not only in the proper adjust
ment and placing of the members,
but in the manner in which it is
united to the other parts of the body.
The foot, for instance, is in its^jroper
place. It should not be where the
head or the hand is. The eye is in
its proper place. It should not be in
the knee or the heel. The mouth,

compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the
the tongue, the teeth, the lungs, the
heart are in their proper places.
No other places would answer the
purpose so well. The brain is in
its proper place. Anywhere else in
the body, it would be subject to com
pressions and injuries which would
soon destroy life. And these parts
are as admirably united to the other
parts of the body, as they are admi
rably located. Let any one examine,
for instance, the tendons, nerves,
muscles, and bones, by which the
foot is secured to the body, and by
which easy and graceful motion is
obtained, and he will be satisfied of
the wisdom by which the body is
'joined together.' How far the
knowledge of the apostle extended
on this point, we have not the means
of ascertaining; but all the investi
gations of anatomists only serve to
give increased beauty and force to
the general terms which he uses
here. AH that he says here of the
human frame is strictly accurate,
and is such language as may be used
by an anatomist now. The word
which is here used (owopfioxoylu)
means properly to sew together ; to
fit together; to unite; to make one.
It is applied often to musicians, who
produce harmony of various parts of
music. Passow. The idea of har
mony, or appropriate union, is that
in the word. % And compacted.
avfifaPagofitvoii. Tindal renders this,
' knit together in every joint' The
word properly means, to make to
come together ; to join or knit toge
ther. It means here that the differ
ent parts of the body are united and
sustained in this manner. IT By
that which every joint supplieth.
Literally, 'through every joint of
supply;' that is, which affords or
ministers mutual aid. The word
joint here — o$»j — (from atttu, to fit)

94

EPHESIANS.

[A I 64

effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of
— means anything which binds, fas
tens, secures ; and does not refer to
the joint in the sense in which we
commonly use it, as denoting the ar
ticulation of the limbs, or the joining
of two or more bones ; but rather
that which unites or fastens together
the different parts of the frame — the
blood-vessels, cords, tendons, and
muscles. The meaning is, that
every such means of connecting one
part of the body with another minis
ters nourishment, and that thus the
body is sustained. One part is de
pendant on another ; one part derives
nourishment from another ; and thus
all become mutually useful as con
tributing to the support and harmony
of the whole. Thus it furnishes an
illustration of the connection in the
members of the church, and of the
aid which one can render to another.
If According to the effectual work
ing. Gr., 'According to the energy
in the measure of each one part'
Tindal, "According to the operation
as every part has its measure." The
meaning is, that each part contri
butes to the production of the whole
result, or labours for this. This is
in proportion to the 'measure' of
each part; that is, in proportion to
its power. Every part labours to
produce the great result No one
is idle ; none is useless. But none
are overtaxed or overworked. The
support demanded and furnished by
every part is in exact proportion
to its strength. This is a beautiful
account of the anatomy of the hu
man frame. (1.) Nothing is useless.
Every part contributes to the general
result — the health, and beauty, and
vigor-of the system. Not a muscle
is useless ; not a nerve, not an arte
ry, not a vein. All are employed,
and all have an important place, and
all contribute something to the health
and beauty of the whole. Sonume-

the body unto the edifying »>f it
self in love.
rous are the blood-vessels, that you
cannot perforate the skin anywhere
without piercing one ; so numerous
are the pores of the skin, that a
grain of sand will cover thousands
of them ; so minute the ramifications
of the nerves, that wherever the
point of a needle penetrates, we feel
it ; and so numerous the absorbents,
that millions of them are employed
in taking up the chyme of the food,
and conveying it to the veins. And
yet all are employed — all are useful
— all minister life and strength to
the whole. (2.) None are over
taxed. They all work according to
the ' measure' of their strength. No
thing is required of the minutest
nerve or blood-vessel which it is not
fitted to perform ; and it will work
on for years without exhaustion or
decay. So of the church. There
is no member so obscure and feeble
that he may not contribute something
to the welfare of the whole ; and no
one is required to labour beyond his
strength in order to secure the great
object Each one in his place, and
labouring as he should there, will
contribute to the general strength
and welfare ; out of his place — like
nerves and arteries out of their
place, and crossing and recrossing
others — he will only embarrass the
whole, and disarrange the harmony
of the system. If Maketh increase
of the body. The body grows in
this manner. ^Unto the edifying
of itself. To building itself up—
that is, it grows up to a. complete
stature, f In love. In mutual har
mony. This refers to the body.
The meaning is, that it seems to be
made on the principle of love. There
is no jar, no collision, no disturbance
of one part with another. A great
number of parts, composed of differ
ent substances, and with difterent
functions — bones, and nerves, and

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
17 This I say therefore, and
testify in the Lord, that ye hence-

9;>

muscles, and blood-vessels — are uni
ted in one, and live together without
collision ; and so it should be in the
church. Learn, hence, (1.) That
no member of the church need be
useless, any more than a minute
nerve or blood-vessel in the body
need be useless. No matter how
obscure the individual may be, he
may contribute to the harmony and
vigour of the whole. (2.) Every
member ofthe church should contri
bute something to the prosperity of
the whole. He should no more be
idle and unemployed than a nerve
or a blood-vessel should be in the
human system. What would be the
effect if the minutest nerves and
arteries of the body should refuse to
perform their office ) Languor, dis
ease, and death. So it is in the
church. The obscurest member may
do something to destroy the health
ful action ofthe church, and to make
its piety languish and die. (3.) There
should be union in the church. It
is made up of materials which differ
much from each other, as the body
is made up of bones, and nerves, and
muscles. Yet, in the body these are
united; and so it should be in the
church. There need be no more
jarring in the church than in the
body ; and a jar in the church pro
duces the same effect as would be
produced in the body if the nerves
and muscles should resist the action
of each other, or as if one should be
out of its place, and impede the
healthful functions of the other. (4.)
Every member in the church should
keep his place, just as every bone,
and nerve, and muscle in the human
frame should. Every member of the
body should be in its right position ;
the heart, the lungs, the eye, the
tongue, should occupy their right
place ; and every nerve in the sys
tem should be laid down just where

forth walk not as other Gentiles
walk, in the vanity of their mind.

it is designed to be. If so, all is well.
If not so, all is deformity, or disorder,
just as it is often in the church.
17. This I say, therefore, and
testify in the Lord. I bear witness
in the name of the Lord Jesus, or
ministering by his authority. The
object of this is, to exhort them to
walk worthy of their high calling,
and to adorn the doctrine of the Sa
viour. With this view, he reminds
them of what they were before they
were converted, and of the manner
in which the heathen around • them
lived, ^f That ye henceforth walk not.
That you do not henceforth live — ¦
the christian life being often in the
Scriptures compared to a journey.
If As other Gentiles walk. This
shows that probably the mass of con
verts in the church at Ephesus were
from among the heathen, and Paul
regarded them as Gentile converts.
Or it may be that he here addressed
himself more particularly to that
portion of the church, as especially
needing his admonition and care.
% In the vanity of their mind. In
the way of folly, or in mental folly.
What he means by this, he specifies
in the following verses. The word
'vanity' in the Scriptures means
more than mere emptiness. It de
notes moral wrong, being applied
usually to those who worshipped
vain idols, and then those who were
alienated from the true God.
18. Having the understanding
darkened. That is, because they
were alienated from the true God,
and particularly because of "the
blindness of their hearts." The
apostle does not say that this was u.
'judicial' darkening of the under
standing; or that they might not
have perceived the truth: or that
they had no ability to understand it
He speaks of a simple and well-
known fact — a fact that is seen now

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

18 Having the understanding*
darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the igno

rance that is in them, because of
the ' blindness of their heart ;

a Ac. 26. 18.

as well as then — that the understand
ing becomes darkened by indulgence
in sin. A man who is intemperate,
has no just views ofthe government
of the appetites. A man who is
unchaste, has no perception of the
loveliness of purity. A man who is
avaricious or covetous, has no just
views of the beauty of benevolence.
A man who indulges in low vices,
will weaken his mental powers, and
render himself incapable of intellec
tual effort. Indulgence in vice de
stroys the intellect as well as the
body, and unfits a man to appreci
ate the truth of a proposition in mo
rals, or in mathematics, or the beauty
of a poem, as well as the truth and
beauty of religion. Nothing is more
obvious than that indulgence in sin
weakens the mental powers, and
renders them unfit for high intellec
tual effort This is seen all over the
heathen world now — in the stolid,
stupid mind; the perverted moral
sense; the incapacity for profound
or protracted mental effort, as really
is it was among the heathens to
whom Paul preached. The mission
ary who goes among the heathen
has almost to create an intellect as
well as a conscience, before the gos
pel will make an impression. It is
seen, too, in all the intellect of the
bar, the senate, the pulpit, and the
medical profession, that is ruined by
intemperance, and in the intellect
of multitudes of young men wasted
by licentiousness and drunkenness.
I know that under the influence of
ambition and stimulating drinks, the
intellect may seem to put forth un
natural efforts, and to glow with an
intensity nowhere else seen. But it
soon burns out — and the wastes of
such an intellect become soon like

1 or, hardness.

the hardened scoria? of the volcano,
or the cinders of the over-heated
furnace. Learn hence, that if a man
wishes to be blessed with a clear
understanding, he should be a good
man. He who wishes a mind well
balanced and clear, should fear and
love God ; and had Christianify-done
no other good on earth than to ele
vate the intellect of mankind, it
would have been the richest bless
ing which has ever been vouchsafed
to the race. It follows, too, that as
man has debased his understanding
by sin, it is needful to make an exer
tion to elevate it again ; and hence
a large part of the efforts to save
men must consist in patient instruc
tion. Hence the necessity of schools
at missionary stations. If Being
alienated. See Notes on ch. ii. 12.
If From the life of God. From a
life like that of God, or a life of
which he is the source and author.
The meaning is, that they lived a life
which was unlike God, or which he
could not approve. Of the truth of
this in regard to the heathen every
where, there can be no doubt. See
Notes on Rom. i. If Through the
ignorance that is in them. The
ignorance of the true God, and of
what constituted virtue. Comp.
Notes on Rom. i. 20—23. If Be
cause ofthe blindness of their hearts.
Marg. hardness. Hardness is a bet
ter word. It is a better translation
of the Greek ; and it better accords
with the design of the apostle.
Here the reason is stated why they
lived and acted as they did, and
why the understanding was blind
ed. It is not that God has enfee
bled the human intellect by a judi
cial sentence on account of the
sin of Adam, and made it incapable

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
19 Who being past feeling,
have ° given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all un-
cleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned
Christ ; a Ro. 1. 34, 26.

97

of perceiving the truth. It is not
that there is any deficiency or inca
pacity of natural powers. It is not
that the truths of religion are so ex
alted that man has no natural ability
to understand them, for they may be
as well understood as any other
truths. See Notes on 1 Cor. i. 14.
The simple reason is, " the hardness
of the heart." That is the solu
tion given by an inspired apostle,
and that is enough. A man who has
a blind and hard heart sees no beauty
in truth, and feels not its force, and
is insensible to all its appeals. Learn,
then, (1.) That men are to blame for
Che blindness of their understanding.
Whatever proceeds from a wicked
heart they are responsible for. But
for mere inferiority of intellect they
would not be to blame. (2.) They
are under obligation to repent and
love God. If it was required of
them to enlarge their intellects, or
create additional faculties of mind,
they could not be bound to do it
But where the whole thing required
is to have a better heart, they may
be held responsible. (3.) The way
to elevate the understandings of
mankind is to purify the heart The
approach must be made through the
affections. Let men feel right to
wards God, and they will soon think
tight ; let the heart be pure, and the
understanding will be clear.
19. Who being past feeling.
Wholly hardened in sin. There is
a total want of all emotion on moral
subjects. This is an accurate de
scription of the state of a sinner.
He has no feeling, no emotion. He
9

21 If so be that ye have heard
him, and have been taught by
him, as the truth is in Jesus ;
22 That ye put * off, concern
ing the former conversation, the
old ' man, which is corrupt ac
cording to the deceitful lusts ;
J Co. 3. 8,9. c Ro. 0. (3.

often gives an intellectual assent to
the truth, but it is without emotion
of any kind. The heart is insensi
ble as the hard rock. If Have given
themselves over. They have done
it voluntarily. In Rom. i. 24, it is
said that " God gave them up."
There is no inconsistency. What
ever was the agency of God in it
they preferred it. Comp. Notes on
Rom. i. 21. If Unto lasciviousness.
See Notes on Rom. i. 24—26.
20. But ye have not so learned
Christ. You have been taught a
different thing by Christ ; you have
been taught-that his religion requires
you to abandon such a course of life.
21. If so be that ye have heard him.
If you have listened attentively to
his instructions, and learned the true
nature of his religion. There may
be a slight and delicate doubt im
plied here whether they had atten
tively listened to his instructions.
Doddridge, however, renders it,
"Seeing ye have heard him."
Comp. Notes on ch. iii. 2. If And
have been taught by him. By his
Spirit, or by the ministers whom he
had appointed. If As the truth is in
Jesus. If you have learned the true
nature of his religion as he himself
taught it. What the truth was which
the Lord Jesus taught, or what his
principles implied, the apostle pro
ceeds to state in the following verses.
22. That ye put off. That you
lay aside, or renounce. The man
ner in which the apostle states these
duties, renders it not improbable that
there had been some instruction
among tl«m of a contrary character,

08

EPHESIANS.

fA. D. 64

23 And be renewed " in the
spirit of your mind ;

and that it is possible there had been
some teachers there who had not en
forced, as they should have done, the
duties of practical religion, ^f Con
cerning the former conversation.
The word conversation here means
conduct — as it commonly does in the
Bible. See Notes, 2 Cor. i. 12. The
meaning here is, 'with respect to
your former conduct or habits of life,
lay aside all that pertained to a cor
rupt and fallen nature. You are
not to lay every thing aside that
formerly pertained to you. Your
dress, and manners, and modes of
speech and intercourse, might have
been in many respects correct. But
every thing that proceeded from sin ;
every habit, and custom, and mode
of speech and of conduct that was
the result of depravity, is to be laid
aside. The peculiar characteristics
of an unconverted man you are to
put oft) and are to assume those
which are the proper fruits of a re
newed heart. If The old man. See
Notes on Rom. vi. 6. If Which is
corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts. The meaning is, (1.) That the
unrenewed man is not under the di
rection of reason and sound sense,
Vat is controlled by his passions and
iesires. The word lusts, has a
more limited signification with us
than the original word. That word
We now confine to one class of sen
sual appetites ; but the original word
denotes any passion or propensity
of the heart. It may include ava
rice, ambition, the love of pleasure, or
of gratification in any way; and the
meaning here is, that the heart is by
nature under the control of such
desires. (2.) Those passions are
deceitful. They lead us astray.
They plunge us into ruin. All the
passions and pleasures of the world
are illusive. They promise more

24 And that ye put on the new
man, which after God is created *
JGa.6. 15. c.2. 10.

than they perform ; and they leave
their deluded votaries to disappoint
ment and to tears. Nothing is more
"deceitful" than the promised plea
sures of this world ; and all who
yield to them find at last that they
" flatter but to betray.'.'
23. And be renewed. That is, it
is necessary that u. man who has
been following these should become
a new man. See Notes on John iii.
3, seq. Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. iv.
16. The word here used — dmviou
— does not occur elsewhere in the
New Testament; but it has the
same meaning as the word used in
2 Cor. iv. 16, and Col. iii. 10. It
means to make new, and is descrip
tive of the work of regeneration.
This was addressed to the church,
and to those whom Paul regarded
as Christians; and we may learn
from this, (I.) That it is necessary
that man should be renewed in order
to be saved. (2.) That it is proper
to exhort Christians to be renewed.
They need renovated strength every
day. (3.) That it is a matter of ob
ligation to be renewed. Men are
bound thus to be renovated. And
(4.) That they have sufficient natu
ral ability to change from the condi
tion of the old to that of the neu
man, or they could not be exhorted
to it If In the spirit of your mind.
In your temper; your heart; youi
nature. 24. And that ye put on live new
man. The new man refers to the
renovated nature. This is called,
in other places, the 'new creature,
or the new creation" (see Notes on
2 Cor. v. 17), and refers to the con
dition after the heart is changed.
The change is so great, that there is
no impropriety in speaking cf one
who has experienced it as 'a new
man.' He has new feelings, princi

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
in righteousm ss and ' true holi
ness. » or, holiness of truth. J oo. 17. 17-

99

pies, and desires. He has laid aside
his old principles and practices, and,
in everything that pertains to moral
character, he is new. His body is
indeed the same; the intellectual
structure of his mind the same ; but
there has been a change in his prin
ciples and feelings which make him,
in all the great purposes of life, a
new being. Learn, that regenera
tion is not a trifling change. It is
not a mere change of relations, or
of the outward condition. It is not
merely being brought from the world
into the church, and being baptized,
though by the most holy hands ; it
is much more. None of these things
would make proper the declaration,
'he is a new man.' Regeneration
by the Spirit of God does. % After
God. jcori &tov. In respect to God.
The idea is, evidently, that man is
so renewed as to become like God,
or the divine image is restored to the
soul. In the parallel passage in
Colossians (iii. 9), the idea is ex
pressed more fully, "renewed in
knowledge after the image of him
that created him." Man, by rege
neration, is restored to the lost image
of God. Comp. Gen. i. 26. «f Is
created. A word that is often used
to denote the new birth, from its
strong resemblance to the first act
of creation. See it explained in the
Notes on 2 Cor. v. 17. If In right
eousness. That is, the renewed man
is made to resemble God in right
eousness. This proves that man,
when he was made, was righteous ;
or that righteousness constituted a
part of the image of God in which
he was created. The object of the
work of redemption is to restore to
man the lost image of God, or to
bring him back to the condition in
which he was before he fell. If And
true holiness. Marg. as in Greek,

25 Wherefore putting away
lying, speak every man truth"
a Zoc. 8. 16.

holiness of truth — standing in con
trast with 'lusts of deceit' {Greek),
in ver. 22. Holiness properly refers
to purity towards God, and right
eousness to integrity towards men ;
but it is not certain that this distinc
tion is observed here. The general
idea is, that the renovated man is
made an upright and a pious man ;
and that, therefore, he should avoid
the vices which are practised by the
heathen, and which the apostle pro
ceeds to specify. This phrase also
proves that, when man was created,
he was a holy being.
25. Wherefore putting away ly
ing. It may seem strange that the
apostle should seriously exhort Chris
tians to put away lying, implying
that they were in the habit of in
dulging in falsehood. But we are
to remember, (1.) that lying is the
universal vice of the heathen world.
Among the ancient heathens, as
among the moderns, it was almost
universally practised. It has been
remarked by a distinguished jurist
who had spent much time in India,
that he would not believe a Hindoo
on his oath. The same testimony is
borne by almost all the missionaries
of the character of heathens every
where. No confidence can be placed
in their statements; and, where"
there is the slightest temptation to
falsehood, they practise it without
remorse. (2.) The Ephesians had
been recently converted, and were,
to a great extent, ignorant of the re
quirements of the gospel. A con
science has to be created when hea
thens are converted, and it is long
before they see the evils of many
things which appear to us to be pal
pably wrong. (3.) The effects of
former habits abide long, often, after
I a man is converted. He who has
I been in the habit of profane swear-

100

EPHESIANS. [A. D. 64

with his neighbour : for we " are
members one of another.

a Ro. 12. 5.

ing, finds it difficult to avoid it ; and
he who has been all his life practis
ing deception, will find himself
tempted to practise it still. It was
for reasons such as these, proba
bly, that the apostle exhorted the
Ephesians to put away lying, and
to speak the truth only. Nor is
the exhortation now inappropriate
to Christians, and there are many
classes to whom it would now be
proper — such as the following : (1.)
He who is in the habit of concealing
the defects of an article in trade, or
of commending it for more than its
real value — let him put away lying.
(2. He, or she, who instructs a ser
vant to say that they are not at
home, when they are at home ; or
that they are sick, when they are
not sick ; or that they are engaged,
when they are not engaged — let them
put away lying. (3.) He that is in
the habit of giving a colouring to
his narratives ; of conveying a felse
impression by the introduction or
the suppression of circumstances
that are important to the right un
derstanding of an account — let him
put away lying. (4.) He that is at
oo pains to ascertain the exact truth
in regard to any facts that may affect
his neighbour ; that catches up fly
ing rumours without investigating
them, and that circulates them as
andoubted truth, though they may
seriously affect the character and
peace of another — let him put away
lying. (5.) He that is in the habit
of making promises only to disre
gard them — let him put away lying.
The community is full of falsehoods
of that kind, and they are not all
confined to the people of the world.
Nothing is more important in a
community than simple truth — and
yet, it is to be feared that nothing is

26 Be ye angry and sin not ;
let b not the sun go down upon
your wrath : b Ec. 7. 9.

more habitually disregarded. No
professing Christian can do any good
who has not an unimpeachable cha
racter for integrity and truth — and
yet who can lay his hand on his
breast and say before God that he is
in all cases a man that speaks the
simple and unvarnished truth )
If For we are members one of an
other. We belong to one body — the
church — which is the body of Christ
See Notes Rom. v. 12. The idea
is, that falsehood tends to loosen the
bonds of brotherhood. In the human
body harmony is observed. The eye
never deceives the hand, nor the
hand the foot, nor the heart the lungs.
The whole move harmoniously as if
the one could put the utmost confi
dence in the other — and falsehood
in the church is as ruinous to its in
terests as it would be to the body if
one member was perpetually prac
tising a deception on another.
26. Be ye angry and sin not. It
has been remarked that the direction
here is conformable to the usage of
the Pythagoreans, who were bound,
when there were any differences
among them, to furnish some token
of reconciliation before the sun set
Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. ncu. Morgen
land, in loc. It is implied here (1.)
that there may be anger without
sin; and (2.) that there is special
danger in all cases where there is
anger that it will be accompanied
with sin. Anger is a passion too
common to need any description. It
is an excitement or agitation of mind
of more or less violence, produced
by the reception of a real or supposed
injury, and attended commonly with
a desire or purpose of revenge. The
desire of revenge, however, is not
essential to the existence of the pas
sion, though it is probably alwavs

A D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
attended with a disposition to ex
press displeasure, to chide, rebuke,
or punish. Comp. Mark iii. 5. To
a great extent the sudden excite
ment on the reception of an injury is
involuntary, and consequently inno
cent Anger is excited when a horse
kicks us; when a serpent hisses;
when we dash our foot against a
stone — and so when a man raises his
hand to strike us. The object, or
final cause of implanting this pas
sion in the mind of man is, to rouse
him to an immediate defence of him
self when suddenly attacked, and
before his reason would have time to
suggest the proper means of defence.
It prompts at once to self-protection ;
and when .that is done its proper
office ceases. If persevered in, it
becomes sinful malignity, or revenge
— always wrong. Anger may be
excited against a thing as well as a
person ; as well against an act as
a man. We are suddenly excited
by a wrong thing, without any ma
lignancy against the man ; we may
wish to rebuke or chide that, with
out injuring him. Anger is sinful
in the following circumstances. (1.)
When it is excited without any suf
ficient cause — when we are in no
danger, and do not need it for a pro
tection. We should be safe without
it (2.) When it transcends the
cause, if any cause really exists.
All that is beyond the necessity of
immediate self-protection, is apart
from its design, and is wrong. (3.)
When it is against the person rather
than the offence. The object is not
to injure another; it is to protect
ourselves. (4.) When it is attended
with the desire of revenge. That
is always wrong. Rom. xii. 17. 19.
(5.) When it is cherished, and
heightened by reflection. And (6.)
When there is an unforgiving spirit;
a determination to exact the utmost
satisfaction for the injury which has
been done. If men were perfectly
holy, that sudden arousing of the
fl*

101

mind in danger, oi on the reception
of an injury, which would serve to
prompt us to save ourselves from
danger, would exist, and would be
an important principle of our nature.
As it is now, it is violent ; excessive ;
incontrollable ; persevered in — and
is almost always wrong. If men
were holy, this excitement of the
mind would obey the first injunctions
of reason, and be wholly under its
control ; as it is now, it seldom obeys
reason at all — and is wholly wrong.
Moreover, if all men were holy ; if
there were none disposed to do an
injury, it would exist only in the
form of a sudden arousing of the
mind against immediate danger—
which would all be right. Now, it
is excited not only in view of physi
cat dangers, but in view of the
wrongs done by others — and hence
it terminates on the person and not
the thing, and becomes often wholly
evil. % Let not the sun go down
Do not cherish anger. Do not sleep
upon it Do not harbour a purpose
of revenge ; do not cherish ill-will
against another. When the sun seta
on a man's anger, he may be sure
it is wrong. The meaning of the
whole of this verse then is, ' If you
be angry, which may be the case,
and which may be unavoidable, see
that the sudden excitement does not
become sin. Do not let it overleap
its proper bounds ; do not cherish it ;
do not let it remain in your bosom
even to the setting of the sun.
Though the sun be sinking in the
west, let not the passion linger in
the bosom, but let his last rays find
you always peaceful and calm.'
27. Neither give place to the
devil. This has respect probably
to the exhortation in the formci
verse. ' Do not yield to the sugges
tions and temptations of Satan, who
would take every opportunity to per
suade you to cherish unkind and
angry feelings, and to keep up a spi
rit of resentment among brethren.'

102

EPHESIANS.

[A.D. 64

27 Neither • give place to the
devil.

Many of our feelings, when we sup
pose we are merely defending our
rights, and securing what is our own,
are produced by the temptations of
the devil. The heart is deceitful ;
and seldom more deceitful in any
case than when a man is attempting
to vindicate himself from injuries
done to his person and reputation.
The devil is always busy when we
are angry, and in some way, if pos
sible, will lead us into sin ; and the
best way to avoid his wiles is to curb
the temper, and restrain even sud
den anger. No man sins by restrain
ing his anger: no man is certain
that he will not who indulges it for
a moment. 28. Let him that stole steal no
more. Theft, like lying, .was, and is,
almost a universal vice among the
neathen. The practice of pilfering
prevails in, probably, every pagan
community, and no property is safe
which is not guarded, or so locked
up as to be inaccessible. Hence,
as the Christian converts at Ephe
sus had been long addicted to it
there was danger that they would
fall into it again ; and hence the ne-
cessit f of special cautions on that
head. We are not to suppose that
pilfe ing was a common vice in the
churr n, but the cautions on this point
proceed on the principle that where
a man has been long in the habit of
a particular sin, he is in great dan
ger of falling into it again. Hence
we caution the man who has been
intemperate against the least indul
gence in intoxicating drinks; we
exhort him not to touch that which
would be so strong a temptation to
him. The object ofthe apostle was
to show that the gospel requires holy
living in all its friends, and to en
treat Christians at Ephesus in a
special manner to avoid the vices of

28 Let him that stole steal no
tore : but rather let l him labour,

the surrounding heathen. f But
rather let him labour. Let him seek
the means of living in an honest
manner, by his own industry, rathei
than by wronging others. IT Work
ing with his hands. Pursuing somi
honest employment. Paul was no)
ashamed to labour with ' his owi
hands' (Acts xx. 35) ; and no man is
dishonoured by labour. God made
man for toil (Gen. ii. 15) ; and em.
pldyment is essential to the happiness
ofthe race. No man, who is able to
support himself, has a right to de
pend on others. See Notes on Rom.
xii. 11. If That he may have to
give to him that needeth. Marg.,
distribute. Not merely that he may
have the means of support, but that
he may have it in his power to aid
others. The reason and propriety
of this is obvious. The human race
is one great brotherhood. A con
siderable part cannot labour to sup
port themselves. They are too old,
or too young ; or they are crippled,
or feeble, or laid on beds of sick
ness. If others do not divide with
them the avails of their labours, they
will perish. We are required to
labour in order that we may have
the privilege of contributing to their
comfort Learn from this verse, (1.)
That every Christian should have
some calling, business, or profession,
by which he may support himself
The Saviour was a carpenter ; Paul
a tentmaker; and no man is dis
graced by being able to build a house
or to construct a tent (2.) Chris
tianity promotes industry. It is rare
that an idle man becomes a Chris
tian ; but if he does, religion makes
him industrious just in proportion as
it has influence over his mind. To
talk of a lazy Christian, is about the
same as to talk of burning water or
freezing fire. (3.) Christians should

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
working with hit hands the thing
which is good, that he may have
to ' give to him that needeth.
1 or, distribute.

have some useful and honest em
ployment They should work "that
which is good." They should not
pursue an employment which will
necessarily injure others. No man
has a right to place a nuisance under
the window of his neighbour ; nor
has he any more right to pursue an
employment that shall lead his neigh
bour into sin or ruin him. An
honest employment benefits every
body. A good farmer is a benefit to
his neighbourhood and country; and
a good shoemaker, blacksmith, wea
ver, cabinetmaker, watchmaker, ma-
shinist,is ablessing to the community.
He injures no one ; he benefits all.
How is it with the distiller, and the
vender of alcoholic drinks) He
benefits no one; he injures every
body. Every quart of intoxicating
drink that is taken from his house
does evil somewhere — evil, and only
evil, aud that continually. No one
is made better, or richer ; no one is
made more moral or industrious ; no
one is helped on the way to heaven
by it. Thousands are helped on the
way to hell by it who are already
in the path ; and thousands are in
duced to walk in the way to death
who, but for that distillery, store,
or tavern, might have walked in the
way to heaven. Is this then ' work
ing that which is good )' Would
Paul have done it) Would Jesus
do it) Strange, that by a professing
Christian it was ever done ! See a
striking instance ofthe way in which
the Ephesian Christians acted when
they were first converted, in the
Acts of the Apostles, ch. xix. 19.
Comp. Notes on that place. (4.) The
main business of a Christian is not
to make money, and to become rich.
It is that he may have the means of

103
29 Let * no corrupt communi
cation proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good ' to the use

a Co. 4. 6.

1 or, to edify profitably.

benefiting others. Beyond what he
needs for himself, his poor, and sick,
and aged, and afflicted brother and
friend has a claim on his earnings —
and they should be liberally bestow
ed. (5.) We should labour in order
that we may have the means of
doing good to others. It should be
just as much a matter of plan and
purpose to do this, as it is to labour
in order to buy a coat, or to build a
house, or to live comfortably, or to
have the means of a decent buriaL
Yet how few are those who have
any such end in view, or who pursue
their daily toil definitely, that they
may have something to give away !
The world will be soon converted
when all Christians make that the
purpose of life. See Notes on Rom.
xii. 11.
29. Let no corrupt communica
lion proceed. See Notes on 1 Cor. -
xv. 33. The word rendered corrupt
(uartpof) means bad, decayed, rotten,
and is applied to putrid vegetable or
animal substances. Then it is ap
plied to a tree that is of a useless
character, that produces no good
fruit. Matt. vii. 17. Then it is
used in a moral sense, as our word
' corrupt' is, to denote that which is
depraved, evil, contaminating, and
may denote here any thing that is
obscene, offensive, or that tends to
corrupt others. The importance of
this admonition will be appreciated
when it is remembered, (1.) that
such obscene and filthy conversation
prevailed everywhere, and does still
among the heathen. So general is
this, that at almost every missionary
station it has been found that the
common conversation is so corrupt
and defiling, that missionaries have
felt it necessary to send their chil-

104

of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers.
dren home to be educated, in order
to secure them from the contami
nating influence of those around
them. (2.) Those who have had
the misfortune to be familiar with
the common conversation of the
lower classes in any community, and
especially with the conversation of
young men, will see the importance
of this admonition. Scarcely any
thing can be conceived more corrupt
or corrupting, than that which often
prevails among young men — and
even young men in the academies
and colleges of this land. (3.) Its
importance will be seen from the in
fluence of such corrupt communica
tions. " The passage of an impure
thought through the mind leaves
pollution behind it ;" the expression
of such a thought deepens the pollu
tion on the soul, and corrupts others.
It is like retaining an offensive car
case above ground, to pollute the air,
and to diffuse pestilence and death,
which should at once be buried out
of sight. A Christian should be
pure in his conversation. His Mas
ter was pure. His God is pure. The
heaven to which he goes is pure.
The religion which he professes is
Eure. Never should he indulge
imselfin an obscene allusion; never
should he retail anecdotes of an ob
scene character, or smile when they
are retailed by others. Never should
he indulge in a jest having a double
meaning ; never should he listen to
a song of this character. If those
with whom he associates have not
sufficient respect for themselves and
him to abstain from such corrupt and
corrupting allusions, he should at
once leave them. If But that which
is good to the use of edifying.
Marg., to edify profitably. Greek,
' to useful edification ;' that is, adapt
ed to instruct, counsel, and comfort

EPHESIANS. [A. D. 64
30 And grieve ° not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are

a 13. 63. 10.

others ; to promote their intelligence
and purity. Speech is an invalua
ble gift ; a blessing of inestimable
worth. We may so speak as always
to do good to others. We may give
them some information which they
have not ; impart some consolation
which they need ; elicit some truth
by friendly discussion which we did
not know before, or recall by friendly
admonition those who are in danger
of going astray. He who talks for
the mere sake of talking will say
many foolish things ; he whose great
aim in life is to benefit others, will
not be likely to say that which he
will have occasion to regret. Comp.
Matt xii. 36. Eccl. v. 2. Prov. x.
19. James i. 19.
30. And grieve not the holy Spirit
of God. This is addressed to Chris
tians, and it proves that it is possible
for them to grieve the Holy Spirit
The word here used — imdvts —
means properly to afflict with sor
row ; to make sad or sorrowful. It
is rendered to make sorry, or sor
rowful, Matt xiv. 9 ; xvii. 23 ; xviii.
31; xix. 22; xxvi. 22. 37. Mark
xiv. 19. John xvi. 20. 2 Cor. ii. 2;
vi. 10; vii. 8, 9. 11. 1 Thess. iv. 13.
It is rendered grieved, Mark x. 22.
John xxi. 17. Rom. xiv. 15. 2 Cor.
ii. 4, 5. Eph. iv. 20 : and once, ' in
heaviness,' 1 Pet. i. 6. The verb
does not elsewhere occur in the New
Testament. The common meaning
is, to treat others so as to cause grief
We are not to suppose that the Holy
Spirit literally endures grief, or
patn, at the conduct of men. The
language is such as is fitted to de
scribe what men endure, and is ap
plied to him to denote that kind of
conduct which is fitted to cause
grief; and the meaning here is, ' do
not pursue such a course as is fitted,
in its own nature, to pain the bpnef

A D. 64] CHAPTER IV.
sealed * unto the day of redemp
tion. 31 Let all bitterness, * and
wrath, and anger, and clamour,
a c.l. 13, 14. b Co. 3. 8.

volent heart of a holy being. Do
not act towards the Holy Spirit in a
manner which would produce pain
in the bosom of a friend who loves
you. There is a course of conduct
which will drive that Spirit from the
mmd as if he were grieved and
pained — as a course of ingratitude
and sin would pain the heart of an
earthly friend, and cause him to
leave you.' If asked what that con
duct is, we may reply, (1.) Open
and gross sins. They are particular
ly referred to here ; and the meaning
of Paul is, that theft, falsehood, an
ger, and kindred vices, would grieve
the Holy Spirit, and cause him to
depart. (2.) Anger, in all its forms.
Nothing is more fitted to drive away
all serious and tender impressions
from the mind, than the indulgence
of anger. (3.) Licentious thoughts
and desires. The Spirit of God is
pure, and he dwells not in a soul
that is filled with corrupt imaginings.
(4.) Ingratitude. We feel ingrati
tude more than almost anything
else; and why should we suppose
that the Holy Spirit would not feel
it also) (4.) Neglect. The Spirit
of God is grieved by that Often he
prompts us to pray ; he disposes the
mind to seriousness, to the perusal
of the Bible, to tenderness and pe
nitence. We neglect those favoured
moments of our piety, and lose those
happy seasons for becoming like
God. (5.) Resistance. Christians
often resist the Holy Ghost. He
would lead them to be dead to the
world ; yet they drive on their plans
of gain. He would teach them the
folly of fashion and vanity ; yet they
deck themselves in the gayest ap
parel. He would keep them from

105
and e evil-speaking, be put away
from you, with all malice :
32 And be ye kind one to an
other, tender-hearted, forgiving ¦

c Ti. 3. 2.

d Mar. 11. 25, 26.

the splendid party, the theatre,
and the ball-room ; yet they go
there. All that is needful for a
Christian t6 do in order to be emi
nent in piety, is to yield to the gen
tle influeuces which would draw him
to prayer and to heaven. If Where
by ye are sealed. See Notes on
2 Cor. i. 22. If Unto the day of re
demption. See Notes on ch. i. 14.
31. Let all bitterness. See Notes
on ver. 2 of this chapter. % And
wrath. The word here does not dif
fer essentially from anger. If Anger.
See Note on ver. 26. All cherished,
unreasonable anger. IT And clamour.
Noise, disorder, high words; such as
men use in a brawl, or when they
are excited. Christians are to be
calm and serious. Harsh conten
tions and strifes; hoarse brawls and
tumults, are to be unknown among
them. Tf And evil-speaking. Slan
der, backbiting, angry expressions,
tale-bearing, reproaches, &c. If With
all malice. Rather, 'with all evif
— xaxiq. Every kind and sort of
evil is to be put away, and you are
to manifest only that which is good.
32. And be ye kind one to another.
Benignant, mild, courteous, polite —
Xfrproi. 1 Pet. iii. 8. Christianity
produces true courteousness, or po
liteness. It does not make one
rough, crabbed, sour; nor does it
dispose its followers to violate the
proper rules of social intercourse.
The secret of true politeness is be
nevolence, or a desire to make others
happy; and a Christian should be
the most polite of men. There is
no religion in a sour, misanthropic
temper ; none in rudeness, stiffness,
and repulsiveness ; none in vio
lating the rules of good-breeding.

106

EPHESIANS.

LA. D. 64

one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you

There is a hollow-hearted politeness,
indeed, which the Christian is not to
aim at or copy. His politeness is to
be based on kindness. Col. iii. 12.
His courtesy is to be the result of
love, good-will, and a desire of the
happiness of all others; and this will
prompt to the kind of conduct that
will render his intercourse with
others agreeable and profitable. —
If Tender-hearted. Having a heart
disposed to pity and compassion, and
especially disposed to show kindness
to the faults of erring brethren ; for
so the connection demands. If For
giving one another. See Notes on
Matt. vi. 12. HAs God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you. As God,
on account of what Christ has suf
fered and done, has pardoned you.
He has done it, (1.) freely — without
merit on our part — when we were
confessedly in the wrong. (2.) Fully;
he has forgiven every offence. (3.)
Liberally ,- he has forgiven many
offences, for our sins have been in
numerable. This is to be the rule
which we are to observe in forgiving
others. We are to do it freely, fully,
liberally. The forgiveness is to be
entire, cordial, constant. We are
not to rake up old offences, and
charge them again upon them ; we
are to treat them as though they had
not offended, for so God treats us.
Learn, (1.) That the forgiveness of
an offending brother is a duty which
we are not at liberty to neglect.
(2.) The peace and happiness ofthe
church depend on.it AH are liable
to offend their brethren, as all are
liable to offend God; all need for
giveness of one another, as we all
need it of God. (3.) There is no
danger of carrying it too far. Let
the rule be observed — ' As God has
forgiven you, so do you forgive
others.' Let a man recollect his
own sins and follies; let him look
over his life, and see how often he

has offended God ; let him remember
that all has been forgiven ; and then,
fresh with this feeling, let him go
and meet an offending brother, and
say, ' My brother, I forgive you. I
do it frankly, fully, wholly. So
Christ has forgiven me ; so I forgive
you. The offence shall be no more re
membered. It shall not be referred to
in our intercourse to harrow up your
feelings; it shall not diminish my
love for you; it shall not prevent
my uniting with you in doing good.
Christ treats me, a poor sinner, as a
friend ; and so I will treat you.'
CHAPTER V.
analysis of the chapter.
This chapter is a continuation of
the practical exhortations com
menced in ch. iv. It comprises the
following points, or subjects :
1. The exhortation to be followers
of God, and to walk in love. Vs.
1,2. 2. The duty of avoiding the im
pure practices of the surrounding
heathen, and of wholly breaking off
from the vices in which even they
themselves had indulged, before
their conversion to Christianity.
Vs. 3—17.
3. The apostle cautions them parti
cularly against the use of wine, and
the re velry which attends its use, and
exhorts them rather to engage in the
exercises to which the Holy Spirit
would prompt them, and to the ser
vices of praise and thanksgiving.
Vs. 18—20.
4. He exhorts them to mutual
subjection ; and particularly enjoins
on wives the duty of being subject
to their husbands. Vs. 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 Vs. 25 — 33.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER V.

107

B

CHAPTER V.
E ye therefore followers of
God, as dear children ;

1. Be ye therefore followers of
God. Gr., 'Be imitators — luptrtcu.
—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' — ow — con
nects this with the previous chapter,
where he had been exhorting them
to kindness, and to a spirit of for
giveness, and he here entreats them
to imitate God, who was always kind
and ready to forgive. Comp. Matt
v. 11 17. As he forgives us (ch. iv.
32), we should be ready to forgive
others; as he has borne with our
feults, we should bear with theirs ;
as he is ever ready to hear our xry
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. 1TAs 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 follow
ed!* 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-burn
ing which ever exists in the church.
2. And walk in love. That is,
let your lives be characterized by
love ; let that be evinced in all your
deportment and conversation. See
Notes on John xiii. 34 If As Christ
also hath loved us. We are to
evince the same love for one another
which he has done for us. He
showed his love by giving himself

2 And wall? in love, • as Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us, an offering and a
a Jno. 13. 34.

to die for us, and we should evince
similar love to one another. 1 John
iii. 16. If And hath given himself
for us. This is evidently added by
the apostle to show what he meant
by saying that Christ loved us, and
what we ought to do to evince our
love for each other. The strength
of his love was so great that he was
willing to give himself up to death
on our account; our love for our
brethren should be such that wo
would be willing to do the same
thing for them. 1 John iii. 16.
If An offering. The word here used
— 7taoatyopd — means properly that
which is offered to God— in any
way, or whatever it may be. It is,
however, in the Scriptures, common
ly used to denote an offering without
blood — a thank-offering — and thus
is distinguished from a sacrifice or a
bloody oblation. The word occurs
only in Acts xxi. 26 ; xxiv. 17, Rom.
xv. 16. Eph. v. 2. Heb. x. 5. 8.
10. 14. 18. It means here that he
regarded himself as an offering to
God. ^ And " sacrifice. £vsmw.
Christ is herO expressly called a
Sacrifice — the usual word in the
Scriptures to denote a proper sacri
fice. A sacrifice was an offering
mode to God by killing an animal
and burning it on an altar, designed
to make atonement for sin. ft al
ways implied the killing of the ani
mal as an acknowledgment of the
sinner that he deserved to die. It
was the giving up of life, which
was supposed to reside in the blood
(see Notes on Rom. iii. 25), and
hence it was necessary that blood
should be shed. Christ was such a
sacrifice; and his love was shown
in his being willing that his blood!
should be shed to save men. If For- a
sweet-smelling savour. See Notes

108

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

sacrifice to God for a ¦ sweet-
smelling savour.

a Le. 1.

on 2 Cor. ii. 15, where the word
savour is explained. The meaning
here is, that, the offering which
Christ made of himself to God, was
like the grateful and pleasant smell
of incense, that is, it was acceptable
to him. It was an exliibition of
benevolence with which he was
pleased, and it gave him the oppor
tunity of evincing his own benevo
lence in the salvation of men. The
meaning of this in the connection
here is, that the offering which
Christ made was one of fore. So,
says Paul, do you love one another.
Christ sacrificed himself by love,
and that sacrifice was acceptable to
God. So do you show love one to
another. Sacrifice every thing which
opposes it, and it will be acceptable
to God. He will approve all which
is designed to promote love, as he
approved the sacrifice which was
made, under the influence of love,
by his Son.
3. But fornication. A common
vice among the heathen then as
it is now, and one into which they
were in special danger of falling.
See Notes on Rom. 1. 99. 1 Cor. vi.
18. If And all uncleannem^ Impu
rity of life. See Notes on Rom. i.34
Comp. Rom. vi. 19. Gal. v. 19. EpE
iv. 19. Col. iii. 5. If Or covetousness.
The connection in which this word
is found is remarkable. It is asso
ciated with the lowest and most de
basing vices, and this, as well as
those vices, was not once to be
named among them. What was
Paul's estimate then of covetousness)
He considered it as an odious and
abominable vice; a vice to be re
garded in the same light as the
most gross sin, and as wholly to be
abhorred by all who bore the Chris
tian name. See ver. 5. The co
vetous man, according to Paul, is to

3 But fornication, l and all un-
cleanness, or covetousness, let it
b 1 Co. B. 18. 1 Th. 4. 3.

be ranked with the sensual, and with
idolaters (ver. 5), and with those who
are entirely excluded from the king
dom of God. Is this the estimate
in which the vice is held now ) Is it
the view which professing Chris
tians take of it) Do we not feel
that there is a great difference be
tween a covetous man and a man
of impure and licentious life ) Why
is this ) Because, (1.) it is so com
mon ; (2.) because it is found among
those who make pretensions to re
finement and even religion; (3.) be
cause it is not so easy to define what
is covetousness, as it is to define im
purity of life ; and (4.) because the
public conscience is seared, and the
mind blinded to the low and grovel
ling character of the sin. Yet is
not the view of Paul the right view)
Who is a covetous man) A man
who, in the pursuit of gold, neglects
his soul, his intellect, and his heart
A man who, in this insatiable pur
suit, is regardless of justice, truth,
charity, faith, prayer, peace, comfort,
usefulness, conscience; and who shall
say that there is any vice more de
basing or degrading than this) The
time may come, therefore, when the
covetous man will be regarded as
Reserving the same rank in the pub
lic estimation with the most vicious.
and when to covet will be consider
ed as much opposed to the spirit of
the gospel as any of the vices here
named. When that time shall come,
the world's conversion will probably
be not a distant event. If Let it not be
once named among you. That is
let it not exist ; let there be no oc
casion for mentioning such a thing
among you; let it be wholly un
known. This cannot mean that it
is wrong to mention these vices foi
the purpose of rebuking them, 01
cautioning those in danger of com-

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER V.

1(M*

not be once named " among you,
as becometh saints ;
o c 5. 12.
mitting them — for Paul himself in
this manner mentions them here,
and frequently elsewhere — but that
they should not exist among them.
"(f As becometh saints. As befits the
character of Christians, who are re
garded as holy. Literally, ' as be
cometh holy ones' — apt'ot,;.
4. Neither filthiness. That is,
obscene, or indecent conversation.
Literally, that which is shameful, or
deformed- — ocmpottyw The word does
not elsewhere occur in the New
Testament % Nor foolish talking.
This word — ftaaovjoyla — does not oc
cur elsewhere in the New Testa
ment It means that kind of talk
which is insipid, senseless, stupid,
foolish; which is not fitted to in
struct, edify, profit — the idle chit
chat which is so common in the
world. The meaning is, that Chris
tians should aim to have their con
versation sensible, serious, sincere —
remembering the words of the Lord
Jesus, "that every idle word that
men shall speak, they shall give ac
count thereof in the day of judg
ment" Matt xii. 36. <jf Nor jest
ing. tVrpartEji'a. This word occurs
also nowhere else in the New Tes
tament. ' It properly means, that
which is welt-turned {d — well, and
tfpsrto — to turn) ; and then that which
is sportive, refined, courteous; and
then urbanity, humour, wit; and
then jesting, levity — which is evi
dently the meaning here. The apos
tle would not forbid courteousness,
or refinement of manners (comp.
1 Pet iii. 8), and the reference,
therefore, must be to that which is
light and trifling in conversation ; to
that which is known among us as
jesting. It may be observed, (1.)
that courteousness is not forbidden
in the Scriptures, but is positively
required. 1 Pet iii. 8. (2.) Cheer-
10

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor jesting, which * aro
b Ko. 1. 2d.

fulness is not forbidden — for if any
thing can make cheerful, it is the
hope of heaven. (3.) Pleasantry
cannot be forbidden. I mean that
quiet and gentle humour that arises
from good-nature, and that makes
one good-natured in spite of himself.
Such are many of the poems of
Cowper, and many of the essays of
Addison in the " Spectator" — a. be
nevolent humour which disposes us
to smile, but not to be malignant-;
to be good-natured, but not to in
spire levity. But levity and jest
ing, though often manifested by min
isters and other Christians, are as
inconsistent with true dignity aa
with the gospel. Where were they
seen in the conversation of the Re
deemer) Where in the writings of
Paul ) If Which are not convenient.
That is, which are not fit or proper ;
which do not become the character
of Christians. Notes, Rom. i. 28.
Christians should be grave and
serious — though cheerful and plea
sant. They should feel that they
have great interests at stake, and that
the world has too. They are re
deemed — not to make sport; pur
chased with precious blood — fb*
other purposes than to make men
laugh. They are soon to be in
heaven — and a man who has any
impressive sense of that will habitu
ally feel that he has much else to do
than to make men laugh. The true
course of life is midway between
moroseness and levity ; sourness and
lightness; harshness and jesting.
Be benevolent, kind, cheerful, bland,
courteous, but serious. Be solemn*
thoughtful, deeply impressed with
the presence of God and with eter
nal things, but pleasant, affable, and
benignant. Think not a smile sin
ful; but think not levity and jesting
harmless. % But rather giving of

110

EPHESIANS.

[A D. 64.

not convenient ; but rather giving
of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that " no
a He. 13.4. Re. 22. IS.
thanks. Thanks to God, or praises,
are more becoming Christians than
jesting. The idea here seems to
be, that such employment would be
far more appropriate to the charac
ter of Christians, than idle, trifling,
and indelicate conversation. Instead,
therefore, of meeting together for
low wit and jesting; for singing
songs, and for the vulgar discourse
which often attends such 'gather
ings' of friends, Paul would have
them come together for the purpose
of praising God, and engaging in
his service. Men are social in their
nature ; and if they do not assemble
for good purposes, they will for bad
ones. It is much more appropriate
to the character of Christians to
come together to sing praises to
God, than to sing songs; to pray
than to jest; to converse of the
things of redemption than to tell
anecdotes ; and to devote the time
to a contemplation of the world to
come, than to trifles and nonsense.
• 5. .For this know. Be assured of
this. The object here is, to deter
from indulgence in those vices by
the solemn assurance that no one
who committed them could possibly
be saved. If Nor unclean person.
No one of corrupt and licentious life
can be saved. See Rev. xxii. 15.
% Nor covetous man, who is an
idolater. That is, he bestows on
money the affections due to God. See
Col. iii. 5. To worship money is as
real idolatry as to worship a block
of stone. If this be so, what an
idolatrous world is this ! How many
idolaters are there in professedly
Christian lands ! How many, it is
to be feared, in the church itself!
And since every covetous man is
certainly to be excluded from the

whoremonger, nor unclean per
son, nor covetous man, who * is
an idolater, hath any inheritance
b Co. 3. 5.

kingdom of God, how anxious should
we be to examine our hearts, and
to know whether this sin may not
lie at our door ! % Hath any inherit
ance, &c. Such an one shall never
enter heaven. This settles the in
quiry about the final destiny of a
large portion of the world ; and this
solemn sentence our conscience and
all our views of heaven approve.
Let us learn hence, (1.) that heaven
will be pure. (2.) That it will be
a desirable place— for who would
wish to live always with the licen
tious and the impure) (3.) It is
right to reprove these vices and to
preach against them. Shall we not
be allowed to preach against those
sins which will certainly exclude
men from heaven) (4.) A large
part of the world is exposed to the
wrath of God. What numbers are
covetous ! What multitudes are li
centious! In how many places is
licentiousness openly and unblush-
ingly practised ! In how many more
places in secret ! And in how many
more is the heart polluted, while the
external conduct is moral ; the soul
corrupt, while the individual moves
in respectable siciety ! (5.) What
a world of shame will hell be ! How
dishonourable and disgraceful to be
damned forever, and to linger on in
eternal fires, because the man was
too polluted to be admitted into
pure society! Here, perhaps, he
moved in fashionable life, and was
rich, and honoured, and flattered;
there he will be sent down to hell
because his whole soul was corrupt,
and because God would -not suffer
heaven to be contaminated by his
presence ! (6.) What a doom awaits
the covetous man ! He, like the sen
sualist, is to bo excluded from the

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER V.

Ill

in the kingdom of Christ and of
God. 6 Let no man deceive • you
with vain words : for because of
these things cometh the wrath of
God upon the children of ' dis
obedience. a Je. 29. 8, 9. » or, unbelief.

kingdom of God. And what is to
be his doom) Will he have a place
apart from the common damned — a
golden palace and a bed of down in
hell) No. It will be no small part
of his aggravation that he will be
doomed to spend an eternity with
those in comparison with whom on
earth, perhaps, he thought himself
to be pure as an angel of light (7.)
With this multitude of the licentious
and the covetous, will sink to hell
all who are not renewed and sanc
tified. What a prospect for the gay,
the fashionable*, the moral, the amia
ble, and the lovely, who have no re
ligion ! For all the impenitent and
the unbelieving, there is but one
home in eternity. Hell is less terri
ble from its penal fires and its smoke
of torment, than from its being made
up of the profane, the sensual, and
the rile ; and its supremest horrors
arise from its being the place where
shall be gathered all the corrupt and
unholy dwellers in a fallen world ;
all who are so impure that they
cannot be admitted into heaven.
Why then will the refined, the
moral, and the amiable not be per
suaded to seek the society of a pure
beaven ) to be prepared for the world
(vhere holy beings dwell)
6. Let no man deceive you. Let
no one by artful pleas persuade you
that there will be no danger from
practising these vices. We may
suppose that they would be under
Btrong temptations to mingle in the
gay and festive scenes where these
vices were not frowned on, or where
they were practised; or that they

7 Be not ye therefore partakers
with them.
8 For * ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light '
in the Lord: wallc as children *
of light ;
b c. 2. 11, 12. c 1 Th. 5. 5. d Jno. 12. 36.

might be tempted to commit them
by some of the plausible arguments
which were then used for their in
dulgence. 'Many of their friends
may have been in these circles; and
they would endeavour to convince
them that such were the customs
which had been long practised, and
that there could be no harm still in
their indulgence. Not a few phi
losophers endeavoured, as is well
known, to defend some of these prac
tices, and even practised them them
selves. See Notes on Rom. i. It
required, therefore, all the authority
of an apostle to convince them,
that however plausible were the
arguments in defence of them, they
certainly exposed those- who prac
tised them to the wrath of God.
IT For because of these things com
eth the wrath of God. See Notes
on Rom. i. 18 ; ii. 8, 9. If Upon the
children of disobedience. See Notes
on Matt. i. 1. Rom. ii. 8.
7. Be not ye therefore partakers
with them. Since these things dis
please God and expose to his wrath,
avoid them.
8. For ye were sometimes dark
ness. See Notes on ch. ii. 11, 12.
1 Cor. vi. 11. The meaning here is,
that they were themselves formerly
sunk in the same ignorance, and
practised the same abominations.
•f But now are ye light in the Lord.
Light is the emblem of happiness,
knowledge, holiness. The meaning
is, that they had been enlightened
by the Lord to see the evil of these
practices, and that they ought, there
fore, to forsake them. If Walk as

112

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

9 (For the fruit • of the Spirit
is in all goodness and righteous
ness and truth ;)
10 Proving s what is accepta
ble unto the Lord.

a Ga. 5. 22, &c.

b So. 12. 2.

children of light. See Notes on
Matt. i. 1, on the use of the word
son, or children. The meaning here
is, that they should live as became
those who had been enlightened to
see the evil of sin, and the beauty
of virtue and religion. Comp. John
xii. 36, where the same phrase oc
curs. 9. For the fruit of the Spirit.
That is, since the Holy Spirit through
the gospel produces goodness, right
eousness, and truth, see that you ex
hibit these in your lives, and thus
show that you are the children of
light. On the fruits of the Spirit,
see Notes on Gal. v. 22, 23. If Is
in all goodness. Is seen in produc
ing all kinds of goodness. He who
is not good is not a Christian.
10. Proving what is acceptable
unto the Lord. That is, ' Walk as
children of light (ver. 8), thus show
ing what is acceptable to the Lord.'
Rosenmuller supposes that the par
ticiple is used here instead of the
imperative. The meaning is, that
by so living you will make a fair
trial of what is acceptable to the
Lord. The result on your happiness
in this life and the next, will be such
as to show that such a course is pleas
ing in his sight. Dr. Chandler, how
ever, renders it as meaning that by
this course they would show that
they discerned and approved of what
was acceptable to the Lord. See
Notes on Rom. xii. 2, where a simi
lar form of expression occurs.
11. And have no fellowship. See
the sentiment here expressed fully
explained in the» Notes on 2 Cor. vi.
142—18. If The unfruitful works.

11 And have ' no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of dark
ness, but rather reprove dthem.
12 For it is a shame even to
speak of those things which are
done of them in secret.
e 1 Co. 5.9, 11. dlTi. 5.20.

The deeds of darkness that produce
no benefit to the body or the soul.
The word unfruitful is here used in
contrast with the ' fruit of the Spirit,'
ver. 9. ^f But rather reprove them.
By your life, your conversation, and
all your influence. This is the busi
ness of Christians. Their lives
should be a standing rebuke of a sin
ful world, and they should be ever
ready to express their disapprobation
of its wickedness in every form.
12. For it is a shame even to speak
&c. Comp. Notes, Rom. i. 24—32
It is still a shame to speak of th.
practices of the heathen. Mission
aries tell us that they cannot de>
scribe the images on the car of Jug
gernaut, or tell us what is done in
the idol temples. All over the world
the same thing is true. The cheek
of modesty and virtue would be suf
fused with shame at the very men
tion of what is done by the worship
pers of idols ; and the same is true
of what is done by multitudes in
Christian lands, who are not wor
shippers of idols. Their deeds can
not be described in the circles ofthe
refined and the delicate ; they can
not be told in the presence of mo
thers and sisters. Is there not em
phasis here in the words 'even to
speak of these things)' If the apos
tle would not allow them to name
those things, or to apeak of them, is it
wise or safe for Christians now to be
familiar with the accounts of those
practices of pollution, and for minis
ters to portray them in the pulpit,
and for the friends of ' moral reform'
to describe them before the world)
The very naming of those abomi-

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER V.

US

13 But all things that are ' re
proved are made manifest " by the
> or, discovered. a Jno. 3. 30, 21.

nations often produces improper as
sociations in the mind ; the descrip
tion creates polluting images before
the imagination; the exhibition of
pictures, even for the purpose of
condemning them, defiles the soul.
There are some vices which, from
the corruptions of the human heart,
cannot be safely described, and it is
to be feared that, under the plea of
faithfulness, many have done evil by
exciting improper feelings, where
they should have only alluded to the
crime, and then spoken in thunder.
Paul did not describe these vices, he
denounced them; he did not dwell
upon them long enough for the ima
gination to find employment, and to
corrupt the soul. He mentioned the
vice — and then he mentioned the
wrath of God ; he alluded to the sin,
and then he spoke of the exclusion
from heaven. Comp. Notes on 1
Cor. vi. 18. f Which are done of
them in secret. Many have supposed
that there is an allusion here to the
"mysteries" which were celebrated
in Greece, usually at night, and far
from the public eye. Many of these
were indeed impure and abomina
ble, but there is no necessity for
supposing that there is such an allu
sion here. The reference may be
to the vices which were secretly
practised then as now; the abomina
tions which flee from the eye of day,
and which are performed far from the
.public gaze.
13. But all things that are re
proved. Marg., discovered. The
word here used properly means
proved, demonstrated, reproved, or
convicted (see Notes on John xvi.
8) ; but it seems here to be used in
the sense of disclosed, or discovered.
The sense is, that its true nature is
.demonstrated ,- (hat is, it is made
10*

light : for whatsoever doth make
manifest is light.
14 Wherefore 2he saith, » Awake

1 or, it.

b Is. 60. I.

known. If Are made manifest by
the light. The sense is, 'light is
the means of seeing what things are.
\$e discern their form, nature, ap
pearance, by it So it is with the
gospel — the light of the world. It
enables us to see the true nature of
actions. They are done in dark
ness, and are like objects in the
dark. Their form and nature can
not then be known ; but, when the
light shines, we see what they are.'
Comp. Notes on John iii, 20, 21.
% For whatsoever doth make mani
fest is light. ' Anything which will
show the real form and nature of an
object, deserves to be called light.''
Of the truth of this, no one can
doubt The meaning in this con
nection is, that that system which
discloses the true nature of what ie
done by the heathen, deserves to be
considered as light; and that the
gospel which does this, should be
regarded as a system of light and
truth. It discloses their odiousness
and vileness, and it stands thus in
strong contrast with all the false and
abominable systems which have up
held or produced those vices,
14 Wherefore he saith. Marg.,
or it. A» **y«. The meaning may
be, either that the Lord says, or the
Scripture, Much difficulty has been
experienced in endeavouring to as
certain where this is said. It is
agreed on all hands that it is not
found, in so many words, in the Old
Testament. Some have supposed
that the allusion is to Isa. xxvi. 19,
" Thy dead men shall Jive— =awake
and sing, ye that dwell in the dust,
for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,"
&c, But the objections to this are
obvious and conclusive. (1.) This
is not a quotation of that place, nor
has it a resemblance to it, wept in.

114

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

thou that sleepest, and arise from

the word "awake." (2.) The pas
sage in Isaiah refers to a different
matter, and has a different sense al
together. See Notes on the passage.
To make it refer to those to whom
the gospel comes, is most forced and
unnatural. Others have supposed
that the reference is to Isa. Ix. 1 — 3,
"Arise, shine ; for thy light is come,"
&c. But the objection to this is not
less decisive. (1.) It is not a quota
tion of that passage, and the resem
blance is very remote, if it can be
seen at all. (2.) That is addressed
to the church, calling on her to
let her light shine ; this, to awake
and arise from the dead, with the as
surance that Christ would give them
light. The exhortation here is to
Christians, to avoid the vices of the
heathen around them ; the exhorta
tion in Isaiah is to the church, to
rejoice and exult in view of the fact
that the day of triumph had come,
and that the heathen were to be con
verted, and to come in multitudes
and devote themselves to God. In
the design of the two passages there
is no resemblance. Some have sup
posed that the words are taken from
some book among the Hebrews which
is now lost Epiphanius supposed
that it was a quotation from a pro
phecy of Elijah ; Syncellus and Eu-
thalius, from some writing of Jere
miah ; Hippolytus, from the writing
of some now unknown prophet. Je
rome supposed it was taken from
some apocryphal writings. Grotius
supposes that it refers to the word
light in ver. 13, and that the sense
is, ' That light says ; that is, that a
man who is pervaded by that light,
let him so say to another.' Heu-
mann, and after him Storr, Michael
is, and Jenning (Jewish Ant. ii. 252),
suppose that the reference is to a
song or hymn that was sung by the
*arly Christians, beginning in this

the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light.

manner, and that the meaning is,
'Wherefore, as it is said in the
hymns which we sing,
'Awake, thou that sleepest;
Arise from the dead ;
Christ shall give thee light.'
Others have supposed that there is
an allusion to a sentiment which
prevailed among the Jews, respect
ing the significancy of blowing the
trumpet on the first day of the
month, or the feast ofthe new moon,
Maimonides conjectures that that
call of the trumpet, especially in the
month Tisri, in which the great day
of atonement occurred, was designed
to signify a special call to repent
ance; meaning, 'You who sleep,
arouse from your slumbers; search
and try yourselves; think on your
Creator, repent, and nttend to the
salvation of the soul.' Burder, in
Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgenland, in
loc. But all this is evidently con
jecture. I see no evidence that
Paul meant to make a quotation at
all. Why may we not suppose that
he speaks as an inspired man, and
that he means to say, simply, that
God now gives this command, or
that God now speaks in this way)
The sense then would be, ' Be sepa-
rate from sinners. Come out from
among the heathen. Do not mingle
with their abominations; do not
name them. You are the children
of light ; and God says to you, awake
from false security, rouse from the
death of sin, and Christ shall en
lighten you.' Whatever be the ori
gin of the sentiment in this verse, it
is worthy of inspiration, and accords
with all that is elsewhere said in the
Scriptures. If Awake thou that
sleepest. Arouse from a state of
slumber and false security. Sleep
and death are striking representa
tions of the state in which men ore

AD, 64]

CHAPTER V.

115

by nature. In sleep we are, though
living, insensible to any danger that
may be near; we are unconscious
of what may be going on around us;
we hear not the voice of our frirtids ;
we see not the beauty of the grove
or the landscape; we are forgetful
of our real character and condition.
So with the sinner. It is as if his
faculties were locked in a deep slum
ber. He hears not when God calls ;
he has m sense of danger; he is
insensible to the beauties and glories
ofthe heavenly world; he is forget
ful of his true character and condi
tion. To' see all" this, he must be
first awakened ; and hence this so
lemn command is addressed to man.
He must rouse from this condition,
or he cannot be saved. But can he
awaken himself) Is it not the work
of God to awaken a sinner) Can
he rouse himself to a sense of his
condition and danger ) How do we
do in other things) The man that
is sleeping on the verge of a danger
ous precipice we would approach,
and say, 'Awake, you are in danger.'
The child that is sleeping quietly in
its bed, while the flames are bursting
into the room, we would rouse, and
say, 'Awake, or you will perish.'
Why not use the same language to
the sinner slumbering on the verge
of ruin, in a deep sleep, while the
flames of wrath are kindling around
him ) We have no difficulty in call
ing on sleepers elsewhere to awake
when in danger ; how can we have
any difficulty when speaking to the
ginner) % And arise from the dead.
The state ofthe sinner is often com
pared to death. See Notes on ch.
ii. 1. Men are by nature dead in
sins ; yet they must rouse from this
condition, or they will perish. How
singular, it may be said, to call upon
the dead to rise ! How could they
raise themselves up) Yet God
speaks thus to men, and commands
them to rise from the death of sin.
-Learn, then, (1.) That men are not

dead in sin in any such sense that
they are not moral agents, or respon
sible. (2.) That they are not dead
in any such sense that they have no
power of any kind. (3.) That it is
right to call on sinners to arouse
from their condition, and live. (4.)
That they must put forth their efforts
as if they were to begin the work
themselves, without waiting for God
to do it for them. They are to
awake; they are to arise. It is not
God who is to awake; it is not
Christ who is to arise. It is the sin
ner who is to awake from his slum
ber, and arise from the state of death ;
nor is he to wait for God to do the
work for him. f And Christ shall
give thee light. Christ is the light
ofthe world. See Notes on John i.
4 9; viii. 12. Heb. i. 3. The idea
here is, that if they will use all
the powers with which God has en
dowed them, and arouse from their
spiritual slumber, and make an ap
propriate effort for salvation, then
they may expect that Christ will
shine upon them, and bless them in
their efforts. This is just the pro
mise that we need, and it is all that
we need. All that man can ask is,
that if he will make efforts to be
saved, God will bless those efforts, so
that they shall not be in vain. Fa- ,
culties of mind have been given us
to be employed in securing our sal
vation; and if we will employ them
as they were intended to be employ
ed, we may look for the divine aid ;
if not, we cannot expect it. " God
helps those who help themselves ;"
and they who will make no effort for
their salvation must perish, as they m
who will make no effort to provide
food must starve. This command
was indeed addressed at first to
Christians; but it involves a princi
ple which is applicable to all. In
deed, the language here is rather
descriptive of the condition of impe
nitent sinners, than of Christians.
In a far more' important sense they

116

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

15 See then that ye walk ¦ cir
cumspectly, not as fools, but as
wise, a Co. 4. 5.
are " asleep," and are " dead ;'' and
with the more earnestness, therefore,
should they be entreated to awake,
and to rise from the dead, that Christ
may give them light.
15. See then that ye walk circum
spectly. Carefully, anxiously, soli
citous lest you fell into sin. The
word rendered ' circumspectly' —
axpi)3u.j — means diligently, and the
idea here is, that they were to take
special pains ( to guard against the
temptations around them, and to live
as they ought to. If Not as fools,
but as wise. Not as the people of
this world live, indulging in foolish
pleasures and desires, but as those
who have been taught to understand
heavenly wisdom, and who have
been made truly wise.
16. Redeeming the lime. The
word here rendered redeeming,
means to purchase ; to buy up from
the possession or power of any one ;
and then to redeem, to set free — as
from service or bondage. Notes,
Gal. iii. 13. Here it means, to res
cue or recover our time from waste ;
to improve it for great and import
ant purposes. If Because the days
are evil. Because the times in
which you live are evil. There are
many allurements and temptations
that would lead you away from the
proper improvement of time, and
that would draw you into sin. Such
were those that would tempt them
to go to places of sinful indulgence
and revelry, where their time would
be wasted, and worse than wasted.
As these temptations abounded, they
ought therefore to be more especial
ly on their guard against a sinful
and unprofitable waste of time. This
exhortation may be addressed to all,
and is applicable to all periods. The
sentiment is, that we ought to be

16 Redeeming the time, be
cause the days are evil. *

b ?s. 37. 19.

solicitous to improve our time to
some useful purpose, because there
are, in an evil world, so many temp
tations to waste it. Time is given
us for most valuable purposes. There
are things enough to be done to oc
cupy it all, and no one need have it
hang heavy on his hands. He that
has a soul to be saved from eternal
death, need not have one idle mo
ment. He that has a heaven to
win, has enough to do to occupy all
his time. Man has just enough
given him to accomplish all the pur
poses which God designs, and God
has not given him more than enough.
They redeem their time who em
ploy it (1.) in gaining useful know
ledge ; (2.) in doing good to others ;
(3.) in employing it for the purpose
of an honest livelihood for them
selves and families; (4.) in prayer
and self-examination to make the
heart better ; (5.) in seeking salva
tion, and in endeavouring to do the
will of God. They are to redeem
time from all that would waste and,
destroy it — like recovering marshes
and fens to make them rich meadows
and vineyards. There is time enough
wasted by each sinner to secure the
salvation of the soul ; time enough
wasted to do all that is needful to be
done to spread religion around the
world, and to save the race. We
should still endeavour to redeem our
time for the same reasons which are
suggested by the apostle — because
the days are evil. There are evil
influences abroad; allurements and
vices that would waste time, and from
which we should endeavour to rescue
it There are evil influences tending
to waste time (1.) in the allurements
to pleasure and 'amusement in every
place, and especially in cities; (2.) in
the temptations to novel-reading, con-

A D. 64.J

CHAPTER V.

117

17 Wherefore be ye not un
wise, but understanding what " the
will of the Lord is.

a Jno. 7. 17.

18 And be not drunk » with
wine, wherein is excess ; but be
filled with the Spirit ;
4 Lu. 21. 34.

turning the precious hours of proba
tion to no valuable purpose ; (3.) in
the temptations of ambition, most of
the time spent for which is wholly
thrown away, for few gain the prize,
and when gained, it is all a bauble,
not worth the effort; (4.) in dissipa
tion — for who can estimate the
amount of valuable time that is
worse than thrown away in the
places of revelry and dissipation;
(5.) in wild and visionary plans —
temptations to which abound in all
lands, and pre-eminently in our own;
(6.) and in luxurious indulgence — in
dressing, and eating, and drinking.
17. Be ye not unwise. Be not fools
in the employment of your time,
and in your manner of life. Show
true wisdom by endeavouring to un
derstand what the will of the Lord
is, and then doing it
18. And be not drunk with wine.
A danger to which they were ex
posed, and a. vice to which those
around them were much addicted.
Comp. Notes on Luke xxi. 34. It
is not improbable that in this verse
there is an allusion to the orgies of
Bacchus, or to the festivals cele
brated in honour of that heathen
god. He was ' the god of wine,'
and during those festivals, men and
women regarded it as an acceptable
act of worship to become intoxicated,
and with wild songs and cries to run
Jirough streets, and fields, and vine
yards. To these things the apostle
opposes psalms, and hymns, and
spiritual songs, as much more appro
priate modes of devotion, and would
have the Christian worship stand out
in strong contrast with the wild and
dissolute habits of the heathen.
Plato says, that while those abomi
nable ceremonies in the worship of
Bacchus continued, it was difficult

to find in all Attica a single sober
man. Rosenmiiller, Alt. u. neu.
Morgenland, in loc. On the subject
of wine, and the wines used by the
ancients, see Notes on John ii. 10,
11. We may learn from this verse
(1.) that it was not uncommon in
those times to become intoxicated
on wine ; and (2.) that it was posi
tively forbidden. All intoxication
is prohibited in the Scriptures — no
matter by what means it is produced.
There is, in fact, but one thing that
produces intoxication. It is alcohol
— the poisonous substance produced
by fermentation. This substance is
neither created nor changed, in
creased nor diminished, by distilla
tion. It exists in the cider, the beer,
and the wine, after they are fer
mented, and the whole process of
distillation consists in driving it off
by heat, and collecting it in a con
centrated form, and so that it may
be preserved. But distilling does
not make it, nor change it Alcohol
is precisely the same thing in the
wine that it is in the brandy after it
is distilled ; in the cider or the beer
that it is in the whisky or the rum ;
and why is it right to become intox
icated on it in one form rather than
in another) Since therefore there
is danger of intoxication in the use
of wine, as well as in the use of
ardent spirits, why should we not
abstain from one as well as the
other) How can a man prove that
it is right for him to drink alcohol
in the form of wine, and thatit is
wrong for me to drink it in the form
of brandy or rum ) IT Wherein is
excess. There has been much dif
ference of opinion about the word
here rendered excess — iowi'a. It
occurs only in two other places in
the New Testament, where it is

48

EPHESD*NS.

[A. D. 64.

19 Speaking to yourselves in '
a Co. 3. 16.

rendered riot. Tit i. 6. 1 Pet. iv.
4. The. adjective occurs once (Luke
xv. 13), where it is rendered riotous.
The word ' (derived, according to
Passow, from a, and aufw — to save,
deliver) means that which is unsafe,
not to be recovered ; lost beyond re
covery ; then that which is abandon
ed to sensuality and lust; dissolute
ness, debauchery, revelry. The
meaning here is, that all this fol-
lows-the use of wine. Is it proper
then for Christians to be in the habit
of drinking it ) " Wine is so fre
quently the cause of this, by the un
grateful abuse of the bounty of Pro
vidence in giving it, that the enor
mity is represented by a very strong
and beautiful figure, as contained in
the very liquor." Doddridge. ^[But
be filled with the Spirit. The Holy
Spirit. How much more appropri
ate to Christians than to be filled
with the spirit of intoxication and
revelry ! Let Christians, when about
to indulge in a glass of wine, think
of this admonition. Let them re
member that their bodies should be
the temple ofthe Holy Ghost, rather
than a receptacle for intoxicating
drinks. Was any man ever made a
better Christian by the use of wine)
Was any minister ever better fitted
to counsel an anxious sinner, or to
pray, or to preach the gospel, by the
use of intoxicating drinks ) Let the
history of wine-drinking and intem
perate clergymen answer.
19. Speaking to yourselves.
Speaking among yourselves, that is,
endeavouring to edify one another,
and to promote purity of heart by
songs of praise. This has the force
of a command, and it is a matter of
obligation on Christians. From the
beginning, praise was an important
part of public worship, and is de
signed to be to the end ofthe world.
See Notes on 1 Cor. xiv. 15. No-

psalms and hymns, and spiritual

thing is more clear than that it was
practised by the Saviour himself and
the apostles (see Matt. xxvi. 30), and
by the primitive church, as well as
by the great body of Christians in
all ages. If In psalms. The Psalms
of David were sung by the Jews at
the temple, and by the early Chris
tians (Notes Matt xxvi. 30), and the
singing of those Psalms has constitu
ted a delightful part of public worship
in all ages. They speak the lan
guage of devotion at all times, and a
large part of them are as well fitted
to the services of the sanctuary now
as they were when first composed.
Tf And hymns. It is not easy to de
termine precisely what is the differ
ence in the meaning of the words
here used, or to designate the kind
of compositions which were used in
the early churches. A hymn is pro
perly a song or ode in honour of God.
Among the heathen it was a song in
honour of some deity. With us now
it denotes a short poem, composed
for religious service, and sung in
praise to God. Such brief poems
were common among the heathen,
and it was natural that Christians
should early introduce and adopt
them. Whether any of them were
composed by the apostles it is im
possible now to determine, though
the presumption is very strong that
if they had been they would have
been preserved with as much care
as their epistles, or as the Psalms.
One thing is proved clearly by this
passage, that there were other com
positions used in the praise of God
than the Psalms of David ; and if it
was right then to make use of such
compositions, it is now. They were
not merely "Psalms" that were
sung, but there were hymns and odes.
*[ Spiritual songs. Spiritual odes
— $8<uj. Odes or songs relating to
spiritual things in contradistinction

A D. 64] CHAPTER V.
songs, singing ¦ and making me-
I Ps. 147. 7.

119

from those which were simg in places
of festivity and revelry. An ode is
properly a short poem or song adapt
ed to be set to music, or to be sung;
a lyric poem. In what way these
were sung, it is now vain to conjec
ture. Whether with or without in
strumental accompaniments; whe
ther by a choir or by the assembly ;
whether by an individual only, or
whether they were by responses, it
is not possible to decide from any
thing in the New Testament It is
probable that it would be done in the
most simple manner possible. Yet
as music constituted so important a
part of the worship of the temple, it
is evident that the early Christians
would be by no means indifferent to
the nature of the music which they
had in their churches. And. as it
was so important a part of the wor
ship of the heathen gods, and con
tributed so much to -maintain the
influence of heathenism, it is not un
likely that the early Christians would
feel the importance of making their
music attractive, and of making it
tributary to the support of religion.
If there is attractive music at the
banqnet, and in the theatre, contrib
uting to the maintenance of amuse
ments where God is forgotten, as
suredly the music of the sanctuary
should not be such as to disgust those
of pure and refined taste. % Sing
ing. aoWfs. The prevailing cha
racter of music in the worship of
God should be vocal. If instruments
are employed, they should be so sub
ordinate that the service may be cha
racterized as singing. % And mak
ing melody. Melody is an agreea
ble succession of sounds ; a succes
sion so regulated and modulated as
to please the ear. It differs from
harmony, inasmuch as melody is an
agreeable succession of sounds by a
single voice; harmony consists in

lody in your *" heart to the Lord ;
b Ps. 57. 7, 8.

the accordance of different sounds.
It is not certain, however, that the
apostle here had reference to what
is properly called melody. The word
which he uses — 4<»Muo — means to
touch, twitch, pluck — as the hair,
the beard; and then to twitch a
string — to twang it — >os the string
of a bow, and then the string of an
instrument of music, It is most fre
quently used in the sense of touch
ing or playing a lyre, or a harp ; and
then it denotes to make music in
general, to sing — perhaps usually
with the idea of being accompa
nied with a lyre or harp. It is used,
in the New Testament, only in
Rom. v. 19. 1 Cor. xiv. 15, where
it is translated sing ; in James v.
13, where it is rendered sing psalms,
and in the place before us. The
idea here is, that of singing in the
heart, or praising God from the heart
The psalms, and hymns, and songs
were to be sung so that the heart
should be engaged, and not so as to
be mere music, or a mere external
performance. On the phrase 'in
the heart,' see Notes on 1 Cor. xiv-
15. Tf To the Lord. In praise of
the Lord, or addressed to him. Sing
ing, as here meant, is a direct and
solemn act of worship, and should
be considered such as really as pray
er. In singing we should regard
ourselves as speaking directly to God,
and the words, therefore, should- be
spoken with a solemnity and awe
becoming such a direct address to
the great Jehovah. So Pliny says
of the early Christians, Carmenque
Christo quasi Deo dicere secum
invicem — 'and they sang among
themselves hymns to Christ as God.'
If this be the true nature and design
of public psalmody, then it follows
(1.) that all should regard it as an
act of solemn worship in which they
should engage — in heart at least, if

120

20 Giving thanks ° always for
a Is. 63. 7
they cannot themselves sing." (2.)
Public psalmody should not be in
trusted wholly to the light and gay ;
to the trifling and careless part of a
congregation. (3.) They who con
duct this part of public worship ought
to be pious. The leader ought to
be a Christian; and they who join
in it ought also to give their hearts
to the Redeemer. Perhaps it would
not be proper to say absolutely that
no one who is not a professor of reli
gion should take part in the exer
cises of a choir in a church ; but
there can be no error in saying that
such persons ought to give them
selves to Christ, and to sing from the
heart. Their voices would be none
the less sweet; their music no less
pure and beautiful ; nor could their
own pleasure in the service be less
ened. A choir of sweet singers in
a church — united in the same praises
here — ought to be prepared to join
in the same praises around the throne
of God.
20. Giving thanks always. This
is probably designed to be connected
with the preceding verse, and to de
note that the proper subject of psal ms
and hymns is thanksgiving and
praise. This is indeed always the
main design, and should be so re
garded ; and this part of worship
should be so conducted as to keep up
in the heart a lively sense of the mer
cy and goodness of God. IT For all
things, ittia naxur — for all things,
or all persons. Dr. Barrow supposes
that the meaning here is, that they
were to give thanks for all persons,
and to regard themselves as under
obligations to give thanks for the
mercies bestowed upon the human
race, in accordance with the idea
expressed in the Liturgy of the Epis
copal church, " We, thine unworthy
servants, do give thee most humble
and hearty thanks for thy goodness

EPHESIANS. LA. D. 64
all things unto God and the Father

and loving-kindness to us, and to all
men." This idea is beautiful ; and
it accords with the requirements of
the Scriptures elsewhere. 1 Tim.
ii. 1. " I exhort, therefore, that first
of all, supplications, prayers, inter
cessions, and giving of thanks, be
made for all men." Such is the duty
of Christians; and I see no depar
ture from the fair meaning of the
words here, in supposing that the
apostle may have designed to express
such an idea. The sense, according
to this, would be, that we are to
praise God for his general mercy to
mankind ; for all the happiness which
mortals are permitted to enjoy ; for
the love of God to mankind in crea
tion, in providence, and in redemp
tion — just as a grateful child will
give thanks for all the kindness
shown to his brothers and sisters.
One obvious effect of this would be
to overcome selfishness, and to make
us rejoice in the happiness of others
as well as in our own. Another
effect would be to make us feel a
deeper interest in the condition of
our fellow creatures. Another would
be to elevate and enlarge our con
ceptions of the goodness of God —
directing the mind to all the favours
which he has bestowed on the race.
Man has much for which to be gratet
ful; and the duty of acknowledging
the mercy of God to the race should
not be forgotten. We are often
prone so to magnify our calamities,
and to contemplate the woes of the
race, that we overlook the occasions
for gratitude ; and we should, there
fore, look upon the mercies which
we enjoy as well as the miseries
which we endure, that our hearts
may be right. He who looks only
on his trials will soon find his mind
soured and complaining; he who
endeavours to find how many occa
sions for gratitude he has will soon

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER V.
in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one
to another in the fear of God.

121

find the burden of his sorrows alle
viated, and his mind tranquil and
calm. Yet, if the words here are
to be taken as in our translation, " for
ail things," they are full of force and
beauty. At-the close of life, and in
heaven, we shall see occasion to
bless God for all bis dealings with
us. We shall see that we have not
suffered one pang too much, or been
required to perform one duty too se
vere. We shall see that all our
afflictions, as well as our mercies,
were designed for our good, and were
needful for us. Why then should
we not bless God in the furnace as
well as in the palace ; on a bed of
pain as well as on a bed of down ;
in want as well as when sitting
down at the splendid banquet ) God
knows what is best for us ; and the
way in which he leads us, mysteri
ous though it seem to be now, will
yet be seen to have been full of good
ness and mercy. If Unto God and
the Father. Or, ' to God, even the
Father.' It cannot mean to God as
distinguished from the Father,- or
first to God and then to the Father,
as if the Father were distinct from
God. The meaning is, that thanks
are to be given specially to God the
Father — the great Author of all
mercies, and the source of all bless
ings. IT In the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. That is, through his
mediation, or trusting in him. See
Notes on John xiv. 13. The mean
ing is, that we are always to ap
proach God through the mediation
of the Lord Jesus. When we ask
for mercy, it is to be on his account,
or through his merits; when we
plead for strength and grace to sup
port us in trial, it is to be in depend
ence on him; and when we give
11

22 Wives, • submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as unto
the Lord. a 1 Pe. 3. 1, ic. Col. 3. 18, Sec.

thanks, it is to be through him, and
because it is through his interven
tion that we receive all blessings,
and by his merits that even the, gra
titude of beings so sinful as we are
can be accepted.
21. Submitting yourselves one to
another. Maintaining due subordi
nation in the various relations of life.
This general principle of religion,
the apostle proceeds now to illustrate
in reference to wives (vs. 22 — 24) ;
to children (ch. vi. 1 — 3); and to
servants, ch. vi. 5 — 8. At the same
time that he enforces this duty of
submission, however, he enjoins on
others to use their authority in a
proper manner, and gives solemn in
junctions that there should be no
abuse of power. Particularly he
enjoins on husbands the duty of lov
ing their wives with all tenderness
(vs. 25 — 33) ; on fathers, the duty
of treating their children so that
they might easily obey them (ch. vi.
4); and on mas/ers, the duty of
treating their servants with kind
ness, remembering that they have a
Master also in heaven. Ch. vi. 9.
The general meaning here is, that
Christianity does not break up the
relations of life, and produce disor
der, lawlessness, and insubordina
tion; but that it will confirm every
proper authority, and make every
just yoke lighter. Infidelity is al
ways disorganizing ; Christianity,
never. 22. Wives, submit yourselves un
to your own husbands. On this
passage, comp. Notes on 1 Cor. xi.
3 — 9. The duty of the submission
of the wife to her husband is every
where enjoined in the Scriptures.
vSee 1 Pet. iii. 1. Col. iii. 18. Titus
ii. 5. While Christianity designed

122

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

to elevate the character of the wife,
and to make her a fit companion of
an intelligent and pious husband, it
did not intend to destroy all subordi
nation and authority. Man, by the
feet that he was first created ; that
the woman was taken from him;
that he is better qualified for ruling
than she is, is evidently designed to
be at the head of the little community
that constitutes a family. In many
other things, woman may be his
equal ; in loveliness, and grace, and
beauty, and tenderness, and gentle
ness, she is far his superior; but
these are not the qualities adapted for
government. Their place is in an
other sphere ; and there, man should
be as cautious about invading ber
prerogative, or abridging her liberty,
as she should be about invading the
prerogative that belongs to him. In
every family there should be a head
— some one who is to be looked up
to as the counsellor and the ruler ;
some one to whom all should be sub
ordinate. God has given that pre
rogative to man; and no family
prospers where that arrangement is
violated. Within proper metes and
limits, therefore, it is the duty of the
wife to obey, or to> submit herself to
her husband. Those limits are such
as the following: 1. In domestic
arrangements, the husband is to be
regarded as the head of the family ;
and he has a right to direct as to the
style of living, the expenses of the
family, the clothing, &c. 2. In
regard to the laws which are to re
gulate the family, he is the head.
It is his to say what is to be done ;
in what way the children are to em
ploy themselves, and to give direc
tions in regard to their education,
&c. 3. In business matters, the
wife is to submit to the husband.
She may counsel with him, if he
chooses ; but the affairs of business
and property are under his control,
and must be left at his disposal.
4 In everything, except that which

relates to conscience and religion,
he has authority. But there his au
thority ceases. He has no right to
require her to commit an act of dis
honesty, to connive at wrong-doing,
to visit a place of amusement which
her conscience tells her is wrong, nor
has he a right to interfere with the
proper discharge of her religious du
ties. He has no right to forbid her to
go to church at the proper and usual
time, or to make a profession, of re
ligion when she pleases. He has no
right to forbid her endeavouring to
exercise a religious influence over
her children, or to endeavour to
lead them to God. She is bound to
obey God, rather than any man (see
Notes on Acts iv. 19); and when
even a. husband interferes in such
cases, and attempts to control her,
he steps beyond his proper bounds,
and invades the prerogative of God,
and his authority ceases to be bind
ing. It ought to be said, however
that in order to justify her acting in
dependency in such a case, the fol
lowing things are proper: (1.) Ii
should be really a case of conscience
— a case where the Lord has plainly
required her to do what she proposes
to do — and not a mere matter of
whim, fancy, or caprice. (2.) When
a husband makes opposition to the
course which a wife wishes to pur
sue in religious duties, it should
lead her to re-examine the matter,
to pray much over it, and to see whe
ther she cannot, with a good. con
science, comply with his wishes.
(3.) If she is convinced that she is
right, she should Btill endeavour to
see whether it is not possible to win
him to her views, and to persuade
him to accord with her. See 1 Pet
iii. 1. It is possible that, if she does
right, he may be persuaded to do
right also. (4.) If she is constrained,
however, to differ from him, it should
be with mildness and gentleness.
There should be no reproach, and no
contention. She should simply state

A D. 64.] CHAPTER V.
23 For the husband is the head
of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church: and he is
the Saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is
subject unto Christ, so let the

123

wives be to their own husbands
in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it ;

her reasons, and leave the event to
God. (5.) She should, after this, be
a better wife, and put forth more and
more effort to make her husband and
family happy. She should show that
the effect of her religion has been to
make her love her husband and chil
dren more; to make her more and
more attentive to her domestic duties,
and more and more kind in affliction.
By a life of pure religion, she should
aim to secure what she could not by
her entreaties — his consent that she
should live as she thinks she ought
to, and walk to heaven in the path
in which she believes that her Lord
calls her. While, however, it is
to be conceded that the husband has
authority over the wife, and a right
to command in all coses that do not
pertain to the conscience, it should
be remarked, (1.) That his command
should be reasonable and proper.
(2.) He has no right to require any
thing wrong, or contrary to the will
of God. (3.) Where commands be
gin in this relation, happiness usu
ally ends ; and the moment a hus
band requires aVife to do anything,
it is usually a signal of departing or
departed affection and peace. When
there are proper feelings in both par
ties in this relation, there will be no
occasion either to command or to obey.
There should be such mutual love and
confidence, that the known wish ofthe
husband should be a law to the wife ;
and that the known desires of the
wife should be the rule which he
would approve. A perfect govern
ment is that where the known wish
of the lawgiver is a sufficient rule
to the subject. Such is the govern
ment of heaven ; and a family on

earth should approximate as nearly
as possible to that If As unto the
Lord. As you would to the Lord,
because the Lord requires it, and
has given to the husband this au
thority. 23. For the husband is the head
of the wife. See Notes on 1 Cor.
xi. 3. f As Christ is the head of
the church. As Christ rules over
the church, and has a right to direct
and control it If And he is the Sa
viour of the body. That is, of the
church, represented as his body.
See Notes, ch. i. 23. The idea here
seems to be, that as Christ gave
himself to save his body, the church ;
as he practised self-denial, and made
it an object of intense solicitude to
preserve that church, so ought the
husband to manifest a similar solici
tude to make his wife happy, and to
save her from want, affliction, and
pain. He ought to regard himself
as her natural protector; as bound
to anticipate and provide for her
wants ; as under obligation to com
fort her in trial, even as Christ does
the church. What a beautiful illus
tration ofthe spirit which a husband
should manifest is the care which
Christ has shown for his " bride,"
the church ! See Notes on vs. 25
—29. 24. In every thing. In every
thing which is not contrary to the
will of God. See Notes on ver. 23.
25. Husbands, love your wives.
The duty ofthe wife is to obey ; the
right of the husband is to command.
But the apostle would guard against
the abuse of that right by enjoining
the manifestation of such a spirit on
the husband as would secure obedi-

124 EPHESIANS,
26 That he might sanctify and

ence on the part of the wife. He
proceeds, therefore, to show, that the
husband, in all his intercourse with
the wife, should manifest the same
spirit which the Lord Jesus did to
wards the church; or, in other
words, he holds up the conduct of
the Redeemer towards the church,
as the model for a husband to imi
tate. If a husband wished a rule
that would be short, simple, clear,
and efficacious, about the manner in
which he should regard and treat his
wife, he could not find a better one
than that here suggested. If Even
as Christ loved the church. This
was the strongest love that has ever
been evinced in this world. It
follows, that a husband is in no
danger of loving his wife too much,
provided she be not loved more than
God. We are to make the love"
which Christ had for the church the
model. % And gave himself for it.
Gave himself to die to redeem it.
The meaning here is, that husbands
are to imitate the Redeemer in this
respect As he gave himself to suf
fer on the cross to save the church,
so we are to be willing to deny our
selves, and to bear toil and trial, that
we may promote the happiness of
the wife. It is the duty of the hus
band to toil for her support ; to pro
vide for her wants ; to deny himself
of rest and ease, if necessary, in
order to attend on her in sickness ;
to go before her in danger ; to de
fend her if she is in peril ; and to be
ready to die to save her. Why
should he not be ) If they are ship
wrecked, and there is a single plank
on which safety can be secured,
should he not be willing to place her
on that, and see her safe at all haz
ards to himself) But there may be
more implied in this than that a man
s to toil, and even to lay down his

cleanse it with the washing
water by the word :

LA. D. 64 of

life for the welfare of his wife.
Christ laid down his iife to save the
church; and a husband should feel
that it should be one great object of
his life to promote the salvation of
his wife. He is bound so to live as
not to interfere with her salvation,
but so as to promote it in every way
possible. He is to furnish her all
the facilities that she may need, to
enable her to attend on the worship
of God ; and to throw no obstacles
in her way. He is to set her the
example ; to counsel her if she needs
counsel, and to make . the path of
salvation as easy for her as possible.
If a husband has the spirit and self-
denial of the Saviour, he will re
gard no sacrifice too great if he may
promote the salvation of his family.
26. That he might sanctify. The
great object of the Redeemer was
to purify and save the church. The
meaning here is, that a husband is
to manifest similar love towards his
wife, and a similar desire that sho
should be prepared to ' walk before
him in white.' If And cleanse it
with the washing of water. In all
this there is an allusion doubtless to
the various methods of purifying and
cleansing those who were about to
be married, and who were to be
united to monarchs as their brides.
In some instances this previous pre
paration continued for twelve months.
The means of purification were va
rious, but consisted usually in the
use of costly unguents. See Esther
ii. 12. "Six months with oil of
myrrh, and six . months with sweet
odours, and with other things for the
purifying of women." Comp. Ps.
xiv. 13, 14. Ezek. xvi. 7—14 As
such a virgin was purified and pre
pared for her husband by washing
and by anointing, so the church is to
be prepared for Christ. It is to be

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER V.

125

27 That he might present » it
to himself a glorious church, not
having spot, * or wrinkle, or any
a Jutle 24. 4 Ca. 4. 7.
made pure and holy. Outwardly
there is to be the application of
water — the symbol of purity; and
within there is to be holiness of
heart See Notes on 2 Cor. xi. 2,
where Paul says of the Corinthians,
"I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ" % By the word.
There has been much diversity of
opinion respecting the meaning of
this. Probably the sense of the ex
pression is, that all this was to be
accomplished by the instrumentality
of the truth— the word of God. By
that truth they were to be sanctified
(John xvii. 17) ; and in accordance
with that the whole work from the
commencement to the close was to
be accomplished. It was not by ex
ternal ceremonies, and not by any
miraculous power on the heart, but
by the faithful application of truth
to the heart
27. That he may present it to
himself. In the last day, when he
shall receive the church as his spouse
to heaven. Rev. xxi. 9. Perhaps
the word prepare would better ex
press the sense here than present —
that he may prepare it for himself as
a holy church. Tindal renders it,
' to make it unto himself.' K A glo
rious church. A church full of ho
nour, splendour, beauty. The idea of
shining, or of being bright, would
convey the sense here. Probably there
is still here an allusion to a bride
'adorned for her husband' (Rev. xxi.
2 ; comp. Ps. xiv. 9 — 14) ; and the
idea is, that the church will be
worthy of the love, of the bride
groom, to whom it will then be pre
sented. If Not having spot. Not
having a stain, a defect, or any im-
purity-i^still retaining the allusion to
u*

such thing ; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their
wives as their own bodies ; he
a bride, and to the care taken to re
move every blemish, ^j Or wrinkle.
In the vigour and beauty of youth ;
like a bride in whom there is no
wrinkle of age. If Or any such thing.
Nothing to deform, disfigure, or of
fend. To this beautiful illustration
of the final glory of the church, the
apostle was led by the mention of
the relation of the husband and the
wife. It shows, (1.) The tendency
of the thoughts of Paul. He delight
ed to allow the associations in his
mind, no matter what the subject
was, to draw him along to the Re
deemer. (2.) The passage here
shows us what the church will yet
be. There will be a period in its
history when there shall not be any
imperfection; when there shall be
neither spot, nor wrinkle, nor any
such thing. In heaven all will be
pure. On earth we are preparing for
that world of purity; and it cannot
be denied that here there is much
that is imperfect and impure. But
in that future world, where the
church shall be presented to Christ,
clothed in the robes of salvation,
there shall not be one unholy mem
ber ; one deceiver or hypocrite ; one
covetous or avaricious man ; one that
shall pain the hearts of the friends
of purity by an unholy life. And in
all the millions that shall be gathered
there out of every land, and people,
and tongue, and age, there shall be
no envy, malice, backbiting, pride,
vanity, worldliness; there shall be
no annoying and vexing conflict in
the heart with evil passions, 'nor
any such thing.' How different from
the church as it now is; and how we
should pant for that blessed world !
28. So ought men to love their
wives, as their oiwn bodies. Because

126that loveth his wife loveth him
self. 29 For no man ever yet hated
his own flesh ; but nourisheth and

EPHESIANS. [A. D. 64
cherisheth it; even as the Lord
the church :
30 For we are members " of
a 1 Co. 12. 27.

they are one flesh. Ver. 31. This
is the subject on which Paul had
been speaking, and from which he
had been diverted by the allusion to
the glorified church. The doctrine
here is, that a husband should have
the same care for the comfort of
his wife which he has for himself
He should regard her as one with
himself; and as he protects his own
body from cold and hunger, and,
when sick and suffering, endeavours
to restore it to health, so he should
regard and treat her. IT He that
loveth his wife, loveth himself. (1.)
Because she is one with him, and
their interests are identified. (2.)
Because, by this, he really promotes
his own welfare, as much as he does
when he take^ care of his own body.
A man's kindness to his wife will be
more than repaid by the happiness
which she imparts ; and all the real
solicitude which he shows to make
her happy, will come to more than
it costs. If a man wishes to promote
his own happiness in the most effec
tual way, he had better begin by
showing kindness to his wife.
29. For no man ever yet hated
his own flesh. This is urged as an
argument why a man should love
his wife and show kindness to her.
As no man disregards the happiness
of his own body, or himself, so he
should show equal care to promote
the happiness of his wife. A senti
ment similar to this is found in the
classic writers. Thus Curtius (lib.
vii.) says, Corporibus nostris qua
utique nan odimus — 'We do not
hate those things that pertain to our
own bodies.' So Seneca (Epis. 14),
Fateor insilam nobis esse corporis
nostri charitalem — ' I confess that
.here is implanted in us the love of

our own body.' The word nourish
eth here means properly to bring up,
as e. g., children. The sense here
is, that he provides for it, and guards
it from exposure and want The
word cherisheth — Scbjttt, — means
properly to warm ; and may mean
here that he defends it from cold by
clothing — and the two expressions
denote that he provides food and rai
ment for the body. So lie is to do
for his wife ; and in like manner the
Lord Jesus regards the church, and
ministers to its spiritual necessities.
But this should not be spiritualized
too far. The general idea is all that
we want — that Christ has a tender
concern for the wants ofthe church,
as a man has for his own body, and
that the husband should show a sim
ilar regard for his wife.
30. For we are members of his
body. Of the body of Christ See
Notes on 1 Cor. xi. 3 ; xii. 27. John
xv. 1—6, and Eph. i. 23. The idea
here is, that there is a close and in
timate anion between the Christian
and the Saviour — a union so intimate
that they may be spoken of as one,
% Of his flesh, and of his bones.
There is an allusion here evidently
to the language which Adam used
respecting Eve. " This is now bone
of -my bones, and flesh of my flesh.'
Gen. ii. 23. It is language which
is employed to denote the closeness
of the marriage relation, and which
Paul applies to the connection be
tween Christ and his people. Of
course, it cannot be understood liter
ally. It is not trite literally that our
bones are a part of the bones of
Christ, or our flesh of his flesh; nor
should language ever be used that
would imply a miraculous union. It
is not a physical union, but a union

A. D. 64] CHAPTER V.
his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones. 31 For • this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and
a Ge. 2. 24.

of attachment; of feeling; of love.
If we avoid the notion of a physical
union, however, it is scarcely possi
ble to use too strong language in de
scribing the union of believers with
this _ Lord Jesus. The Scriptures
make use of language which is
stronger than that employed to de
scribe any other connection; and
there is no union of affection so pow
erful as that which binds the Chris
tian to the Saviour. So strong is
it, that he is willing for it to forsake
father, mother, and home ; to leave
his country, and to abandon his pos
sessions ; to go to distant lands and
dwell among barbarians to make
the Redeemer known; or to go to
the cross or the stake from simple
love to the Saviour. Account for it
as men may, there has been mani
fested on earth nowhere else so strong
an attachment as that which binds
the Christian to the cross. It is
stronger love than that which a man
has for his own flesh and bones ; for
it makes him willing that his flesh
should be consumed by fire, or his
bones broken on the wheel rather
than deny him. Can the infldel ac
count for this strength of attachment
on any other principle than tha'. it
has a divine origin )
31. For this cause. 'Avti, tovtov.
This verse is a quotation from Gen.
ii. 24, and contains the account of
the institution of marriage. The
meaning of the phrase rendered ' for
this cause' is, 'answerably to this;'
or correspnndir^ *•> this — that is, to
what Paul had just said of the union
of believers and the Redeemer. On
the meaning of this verse, see Notes
on Matt xix. 4. There is no evi-
lence that the marriage connection

127

shall be joined unto his wife, and
they two * shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery:
b l Co. 6. 16.

was originally designed to symbolize
or typify this union, but it may be
used to illustrate that connection,
and to show the strength of the at
tachment between the Redeemer
and his people. The comparison
should be confined, however, strictly
to the use made of it in the New
Testament. 32. This is a great mystery. The
Latin Vulgate translates this, sacra-
mentum hoc magnum est — ' this is
a great sacrament' — and this is the
proof, I suppose, and the only proof
adduced by the Papists that mar
riage is a sacrament. But the ori
ginal here conveys no such idea.
The word mystery — uverrtpiau —
means something which is conceal
ed, hidden, before unknown; some
thing into which one must be initi
ated or instructed before he can un
derstand it. It does not mean that
it is incomprehensible when it is dis
closed, but that hitherto it has been
kept secret. When disclosed it may
be as intelligible as any other truth.
See the word explained in the Notes
on ch. i. 9. Here it means, simply,
that there was much about the union
of the Redeemer with his people,
resembling the marriage connection,
which was not obvious, except to
those who were instructed ; which
was obscure to those who were not ini
tiated ; which they did not understand
who had not been taught. It does
not mean that no one could under
stand it, but that it pertained to the
class of truths into which it was ne
cessary for one to be initiated in
order to comprehend them. The
truth that was so great a mystery
was, that the eternal Son of God
should form such an union With

128

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

but I speak concerning Christ and
the church.
33 Nevertheless, let every one
of you in particular, so love his
men ; that he should take them into
a connection with himself, implying
an ardour of attachment, and a
strength of affection superior to even
that which exists in the marriage
relation. This was a great and pro
found truth, to understand which, it
was necessary to receive instruction.
Noone would have understood it with
out a revelation ; no one understands
it now except they who are taught
of God. If But I speak concerning
Christ and the Church. This, it
seems to me, is an explicit disclaimer
of any intention to be understood as
affirming that the marriage contract
was designed to be a type of the
union of the Redeemer and his peo
ple. The apostle says expressly,
that his remarks do not refer to mar
riage al all when he speaks of the
mystery. They refer solely to the
union of the Redeemer and his peo
ple. How strange and unwarranted,
therefore, are all the comments of
expositors on this passage designed
to explain marriage as a mysterious
type of the union of Christ and the
church! If men would allow the
apostle to speak for himself, and not
force on him sentiments which he
expressly disclaims, the world would
be saved from such insipid allegories
as Macknight and others have de
rived from this passage. The Bible
is a book of sense ; and the time
will come, it is hoped, when, freed
from all such allegorizing exposi
tions, it will commend itself to the
good sense of mankind. Marriage
is an important, a holy, a. noble, a
pure institution, altogether worthy
of God ; but it does not thence fol
low that marriage was designed to
be a type of the union between
Christ and the church, and it is cer-

and

wife even as himself;
wife see that she reverence
husband.

the
her

tain that the apostle Paul meant to
teach no such thing.
33. Nevertheless. The apostle
here resumes the subject which he
had been discussing in vs. 21 — 29,
and says that it was the duty of
every man to love his wife as he did
himself. This was the main topic,
from which he had been diverted by
the discussion respecting the love
which the Redeemer had shown for
his church. If And the wife see that
she reverence her husband. The
word ' see' is supplied by our trans
lators. The meaning is, that it was
the especial duty of the wife to
show respect for her husband as the
head of the family, and as set over
her in the Lord. See Notes on vs.
22, 23. The word rendered reve-
rence, is that which usually denotes
fear — tyoHrjtcu. She is to fear; i. e.
to honour, respect, obey the will of
her husband. It is, of course, not
implied that it is not also her duty
to love her husband, but that there
should be no usurping of authority ;
no disregard of the arrangement
which God has made ; and that order
and peace should be secured in a
family by regarding the husband as
the source of law.
From what is here said of the du
ties of husband and wife we may
remark, (1.) That the happiness of society
depends on just views, of the mar
riage relation. It is true the world
over, that the views which prevail
in regard to this relation, determine
every thing in reference to all other
relations of life, and to all other
sources of enjoyment.
(2.) God designed that woman
should occifpy a subordinate, though
an important place in the relations

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER V.

129

of social life. This arrangement
is never disregarded without evils
which cannot be corrected until
the original intention is secured.
No imaginary good that can come
out of the violation of the original
design; no benefits which females,
individual or associated, can confer
on mankind by disregarding this ar
rangement, can be a compensation
for the evil that is done, nor can the
evil be remedied unless woman oc
cupies the place which God design
ed she should fill. There nothing
else can supply her place; and
when she is absent from that situa
tion — no matter what good she may
be doing elsewhere — there is a silent
evil reigning, which can he removed
only by her return. It is not hers
to fight battles, or to command
armies and navies, or to control king
doms, or to make laws. Nor is it
hers to go forward as a public leader
even in enterprises of benevolence,
or in associations designed to act on
the public mind. Her empire is the
domestic circle ; her first influence
is there; and in connection with
that in such scenes as she con en
gage in without trenching on the
prerogative of man, or neglecting
the duty which she owes to her own
family. (3.) It is not best that there should
be the open exercise of authority in
; a family. When commands begin
in the relation of husband and wife,
happiness flies; and the moment a
husband is disposed to command his
wife, or is under a necessity of doing
it, that moment he may bid adieu to
domestic peace and joy.
(4.) A wife, therefore, should
never give her husband occasion to
command her to do any thing, or to
forbid any thing. His known wish,
except in cases of conscience, should
be law to her. The moment she
can ascertain what his will is, that
moment ought to settle her mind as
to what is to be done.

(5.) A husband should never wish
or expect any tiling that it may not
be perfectly proper for a wife to ren
der. He, too. should consult her
wishes; and when he understands
what they are, he should regard
what she prefers as the very thing
which he would command. The
known wish and preference of a
wife, unless there be something
wrong in it should be allowed to in
fluence his mind, and be that which
he directs in the family.
(6.) There is no danger that a
husband will love a wife too much,
provided his love be subordinate to
the fove of God. The command is,
to love her as Christ loved the
church. What love has ever been
like that) How can a husband ex
ceed it) What did not Christ en
dure to redeem the church) So
should a husband be willing to deny
himself to promote the happiness of
his wife ; to watch by her in sick
ness, and, if need be, to peril health
and life to promote her welfare.
Doing this, he will not go beyond
what Christ did for the church. He
should remember that she has a spe
cial claim of justice on him. For
Jiim she has left her father's home,
forsaken the friends of her youth,
endowed him with whatever proper
ty she may have, sunk her name in
his, confided her honour, her cha
racter, and her happiness, to his vir
tue ; and- the least that he can do for
her is to love her, and strive to make
her happy. This was what she
asked when she consented to become
his; and a. husband's love is what
she still asks to sustain and cheer
her in the trials of life. If she has
not this, whither shall she go for
comfort )
(7.) We may see, then, the guilt
of those husbands who withhold their
affections from their wives, and for
sake those to whom they had solemn
ly pledged themselves at the altar;
those who neglect to provide for their

130

EPHESI/.NS

[A. D. 64

wants, or to minister to them in sick
ness; and those who become the
victims of intemperance, and leave
their wives to tears. There is much,
much guilt of this kind on earth.
There are many, many broken vows.
There are many, many hearts made
to bleed. There is many a pure and
virtuous woman who was once the
object of tender affection, now, by
no fault of hers, forsaken, abused,
broken-hearted, by the brutal conduct
of a husband.
(8.) Wives should manifest such
a character as to be worthy of love.
They owe this to their husbands.
They demand the confidence and
affection of man; and they should
show that they are worthy of that
confidence and affection. It is not
possible to love that which is unlove
ly, nor to force affection where it is
undeserved ; and, as a wife expects
that a husband will love her more
than he does any other earthly being,
it is but right that she should evince
such a spirit as shall make that pro
per. A wife may easily alienate the
affections of her partner in life. If
she is irritable and fault-finding ; if
none of his ways please her ; if she
takes no interest in his plans, and in
what he does; if she forsakes her
home when she should be there, and
seeks happiness abroad; or if, at
home, she never greets him with a
smile ; if she is wasteful of his earn
ings, and extravagant in her habits,
it will be impossible to prevent the
effects of such a course of life on his
mind. And when » wife perceives
the slightest evidence of alienated
affection in her husband, she should
inquire at once whether she has not
given occasion for it, and exhibited
such a spirit as tended inevitably to
produce such a result
(9.) To secure mutual love, there
fore, it is necessary that there should
be mutual kindness, and mutual love
liness of character. Whatever is
seen to be offensive or painful, should

bo at once abandoned. All the little
peculiarities of temper and modes of
speech that are observed to give
pain, should be forsaken; and,
while one party should endeavour
to tolerate them, and not to be
offended, the other should make it
a matter of conscience to remove
them. (10.) The great secret of conjugal
happiness is in the cultivation of a
proper temper. It is not so much in
the great and trying scenes of life
that the strength of virtue is tested ;
it is in the events that are constantly
occurring; the manifestation of kind
ness in the things that are happening
every moment ; the gentleness that
flows along every day, like the stream
that winds through the meadow and
around the ferm-house, noiseless but
useful, diffusing fertility by day and
by night. Great deeds rarely occur.
The happiness of life depends little
on them, but mainly on the little
acts of kindness in life. We need
them everywhere; we need them
always. And eminently in the mar
riage relation there is need of gen
tleness and love, returning each
morning, beaming in the eye, and
dwelling in the heart through the
livelong day. CHAPTER VI.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This chapter comprises the follow
ing subjects: (1.) An exhortation
to children to obey their parents, with
a promise ofthe blessing that would
follow from obedience. Vs. 1 — 3. (2.)
An exhortation to fathers to manifest
such a character that children could
properly obey them, and to train
them up in a proper manner. Ver. 4.
(3.) The duty of servants. Vs. 5— 8.
(4.) The duty of masters towards
their servants. Ver. 9. (5.) An ex-
hortation to put on the whole armoui
of God, with a description of tha
christian soldier, and ofthe christian

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER VI.

131

CHAPTER VI.
CHILDREN, • obey your pa-
«Pr. 23. 22. Co. 3. 20. fcc.

panoply. Vs. 10—17. (6.) The
duty of prayer, and especially of
prayer for the apostle himself, that
he might be enabled to speak with
boldness in the cause of his Master.
Vs. 18—20. (7.) In the conclusion
(vs. 21 — 24), he informs them that
if they wished to make any inquiries
about his condition, Tychicus, who
conveyed this letter, could acquaint
them with his circumstances; and
then closes the epistle with the usual
benedictions. 1. Children, tixva. This word
usually signifies those who are
young; but it is here used, evidently,
to denote those who were under the
care and government of their pa
rents, or those who were not of age.
if Obey your parents. This is the
first great duty which God has en
joined on children. It is, to do what
their parents command them to do.
The God of nature indicates that
this is duty ; for he has impressed it
on the minds of all in every age;
and the Author of revelation confirms
it It is particularly important, (1.)
Because the good order of a family,
and hence of the community, de
pends on it; no community or family
being prosperous where there is not
due subordination in the household.
(2.) Because the welfare ofthe child
depends on it ; it being of the high
est importance that a child should be
early taught obedience to law, as no
one can be prosperous or happy who
is not thus obedient. (3.) Because
the child is not competent, as yet, to
reason on what is right, or qualified
to direct himself; and, while that is
the case, he must be subject to the
will of some other person. (4) Be
cause the parent by his age and ex
perience, is to be presumed to be

rents in the Lord: for this is
right.

qualified to direct and guide a child,
The love which God has implanted
in the heart of a parent for a child
secures, in general, the administra
tion of this domestic government in
such a way as not to injure the child.
A father will not, unless under strong
passion or the excitement of intoxi
cation, abuse his authority. He loves
the child too much. He desires his
welfare ; and the placing of the child
under the authority of the parent is
about the same thing in regard to
the welfare of the child, as it would
be to endow the child at once with
all the wisdom and experience ofthe
parent himself (5.) It is important,
because the family government is
designed to be an imitation of the
government of God. The govern
ment of God is what a perfect
family government would be; and
to accustom a child to be obedient
to a parent, is designed to be one
method of leading him to be obe
dient to God. No child that is dis
obedient to a parent will be obe
dient to God ; and that child that is
most obedient to a father and mother
will be most likely to become a
Christian, and an heir of heaven.
And it may be observed, in general,
that no disobedient child is virtuous,
prosperous, or happy. Every one
foresees the ruin of such a child;
and most of the cases of crime that
lead to the penitentiary, or the gal
lows, commence by disobedience to
parents. If la the Lord. That is,
as far as their commandments agree
with those of God, and no farther.
No parent can have a right to re
quire a child to steal, or lie, or cheat,
or assist him in committing murder,
or in doing any other wrong thing.
No parent has a right to forbid a
child to pray, to read the Bible, to

132

EPHESIANS.

[A.D.64

2 Honour." thy father and mo
ther, (which is the first command
ment with promise,).

a Ex. 20. 12.

worship God, or to make a profession
of religion. The duties and rights
of children in such cases are similar
to those of wives (see Notes on ch.
v. 22) ; and, in all cases, God is to
be obeyed rather than man. When
a parent, however, is opposed to a
child; when he expresses an un
willingness that a child should attend
a particular church, or make a pro
fession of religion, such opposition
should in all cases be a sufficient
reason for the child to pause and re
examine the subject. He should
pray much, and think much, and in
quire much, before, in any case, he
acts contrary to the will of a father
or mother ; and, when he does do it
he should state to them, with great
gentleness and kindness, that he be
lieves he ought to love and serve
God. IT For this is right. It is
right, (1.) because it is so appointed
by God as a duty ; (2.) because chil
dren owe a debt of gratitude to their
parents for what they have done for
them ; (3.) because it will be for the
good ofthe children themselves, and
for the welfare of society.
2. Honour thy father and mother.
See Ex. xx. 12. Comp. Notes on
Matt. xv. 4 If Which is the first
commandment with promise. With a
promise annexed to it. The promise
was, that their days should be long
in the land which the Lord their
God would give them. It is not to
be supposed that the observance of
the four first commandments would
not be attended with a blessing, but
no particular blessing is promised.
It is true, indeed, that there is a
general declaration annexed to the
second commandment, that God
would show mercy to thousands of
generations of them that loved him
and that kept his commandments.

3 That it may be well with
thee, and thou mayest live long
on the earth.

But that is rather a declaration in
regard to all the commands of God
than a promise annexed to that spe
cific commandment. It is an assur
ance that obedience to the law of
God would be followed with bless
ings to a thousand generations, and
is given in view of the first and se
cond commandments together, be
cause they related particularly to the
honour that was due to God. But
the promise in the fifth command
ment is a special promise. It does
not relate to obedience to God in
general, but it is a particular assur
ance that they who honour their pa
rents shall have a particular blessing
as the result of that obedience.
3. That it may be well with thee
This is found in the fifth command
ment as recorded in Deut. v. 16.
The whole commandment as there
recorded is, " Honour thy father and
thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath
commanded thee ; that thy days may
be prolonged, and that it may go
well with thee in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee." The
meaning here is, that they would he
more happy, useful, and virtuous if
they obeyed their parents than if
they disobeyed them. If And thou
mayest live long on ihe earth. In
the commandment as recorded in
Ex. xx. 12, the promise is, ' that thy
days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.'
This referred to the promised land
— the land of Canaan. The mean
ing doubtless, is, that there would
be a special providence, securing to
those who were obedient to parents
length of days. Long life was re
garded as a great blessing; and this
blessing was promised. The apostle
here gives to the promise a more
general form, and says that obedi-

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER VI
4 And ye fathers, provoke not
your children to wrath: but bring

133

ence to parents was connected at all
times with long life. We may re
mark here (1.) that long life is a
blessing. It affords a longer space
to prepare for eternity ; it enables a
man to be more useful ; and it fur
nishes a longer opportunity to study
the works of God on earth. It is
not improper to desire it; and we
should make use of all the means in
our power to lengthen out our days,
and to preserve and protract our
lives. (2.) It is still true that obe
dience to parents is conducive to
length of life, and that those who
are most obedient in early life, other
things being equal, have the best
prospect of living long. .This oc
curs because (a) obedient children
are saved from the vices and crimes
which shorten life. No parent will
command his child to be a drunkard,
a gambler, a spendthrift, a pirate, or
a murderer. But these vices and
crimes, resulting in most cases from
disobedience to parents, all shorten
life; and they who early commit
them are certain of an early grave.
No child who disobeys a parent can
have any security that he will not
fall a victim to such vices and crimes.
(6) Obedience to parents is connect
ed with virtuous habits that are con
ducive to long life. It will make a
child industrious, temperate, sober;
it will lead him to restrain and gov
ern his wild passions; it will lead
him to form habits of self-govern
ment which will in future life save
him from the snares of vice and
temptation, (e) Many a life is lost
early by disobeying a parent A
child disobeys a fether and goes into
a dram-shop'; or he goes to sea; or
he becomes the companion of the
wicked — and he may be wrecked at
sea, or his character on land may be
wrecked for ever. Of disobedient
children there is perhaps not one in
12

them up in the nurture and ad
monition of the Lord.

a hundred that ever reaches an ho
noured old age. {d) We may still
believe that God, in his providence,
will watch over those who are obe
dient to a father and mother. If he
regards a felling sparrow (Matt. x.
29), he will not be unmindful of an
obedient child; if he numbers the
hairs of the head (Matt x. 30), he
will not be regardless of the little
boy that honours him by obeying a
fether and mother.
4. And ye fathers. A command
addressed particularly to fathers,
because they are at the head of the
family, and its government is espe
cially committed to them. The ob
ject of the apostle here is, to show
parents that their commands should
be such that they can be easily
obeyed, or such as are entirely rea
sonable and proper. If children are
required to obey, it is but reasonable
that the commands of the parent
should be such that they can be
obeyed, or such that the child shall
not be discouraged in his attempt to
obey. This statement is in accord
ance with what he had said (ch. v.
22 — 25) of the relation of husband
and wife. It was the duty ofthe wife
to obey — but it was the correspond
ing duty of the husband to manifest
such a character that it would be
pleasant to yield obedience — so to
love her, that his known wish would
be law to her. In like manner it
is the duty of children to obey a
parent ; but it is the duty of a pa
rent to exhibit such a character, and
to maintain such a government, that
it would be proper for the child to
obey; to command nothing that is
unreasonable or improper, but to
train up his children in the ways of
virtue and pure religion. If Provoke
not your children to wrath. That
is, by unreasonable commands; by
needless severity ; by the manifests

134

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

tion of anger. So govern them, and
so punish them — if punishment is
necessary — that they shall not lose
their confidence in you, but shall
love you. The apostle here has hit
on the very danger to which parents
are most exposed in the government
of their children. It is that of sour
ing their temper ; of making them
feel that the parent is under the in
fluence of anger, and that it is right
for them to-be so too. This is done
(1.) when the commands of a parent
are unreasonable and severe. The
spirit of a child then becomes irri
tated, and he is " discouraged." Col.
iii. 21. (2.) When a parent is evi
dently excited when he punishes a
child. The child then feels {a) that
if his father is angry, it is not wrong
for him to be angry ; and (6) the
very fact of anger in a parent kin
dles anger in his bosom — just as it
does when two men are contending.
If he submits in the case, it is only
because the parent is the strongest,
not because he is right, and the
child cherishes anger, while he
yields to power. There is no prin
ciple of parental government more
important than that a father should
command his own temper when he
inflicts punishment. He should pun
ish a child not because he is angry,
but because it is right ; not. because
it has become a matter of personal
contest, but because God requires
that he should do it, and the welfare
of the child demands it. The mo
ment when a child sees that a pa
rent punishes him under the influ
ence of anger, that moment the
child will be likely to be angry too —
and his anger will be as proper as
that of the parent. And yet, how
often is punishment inflicted in this
manner ! And how often does the
child feel that the parent punished
him simply because he was the
strongest, not because it was right ;
and how often is the mind of a child
left with a strong conviction that

wrong has been done him by the
punishment which he has received,
rather than with repentance for the
wrong that he has himself done.
If But bring them up. Place them
under such discipline and instruc
tion that they shall become acquaint
ed with the Lord. If In the nurture.
iv rton.8»'av. The word here used
means training of a child ; hence
education, instruction, discipline.
Here it means thaj; they are to train
up their children in such a manner
as the Lord approves ; that is, they
are to educate them for virtue and
religion. If And admonition. The
word here used — vov\Siaia — means,
literally, a pulling in mind, then
warning, admonition, instruction.
The sense here is, that they were to
put them in mind of the Lord — of
his existence, perfections, law, and
claims on their hearts and lives.
This command is positive, and is in
accordance with all the requirements
of the Bible on the subject. No one
can doubt that the Bible enjoins on
parents the duty of endeavouring to
train up their children in the ways
of religion, and of making it the
grand purpose of this life to prepare
them for heaven. It has been often
objected that children should be left
on religious subjects to form their
own opinions when they are able to
judge for themselves. Infidels and
irreligious men always oppose oi
neglect the duty here enjoined;
and the plea commonly is, that to
teach religion to children is to
make them prejudiced; to destroy
their independence of mind; and
to prevent their judging as impar
tially on so important a subject as
they ought to. In reply to this,
and in defence of the requirements
of the Bible on the subject, we
may remark, (1.) That to suffer a
child to grow up without any in
struction in religion, is about the
same as to suffer a garden to lie
without any culture. Such a gar-

A- 1>- 64] CHAPTER VI.
5 Servants," be obedient to them
that are your masters according to
« 1 Pe. 2. 18, &c

den would soon be overrun with
weeds, and briars, and thorns — but
not sooner, or more certainly, than
the mind of a child would. (2.)
Men do instruct their children in a
great many things, and why should
they not in religion) They teach
them how to behave in company;
the art of farming; the way to make
or use tools ; how to make money ;
how to avoid the arts of the cunning
seducer. But why should it not be
said that all this tends to destroy
their independence, and to make them
prejudiced) Why not leave their
minds open and free, and suffer them
to form their own judgments about
farming and the mechanic arts when
their minds are matured) (3.)
Men do inculcate their own senti
ments in religion. An infidel is not
usually very anxious to conceal his
views from his children. Men teach
by example ; by incidental remarks;
by the neglect of that which they
regard as of no value. A man who
does not pray, is teaching his chil
dren not to pray ; he who neglects
the public worship of God, is teach
ing his children to neglect it ; he who
does not read the Bible, is teaching
his children not to read it. Such is
the constitution of things, that it is
impossible for a parent not to incul
cate his own religious views on his
children. Since this is so, all that
the Bible requires is, that his in
structions should be right. (4.)
To inculcate the truths of religion
is not to make the mind narrow,
prejudiced, and indisposed to per
ceive the truth. Religion makes
the mind candid, conscientious, open
to conviction, ready to follow the
truth. Superstition, bigotry, infi
delity, and all error and falsehood,
make the mind narrow and preju-

135
the flesh, with fear and trembling,
in singleness of your heart, as
unto Christ.

diced. (5.) If a man does not teach
his children truth, others will teach
them error. The young skeptic that
the child meets in the street ; the
artful infidel; the hater of God ; the
unprincipled stranger, will teach the
child. But is it not better for a pa
rent to teach his child the truth than
for a stranger to teach him error ?
(6.) Religion is the most important
of all subjects, and therefore it is of
most importance that children on
that subject should be taught truth.
Of whom can God so properly re
quire this as of a parent) If it be
asked in what way a parent is to
bring up his children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord, I an
swer, 1. By directly inculcating
the doctrines and duties of religion
— just as he does any thing else that
he regards as of value. 2. By
placing them in the Sabbath-school,
where he may have a guarantee that
they will be taught the truth. 3.
By conducting them — not merely
sending them — to the sanctuary, that
they may be taught in the house of
God. 4. By example — all teach
ing being valueless without that.
5. By prayer for the divine aid in
his efforts, and for the salvation of
their souls. These duties are plain,
simple, easy to be performed, and
are such as a man knows he ought
to perform. If neglected, and the
soul of the child be lost, a parent
has a most fearful account to render
to God.
5. Servants. Ol 86W>t. The word
here used denotes one who is bound
to render service to another, whe
ther that service be free or voluntary,
and may denote, therefore, either a
slave, or one who binds himself to
render service to another. It is often
used in these senses in the New Tes-

136

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

tament, just as it is elsewhere. It
cannot be demonstrated that the
word here necessarily means slaves;
though, if slavery existed among
those to whom this epistle was writ
ten — as there can be little doubt that
it did — it is a word which would ap
ply to those in this condition. Comp.
Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 21. Gal. iii. 28.
On the general subject of slavery,
and the Scripture doctrine in regard
to it, See Notes on Isa. Iviii. 6.
Whether the persons here referred
to were slaves, or were those who
had bound themselves to render a
voluntary servitude, the directions
here given were equally appropriate.
It was not the design of the Chris
tian religion to produce a rude sun
dering of the ties which bind man
to man, but to teach all to perform
their duties aright in the relations
in which Christianity found them,
and gradually to modify the customs
of society, and to produce ultimately
the universal prevalence of that
which is right If Be obedient to
them. This is the uniform direction
in the New Testament. See 1 Pet.
ii. 18. 1 Tim. vi. 1 — 3. Notes, 1
Cor. vii. 21. The idea is, that they
were to show in that relation the ex
cellence of the religion which they
professed. If they could be made
free, they were to prefer that condi
tion to a state of bondage (1 Cor. vii.
21), but while the relation remained,
they were to be kind, gentle, and
obedient, as became Christians. In
the parallel place in Colossians (iii.
22), it is said that they were to obey
their masters " in all things." But
evidently this is to be understood
with the limitations implied in the
case of wives and children (see Notes
on ch. v. 24; vi. 1), and a master
would have no right to command
that which was morally wrong.
If According to the Jlesh. This is
designed, evidently, to limit the ob
ligation to obedience. The mean
ing is, that they had, control over

the body, the flesh. They had the
power to command the service which
the body could render; but they
were not lords of the spirit The
soul acknowledged God as its Lord,
and to the Lord they were to be sub
ject in a higher sense than to their
masters. Tf With fear and trem
bling. With reverence and with
a. dread of offending them. They
have authority and power over, you,
and you should be afraid to incur
their displeasure. Whatever might
be true about the propriety of slave
ry, and whatever might be the duty
ofthe master about setting the slave
free, it would be more to the honour
of religion for the servant to perform
his task with a willing mind, than
to be contumacious and rebellious.
He could do more for the honour of
religion by patiently submitting to
even what he felt to be wrong, than
by being punished for what would
be regarded as rebellion. It may be
added here, that it was presumed
that servants then could read. These
directions were addressed to them,
not to their masters. Of what use
would be directions like these ad
dressed to American slaves — scarce
any of whom can read ) If In single
ness of your heart. With a simple,
sincere desire to do what ought to
be done. If As unto Christ. Feel
ing that by rendering proper service
to your masters, you are in feet
serving the Lord, and that you are
doing that which will be well-pleas
ing to him. See Notes on 1 Cor. vii.
22. Fidelity, in whatever situation
we may be in life, is acceptable ser
vice to the Lord. A Christian may
as acceptably serve the Lord Jesus
in the condition of a servant, as if
he were a minister of the gospel, or
a king on a throne. Besides, it will
greatly lighten the burdens of such
a situation, and make the toils of an
humble condition easy, to remem
ber that we are then serving the
Lord.

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER VI

137

6 Not with eye-service, as men-
pleasers; but as the servants of
Christ, doing the will of God from
the heart ;
6. Not with eye-service. That is,
not with service rendered only un
der the eye of the master, or when
his eye is fixed on you. The. apos
tle has here adverted to one of the
evils of involuntary servitude as it
exists everywhere. It is, that the
slave will usually obey only when
the eye of the master is upon him.
The freeman who agrees to labour
for stipulated wages may be trusted
when the master is out of sight ; but
not the slave. Hence the necessity
where there are slaves of having
'drivers' who shall attend them,
and who shall compel them to work.
This evil it is impossible to avoid,
except where true religion prevails
— and the extensive prevalence of
true religion would set the slave at
liberty. Yet as long as the relation
exists, the apostle would enjoin on
the servant the duty of performing
his work conscientiously, as render
ing service to the Lord. This direc
tion, moreover, is one of great im
portance to all who are employed in
the service of others. They are
bound to perform their duty with as
much fidelity as though the eye of
the employer was always upon them,
remembering that though the eye
of man may be turned away, that
of God never is. If As men-pleasers.
As if it were the main object to
please men. The object should be
rather to please and honour God.
If But as the servants of Christ.
See Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 22. If Do
ing the will of God from the heart.
That is, God requires industry, fideli
ty, conscientiousness, submission, and
obedience in that rank of life. We
render acceptable service to God
when, from regard to his will, we
•jerform the services which are de-
12*

7 With good-will doing ser
vice, as to the Lord, and not to

manded of us in the situation in life
where we may be placed, however
humble that may be.
7. As to the Lord, and not to men.
That is, he should regard his lot in
life as having been ordered by Di
vine Providence for some wise and
good purpose ; and until he may be
permitted to enjoy his liberty in a
quiet and peaceable manner (Notes,
1 Cor. vii. 21), he should perform his
duties with fidelity, and feel that he
was rendering acceptable service to
God. This would reconcile him to
much of the hardships of his lot
The feeling that God has ordered
the circumstances of our lives, and
that he has some wise and good ends
to answer by it, makes us contented
there ; though we may feel that our
fellow-man may be doing us injus
tice. It was this principle that made
the martyrs so patient under the
wrongs done them by men ; and this
may make even a slave patient and
submissive under the wrongs of a
master. But let not a master think,
because a pious slave shows this spi
rit, that, therefore, the slave feels
that the master is right in withhold
ing his freedom; nor let him sup
pose, because religion requires the
slave to be submissive and obedient,
that, therefore, it approves of what
the master does. It does this no
more than it sanctioned the conduct
of Nero and Mary, because religion
required the martyrs to be unresist
ing, and to allow themselves to be
led to the stake. A conscientious
slave may find happiness in submit
ting to God, and doing his will, just
as a conscientious martyr may. But
this does not sanction the wrong,
either of the slawe-owner or of tho
persecutor.

138

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

8 Knowing that whatsoever
good thing any man doeth, the
same shall he receive ofthe Lord,
whether he be bond or free.

8. Knowing that whatsoever good
thing. Whatever a man does that
is right, for that he shall be appro
priately rewarded. No matter what
his rank in life, if he discharges his
duty to God and man, he will be ac
cepted. A man in a state of servi
tude may so live as to honour God ;
and, so living, he should not be
greatly solicitous about his condition.
A master may fail to render suitable
recompense to a slave. But, if the
servant is faithful to God, he will
recompense him in the future world.
It is in this way that religion would
make the evils of life tolerable, by
teaching those who are oppressed to
bear their trials in a patient spirit,
and to look forward to the future
world of reward. Religion does not
approve of slavery. It is the friend
of human rights. If it had full in
fluence on earth, it would restore
every man to freedom, and impart to
each one his rights. Christianity
nowhere requires its friends to make
or to own a slave. No one under the
proper influence of religion ever yet
made a man a slave; there is no one
under its proper influence who would
not desire that all should be free;
and just in proportion as true reli
gion spreads over the world, will
universal freedom be its attendant.
But Christianity would lighten the
evils of slavery even while it exists,
and would comfort those who are
doomed to so hard a lot °y assuring
them that there they may render ac
ceptable service to God, and that
they soon will be admitted to a world
where galling servitude will be
known no more. If they may not
have freedom here, they may have
contentment; if tfcey feel that wrong
is done them by men, they may feel

9 And ye masters, do the same
things unto them, ' forbearing
threatening : knowing that * your
i moderating.
3 some read, both your and their.

that right will be done them by God ;
if their masters do not reward them
for their services here, God will;
and if they may not enjoy liberty
here, they will soon be received into
the world of perfect freedom — ¦
heaven. 9. And ye masters. The object
of this is, to secure for servants a
proper treatment. It is evident,
from this, that there were in the
christian church those who were
masters ,- and the most obvious in
terpretation is, that they were the
owners of slaves. Some such per
sons would be converted, as such are
now. Paul did not say that they
could not be Christians. He did not
say that they should be excluded at
once from the communion. He did
not hold them up to reproach, or use
harsh and severe language in regard
to them. He taught them their duty
towards those who were under them,
and laid down principles which, if
followed, would lead ultimately to
universal freedom. «f Do the same
things unto them, ¦to, di*o. The
'same things,' here, seem to refer
to what he had said in the previous
verses. They were, to evince to
wards their servants the same spirit
which he had required servants to
evince towards them — the same
kindness, fidelity, and respect for the
will of God. He had required serv
ants to act conscientiously ; to re
member that the eye of God was
upon them, and that in that condi-
tion in life they were to regard
themselves as serving God, and as
mainly answerable to him. The
same things the apostle would have
masters feel. They were to be faith
ful, conscientious, just, true to the
interests of their servants, and to re-

AD. 64]

CHAPTER VL

139

Master also is in heaven ; neither is

member that they were responsible
to God. They were not to take ad
vantage of their power to oppress
them, to punish them unreasonably,
or to suppose that they were freed
from responsibility in regard to the
manner m which they treated them.
In the corresponding passage in Co-
lossians (iv. 1), this is, "Masters,
give unto your servants that which
is just and equal." See Note on that
place. % Forbearing threatening.
Marg., moderating. The Greek
word means, to relax, loosen ,- and
then, to omit, cease from. This is
evidently the meaning here. The
sense is, that they were to be kind,
affectionate, just. It does not mean
'hat they were to remit punishment
where it was deserved ; but the ob
ject is to guard against that to which
they were so much exposed in their
condition — a fretful, dissatisfied tem
per ; a disposition to govern by terror
rather than by love. Where this un
happy state of society exists, it would
be worth the trial of those who sustain
the relation of masters, to see whe
ther it would not be possible to go
vern their servants, as the apostle
here advises, by the exercise of love.
Might not kindness, and confidence,
and the fear of the Lord, be substi
tuted for threats and stripes) —
If Knowing that your Master also is
in heaven. Marg., " Some read, both
jour and their." Many MSS. have
this reading. See Mill. The sense
is not materially affected, further
than, according to the margin, the
effect would be to make the master
and the servant feel that, in a most
important sense, they were on an
equality. According to the com
mon reading, the sense is, that
masters should remember that
they were responsible to God, and
this fact should be allowed to influ
ence them in a proper manner. This

there respect "of persons with him.
olto. 2. 11.

it would do in two ways. (1.) By
the feet that injustice towards their
servants would then be punished as
it deserved — since there was no re
spect of persons with God. (2.)
It would lead them to act towards
their servants as they would desire
God to treat them. Nothing would
be better adapted.to do this than the
feeling that they had a common
Master, and that they were soon
to stand at his bar. If Neither is
there respect of persons with him.
See this expression explained in the
Notes on Rom. ii. 11. The mean
ing here is, that God would not be
influenced in the distribution of re
wards and punishments, by a regard
to the rank or condition of the mas
ter or the slave. He would show no
favour to the one because he was a
master; he would withhold none
from the other because he was a
slave. He would treat both accord
ing to their character. In this world
they occupied different ranks and
conditions; at his bar they would be
called to answer before the same
Judge. It follows from this, (1.)
that a slave is not to be regarded as
a "chattel," or a "thing," or as
"property." He is a man; a re
deemed man; an immortal man.
He is one for whom Christ died.
But Christ did not die for " chattels"
and " things." (2.) The master and
the servant in their great interests
are on a level. Both arc sinners ;
both will soon die ; both will moulder
back in the same manner to dust;
both will stand ?<¦ the tribunal of
God; both will give up then- account
The one wiH not be admitted to hea
ven because he is a master; nor
will the other be thrust down to hell
because he is a slave. If both are
Christians, they will be admitted to
a heaven where the distinctions of
rank and colour are unknown, If

140

EPHESIANS.

[A.D. 64

10 Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might.
the master is not a Christian and the
servant is, he who has regarded him
self as superior to the servant in this
life, will see him ascend to heaven
while he himself will be thrust down
to hell. (3.) Considerations like these
will, if they have their proper influ
ence, produce two effects, (a) They
will lighten the yoke of slavery while
it continues, and while it may be
difficult to remove it at once. If
the master and the slave were both
Christians, even if the relation con
tinued, it would be rather a relation
of mutual confidence. The master
would become the protector, the
teacher, the guide, the friend ; the
servant would become the faithful
helper — rendering service to one
whom he loved, and to whom he felt
himself bound by the obligations of
gratitude and affection. (6) But
this state of feeling would soon lead
to emancipation. There is some
thing shocking to the feelings of all,
and monstrous to a Christian, in the
idea of holding a Christian brother
in bondage. So long as the slave is
regarded as a " chattel" or a mere
piece of "property," like a horse, so
long men endeavour to content them
selves with the feeling that he may
be held in bondage. But the mo
ment it is felt that he is a Christian
brother— a. redeemed fellow-traveller
to eternity, a joint heir of life— that
moment a Christian should feel that
there is something that violates all
the principles ortds religion in hold
ing him as a slaVs- in making a
"chattel" of that fo? which Christ
died, and in buying and Mling, like
a horse, an ox, or an ass, a <jhild of
God, and an heir of life. A«:ord-
ingly, the prevalence of Christianity
soon did away the evil of slavery h>
the Roman empire ; and if it pre-

11 Put on the whole armour'
of God, that ye may be able to
a Ro. 13. 12. 2 Co. 6. 7.

vailed in its purity, it would soon
banish it from the face of the earth.
10. Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord. Paul had now
stated to the Ephesians the duties
which they were to perform. He
had considered the various relations
of life which they sustained, and the
obligations resulting from them. He
was not unaware that in the dis
charge of their duties they would
need strength from above. He
knew that they had great and
mighty foes, and that to meet them,
they needed to be clothed in the
panoply of the Christian soldier.
He closes, therefore, by exhorting
them to put on all the strength
which they could to meet the ene
mies with which they had to con
tend ; and in the commencement of
his exhortation he reminds them that
it was only by the strength of the
Lord that they could hope for vic
tory. To be 'strong in the Lord,'
is, (1.) to be strong or courageous
in his cause ; (2.) to feel thatAe is
our strength, and to rely on him and
his promises.
11. Put on the whole armour of
God. The whole description here
is derived from the weapons of an
ancient soldier. The various parts
of those weapons — constituting the
'whole panoply' — are specified in
vs. 14—17. The word rendered
' whole armour' {rtwoioJav, panoply),
means complete armour, offensive
and defensive. See Luke xi. 22
Notes, Rom. xiii. 12. 2 Ccr. vi. 7.
'The armour of God' is not that
which God wears, but that which
he has provided for the Christian
soldier. The meaning here is, (1.)
that we are not to provide in our
warfare such weapons as men em
ploy in their contests, but such as

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER VI.

141

stand against the wiles of the
devil.

God provides; that we are to re
nounce the weapons which are car
nal, and put on such as God has di
rected for the achievement of the
victory. (2.) We are to put on the
' whole armour.' We are not to go
armed partly with what God has
appointed, and partly with such
weapons as men use ; nor are we to
put on a part of the armour only,
but the whole of it A man needs
all that armour if he is about to
fight the battles of the Lord; and if
he lacks one of the weapons which
God has appointed, defeat may be
the consequence. % That ye may
be able to stand.. The foes are so
numerous and mighty, that unless
clothed with the divine armour, vie- ]
tory will be impossible. IT Against
the wiles of the devil. The word
rendered 'wiles' (fu^oSela), means
properly that which is traced out
with method; that which is method
ized; and then that which is well
laid — art, skill, cunning. It occurs
in the New Testament only in Eph.
iv. 14, and in this place. It is ap
propriately here rendered wiles,
meaning cunning devices, arts, at
tempts to delude and destroy us.
The wiles of the devil are the va
rious arts and stratagems which he
employs to drag souls down to per
dition. We can more easily encoun
ter open force than we can cunning ;
and we need the weapons of Chris
tian armour to meet the attempts to
draw us into a snare, as much as to
meet open force. The idea here is,
that Satan does not carry on an open
warfare. He does not meet the
Christian soldier face to face. He
advances covertly; makes his ap
proaches in darkness ; employs cun-
nino- rather than power, and seeks
rather to delude and betray than to
vanquish by mere force. Hence the

12 For we wrestle not against
1 flesh and blood, but against prin-
1 blood and flesh.
necessity of being constantly armed
to meet him whenever the attack is
made. A man who has to contend
with a visible enemy, may feel safe
if he only prepares to meet him in
the open field. But far different is
the case if the enemy is invisible ;
if he steals upon us slyly and
stealthily ; if he practises war only
by ambushes and by surprises. Such
is the foe that we have to contend
with — and almost all the Christian
struggle is a warfare against strata
gems and wiles. Satan does not
openly appear. He approaches us
not in repulsive forms, but comes to
recommend some plausible doctrine,
to lay before us some temptation
I that shall not immediately repel us.
I He presents the world in an alluring
aspect ; invites us to pleasures that
seem to be harmless, and leads us in
indulgence until we have gone so far
that we cannot retreat.
12. For we wrestle. Gr., 'The
wrestling to us ;' or, ' There is not to
us a wrestling with flesh and blood.'
There is undoubtedly .here an allu
sion to the ancient games of Greece,
a part of the exercises in which con
sisted in wrestling. See Notes on
1 Cor. ix. 25—27. The Greek word
here used — ria\r\ — denotes a wrest
ling ; and then a struggle,' fight,
combat. Here it refers to the strug
gle or combat which the Chris
tian is to maintain — the christian
warfare. IT Not with flesh and
blood. Not with men. See Notes
on Gal. i. 16. The apostle does not
mean to say that Christians had no
enemies among men that opposed
them, for they were exposed often to
fiery persecution ; nor that they had
nothing to contend with in the car
nal and corrupt propensities of their
nature, which was true of them then
as it is now; but that their main

142

EPHESIANS.

LA. D. 64

cipalities, * against powers, against
'the rulers of the darkness of this

controversy was with the invisible
spirits of wickedness that sought to
destroy them. They were the source
and origin of all their spiritual con
flicts, and with them the warfare
was to be maintained. ^But against
principalities. There can be no
doubt whatever that the apostle al
ludes here to evil spirits. Like good
angels, they were regarded as di
vided into ranks and orders, and were
supposed to be under the control of
one mighty leader. See Notes on
ch. i. 21. It is probable that the al
lusion here is to the ranks and orders
which they sustained before their
fall, something like which they may
still retain. The word principalities
refers to principal rulers, or chief
tains. *[f Powers. Those who had
power, or to whom the name of pow
ers was given. Milton represents
Satan as addressing the fallen angels
in similar language :
" Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues,
powers."
1f Against the rulers ofthe darkness
of this world. The rulers that pre
side over the regions of ignorance
and sin with which the earth abounds.
Comp. Notes on ch. ii. 2. Darkness
is an emblem of ignorance, misery,
and sin ; and no description could be
more accurate than that of represent
ing these malignant spirits as ruling
over a dark world. The earth —
dark, and wretched, and ignorant,
and sinful — is just such a dominion
as they would choose, or as they
would cause; and the degradation
and woe of the heathen world are
just such as foul and malignant spi
rits would delight in. It is a wide
and a powerful empire. It has been
consolidated by ages. It is sustained
by all the authority of law ; by all
the omnipotence of the perverted re
ligious principle; by all the reve-

world, against 2 spiritual wicked
ness in 3 high places.
a or, wicked spirits. 2 or, heavenly, as c. 1. 3.

rence for antiquity ; by all the power
of selfish, corrupt, and base passions.
No empire has been so extended, or
has continued so long, as that empire
of darkness ; and nothing on earth
is so difficult to destroy. Yet the
apostle says that it was on that king
dom they were to make war. Against
that, the kingdom of the Redeemer
was to be set up ; and that was to be
overcome by the spiritual weapons
which he specifies. When he
speaks ofthe christian warfare here,
he refers to the contest with the
powers of this dark kingdom. He
regards each and every Christian as
a soldier to wage war on it in what
ever way he could, and wherever he
could attack it. The contest, there
fore, was not primarily with men, or
with the internal corrupt propensi
ties of the soul; it was with this
vast and dark kingdom that had
been set up over mankind. I do
not regard this passage, therefore,
as having a primary reference to
the struggle which a Christian main
tains with his own corrupt propensi
ties. It is a warfare on a large scale
with the entire kingdom of darkness
over the world. Yet in maintaining
the warfare, the struggle will be with
such portions of that kingdom as we
come in contact with, and wiH' actu
ally relate (1.) to our own sinful pro
pensities — which are a part of the
kingdom of darkness; (2.) with the
evil passions of others — their pride,
ambition, and spirit of revenge —
which are also a part of that king
dom; (3.) with the evil customs,
laws, opinions, employments, plea
sures of the world — which are also
a part of that dark kingdom ; (4)
with error, superstition, false doc
trine — which are also a part of that
kingdom; and (5.) with the wicked
ness of the heathen world — the sin»

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER VI.

143

13 Wherefore take unto you the I 14 Stand therefore, having your
whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to withstand in the evil day,
and, having done ' all, to stand.

1 or, overcome.

of benighted nations — also a part of
that kingdom. Wherever we come
in contact with evil — whether in our
own hearts or elsewhere — there we
are to make war. f Against spirit
ual wickedness. Marg. ' or wicked
spirits.' Literally, 'The spiritual
things of wickedness ;' but the allu
sion is undoubtedly to evil spirits,
and to their influences on earth.
If In high places, iv *m$ ittovpanote
— ' in celestial, or heavenly places.'
The same phrase occurs in ch. i. 3 ;
ii. 6, where it is translated, ' in hea
venly places.' The word (Ijtovpawoj)
is used of those that dwell in heaven,
Matt xviii. 35. Phil. ii. 10 ; of those
who come from heaven, 1 Cor. xv.
48. Phil. iii. 21 ; of the heavenly
bodies, the sun, moon, and stars. 1
Cor. xv. 40. Then the neuter plu
ral of the word is used to denote the
heavens ; and then the lower heavens,
the "sky, the air, represented as the
seat of evil spirits. Notes, ch. ii. 2.
This is the allusion here. The evil
spirits are supposed to occupy the
lofty regions of the air, and thence
to exert a baleful influence on the
affairs of man. What was the ori
gin of this opinion it is not needful
here to inquire. No one can prove,
however, that it is incorrect. It is
against such spirits, and all their
malignant influences, that Christians
are called to contend. In whatever
way their power is put forth — whe
ther in the prevalence of vice and
error ; of superstition and magic arts ;
of infidelity, atheism, or antinomian-
ism; of evil customs and laws; of per
nicious fashions and opinions, or in the
corruptions of our own hearts, we are
to make war on all these forms of evil,
and never to yield in the conflict

loins girt * about with truth, and
having on the breast-plate of right
eousness ;

a Is. 11.5.

13. In the evil day. The day of
temptation; the day when you are
violently assaulted. % And having
done all, to stand. Marg. 'or over
come.' The Greek word means, to
work out, effect or produce; and
then to work up, to make an end of,
to vanquish. Robinson, Lex. The
idea seems to be, that they were to
overcome or vanquish all their foes,
and thus to stand firm. The whole
language here is taken from war ;
and the idea is, that every foe was
to be "subdued — no matter how nu
merous or formidable they might be.
Safety and triumph could be look
ed for only when every enemy wa»
slain. 14. Stand therefore. Resist every
attack — as a soldier does in battle.
In what way they were to do this,
and how they were to be armed, the
apostle proceeds to specify; and in
doing it, gives a description of the
ancient armour of a soldier. If Hav
ing your loins girl about. The gir
dle, or sash, was always with the
ancients an important part of their
dress, in war as well as in peace.
They wore loose, flowing robes ; and
it became necessary to gitd them up
when they travelled, or ran, or la
boured. The girdle was often highly
ornamented, and was the place where
they carried their money, their sword,
their pipe, their writing instruments,
&c. See Notes on Matt. v. 38 — 41.
The 'girdle' seems sometimes to
have been a cincture of iron or steel,
and designed to keep every part of
the armour in its place, and to gird
the soldier on every side. The fol
lowing figure will give an idea of
part of the armour of an ancient
soldier.

144

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. b*.

Grecian Warrior.
Occasionally he was entirely encased in mail, as in the fbllowingr figura

A. D. 64.1

CHAPTER VL

145

% With truth. It may not be easy
to determine with entire accuracy
the resemblance between the parts
of the armour specified in this de
scription, and the things with which
they are compared, or to determine
precisely why he compared truth to
a girdle, and righteousness to a
breast-plate, rather than why he
should have Chosen a different order,
and compared righteousness to a gir
dle, &c. Perhaps in themselves
(here may have been no special rea
son for this arrangement, but the
object may have been merely to spe
cify the different parts of the armour
of a soldier, and to compare them
with the weapons which Christians
were to use, though the comparison
should be made somewhat at ran
dom. In some of the cases, however,
we can see a particular significaney
at the comparisons which are made ;
and it may not be improper to make
suggestions of that kind as we go
along. The idea here may be, that
as the girdle was the bracer up, or
support of the body, so truth is fitted
to brace us up, and to gird us for
constancy and firmness. The girdle
kept all the parts of the armour in
their proper place, and preserved
firmness and consistency in the dress;
and so truth might serve to give con
sistency and firmness to our conduct
*' Great,1' says Grotius, " is the laxity
of falsehood; truth binds the man."
Truth preserves a man from those
lax views of morals, of doty and of
religion, which leave him exposed
to every assault. It makes the soul
sincere, firm, constant, and always
on its guard. A man who has no
consistent views of truth, is just the
man for the adversary successfully
to assaiL % And having on the
breast-plate. The word here ren
dered ' breast-plate' Qwpat) denoted
the cuirass, Lat, lorica, or coat of
mail; i. e. the armour that covered
the body from the neck to the thighs,
and consisted of two parts, one
13

covering the front and the other the
back. It Was made of rings, or in
the form qf scales, or of plates, so
fastened together that they would
be flexible, and yet guard the body
from a sword, spear, or arrow, ft is
referred to in the Scriptures as a
coat of mail (1 Sam. xvii. 5) ; an
habergeon (Neh. iv. 16); or as a
breast-plate. We are told that Go
liath's coat of mail weighed five
thousand shekels of brass, or nearly
one hundred and sixty pounds. It
was often formed of plates of brass,
laid one upon another, like the scales
of a fish. The cuts on the following
page will give an idea of this ancient
piece of armour. % Of righteous
ness. Integrity, holiness, purity of life,
sincerity of piety. The breast-plate
defended the vital parts of the body;
and the idea here may be that in
tegrity of life, and righteousness of
character, is as necessary to defend
us from the assaults of Satan, as the
coat of mail was to preserve the
heart from the arrows of an enemy
It was the incorruptible integrity of
Job, and, in a higher sense, of the
Redeemer, himself, that saved them
from the temptations of the devil.
And it is as true now that no one
can successfully meet the power of
temptation unless he is righteous, as
that a soldier could not defend him
self against a foe without such a
coat of mail. A want of integrity
will leave a man exposed to the as
saults of the enemy, just' as a man
would be whose coat of mail was
defective, or some part of which
was wanting. The king of Israel
was smitten by an arrow sent from
a bow, drawn at a venture, " between
the joints of his harness" or the
' breastplate* (margin), 1 Kings xxii.
34 ; and many a man who thinks he
has on the christian armour is smit
ten in the same manner. There is
some defect of character ; some want
of incorruptible integrity; some
point that is unguarded— and that

146

EPHESIANS.

f A. D. 64.

Cuirasses, or Coats of Ma

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER VI.
15 And your feet " shod with
a Ca. 7. 1.

147

will be sure to be the point of at
tack by the foe. So David was
tempted to commit the enormous
crimes that stain his memory, and
Peter to deny his Lord. So Judas
was assailed, for the want of the
armour of righteousness, through his
avarice; and so, by some want of
incorruptible integrity in a single
point, many a minister ofthe gospel
has been assailed and has fallen. It
may be added here, that we need a
righteousness which God alone can
give ; the righteousness of God our
Saviour, to make us perfectly invul
nerable to all the arrows of the foe.
15. And your feet shod. There
is undoubtedly an allusion here to
what was worn by the ancient sol
dier to guard his feet The Greek
is, literally, ' having underbound the
feet ;' that is, having bound on the
shoes, or sandals, or whatever was
worn by the ancient soldier. The
protection ofthe feet and ancles con
sisted of two parts. (1.) The san
dals, or shoes, which were probably
made so as to cover the foot, and
which often were fitted with nails,
or armed with spikes, to make the
hold firm in the ground ; or (2.) with
greaves that were fitted to the legs,
and designed to defend them from
any danger. These greaves, or boots
(1 Sam. xvii. 6), were made of brass,
and were in almost universal use
among the Greeks and Romans. See
the figure of the 'Grecian warrior' on
page 144. Tf With the preparation.
Prepared with the gospel of peace.
The sense is, that the christian sol
dier is to be prepared with the gos
pel of peace to meet attacks similar
to those against which the ancient
soldier designed to guard himself by
the sandals or greaves which he
wore. The word rendered prepara
tion — {Itoifiartla) — means properly

the preparation of the gospel of
peace ;

readiness, fitness for, alacrity; and
the idea, according to Robinson
{Lex.), is, that they were to be ever
ready to go forth to preach the gos
pel. Taylor (Fragments to Calmet'a
Die., No. 219) supposes that it means,
"Your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel; not iron, not steel —
but patient investigation, calm in
quiry, assiduous, laborious, lasting;
or with firm footing in the gospel of
peace." Locke supposes it to mean,
' with a readiness to walk in the gos
pel of peace.' Doddridge supposes
that the allusion is to greaves, and the
spirit recommended is that peaceful
and benevolent temper recommend
ed in the gospel, and which, like the
boots worn by soldiers, would bear
them safe through many obstructions
and trials that might be opposed tc
them, as a soldier might encounter
sharp-pointed thorns that would op
pose his progress. It is difficult to
determine the exact meaning; ana
perhapsr all expositors have erred in
endeavouring to explain the refer
ence of these parts of armour by
some particular thing in the gospel.
The apostle figured to himself a sol
dier, clad in the usual manner.
Christians were to resemble him.
One part of his dress or preparation
consisted in the covering and defence
of the foot It was to preserve the
foot from danger, and to secure the
facility of his march, and perhaps to
make him firm in battle. Christians
were to have the principles of the
gospel of peace — the peaceful and
pure gospel — to facilitate them; to
aid them in their marches ; to make
them firm in the day of conflict with
their foes. They were not to be fur
nished with carnal weapons, but
with the peaceful gospel of the Re
deemer ; and, sustained by this, they
were to go on in their match through

148

EPHESIANS.

[A*. D. 64.

16 Above all, taking the shield
of faith, " wherewith ye shall be

a 1 Jno. 5. 4.

the world. The -principles of the
gospel were to do for them what the
greaves and iron-spiked sandals did
for the soldier — to make them ready
for the march, to make them firm in
their foot-tread, and to be a part of
their defence against their foes.
16. Above all. 'Exi Kaaw. Not
above all in point of importance or
value, but over all, as a soldier holds
his shield to defend himself It con
stitutes a protection over every part
of his body, as it can be turned in
every direction. The idea is, that
as the shield covered or protected
the other parts of the armour, so
faith had a similar importance in the
christian virtues. % The shield.
Note, Isa. xxi. 9. The shield was
usually made of light wood, or a rim of
brass, and covered with several folds
or thicknesses of stout hide, which
was preserved by frequent anointing.
It was held by the left arm, and was
secured by straps, through which
the arm passed, as may be seen in
the annexed cut. The outer surface

Greek Warrior.
of the shield was made more or less
rounding from the centre to the
edge, and was polished smooth, or
anointed with oil, so that arrows or
darts would glance off, or rebound.
If Of faith. On the nature of faith,
see Notes on Mark xvi. 16. Faith
hero is made to occupy a more im-

able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked.

portant place than either of the other
christian graces. It bearsr to the
whole christian character, the same
relation which the shield does to the
other parts ofthe armour of a soldier.
It protects all, and is indispensable
to the security of all, as is the case
with the shield. The shield was an
ingenious device by which blows and
arrows might he parried offj and the
whole body defended. It could be
made to protect the head, or the
heart, or thrown behind to meet an
attack there. As long as the soldier
had his shield, he felt secure ; ^nd as
long as a Christian has faith, he is
safe. It comes to his aid in every
attack that is made on him, no mat
ter from what quarter; it is the de
fence and guardian of every other
christian grace; and it secures the
protection which the Christian needs
in the whole of the spiritual war.
1f Wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked. Or, rather, ' of the wicked
one — toi ttovripov. The allusion is
undoubtedly to the great enemy of
the people of God, called, by way of
eminence, the wicked one. Comp.
2 Thess. iii. 3. Mr. Locke renders
this, "Wherein you may receive,
and so render ineffectual," &c.
There seems a little incongruity in
the idea of quenching darts by a
shield. But the word quench, here,
means only that they would be put
out by being thrown against the
shield, as a candle would by being
thrown against anything. The fiery
darts that were used "in war were
small, slender pieces of cane, which
were filled with combustible mate
rials, and set on fire ; or darts around
which some combustible material
was wound, and which were set on
fire, and then shot slowly against a

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER VI.

, c, Egyptian Helmets, worn by Warriors ; d, e, Caps of Egyptian Soldiers j /, g Poi
sian Helmets ; h, i, k, Syrian ; \t m, n, o, Plirygian ; p, g, pacia n

150

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64

17 And take the helmet " of
salvation, and the sword b of the
a Is. 59. 17. b He. 4. 12.
foe. The object was to make the
arrow fasten m the body, and in
crease the danger by the burning;
or, more frequently, those darts were
thrown against ships, forts, tents,
&c., with an intention to set them
on fire. They were in common use
among the ancients. Arrian (Expe.
Alex. 11) mentions the rtup^opa fitly,
the fire-bearing weapons; Thucy-
dides (ii. c. 75), the jtupfopot diatoi,
the fire-bearing arrows; and Livy
refers to similar weapons as in com
mon use in war. Lib. xxi. c. 8. By
the ' fiery darts of the wicked,' Paul
here refers, probably, to the tempta
tions of the great adversary, which
are like fiery darts ; or those furious
suggestions of evil, and excitements
to sin, which he may throw into the
mind like fiery darts. They are —
blasphemous thoughts, unbelief, sud
den temptation to do wrong, or
thoughts that wound and torment
the soul. In regard to them, we
may observe, (1.) that they come
suddenly, like arrows sped from a
bow ; (2.) they come from unexpect
ed quarters, like arrows shot suddenly
from an enemy in ambush ; (3.) they
pierce, and penetrate, and torment
the soul, as arrows would that are on
fire ; (4.) they set the soul on fire,
and enkindle the worst passions, as
fiery darts do a ship or camp against
which they are sent. The only way
to meet them is by the 'shield of
faith ;' by confidence in God, and by
relying on his gracious promises and
aid. It is not by our own strength ;
and, if we have not faith in God, we
are wholly defenceless. We should
have a shield that we can turn in
any direction, on which we may re
ceive the arrow, and by which it
may be put out.
17 And take the helmet. The

Spirit, which is the word of
God:

helmet was a cap made of thick lea
ther, or brass, fitted to the head, and
was usually crowned with a plume,
or crest, as an ornament Its use
was to guard the head from a blow
by a sword, or war-club, or battle-
axe. The cuts on the preceding
page will show its usual form. It
may be seen, also, in the figure of the
' Grecian warrior,' on p. 144. %Of
salvation. That is, of the hope of
salvation; for so it is expressed in
the parallel place in 1 Thess. v. 8.
The idea is, that a well-founded hope
of salvation will preserve us in the
day of spiritual conflict, and will
guard us from the blows which an
enemy would strike. The helmet
defended the head, a vital part ; and
so the hope of salvation will defend
the soul, and keep it from the blows
of the enemy. A soldier would not
fight well without a hope of victory.
A Christian could not contend with
his foes, without the hope of final
salvation; but, sustained by this,
what has he to dread ? % And the
sword. The sword was an essential
part ofthe armour of an ancient sol
dier. His other weapons were the
bow, the spear, or the battle-axe.
But, without a sword, no soldier
would have regarded himself as
well armed. The ancient sword was
short, and usually two-edged, and re
sembled very much a dagger, as may
be seen in the annexed engraving,
representing Roman swords. If Of
the Spirit. Which the Holy Spirit
furnishes; the truth which he has
revealed. If Which is the word of
God. What God has spoken— his
truth and promises. See Notes on
Heb. iv. 12. It was with this wea
pon that the Saviour met the tempter
in the wilderness. Matt iv. It is
only by this that Satan can now be

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER VI.

151

1

Roman Swords.

met Error and falsehood will not
put back temptation; nor can we
nope forvictory, unless we are armed
with truth. Leam, hence, (1.) That
we should study the Bible, that we
may understand what the truth is.
(2.) We should have texts of Scrip
ture at command, as the Saviour did,
to meet the various forms of tempta
tion. (3.) We should not depend on
our own reason, or rely on our own
wisdom. A single text of Scripture is
better to meet a temptation, than all
the philosophy which the world con
tains. The tempter can reason, and
reason plausibly too. But he cannot
resist a direct and positive command
of the Almighty. Had Eve adhered
simply to the word of God, and urged
his command, without attempting to
reason about it, she would have been
safe. The Saviour (Matt. iv. 4. 7.

10) met the tempter with the word
of God, and lie was foiled. So tee shall
be safe if we adhere to the simple
declarations of the Bible, and oppose
a temptation by a positive command
of God. But, the moment we leave
that, and begin to parley with sin,
that moment we are gone. It is as
if a man should throw away his
sword, and use his naked hands only
in meeting an adversary. Hence,
(4.) we may see the importance of
training up the young in the accurate
study ofthe Bible. There is nothing
which will furnish a better security
to them in future life, when tempta
tion comes upon them, than to have
a pertinent text of Scripture at com
mand. Temptation often assails us
so suddenly that it checks all reason
ing; but a text of Scripture will
suffice to drive the tempter from us.

152

EPHESIANS.

[A. D. 64.

18 Praying always ¦ with all
prayer and supplication in the

a La. 18. 1.

18. Praying always. It would
be well for the soldier who goes forth
to battle, to pray — to pray for victo
ry ; or to pray that he may be pre
pared for death, should he fall. But
soldiers do not often feel the neces
sity of this. To the Christian soldier,
however, it is indispensable. Prayer
crowns all lawful efforts with suc
cess, and gives a victory when no
thing else would. No matter how
complete the armour ; no matter how
skilled we may be in the science of
war ; no matter how courageous we
may be, we may be certain that with
out prayer we shall be defeated.
God alone can give the victory ; and
when the Christian soldier goes forth
armed completely for the spiritual
conflict, if he looks to God by prayer,
he may be sure of a triumph. This
prayer is not to be intermitted. It
is to be always. In every tempta
tion and spiritual conflict we are to
pray. See Notes on Luke xviii. 1.
If With all prayer and supplication.
With all kinds of prayer ; prayer in
the closet, the family, the social
meeting, the great assembly ; prayer
at the usual hours, prayer when we
are specially tempted, and when we
feel just like praying (see Notes,
Matt. vi. 6) ; prayer in the form of
supplication for ourselves, and in the
form of intercession for others. This
is, after all, the great weapon of our
spiritual armour, and by this we may
hope to prevail.
"Restraining prayer, we cease to fight ;
Prayer makes the Christian armour bright.
And Satan trembles when he sees,
The meanest saint upon his knees."
If In the Spirit. By the aid of the
Holy Spirit; or perhaps it may
mean that it is not to be prayer
of form merely, but when the spirit
and the heart accompany it. The

Spirit, and watching • thereunto
with all perseverance and suppli
cation for all saints ;

4 Mat. 28. 41.

former idea seems, however, to be
the correct one. If And watching
thereunto. Watching for opportu
nities to pray; watching for the
spirit of prayer ; watching against
all those things which would hinder
prayer. See Notes, Matt. xxvi. 38.
41. Comp. 1 Pet. iv. 7. IT With
all perseverance. Never becoming
discouraged and disheartened. Comp.
Notes, Luke xviii. 1. %'And sup
plication for all saints. For all
Christians. We should do this (1.)
because they are our brethren —
though they may have a different
skin, language,- or name. (2.) Be
cause, like us, they have hearts
prone to evil, and need, with us,
the grace of God. (3.) Because no
thing tends so much to make us love
others and to forget their faults, as
to pray for them. (4.) Because the
condition of the church is always
such that it greatly needs the grace
of God. Many Christians have back
slidden; many are cold or luke
warm; many are in error; many
are conformed to the world ; and we
should pray that they may become
more holy and may devote them
selves more to God. (5.) Because
each day many a Christian is sub
jected to some peculiar temptation
or trial, and though he may be un
known to us, yet our prayers may
benefit him. (6.) Because each day
and each night many Christians die.
We may reflect each night as we
lie down to rest, that while we sleep,
some Christians are kept awake by
the prospect of death, and are now
passing through the dark valley;
and each morning we may reflect
that to-day some Christian will die,
and we should remember them be
fore God. (7.) Because we shall
soon die, and it will be a comfort to

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER VI.
19 And for ° me, that utterance
may be given unto me, that I may
open my mouth boldly, to make
known the mystery of the gospel,
a2Th. 3.1.

153

us if we can remember then that toe
have often prayed for dying saints,
and if we may feel that they are
praying for us.
19. And for me. Paul was then
a prisoner at Rome. He specially
needed the prayers of Christians,
(1.) that he might be sustained in
his afflictions ; and (2.) that he might
be able to manifest the spirit which
he ought, and to do good as he had
opportunity. Learn hence that we
should pray for the prisoner, the
captive, the man in chains, the
slave. There are in this land con
stantly not far from ten . thousand
prisoners — husbands, fathers, sons,
brothers ; or wives, mothers, daugh
ters. True, they are the children
of crime, but they are also the chil
dren of sorrow ; and in either case
or both they need our prayers.
There are in this land not far from
three millions of slaves — and they
need our prayers. They are the
children of misfortune and of many
wrongs ; they are sunk in ignorapce
and want and wo ; they are subject
ed to trials, and exposed to tempta
tions to the iowest vices. But many
of them, we trust, love the Redeem
er ; and whether they do or do not,
they need an interest in the prayers
of Christians. IT That utterance
may be given unto me. Paul, though
a prisoner, was permitted to preach
the gospel. See Notes, Acts xxviii.
30, 31. If That I may open my
mouth boldly. He was in Rome.
He was almost alone. He was sur
rounded by multitudes of the wick
ed. He was exposed to death. Yet
he desired to speak boldly *in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and to in
vite sinners to repentance. A Chris-

20 For which 1 am an ambas
sador in bonds ; ' that z therein I
may speak boldly, as I ought • to
speak.
1 or, a chain, » or, thereof.
a Is. 58. 1.

tian in chains, and surrounded by
the wicked, may speak boldly, and
may have hope of success — for Paul
was not an unsuccessful preacher
even when a captive at Rome. See
Notes on Phil. iv. 22. If The mys
tery of the gospel. Notes, ch. i. 9.
20. For which I am an ambassa
dor in bonds. In chains (see the
margin) ; or in confinement There
is something peculiarly touching in
this. He was an ambassadai — sent
to proclaim peace to a lost world.
But he was now in chains. An am
bassador is a sacred character. No
greater affront can be given to a na
tion than to put its ambassadors to
death, or even to throw them into
prison. But Paul says here that the
unusual spectacle was witnessed of an
ambassador seized, hound, confined,
imprisoned; an ambassador whoought
to have the privileges conceded to all
such men, and to be -permitted to go
everywhere publishing the terms of
mercy and salvation. See the word
ambassador explained in the Notes
on 2 Cor. v. 20. % That therein.
Marg. or thereof. Gr., iv 0W9 — in
it ; that is, says Rosenmiiller, in the
gospel. It means, that in speaking
the gospel he might be bold. If I
may speak boldly. Openly, plainly,
without fear. See Notes on Acts
iv. 13 ; ix. 27 ; xiii. 46 ; xiv. 3 ; xviii.
26 ; xix. 8 ; xxvi. 26. If As I ought
to speak. Whether in bonds or at
large. Paul felt that the gospel
ought always to be spoken with plain
ness, and without the fear of man.
It is remarkable that he did not ask
them to pray that he might be re
leased. Why he did not we do not
know ; but perhaps the desire of re-
I lease did not lie so near his heart as

154

EPHESIANS.

[A D. 64.

21 But that ye also may know
my affairs, and how I do, Tychi
cus, " a beloved brother and faith
ful minister in the Lord, shall
make known to you all things :
22 Whom h I have sent unto
you for the same purpose, that ye
a Ac. 20. 4. 6 Co. 4.7, 8.
the duty of speaking the gospel with
boldness. It may be of much more
importance that we perform our duty
aright when we are afflicted, or are
in trouble, than that we should be
released. 21. But that ye may know my
affairs. May understand my condi
tion, my feelings, and in what I am
engaged. To them it could not but
be a subject of deep interest. If And
how I do. Gr., ' What I do ;' that
is, how I am employed, ^f Tychicus.
Tychicus was of the province of
Asia, in Asia Minor, of which Ephe
sus was the capital. See Acts xx.
4. It is not improbable that he was
of Ephesus, and that he was well
known to the church there. He
also carried the letter to the Colos-
sians (Col. iv. 7), and probably the
Second Epistle to Timothy. 2 Tim.
iv. 12. Paul also proposed to send
him to Crete to succeed Titus. Tit.
iii. 12. He was high in the confi
dence of Paul, but it is not known
when he was converted, or why he
was now at Rome. The Greeks
speak of him as one of the seventy
disciples, and make him bishop of
Colophon, in the province of Asia.
22. Whom I have sent unto you.
The churches where Paul had
preached, would feel a great inte
rest in his welfare. He was- a pri
soner at Rome, and it was doubtful
what the result would be. In this
situation, he felt it proper to despatch
a special messenger to give informa
tion about his condition; to state
what was doing in Rome; to ask
the prayers of the churches; and to

might know our affairs, and thai
he might comfort your hearts.
23 Peace c be to the brethren,
and love with faith, from God the
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all them that
a 1 Pe. 5. 1 1.

administer consolation to them in
their various trials. The same sen
timent in regard to the embassy of
Tychicus, is expressed in the Epistle
to the Colossians. Ch. iv. 7, 8. No
small part of the consolation which
he would impart to them would be
found in these invaluable letters
which he bore to them from the
apostle. 23. Peace be to the brethren. The
epistle is closed with the usual salu
tations. The expression 'peace to
you' was the common form of salu
tation in the East (Notes, Matt. x.
13. Luke xxiv. 36. Rom. xv. 33.
Comp. Gal. vi. 16. 1 Pet v. 14
3 John 14), and is still the ' salam'
which is used — the word salam
meaning peace. % And love with
faith. Love united with faith ; not
only desiring that they might have
faith, but the feith which worked
by love. If From God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. The
Father and the Son are regarded as
equally the author of peace and love.
Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. xiii. 14.
24. Grace be,-&c. Note, Rom.
xvi. 20. Tf That love our Lora
Jesus Christ. See Notes on 1 Cor.
xvi. 22. IT in sincerity. Marg.
with incorruplion. With a pure
heart; without dissembling; without
hypocrisy. There could not be a
more appropriate close of the epis
tle than such a wish ; there will be
nothing more needful for us when
we come to the close of life than the
consciousness that we love the Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity. To
writer and reader may this be

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER VI.
love our Lord Jesus Christ ' in
sincerity. Amen.
1 or, with incorruption.
equally the inestimable consolation
then ! Better, far better then will be
the evidence of such sincere love,
than all the wealth which toil can
gai.", all tie hover? which the
world can bestow — than the most
splendid mansion, or the widest feme.

155
Written from Rome unto the
Ephesians by Tychicus.

The subscription to this epistle,
like those affixed to the other epis
tles, is of no authority, but in this
irstonce there in every reason to be-
liw? tint it if (OT'CCt Oo lip.
Notes at the end of the Epistle to
the Romans and 1 Corinthians.

tub

EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

INTRODUCTION.
} 1. The situation of Philippi.
Philippi is mentioned in the New Testament only in the following
places and connections. In Acts xvi. 11, 12, it is said that Paul and his
fellow-travellers "loosed from Troas, came with a straight course to
Samothracia and Neapolis, and from thence to Philippi." It was at this
time that the " Lord opened the heart of Lydia to attend to the things
which were spoken by Paul," atad that the jailer was converted under
such interesting circumstances. In Acts xx. 1 — 6, it appears that Paul
again visited Philippi after he had been to Athens and Corinth, and when
on his way to Judea. From Philippi he went to Troas. In 1 Thess. ii. 2,
Paul alludes to the shameful treatment which he had received at Philippi,
and to the feet, that having been treated in that manner at Philippi, he
had passed to Thessalonica, and preached the gospel there.
Philippi received its name from Philip, the fether of Alexander the
Great Before his time, its history is unknown. It is said that it was
founded on the site of an old Thasian settlement, and that its former name
was Crenides, from the circumstance of its being surrounded by numerous
rivulets and springs descending from the neighbouring mountains (from
xpijwj — krene, a spring). The city was also called Dathos, or Datos —
Aaro(. Notes, Acts xvi. 12. The Thasians, who inhabited the island of
Thasus, lying off the coast in the jEgean sea, had been attracted to the
place by the valuable mines of gold and silver which were found in that
region. It was a city of Macedonia, to the north-east of Amphipolis, and
nearly east of Thessalonica. It was not far from the borders of Thrace.
It was about fifteen or twenty miles from the ^Egean sea, in the neigh
bourhood of Mount Pangreus, and had a small river or stream running
near it which emptied into the ^Egean sea. Ofthe size of the city when
the gospel was preached there by Paul, we have no information.
This city was originally within the limits of Thrace. Philip of Mace-
don having turned his attention to Thrace, the situation of Crenides and
Mount Pangseus naturally attracted his notice. Accordingly he invaded
this country ; expelled the feeble Cotysfrom his throne, and then proceeded
to found a new city, on the site ofthe old Thasian colony, which he called
after his own name, Philippi. Anthon, Class. Die. When Macedonia
14 (clvii)

INTRODUCTION,

became subject to the Romans, the advantages attending the situation of
Philippi induced that people to send a colony there, and it became one of
the most flourishing cities of the empire. Comp. Acts xvi. 12. Pliny, iv.
10. There is a medal of this city with the following inscription. Col.
Jul. Aug. Phil ; from which it appears that there was a colony sent
there by Julius Caisar. Michaelis. The city derived considerable import
ance from the feet that it was a principal thoroughfare from Asia to Eu
rope, as the great leading road from one continent to the other was in the
vicinity. This road is described at length by Appian, De Bell. Civ. L,
iv. c. 105, 106.
This city is celebrated in history from the fact that it was here that a
great victory— deciding the fate of the Roman empire — was obtained by
Octavianus (afterwards Augustus Cresar) and Antony over the forces of
Brutus and Cassius, by which the republican party was completely sub
dued. In this battle, Cassius, who was hard pressed and defeated by An
tony, and who supposed that every thing was lost, slew himself in
despair. Brutus deplored his loss with tears of the sincerest sorrow, call
ing him " the last of the Romans.' After an interval of twenty days,
Brutus hazarded a second battle. Where he himself fought in person he
was successful ; but the army everywhere else gave way, and the battle
terminated in the entire defeat of the republican party. Brutus escaped
with a few friends ; passed a night in a cave, and seeing that all was irre
trievably lost, ordered Strata, one of his attendants, to kill him. Strata
for a long time refused ; but seeing Brutus resolute, he turned away his
face, and held his sword, and Brutus fell upon it. The city of Philippi is
often mentioned by the Byzantine writers in history. Its ruins still retain
the name of Filibah. Two American missionaries visited these ruins in
May, 1834. They saw the remains of what might have been the forum or
market-place, where Paul and Silas were beaten (Acts xvi. 19) ; and also
the fragments of a splendid palace. The road by which Paul went from
Neapolis to Philippi, they think is the same that is now travelled, as it is
cut through the most difficult passes in the mountains. It is still paved
throughout. 5 2. The establishment of the church in Philippi.
Philippi was the first place in Europe where the gospel was preached ;
and this fact invests the place with more interest and importance than it
derives from the battle fought there. The gospel was first preached here,
in very interesting circumstances, by Paul and Silas. Paul had been called
by a remarkable vision (Acts xvi. 9) to go into Macedonia, and the first
place where he preached was Philippi — having made his way, as his cus
tom was, directly to the capital. The first person to whom he preached
was Lydia, a seller of purple, from Thyatira, in Asia Minor. She was
converted, and received Paul and Silas into her house, and entertained
them hospitably. In consequence of Paul's casting out an evil spirit from
a " damsel possessed of a spirit of divination," by which the hope of gain
by those who kept her in their employ was destroyed, the populace "was
excited, and Paul and Silas were thrown into the inner prison, and their
feet were made fast in the stocks. Here, at midnight, God interposed in
a remarkable manner. An earthquake shook the prison ; their bonds were
loosened ; the doors of the prison were thrown open, and their keeper,

introduction, cli*
wno before had treated them with peculiar severity, was converted, and
all his family were baptized. It was in such solemn circumstances that
the gospel was first introduced into Europe. After the tumult, and the con
version of the jailer, Paul was honourably released, and soon left the city.
Acts xvi. 40. He subsequently visited Macedonia before his imprison
ment at Rome, and doubtless went to Philippi (Acts xx. 1, 2). It is sup
posed, that after his first imprisonment at Rome, he was released and
again visited the churches which he had founded. In this epistle (ch. i.
25, 26 ; ii. 24) he expresses a confident hope that he would be released,
and would be permitted to see them again ; and there is a probability that
his wishes in regard to this were accomplished. See Intro, to 2 Timothy,
{ 3. The lime when the epistle was written.
It is evident that this epistle was written from Rome. This appears,
(1.) because it was composed when Paul was in ' bonds' (ch. i. 13, 14) ;
(2.) because circumstances are suggested, such as to leave no doubt that
the imprisonment was at Rome. Thus, in ch. i. 13, he says that his
'bonds were manifested in all the palace;' a phrase which would natu
rally suggest the idea of the Roman capitol ; and, in ch. iv. 22, he says,
" All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Casar's household."
It is further evident that it was after he had been imprisoned for a consi
derable time, and, probably, not long before his release. This appears
from the following circumstances : (1.) The apostle had been a prisoner
so long in Rome, that the character which he had manifested in his trials
had contributed considerably to the success of the gospel. Ch. i. 12 — 14.
His bonds, he says, were manifest " in all the palace ;" and many of the
brethren had become increasingly bold by his " bonds," and had taken
occasion to preach the gospel without fear. (2.) The account given of
Epaphroditus imports that, when Paul wrote this epistle, he had been a con
siderable time at Rome. He was with Paul in Rome, and had been sick there.
The Philippians had received an account of his sickness, and he had again
been informed how much they had been affected with the intelligence of
his illness. Ch. ii. 25, 26. The passing and repassing of this intelligence,
Dr. Paley remarks, must have occupied considerable time, and must have
all taken place during Paul's residence at Rome. (3.) After a residence
at Rome, thus proved to have been of considerable duration, Paul, at the
time of writing this epistle, regards the decision of his destiny as at hand.
He anticipates that the matter would soon be determined. Ch. ii. 23.
" Him therefore (Timothy) I hope to send presently, so soon as I see how
it will go with me." He had some expectation that he might be released,
and be permitted to visit them again. Ch. ii. 24. " I trust in the Lord
that I also myself shall come shortly." Comp. ch. i. 25. 27. Yet he was
not absolutely certain how it would go with him, and though, in one place,
he speaks with great confidence that he would be released (ch. i. 25), yet
in another he suggests the possibility that he might be put to death. Ch.
ii. 17. " Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your
faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." These circumstances concur to fix
the time of writing the epistle to the period at which the imprisonment in
Rome was about to terminate. From Acts xxviii. 30, we learn that Paul
was in Rome ' two whole years ;' and it was during the latter part of this
period that the epistle was written. It is commonly agreed, therefore,

clx introduction.
that it was written about A. D. 61 or 62. Hug (Intro.) places it at the
end ofthe year 61, or the beginning ofthe year 62; Lardner, at the close
of the year 62. It is evident that it was written before the great confla
gration at Rome in the time of Nero (A; D. 64); for it is hardly credible
that Paul would have omitted a reference to such an event if it had
occurred. It is certain, from the persecution of the Christians which
followed that event, that he would not have been likely to have represented
his condition to be so favourable as he has done in this epistle. He could
harcL'y have looked then for a release.
J 4. The design and character of the epistle.
The object ofthe epistle is apparent. It was sent by Epaphroditus (ch.
ii. 25), who appears to have been a resident at Philippi, and a member of
the church there, to express the thanks of the apostle for the favours which
they Lad conferred on him, and to comfort them with the hope that he
might be soon set at liberty. Epaphroditus had been sent by the Philip
pians to convey their benefactions to him in the time of his imprisonment
Ch. iv. 18. While at Rome, he had been taken ill. Ch. ii. 26. 27. On
his recovery, Paul deemed it proper that he should return at once to
Philippi. It was natural that he should give them some information about
his condition and prospects. A considerable part of the epistle, therefore,
is occupied in giving an account of the effects of his imprisonment in pro
moting the spread of the gospel, and of his own feelings in the circum
stances in which he then was. He was not yet certain what the result
of his imprisonment would be (ch. i. 20) ; but he was prepared either to
live or to die, ch. i. 23. He wished to live only that he might be useful
to others; and, supposing that he might be made useful, he had some
expectation that he might be released from his bonds.
There is, perhaps, no one ofthe epistles ofthe apostle Paul which is so
tender, and which abounds so much with expressions of kindness, as this.
In relation to other churches, he was often under the necessity of using
the language of reproof. The prevalence of some error, as in the churches
of Galatia; the existence of divisions and strifes, or some aggravated case
requiring discipline, or some gross irregularity, as in the church at Corinth;
frequently demanded the language of severity. But, in the church at
Philippi, there was scarcely anything which required rebuke ; there was
very much that demanded commendation and gratitude. Their conduct
towards him, and their general deportment, had been exemplary, generous,
noble. They had evinced for him the tenderest regard in his troubles ;
providing for his wants, sending a special messenger to supply him when
no other opportunity occurred (ch. iv. 10), and sympathizing with him in
his trials ; and they had, in the order, peace, and harmony of the church,
eminently adorned the doctrine of the Saviour. The language of the
apostle, therefore, throughout the epistle, is of the most affectionate cha
racter — such as a benevolent heart would always choose to employ, and
such as must have been exceedingly grateful to them. Paul never hesi
tated to use the language of commendation where it was deserved, as he
never shrank from reproof where it was merited ; and he appears to have
regarded the one as a matter of duty as much as the other. We are to
remember, too, the circumstances, of Paul, and to ask what kind of an
epistle an affectionate and grateful spiritual father would be likely to write

introduction. cbci
to a much-beloved flock, when he felt that he was about to die ; and we
shall find that this is just such an epistle as we should suppose such a man
would write. It breathes the spirit of a ripe Christian, whose piety was
mellowing for the harvest; of one who felt that he was not far from
heaven, and might soon "be with Christ." Though there was soma
expectation of a release, yet his situation was such as led him to look
death in the face. He was lying under heavy accusations; he had no
hope of justice from his own countrymen; the character ofthe sovereign,
Nero, was not such as to inspire him with great confidence of having
justice done ; and it is possible that the fires of persecution had already
begun to burn. At the mercy of such a man as Nero; a prisoner; among
strangers, and with death staring him in the face, it is natural to suppose
that there would be a peculiar solemnity, tenderness, pathos, and ardor of
affection, breathing through the entire epistle. Such is the feet; and in
none of the writings of Paul are these qualities more apparent than in
this letter to the Philippians. He expresses his grateful remembrance of
all their kindness; he evinces a tender regard for their welfare; and he
pours forth the full-flowing language of gratitude, and utters a father's
feelings toward them by tender and kind admonitions. It is important to
remember these circumstances in the interpretation of this epistle. It
breathes the language of a father, rather than the authority of an apostle;
the entreaties of a tender friend, rather than the commands of one in
authority. It expresses the affections of a man who felt that he might be
near death, and who tenderly loved them ; and it will be, to all ages, a
model of affectionate counsel and advice.

14 +

EPISTLE TO TRS PHILIPPIANS.

CHAPTER I.
analysis oe the chapter.
This chapter embraces the follow
ing points : —
I. The salutation to the church
Vs. 1, 2.
H. In vs. 3 — 8, the apostle ex
presses his gratitude for the evidence
which they had given of love to God,
and for their fidelity in the gospel
from the time when it was first pro
claimed among them. He says that
he was confident that this would
continue, and that God, who had so
mercifully imparted grace to them
to be faithful, would do it to the
end. HI. He expresses the earnest hope
that they might abound more and
more in knowledge, and be without
offence to the day of Christ, Vs. 9
—11. IV. In vs. 12 — 21, he states to
them what had been the effect of
his imprisonment in Rome — presum
ing that it would be grateful intelli
gence to them that even his impris
onment had been overruled for the
spread of the gospel. His trials, he
says, had been the means ofthe ex
tension of the knowledge of Christ
even in the palace, and many Chris
tians had been emboldened by his
sufferings to increased diligence in
making known the truth. Some,
indeed, he says, preached Christ
from unworthy motives, and with a
view to increase his affliction, but
in the great feet that Christ was
preached, he says, he rejoiced. For
getting himself, and any injury
which they might design to do to
him, he could sincerely rejoice that

the gospel was proclaimed — no mat
ter by whom or with what motives.
The whole affair he trusted would
be made conducive to his salvation.
Christ was the great end and aim
of his life ; and if he were made
known, everything else was of minor
importance. V. The mention of the fact (ver.
21) that his great aim in living was
' Christ,' leads him to advert to the
probability that he might soon be
with him. Vs. 22—26. So great
was his wish to be with him, that he
would hardly know which to choose
— whether to die at once, or to live
'and to make him known to others.
Believing, however, that his life
might be still useful to them, he had
an expectation of considerable con
fidence that his life would be spared,
and that he would be released.
| VI. -The chapter closes, vs. 27 —
30, with an earnest exhortation that
: they would live as became the gos
pel of Christ. Whatever might be
fell him — whether he should be per
mitted to see them, or should hear
of them, he entreated that he might
know that they were living as be
came the gospel. They were not to
be afraid of their adversaries ; and
if called to suffer, they were to re
member that 'it was given' them
not only to believe on the Redeemer.
but also to suffer in his cause.
1. Paul and Timolheus. Paul
frequently unites some person with
him in his epistles. See Notes on
1 Cor. i. 1. It is clear from this, that
Timothy was with Paul at Rome.
Why he was there is unknown. It
is evident that he was hot there as
a prisoner with Paul, and the proba-
(163)

164

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

CHAPTER I.

PAUL and Timotheus', the ser
vants of Jesus Christ, to all

bility is, that he was one of the
friends who had gone to Rome with
a view to show his sympathy with
him in his sufferings. Comp. Notes
on 2 Tim. iv. 9. There was special
propriety in the fact that Timothy
was joined with the apostle in writ-
ing the epistle, for he was with him
when the church was founded, and
doubtless felt a deep interest in its
welfare. Acts xvi. Timothy had
remained in Macedonia after Paul
went to Athens, and it is not impro
bable that he had visited them after
wards. Tf The servants of Jesus
Christ. Notes, Rom. i. 1. If To all
the saints in Christ Jesus. The
common appellation given to the
church, denoting that it was holy.
Notes, Rom. i. 7. If With the bish
ops, avv iTtisxoHott. See Notes, Acts
xx. 28. The word here used occurs
in the New Testament only in the
following places. Acts xx. 28, trans
lated overseers; and Phil. i. 1. 1
Tim. iii. 2. Tit. i. 7. 1 Pet. ii. 25,
in each of which places it is render
ed bishop. The word properly means
an inspector, overseer, or guardian,
and was given to the ministers of
the gospel because they exercised
this care over the churches, or were
appointed to oversee their interests.
It is a term, therefore, which might
oe given to any of the officers of the
churches, and was originally equiv
alent to the term presbyter. It is
evidently used in this sense here. It
cannot be used to denote a diocesan
bishop; or a bishop having the care
of the churches in a large district
of country, and of a superior rank
jo other ministers of the gospel, for
the word is here used in the plural
lumber, and it is in the highest degree
improbable that there were dioceses

the saints in Christ Jesus which
are at Philippi, ° with the bishops
and deacons ;
a Ac. 16. 12. 4-c.

in Philippi. It is clear, moreover,
that they were the only officers of
the church there except 'deacons;'
and the persons referred to, there
fore, must have been those who were
invested simply with the pastoral
office. Thus Jerome, one of the
early Fathers, says, respecting the
word bishop: "A presbyter is the
same as a bishop. And until there
arose divisions in religion, churches
were governed by a common coun
cil of presbyters. But afterwards,
it was everywhere decreed, that one
person, elected from the presbyters,
should be placed over the others."
" Philippi," says he, " is a single city
of Macedonia; and certainly there
could not have been several like
these who are now called bishops,
at one time in the same city. But
as, at that time, they called the same
bishops, whom they called presbyters
also, the apostles spoke indifferently
of bishops as of presbyters." Anno
tations on the Epistle to Titus, as
quoted by Dr. Woods on Episcopacy,
p. 63. ^f And deacons. On the ap
pointment of deacons, and their duty,
see Notes on Acts vi. 1. The word
deacons does not occur before this
place in the common version of the
New Testament, though the Greek
word here rendered deacon frequent
ly occurs. It is rendered minister,
and ministers, in Matt. xx. 26. Mark
x. 43. Rom. xiii. 4 ; xv. 8. 1 Cor.
iii. 5. 2 Cor. iii. 6 ; vi. 4 ; xi. 15.
23. Gal. ii. 17. Eph. iii. 7; vi. 21.
Col. i. 7. 23. 25; iv. 7. 1 Tim. iv.
6 ; servant and servants, Matt. xxii.
13; xxiii. 11. Mark ix. 35. John
ii. 5. 9 ; xii. 26. Rom. xvi. I ; and
deacon or deacons, Phil. i. 1. 1 Tim.
iii. 8. 12. The word properly means
servants, and is then applied to the

A D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
ministers of the gospel as being the
servants of Christ, and of the
churches. Hence it came especially
to denote those who had charge of
the alms of the church, and who
were the overseers of the sick and
the poor. In this sense the word is
probably used in the passage before
us, as the officers here referred to
were distinct in some way from the
bishops. The apostle here mentions
but two orders of ministers in the
church at Philippi, and this account
is of great importance in its bearing
on the question about the way in
which Christian churches were at
first organized, and about the officers
which existed in them. In regard
to this we may remark, (1.) that but
two orders of ministers are mention
ed. This is undeniable, whatever
rank they may have held. (2.) There
is no intimation whatever that a min
ister like a prelatical bishop had ever
been appointed there, and that the
incumbent of the office was absent,
or that the office was now vacant.
If the bishop was absent, as Bloom
field and others suppose, it is remark
able that no allusion is made to him,
and that Paul should have left the
impression that there were in fact
but two ' orders' there. If there were
a prelate there, why did not Paul re
fer to him with affectionate saluta
tions 1 Why does he refer to the
two other ' orders of clergy' without
the slightest allusion to the man who
was set over them as " superior in
ministerial rank and power V Was
Paul jealous of this prelate 1 But
if they had a prelate, and the see
was then vacant, why is there no
reference to this feet ? Why no con
dolence at their loss 1 Why no pray
er that God would send them a man
to enter into the vacant diocese 1 It
is a mere assumption to suppose,
as the friends of prelacy often do,
that they had a prelatical bishop,
but that he was then absent. But
even granting this, it is an inquiry

165

which has never been answered,
why Paul did not make some refer
ence to this tact, and ask their pray
ers for the absent prelate. (3.) The
church was organized by the apostle
Paul himself, and there can be no
doubt that it was organized on the
' truly primitive and apostolic plan.'
(4.) The church at Philippi was in
the centre of a large territory ; was
the capital of Macedonia, and was
not likely to be placed in subjection
to the diocesan of another region.
(5.) It was surrounded by other
churches, as we have express men
tion of the church at Thessalonica,
and the preaching of the gospel at
Berea, Acts xvii. (6.) There is more
than one bishop mentioned as con
nected with the church in Philippi.
But these could not have been bish
ops of the Episcopal or prelatical
order. If Episcopalians choose to
say that they were prelates, then it
follows (a) that there was a plurality
of such persons in the same diocese,
the same city, and the same church
— which is contrary to the funda
mental idea of Episcopacy. It fol
lows also (6) that there was entirely
wanting in the church at Philippi
what the Episcopalians call the " se
cond order" of clergy ; that a church
was organized by the apostles defec
tive in one of the essential grades,
with a body of prelates without pres
byters — that is, an order of men of
" superior" rank designated to exer
cise jurisdiction over " priests" who
had no existence. If there were
such presbyters or 'priests' there,
why did not Paul name them 1 If
their office was one that was con
templated in the church, and was
then vacant, how did this happen?
And if this were so, why is there no
allusion to so remarkable a feet 3 (7.)
It follows, therefore,that in this church
there were but two orders of officers ;
and further that it is right and pro
per to apply the term bishop to the
ordinary ministers of the churches,

166

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

2 Grace " be unto you, and
peace, from God our Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every
' remembrance of you,

a Ro. 1. 7.

1 or, mention.

As no mention is made of a prelate ;
as there are but two orders of men
mentioned to whom the care of the
church was intrusted, it follows that
there was one church at least organ
ized by the apostles without any pre
late. (8.) The same thing may be
observed in regard to the distinction
between ' teaching' elders and ' rul
ing' elders. No such distinction is
referred to here ; and however use
ful such an office as that of ruling
elder may be, and certain as it is,
that such an office existed in some
of the primitive churches, yet here
is one church where no such officer
is found,- and this fact proves that
such an officer is not essential to the
Christian church.
2. Grace be unto you, &c. See
Note, Rom. i. 7.
3. 1 thank my God upon' every re
membrance of you. Marg., men
tion. The Greek word means re
collection, remembrance. But this
recollection may have been suggest
ed either by his own reflections on
what he had seen, or by what he had
heard of them by others, or by the
favours which they conferred on him
reminding him of them. The mean
ing is, that as often as he thought on
them, from whatever cause, he had
occasion of thankfulness. He says
that he thanked his God, intimating
that the conduct of the Philippians
was a proof of the favour of God to
to him ; that is, he regarded their
piety as one of the tokens of the
favour of God to his own soul — for
m producing that piety he had been
mainly instrumental.
4. Always. There is much em-

4 Always in every prayer • of
mine for you all making request
with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the
gospel, from the first day until

now;

b Ep. 1. 14, &c. 1 Th. 1. 2.

phasis in the expressions which are
here used. Paul labours to show
them that he never forgot them;
that he always remembered them in
his prayers. Tf In every prayer of
mine. This was a proof of particu
lar and special affection, that while
there were so many objects demand
ing his prayers, and so many other
churches which he had founded, he
never forgot them. The person or
object that we remember in every
prayer, must be very dear to the
heart. If For you all. Not for the
church in general, but for the indi
vidual members. " He industrious
ly repeats the word all, that he
might show that he loved them all
equally well, and that he might the
more successfully excite them to the
manifestation of the same love and
benevolence." Wetslein. If Making
request wilh joy. With joy at your
consistent walk and benevolent lives
— mingling thanksgiving with my
prayers in view of your holy walk.
5. For your fellowship in the gos
pel. " For your liberality towards me,
a preacher of the gospel." Wetstein.
There has been, however, no little
difference of opinion about the mean
ing of this phrase. Many — as Dod
dridge, Koppe, and others — suppose
it refers to the fact that they parti
cipated in the blessings ofthe gospel
from the first day that he preached
it until the time when he wrote this
epistle. Others suppose that it re
fers to their constancy in the Chris
tian faith. Others — as Pierce, Mi
chaelis, Wetstein, Bloomfield, and
Starr— suppose it refers to their
liberality in contributing to the sup.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
port of the gospel ; to their partici
pating with others, or sharing what
they had in common with others,
for the maintenance of the gospel.
That this is the true sense seems
apparent, (1.) because it accords with
the scope of the epistle, and what
the apostle elsewhere says of their.
benefactions. He speaks particular
ly of their liberality, and indeed this
was one of the principal occasions
of his writing the epistle. Ch. iv.
10—12, 15—18. (2.) It accords
with a frequent meaning of the
word rendered fellowship — xoivavia.
It denotes that which is in common ;
that of which we participate with
others, communion, fellowship. Acts
ii. 42. ICor.i. 9; x. 16. Philem. 6;
then it means communication, dis
tribution, contribution. Rom. xv.
26. 2 Cor. ix. 13. That it cannot
mean 'accession to the gospel' as
has been supposed (see Rob. Lex.),
is apparent from what he adds —
' from the first day until now.' The
fellowship must have been some
thing constant, and continually mani
fest — and the general meaning is,
. that in relation to the gospel — to its
support and privileges, and spirit,
they all shared in common. They
felt a common interest in every thing
that pertained to it, and they showed
this in every suitable way, and espe
cially in ministering to the wants
of those who .were appointed. to
preach it If From the first day.
The time when it was first preached
to them. They had been constant.
This is honourable testimony. It is
much to say of a church, or of an
individual Christian, that they have
been constant and uniform in the
requirements of the gospel. Alas,
of how few can this be said ! On
these verses (3 — 5) we may remark,
(1.) That one of the highest joys
which a minister of the gospel can
have, is that furnished by the holy
(valk of the people to whom he has
ministered '"'omp. 3 John 4. It is

167

joy like that of a former when he
sees his fields whiten for a rich har
vest ; like that of a teacher in the
good conduct and rapid progress of
his scholars ; like that of a parent
in the virtue, success, and piety of
his sons. Yet it is superior to all
that. The interests are higher and
more important; the results are more
far-reaching and pure ; and the joy
is more disinterested. Probably thero
is nowhere else on earth any happi
ness so pure, elevated, consoling,
and rich, as that of a pastor in the
piety, peace, benevolence, and grow
ing zeal of his people. (2.) It is
right to commend Christians when
they do well. Paul never hesitated
to do this, and never supposed that
it would do injury. Flattery would
injure — but Paul never flattered.
Commendation or praise, in order to do
good, and not to injure, should be (a)
the simple statement of the truth ;
(6) it should be without exaggera
tion; (c) it should be connected with
an equal readiness to rebuke when
wrong ; to admonish when in error,
and to counsel when one goes astray.
Constant fault-finding, scolding,, or
fretfulness, does no good in a family,
a school, or a church. The tendency
is to dishearten, irritate, and dis
courage. To commend a child when
he does well, may be as important,
and as much d. duty, as to rebuke
him when he does ill. God is as
careful to commend his people when
they do well, as he is to rebuke them
when they do wrong — and that pa
rent, teacher, or pastor, has much
mistaken the path of wisdom, who
supposes it to be his duty always to
find fault. In this world there is
nothing that goes so far in promoting
happiness as a willingness to be
pleased rather than displeased; to
be satisfied rather than dissatisfied
with the conduct of others. (3.) Our
absent friends should be remembered
in our prayers. On our s knees be
fore God is the best place to romem-

168

PHILIPPIANS.

6 Being confident " of this very
a He. 10. 35.

ber them. We know not their con
dition. If they are sick, we cannot
minister to their wants ; if in dan
ger, we cannot run to their relief;
if tempted, we cannot counsel them.
But God, who is with them, can do
all this; and it is an inestimable
privilege thus to be permitted to
commend them to his holy care and
keeping. Besides, it is a duty to do
it. It is one way — and the best
way — to repay their kindness. A
child may always be repaying the
kindness of absent parents by sup
plicating the divine blessing on them
each morning; and a brother may
strengthen and continue his love for
a sister, and in part repay her ten
der love, by seeking, when far away,
the divine favour to be bestowed on
her. 6. Being confident. This is strong
language. It means to be fully and
firmly persuaded or convinced. Part.
Mid. voice from ftefea — to persuade.
Comp. Luke xvi. 31. " Neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead ;" that is, they would
not be convinced. Acts xvii. 4.
Heb. xi. 13. Acts xxviii. 24. It
means here that Paul was entirely
convinced of the truth of what he
said. It is the language of a man
who had no doubt on the subject.
Tf That he which hath begun a good
vork in you. The ' good work' here
referred to, can be no other than re
ligion, or true piety. This is called
the work of God ; the work of the
Lord ; or the work of Christ John
vi. 29. Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 58 ; xvi.
10. Phil. ii. 30. Paul affirms here
that that work was begun by God.
It was not by their own agency or
will. Comp. Notes on John i. 13.
It was on the feet that it was begun
by God, thafhe based his firm con
viction that it would be permanent
Had it been the agency of man, he

[A. D. 64.
thing, that he ' which hath begun
b Ps. 138. 8.

would have had no such conviction,
for nothing that man does to-day can
lay the foundation of a certain con
viction that he will do the same
thing to-morrow. If the persever
ance of the Christian depended
wholly on himself, therefore, there
could be no sure evidence that he
would ever reach heaven. If Will
perform it. Marg., 'or, finish.' The
Greek word — litvt&Jttei — means that
he would carry it forward to com-
plelion; he would perfect it. It is
an intensive form ofthe word, mean
ing that it would be carried through
to the end. It occurs in the follow
ing places: Luke xiii. 32, "I do
cures;" Rom. xv. 28, " when I have
performed this;" 2 Cor. vii. 1, "per
fecting holiness;" viii. 6, "so he
would also finish in you;" 11, "per
form the doing of it ;" Gal. iii. 3,
" are ye now made perfect by tho
flesh ;" Heb. viii. 5, " when he was
about to make the tabernacle ;" ix.
6, "accomplishing this service;"
and 1 Pet v. 9, "are accomplished
in your brethren." The word oc
curs nowhere else ; and here means
that God would carry on the work
which he had begun to completion.
He would not leave it unfinished.
It would not be commenced and then
abandoned. This would or could he
' performed' or ' finished' only (1.) by
keeping them from felling from
grace, and (2.) by their ultimate en
tire perfection. If Until the day of
Jesus Christ. The day when Christ
shall so manifest himself as to be the
great attractive object, or the day
when he shall appear to glorify him
self, so that it may be said emphati
cally to be his day. That day is
often called ".his day," or "the day
ofthe Lord," because it will be the
day of his triumph and glory. It
refers here to the day when the
Lord Jesus will appear to receivo

A. D. 64. J CHAPTER I.
a good • work in yon will ' per
form it until the day * of Jesus
Christ :

169

a Jno. (i. '.

'or, finish. bate. 3. 10.

his people to himself. — the day of
judgment We may remark on this
verse, that Paul believed in the per
severance of saints. It would be
impossible to express a stronger con
viction of the truth of that doctrine
than he has done here. Language
could not be clearer, and nothing
can be more unequivocal than the
declaration of his opinion that where
God has begun a good work in the
soul, it will not be finally lost The
ground of this belief he has not
stated in full, but has merely hinted
at it. It is based on the feet that
God had begun the good work.
That ground of belief is something
like the following. (1.) It is in God
alone. It is not in man in any sense.
No reliance is to placed on man in
keeping himself. He is too weak ;
too changeable ; too ready to be led
astray ; too much disposed to yield
to temptation. (2.) The reliance,
therefore, is on God; and the evi
dence that the renewed man will be
kept is this : (ra) God began the work
of grace In the soul. (6) He had a
design in it. It was deliberate, and
intentional. It was not by chance
or hap-hazard. It was because he
had some object that was worthy of
his interposition, (c) There is no
reason why he should begin such a
work and then abandon it. It can
not be because he has no power to
complete it, or because there are
more enemies to be overcome than
he had supposed; or because there
are difficulties which he did not
foresee ; or because it is not desira
ble that the work should be com
pleted. Why then should he aban
don it? {d) God abandons nothing
that he undertakes. There are no
unfinished worlds or systems; no
15

7 Even as it is meet for me to
think this of you all, because 2 1
have you in my heart ; inasmuch
9 or, yc have me in your.

half-made and forsaken works of his
hands. There is no evidence in his
works of creation of change of plan
or of having forsaken what he began
from disgust, or disappointment, or
want of power to complete them.
Why should there be in the salva
tion of the soul 1 (e) He has pro
mised to keep the renewed soul to
eternal life. See John x. 27, 28,
29. Heb. vi. 17—20. Comp. Rom.
viii. 29, 30.
7. Even as it is meet for me to
think this of you all. ' There is a
reason, why I should cherish this
hope of you, and this confident ex
pectation that you will be saved.
That reason is found in the evidence
which you have given that you are
sincere Christians. Having evidence
of that, it is proper that I should be
heve that you will finally reach hea
ven.' ^ Because I have you in my
heart. Marg., Ye have me in your.
The Greek will bear either, though
the former translation is the most
obvious. The meaning is, that he
was warmly attached to them, and
had experienced many proofs of their
kindness ; and that there was, there
fore, a propriety in his wishing for
their salvation. Their conduct to
wards him, moreover, in his trials,
had convinced him that they were
actuated by christian principle ; and
it was proper that he should believe
that they would be kept to eternal
life. If Both in my bonds. While
I have been a prisoner — referring to
the care Which they had taken to
minister to his wants. Ch. iv. 10.
14. 18. If And in the defence. Gr.,
apology. Probably he refers to the
time when he made his defence be
fore Nero, and vindicated himself
from the charges which had been

170

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

as both in my bonds, and in the
defence " and confirmation of the
gospel, ye all are partakers ' of my
grace. 8 For God is my record, how
a ver. 17. * or, with me of grace.

Drought against him. See Notes,
2 Tim. iv. 16. Perhaps he means,
here, that on that occasion he was
abandoned by those who should have
stood by him, but that the Philippians
showed hhn all the attention which
they could. It is not impossible that
they may have sent some of their
number to sympathize with him in
his trials, and to assure him of the
unabated confidence of the church.
IT And confirmation of the gospel.
In my efforts to defend the gospel,
and to make it known. See ver. 17.
The allusion is probably to the fact
that in all his efforts to defend the
gospel, he had been sure of their
sympathy and co-operation. Perhaps
he refers to some assistance which
he had derived from them in this
cause, which is now to us unknown.
If Ye all are partakers of my grace.
Marg., ' Or, with me of grace.' The
meaning is, that as they had partici
pated with him in the defence of the
gospel; as in all his troubles and
persecutions they had made common
cause with him, so it followed that
they would partake of the same
tokens of the divine favour. He
expected that the divine blessing
would follow his efforts in the cause
of the gospel, and he says that they
would share in the blessing. They
had shown all the sympathy which
they could in his trials; they had
nobly stood by him when others for
sook him ; and he anticipated, as a
matter of course, that they would all
share in the benefits which would
flow to him in his efforts in the cause
of the Redeemer.
8. For God is my record. My

greatly I long after you all in the
bowels of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your
love may abound * yet more and
more in knowledge and in all
2 judgment ;
* 1 Th. 3. 12. 2 Pe. 3. 18. » or, sense.
witness; I can solemnly appeal to
him. Tf How greatly I long after
you all. To see you ; and how much
I desire your welfare. If In the bow
els of Jesus Christ. The word
' bowels,' in the Scriptures, denotes
the upper viscera — the region ofthe
heart and lungs. See Notes on Isa.
xvi. 11. That region was regarded
as the seat of affection, sympathy,
and compassion, as the heart is with
us. The allusion here is to the sym
pathy, tenderness, and love of the
Redeemer ; and probably the mean
ing is, that Paul regarded them with
something of the affection which the
Lord Jesus had for them. This was
the tenderest and strongest expres
sion which he could find to denote
the ardour of his attachment.
9. And this I pray. We pray for
those whom we love, and whose wel
fare we seek. We desire their hap
piness; and there is no way more
appropriate of expressing that desire
than of going to God, and seeking it
at his hand. Paul proceeds to enu
merate the blessings which he sought
for them ; and it is worthy of obser
vation that he did not ask riches, or
worldly prosperity, but that his sup
plications were confined to spiritual
blessings, and he sought these as the
most desirable of all favours. If That
your love may abound, &c. Love
to God ; love to one another ; love to
absent Christians ; love to the world.
This is an appropriate subject of
prayer. We cannot wish and pray
for a better thing for our christian
friends, than that they may'abound
in love. Nothing will promote their
welfare like this; and we had better

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

171

10 That "ye may ' approve
things that are 2 excellent ; that

oRo.a. 18.

i or, try.

» or, differ.

pray for this, than that they may ob
tain abundant riches, and share the
honours and pleasures of the world.
If In knowledge. The idea is, that
he wished them to have intelligent
affection. It should not be mere
blind affection, but that intelligent
love which is based on an enlarged
view of divine things — on a just ap
prehension 'of the .claims of God.
^ And in all judgment. Marg.,
sense. Comp. Notes on Heb. v. 14.
The word here means, the power of
discerning; and the meaning is,
that he wished that their love should
be exercised with proper discrimina
tion. It should be in proportion to
the relative value of objects; and
the meaning ofthe whole is, that he
wished their religion to be intelli
gent and discriminating ; to be based
on knowledge, and a proper sense of
the relative value of objects, as well
as to be the tender affection of the
heart.
10. That ye may approve things.
Marg., 'Or, try.' The word used
here denotes the kind of trial to
which metals are exposed in order to
test their nature ; and the sense here
is, that the apostle wished them so
to try the things that were of real
value, as to discern that which was
true and genuine. If That are ex
cellent. Marg., 'or, differ.' The
margin here more correctly expresses
the sense of the Greek word. The
idea is, that he wished them to be
able to distinguish between things
that differed from each other; to
have an intelligent apprehension of
what was right and wrong — of what
was good and evil. He would not
have them love and approve all
things indiscriminately. They should
be esteemed according to their real
value. It is remarkable here how
anxious the apostle was, not only

ye may be * sincere and without
offence till the day of Christ ;

b Kp. 5. 27.

that they should be Christians, but
that they should be intelligent Chris
tians, and should understand the real
worth and value of objects. If That
ye may be sincere. See Notes on
Eph. vi. 24. The word here used —
siuxaivrfi — occurs nowhere else in
the New Testament, except in 2
Pet. iii. 1, where it is rendered pure.
The noun d^ixpivcut, however, occurs
in 1 Cor. v. 8; 2 Cor. i. 12; ii. 17;
in all which places it is rendered
sincerity. The word properly means,
that which is judged of in sun-shine
{tir-rj xoivu) ; and then that which is
clear and manifest. It is that over
which there are no clouds ; which is
not doubtful and dark ; which is pure
and bright. The word sincere means
literally without wax {sine cera) ;
that is, honey which is pure and
transparent. Applied to christian
character, it means tha t which is not
deceitful, ambiguous, hypocritical;
that which is not mingled with error,
worldliness, and sin; that which
does not proceed from selfish and in
terested motives, and where there is
nothing disguised. There is no more
desirable appellation that can be
given to a man than to say that he
is sincere — a sincere friend, bene
factor, Christian; and there is no
thing more lovely in the character
of a Christian than sincerity. It
implies, (1.) that he is truly convert
ed — that he has not assumed Chris
tianity as a mask ; (2.) that his mo
tives are disinterested and pure ; (3.)
that his conduct is free from double-
dealing, trick, and cunning ; (4.) thai
his words express the real sentiments
of his heart ; (5.) that he is true t.i
his word, and faithful to his pro
mises; and (6.) that he is always
what he professes to be. A sincere
Christian would bear to have the
light let in upon him always; ta

172

11 Being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ unto the glory " and
praise of God. a Jno. 15. 8.
have the emotions of his heart seen ;
to be scanned everywhere, and at all
times, by men, by angels, and by
God. If And without offence. In
offensive to others. Not injuring
them in property, feelings, or repu
tation. This is a negative virtue,
and is often despised by the world.
But it is much to say of a man that
he injures no one ; that neither by
example, nor opinions, nor conversa
tion, he leads them astray ; that he
' never does injustice to their motives,
and never impedes their influence ;
that he never wounds their feelings,
or gives occasion for hard thoughts ;
and that he so lives that all may see
that his is a blameless life. If Till
the day of Christ. See Notes on
ver. 6.
11. Being filled with the fruits
of righteousness. That which right
eousness in the heart produces. The
fruits, or results, will be seen in the
life; and those fruits are — honesty,
truth, charity, kindness, meekness,
goodness. The wish of the apostle
is, that they might show abundantly
by their lives that they were truly
righteous. He does not refer to
liberality merely, but to everything
which true piety in the heart is fitted
to produce in the life. If Which are
by Jesus Christ. (1.) Which his
religion is fitted to produce. (2.)
Which result from endeavouring to
follow his example. (3.) Which are
produced by his agency on the heart.
If Unto the glory and praise of God.
His honour is never more promoted
than by the eminent holiness of his
friends. See Notes, John xv. 8. If
we wish, therefore, to honour God,
it should not be merely with the
lips, or by acts of prayer and praise ;

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
12 But I would ye should un-
derstand,«brethren, that the things
which happened unto me Jiave
fallen out rather unto the further
ance of the gospel ;

it should be by a life devoted to him.
It is easy to render the service ofthe
lips; it is far more difficult to render
that service which consists in a life
of patient and consistent piety; and •
in proportion to the difficulty of it, is
its value in his sight
12. But I would ye should under
stand. Paul here turns to himself!
and goes into a somewhat extended
account of his own feelings in his
trials, and ofthe effects of his impri
sonment at Rome. He wished them
to understand what his circumstances
were, and what had been the effect
of his imprisonment, probably, for
such reasons as these: (1.) They
were tenderly attached to him, and
would feel an interest in all that per
tained to him. (2.) It was possible
that they might hear unfounded ru
mours about the manner of his treat
ment, and he wished that they should
understand the exact truth. (3.) He
had real intelligence to communicate
to them that worrld be joyful to them,
about the effect of his imprisonment,
and his treatment there; and he
wished them to rejoice with him.
If That the things which happened
unto me. The accusations against
him, and his imprisonment at Rome.
He had been falsely accused, and
had been constrained to appeal to
Caesar, and had been taken to Rome
as a prisoner. Acts xxv. — xxviii.
This arrest and imprisonment would
seem to have been against his suc
cess as a preacher ; but he now says
that the contrary had been the fact.
If Have fallen out: Have resulted
in. Literally, ' have come.' Tindal.
' My business is happened.' If Tlie
furtherance. The increase, the
promotion ofthe gospel. Instead of

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I
13 So that my bonds ' in Christ
' or, for.

178

are manifest in all 2 the palace,
and 3 in all other places ;
t or, Ca'sar's court, c. 4. 2-2. 3 to all others.

being a hindrance, they have been
rather an advantage.
13. So that my bonds in Christ.
Marg., for. The meaning is, his
bonds in ihe cause of Christ He
was imprisoned because he preached
Christ (Notes, Eph. vi. 20), and was
really suffering because of his at
tachment to the Redeemer. It was
not for crime, but for being a Chris
tian — for had he not been a Chris
tian, he. would have escaped all this.
The manner of Paul's imprisonment
was, that he was suffered to occupy
a house by himself, though chained
to a soldier who was his guard
Acts xxviii. 16. He was not in a
dungeon indeed, but he was not at
liberty, and this was a severe mode
of confinement. Who would wish
to be chained night and day to a
living witness of all that he did ; to
a spy on all his movements ? Who
would wish to have such a man
always with him, to hear all he said,
and to see all that he did 1 Who
could well bear the feeling that he
could nener be alone — and never be
at liberty to do any thing without
the permission of one too who pro
bably had little disposition to be in
dulgent? If Are manifest. That is,
it has become known that I am im
prisoned only for the sake of Christ.
Grotius. The true reason why I
am thus accused and imprisoned be
gins to be understood, and this has
awakened sympathy for me as an
injured man. They see that it is
not for crime, but that it is on ac
count of my religious opinions, and
the conviction of my innocence has
spread abroad, and has produced a
favourable impression in regard to
Christianity itself. It must have
¦ been a matter of much ! importance
for Paul to have this knowledge of
the real cause why he was imprison-
15*

ed go abroad. Such a knowledge
would do much to prepare others to
listen to what he had to say — for
there is no man to whom we listen
more readily than to one who is suf
fering wrongfully. If In all the
palace. Marg., ' or Cmsar's court.'
Gr., iv oXu> *9 rtpattcopLQ — in alt the
prcetorium. This word properly de
notes the general's tent in a camp ;
then the house or palace of a go
vernor of a province; then any
large hall, house, or palace. It oc
curs in the New Testament only in
the following places: Matt xxvii.
27, where it is rendered common
hall; Mark xv. 16, rendered JPrffi-
torium ; John xviii. 28. 33 ; xix. 9.
Acts xxiii. 35, rendered judgment
hall ; and in Phil. i. 13. It is em
ployed to denote (1.) the palace of
Herod at Jerusalem, built with great
magnificence at the northern part
of the upper city, westward of the
temple, and overlooking the temple ;
(2.) the palace of Herod at Cesarea,
which was probably occupied by the
Roman procurator, and (3.) in the
place before us to denote either the pa
lace of the emperor at Rome, or the
pretorian camp, the head quarters of
the pretorian guards or cohorts. These
cohorts were a body of select troops
instituted by Augustus to guard his
person, and have charge of the city.
See Rob. Lex. Bloomfield, Rosen-
miiller, and some others, understand
this of the pretorian camp, and sup
pose that Paul meant to say that
the cause of his imprisonment had
become known to all the band of the
pretorians. Grotius says that the
usual word to denote the residence
of the emperor at Rome was pala-
lium — palace, but that those who
resided in the provinces were accus
tomed to the word pretorium, and
would use it when speaking of the

174

PHILLPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by

palace of the emperor. Chrysostom
says that the palace of the emperor
was called prelorium, by a Latin
word derived from the Greek. See
Erasmus in loc. Calvin supposes
that the palace of Nero is intended..
The question about the meaning of
the word is important, as it bears on
the inquiry to what extent the gos
pel was made known at Rome in the
time of Paul, and perhaps as to the
question why he was released from
his imprisonment If the knowledge
of his innocence had reached the
palace, it was a ground of hope that
he might be acquitted ; and if that
palace is here intended, it is an in
teresting feet, as showing that in
some way the gospel had been intro
duced into the family of the emperor
himself. That the palace or resi
dence of the emperor is intended
here, may be considered at least
probable from the following conside
rations. (1.) It is the name which
would be likely to be used by the
Jews who came up from Judea and
other provinces, to denote the chief
place of judgment, or the principal
residence of the highest magistrate.
So it was used in Jerusalem, in
Cesarea, and in the provinces gene
rally, to denote the residence of the
general in the camp, or the procu
rator in the cities — the highest re
presentative of the Roman power.
(2.) If the remark of Chrysostom,
above referred to, be well founded,
that this was a common name given
to the palace in Rome, then this
goes far to determine the question.
(3.) In ch. iv. 22, Paul, in the salu
tation of the saints at Rome to those
of Philippi, mentions particularly
those of " Caesar's household." From
this it would seem that some of the
family of the emperor had been made
acquainted with the Christian reli
gion, and had been converted. In
what way the knowledge of the
15"

true cause of Paul's imprisonment
had been circulated in the ' palace,'
is nat now known. There was,
however, close intimacy between
the military officers and the govern
ment, and it was probably by means
of some of the soldiers or officers
who had the special charge of Paul,
that this had been communicated.
To Paul, in his bonds, it must have
been a subject of great rejoicing,
that the government became thus
apprized of the true character ofthe
opposition which had been excited
against him ; and it must have done
much to reconcile him to the sorrows
and privations of imprisonment, that
he was thus the means of intro
ducing religion to the very palace
of the emperor. If And in all other
places. Marg., to all others. The
Greek will bear either construction.
But if, as has been supposed, the re
ference in the word prelorium is to
the palace, then this should be ren
dered 'all other places' It then
means, that the knowledge of his
innocence, and the consequences of
that knowledge in its happy influ
ence in spreading religion, were not
confined to the palace, but were ex
tended to other places. The subject
was generally understood, so that it
might be said that correct views of
the matter pervaded the city, and
the feet of his imprisonment was
accomplishing extensively the most
happy effects on the public mind.
14. And many of the brethren.
Many Christians. It is evident from
this, that there were already ' many'
in Rome who professed Christianity.
f In the Lord. In the Lord Jesus ;
that is, united to him and to each
other by a professed attachment to
him. This is a common phrase to
designate Christians, f Waxing
confident by my bonds. Becoming
increasingly bold and zealous in
consequence of my being confined.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

173

my bonds, are much more bold to
speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ
This might have been either (1.) that
from the very fact that so distin
guished a champion of the truth
had been imprisoned, they were ex
cited to do all they could in the
cause of the gospel. Or (2.) they
were aroused by the feet that the
cause of his imprisonment had be
come generally understood, and that
there was a strong current of popu
lar fevour setting towards Chris
tianity in consequence of it. Or (3.)
they had had intercourse with Paul
in his own 'hired house,' and had
been incited and encouraged by him
to put forth great efforts in the
cause. Or (4.) it would seem that
some had been emboldened to pro
mulgate their views, and set them
selves up as preachers, who would
have been restrained if Paul had
been at liberty. They were dis
posed to form parties, and to secure
followers, and rejoiced in an oppor
tunity to increase their own popu
larity, and were not unwilling thus
to diminish the popularity and lessen
the influence of so great a man as
Paul. Had he been at liberty, they
would have had no prospect of suc
cess. See ver. 16. To this may be
added a suggestion by Theodoret
'Many of the brethren have in
creased boldness — $0.000$ — on ac
count of my bonds. For seeing me
bear such hard things with pleasure,
they announce that the gospel
[which sustains me] is divine.' The
same sentiment occurs in Oecumen.
and Theophyl. See Bloomfield. In
Paul himself they had an illustra
tion of the power of religion, and
being convinced of its truth, they
went and proclaimed it abroad.
IT To speak the word without fear.
That is, they see that I remain safe
ly (corap. Acts xviii, 30), and that

even of envy and strife, and some
also of good will.
16 The one preach Christ of

there is no danger of persecution,
and, stimulated by my sufferings and
patience, they go and make the gos
pel known.
15. Some indeed preach Christ
even of envy and strife. What was
the ground of this ' envy and strife'
the apostle does not mention. It
would seem, however, that even in
Rome there was a party which was
jealous ofthe influence of Paul, and
which supposed thatthis was a good
opportunity to diminish his influence,
and to strengthen their own cause.
He was not now at large so as to be
able to meet and confute them. They
had access to the mass of the peo
ple. It was easy, under plausible
pretences, to insinuate hints about
the ambitious aims, or improper in
fluence of Paul, or to take strong
ground against him and in favour of
their own views, and they availed
themselves of this opportunity. It
would seem most probable, though
this is not mentioned, that these per
sons were Judaizing teachers, pro
fessing Christianity, and who sup
posed that Paul's views were derog
atory to the honour of Moses and
the law. 1f And some also of good
will. From pure motives, having no
party aims to accomplish, and. not
intending in any way to give me
trouble. 16. The one preach Christ of
contention. So as to form parties,
and to produce strifes among his pro
fessed followers. If Not sincerely.
Not purely — riyi/w( — not with pure
motives or intentions. Their real
aim is not to preach Christ, but to
produce difficulty, and to stir up
strife. They are ambitious men,
and they have no real regard for the
welfare of the church and the honour
of religion, f Supposing to ad.4

176

contention, not sincerely, suppos
ing to add affliction to my bonds ;
17 But the other of love, know-

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
ing that I am set foi the defence
of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstand-

ajjliction to my bonds. To make
my trial the greater. How they did
this is unknown. Perhaps they were
those who were strongly imbued
with Jewish notions, and who felt
that his course tended to diminish
respect for the law of Moses, and
who now took this opportunity to
promote their views, knowing that
this would be particularly painful to
him when he was not at liberty to
meet them openly, and to defend his
own opinions. It is possible also
that they may have urged that Paul
himself had met with a signal re
proof for the course which he had
taken, and, as a consequence, was
now thrown into chains. Bloomfield
suggests that it was the opinion of
many of the ancient expositors that
they endeavoured to do this by so
preaching as to excite the fury of
the multitude or the rulers against
Paul, and to produce increased se
verity in his punishment. But the
way in which they did this is un
known, and conjecture is altogether
useless. 17. But the other of love. From
pure motives, and from sincere affec
tion to me. % Knowing that I am
set for the defence of the gospel.
They believe that I am an ambassa
dor from God. They regard me as
unjustly imprisoned, and while I am
disabled, they are willing to aid me
in the great cause to which my life
is devoted. To alleviate his sorrows,
and to carry forward the great cause
to defend which he was particularly
appointed, they engaged in the work
which he could not now do, and went
forth to vindicate the gospel, and to
make its claims better known. Co-
verdale renders this, " for they know
that I lie here for the defence of the
gospel." So Piscator, Michaelis,
tnd Endius render it, supposing that

the meaning is, that he lay in prison
for the defence of the gospel, or as
a consequence of his efforts to de
fend it. But this is not in accord
ance with the usual meaning of the
Greek word {xit,p.a%). It means to
lie, and in the perf. pass, to be laid,
set, placed. If the apostle had re
ferred to his being in prison, he would
have added that fact to the state
ment made. The sense is, that he
wasi appointed to be a defender of
the gospel, and that they being well
convinced of this, went forth to pro
mulgate and defend the truth. That
feet was one of Paul's chief conso
lations while he was thus in confine
ment. 18. What then? What follows
from this? What effect does it have
on my mind? Does the feet that
some preach from a spirit of envy
and contention give me pain 1 ^ Not
withstanding every way. No mat
ter in what way it is done. We are
not to suppose, however, that Paul
was indifferent as to the way in
which the gospel was preached, or
the spirit with which it was done;
but the meaning is, that it was a
matter of rejoicing that it teas done
at all, whatever the motives might
be. If Whether in pretence or in
truth. Whether as a mere pretext
to cover up some other design, or
from pure motives. Their pretence
was that they preached the gospe.
because they believed it true and
loved it; their real object was to
build up a party, and to diminish the
influence and authority of Paul.
f Christ is preached. They made
known the name ofthe Saviour, and
announced that the Messiah had
come. They could not go forth un
der any pretence as preachers, with
out making known some truth about
the Redeemer. Sq now, if is hardly

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
ing every way, whether in pre
tence or in truth, Christ is preach
ed ; and I therein do rejoice, yea,
and will rejoice.

177

possible that any persons should at
tempt to preach, without stating some
truth that would not otherwise be
known. The name of a Saviour
will be announced, and that will be
something. Some views of his life
and work will be presented, which,
though they may be far enough from
full views, are yet better than none.
Though there may be much error in
what is said, yet there will be also
some truth. It would be better to
have preachers that were better in
structed, or that were more prudent,
or that had purer motives, or that
held a more perfect system, yet it is
much in our world to have the name
of the Redeemer announced in any
way, and even to be told, in the most
stammering manner, and from what
ever motives, that man has a Sa
viour. The announcement of that
feet in any way may save a soul ;
but ignorance of it could save none.
If And I therein do rejoice. This
is an instance of great magnanimity
on the part of Paul, and nothing,
perhaps, could better show his su
preme love for the Saviour. Part
preached to increase his afflictions,
and the tendency of that preaching
was, probably, as it was designed to
be, to unsettle confidence in him,
and to lessen his influence. Yet this
did not move him. The more im
portant matter was secured, and
Christ was made known ; and if this
were secured, he was willing that
his own name should be cast into the
shade. This may furnish valuable
lessons to preachers of the gospel
now. When (1.) we are laid aside
from preaching by sickness, we
should rejoice that others are in
health, and are able to make the Sa
viour known, though we are forgot-

19 For I know that this • shall
turn to my salvation through4 your
prayer, and the supply of the Spi
rit of Jesus Christ,

a Ro. 8. 28.

b a Co. i. n

ten. (2.) When we are unpopular
and unsuccessful, we should rejoice
that others are more popular and
successful — for Christ is preached.
(3.) When we have rivals, who
have better plans than we for doing
good, and whose labours are crowned
with success, we should not be envi
ous or jealous — for Christ is preach
ed. (4.) When ministers of other
denominations preach what we re
gard as error, and their preaching
becomes popular, and is attended
with success, we can find occasion
to rejoice — for they preach Christ
In the error we should not, we can
not rejoice ; but in the fact that the
great truth is held up that Christ
died for men, we can always find
abundant occasion for joy. Mingled
as it may be with error, it may be
nevertheless the means of saving
souls, and though we should rejoice
more if the truth were preached
without any admixture of error, yet
still the very fact that Christ is made
known lays the foundation for grati
tude and rejoicing. Had all Chris
tians, and Christian ministers, the
feelings which Paul expresses here,
there would be much less envy and
uncharitableness than there is now
in the churches. May we not hope
that the time will yet come when
all who preach the gospel will have
such supreme regard for the name
and work of the Saviour, that they
will find sincere joy in the success
of a rival denomination, or a rival
preacher, or in rival plans for doing
good? Then, indeed, contentious
would cease, and the hearts of Chris
tians, "like kindred drops," would
mingle into one.
* 19. For I know that this shall
turn to my salvation. Will be a

178

20 According to my earnest
expectation and my hope, that in
nothing I shall be ashamed, " but
a Ro. 5. 5.

PHILIPPIANS. LA. D. 64.
that with all boldness, * as always,
so now also, Christ shall be mag-
b Ep. 6. 19, 20.

means of my salvation. Whether
the effect shall be to turn public fa
vour towards the christian religion,
and secure my release ; or whether
it shall be to instigate my enemies
more, so as to lead to my death ; I
am satisfied that the result, so far as
I am concerned, will be well. The
word 'salvation,' here, does not refer
to his release from captivity, as Kop
pe, Rosenmuller, Clarke, and others,
suppose; for he was not absolutely
certain of that, and could not expect
that to be effected by "the supply
of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." But
the meaning is, that all these deal
ings, including his imprisonment,
and especially the conduct of those
who thought ta add affliction to his
bonds, would be among the means
of his salvation. Trying and pain
ful as all this was, yet trial and pain
Paul reckoned among the means of
grace ; and he had no doubt that
this would prove so. If Through
your prayer. See Notes on 2 Cor.
i. 11. If And the supply ofthe Spi
rit of Jesus Christ. To sustain me,
and to cause those happy results to
come out of these trials. He needed
the same spirit which Jesus Christ
had, to enable him to bear his trials
with patience, and to impart to him
the consolations which he required.
He had no idea that these trials
would produce these effects of their
own accord, nor that it could be by
any strength of his own.
20. According to my earnest ex
pectation. The word here used oc
curs but in one other place in the
New Testament. See it explained
in the Notes on Rom. viii. 19. The
earnest desire and hope which Paul
had was not, primarily, that he might
be released ; but it was that, in all
circumstances, he might be able to

honour the gospel, living or dying.
To that he looked as a much more
important matter than to save his
life. Life with him was the second-!
ary consideration; the main thing
was, to' stand up everywhere as the
advocate of the gospel, to maintain
its truth, and to exhibit its spirit
If That in nothing 1 shall be ashamed.
That I shall do nothing of which I
shall have occasion to be ashamed.
That in these heavy trials, I may not
be left to deny the truth of the chris
tian religion ; that, even before the
emperor, I may maintain its princi
ples; and that the dread of death
may not lead me to do a dishonour
able thing, or in any way so to shrink
from an avowal of my belief, as to
give me or my friends occasion of
regret. If But that with all bold
ness. By my speaking the truth,
and maintaining my principles with
all boldness. Notes, 2 Cor. vii. 4.
Eph. vi. 19, 20. If Christ shall be
magnified. Shall be held up to the
view of man as the true and only
Saviour, whatever becomes of me.
% Whether it be by life. If I am
permitted to live. He was not yet
certain how the case would termi
nate with him. He had not been
put on his trial, and, whether that
trial would result in his acquittal or
not, he could not certainly know.
But he felt assured that, if he was
acquitted, the effect would be to ho
nour Christ. He would ascribe his
deliverance to his gracious interpo
sition; he would devote himself with
new ardour to his service; and l(e
felt assured, from his past efforts,
that he would be able to do some
thing that would 'magnify' Christ
in the estimation of mankind. ^Or
by death. If my trial shall result in
jny death. Then, he. believed, he

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
nified in my body, whether « it be
by life or by death.
a Ro. 14. 7, 8.

would be able to show such a spirit
as to do honour to Christ and his
cause. He was not afraid to die,
and he was persuaded that he would
be enabled to bear the pains of death
in such a manner as to show the sus
taining power of religion, and the
value of Christianity. Christ is
'magnified' in the death of Chris
tians, when his gospel is seen to
sustain them ; when, supported by
its promises, they are enabled to go
calmly into the dark valley; and
when, in the departing moments,
they confidently commit their eternal
all into his hands. The effect of this
state of feeling on the mind of Paul
must have been most happy. In
whatever way his trial terminated,
he felt assured that the great object
for which he lived would be pro
moted. Christ would be honoured,
perhaps, as much by his dying as a
martyr, as by his living yet many
years to proclaim his gospel. He
was, therefore, reconciled to his lot
He had no anxiety. Come what
might, the purpose which he had
most at heart would be secured, and
the name of the Saviour would be
honoured. 21. For to me to live is Christ.
My sole aim in living is to glorify
Christ He is the supreme End of
my life, and I value it only as being
devoted to his honour. Doddridge.
His aim was not honour, learning,
gold, pleasure ; it was, to glorify the
Lord Jesus. This was the single
purpose of his soul — a purpose to
which he devoted himself with as
much singleness and ardour as ever
did a miser to the pursuit of gold, or
a devotee of pleasure to amusement,
Dr an aspirant for fame to ambition.
This implied the following things:
(1.) A purpose to know as much of
Christ as it was possible to know —

179
21 For to me to live is Christ,
and to die * is gain.
b Re. 14. 13.

to become as fully acquainted as he
could with his rank, his cnaracter,
his plans, with the relations which
he sustained to the Father, and with
the claims and influences of his reli
gion. See Phil. iii. 10. Eph. iii. 19.
Comp. John xvii. 3. (2.) A purpose
to imitate Christ — to make him the
model of his life. It was a design
that his Spirit should reign in his
heart, that the same temper, should
actuate him, and that the same great
end "should be constantly had in
view. (3.) A purpose to make. his
religion known, as for as possible,
among mankind. To this Paul se
riously gave his life, and devoted his
great talents. His aim was to see
on how many minds he could impress
the sentiments of the christian reli
gion ; to see to how many of the hu
man family he could make Christ
known, to whom he was unknown
before. Never was there a man who
gave himself with more ardour to
any enterprise, than Paul did to
this ; and never was one more suc
cessful, in any undertaking, than
he was in this. (4.) It was a pur
pose to enjoy Christ. He drew his
comforts from him. His happiness
he found in communion with him. It
was not in the works of art ; not in
the pursuits of elegant literature;
not in the gay and fashionable world ;
but it was in communion with the
Saviour, and in endeavouring to
please him. Remark, (1.) Paul ne
ver had occasion to regret this course.
It produced no sadness when he
looked over his life. He never felt
that he had had an unworthy aim of
living ; he did not wish that his pur
pose had been different when he
came to die. (2.) If it was Paul's
duty thus to live, it is no less that of
every Christian. What was there
in his case that made it his duty to

180

PHILIPPIANS:

[AD. 64.

'live unto Christ,' which does not
exist in the case of every sincere
Christian on earth? No believer,
when he comes to die, will regret
that he has lived unto Christ; but
how many, alas ! regret that this has
not been the aim and purpose of tlieir
souls ! %And to die is gain. Comp.
Rev. xiv. 13. A sentiment similar
to this occurs frequently in the Greek
and Latin classic writers. See Wet
stein, in loc, who has collected nu
merous such passages. With them,
the sentiment had its origin in the
belief that they would be freed from
suffering, and admitted to some hap
py world beyond the grave. ' To
them, however, all this was conjec
ture and uncertainty. The word
gain, here, means profit, advantage;
and the meaning is", there would be
an advantage in dying above that
of living. Important benefits would
result to him personally, should he
die; and the only reason why he
should wish at all to live was, that
he might be the means of benefiting
others. Vs. 24, 25. But how would
it be gain to die? What advantage
would there be in Paul's circum
stances? What in oursT. It may be
answered, that it will be gain for a
Christian to die in the following re
spects : (1.) He will be then freed
from sin. Here it is the source of
perpetual humiliation and sorrow;
in heaven he will sin no more. (2.)
He will be freed from doubts about
his condition. Here the best are
liable to doubts about their personal
piety, and often experience many an
anxious hour in reference to this
point; in heaven, doubt will be known
no more. (3.) He will be freed from
temptation. Here, no one knows
when he may be tempted, nor how
powerful the temptation may be ; in
heaven, there will be no allurement
to lead him astray ; no artful, cun
ning, and skilful votaries of pleasure
to place inducements before him to
sin ; and no heart to yield to them,

if there were. (4.) He will be de
livered from all his enemies — from
the slanderer, the -calumniator, the
persecutor. Here the Christian is
constantly- liable to have his motives
called in question, or to be met with
detraction and slander ; there, there
will be none to do him injustice ; all
will rejoice in the belief that he is
pure. (5.) He will be delivered from
suffering. Here he is constantly
liable to it. His health fails, his
friends die, his mind is sad. There,
there shall be no separation of friends,
no sickness, and no tears. (6.) He
will be delivered from death. Here,
death is ever nigh — dreadful, alarm
ing, terrible to our nature. There,
death will be known no more. Nc
fece will ever turn pale, and n«
knees tremble, at his approach; in
all heaven there will never be seen
a funeral procession, nor will the
soil there ever open its bosom to fur
nish a grave. (7.) To all this may
be added the feet, that the Christian
will be surrounded by his best
friends; that he will be reunited
with those whom he loved on earth ;
that he will be associated with the
angels of light; and that he will be
admitted to the immediate presence
of his Saviour and his God ! Why,
then, should a Christian be afraid to
die ? And why should he not hail
that hour, when it comes, as the hour
of his deliverance, and rejoice that
he is going home ? Does the prison
er, long confined in a dungeon, dread
the hour which is to open his prison,
and permit him to return to his fa*
mily and friends ? Does the man in
a foreign land, long an exile, dread
the hour when he shall embark on
the ocean to be conveyed where he
may embrace the friends of his
youth? Does the sick man dread
the hour which restores him to
health? the afflicted, the hour of
comfort ? the wanderer at night, the
cheering light of returning day?
And why then should the Christian

A D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
22 But if I live in the flesh,

181

dread the hour which will restore
him to immortal vigour; which shall
remove all his sorrows ; which shall
introduce him to everlasting day?
Death is the crown of life :
Were death denied, poor man would live in
vain ;
Were death denied, to live would not be life ;
Were death denied, even fools would wish to
die.
Death wounds to cure ; we fall ; we rise ; we
reign 1
Spring from our fetters ; fasten in the skies ;
Where blooming Eden withers in our sight.
Death gives us more than was in Eden lost.
The king of terrors is the prince of peace.
JVight Thoughts, iii.
22. But if I live in the flesh.
[f I continue to live ; if I am not
condemned and make a martyr at
my approaching trial. If This is
the fruit of my labour. The mean
ing of this passage, which has given
much perplexity to commentators, it
seemj to me is, ' If I live in the
flesh, it will cost me labour; it will
be attended, as it has been, with
much effort and anxious care, and I
know not which to prefer — whether
to remain on the earth with these
cares and the hope of doing good, or
to go at once to a world of rest' A
more literal version of the Greek
will show that this is the meaning.
tfoWo ftot xaprtbc epyou — ' this to me is
[or would be] the fruit of labour.'
Coverdale, however, renders it, " In
asmuch as to live in the flesh is
fruitful to me for the work, I wot not
what I shall choose." So Luther,
' But since to live in the flesh serves
to produce more fruit' And so
Bloomfield, "But if my life in the
flesh be of use to the gospel (be it
so, I say no more), verily what I
shall choose I see and know not."
See also Koppe, Rosenmiiller, and
Calvin, who give the same sense.
According to "this, the meaning is,
that if his life were of value to the
16

this is the fruit of my labour: yet
what I shall choose I wot not.

gospel, he was willing to live ; or
that it was a valuable object- — operce
pretium — worth an effort thus to
live. This sense accords well with
the connection, and the thought is a
valuable one, but it is somewhat
doubtful whether it can be made out
from the Greek. To do it, it is ne
cessary to suppose that |Uot — my — is
expletive (Koppe), and that xol —
and — is used in an unusual sense.
See Erasmus. According to the in
terpretation first suggested, it means,
that Paul felt that it would be gain
to die, and that he was entirely will
ing; that he felt that if he continu
ed to live it would involve toil and
fatigue, and that, therefore, great as
was the natural love of life, and de
sirous as he was to do good, he did
not know which to choose — an im
mediate departure to the world of
rest, or a prolonged life of toil and
pain, attended even with the hope
that he might do good. There was
an intense desire to be with Christ,
joined with the belief that his life
here must be attended with toil and
anxiety ; and on the other hand an
earnest wish to live in order to do
good, and he knew not which to pre
fer. If Yet. The sense has been
obscured by this translation. The
Greek word (m») means and, and
should have been so rendered here,
in its usual sense. ' To die would
be gain ; my life here would be one
of toil, and I know not which to
choose.' If What I shall choose 1
wot not. I do not know which I
should prefer, if it were left to me.
On each side there were important
considerations, and he knew not
which overbalanced the other. Are
not Christians often in this state,
that if it were left to themselves
they would not know which to
choose, whetlier to livi or to die 1

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

23 For 1 am in a strait betwixt
two, having a desire " to depart,

23. For lam in a strait betwixt
two. Two things, each of which I
desire. I earnestly long to be with
Christ ; and I desire to remain to be
useful to the world. The word ren
dered ' I am in a strait' — awigo/ucu
— means to be pressed on or con
strained, as in a crowd ; to feel one's
self pressed or pent up so as not to
know what to do ; and it here means
that he was in perplexity and doubt,
and did not know what to choose.
'The words of the original are very
emphatic. They appear to be de
rived from a ship when lying at
anchor, and when violent winds
blow upon it that would drive it out
to sea. The apostle represents him
self as in a similar condition. His
6trong affection for them bound his
heart to them — as an anchor holds
a ship to its moorings — and yet there
was a heavenly influence bearing
upon him — like the gale upon the
vessel — which would bear him away
to heaven.' Burder, in Ros. Alt. u.
neu. Morgenland, in loc. If Having
a desire to depart. To die — to leave
this world for a better. Men, as
they are by nature, usually dread to
die. Few are even made willing
to die. Almost none desire to die —
and even then they Wjish it only as
the least of two evils. Pressed down
by pain and sorrow; or sick and
weary of the world, the mind may
be wrought up into a desire to be
away. But this with the world is,
in all cases, the result of misan
thropy, or morbid feeling, or disap
pointed ambition, or an accumulation
of many sorrows. Wetstein has ad
duced on this verse several most
beautiful passages from the classic
writers, in which men expressed a
desire to depart — but all of them
probably could be traced to disap
pointed ambition, or to mental or

and to be with Christ ; which is
far better : * b Ps. 10. 11.

bodily sorrows, or to dissatisfection
with the world. It was from no
such wish that Paul desired to die.
It was not because he hated man,
— for he ardently loved him. It
was not because he had been dis
appointed about wealth and honour
— for he had sought neither. It was
not because he had not been suc
cessful — for no man had been more
so. It was not because he had been
subjected to pains and imprisonments
— for he was willing to bear them.
It was not because he was old, and
infirm, and a burden to the world —
for, from any thing that appears, he
was in the vigour of life, and in the
fulness of his strength. It was from
a purer, higher motive than any of
these — the strength of attachment
which bound him to the Saviour, and
which made him long to be with
him. If And to be with Christ. We
may remark on this expression, (1.)
That this was the true reason why
he wished to be away. It was his
strong love to Christ; his anxious
wish to be with him ; his firm belief
that in his presence was ' fulness of
joy.' (2.) Paul believed that the
soul of the Christian would be im
mediately with the Saviour at death.
It was evidently his expectation that
he would at once pass to his pre
sence, and not that he would remain
in an intermediate state to some far
distant period. (3.) The soul does
not sleep at death. Paul expected
to be with Christ, and to be conscious
of the feet — to see him, and to par
take of his glory. (4.) The soul of
the believer is made happy at death.
To be with Christ is synonymous
with being in heaven — for Christ is
in heaven, and is its glory. We
may add, (a) that this wish to be
with Christ constitutes a marked
difference between a Christian and

A D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
24 Nevertheless to abide in the
flesh is more needful for you.
other men. Other men may be
willing to die ; perhaps be desirous
to die, because their sorrows are so
great that they feel that they cannot
be borne. But the Christian desires
to depart from a different motive
altogether. It is to be with Christ
— and this constitutes a broad line
of distinction between him and other
men. (6) A mere willingness to
die, or even a desire to die, is no
certain evidence of preparation for
death. If this willingness or desire
is caused by mere intensity of suf
fering ; if it is produced by disgust
at the world or by disappointment ;
if it arises from some view of fancied
Elysian fields beyond the grave, it
constitutes no evidence whatever of
a preparation for death. I have seen
not a few persons who were not pro
fessed Christians on a bed of death,
and not a few willing to die, nay,
not a few who wished to depart
But in the vast majority of instances
it was because they were sick of
life, or because their pain made them
sigh for relief, or because they were
so wretched that they did not care
what happened — and this they and
their friends construed into an evi
dence that they were prepared to
die ! In most instances this is a mise
rable delusion ; in no case is a mere
willingness to die an evidence of
preparation for death. If Which is
far better. Would be attended with
more happiness; and would be a
higher, holier state than to remain
on earth. This proves also that the
soul of the Christian atdeath is made
at once happy — for a state of insen
sibility can in no way be said to be
a better condition than to remain in
this present world. The Greek
phrase fere — rtoM.9 [td%tov xpsKjooi'
—-is very emphatic, and the apostle
seems to labour for language which
will fully convey his idea. It means,

183

25 And having this confidence,
I know that I shall abide and con-

'by much more, or rather better,'
and the sense is, ' better beyond all
expression.' Doddridge. See nu
merous examples illustrating the
phrase in Wetstein. Paul did not
mean to say that he was merely
willing to die, or that he acquiesced
in its necessity, but that the fact of
being with Christ was a condition
greatly to be preferred to remaining
on earth. This is the true feeling of
Christian piety ; and having this feel
ing, death to us will have no terrors.
24. Nevertheless to abide in the
flesh. To live. All this is language
derived from the belief that the soul
will be separate from the body at
death, and will occupy a separate
state of existence. If Is more need
ful for you. Another object that
was dear to the heart of Paul. Her
never supposed that his life was use
less ; or that it was a matter of no
importance to the cause of religion
whether he lived or died. He knew
that God works by means ; and that
the life of a minister of the gospel
is of real value to the church and
the world. His experience, his in
fluence, his paternal counsels, he
felt assured would be of value to the
church, and he had, therefore, a de
sire to live — and it was no part of
his religion affectedly to undervalue
or despise himself.
25. And having this confidence.
' Being persuaded of this, that my
continuance on earth is desirable for
your welfare, and that the Lord has
a work for me to do, I confidently
expect that I shall be permitted to
live.' The ' confidence' here refer
red to was, that his life was needful
for them, and hence that God would
spare him. A literal translation
would be, ' And being persuaded as
to this, or of this' — f cwo TtertoiSuf —
'I know,' &c. The foundation of
his expectation that he should live

184 PHILIPPIANS.
tmue with you all, for your fur
therance and joy of faith ;
26 That your rejoicing may be
more abundant in Jesus Christ for
me, by my coming to you again.
does not appear to have been any
revelation to that effect, as Doddridge
supposes; or any intimation which
he had from the palace, of the inten
tions of the government, as some
others suppose, but the feet that he
believed his life to be necessary for
them, and that therefore God would
preserve it. % I know that I shall
abide. The word know, however,
(ofto) is not to be pressed as denot
ing absolute necessity — for it appears
from ver. 27, and ch. ii. 17, that
there was some ground for doubt
whether he would live — but is to be
taken in a popular sense, as denot
ing good courage, and an earnest
hope, that he would be permitted to
live and visit them. Heinrichs.
If And continue with you all. That
is, that he would be permitted not
only to live, but to enjoy their soci
ety. If .For your furtherance and
joy of faith. For the increase of
your faith, and the promotion of that
joy which is the consequence of
faith. Wetstein has quoted a beau
tiful passage from Seneca (Epis. 104)
which strikingly resembles this sen
timent of Paul. He says that when
a man had meditated death, and
when on his own account he would
be willing to die, yet that he ought
to be willing to live — to come back
again to life — for the sake of his
friends. He then adds, ' It pertains
to a great mind to be willing to come
back to life for the sake of others ;
which distinguished men often do.'
26. That your rejoicing may be
more abundant in Christ Jesus.
Through the mercy and grace of
Christ. If he was spared, his de
liverance would be traced to Christ,
and they would rejoice together in

[A. D. 64

27 Only "let your conversation
be as it becometh the gospel of
Christ ; that, whether I come arid
see you, or else be absent, I may
a Ep. 4. i. c. a 20.
one who had so mercifully delivered
him. % For me by my coming, to
you again. Their joy would nol
only be that he was delivered, but that
he was permitted to see them again.
27. Only let your conversation.
The word conversation we now ap
ply almost exclusively to oral dis
course, or to talking. But it was
not formerly confined to that, and is
never so used in the Scriptures. It
means conduct in general — includ
ing, of course, our manner of speak
ing, but not limited to that — and
should be so understood in every
place where it occurs in the Bible.
The original word here used — TtotJr
tsvu — politeuo, means properly to
administer the State; to live as a
citizen ; to conduct oneself accord
ing to the laws and customs of
a Stale. See Acts xxiii. 1. Comp.
examples in Wetstein. It would
not be improperly rendered, ' let
your conduct as a citizen be as be
comes the gospel;' and might with
out impropriety, though not exclu
sively, be referred to our deportment
as members of a community, or citi
zens of a State. It undoubtedly im
plies that, as citizens, we should act,
in all the duties which that relation
involves — in maintaining the laws,
in submission to authority, in the
choice of rulers, &c., as well as in
other relations — on the principles of
the gospel ; for the believer is bound
to perform every duty on christian
principles. But the direction here
should not be confined to that. It
doubtless includes our conduct in all
relations in life, and refers to our de
portment in general ; not merely as
citizens of the State, but as members
of the church, and in all other rela-

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
hear of your affairs, that ye " stand
fast in one spirit, with one mind,
striving J together for the faith of
the gospel ;
a c 4. 1. o Jude 3.

tions. In our manner of speech, our
plans of living, our dealings with
others, our conduct and walk in the
church and out of it — all should be
done as becomes the gospel. The
direction, therefore, in this place, is
to be understood of everything per
taining to conduct. If As it becometh
the gospel of Christ. (1.) The rules
of the gospel are to be applied to all
our conduct — to our conversation,
business transactions, modes of dress,
style of living, entertainments, &c.
There is nothing which we do, or
say, or purpose, that is to be except
ed from those rules. (2.) There is
a way of living which is appropriate
to the gospel, or which is such as the
gospel requires. There is something
which the gospel would secure as its
proper fruits in all our conduct, and
by which our lives should be regu
lated. It would distinguish us from
the gay, and from those who seek
honour and wealth as their supreme
object If all Christians were under
the influence of the gospel, there
would be something in their dress,
temper, conversation, and aims,
which would distinguish them from
others. The gospel is not a thing
of naught; nor is it intended that it
should exert no influence on its
friends. (3.) It is very important
that Christians should frame their
lives by the rules of the gospel, and,
to this end, should study them and
know what they are. This is im
portant, (a) because they are the
best and wisest of all rules ; (6) be
cause it is only in this way that
Christians can do good ; (c) because
they have solemnly covenanted with
the Lord to take his laws as their
guide ; {d) because it is only in this
way that they can enjoy religion;
16*

185

28 And in nothing terrified ¦ by
your adversaries : which '' is to
them an evident token of perdi-
a Is. 51. 7, 12. Mai. 10. 28. 4 2 Til. I. 5.

and (e) because it is only by this tha
they can have peace on a dying bed.
If men live as ' becometh the gospel,'
they live well. Their lives are ho
nest and honourable ; they are men
of truth and uprightness ; they will
have no sources of regret when they
die, and they will not give occasion
to their friends to hang their heads
with shame in the remembrance of
them. No man on a dying bed ever
yet regretted that he had framed his
life by the rules ofthe gospel, or felt
that his conduct had been conformed
too much to it If That whether I
come and see you. Alluding to the
possibility that he might be released,
and be permitted to visit them again.
If Or else be absent. Either at
Rome, still confined, or released, and
permitted to go abroad. ^ I may
hear of your affairs, &c. I may
hear always respecting you that you
are united; and that you are vigor
ously striving to promote the inte
rests of the gospel.
28. And in nothing terrified by
your adversaries. Adversaries, or
opponents, they had, like most of the
other early Christians. There were
Jews there who would be likely to
oppose them (comp. Acts xvii. 5),
and they were exposed to persecu
tion by the heathen. In that city,
Paul had himself suffered much
(Acts xvi.); and it would not be
strange if the same scenes should be
repeated. It is evident from this
passage, as well as from some other
parts of the epistle, that the Philip
pians were at this time experiencing
some form of severe suffering. But
in what way, or why, the opposition
to them was excited, is nowhere
stated. The meaning here is, 'do
not be alarmed ^t anything which

186

tion, but * to you of salvation, and
that of God. a Eo. 8. 17.

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
29 For unto you it is given J in
the behalf of Christ, not only to
4 Ac. 5.41.

they can do. Maintain your chris
tian integrity, notwithstanding all
the opposition which they can make.
They will, in the end, certainly be
destroyed, and you will be saved.'
1f Which is to them an evident token
of perdition. What, it may be
asked, would be the token of their
perdition ? What is the evidence to
which Paul refers that they will be
destroyed? The relative 'which'
— jjVts — is probably used as referring
to the persecution which had been
commenced, and to the constancy
which the apostle supposed the Phi
lippians would evince. The sen
tence is elliptical ; but it is manifest
that the apostle refers either to the
circumstance then occurring, that
they were persecuted, and that they
evinced constancy; or to the con
stancy which he wished them to
evince in their persecutions. He
says that this circumstance of perse
cution, if they evinced such a spirit
as he wished, would be to them an
evidence of two things: (1.) Of
the destruction of those who were
engaged in the persecution. This
would be, because they knew that
such persecutors could not ultimately
prevail. Persecution of the church
would be a certain indication that
they who did it would be finally de
stroyed. (2.) It would be a proof
of their own salvation, because it
would show that they were the
friends of the Redeemer ; and they
had the assurance that all those who
were persecuted for his sake would
be saved. The gender ofthe Greek
relative here is determined by the
following noun (tVSftJt;), in a man
ner that is not uncommon in Greek.
See Wetstein, in loc, and Koppe.
It And that of God. That is, their
persecution is a proof that God will
interpose in due time and save you.

The hostility of the wicked to us is
one evidence that we are the friends
of God, and shall be saved.
29. For unto you. Unto you as
Christians. This favour is granted
unto you in your present circum
stances. % It is given. God con
cedes to you this privilege or advan
tage. If In the behalf of Christ. In
the cause of Christ,.or with a view
to honour Christ. Or, these things
are brought on you in consequence
of your being Christians, if Not
only to believe on him. It is repre
sented here as a privilege to be per
mitted to believe on Christ It is so.
(1.) It is an honour to a man to be
lieve one who ought to be believed,
to trust one who ought to be trusted,
to love one who ought to be loved.
(2.) It is a privilege to believe on
Christ, because it is by such faith
that our sins are forgiven ; that wo
become reconciled to God, and have
the hope of heaven. (3.) It is a
privilege, because it saves the mind
from the tortures and the deadly in
fluence of unbelief— the agitation,
and restlessness, and darkness, and
gloom of a skeptic. (4.) It is a pri
vilege, because we have then a friend
to whom we may go in trial, and on
whom we may roll all our burdens.
If there is anything for which a
Christian ought to give unfeigned
thanks, it is that he has been per
mitted to believe on the Redeemer.
Let a sincere Christian compare his
peace, and joy, and hope of heaven,
and support in trials, with the rest
lessness, uneasiness, and dread of
death, in the mind of an unbeliever;
and he will see abundant occasion
for gratitude. If But also to suffer
for his sake. Here it is represented
as a privilege to suffer in the cause
of the Redeemer — a declaration
which may sound strange to the

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER I.
believe on him, but also to suffer
for his sake ;
30 Having the same conflict

187

world. Yet this sentiment frequently
occurs in the New Testament. Thus
it is said of the apostles (Acts v. 41),
that "they departed from the pre
sence of the council, rejoicing that
they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name." Col. i. 24.
" Who now rejoice in my sufferings
for you." 1 Pet iv. 13. " But re
joice, inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ's sufferings." Comp. James
i. 2. Mark x. 30. See Notes on
Acts v. 41. It is a privilege thus to
suffer in the cause of Christ, because
(1.) we then resemble the Lord Je
sus, and are united with him in
trials ; (2.) because we have evidence
that we are his, if trials come upon
us in his cause ; (3.) because we are
engaged in a good cause, and the
privilege of maintaining such a cause
is worth much of suffering ; and (4.)
because it will be connected with a
brighter crown and more exalted
honour in heaven.
30. Having the same conflict.
The same agony — wyiiva — the same
strife with bitter foes, and the same
struggle in the warfare. If Which
ye saw in me. When I was in Phi
lippi, opposed by the multitude, and
thrown into prison. Acts xvi. IT And
now hear to be in me. In Rome.
He was a prisoner there, was sur
rounded by enemies, and was about
to be tried for his life. He says that
they ought to rejoice if they were
called to pass through the same
trials. In this chapter we have a beauti
ful illusfration of the true spirit of a
Christian in circumstances exceed
ingly trying. The apostle was in a
situation where religion would show
itself, if there were any in the heart ;
and where, if there was none, the bad
passions of our* nature would be de
veloped. He was a prisoner. He

which ye saw ° in me, and now
hear to be in me.
a Ac. 10. 19. I Til. 2.2.

had been unjustly accused. He was
about to be put on trial for his life,
and it was wholly uncertain what
the result would be. He was sur
rounded with enemies, and there
were not a few false friends and ri
vals who took advantage of his im
prisonment to diminish his influence
and to extend their own. He was,
perhaps, about to die; and at any
rate, was in such circumstances as
to be under a necessity of looking
death in the face.
In this situation he exhibited some
of the tenderest and purest feelings
that ever exist in the heart of man
— the genuine fruit of pure religion.
He remembered them with affec
tionate and constant interest in his
prayers. He gave thanks for all that
God had done for them. Looking
upon his own condition, he said that
the trials which had happened to
him, great as they were, had been
overruled to the furtherance of the
gospel. The gospel had become
known even in the imperial palace.
And though it had been preached by
some with no good will towards him,
and with much error, yet he cher
ished no hard feeling ; he sought for
no revenge ; he rejoiced that in any
way, and from any motives, the great
truth had been made known that a
Saviour died. Looking forward to
the possibility that his trial before
the emperor might terminate in his
death, he calmly anticipated such a
result, and looked at it with compo
sure. He says that in reference to
the great purpose of his life, it would
make no difference whether he lived
or died, for he was assured that
Christ would be honoured, whatever
was the result. To him personally
it would be gain to die ; and, as an
individual, he longed for the hour
when he might be with Christ. This

188

feeling is religion, and this is pro
duced only by the hope of eternal
life through the Redeemer. An im
penitent sinner never expressed such
feelings as these ; nor does any other
form of religion but Christianity en
able a man to look upon death in
this manner. It is not often that a
man is even willing to die — and
then this state of mind is produced,
not by the hope of heaven, but by
disgust at the world; by disappoint
ed ambition; by painful sickness,
when the sufferer feels that any
change would be for the better. But
Paul had none of these feelings.
His desire to depart was not pro
duced by a hatred of life; nor by
the greatness of his sufferings ; nor
by disgust at the world. It was the
noble, elevated, and pure wish to be
with Christ — to see him whom he
supremely loved, whom he had so
long and so faithfully served, and
with whom he was to dwell for ever.
To that world where Christ dwelt
he would gladly rise ; and the only
reason why he could be content to
remain here was, that he might be
a little longer useful to his fellow
men. Such is the elevated nature
of christian feeling. But, alas! how
few attain to it; and even among
Christians, how few are they that
can habitually feel and realize that
it would be gain for them to die !
How few can say with sincerity that
they desire to depart and to be with
Christ ! How rarely does even the
Christian reach that state of mind,
and gain that view of heaven, that
standing amidst his comforts here,
and looking on his family, and friends,
and property, he can say from the
depths of his soul, that he feels it
would be gain for him to go to hea-
/en ! Yet such deadness to the world
may he produced — as it was in the
case of Paul ; such deadness to the
world should exist in the heart of
every sincere Christian. Where it
does exist, death loses its terror, and

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
the heir of life can look calmly on
the bed where he will lie down to
die ; can think calmly of the mo
ment when he will give the parting
hand to wife and child, and press
them to his bosom for the last time.
and imprint on them the last kiss ;
can look peacefully on the spot
where he will moulder back to dust,
and in view of all can triumphant
ly say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come
quickly." CHAPTER II.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This chapter is made up princi
pally of exhortations to the perform
ance of various christian duties, and
the exhibition of christian virtues.
The apostle first exhorts the Philip
pians, in the most tender manner,
so to live as to give him joy, by
evincing among themselves unity
and concord. He entreats them to
do nothing by strife and a desire of
distinction, but to evince that humili
ty which is manifested when we re
gard others as more worthy than we
are. Vs. 1 — 4. This exhortation
he enforces in a most impressive
manner by a reference to the exam
ple of Christ — an example of con
descension and humiliatioa fitted to
repress in us all the aspirings of am
bition, and to make us ready to sub
mit to the most humble offices to
benefit others. Vs. 5— 11. He then
exhorts them to work out their sal
vation with diligence, assuring them,
for their encouragement, that God
worked in them to will and to do of
his good pleasure. Vs. 12, 13. To
this he adds an exhortation that they
would avoid everything like mur
muring and disputing — that they
would be blameless and harmless in
their walk, showing the excellency
of the religion which they loved to
all around them, and exerting such
an influence on others that Paul
might feel that he had not laboured

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

189

I

CHAPTER II.
F there be therefore any conso
lation in Christ, if any comfort

in vain. Vs. 14 — 16. To excite
them to this, he assures them that
he was ready himself to be sacrificed
for their welfare, and should rejoice
if by his laying down his life then-
happiness would be promoted. He
asked the same thing in return from
them. Vs. 17, 18. He then tells
them, in expressing his interest in
them, that he hoped soon to be able
to send Timothy to them again — a
man who felt a deep interest in their
welfare, and whose going to them
would be one of the highest proofs
of the apostle's love. Vs. 19—24.
The same love for them, he says, he
had now shown by sending to them
Epaphroditus — a man to whom he
was tenderly attached, and who had
an earnest desire again to return to
the church from which he had been
sent Paul sent him, therefore, again
to Philippi, that he might be with
them and comfort them, and he asked
for him a kind reception and affec
tionate treatment, in view of the
sufferings which he had experienced
in the cause of the Redeemer. Vs.
25-50. 1. If there be therefore any con
solation in Christ. This, with what
is said in the remainder of the verse,
is designed as a motive for what he
exhorts them to in ver. 2 — that they
would be of the same mind, and
would thus fulfil his joy. To urge
them to this, he appeals to the ten
der considerations which religion
furnished — and begins by a refer
ence to the consolation which there
was in Christ The meaning here
may be this : ' I am now persecuted
and afflicted. In my trials it will
give me the highest joy to learn that
you act as becomes Christians. You
also are persecuted and afflicted

of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels ° and mer
cies, o Co. 3. 12.

(ch. i. 28 — 30); and, in these cir
cumstances, I entreat that the high
est consolation may be sought ; and
by all that is tender and sacred in
the christian religion, I conjure you,
so to live as not to dishonour the
gospel. So live as to bring down
the highest consolation which can
be obtained — the consolation which
Christ alone can impart' We are
not to suppose that Paul doubted
whether there was any consolation
in Christ, but the form of expression
here is one that is designed to urge
upon them the duty of seeking the
highest possible. The consolation
in Christ is that which Christ fur
nishes or imparts. Paul regarded
him as the source of all comfort,
and earnestly prays that they might
so live that he and they might avail
themselves in the fullest sense of
that unspeakable enjoyment. The
idea is, that "Christians ought at all
times, and especially in affliction, so
to act as to secure the highest pos
sible happiness which their Saviour
can impart to them. Such an ob
ject is worth their highest effort ;
and if God sees it needful, in order
to that, that they should endure
much affliction, still it is gain. Re
ligious consolation is always worth
all which it costs to secure it. ^f If
any comfort of love. If there be
any comfort in the exercise of ten
der affection. That there is, no one
can doubt. Our happiness is almost
all centred in love. It is when we
love a parent, a wife, a child, a sis
ter, a neighbour, that we have the
highest earthly enjoyment It is in
the love of God, of Christ, of Chris
tians, of the souls of 'men, that the
redeemed find their highest happi
ness. Hatred is a passion full of
misery ; love an emotion full of joy

190

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

2 Fulfil " ye my joy, that ye be
1 like-minded, having the same
love, being of one accord, of one
mind. oJno. 3. 29. 4 2C0.13. 11. 1 Pe. 3. 8.

By this consideration, Paul appeals
to them, and the motive here is
drawn from all the joy which mutual
love and sympathy are fitted to pro
duce in the soul. Paul would have
that love exercised in the highest
degree, and would have them enjoy
all the happiness which its mutual
exercise could furnish. % If any
fellowship of the Spirit. The word
' fellowship' — xowavia — means that
which is common to two or more ;
that of which they partake together.
Notes, Eph. iii. 9. Phil. i. 5. The
idea here is, that among Christians
there was a participation in the in
fluences of the Holy Ghost; that
they shared in some degree the feel
ings, views, and joys of the sacred
Spirit himself; and that this was a
privilege of the highest order. By
this fact, Paul now exhorts them to
unity, love, and zeal — so to live that
they might partake in the highest
degree of the consolations of this
Spirit, ^f If any bowels and mercies.
If there is any affectionate bond by
which you are united to me, and
any regard for my sorrows, and any
desire to fill up my joys, so live as
to impart to me, your spiritual father
and friend, the consolation which I
seek. 2. Fulfil ye my joy. Fill up my
joy so that nothing shall be wanting
to complete it. This, he says, would
be done by their union, zeal, and
humility. Comp. John iii. 29. %Thal
ye be like minded. Gr. That ye
think the same thing. See Notes
on 2 Cor. xiii. 11. Perfect unity of
sentiment, opinion, and plan would
be desirable if it could be attamed.
It may be, so far as to prevent dis
cord, schism, contention and strife
in the church, and so that Christians

3 Let nothing "be done through
strife or vain glory ; but in lowli
ness of mind let each d esteem
other bptter than themselves.

d 1 Pe. 5. 5.

may be harmonious in promoting the
same great work — the salvation of
souls. ^Having the same love.
Love to the same objects, and the
same love one for another. Though
their opinions might differ on some
points, yet they might be united in
love. See Notes on 1 Cor. i. 10.
If Being of one accord, otft^vzot, —
of one soul; having your souls join
ed together. The word used here
does not occur elsewhere in the New
Testament. It means a union of
soul; or an acting together as if
but one soul actuated them. If Of
one mind. Gr. Thinking the same
thing. The apostle here uses a
great variety of expressions to de
note the same thing. The object
which he aimed at was union of
heart, of feeling, of plan, of purpose.
He wished them to avoid all divi
sions and strifes ; and to show the
power of religion by being united in
the common cause. Probably there
is no single thing so much insisted
on in the New Testament as the im
portance of harmony among Chris
tians. Now, there is almost nothing
so little known ; but if it prevailed,
the world would soon be converted
to God. Comp. Notes on John xvii.
21 — or see the text itself without
the Notes.
3. Let nothing he done through
strife. With a spirit of contention.
This command forbids us to do any
thing, or attempt any thing as the
mere result of strife. This is not the
principle from which we are to act,
or by which we are to be governed.
We are to form no plan, and aim at
no object which is to be secured in
this way. The command prohibits
all attempts to secure any thing
over others by mere physical

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER 11.
strength, or by superiority of intel
lect or numbers, or as the result of
dark schemes and plans formed by
rivalry, or by the indulgence of
angry passions, or with the spirit of
ambition. We are not to attempt
to do any thing merely by outstrip
ping others, or by showing that we
have more talent, courage, or zeal.
What we do is to be by principle,
and with a desire to maintain the
truth, and to glorify God. And yet
how often is this rule violated ! How
often do christian denominations at
tempt to outstrip each other, and
to see which shall be the greatest !
How often do ministers preach with
no better aim ! How often do we
attempt to outdo others in dress, and
in the splendour of furniture and
equipage ! How often, even in plans
of benevolence, and in the cause of
virtue and religion, is the secret
aim to outdo others. This is all
wrong. There is no holiness in
such efforts. Never once did the
Redeemer act from such a motive,
and never once should this motive
be allowed to influence us. The
conduct of others may be allowed to
show us what we can do, and ought
to do ; but it should not be our sole
aim to outstrip them. Comp. 2 Cor.
ix. 2—4. If Or vain glory. The
word here used — xevoSo&a — keno-
doxia, occurs nowhere else in the
New Testament, though the adjec
tive — xevoboZoc, — kenodoxos, occurs
cnce in Gal. v. 26. See Notes on
that place. It means properly empty
pride, or glory, and is descriptive of
vain and hollow parade and show.
Suidas renders it, 'any vain opinion
about one's self — potato, tic. 7tipi,
iavtbv oXrjOic.. The idea seems to be
that of mere self-esteem ; a mere
desire to honour ourselves, to attract
attention, to win praise, to make
ourselves uppermost or foremost, or
the main object. The command
here solemnly forbids our doing any
thing with such an aim — no mitter

191

whether it be in intellectual attain
ments, in physical strength, in skill
in music, in eloquence or song, in
dress, furniture, or religion. Self
is not to be foremost ; selfishness is
not to be the motive. Probably there
is no command of the Bible which
would have a wider sweep than
this, or would touch on more
points of human conduct, if fairly
applied. Who is there who passes
a single day without, in some re
spect, desiring to display himself?
What ministerof the gospel preaches,
who never has any wish to exhibit
his talents, eloquence, or learning?
How few make a gesture, but
with some wish to display the grace
or power with which it is done!
Who, in conversation, is always
free from a desire to show his wit,
or his power in argumentation, or
his skill in repartee? Who plays
at the piano without the desire of
commendation? Who thunders in
the senate, or goes to the field of
battle ; who builds a house, or pur
chases an article of apparel; who
writes a book, or performs a deed of
benevolence, altogether uninfluenced
by this desire ? If all could be taken
out of human conduct which is per
formed .merely from " strife," or from
"vain-glory," how small a portion
would be left !• «f But in lowliness
of mind. Modesty, or humility.
The word here used is the same
which is rendered humility in Acts
xx. 19. Col. ii. 18. 23. 1 Pet v. 5;
humbleness, in Col. iii. 12 ; and low
liness, in Eph. iv. 2. Phil. ii. 3. It
does not elsewhere occur in the New
Testament. It here means humility,
and it stands opposed to that pride
or self-valuation which would lead
us to strive for the ascendancy, or
which acts from a wish for flattery,
or praise. The best and the only
true correction of these faults is
humility. This virtue consists in
estimating ourselves according to
truth. It is a willingness to Cake

192

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

4 Look not every man on his "
a 100. 13.5.
the place which we ought to take in
the sight of God and man ; and, hav
ing the low estimate of our own im
portance and character which the
truth about our insignificance as
creatures and vileness as sinners
would produce, it will lead us to a
willingness to perform lowly and
humble offices that we may benefit
others. If Let each esteem other bel
ter than themselves. Comp. 1 Pet.
v. 5. This is one of the effects pro
duced by true humility, and it natu
rally exists in every truly modest
mind. The reasons are these. (1.)
We are sensible of our own defects,
but we have not the same clear view
of the defects of others. We see
our own hearts; we are conscious of
the great corruption there ; we have
painful evidence of the impurity of
the motives which often actuate us
— of the evil thoughts and corrupt
desires in our own souls; but we
have not the same view of the er
rors, defects, and follies of others.
We can see only their outward con
duct ; but, in our own case, we can
look within. It is natural for those
who have any just sense of the depra
vity of their own souls, charitably to
hope that it is not so with others,
and to believe that they have purer
hearts. This will lead us to feel
that they are worthy of more respect
than we are. Hence this is always
the characteristic of modesty and hu
mility — graces which the gospel is
fitted eminently to produce. A truly
pious man will be always, therefore,
an humble man, and will wish that
others should be preferred in office
and honour to himself. Of course,
this will not make him blind to the
defects of others when they are ma
nifested ; but he will be himself re
tiring, modest, unambitious, unobtru
sive. This rule of Christianity
would strike a blow at all the ambi-

own things, but every man
on the things of others.

tion of the world. It would rebuke
the love of office, and would produce
universal contentment in any low
condition of life where the provi
dence of God may have cast our lot
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 21.
4. Look not every man on his own
things. That is, be not selfish. Do
not let your care and attention be
wholly absorbed by your own con
cerns, or by the concerns of your
own family. Evince a tender inte
rest for the happiness of the whole,
and let the welfare of others lie near
your hearts. This, of course, does
not mean that there is to be any im
proper interference^ in the business
of others, or that we are to have the
character of "busy-bodies in other
men's matters" (comp. Notes, 2
Thess. iii. 11. 1 Tim. v. 13. 1 Pet.
iv. 15) ; but that we are to regard
with appropriate solicitude the wel
fare of others, and to strive to dc
them good, ^f But every man also
on the things af others. It is tho
duty of every man to do this. No
one is at liberty to live for himself,
or to disregard the wants of others.
The object of this rule is to break up
the narrow spirit of selfishness, and
to produce a benevolent regard for
the happiness of others. In respect
to the rule we may observe, (1.) We
are not to be " busy-bodies" in the
concerns of others. See the refer
ences above. We are not to attempt
to pry into their secret punxises.
Every man has his own plans, and
thoughts, and intentions, which no
other one has a right to look into.
Nothing is more odious than an inter-
meddler in the concerns of others.
(2.) We are not to obtrude our ad
vice where it is not sought, or at un
seasonable times and places, even if
the ad vice is in itself good. No man
likes to be interrupted to hear ad
vice; and I have no right to require

A, D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

193

that he should suspend his business
in order that / may give him counsel.
(3.) We are not to find fault with
what pertains exclusively to him.
We are to remember that there are
some things which are his business,
not ours,- and we are to learn to
' possess our souls in patience,' if he
does not give just as much as we
think he ought to benevolent ob
jects, or if he dresses in a manner
not to please our taste, or if he in
dulges in things which do not accord
exactly with our views. He may
see reasotis for his conduct which we
do not; and it is possible that he
may be right, and that, if we under
stood the whole case, we should
think and act as he does. We often
complain of a man because he does
not give as much as we think he
ought to objects of charity ; and it
is possible that he may be miserably
niggardly and narrow. But it is also
possible that he may be more em
barrassed than we know of ; or that
he may just then have demands
against him of which we are igno
rant ; or that he may have numerous
poor relatives dependant on him ; or
that he gives much with ' the left
hand' which is not known by ' the
right hand.' At any rate, it is his
business, not ours ; and we are not
qualified to judge until we under
stand the whole case. (4.) We are
not to he gossips about the concerns
of othera We are not to hunt up
small stories, and petty scandals re
specting their families; we are not to
pry into domestic affairs, and divulge
them abroad, and find pleasure in
circulating such things from house
to house. There are domestic se
crets, which are not to be betrayed ;
and there is scarcely an offence of a
meaner or more injurious character
than to divulge to the public what
we have seen in a family whose
hospitality we have enjoyed. (5.)
Where christian duty and kindness
require us to look into the concerns
17

of others, there should be the utmost
delicacy. Even children have their
own secrets, and their own plans and
amusements, on a small scale, quite
as important to them as the greater
games which we are playing m life ;
and they will feel the meddlesome
ness of a busy-body to be as odious
to them as we should in our plans.
A delicate parent, therefore, who
has undoubtedly a right to know all
about his children, will not rudely
intrude into their privacies, or med
dle with their concerns. So, when
we visit the sick, while we show a
tender sympathy for them, we should
not be too particular in inquiring
into their maladies or their feelings.
So, when those with whom we sym
pathize have brought their calami
ties on themselves by their own
fault, we should not ask too many
questions about it. We should not
too closely examine one who is made
poor by intemperance, or who is in
prison for crime. And so, when we
go to sympathize with those- who
have been, by a reverse of circum
stances, reduced from 'affluence to
penury, we should not ask too many
questions. We should let them tell
their own story. If they voluntarily
make us their confidants, and tell us
all about their circumstances, it is
well; but let us not drag out the
circumstances, or wound their feel
ings by our impertinent inquiries, or
our indiscreet sympathy in their af
fairs. There are always secrets
which the sons and daughters of
misfortune would wish to keep to
themselves. But, while these things
are true, it is also true that the rule
before us positively requires us to
show an interest in the concerns of
others; and it may be regarded as
implying the following things : (1.)
We are to feel that the , spiritual in
terests of every one in the church is,
in a certain sense, our own interest
The church is one. It is confede
rated together for a common object

194

5 Let this ° mind be in you,
a Jno. 13. 14. 1 Pe. 2. 21.

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64
which was also in Christ Jesus :

Each one is intrusted with a portion
of the honour of the whole, and the
conduct of one member affects the
character of all. We are, therefore,
to promote, in every way possible,
the welfare of every other member
of the church. If they go astray,
we are to admonish and entreat
them ; if they are in error, we are
to instruct them ; if they are in trou
ble, we are to aid them. Every
member of the church has a claim
on the sympathy of his brethren, and
should be certain of always finding
it when his circumstances are such
as to demand it. (2.) There are
circumstances where it is proper to
look with special interest on the
temporal concerns of others. It is
when the poor, the fatherless, and
the afflicted must be sought out in
order to be aided and relieved. They
are too retiring and modest to press
their situation on the attention of
others, and they need that others
should manifest a generous care in
their welfare in order to relieve
them. This is not improper inter
ference in their concerns, nor will it
be so regarded. (3.) For a similar
reason, we should seek the welfare
of all others in a spiritual sense.
We should seek to arouse the sinner,
and lead him to the Saviour. He is
blind, and will not come himself;
unconcerned, and will not seek sal
vation ; filled with the love of this
world, and will not seek a better ;
devoted to pursuits that will lead
him to ruin, and he ought to be ap
prized of it It is no more an im
proper interference in his concerns
to apprize him of his condition, and
to attempt to lead him to the Sa
viour, than it is to warn a man in a
dark night, who walks on the verge
of a precipice, of his peril; or to
arouse one from sleep whose house

is in flames. In like manner, it is
no more intermeddling with the con
cerns of another to tell him that there
is a glorious heaven which may be
his, than it is to apprize a man that
there is a mine of golden ore on his
farm. It is for the man's own inte
rest, and it is the office of a friend to
remind him of these things. He
does a man a favour who tells him
that he has a Redeemer, and that
there is a heaven to which he may
rise; he does his neighbour the
greatest possible kindness who ap
prizes him that there is. a world of
infinite woe, and tells him of an easy
way by which he may escape it.
The world around is dependant on
the church of Christ to be apprized
of these truths. The gay will not
warn the gay of their danger ; the
crowd that presses to the theatre or
the ball-room will not apprize those
who are there that they are in the
broad way to hell ; and every one •
who loves his neighbour, should feel
sufficient interest in him to tell him
that he may be eternally happy in
heaven. 5. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus. The ob
ject of this reference to the exam
ple of the Saviour is particularly to
enforce the duty of humility. This
was the highest example which
could be furnished, and it would illus
trate and confirm all the apostle had
said of this virtue. The principle
in the case is, that we are to make
the Lord Jesus our model, and are in
all respects to frame our lives, as far
as possible, in accordance with this
great example. The point here is,
that he left a state of inexpressible
glory, and took upon him the most
humble form of humanity, and per
formed the most lowly offices, that
he might benefit us.

A D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
6 Who, being « in the form of
a Jno. 1. 1, 2. Co. 1. 15.

195

- 6. Who being in the form of God.
There is scarcely any passage in the
New Testament which has given
rise to more discussion than this.
The importance of the passage on
the question of the Divinity of the Sa
viour will be perceived at once, and no
small part of the point of the appeal
by the apostle depends, as will be
seen, in the fact that Paul regarded
the Redeemer as equal with God.
If he was truly divine, then his con
senting to become a man was the
most remarkable of all possible acts
of humiliation. The word rendered
form — poftyri — morphe, occurs only in
three places in the New Testament,
and in each place is rendered form.
Mark xvi. 12. Phil. ii. 6, 7. In
Mark it is applied to the form which
Jesus assumed after his resurrection,
and in which he appeared to two of
his disciples on his way to Emmaus.
" After that he appeared in another
form unto two of them." This
' form' was so unlike his usual ap
pearance, that they did not know
him. The word properly means,
form, shape, bodily shape, especially
a beautiful form, a beautiful bodily
appearance. Passow. In ver. 7, it
is applied to the appearance of a ser
vant — ' and took upon him the form
of a servant;' that is, he was in the
condition of a servant — or of the
lowest condition. The word form
is* often applied to the gods by the
classic writers, denoting their aspect
or appearance when they became
visible to men. See Cic. de Nat.
Deor. ii. 2; Ovid, Meta. i. 73; Si-
Iius xiii. 643; Xeno. Memora. iv;
yEniad, iv. 556, and other places
cited by Wetstein, in loc. Hesychius
explains it by l&ia, moos. The word
occurs often in the Septuagint, (1.)
as the translation of the word VS —
Ziv — splendour, Dan. iv. 33 ; v. 6.

God, thought it not robbery to be
equal b with God ;
4 Jno. S. 18.

9, 10 ; vii. 28; (2.) as the translation
ofthe word rnifl — Tabnith, struc
ture, model, pattern — as in building
Isa. xliv. 13 ; (3.) as the translation
of PMHfl — temuna — appearance^
form, shape, image, likeness, Job, iv.
16. See also the Book of Wisdom
xviii. 1. The word can have here
only one of two meanings, either
(1.) splendour, majesty, glory — re
ferring to the honour which the Re
deemer had, his power to work mira
cles, &c. — or (2.) nature, or essence
— meaning the same as diverts, nature,
or ousia, being. The first is the opin
ion adopted by Crellius, Grotius, and
others, and substantially by Calvin.
Calvin says, " The form of God here
denotes majesty. For as a man is
known from the appearance of his
form, so the majesty which shines in
God, is his figure. Or to use a more
appropriate similitude, the form of a
king consists of the external marks
which indicate a king — as his scep
tre, diadem, coat of mail, attendants,
throne, and other insignia of royalty ;
the form of a consul is the toga, ivory
chair, attending lictors, &c. There
fore Christ before the foundation of
the world was in the form of God,
because he had glory with the Fa
ther before the world was. John
xvii. 5. For in the wisdom of God,
before he put on our nature, there
was nothing humble or abject, but
there was magnificence worthy of
God." Comm. in loc. The second
opinion is, that the word is equiva
lent to nature, or being; that is,
that he was in the nature of God, or
his mode of existence was that of
God, or was divine. This is the
opinion adopted by Schleusner (Lex.);
Prof. Stuart (Letters to Dr. Chan-
ning, p. 40) ; Doddridge, and by or
thodox expositors in general, and

196

seems to me to he the correct inter
pretation. In support of this inter
pretation, and in opposition to that
which refers it to his power of work
ing miracles, or his divine appear
ance when on earth, we may adduce
the following considerations. (1.)
The 'form' here referred to must
have been something before he be
came a man, or before he took upon
him the form of a servant. It was
something from which he humbled
himself by making 'himself of no
reputation ;' by taking upon himself
'the form of a servant;' and by be
ing made ' in the likeness of men.'
Of course, it must have been some
thing which existed when he had
not the likeness of men ; that is, be
fore he became incarnate. He must
therefore have had an existence before
he appeared on earth as a man, and
in that previous state of existence
there must have been something
which rendered it proper to say that
he was ' in the form of God.' (2.)
That it does not refer to any moral
qualities, or to his power of working
miracles on earth, is apparent from
the fact that these were not laid
aside. When did he divest himself
of these in order that he might hum-
hie himself? There was something
which he possessed which made it
proper to say of him that he was ' in
the form of God,' which he laid aside
when he appeared in the_form of a
servant, and in the likeness of men.
But assuredly that could not have
been his moral qualities, nor is there
any conceivable sense in which it
can be said that he divested himself
of the power of working miracles in
order that he might take upon him
self the 'form of a servant' All
the miracles which he ever wrought
were performed when he sustained
the form of a servant, in his lowly
and humble condition. These con
siderations make it certain that the
apostle refers to a period before the
incarnation. It may be added (3.)

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
that the phrase ' form of God' is one
that naturally conveys the idea that
he was God. When it is said that he
was ' in the form of a servant,' the
idea is, that he was actually in a hum
ble and depressed condition, and
not merely that he appeared to be.
Still it may be asked, what was the
' form' which he had before his in
carnation? What is meant by his
having been then ' in the form of
God?' To these questions perhaps
no satisfactory answer can be given.
He himself speaks (John xvii. 5) of
" the glory which he had with the
Father before the world was ;" and
the language naturally conveys the
idea that there was then a manifes
tation of the divine nature through
him, which in some measure ceased
when he became incarnate ; that
there was some visible splendour
and majesty which was then laid
aside. What manifestation of his
glory God may make in the heaven
ly world, of course, we cannot now
fully understand. Nothing forbids
us, however, to suppose that there is
some such visible manifestation;
some splendour and magnificence of
God in the view of the angelic beings
such as becomes the Great Sovereign
of the universe — for he ' dwells in
light which no man can approach
unto.' ITim. vi. 16. That glory,
visible manifestation, or splendour,
indicating the nature of God, it is
here said that the Lord Jesus
possessed before his incarnation.
If Thought it not robbery to be
equal with God. This passage, also,
has given occasion to much discus
sion. Prof. Stuart renders it "did
not regard his equality with God as
an object of solicitous desire ;" that
is, that though he was of a divine
nature or condition, he did not eager
ly seek to retain his equality with
God, but took on him an humble con
dition — even that of a servant. Let
ters to Channing, pp. 88—92. That
this is the correct rendering of the

A D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
passage is apparent from the follow
ing considerations ; — (1.) It accords
with the scope and design of the
apostle's reasoning. His object is
not to show, as our common transla
tion would seem to imply, that he
aspired to be equal with God, or that
he did not regard it as an improper
invasion of the prerogatives of God
to Se^equal with him, but that he did
not regard it, in the circumstances
of the case, as an object to be great
ly desired, or eagerly sought to re
tain his equality with God. Instead
of retaining this by an earnest effort,
or by a grasp which he was unwill
ing to relinquish, he chose to forego
the dignity, and to assume the hum
ble condition of a man. (2.) It ac
cords better with the Greek than the
common version. The word ren
dered robbery- — oprtovyjios — is found
nowhere else in the New Testament,
though the verb from which it is
derived frequently occurs. Matt.
xi. 12; xiii. 19. John vi. 15; x.
12. 28, 29. Acts viii. 29; xxxiii.
10. 2 Cor. xii. 2. 4. 1 Thess. iv.
17. Jude 23. Rev. xii. 5. The
notion of violence, or seizing, or car
rying away, enters into the mean
ing of the word in all these places.
The word here used does not pro
perly mean an act of robbery, but
the thing robbed — the plunder— das
Rauben {Passow), and hence some
thing to be eagerly seized and ap
propriated. Schleusner. Comp. Storr,
Opuscul. Acade. i. 322, 323. Ac
cording to this, the meaning of the
word here is, something to be seized
and eagerly sought, and the sense
is, that his being equal with God
was not a thing to be anxiously re
tained. The phrase "thought it
not," means 'did not consider;' it
was not judged to be a matter of
such importance that it could not be
dispensed with. The sense is, ' he
did not eagerly seize and tenacious
ly hold' as one does who seizes prey
or spoil. So Rosenmuller, Schleus-
17*

197

ner, Bloomfield, Stuart, and others
understand it. If To be equal with
God. to hvcu, lea 9e$. That is, the
being equal with God he did not
consider a thing to be tenaciously
retained. The plural neuter form
of the word equal in Greek — laa. —
is used in accordance with a known
rule of the language, thus stated by
Buttman. " When an adjective as
predicate is separated from its sub
stantive, it often stands in the neuter
jdiere the substantive is a masculine
or feminine, and in the singular
where the substantive is in the plu
ral. That which the predicate ex
presses is, in this case, considered in
general as a thing." Gr. Gram., §
129. 6. The phrase 'equal with
God,' or ' equal with the gods,' is
of frequent occurrence in the Greek
Classics. See Wetstein in loc. The
very phrase here used occurs in the
Odyssey, O.
Tdv vav laa 6ey 'lSatcijatoi ricopStaat.
Comp. John v. 18. "Made himself
equal with God." The pnrase means
one who sustains the same rank,
dignity, nature. Now it could not
be said of an angel that he was in
any sense equal with God; much
less could this be said of a mere man.
The natural and obvious meaning of
the language is, that there was an
equality of nature and of rank with
God, from which he humbled him
self when he became a man. The
meaning of the whole verse, accord
ing to the interpretation suggested
above, is, that Christ, before he be
came a man, was invested with
honour, majesty, and glory, such as
was appropriate to God himself; that
there was some manifestation, or
splendour in his existence and mode
of being then, which showed that he
was equal with God ; that he did not
consider that that honour, indicating
equality with God, was to be retain
ed at all events, and so as to do vio
lence, as it were, to other interests.

198

PHILIPPIANS.

[AD. 64

7 But u made himself of no re-
a Ps. 22. ().
and to rob the universe of the glory
of redemption; and that he was
willing, therefore, to forget that, or
lay it by for a time, in order that he
might redeem the world. There
were a glory and majesty which were
appropriate to God, and which indi
cated equality with God — such as
none but God could assume. For
how could an angel have such glory,
or such external splendour in hea
ven, as to make it proper to say that
he was 'equal with God?' With
what glory could he be invested
which would be such as became
God only ? The fair interpretation
of this passage, therefore, is, that
Christ before his incarnation was
equal with God.
7. But made himself of no repu
tation. This translation by no means
conveys the sense of the original.
According to this it would seem that
he consented to be without distinc
tion or honour among men ; or that
he was willing to be despised or dis
regarded. The Greek is iwutbv
ixivaae. The word xevoto means
literally, to empty, to make empty,
to make vain, or void. It is render
ed made void in Rom. iv. 14 ; made
of none effect, 1 Cor, i. 17 ; make
void, 1 Cor. ix. -15 ; should be vain,
2 Cor. ix. 3. The word does not
occur elsewhere in the New Testa
ment, except in the passage before
ns. The essential idea is that of
bringing to emptiness, vanity, or
nothingness; and hence it is applied
to a case where one lays aside his
rank and dignity, and becomes in
respect to that as nothing; that is,
he assumes a more humble rank and
station. In regard to its meaning
here, we may remark (1.) that it
cannot mean that he literally divest
ed himself of his divine nature and
perfections, for that was impossible.
He could not cease to be omnipotent,

putation, and took upon him the

and omnipresent, and most holy, and
true, and good. (2.) It is conceiva
ble that he might have laid aside,
for a time, the symbols or the mani
festation of his glory, or that the
outward expressions of his majesty
in heaven might have been with
drawn. It is conceivable for a di
vine being to intermit the exercise
of his almighty power, since it can
not be supposed that God is always
exerting his power to the utmost
And in like manner there might be
for a time a laying aside or inter
mitting of these manifestations or
symbols, which were expressive of
the divine glory and perfections.
Yet (3.) this supposes no change in
the divine nature, or in the essential
glory of the divine perfections.
When the sun is obscured by a
cloud, or in an eclipse, there is no
real change of its glory, not are his
beams extinguished, nor is the sun
himself in any measure changed.
His lustre is only for a time obscured.
So it might have been in regard to
the manifestation of the glory ofthe
Son of God. Of course, there is
much in regard to this which is ob
scure, but the language of the apos
tle undoubtedly implies more than
that he took an humble place, or that
he demeaned himself in an humble
manner. In regard to the actual
change respecting his manifestations
in heaven, or the withdrawing ofthe
symbols of his glory there, the Scrip
tures are nearly silent, and conjec
ture is useless — perhaps improper.
The language before us fairly implies
that he laid aside that which was
expressive of his being divine — that
glory which is involved in the phrase
'being in the form of God' — and
took upon himself another form and
manifestation in the condition of a
servant, f And took upon him the
form of a servant. The phrase.

A D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
form of a servant, " and was made
in the 'likeness of men :
a Lu. 22. 27. » or, habit.

•form of a servant,' should be al
lowed to explain the phrase ' form
of God,' in ver. 6. The ' form of a
servant' is that which indicates the
condition of a servant, in contradis
tinction from one of higher rank. It
means to appear as a servant, to per
form the offices of a servant, and to
be regarded as such. He was made
like a servant in the lowly condition
which he assumed. The whole con
nection and force of the argument
here demands this interpretation.
Storr and Rosenmuller interpret this
as meaning that he became the ser
vant or minister of God, and that
in doing it, it was necessary that he
should become a man. But the ob
jection to this is obvious. It greatly
weakens the force of the apostle's
argument. His object is to state
the depth of humiliation to which
he descended, and this was best done
by saying that he descended to the
lowest condition of humanity, and
appeared in the most humble garb.
The idea of being a ' servant or
minister of God' would not express
that, for this is a term which might
be applied to the highest* angel in
heaven. Though the Lord Jesus
was not literally a servant or slave,
yet what is here affirmed was true
of him in the following respects : —
(1.) he occupied a most lowly condi
tion in life; and (2.) he condescend
ed to perform such acts as are appro
priate only to those who are servants.
" I am among you as he that serveth."
Luke xxii. 27. Comp. John xiii. 4
— 15. ^f And was made in the like
ness of men. Marg., habit. The
Greek word means likeness, resem
blance. The meaning is, he was
made like unto men by assuming
such a body as theirs. See Notes,
ch. viii. 3.
R And being found. That is,

199
8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself

being such, or existing as a man, he
humbled himself" If In fashion as a
man. The word rendered fashion
— axijpa. — means figure, mien, de
portment Here it is the same as
stale, or condition. The sense is,
that when he was reduced to this
condition he humbled hims'elf, and
obeyed even unto death. He took
upon himself all the attributes of a
man. He assumed all the innocent
infirmities of our nature. He ap
peared as other men do, was subject
ed to the' necessity of food and rai
ment, like others, and was made lia
ble to suffering, as other men are. It
was still he who had been in the
' form of God' who thus appeared ;
and, though his divine glory had
been for a time laid aside, yet it was
not extinguished or lost. It is im
portant to remember, in all our me
ditations on the Saviour, that it was
the same Being who had been invest
ed with so much glory in heaven,
that appeared on earth in the form
of a man. 1f He humbled himself.
Even then, when he appeared as a
man. He had not only laid aside
the symbols of his glory (ver. 7), and
become a man ; but, when he was a
man, he humbled himself. Humilia
tion was a constant characteristic of
him as a man. He did not aspire to
high honours; he did not affect pomp
and parade ; he did not demand the
service of a train of menials; but he
condescended to the lowest condi
tions of life. Luke xxii. 27. The
words here are very carefully chosen.
In the former case (ver. 7), when he
became a man, he ' emptied himself,'
or laid aside the symbols of his glory;
now, when a man, he humbled him
self. That is, though he was God
appearing in the form of man — a di
vine person on earth — yet he did not
assume and assert the dignity and

200

and became " obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
a He. 12. 2.
prerogatives appropriate to a divine
being, but put himself in a condition
of obedience. For such a. being to
obey law, implied voluntary humilia
tion ; and the greatness of his humi
liation was shown by his becoming
entirely obedient, even till he died
on the cross. If And became obe
dient. He subjected himself to the
law of God, and wholly obeyed it
Heb. x. 7. 9. It was a characteristic
of the Redeemer that he yielded per
fect obedience to the will of God.
Should it be said that, if he was God
himself, he must have been himself
the lawgiver, we may reply that this
rendered his obedience the more
wonderful and the more meritorious.
If a monarch should for an important
purpose place himself in a position to
obey his own laws, nothing could
show in a more striking manner
their importance in his view. The
highest honour that has been shown
to the law of God on earth was, that
it was perfectly observed by him who
made the law — the great Mediator.
If Unto death. He obeyed even when
obedience terminated in death. The
point of this expression is this : One
may readily and cheerfully obey an
other where there is no particular
peril. But the case is different
where obedience is attended with
danger. The child shows a spirit
of true obedience when he yields to
the commands of a father, though it
should expose him to hazard; the
servant who obeys his master, when
obedience is attended with risk of
life ; the soldier, when he is morally
certain that to obey will be followed
by death. Thus many a company
or platoon has been ordered into the
' deadly breach,' or directed to storm
a redoubt, or to scale a wall, or to
face a cannon, when it was morally
certain that death would be the con-

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64,.
9 Wherefore J God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him
b He. 2. 9. Re. 3. 21.

sequence. No profounder spirit of
obedience can be evinced than this.
It should be said, however, that the
obedience of the soldier is in many
cases scarcely voluntary, since, if he
did not obey, death would be the pe
nalty. But, in the case of the Re
deemer, it was wholly voluntary.
He placed himself in the condition
of a servant to do the will of God.
and then never shrank from what
that condition involved. ^Even the
death of the cross. It was not such
a death as a servant might incur by
crossing a stream, or by falling
among robbers, or by being worn out
by toil ; it was not such as the sol
dier meets when he is suddenly cul
down, covered with glory as he falls;
it was the long, lingering, painful,
humiliating death of the cross.
Many a one might be willing to obey
if the death that was suffered was
regarded as glorious; but when it
is ignominious, and of the most de
grading character, and the most tor
turing that human ingenuity can
invent, then the whole character of
the obedience is changed. Yet this
was the obedience the Lord Jesus
evinced ; and it was in this way that
his remarkable readiness to suffer
was shown.
9. Wherefore. As a reward of
this humiliation and these sufferings.
The idea is, that there was an appro
priate reward for it, and that that
was bestowed upon him by his exalt
ation as Mediator to the right hand
of God. Comp. Notes on Heb. ii. 9.
If God also hath highly exalted him.
As Mediator. Though he was thus
humbled, and appeared in the form
of a servant, he is now raised up to
the throne of glory, and to universal
dominion. This exaltation is spoken
of the Redeemer as he was, sustain
ing a divine and a human nature

A. D. 64.]
a name
name.

CHAPTER II.

201

which is above

every

If there was, as has been supposed,
some obscuration or withdrawing of
the symbols of his glory (ver. 7),
when he became a man, then this
refers to the restoration of that glory,
and would seem to imply, also, that
there was additional honour confer
red on him. There was all the aug
mented glory resulting from the
work which he had performed in re
deeming man. If And given him a
name which is above every name.
No other name can bo compared
with his. It stands alone. He only
is Redeemer, Saviour. He only is
Christ, the Anointed of God. See
Notes on Heb. i. 4. He only is the
Son of God. His rank, his titles,
his dignity, are above all others. See
this illustrated in the Notes on Eph.
i. 20, 21.
10. That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow. The knee
should bow, or bend, in token of ho
nour, or worship; that is, all men
should adore him. This cannot
mean merely that at the mention of
the name of Jesus we should bow;
nor is there any evidence that God
requires this. Why should we bow
at the mention of that name, rather
than at any of the other titles ofthe
Redeemer? Is there any special
sacredness or honour in it above the
other names which he bears ? And
why should we bow at his name,
rather than at the name of the Fa
ther ? Besides, if any special ho
mage is to be paid to the name of the
Saviour under the authority of this
passage — and this is the only one on
which the authority of this custom is
based — it should be by bowing the
knee, not the ' head.' But the truth
is, this authorizes and '•oquires nei
ther ; and the custom of bowing at
the name of Jesus, in some churches,
has arisen entirely from a. misinter-

10 That at the name of Jesus
every " knee should bow, of things
a Is. 45. 23. Re. 5. 13.

pretation of this passage. There is
no other place in the Bible to which
an appeal is made to authorize the
custom. Comp. Neal's History of
the Puritans, ch. 5. Ninth. 5. The
meaning here is, not that a special
act of respect or adoration should be
shown wherever the name 'Jesus'
occurs in reading the Scriptures, or
whenever it is mentioned, but that
he was so exalted that it would be
proper that all in heaven and on
earth should worship him, and that
the time would come when he would
be thus everywhere acknowledged
as Lord. The bowing of the knee
properly expresses homage, respect,
adoration (comp. Notes, Rom. xi. 4) ;
and it cannot be done to the Saviour
by those who are in heaven, unless
he be divine. If Of things in hea
ven, ijtovpavlav — rather, of beings
in heaven, the word ' things' being
improperly supplied by our transla
tors. The word may he in the neu
ter plural ; but it may be also in the
masculine plural, and denote beings
rather than things. Things do not
bow the knee; and the reference
here is undoubtedly to angels, and to
the > spirits of the just made perfect'
in heaven. If Jesus is worshipped
there, he is divine ; for there is no
idolatry of a creature in heaven. In
this whole passage there is probably
an allusion to Isa. xiv. 23. See it
illustrated in the Notes on Rom. xiv.
11. In the great divisions here spe
cified — of those in heaven, on the
earth, and under the earth — the
apostle intends, doubtless, to denote
the universe. The same mode of
designating the universe occurs in
Rev. v. 13. Ex. xx. 4. Comp. Ps.
xcvi. 11, 12. This mode of expres
sion is equivalent to saying, 'all that
is above, around, and beneath us,'
and arises from what appears to us.

202 in heaven, and things in earth,
and things under the earth.
11 And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
is Lord, » to the glory of God the
Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as
ye have always obeyed, not as in
a Jno. 13. 13. Ro. 14. 9.

The division is natural and obvious
— that which is above us in the hea
vens, that which is on the earth
where we dwell, and all that is be
neath us. If And things in earth.
Rather, 'being3 on earth,' to wit,
men ; for they only are capable of
rendering homage. % And things
under the earth. Beings under the
earth. The whole universe shall
confess that he is Lord. This em
braces, doubtless, those who have
departed from this life, and perhaps
includes also fallen angels. The
meaning is, that they shall all ac
knowledge him as universal Lord ;
all bow to his sovereign will; all
be subject to his control; all re
cognise him as divine. The fallen
and the lost will do this ; for they
will be constrained to yield an un
willing homage to him by submitting
to the sentence from his lips that
shall consign them to woe ; and thus
the whole universe shall acknow
ledge the exalted dignity of the Son
of God. But thh does not mean that
they will all be saved, for the guilty
and the lost may be compelled to ac
knowledge his power, and submit to
his decree as the sovereign of the
universe. There is the free and
cheerful hom?ge of the heart which
they who worship him in heaven will
render ; and there is the constrained
homage whkh they must yield who
are compelled to acknowledge his
authority. 1 1. And that every tongue should
confess. Every one should acknow
ledge him. On the duty and im
portance of confessing Christ, see
Notes on Rom. x. 9, 10. If That
Jesus Christ is Lord. The word
Lord, here, is used in its primitive
and proper sense> as denoting owner,

ruler, sovereign. Comp. Notes, Rom.
xiv. 9. The meaning is, that all
should acknowledge him as the uni
versal sovereign. If To the glory
of God the Father. Such a univer
sal confession would honour God.
See Notes on John v. 23, where this
sentiment is explained.
12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye
have always obeyed. The Philip
pians had from the beginning mani
fested a remarkable readiness to show
respect to the apostle, and to lis
ten to his teaching. This readiness
he more than once refers to and com
mends. He still appeals to them,
and 'irges them to follow his coun
sels, t.iat they might secure their sal
vation. If Now much more in my
absence. Though they had been
obedient when he was with them,
yet circumstances had occurred in
his absence which made their obe
dience more remarkable, and more
worthy of special commendation.
If Work out your own salvation.
This important command was first
addressed to Christians, but there is
no reason why the same command
should not be regarded as addressed
to all — for it is equally applicable to
all. The duty of doing this is en
joined here ; the reason for making
the effort, or the encouragement foi
the effort, is stated in the next verse.
In regard to the command here, it is
natural to inquire why it is a duty ;
and what is necessary to be done in
order to comply with it? On the
first of these inquiries, it may be
observed that it is a duty tc make a
personal effort to secure salvation,
or to work out our salvation: (1.)
Because God commands it There
is no command more frequently re
peated in the Siriptures, than the

AD. 64.-

CHAPTER 11.

203

my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work ° out
oPr.10. 16. Jno. 0. 27-39. He. 4. 11. 2Pe.
1. 5-10.
command to make to ourselves a
uew heart; to strive to enter in at
the strait gate; to break off from
sin, and to repent (2.) It is a duty
because it is our own personal inte
rest that is St stake. No other one
has, or can have, as much interest
in our salvation as we have. It is
every man's duty to be as happy as
possible here, and to be prepared for
eternal happiness in the future world.
No man has a right either to throw
away his life or his soul. He has
no more right to do the one than the
other; and if it is a man's duty to
endeavour to save his life when in
danger of drowning, it is no less his
duty to endeavour to save his soul
when in danger of hell. (3.) Our
earthly friends cannot save us. No ef
fort of theirs can deliver us from eter
nal death without our own exertion.
Great as may be their solicitude for
us, and much as they may do, there
is a point where their efforts must
stop — and that point is always short
of our salvation, unless we are roused
to seek salvation. They may pray,
and weep, and plead, but they can
not save us. There is a work to
be done on our own hearts which
they cannot do. (4.) It is a duty,
because the salvation of the soul
will not take care of itself without
an effort on our part. There is no
more reason to suppose this than that
health and life will take care of
themselves without our own exer
tion. And yet many live as if they
supposed that somehow all would
yet be well ; that the matter of sal
vation need not give them any con
cern, for that things will so arrange
themselves that they will be saved.
Why should they suppose this any
more in regard to religion than in
regard to anything else? (5.) It is

your own salvation with fear b and
trembling :

4 Ep. 6. s.

a duty, because there is no reason to
expect the divine interposition with
out our own effort No such interpo
sition is promised to any man, and
why should he expect it? In the
case of all who have -been saved,
they have made an effort — and why
should we expect that God will fa
vour us more than he did them?
'God helps them who help them
selves;' and what reason has any
man to suppose that he will interfere
in his case and save him, if he will
put forth no effort to ' work out his
own salvation?' In regard to the
other inquiry — What does the com
mand imply ; or what is necessary to
be done in order to comply with it?
we may observe, that it does not
mean (1.) that we are to attempt to
deserve salvation on the ground of
merit That is out of the question ;
for what can man do that shall be
an equivalent for eternal happiness
in heaven? Nor (2.) does it mean
that we are to endeavour to make
atonement for past sins. That would
be equally impossible, and it is, be
sides, unnecessary. That work has
been done by the great Redeemer
But it means, (1.) that we are to
make an honest effort to be saved in
the way which God has appointed ;
(2.) that we are to break off from
our sins by true repentance; (3.)
that we are to believe in the Sa
viour, and honestly to put our trust
in him ; (4.) that we are to give up
all that we have to God ; (5.) that
we are to break away from all evil
companions and evil plans of life;
and (6.) that we are to resist all the
allurements of the world, and all
the temptations which may assail us
that would lead us back from God,
and are to persevere unto the end.
The great difficulty in working out

204

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

13 Foi it is God " which work-
a He. 13. 21.

salvation is in forming a purpose to
begin at once. When that purpose
is formed, salvation is easy, if With
fear and trembling. That is, with
that kind of anxiety which one has
who feels that he has an important
interest at stake, and that he is in
danger of losing it. The reason or
the ground for ' fear' in this case is
in general this : there is danger of
losing the soul. (1.) So many per
sons make shipwreck of all hope and
perish, that there is danger that we
may also. (2.) There are so many
temptations and allurements in the
world, and so many things that lead
us to defer attention to religion, that
there is danger that we may be lost
(3.) There is danger that if the pre
sent opportunity passes, another may
not occur. Death may soon over
take us. No one has a moment to
lose. No one can designate one sin
gle moment of his life, and say, ' I
may safely lose that moment. I may
safely spend it in the neglect of my
soul.' (4.) It should be done with
the most earnest concern, from the
immensity of the interest at stake.
If the soul is lost, all is lost. And
who is there that can estimate the
value of that soul which is thus in
danger of being lost for ever?
13. For it is God that worketh in
you. This is given as a reason for
making an effort to be saved, or for
working out our salvation. It is
often thought to be the very reverse,
and men often feel that if God
works ' in us to will and to do,' there
can be no need of our making an
effort, and that there would be no
use in it. If God does all the work,
say they, why should we not patient
ly sit still, and wait until he puts
forth his power and accomplishes in
us what he wills ? It is of import
ance, therefore, to understand what
this declaration of the apostle means,

eth in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure.

in order to see whether this objec
tion is valid, or whether the fact that
God ' works in us' is to be regarded
as a reason why we. should make no
effort. The word rendered worketh
— ivtpyZiv — working — is from a verb
meaning to work, to be active, to
produce effect — and is that from
which we have derived the word
energetic. The meaning is, that
God produces a certain effect in us ;
he exerts such an influence over us
as to lead to a certain result in our
minds — to wit, ' to will and to do.'
Nothing is said of the mode in which
this is done, and probably this can
not be understood by us here. Comp.
John iii. 8. In regard to the divine
agency here referred to, however,
certain things, though of a negative
character, are clear. (1.) It is not
God who acts for us. He leads us
to ' will and to do.' It is not said
that he wills and does for us, and it
cannot be. It is man that 'wills
and does' — though God so influences
him that he does it. (2.) He does
not compel or force us against our
will. He leads us to ' wiW as Well
as to 'do.' The will cannot be
forced ; and the meaning here must
be that God exerts such an influence
as to make us willing to obey him.
Comp. Ps. ex. 3. (3.) It is not a
physical force, but it must be a moral
influence. A physical power cannot
act on the will. You may chain a
man, incarcerate him in the deepest
dungeon, starve him, scourge him,
apply red-hot pincers to his flesh,
or place on him the thumb-screw,
but the will is still free. You can
not bend that or control it, or make
him believe " otherwise than as he
chooses to believe. The declaration
here, therefore, cannot mean that
God compels us, or that we are any
thing else but free agents still,
though he works in us to will and

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

205

to do.' It must mean merely that
he exerts such an influence as to
secure this result. % To will and
to do of his good pleasure. Not to
will and to do euerj/ thing, but his
' good pleasure.' The extent of the
divine agency here referred to, is
limited to that, and no man should
adduce this passage to prove that
God ' works' in him to lead him to
commit sin. This passage teaches
no such doctrine. It refers here to
Christians, and means that he works
in their hearts that which is agree
able to him, or leads them to ' will
and to do' that which is in accord
ance with his own will. The word
rendered 'good pleasure' — siSoxlo. —
means delight, good-will, favour ,-
then good pleasure, purpose, will.
See Eph. i. 5. 2 Thess. i. 11. Here
it means that which would be agree
able to him ; and the idea is, that he
exerts such an influence as to lead
men to will and to do that which is
in accordance with his will. Paul
regarded this fact as a reason why
we should work out our salvation
with fear and trembling. It is with
that view that he urges it, and not
with any idea that it will embarrass
our efforts, or be a hindrance to us
in seeking salvation. The question
then is, how this fact can be a mo
tive to us to make an effort? In re
gard to this we may observe, (1.)
That the work of our salvation is
such that we need help, and such
help as God only can impart. We
need it to enable us to overcome our
sins ; to give us such a view of them
as to produce true penitence; to
break away from our evil com
panions; to give up our plans of
evil, and to resolve to lead different
lives. We need help that our minds
may be enlightened; that we may
be led in the way of truth ; that we
may be saved from the danger of
error, and that we may not be suf
fered to fall back into the ways of
transgression. Such help we should
18

welcome from any quarter ; and any
assistance furnished on these points
will not interfere with our freedom.
(2.) The influence which God exerts
on the mind is in the way of help or
aid. What he doc3 will not embar
rass or hinder us. It will prevent
no effort which we make to be saved ,
it will throw no hindrance or ob
stacle in_the way. When we speak
of God's working 'in us to will and
to do,' men often seem to suppose
that his agency will hinder us, or
throw some obstacle in our way, or
exert some evil influence on our
minds, or make it more difficult for
us to work out our salvation than it
would be without his agency. But
this cannot be. We may be sure
that all the influence which God
exerts over our minds, will be to aid
us in the work of salvation, not to
embarrass us ; will be to enable us
to overcome our spiritual enemies
and our sins, and not to put addi
tional weapons into their hands or
to confer on them new power. Why
should men ever dread the influence
of God on their hearts, as if he
would hinder their efforts for their
own good? (3.) The feet that God
works is an encouragement for us to
work. When a man is about to set
out a peach or an apple tree, it is an
encouragement for him to reflect
that the agency of God is around
him, and that he can cause the tree
to produce blossoms, and leaves, and
fruit. When he is about to plough
and sow his farm, it is an encourage
ment, not a.hindrance, to reflect that
God works, and that he can quicken
the grain that is sown, and produce
an abundant harvest. What en
couragement of a higher order can
man ask? And what farmer is
afraid of the agency of God in the
case, or supposes that the fact that
God exerts an agency is a reason
why he should not plough and plant
his field, or set out his orchard?
Poor encouragement would a man

206

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 04.

14 Do all things without mur-
murings " and disputings ; *
15 That ye may be blameless
and ' harmless, the sons " of God,
a t Co. 10. 10. 4 Ro. 14. 1.
1 or, sincere. c Mat. 5. 45. Ep. 5. 1.
have in these things if God did not
exert any agency in the world, and
could not be expected to make the
tree grow or to cause the grain to
spring up; and equally poor would
bo all the encouragement in religion
without his aid.
14. Do all things without mur-
murings and disputings. In a quiet,
peaceful, inoffensive manner. Let
there be no brawls, strifes, or con
tentions. The object of the apostle
here is, probably, to illustrate the
sentiment which he had expressed
in vs. 3 — 5, where he had inculcated
the general duties of humbleness of
mind, and of esteeming others better
than themselves. In order that that
spirit might be fully manifested, he
now enjoins the duty of doing every
thing in a quiet and gentle manner,
and of avoiding any species of strife.
See Notes on Eph. iv. 31, 32.
15. That ye may be blameless.
That you may give no occasion for
others to accuse you of having done
wrong. ^ And harmless. Marg^
sincere. The Greek word (dww'pcuos)
means properly that which is un
mixed ; and then pure, sincere. The
idea here is, that they should be art
less, simple, without guile. Then
they would injure no one. The
word occurs only in Matt. x. 16.
Phil. ii. 15, where it is rendered
harmless, and Rom. xvi. 19, where
it is rendered sincere. See Notes
on Matt. x. 16, and Rom. xvi. 19.
If The sons of God. The children
of God ; a phrase by which true
Christians were denoted. See Notes,
Matt. v. 45. Eph. v. 1. If Without
rebuke. Without blame ; without
giving occasion for any one to
complain of you If In the midst

without rebuke, in the midst of
a crooked d and perverse nation,
among whom 2 ye shine as lights '
in the world ;
d De. 32. 5. * or, shine ye.
eMat. 5. 14,16.

of a crooked and perverse nation.
Among those of perverted senti
ments and habits; those who are
disposed to complain and find fault;
those who will take every occasion
to pervert what you do and say, and
who seek every opportunity to re
tard the cause of truth and righte
ousness. It is nof certainly known
to whom the apostle refers here, but
it seems not improbable that he had
particular reference to the Jews who
were in Philippi. The language
here used was employed by Moses
(Deut xxxii. 5), as applicable to the
Jewish people, and it is accurately
descriptive of the character of the
nation in the time of Paul. The
Jews were among the most bitter
foes of the gospel, and did perhaps
more than any other people to em
barrass the cause of truth and pre
vent the spread of the true religion.
If Among whom ye shine. Marg»,
1 or, shine ye.' The Greek will ad
mit of either construction, and ex
positors have differed as to the cor
rect interpretation. Rosenmuller,
Doddridge, and others regard it as
imperative, and as designed to en
force on them the duty of letting
their light shine. Erasmus says it
is doubtful whether it is to be under
stood in the indicative or imperative.
Grotius, Koppe, Bloomfield, and
others regard it as in the indicative,
and as teaching that they did in
fact shine as lights in the world.
The sense can be determined only
by the connection ; and in regard to
it different readers will form differ
ent opinions. It seems to me that
the connection seems rather to re
quire the sense of duty or obligation
to be understood. The apostle is

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

207

16 Holding forth the word of life ; that I may rejoice in the day

enforcing on them the duty of being
blameless and harmless ; of holding
forth the word of life ; and it is in
accordance with his design to re
mind them that they ought to be
lights to those around them. % As
lights in the world. The compari
son of Christians with light, often
occurs in the Scriptures. See Notes
on Matt v. 14. 16. The image here
is not improbably taken from light
houses on a sea-coast The image
then is, that as those light-houses
are placed on a dangerous coast to
apprize vessels of their peril, and to
save them from shipwreck, so the
light of christian piety shines on a
dark world, and in the dangers of the
¦ oyage which we are making. See
the Note of Burder, in Ros. Alt u.
neu. Morgenland, in loc.
16. Holding forth the word of
life. That is, you are under obliga
tion to hold forth the word of life.
It is a duty incumbent on you as
Christians to do it. The ' word of
life' means the gospel, called the
' word of life' because it is the mes
sage that promises life ; or perhaps
this is a Hebraism, denoting the liv
ing, or life-giving word. The' gos
pel stands thus in contrast with all
human systems of religion — for they
have no efficacy to save — and to the
law which ' killeth.' See Notes on
John vi. 63, and 2 Cor. iii. 6. The
duty here enjoined is that of making
the gospel known to others, and of
thus keeping up the knowledge of it
in the world. This duty rests on
Christians (comp. Matt. v. 14. 16),
and they cannot escape from the ob
ligation. They are bound to do this,
not only because God commands it,
but (1.) because they are called into
the church that they may be wit
nesses for God. Isa. xliii. 10. (2.)
Because they are kept on the earth
for that purpose. If it were not for
some such design, they would be re

moved to heaven at once on their
conversion. (3.) Because there are
no others to do it. The gay will not
warn the gay, nor the proud the
proud, nor the scoffer the scoffer.
The thoughtless and the vain will
not go and tell others that there is a
God and a Saviour; nor will the wick
ed warn the wicked,and tell them that
they are in the way to hell. There
are none who will do this but Chris
tians; and, if they neglect it, sin
ners will go unwarned and unalarm-
ed down to death. This duty rests
on every Christian. The exhorta
tion here is not made to the pastor; or .
to any officer of the church particu
larly ; but to the mass of communi
cants. They are to shine as lights
in the world ; they are to hold forth
the word of life. There is not one
member of a church who is so ob
scure as to be exempt from the obli
gation; and there is not one who
may not do something in this work.
If we are asked how this may be
done, we may reply, (1.) They are
to do it by example. Every one is
to hold forth the living word in that
way. (2.) By efforts to send the
gospel to those who have it not.
There is almost no one who cannot
contribute something, though it may
be but two mites, to accomplish this.
(3.) By conversation. There is no
Christian who has not some influence
over the minds and hearts of others;
and he is bound to use that influence
in holding forth the word of life.
(4.) By defending the divine origin
of religion when attacked. (5.) By
rebuking sin, and thus testifying to
the value of holiness. The defence
of the truth, under God, and the
diffusion of a knowledge of the way
of salvation, rests on those who are
Christians. Paganism never origi
nates a system which it would not be
an advantage to the world to have
destroyed as soon as it is conceived

208

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. >

of Christ, that I have not run in
vain, " neither laboured in vain.
a 1 Co. 9. 26.

Philosophy has never yet told of a
way by which a sinner may be saved.
The world at large devises no plan
for the salvation of the soul. The
most crude, ill-digested, and perverse
systems of belief conceivable, pre
vail in the community called 'the
world.' Every form of opinion has
an advocate there ; every monstrous
vagary that the human mind ever
conceived, finds friends -and defend
ers there. The human mind has of
itself no elastic energy to bring it
from the ways of sin ; it has no re
cuperative power to lead it back to
God. The world at large is depend
ant on the church for any just views
of God, and of the way of salva
tion; and every Christian is to do
his part in making that salvation
known. ^ That I may rejoice. This
was one reason which the apostle
urged, and which it was proper to
urge, why they should let their light
shine. He had been the instrument
of their conversion, he had founded
their church, he was their spiritual
father, and had shown the deepest
interest in their welfare; and he
now entreats them, as a means of
promoting his highest joy, to be faith
ful and holy. The exemplary piety
and holy lives of the members of a
church will be one of the sources of
highest joy to a pastor in the day of
judgment Comp. 3 John 4. If In
the day of Christ. The day when
Christ shall appear — the day of judg
ment It is called tlis day of Christ,
because he will be the glorious ob
ject which will be prominent on that
day ; it will be the day in which he
will be honoured as the judge of all
the world. 1T That I have not run
in vain. That is, that I have not
lived in vain — life being compared
with a race. See Notes on 1 Cor.
ix. 26. If Neither laboured in vain.

17 Yea, and if I be ' offered
upon the sacrifice and service of
i poured forth. 4 2Ti. 4. 0.
In preaching the gospel. Their holy
lives would be the fullest proof that
he was a faithful preacher.
17. Yea, and if I be offered.
Marg., poured forth. The mention
of his labours in their behalf, in the
previous verse, seems to have sug
gested to him the sufferings which
he wis likely yet to endure on their
account. He had laboured for their
salvation. He had exposed himself
to peril that they and others might
have the gospel. On their account
he had suffered much ; he had been
made a prisoner at Rome ; and there
was a possibility, if not a probability,
that his life might be a forfeit for his
labours in their behalf Yet he says
that, even if this should happen, he
would not regret it, but it would be
a source of joy. The word which is
here used — enivSopm — properly
means, to pour out, to make a liba
tion ; and is commonly used, in the
classic writers, in connection with
sacrifices. It refers to a drink-offer
ing, where one who was about to
offer a sacrifice, or to present a drink-
offering to the gods, before he tasted
of it himself, poured out a part of it
on the altar. Passow. It is used
also to denote the fact that, when an
animal was about to be slain in sa
crifice, wine was poured on it as a
solemn act of devoting it to God.
Comp. Num. xv. 5; xxviii. 7. 14.
In like manner, Paul may have re
garded himself as a victim prepared
for the sacrifice. In the New Tes
tament it is found only in this place,
and in 2 Tim. iv. 6, where it is ren
dered, 'I am ready to be offered.'
Comp. Notes on that place. It does
not here mean that Paul really ex
pected to be a sacrifice, or to make
an expiation for sin by his death,
but that he might be called to pour
oat his blood, or to offer up his life

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

209

your faith, I joy, and rejoice with
you all.
os if he were a sacrifice, or an offer
ing to God. We have a similar use
of language, when we say that a
man sacrifices himself for his friends
or his country. If Upon the sacrifice.
trti tij Svaia. The word here ren
dered sacrifice, means (1.) the act of
sacrificing; (2.) the victim that is
offered ; and (3.) any oblation or of
fering. Robinson, Lex. Here it
must be used in the latter sense, and
is connected with 'faith' — ' the sa
crifice of your faith.' The reference
is probably to the faith, i. e., the re
ligion of the Philippians, regarded
as a sacrifice or an offering to God ;
the worship which they rendered to
him. The idea of Paul is, that if,
in order to render that offering what
it should be — to make it as complete
and acceptable to God as possible —
it were necessary for him to die,
pouring out his blood, and strength,
and life, as wine was poured out to
prepare a sacrifice for the altar and
make it complete, he would not re
fuse to do it, but would rejoice in the
opportunity. He seems to have re
garded them as engaged in making
an offering of faith, and as endea
vouring to make the offering com
plete and acceptable ; and says that
if his death were necessary to make
their piety of the highest and most
acceptable kind, he was ready to die.
Tf And service, tewoupyi'a — a word
taken from an act of worship, or pub
lic service, and especially the minis
try of those engaged in offering sa
crifices. Luke i. 23. Heb. viii. 6.
Here it means, the ministering or
service which the Philippians ren
dered to God; the worship which
they offered, the essential element
of which was faith. Paul was will
ing to endure anything, even to suf
fer death in their cause, if it would
tend to make their 'service' more
Dure, spiritual, and acceptable to
'3*

18 For the same cause also do
ye joy, and rejoice with me.

God. The meaning ofthe whole is,
(1.) that the sufferings and dangers
which he now experienced were in
their cause, and on their behalf; and
(2.) that he was willing to lay down
his life, if their piety would be pro
moted, and their worship be rendered
more pure and acceptable to God.
If I joy. That is, I am not afraid of
death ; and if my dying can be the
means of promoting your piety, it
will be a source of rejoicing. Comp.
Notes on ch. i. 23. Tf And rejoice
with you all. My joy will be in
creased in anything that promotes
yours. The fruits of my death will
reach and benefit you, and it will
be a source of mutual congratula
tion. 18. For the same cause. Because
we are united, and what affects one
of us should affect both. 1f Do ye
joy and rejoice with me. That is,
' do not grieve at my death. Be not
overwhelmed with sorrow, but let
your hearts be filled with congratu
lation. It will be a privilege and a
pleasure thus to die.' This is a no
ble sentiment, and one that could
have been uttered only by a heroic
and generous mind — by a man who
did not dread death, and who felt
that it was honourable thus to die.
Doddridge has illustrated the senti
ment by an appropriate reference to
a fact stated by Plutarch. A brave
Athenian returned from the battle
of Marathon, bleeding with wounds
and exhausted, and rushed into the
presence of the magistrates, and ut
tered only these two words — ^Dupers,
%atj)o/j.si' — 'rejoice, we rejoice,' and
immediately expired. So Paul felt
that there was occasion for him, and
for all whom he loved, to rejoice, if
he was permitted to die in the cause
of others, and in such a manner
that his death would benefit the
world.

210

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

19 ' But I trust in the Lord
Jesus to send Timotheus ° shortly
unto you, that I also maybe of good
comfort, when I know your state.

19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus.
His hope wa3 that the Lord Jesus
would so order affairs as to permit
this — an expression that no man
could use who did not regard the
Lord Jesus as on the throne, and as
more than human. If To send Ti
motheus shortly unto you. There
was a special reason why Paul de
sired to send Timothy to them rather
than another person, which he him
self states, ver. 22. " Ye know the
proof of him, that as a son with the
father, he hath served with me in
the gospel." From this passage, as
well as from ch. i. 1, where Timo
thy is joined with Paul in the salu
tation, it is evident that he had been
with the apostle at Philippi. But
this feet is no where, mentioned in
the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of
the Apostles, which contains an ac
count of the visit of Paul to that
place. The narrative in the Acts,
however, as Dr. Paley has remark
ed {Horce PauliruB, in loc), is such
as to render this altogether probable,
and the manner in which the fact is
adverted to here is such as would
have occurred to no one forging an
epistle like this, and shows that the
Acts of the Apostles and the epistle
are independent books, and are not
the work of imposture. In the Acts
of the Apostles it is said that when
Paul came to Derbe and Lystra he
found a certain disciple named Tim
othy, whom he would have go forth
with him. Ch. xvi. 1 — 3. The nar
rative then proceeds with an account
of the progress of Paul through va
rious provinces of Asia Minor, till it
brings him to Troas. There he was
warned in a vision to go over into
Macedonia. In pursuance of this call,
he passed over the /Egean sea, came

20 For I have no man ' like-
minded, who will naturally care
for your state. 1 or, so dear unto me.

to Samothracia, and thence to Nea-
polis, and thence to Philippi. No
mention is made, indeed, of Timothy
as being with Paul at Philippi, but
after he had left that city, and had
gone to Berea, where the ' brethren
sent away Paul,' it is added, "but
Silas and Timotheus abode there
still." From this it is evident that
he had accompanied them in their
journey, and had no doubt been with
them at Philippi. For the argument
which Dr. Paley has derived from
the manner in which this subject is
mentioned in the Acts, and in this
epistle, in favour of the genuineness
of the Scripture account, see Ho1
ra Paul, on the epistle to the Phi
lippians, No. iv. If When I know
your state. It was a considerable
time since Epaphroditus had left
the Philippians, and since, therefore,
Paul had been informed of their con
dition. 20. For 1 have no man like-mind
ed. Marg. so dear unto me. The
Greek is, laotyizpv — similar in mind,
or like-minded. The meaning is,
that there was no one with him who
would feel so deep an interest in
tlieir welfare. % Who will natu
rally care. The word rendered raa-
turally—yvrjaiaf — means sincerely ,
and the idea is, that he would regard
their interests with a sincere tender
ness and concern. He might be de
pended on to enter heartily into their
concerns. This arose doubtless from
the fact that he had been with them
when the church was founded there,
and that he felt a deeper interest in
what related to the apostle Paul
than any other man. Paul regarded
Timothy as a son, and his sending
him on such an occasion would evince
the feelings of a father who should

A. D. 64] CHAPTER II.
21 For all seek their own, "
not the things which are Jesus
Christ's. 22 But ye know the proof of
a 2 Ti. a 2.

send a beloved son on an important
message. 21. For all seek their own. That
is, all who are with me. Who Paul
had with him at this time is not fully
known, but he doubtless means that
this remark should apply to the mass
of Christians and christian ministers
then in Rome. Perhaps he had pro
posed to some of them to go and visit
the church at Philippi, and they had
declined it because of the distance
and the dangers of the way. When
the trial of Paul came on before the
emperor, all who were with him in
Rome fled from him (2 Tim. iv. 16),
and it is possible that the same dis
regard of his wishes and his welfare
had already begun to manifest itself
among the Christians who were at
Rome, so that he was constrained to
say that, as a general thing, they
sought their own ease and comfort,
and were unwilling to deny them
selves in order to promote the hap
piness of those who lived in the re
mote parts of the world. Let us not
be harsh in judging them. How
many professing Christians in our
cities and towns are there now who
would be willing to leave their busi
ness and their comfortable homes
and go on embassy like this to Phi
lippi? How many are there who
would not seek some excuse, and
show that it was a characteristic that
they ' sought their own' rather than
the things which pertained to the
kingdom of Jesus Christ ? f Not
the things which are Jesus Christ's.
Which pertain to Ivs cause and king
dom. They are not willing to prac
tise self-denial in order to promote
that cause. It is implied here (1.)
that it is the duty of those who pro
fess religion to seek the things- which

211
him, that, as a son with the father,
he hath served with me in the
gospel. 23 Him therefore I hope to

pertain to the kingdom of the Re
deemer, or to make that the great
and leading object of their lives.
They are bound to be willing to sa
crifice ' their own' things — to deny
themselves of ease, and to be always
ready to expose themselves to peril
and want if they may be the means
of advancing his cause. (2.) That
frequently this is not done by those
who profess religion. It was the
case with the professed Christians at
Rome, and it is often the case in the
churches now. There are few Chris
tians who deny themselves much to
promote the kingdom of the Re
deemer ; few who are willing to lay
aside what they regard as 'their
own' in order to advance his cause.
Men live for their own ease; for
their families; for the prosecution
of their own business — as if a Chris
tian could have anything which he
has a right to pursue independently
of the kingdom of the Redeemer,
and without regard to his will and
glory. <
22. But ye know the proof of
him. You have had evidence among
yourselves how faithfully Timothy
devoted himself to the promotion of
the gospel, and how constantly he
served with me. This proves that
Timothy was with Paul when he
was at Philippi. If As a son with
the father. Manifesting the same
spirit towards me which a son does
towards a father, and evincing the
same interest in my work. He did
all he could do to aid me, and lighten
my labours and sufferings.
23. So soon as I shall see how it
will go with me. Paul was a pri*
soner at Rome, and there was not a
little uncertainty whether he would
be condemned or acquitted. He was,

212

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

send presently, so soon as I shall
see how it will go with me.
24 But " I trust in the Lord that
I also myself shall come shortly.
25 Yet I supposed it necessary

it is commonly supposed, in fact re
leased on the first trial. 2 Tim. iv.
16. He now felt that he would soon
be able to send Timothy to them at
any rate. If he was condemned and
put to death, he would, of course,
have no further occasion for his ser
vices, and if he was released from
his present troubles and dangers, he
could spare him for a season to go
and visit the churches.
24. But I trust in the Lord, &c.
Note, ch. i. 25.
25. Yet I supposed it necessary
to send to you Epaphroditus. Epa
phroditus is nowhere else mentioned
but in this epistle. See ch. iv. 18.
All that is known of him, therefore,
is what is mentioned here. He was
from Philippi, and was a member of
the church there. He had been em
ployed by the Philippians to carry
relief to Paul when he was in Rome
(ch iv. 18), and while in Rome he
, was taken dangerously sick. News
of this had been conveyed to Philippi,
and again intelligence had been
brought to him that they had heard
of his sickness and that they were
much affected by it. On his reco
very, Paul thought it best that he
should return at once to Philippi,
and doubtless sent this epistle by
him. He is much commended by
Paul for his faithfulness and .zeal.
If My brother. In the gospel; or
brother Christian. These expres
sions of affectionate regard must
have been highly gratifying to the
Philippians.' % And companion in
lnhour. It is not impossible that he
may have laboured with Paul in the
gospel, at Philippi ; but more probar
My the sense is, that he regarded

to send to you Epaphroditus, * my
brother, and companion in labour,
and fellow-soldier, ' but your mes
senger, and he that ministered to
my wants.

4 c. 4. 18.

e Phi. 3.

him as engaged in the same great
work that he was. It is not proba
ble that he assisted Paul much in
Rome, as he appears to have been
sick during a considerable part of
the time he was there. If And fel
low-soldier. Christians and chris
tian ministers are compared with
soldiers (Philem. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4),
because of the nature of the service
in which they are engaged. The
christian life is a warfare ; there are
many foes to be overcome ; the pe
riod which they are to serve is fixed
by the Great Captain of salvation,
and they will soon be permitted to
enjoy the triumphs of victory. Paul
regarded himself as enlisted to make
war on all the spiritual enemies of
the Redeemer, and he esteemed
Epaphroditus as one who had shown
that he was worthy to be engaged
in so good a cause. Tf But your
messenger. Sent to convey supplies
to Paul. Ch. iv. 18. The original
is, ' your apostle'— iipuv S'c artoato'kov
— and some have proposed to take
this literally, meaning that he was
the apostle of the church at Philip
pi, or that he was their bishop. The
advocates for Episcopacy have been
the rather inclined to this, because
in ch. i. 1, there are but two orders
of ministers mentioned — 'bishops
and deacons' — from which they have
supposed that 'the bishop' might
have been absent, and that 'the
bishop' was probably this Epaphro
ditus. But against this supposition
the objections are obvious. (1.) The
word cWtoWokos means properly one
sent forth, a messenger, and it is
uniformly used in this sense unless
there is something in the connection

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II.
26 For he longed after you all,
and was full of heaviness, because
that ye had heard that he had been
sick. %
37 For indeed he was sick nigh
unto death : but God had -mercy
on him ; and not on him only, but

to limit it to an apostle, technically
so called. (2.J The supposition that
it here means a messenger meets
all the circumstances of the case,
and describes exactly what Epaphro
ditus did. He was in feet sent as
a messenger to Paul. Ch. iv. 18.
(3.) He was not an apostle in the
proper sense of the term — the apos
tles having been chosen to be wit
nesses of the life, the teachings, the
death, and the resurrection of the
Saviour. See Ar.ts i. 22. Comp.
Notes, 1 Cor. ix. 1. (4.) If he had
been an apostle, it is altogether im
probable that he would have been
sent on an errand comparatively so
humble as that of carrying supplies
to Paul. Was there no one else
who could do this without sending
their bishop ? Would a diocese be
likely to employ a ' bishop' for such
a purpose now ? ^f And he that
ministered to my wants. Ch. iv. 18.
26. For lie longed after you all.
He was desirous to see you all, and
to relieve your anxiety in regard to
his safety.
27. For indeed he was sick nigh
unto death. Dr. Paley has remarked
(//or. Paul, on Phil. No. ii.) that the
account of the sickness and recovery
of Epaphroditus is such as to lead -us
to suppose that he was not restored
by miracle ; and he infers that the
power of healing the sick was con
ferred on the apostles only occasion
ally, and did not depend at all on
their will, since, if it had, there is
every reason to suppose that Paul
would at once have restored him to
health. This account, he adds,
chows also that this epistle is not the

213

on me also, lest I should have sor
row upon sorrow.
28 I send him therefore the
more carefully, that, when ye see
him again, ye majr rejoice, and
that I may be the less sorrowful.
29 Receive him therefore in

work of an impostor. Had it been,
a miracle would not have been
spared. Paul would not have been
introduced as showing such anxiety
about a friend lying at the point of
death, and as being unable to restore
him. It would have been said that
he interposed at once, and raised
him up to health. If But God had
mercy on him. By restoring him to
health, evidently not by miracle, but
by the use of ordinary means. IT On
me also, lest I should have sorrow
upon sorrow. In addition to all the
sorrows of imprisonment, and the
prospect of a trial, and the want of.
friends. The sources of his sorrow,
had Epaphroditus died, would have
been such as these : (1.) He would
have lost a valued friend, and one
whom he esteemed as a brother and
worthy fellow-labourer. (2.) He
would have felt that the church at
Philippi had lost a valuable member.
(3.) His grief might have been ag
gravated from the consideration that
his life had been lost in endeavour
ing to do him good. He would have
felt that he was the occasion, though
innocent, of his exposure to danger.
28. I send him therefore the more
carefully. With more diligence, or
speed ; I was the more ready to send
him. % That I may be the less sor
rowful. That is, on account of my
solicitude for you ; that I may know
that your minds are at ease, and that
you rejoice in his being among you.
29. Receive him therefore in the
Lord. As the servant of the Lord,
or as now restored to you by the
Lord, and therefore to be regarded
as a fresh gvft from God, Our friends

UI4

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64

the Lord with all gladness ; and
1 hold such in reputation :
30 Because for the work of
* or, honour such. 1 Co. 16. 18.

restored to us after a long absence,
we should receive as the gift of God,
and as a proof of his mercy. ^And
hold such in reputation. Marg.,
honour such. This is a high com
mendation of Epaphroditus, and, at
the same time, it enjoins an import
ant duty in regard to the proper
treatment of those who sustain such
a character. It is a christian duty
to honour those who ought to be ho
noured, to respect the virtuous and
the pious, and especially to honour
those who evince fidelity in the work
of the Lord.
30. Because for the work of
Christ. That is, either by exposing
himself in his journey to see the
apostle in Rome, or by his labours
there. If Not regarding his life.
There is a difference in the MSS.
here, so great that it is impossible
now to determine which is the true
reading, though the sense is not ma
terially affected. The common read
ing of the Greek text is, 7tapafSov-
tevadpsvos; literally, misconsulting,
not consulting carefully, hot taking
pains. The other reading is, rtapa-
Botevedus voc ; exposing oneself to
danger, regardless of life. See the
authorities for this reading in Wet
stein. Comp. Bloomfield, in loc
This reading suits the connection,
and is generally regarded as the cor
rect one. If To supply your lack of
service toward me. Not that they
had been indifferent to him, or inat
tentive to his wants, for he does not
mean to blame them ; but they had
not had an opportunity to send to his
relief (see ch. iv. 10), and Epaph
roditus therefore made a special
journey to Rome on his account.
He came and rendered to him the
service which they could not do in
person ; and what the church would

Christ he was nigh unto death,
not regarding his life " to supply
your lack of service toward me.

a 1 Co. 16. 17.

have done if Paul had been among '
them, he performed in their name
and on their behalf.
REMARKS.
1. Let us learn to esteem others
as they ought to be. Ver. 3. Every
person who is virtuous and pious has
some claim to esteem. He has a
reputation which is valuable to him
and to the church, and we should not
withhold respect from him. It is
one evidence, also, of true humility
and of right feeling, when we esteem
them as better than ourselves, and
when we are willing to see them
honoured, and are willing to sacrifice
our own ease to promote their wel
fare. It is one of the instinctive
promptings of true humility to feel
that other persons are better than we
are. 2. We should not be disappointed
or mortified if others think little of
us — if we are not brought into pro
minent notice among men. Ver. 3.
We profess to have a low opinion
of ourselves, if we are Christians, and
we ought to have ; and why should
we be chagrined and mortified if
others have the same opinion of us?
Why should we not be willing that
they should accord in judgment with
us in regard to ourselv.es !
3. We should be willing to occupy
our appropriate place in the church.
Ver. 3. That is true humility ; and
why should any one be unwilling to
be esteemed just as he ought to be?
Pride makes us miserable, and is the
grand thing that stands in the way
of the influence of the gospel on our
hearts. No one can become a Chris
tian who is not willing to occupy just
the place which he ought to occupy;
to take the lowly position as a peni
tent which he ought to take; and to

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER 11.
have God regard and treat him just
as he ought to be treated. The first,
second, arid third thing in religion is
humility; and no one ever becomes
a Christian who is not willing to
take the lowly condition of a child.
4. We should feel a deep interest
m the welfare of others. Ver. 4.
Men are by nature selfish, and it is
the design of religion to make them
benevolent They seek their own
interests by nature, and the gospel
would teach them to regard the wel
fare of others. If we are truly under
the influence of religion, there is not
a member ofthe church in whom we
should not feel an interest, and
whose welfare we should not strive
to promote as fer as we have oppor
tunity. And we may have opportu
nity every day. It is an easy matter
to do good to others. A kind word,
or even a kind took, does good ; and
who so poor that he cannot render
this ? Every day that we live, we
come in contact with some who may
be benefited by our example, our
advice, or our alms ; and every day,
the refore, may he closed with the
feeing that we have not lived in
va;n. a
5. Let us in all things look to the
example of Christ ver. 5. He
came that he might be an example ;
and he was exactly such an example
as we need. We may be always
sure that we are right when we fol
low his example and possess his spi
rit We cannot be so sure that we
are right in any other way. He
came to be our model in all things,
and in all the relations of life. (1.)
He showed us what the law of Goij
requires of us. (2.) He showed us
what we should aim to be, and what
human nature would he if it were
wholly under the influence of reli
gion. (3.) He showed us what true
- religion is, for it is just such as was
seen in his life. (4.) He showed us
how to act in our treatment of man
kind. (5.) He showed us how to

215

bear the ills of poverty, and want,
and pain, and temptation, and re
proach from the world. We should
learn to manifest the same spirit in
suffering which he did, for then we
are sure we are right (6.) And he
has showed us how to die. He has
exhibited in death just the spirit
which toe should when we die ; for
it is not less desirable to die well
than to live well.
6. It is right and proper to wor
ship Christ. Ver. 6. He was in the
form of God, and equal with God;
and, being such, we should adore
him. No one need be afraid to ren
der too high honour to the Saviour ;
and all piety may be measured by
the respect which is shown to him.
Religion advances in the world just-
in proportion as men are disposed to
render honour to the Redeemer ; it
becomes dim and dies away just in
proportion as that honour is with
held. 7. Like the Redeemer, we snould
be willing to deny ourselves in order
that we may promote the welfare of
others. Vs. 6 — 8. We can never,
indeed, equal his condescension. We
can never stoop from such a state of
dignity and honour as he did ; but, in
our measure, we should aim to imi
tate him. If we have comforts, we
should be willing to deny ourselves
of them to promote the happiness of
others. If we occupy an elevated
rank in life, we should be willing to
stoop to one more humble. If we
live in a palace, we should, be will
ing to enter the, most lowly cottage,
if we can render its inmates happy.
8. Christ was obedient unto death.
Ver. 8. Let us he obedient also,
doing the will of God in all things.
If in his service we are called to
pass through trials, even those which
will terminate in death, let us obey.
He has a right to command us, and
we have the example ofthe Saviour
I to sustain us. If he requires us, by
I his providence, and by the leadings

IP

1/ his Spirit, to forsake our country
and home ; to visit climes of pesti
lential air, or to traverse wastes of
burning sand, to make his name
known ; if he demands that, in that
service, we shall die far away from
kindred and home, and that our
bones shall be laid on the banks of
the Senegal or the Ganges, — still,
let us remember that these sufferings
are not equal to those of the Master.
He was an exile from heaven, in a
world of suffering. Our exile from
our own land is not like that from
heaven; nor will our sufferings,
though in regions of pestilence and
death, be like his sufferings in the
garden and on the cross.
9. Let us rejoice that we have a
Saviour who has ascended to heaven,
and who is to be forever honoured
there. Vs. 9 — 11. He is to suffer
no more. He has endured the last
pang ; has passed through a state of
humiliation and woe which he will
never repeat ; and has submitted to
insults and mockeries to which it
will not be necessary for him to sub
mit again. When we now think of
the Redeemer, we can think of him
as always happy and honoured.
There is no moment by day or by
night in which he is not the object
of adoration, love, and praise — nor
will there ever be such a moment to
all eternity. Our best friend is thus
to be eternally reverenced, and in
heaven he will receive a full reward
for all his unparalleled woes.
10. Let us diligently endeavour
to work out our salvation. Vs. 12,
13. Nothing else so much demands
our unceasing solicitude as this, and
in nothing else have we so much
encouragement We are assured
that God aids us in this work. He
throws no obstructions in our path,
but all that God aoes in the matter
of salvation is in the way of help.
He does not work in us evil passions,
or impure desires, or unbelief; — his
ftg?acy is to enable us to perform

PHILIPPIANS. [A. D. 64.
'his good pleasure,' or that which
will please him — that is, that which
is holy. The farmer is encouraged
to plough and plant his fields when
God works around him by sending
the warm breezes ofthe spring, and
by refreshing the earth with gentle
dews and rams. And so we may be
encouraged to seek our salvation
when God works in our hearts, pro
ducing serious thoughts, and a feel
ing that we need the blessings of
salvation. 11. Christians should let their
light shine. Vs. 14: — 16. God has
called them into his kingdom that
they may show what is the nature
and power of true religion. They
are to illustrate in their lives the
nature of that gospel which he has
revealed, and to show its value in
purifying the soul and in sustaining
it in the time of trial. The world
is dependent on Christians for just
views of religion, and every day
that a Christian lives he is doing
something to honour or dishonour the
gospel. Every word that he speaks,
every expression of the eye, every
cloud or beam of sunshine on his
brow;, will have some effect in doing
this. He cannot live without making
some impression upon the world
around him, either favourable or un
favourable to the cause of his Re
deemer. 12. We should bo ready to die, if
called to such a sacrifice in behalf
of the church of Christ. Ver. 17.
We should rejoice in being permit
ted to suffer, that, we may promote
the welfare of others, and be the
means of saving those for whom
Christ died. It has been an honour
to be a martyr in the cause of reli
gion, and so it ev( r will be when
God calls to such a sacrifice of life.
If he calls us to it, therefore, we
should not shrink from it, nor should
we shrink from any sufferings by
which we may honour the Saviour,
and rescue souls from death.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER HI.
13. Let us learn, from the inte
resting narrative respecting Epaphro
ditus at the close of this chapter, to
live and act as becomes Christians in
every situation in life. Vs. 25 — 30.
[t was much to have the praise of
an apostle, and to be commended for
bis christian conduct as this stranger
in Rome was. He went there, not
to view the wonders of the impe
rial city, and not to run the rounds
of giddy pleasure there, but to per
form an important duty of religion.
While there be became sick — not
by indulgence in pleasures ; not as
the result of feasting and- revelry,
but in the work of Christ In a
strange city, far from home, amidst
the rich, the great, the gay; in a
place where theatres opened their
doors, and where places of amuse
ment abounded, he led a life which
an apostle could commend as pure.
There is nothing more difficult for a
Christian than to maintain an irre
proachable walk when away from
the usual restraints and influences
that serve to keep him in the paths
of piety, and when surrounded with
the fascinations and allurements of
a great and wicked city. There
strangers, extending the rites of
aospitality, often invite the guest to
places of amusement which the
Christian would not visit were he at
home. There the desire to see all
that is to be seen, and to hear all
that -is to be heard, attracts him to
the theatre, the opera, and the gal
lery of obscene and licentious statu
ary and painting. There the plea
readily presents itself that an oppor
tunity of witnessing these things
may never occur again ; that he is
unknown, and that his example,
therefore, can do no harm ; that it is
desirable, from personal observation,
to know what is the condition of the
world; or that perhaps his former
views in these matters may have
been precise and puritanical. To
such considerations he yields; but
19

217

yields only to regret it in future life.
Rarely is such a thing done without
its being in some Way soon known ;
and rarely, very rarely does a Chris
tian minister or other member of the
church travel much without injury
to his piety, and to the cause of re
ligion. A christian man who is
under a necessity of visiting Europe
from this country, should feel that
he has special need of the prayers
of his friends, that he may not dis
honour his religion abroad ; he who
is permitted to remain at home, and
to cultivate the graces of piety in
his own family, and in the quiet
scenes where he has been accus
tomed to move, should regard it as
a cause of special thankfulness to
God. CHAPTER HI.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This chapter consists in the main,
of exhortations to holy living, and
to an effort to make great attain
ments in the divine life. It is full
of tenderness and affection, and is
one of the most beautiful appeals
which can anywhere be found to
induce Christians to devote them
selves to the service of the Re
deemer. The appeal is drawn in a
great measure from the apostle's
statement of his own feelings, and
is one which the Philippians could
not but feel,.for they knew him well.
In the course of the chapter, he ad
verts to the following points.
He exhorts them to rejoice in the
Lord. Ver. 1.
He warns them against the Jew
ish teachers who urged the necessity
of complying with the Mosaic laws,
and who appear to have boasted of
their being Jews, and to have re
garded themselves as the favourites
of God on that account. Vs. 2, 3.
To meet what they had said, and
to show how little all that on which
they relied was to be valued, Paul

218

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

CHAPTER III.
FINALLY, my brethren, re
joice " in the Lord. To write
a 1 Til. 5. 16.

says that he had had advantages of
birth and education which surpassed
them all, and that all the claim to
the favour of God, and all the hope
of salvation which could be derived
from birth, education, and a life of
zeal and conformity to the law, had
been his. Vs. 4 — 5.
Yet he says, he had renounced all
this, and now regarded it as utterly
worthless in the matter of salvation.
He. had cheerfully suffered the loss
of all things, and was willing still
to do it, if he might obtain salvation
through the Redeemer. Christ was
more to him than all the advantages
of birth, and rank, and blood ; and
all other grounds of dependence for
salvation, compared with reliance on
him, were worthless. Vs. 7 — 11.
The object which he had sought
in doing this, he says, he had not
yet fully attained. He had seen
enough to know its inestimable
value, and he now pressed onward
that he might secure all that he' de
sired. The mark was before him,
and he( pressed on to secure the
prize. Vs. 12 — 14.
He exhorts them to aim at the
same thing, and to endeavour to se
cure the same object, assuring them
that God was ready to disclose to
them all that they desired to know,
and to grant all that they wished to
obtain. Vs. 15, 16.
This whole exhortation he enforces
in the end of the chapter (vs. 17 —
21) by two considerations. One was,
that there were not a few who had
been deceived and who had no true
religion — whom he had often warn
ed with tears, vs. 18, 19; the other
was, that the home, the citizenship
of the true Christian, was in hea
ven, and they who were Christians

the same * things to you, to me in
deed is not grievous, but for you
it is safe.

b 2 Pe. 1. 12-15.

ought to live as those who expected
soon to be there. The Saviour would
soon return to take them to glory.
He would change their vile body,
and make them like himself, and
they should therefore live as became
those who had a hope so blessed and
transforming. 1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. That is, in the Lord
Jesus. See ver. 3. Comp. Notes
on Acts i. 24, and 1 Thess. v. 16.
The idea here is, that it is the duty
of Christians to rejoice in the Lord
Jesus Christ This duty implies the
following things. (1.) They should
rejoice that they have such a Sa
viour. Men everywhere have felt
the need of a Saviour, and to us it
should be a subject of unfeigned joy
that one has been provided for us.
When we think of our sins, we may
now rejoice that there is one who
can deliver us from them ; when we
think of the worth of the soul, we
may rejoice that there is one who
can save it from death ; when we
think of our danger, we can rejoice
that there is one who can rescue us
from all peril, and bring us to a
world where we shall be forever
safe. (2.) We may rejoice that we
have such a Saviour. He is just
such as we need. He accomplishes
just what we want a Saviour to do.
We need one to make known to us
a way of pardon, and he does it.
We need one to make an atonement
for sin, and he does it. We need
one to give us peace from a troubled
conscience, and he does it We
need one to support us in trials and
bereavements, and he does it. We
need one who can comfort us on the
bed of death, and guide us through

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

219

2 Beware of dogs, " beware of I * evil workers, beware of the c con
cision. 4 Ps. 119. 115. c Ga. 5. 1-3.

a Is. 56. 10-11. Ee. 22. 15.

the dark valley, and the Lord Jesus
is just what we want When we
look at his character, it is just such
as it should be to win our hearts,
and to make us love him ; and when
we look at what he has done, we
see that he has accomplished all that
we can desire, and why should we
not rejoice? (3.) We may and
should rejoice in him. The princi
pal joy of the true Christian should
be tn the Lord. He should find his
happiness not in riches, or gayety, or
vanity, or ambition, or books, or in
the world in any form, but in com
munion with the Lord Jesus, and in
the hope of eternal life through him.
In his friendship, and in his service,
should be the highest of our joys, and
in these we may always be happy.
It is the privilege, therefore, of a
Christian to rejoice. He has more
sources of joy than any other man
— sources which do not fail when
all others fail. Religion is not sad
ness or melancholy, it is joy; and
the Christian should never leave the
impression on others that his religion
makes him either gloomy or morose.
A cheerful countenance, an eye of
benignity, a conversation pleasant
and kind, should always evince the
joy of his heart, and in all his'in-
tercourse with the world around him
he should show that his heart is full
of joy. If To write the same things.
That is, to repeat the same truths
and admonitions. Perhaps he refers
in this to the exhortations which he
had given them when he was with
them, on the same topics on which
he is now writing to them. He
says, that for him to record these ex
hortations, and transmit them by a
-letter, might be the means of per
manent welfare to them, and would
not be burdensome or oppressive to
him. It was not absolutely neces

sary for them, but still it would be
conducive to their order and comfort
as a church. We may suppose that
this chapter is a summary of what
he had often inculcated when he was
with them, If To me indeed is not
grievous. It is not burdensome oi
oppressive to me to repeat these ex
hortations in this manner. They
might suppose that in the multitude
of cares which he had, and in his
trials in Rome, it might be too great
a burden for him to bestow so much
attention on their interests. If But
for you it is safe. It will contri
bute to your security as Christians,
to have these sentiments and admo
nitions on record. They were ex
posed to dangers which made them
proper. What those dangers were,
the apostle specifies in the following
verses. 2. Beware of dogs. Dogs in the
east are mostly without masters;
they wander at large in the streets
and fields, and feed upon offals, and
even upon corpses. Comp. 1 Kings
xiv. 11; xvi. 4; xxi. 19. They are
held as unclean, and to call one a
dog- is a much stronger expression
of contempt there than with us. 1
Sam. xvii. 43. 2 Kings viii. 13.
The Jews called the heathen dogs,
and the Mohammedans call Jews
and Christians by the same name.
The term dog also is used to denote
a person that is shameless, impu
dent, malignant, snarling, dissatis
fied, and contentious, and is evident
ly so employed here. It is possible
that the language used here may
have been derived from some custom
of affixing a caution, on a house that
was guarded by a dog, to persons ap
proaching it. Lenfent remarks that
at Rome it was common for a dog
to lie chained before the door of a
house, and that a notice was placed

220

3 For we * are the circumci-
a Ro. 2. 28, 20.
in sight, ' Beware of the dog.' The
same notice I have seen in this city
affixed to the kennel of dogs in front
of a bank, that were appointed to
guard it. The reference here is,
doubtless, to Judaizing teachers, and
the idea is, that they were conten
tious, troublesome, dissatisfied, and
would produce disturbance. The
strong language which the apostle
uses here, shows the sense which he
had of the danger arising from their
influence. It may be observed, how
ever, that the term dogs is used in
ancient writings with great frequen
cy, and even by the most grave
speakers. It is employed by the
most dignified characters in the Iliad
{Bloomfield), and the name was
given to a whole class of Greek phi
losophers — the Cynics. It is used
in one instance by the Saviour. Matt.
vii. 6. By the use of the term here,
there can be no doubt that the apos
tle meant to express strong disappro
bation of the character and course
of the persons referred to, and to
warn the Philippians in the most so
lemn manner against them. If Be
ware of evil workers. Referring,
doubtless, to the same persons that
he had characterized as dogs. The
reference is to Jewish teachers,
whose doctrines and influence he re
garded only as evil. We do not
know what was the nature of their
teaching, but we may presume that
it consisted much in urging the obli
gations ofthe Jewish rites and cere
monies ; in speaking of the advan
tage of having been born Jews; and
in urging a compliance with the law
in order to justification before God.
In this way their teachings tended
to set aside the great doctrine of sal
vation by the merits ofthe Redeem
er. IS Beware of the concision. Re
ferring, doubtless, also to the Jewish
teachers. The word rendered con-

PHILIPP1ANS. [A. D. 64.
sion, which worship God in the
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus,

cision — xartatopq — means properly
a cutting off, a mutilation. It is
used here contemptuously for the
Jewish circumcision in contrast with
the true circumcision. Robinson,
Lex. It is not to be understood that
Paul meant to throw contempt on
circumcision as enjoined by God, and
as practised by the pious Jews of
other times (comp. Acts xvi. 3), but
only as it was held by the false Ju
daizing teachers. As they held it,
it was not the true circumcision.
They made salvation to depend on
it, instead of its being only a sign
of the covenant with God. Such a
doctrine, as they held it, was a mere
cutting off of the flesh, without un
derstanding anything of the true
nature of the rite, and hence the un
usual term by which he designates
it. Perhaps, also, there may be in
cluded the idea that a doctrine so
held would be in fact a cutting off of
the soul ; that is, that it tended to
destruction. Their cutting and
mangling the flesh might be regard
ed as an emblem of the manner in
which their doctrine would cut and
mangle the church. Doddridge.
The meaning of the whole is, that
they did not understand the true na
ture of the doctrine of circumcision,
but that with them it was a, mere
cutting of the flesh, and tended to
destroy the church.
3. For we are the circumcision.
We who are Christians. We have
and hold the true doctrine of circum
cision. We have that which wab
intended to be secured by this rite —
for we are led to renounce the flesh,
and to worship God in the spirit.
The apostle in this verse teaches
that the ordinance of circumcision
was not designed to be a mere out
ward ceremony, but was intendfed to
be emblematic of the renunciation
of the flesh with its corrupt propen-

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER III.
and have no confidence in the
flesh: 4 Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh. If any

221

sities, and to lead to the pure and
spiritual worship of God. In this,
he has undoubtedly stated its true
design. They who now urged it as
necessary to salvation, and who made
salvation depend on its mere out
ward observance, had lost sight of
this object ofthe rite. But this, the
real design of circumcision, was at
tained by those who had been led
to renounce the flesh, and who had
devoted themselves to the worship
of God. See Notes on Rom. ii. 28,
29. % Which worship God in the
spirit. See Notes on John iv. 24.
Comp. Gen. xvii. 10 — 14. If And
rejoice in Christ Jesus. See ver. 1.
That is, we have, through him, re
nounced the flesh; we have become
the true worshippers of God, and
have thus attained what was origin
ally contemplated By circumcision,
and by all the other rites of religion.
¦f And have no confidence in the
flesh. In our own corrupt nature ;
or in any ordinances that relate
merely to the flesh. We do not de
pend on circumcision for salvation,
or on any external rites and forms
whatever — on any advantage of
rank, or blood. The word 'flesh'
here seems to refer to every advan
tage which any may have of birth ;
to any external conformity to the
law, and to everything which unaid
ed human nature can do to effect
salvation. On none of these things
can we put reliance for salvation;
none of them will constitute a ground
of hope.
4. Though I might also have con
fidence in the flesh. That is, though
I had uncommon advantages of this
kind; and if any one could have
trusted in them, 1 could have dime
(t The object of the apostle is to
fehow that he did not despise those
m*

other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more :
5 Circumcised the eighth day,

things because he did not possess
them, but because he now saw that
they were of no value in the great
matter of salvation. Once he had
confided in them, aitd if any one
could find any ground of reliance or<
them, he could have found more than
any of them. But he had seen that
all these things were valueless in
regard to the salvation of the soul.
We may remark here, that Chris
tians do not despise or disregard ad
vantages of birth, or amiableness of
manners, or external morality, be
cause they do not possess them — but
because they regard them as insuffi
cient to secure their salvation. They
who have been most amiable and
moral before their conversion will
speak in the most decided manner
of the insufficiency of these things
for salvation, and of the danger of
relying on them. They have once
tried it, and they now see that theii
feet were standing on a slippery rock. ,
The Greek here is, literally, 'al
though I [was] having confidence in
the flesh.' The meaning is, that he
had every ground of confidence in
the flesh which any one could have,
and that if there was any advantage
for salvation to be derived from birth,
and blood, and external conformity
to the law, he possessed it. He had
more tp rely on than most other men
had ; nay, he could have boasted of
advantages of this sort which could
liot be found united in any other in
dividual. What those advantages
were, he proceeds to specify.
5. Circumcised the eighth day.
That is, he was circumcised in exact
compliance with the law. If there
was any ground of confidence from
such compliance with the law, he
had it The law required that cir
cumcision should be performed on

222

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64-

of the stock of Israel, of the tribe
of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the

the eighth day (Gen. xvii. 12. Lev.
xii. 3. Luke i. 59) ; hut it is proba
ble that, in some cases, this was de
layed oh account of sickness, or from
some other cause ; and, in the case
of proselytes,, it was not performed
until adult age. See Acts xvi. 3.
But Paul says that, in his case, the
law had been literally complied
with ; and, consequently, all the ad
vantage which could be derived from
such a compliance, was his. If Of
the stock of Israel. Descended from
the patriarch Israel, or Jacob ; and,
therefore, able to trace his genealogy
back as far as any Jew could. He
was not a proselyte himself from
among the heathen, nor were any of
his ancestors proselytes. He had all
the advantages which could be de
rived from a regular descent from
the venerable founders of the Jewish
nation. He was thus distinguished
from the-Edomites and others who
practised circumcision; from the
Samaritans, who were made up of a
mixture of people ; and from many,
even among the Jews, whose ances
tors had been once heathen, and who
had become proselytes. If Of the
tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was
one of the two tribes which remained
when the ten tribes revolted under
Jeroboam, and, with the tribe of Ju-
dah, it ever afterwards maintained
its allegiance to God. The idea of
Paul is, that he was not one of the
revolted tribes, but that he had as
high a claim to the honour of being
a Jew as any one could boast. The
tribe of Benjamin, also, was located
near the temple, and indeed it has
been said that the temple was on the
dividing line between that tribe and
the tribe of Judah; and it might
have been supposed that there was
some advantage in securing salvation
from having been born and reared

Hebrews ; as touching the law, a
Pharisee ; " a Ac. 23^6.

so near where the holy rites of reli
gion were celebrated. If there were
any such derived from the proximity
of the tribe to the temple, he could
claim it; for," though his birth was
in another place, yet he was a mem
ber of the tribe. IT An Hebrew of
the Hebrews. This is the Hebrew
mode of expressing the superlative
degree ; and the idea is, that Paul
enjoyed every advantage which
could possibly be derived from tha
fact of being a Hebrew. He had a
lineal descent from the very ances
tor of the nation ; he belonged to a
tribe that was as honourable as any
other, and that had its location near
the very centre of religious influence ;
and he was an Hebrew by both his
parents, with no admixture of Gen
tile blood. On this fact — that no
one of his ancestors had been a pro
selyte, or of Gentile extraction — a
Jew would pride himself much ; and
Paul says that he was entitled to all
the advantage which could be de
rived from it. Tf As touching the
law, a Pharisee. In my views ofthe
law, and in my manner of observing
it, I was of the straitest sect — a
Pharisee. See Notes on Acts xxvi. 5.
The Pharisees were distinguished
among the Jewish sects for their
rigid adherence to the letter of the
law, and had endeavoured to guard
it from the possibility of violation by
throwing around it a vast body of
traditions, which they considered to
be equally binding with the written
law. See Notes on Matt. iii. 7. The
Sadducees were much less strict;
and Paul here says that whatever
advantage could be derived from the
most rigid adherence to the letter of
the law, was his.
6. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church. Showing the greatness
of my zeal for the religion which I

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER III.
6 Concerning zeal, "persecuting
the church; touching the right
eousness which is in the law,
blameless. *
a Ac. 23. 3, 4. Ga.-l. 13, 14. 4 Lu. 1. 6.

believed to be true, by persecuting
those whom I considered to be in
dangerous error. Zeal was supposed
to be, as it is, an important part of
religion. See 2 Kings x. 16. Ps.
lxix.9; cxix. 139. Isa. lix. 17. Rom.
x. 2. Paul says that he had shown
the highest degree of zeal that was
possible. He had gone so for in his
attachment for the religion of his
fathers, as to pursue with purposes
of death those who had departed
from it, and who had embraced a
different form of belief If any,
therefore, could hope for salvation
on the ground of extraordinary
devotedness to religion, he said
that he could. If Touching the
righteousness which is in the law,
blameless. So far as the righteous
ness which can be obtained by obey
ing the law is concerned. It is not
needful to suppose here that he re
fers merely to the ceremonial law ;
but the meaning is, that he did all
that could be done to obtain salva
tion by the mere observance of law.
It was supposed by the Jews, and
especially by the Pharisees, to which
sect he belonged, that it was possi
ble to be saved in that way; and
Paul says that he had done all that
was supposed to be necessary for
that We are not to imagine that,
when he penned this declaration, he
meant to be understood, as saying
that he had wholly complied with
the law of God; but that, before his
conversion, he supposed that he had
done all that was necessary to be
done in order to be saved by the ob
servance of law. He neglected no
duty that he understood it to enjoin.
He was not guilty of deliberately
violating it. He led a moral and
strictly upright life, and no one had

223

7 But what things were gam
to me, those I counted loss ' for
Christ. c Mat. 13. 44.

occasion to ' blame' or to accuse him
as a violator of the law of God.
There is every reason to believe that
Paul, before his conversion, was a
young man of correct deportment,
of upright life, of entire integrity ;
and that he was free from the in
dulgences of vice and passion, into
which young men often fall. In all
that he ever says of himself as being
' the chief of sinners,' and as being
' unworthy to be called an apostle,'
he never gives the least intimation
that his early life was stained by
vice, or corrupted by licentious pas
sions. On the contrary, we are left
to the fair presumption that, if any
man could be saved by his own
works, he was that man. This fact
should be allowed to make its proper
impression on those who are seeking
salvation in the same way ; and they
should be willing to inquire whetlier
they may not be deceived in the
matter, as he was, and whether they
are not in as much real danger in
depending on their own righteous
ness, as was this most upright and
zealous young man.
7. But what things were gain to
me. The advantages of birth, of
education, and of external conform
ity to the law. ' I thought these to
be gain — that is, to be of vast advan
tage in the matter of salvation. 1
valued myself on these things, and
supposed that I was rich in all that
pertained to moral character and to
religion.' Perhaps, also, he refers
to these things as laying the founda
tion of a hope of future advancement
in honour and in wealth in this
world. They commended him to the
rulers of the nation; they opened
before him a brilliant prospect of dis
tinction; they made it certain that

224

PHILIPPIANS.

fA. )> hi.

8 Yea, doubtless, and I count
all things but loss for " the excel
lency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord : for whom I have
a Is. 53. 11. Je.9.23,24. Jno. 17. 3. lCo.2.2.
he could rise to posts of honour and
of office, and could easily gratify all
the aspirings of his ambition. —
If Those I counted loss. ' I now re
gard them all as so much loss. They
were really a disadvantage — a hin
drance — an injury. I look upon
them, not as gain or an advantage,
but as an obstacle to my salvation.'
He had relied on them. He had
been led by these things to an im
proper estimate of his own charac
ter, and he had been thus hindered
from embracing the true religion.
He says, therefore, that he now re
nounced all dependence on them;
that he esteemed them not as contri
buting to his salvation, but, so far as
any reliance should be placed on
them, as in fact so much loss. If For
Christ. Gr., ' On account of Christ'
That is, so far as Christ and his re
ligion were concerned, they were to
be regarded as worthless. In order
to obtain salvation by him, it was
necessary to renounce all depend
ence on these things.
8. Yea, doubtless, and I count all
things but loss. Not only those things
which he had just specified, and
which he had himself possessed, he
says he would be willing to renounce
in order to obtain an interest in the
Saviour, but every thing which could
be imagined. Were all the wealth
and honour which could be conceived
of his, he would be willing to re
nounce them in order that he might
obtain the knowledge of the Re
deemer. He would be a gainer who
should sacrifice every thing in order
to win Christ. Paul had not only
acted on this principle when he be
came a Christian, but had ever after
wards continued to be ready to give
ap every thing in order that he

* suffered the loss of ail t/ji'go,
and do count them but dv.ig, i'ii&»
I mav win Christ,
4 2 Co. 11.25,27
might obtain an intereBt in the Sa
viour. He uses here the same word
—Ztiptav — which he does in the Acts
of the Apostles, ch. xxvii. 21, when
speaking of the loss which had been
sustained by loosing from Crete, con
trary to his advice, on the voyage to
Rome. The idea here seems to be,
' What I might obtain, or did possess,
I regard as loss in comparison with
the knowledge of Christ, even as
seamen do the goods on which they
set a high value, in comparison with
their lives. Valuable as they may
be, they are willing to throw them
all overboard in order to save them
selves.' Burder,, in Ros. Alt. u. neu.
Morgenland, in loc. % For the ex
cellency of the knowledge. A He
brew expression to denote excellent
knowledge. The idea is, that he
held everything else to be worthless
in comparison with that knowledge,
and he was willing to sacrifice every
thing else in order to obtain it. On
the value of this knowledge of the
Saviour, see Notes on Eph. iii. 19.
If For whom I have suffered the loss
of all things. Paul, when he be
came a Christian, gave up his bril
liant prospects in regard to this life,
and everything indeed on which his
heart had been placed. He aban
doned the hope of honour and dis
tinction; he sacrificed every pros
pect of gain or ease ; and he gave
up his dearest friends and separated
himself from those whom he tenderly
loved. He might have risen to the"
highest posts of honour in his native
land, and the path which an ambi
tious young man desires was fully
open before him. But all this had
been cheerfully sacrificed in order
that he might obtain an interest in
the Saviour, and partake of the

A D. 64.] CHAPTER III.
9 And be found in him, not
having mine own ° righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which
a Ro. 10. 3, 5.

blessings of his religion. He has
not, indeed, informed us ofthe exact
extent of his loss in becoming a
Christian. It is by no means impro
bable that he had been excommuni
cated by the Jews ; and that he had
been disowned by his own family.
*f And do count them but dung.
The word here used — exv?au>v— oc
curs nowhere else in the New Tes
tament It means, properly, dregs ,-
refuse; what is thrown away as
worthless ; chaff; offal, or the refuse
of a table or of slaughtered animals,
and then filth of any kind. No lan
guage could express a more deep
sense of the utter worthlessness of
all that external advantages can con
fer in the matter of salvation. In
the question of justification before
God, all reliance on birth, and blood,
and external morality, and forms of
religion, and prayers, and alms, is to
be renounced, and, in comparison
with the merits of the great Re
deemer, to be esteemed as vile. Such
were Paul's views, and we may re
mark that if this was so in his case,
it should be in ours. Such things
can no more avail for our salvation
than they could for his. We can no
more be justified by them than he
could. Nor will they do anything
more in our case to commend us to
God than they did in his.
9. And be found in him. That
is, united to him by a living faith.
The idea is, that when the investi
gations of the great day should take'
place in regard to the ground of sal
vation, it might be found that he
was united to the Redeemer and de
pended solely on his merits for sal
vation. Comp. Notes on John vi. 56.
^f Not having mine own righteous
ness. That is, not relying on that for
oalvation. This was now the great

225

is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness * which is of God
by faith : 4 Ro. 1. 17. 3. 21, 2-3.

aim of Paul, that if might be found
at last that he was not trusting to
his own merits, but to those of the
Lord Jesus. If Which is ofthe law.
See Notes on Rom. x. 3. The ' right
eousness which is of the law' is that
which could be obtained by conform
ity to the precepts of the Jewish re
ligion, such as Paul had endeavour
ed to obtain before he became a
Christian. He now saw that no one
complied perfectly with the holy law
of God, and that all dependence on
such a righteousness was vain. All
men by nature seek salvation by the
law.- They set up some standard
which they mean to comply with,
and expect to be saved by conformity
to that With some it is the law of
honour, with others the laws of ho
nesty, with others the law of Jtind-
ness and courtesy, and with others
the law of God. If they comply
with the requirements of these laws,
they suppose that they will be 6afe,
and it is only the grace of God show
ing them how defective their stan
dard is, or how far they come from
complying with its demands, that
can ever bring them from this dan
gerous dependence. Paul in early
life depended on his compliance with
the laws of God as he understood
them, and supposed that he was safe.
When he was brought to realize his
true condition, he saw how far short
he had come of what the law of God
required, and that all dependence
on his own works was vain. If But
that which is through the faith of
Christ. That justification which is
obtained by believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ See Notes on Rom. i.
17 ; iii. 24 ; iv. 5. ^f Righteousness
which is of God by faith. Which
proceeds from God, or of which he
is the great source and fountain

220 PHILIPPIANS.- LA- D. 64.
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and

This may include the following
.hings. (1.) God is the author of
pardon — and this is a part ofthe
•ighteousness which the man who is
justified has. (2.) God purposes to
treat the justified sinner as if he
had not sinned — and thus his right
eousness is of God. (3.) God is the
source of all the grace that will be
imparted to the soul, making it really
holy. In this way, all the righteous
ness which the Christian has is " of
God." The idea of Paul is, that he
now saw that it was far more desi
rable to be saved by righteousness
obtained from God than by his own.
That obtained from God was perfect,
and glorious, and sufficient; that
which he had attempted to work out
was defective, impure, and wholly
insufficient to save the soul. It is
far more honourable to be saved by
God than to save ourselves; it is
more glorious to depend on him
than to depend on anything that we
can do.
10. That I may know him. That
I may be fully acquainted with his
nature, his character, his work, and
with the salvation which he has
wrought out. It is one of the high
est objects of desire in the mind of
the Christian to know Christ. See
Notes on Eph. iii. 19. % And the
power of his resurrection. That is,
that I may understand and experi
ence the proper influence which the
feet of his resurrection should have
on the mind. That influence would
be felt in imparting the hope of im
mortality ; in sustaining the soul in
the prospect of death, by the expect
ation of being raised from the grave
in like manner ; and in raising the
mind above the world. Rom. vi. 11.
There is no one truth that will have
greater power over us, when proper
ly believed, than the truth that Christ
has risen from the dead. His resur
rection confirms the truth of the

christian religion (Notes, 1 Cor. xv.) ;
makes it certain that there is a fu
ture state, and that the dead will
also rise ; dispels the darkness that
was around the grave, and shows us
that our great interests are in the
future world. The fact that Christ
has risen from the dead, when fully
believed, will produce a sure hope
that we also shall be raised, and will
animate us to bear trials for his sake,
with the assurance that we shall be
raised up as he was. One of the
things which a Christian ought most
earnestly to desire is, to feel the
power of this truth on his soul — that
his great Redeemer has burst the
bands of death; has brought life
and immortality to light, and has
given us the pledge that our bodies
shall rise. What trials may we not
bear with this assurance ? What is
to be dreaded in death, if this is so?
What glories rise to the view when
we think of the resurrection ! And
what trifles are all the things which
men seek here, when compared with
the glory that shall be ours when we
shall be raised from the dead ! If And
the fellowship of his sufferings.
That I may participate in the same
kind of sufferings that he endured ;
that is, that I may in all things be
identified with him. Paul wished to
be just like his Saviour. He felt
that it was an honour to live as he
did; to evince the spirit that he did,
and to suffer in the same manner.
All that Christ did and suffered was
glorious in his view.'and he wished
in all things to resemble him. He
did not desire merely to share his
honours and triumphs in heaven,
but, regarding his whole . work as
glorious, he wished to be wholly con
formed to that, and, as for as possi
ble, to be just like Christ. Many
are willing to reign with Christ, but
they would not be willing to suffer
with him ; many would be willing to

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

227

the • fellowship of his sufferings,
a 1 Pe. 4. 13.
wear a crown of glory like him, but
not the crown of thorns ; many would
be willing to put on the robes of
splendour which will be worn in
heaven, but not the scarlet robe of
contempt and mockery. They would
desire to share the glories and tri
umphs of redemption, but not its po
verty, contempt, and persecution.
This was not the feeling of Paul.
He wished in all things to be just
like Christ, and hence he counted it
an honour to be permitted to suffer
as he did. _So Peter says, " Rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of
Christ's sufferings." 1 Pet iv. 13.
So Paul says (Col. i. 24) that he re
joiced in his sufferings in behalf of
his brethren, and desired " to fill up

being made conformable unto his
death ;

he esteemed it so desirable to be just
like Christ, that he would regard it
as an honour to die in the same man
ner. He would rejoice to go with
him to the cross, and to pass through
the circumstances of scorn and pain
which attended such a death. Yet
how few there are who would be
willing to die as Christ died, and
how little would the mass of men re
gard it as a privilege and honour !
Indeed, it requires an elevated state
of pious feeling to be able to say that
it would be regarded as a privilege
and honour to die like Christ; to
have such a sense of the loveliness
of his character in all things, and
such ardent attachment to him, as to
rejoice in the opportunity of dying

that which was behind, of therafflic- as he did ! Wljen we think of dy-

tions of Christ," or that in which he
had hitherto come short of the afflic
tions which Christ endured. The
idea is, that it is an honour to suffer
as Christ suffered ; and that the true
Christian will esteem it a privilege
to be made just like him, not only in
glory, but in trial. To do this, is
one evidence of piety ; and we may
isk ourselves, therefore, whether
these are the feelings of our hearts.
Are we seeking merely the honours
jf heaven, or should we esteem it a
privilege to be reproached and re
viled as Christ was — to have our
names cast out as his was — to be
made the object of sport and derision
as he was-^-and to be held up to the
contempt of a world as he was? If
so, it is an evidence that we love
him ; if not so, arid we are merely
seeking the crown of glory, we
should doubt whether we have ever
known anything ofthe nature of true
religion. If Being made conforma
ble to his death. In all things, being
just like Christ — to live as he did,
and to die as he did. There can be
no doubt that Paul means to say that

ing, we wish to have our departure
made as comfortable as possible.
We would have our sun go down
without a cloud. We would wish
to lie on a bed of down ; we would
have our head sustained by the kind
arm of a friend, and not left to fall,
in the intensity of suffering, on the
breast; we would wish to have the
place where we die surrounded by
sympathizing kindred, and not by
those who would mock our dying
agonies. And, if such is the will of
God, it is not improper to desire that
our end may be peaceful and happy;
but we should also feel, ff God should
order it otherwise, that it would be
an honour, in the cause of the Re
deemer, to die amidst reproaches —
to be led to the stake, as the martyrs
have been — or to die, as our Master
did, on a cross. They who are most
like him in the scenes of humiliation
here, will be most like him- in the
realms of glory.
11. If by any means. Implying,
that he meant to make use of the
most strenuous exertions to obtain
the object If / might attain unto

228

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

11 If by any means I might "
attain unto the resurrection of the
dead. a Ac. 26. 7.

I may come to, or may secure this
object. If The resurrection of the
dead. Paul believed that alt the
dead would be raised (Acts xxiv. 15;
xxvi. 6 — 8) ; and in this respect he
would' certainly attain to the resur
rection of the dead, in common with
all mankind. But the phrase, 'the
resurrection of the dead,' also might
be used, in a more limited sense, to
denote the resurrection of the right
eous as a most desirable object; and
this might be secured by effort. It
was this which Paul sought — this for
which he strove^-this that was so
bright an object in his eye that it
was to be secured at any sacrifice.
To rise with the saints; to enter
with them into the blessedness of the
heavenly inheritance, was an object
that the apostle thought was worth
every effort which could be made.
The doctrine of the resurrection was,
in his view, that which distinguished
the true, religion, and which made it
of such inestimable value (Acts xxvi.
6, 7; xxiii. 6. 1 Cor. xv.); and he
sought to participate in the full ho
nour and glory of such a resurrec
tion. 12. Not as though I had already
attained. This verse and the two
following are full of allusions to the
Grecian races, arid it will illustrate
the whole passage to insert a cut re
presenting a Grecian foot-race. We
shall thus have the image before us
which probably the apostle had in his
eye when he penned the passage.
(See opposite page.) "The word
rendered ' attained' signifies, to have
arrived at the goal and won the
prize, but without having as yet re
ceived it." Pict. Bib. The mean
ing here is, I do not pretend to have
attained to what I wish or hope to

12 Not as though I had already
attained, either were already per
fect : * but I follow after, if that I

4 He. 12. 23.

be. He had indeed been converted ;
he had been raised up from the death
of sin ; he had been imbued with
spiritual life and peace; but there
was a glorious object before, him
which he had not yet received.
There was to be a kind of resurrec
tion which he had not arrived at. It
is possible that Paul here may have
had his eye on an error which pre
vailed to some extent in the early
church, that 'the resurrection was
already past' (2 Tim. ii. 18), by
which the faith of some had been
perverted. How far this error had
spread, or on what it was founded, is
not now known; but it is possible
that it might have found advocates
extensively in the churches. Paul
says, however, that he entertained
no such opinion. He looked forward
to a resurrection which had not yet
occurred. He anticipated it as a
glorious event yet to come, and he
purposed to secure it by every effort
which he could make. If Either
were already perfect. This is a dis
tinct assertion of the apostle Paul
that he did not regard, himself as a
perfect man. He had not reached
that state where he was free from
sin. It is not indeed a declaration
that no one was perfect, or that no
one could be'in this life; but it is a
declaration that he did not regard
himself as having attained to it
Yet whp can urge better claims to
having attained perfection than Paul
could have done? Who has sur
passed him in love, and zeal, and
self-denial, and true devotedness to
the service of the Redeemer ? Who
has more elevated views of God, and
of the plan of salvation ? Who prays
more, or lives nearer to God than he
did? That must be extraordinary

A. a 64.1

CHAPTER HI.

229

330

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64,

may apprehend that for which

piety which surpasses that of the
apostle Paul ; and he who lays claim
to a degree of holiness which even
Paul did not pretend to, gives little
evidence that he has any true know
ledge of himself, or has ever been
imbued with the true humility which
the gospel produces. It should be
observed, however, that many critics,
as Bloomfield, Koppe, Rosenmuller,
Robinson {Lex.), Clarke, the editor
of the Pictorial Bible, and others,
suppose the word here used — ttuwa
— not to refer to moral or christian
perfection, but to be an allusion to
the games that were celebrated in
Greoce, and to mean that he had not
completed his course and arrived at
the goal, so as to receive the prize.
According to this, the sense would
be, that he had not yet received the
crown which he aspired after as the
result of his efforts in this life. It
is of importance to understand pre
cisely what he meant by the decla
ration here ; and, in order to this, it
will be proper to loOk at the meaning
of the word elsewhere in the New
Testament. The word properly
means, to complete, to make perfect,
so as to be full, or so that nothing
shall be wanting. In the New Tes
tament it is used in the following
places, and is translated in the fol
lowing manner : It is rendered ful
filled in Luke ii. 23. John xix. 28 :
perfect, and perfected, in Luke xiii.
32. John xvii. 23. 2 Cor. xii. 9.
Phil. iii. 12. Heb. ii. 10; v. 9; vii.
19; ix. 9; x. 1. 14; xi. 40; xii. 23.
James ii. 22. 1 John ii. 5 ; iv. 12.
17, 18 : finish, and finished, John v.
36. Acts xx. 24: and consecrated,
Heb. vii. 28. In one case (Acts xx.
24), it is applied to a race or course.
that is run — ' That I might finish my
course with joy ;' but this is the only
instance, unless it be in the case be
fore us. The proper sense of tha

also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus.

word is that of bringing to an end,
or rendering complete, so that no
thing shall be wanting. The idea
of Paul evidently is, that he had not
yet attained that which would be the
completion of his hopes. There was
something which he was striving
after, which he had not obtained, and
which was needful to render him
perfect, or complete. He lacked
now what he hoped yet to attain to ;
and that which he lacked may refer
to all those things which were want
ing in his character and condition
then, which he expected to secure in
the resurrection. What he would
then obtain, would be — perfect free
dom from sin, deliverance from trials
and temptations, victory over the
grave, and the possession of immor
tal life. As those things were need
ful in order to the completion of his
happiness, we may suppose that he
referred to them now, when he says
that he was not yet ' perfect' This
word,1 therefore, while it will em
brace an allusion to moral character,
need not be understood of .that only,
but may include all those things
which were necessary to be observed
in order to his complete felicity.
Though there may be, therefore, an
allusion in the passage to the Gre
cian foot-races (comp. the cut above,)
yet still it would teach that he did
not regard himself as in any sense
perfect. In all respects, there were
things wanting to render his charac
ter and condition complete, or what
he desired they might ultimately be.
The same is true of all Christiana
now. We are imperfect in our mo
ral and religious character, in our
joys, in our condition. Our state
here is far different from that which
will exist in heaven ; and no Chris
tian can say, any more than Paul
could, that he has obtained that
which is requisite to the completion

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

231

13 Brethren, I count not my- self to have apprehended : but
hold on him, with a view to his ob
taining the prize. He had done it
in order that he might obtain the
crown of life, that he might serve
him faithfully here, and then be re
warded in heaven. We may learn,
from this, (1.) That Christians are
seized, or laid hold on, when they
are converted, by the power of Christ,
to be employed in his service. (2.)
That there is an object or purpose
which he has in view. He designs
that they shall obtain a glorious prize,
and he ' apprehends' them with re
ference to its attainment (3.) That
the feet that Christ has called us into
his service with reference to such an
object, and designs to bestow the
crown upon us, need not and should
not dampen our exertions, or dimi
nish our zeal. It should rather, as
in the case of Paul, excite our ar
dour, and urge us forward. We
should seek diligently to gain that,
for the securing of which, Christ has
called us into his service. The fact
that he has thus arrested us in our
mad career of sin ; that he has by
his grace constrained us to enter into
his service, and that he contemplates
the bestowment upon us of the im
mortal crown, should be the highest
motive for effort. The true Chris
tian, then, who feels that heaven is
to be his home, and who believes that
Christ means to bestow it upon him,
will make the most strenuous efforts
to obtain it. The prize is so beauti
ful and glorious, that he will exert
every power of body and soul that it
may be his. The belief, therefore,
that God means to save us, is one of
the highest incentives to effort in the
cause of religion.
13. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended. That is,- to
have obtained that for which I have
been called into the service of the
Redeemer. There is something
which I strive after which I have not

or perfection of his character and
condition. He looks for something
brighte* and purer in the world be
yond the grave. Though, therefore,
there may be — as I think the con
nection and phraseology seem to de
mand — a reference to the Grecian
games, ,yet the sense of the pas
sage is not materially varied. It
was still a struggle for the crown of
perfection — a' crown which the apos
tle says he had not yet obtained.
If But I follow after. I pursue the
object, striving to obtain it The
Erize was seen in the distance, and
e diligently sought to obtain it.
There is a reference here to the
Grecian races, and the meaning is,.
' I steadily pursue my course.' Comp.
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 24. If If that I
may apprehend. If I may obtain, or
reach, the heavenly prize. There
was a glorious object in view, and he
made most strenuous exertions to ob
tain it. The idea in the word ' ap
prehend' isjhat of taking hold of, or
of seizing sua^riTy^CT^theagex-
fiessj ana, since fhereTsnb~dpubXof ,
ifs being used in an~aTIusibh to the
Grecian footraces, it is not improba
ble that there is a reference to the
laying hold ofthe pole or post which
marked the goal, by the racer who
had outstripped the other competi
tors, and who, by that act, might
claim the victory and the reward.
See the cut above. IT That for which
also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus. By Christ Jesus. The idea
is, that he had been called into the
service of the Lord Jesus, with a
view to the obtaining of an important
object. He recognised (1.) the fact
that the Lord Jesus had, as it were,
laid hold on him, or seized him with
eagerness or suddenness, for so the
word used here — xai's^S^v — means
(comp. Mark ix. 18. John viii. 3, 4;
xii. 35. 1 Thess. v. 4) ; and (2.) the
feet that the Lord Jesus had laid

232

this one thing / do, forgetting ¦
those things which are behind,
a Ps. 45. 10. He. 6. 1.

PHILIPPIANS. ' [A. D. 64.
and reaching fortn unto those
things which are before,

yet gained. This statement is a con
firmation of the opinion that in the
previous verse, where he says that
he was not ' already perfect,' he in
cludes a moral perfection, and not
merely the obtainment of the prize
or reward; for no one could sup
pose that he meant to be under
stood as saying that he had obtained
the crown of glory. If This one
thing I do. Paul had one great aim
and purpose of life. He did not at
tempt to mingle the world and reli
gion, and to gain both. He did not
seek to obtain wealth and salvation
too ; or honour here and the crown
of glory hereafter, but he had one'
object, one aim, one great purpose
of soul. To this singleness of pur
pose he owed his extraordinary at
tainments in piety, and his uncom
mon success as a minister. A man
will accomplish little who allows his
mind to be distracted by a multipli
city of objects. A Christian will;
accomplish nothing who has not a
single great aim and purpose of soul.
That purpose should be to secure the
prize, and to renounce everything
that would be in the way to its at
tainment. Let us then so live that
we may be able to say, that, there is
one great object which we always
have in view, and that we mean to
avoid everything which would inter
fere with that, f Forgetting those
things which are behind. There is
an allusion here undoubtedly to the
Grecian races. One running to se
cure the prize would not stop to look
behind him to see how much ground
he had run over, or who of his com
petitors had fallen or lingered in the
way. He would keep his eye stead
ily on the prize, and strain every
nerve that he might obtain it. If
his attention was diverted for a mo
ment from that, it would hinder his

flight, and might be the means of
his losing the crown. See cut on
page 229. So the apostle says it
was with him. He looked onward
to the prize. He fixed the eye in
tently on that. It was the single
object in his view, and he did not
allow his mind to be diverted from
that by anything — not even by the
contemplation of the past. He did
not stop to think of the difficulties
which he had overcome, or the trou
bles which he had met, but he
thought of what was yet to be ac
complished. This does not mean
that he would not have regarded a
proper contemplation of the past life
as useful and profitable for a Chris
tian (comp. Notes on Eph. ii. 11),
but that he would not allow any re
ference to the past to interfere with
the one great effort to win the prize.
It may be, and is, profitable for a
Christian to look oyer the past mer
cies of God to his soul, in order to
awaken emotions of gratitude in the
heart, and to think of his sliortcom- ,
ings and errors, to produce penitence
and humility. But none of these
things should be allowed for one mo
ment to divert the mind from the
"purpose to win the incorruptible
crown. And it may be remarked in
general, that a Christian will make
more rapid advances in piety by
looking forward than by looking
backward. Forward we see every
thing to cheer and animate us — the
crown of victory, the joys of hea
ven, the society of the blessed — the
Saviour beckoning to us and encour
aging us. Backward, we see every
thing to dishearten and to humble.
Our own unfaithfulness; our cold
ness, deadness, and dulness; the lit
tle zeal and ardour which we have,
all are fitted to humble and disuour-
age. He is the most cheerful Chris-

A D. 64. J CHAPTER m.
14 I press " toward the mark
for the prize of the high ' calling
of God in Christ Jesus.

233

a 1 Co. 9. 24. He. 12. 1.

4 He. 3. 1.

tian whb looks onward, and who
keeps heaven always in view; he
who is accustomed much to dwell
on the past, though he may be a true
Christian, will be likely to be melan
choly and dispirited, to be a recluse
rather than a warm-hearted and ac
tive friend of the Saviour. Or if
he looks backward to contemplate
what he has done — the space that
he has run over — the difficulties
which he has surmounted — and his
own rapidity in the race, he will be
likely to become self-complacent and
self-satisfied. He will trust in his
past endeavours, and feel that the
prize is now secure, and will relax
his future efforts. Let us then look
onward. Let us not spend our time
either in pondering the gloomy past,
and our own unfaithfulness, or in
thinking of what we have done, and
thus becoming puffed up with self-
complacency ; but let us keep the
eye steadily on the prize, and run
the race as though we had just com
menced it "|f And reaching forth.
As one does'in a race. IT Unto those
things which are before. Before
the racer there was a crown or gar
land to be bestowed by the judges
of the games. Before the Christian
there is the crown of glory, the eter
nal reward of heaven. There is the
favour of God, victory over sin and
death, the society of the redeemed
and of angelic beings, and the assur
ance of perfect and eternal freedom
from all evil. These are enough to
animate the soul, and to urge it on
with ever-increasing vigour in the
christian race.
14. / press toward the mark. As
he who was running a race did.
The ' mark' means properly the ob
ject set up at a distance at which
20*

15 Let us therefore, as many
as be perfect, c be thus * mindea :
and if in any thing ye be other-
c 1 Co. 2. 6. d Ga. 5. 10.

one looks or aims, and hence the
goal, or post which was set up at
the end of a race-course, and which
was to be reached in order that the
prize might be won. Here it means
that which is at the end ofthe Chris
tian race — in heaven. If For the
prize. The prize of the racer was
a crown or garland of olive, laurel,
pine, or apple. See Notes on 1 Cor.
ix. 24. The prize of the Christian
is the crown that is incorruptible in
heaven, ^f Of the high calling of
God. Which is the end or result
of that calling. God has called us
to great and noble efforts ; to a ca
reer of true honour and glory ; ta
the obtainment of a bright and im
perishable crown. It is a calling
which is ' high,' or upward — (dwo)---
that is, which tends to the skies.
The calling ofthe Christian is from
heaven, and to heaven. Comp. Prov.
xv. 24. He has been summoned by
God through the gospel of the Lord
Jesus to secure the crown. It is
placed before and above him in hea
ven. It may be his, if he will not
faint or tire or look backward. It
demands his highest efforts, and it
is worth all the exertions which a
mortal can make even in the longest
life. 15. Let us, therefore, as many as
be perfect. See Notes on ver. 12.
Or, rather, those who would be per
fect ; or who are aiming at perfec
tion. It can hardly be supposed that
the apostle would address them as
alreadj perfect, when he had just
said of himself that he had not at
tained to that state. But those
whom he addressed might be sup
posed to be aiming at perfection, and
he exhorts them, therefore, to have
the same spirit that he himself had.

£34 wise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we

PHILIPPIANS. LA. D. 64.
have already attained, let us walk
by the same rule, » let us mind
the same thing. a Ga. 6. 16.

and to make the same efforts which
he himself put forth. If Be thus
minded. That is, be united in the
effort to obtain the prize, and to be
come entirely perfect. 'Let them
put forth the same effort which I do,
forgetting what is behind, and press
ing forward to the mark.' If And
if in anything ye be otherwise mind
ed. That is, if there were any
among them who had not these ele
vated views and aims, and who had
not been broiight to see the neces
sity of such efforts, or who had not
learned that such high attainments
were possible. There might be those
among thern who had been very im
perfectly instructed in the nature of
religion; those who entertained
views which impeded their progress,
and prevented the simple and earn
est striving for salvation which Paul
was enabled to put forth. He had
laid aside every obstacle ; renounced
all the Jewish opinions which had
impeded his salvation, and had now
one single aim — that of securing the
prize. But there might be those
who had not attained to these views,
and who were still impeded and em
barrassed by erroneous opinions.
If God shall reveal even this unto
you. He will correct your errone
ous opinions, and disclose to you the
importance of making this effort for
the prize. This is the expression
of an opinion, that to those who were
sincere and true Christians, God
would yet make a full revelation of
the nature of religion, or would lead
them on so that they would fully un
derstand it. They who are acquaint
ed with religion at all, or who have
been truly converted, God will teach
and guide until they shall have a full
understanding of divine things.

16. Nevertheless, whereto we have
already attained, let us walk by the
same rule. This is a most wise and
valuable rule, and a rule that would
save much difficulty and contention
in the church, if it were honestly
applied. The meaning is this, that
though there might be different de
grees of attainment among Chris
tians, and different views on many
subjects, yet there were points in
which all could agree ; there were
attainments which they all had made,
and in reference to them they should
walk in harmony and love. It might
be that some had made much greater
advances than others. They had
more elevated views of religion;
they had higher knowledge; they
were nearer perfection. Others had
had less advantages of education and
instruction, had had fewer opportu
nities of making progress in the di
vine life, and would less understand
the higher mysteries of the christian
life. They might not see the truth
or propriety of many things which
those in advance of them would see
clearly. But it was not worth while
to quarrel about these things. There
should be no angry feeling, and no
fault-finding on either side. There
were many things in which they
could see alike, and where there
were no jarring sentiments. In
those things they could walk harmo
niously; and they who were in ad
vance of others should not complain
of their less informed brethren as
lacking all evidence of piety; nor
should those who had not made such
advances complain of those before
thenKas fanatical, or as disposed to
push things to extremes. They
who had the higher views should, as
Paul did, believe that God will vet

ft.. D. 64.]

CHAPTER HI.

235

17 Brethren, be followers " to
gether of me, and mark them
a 1 Th. 1. 6.

communicate them to the church at
targe, and in the mean time should
not "denounce others; and those who
Had less elevated attainments should
not censure their brethren as wild
and visionary. There were common
grounds on which they might unite,
tnd thus the harmony of the church
would be secured. No better rule
ihan this could be applied to the sub
jects of inquiry which spring up
imong Christians respecting tempe
rance, slavery, moral reform, and the
various doctrines of religion; and, if
this rule had been always observed,
the church would have been always
saved from harsh contention and
from schism. If a man does not see
things just as I do, let me try with
mildness to ' teach' him, and let me
believe that, if he is a Cbristian, God
will make this known to him yet;
but let me not quarrel with him, for
neither of us would be benefited by
that, nor would the object be likely
to be attained. In the mean time,
there are many things in which we
can agree. In them let us work to
gether, and strive, as far as we can,
to promote the common object. Thus
we shall save our temper, give no
occasion to the world to reproach us,
and be much more likely to come to
gether in all our views. The best
way to make true Christians harmo
nious is, to labour together in the
common cause of saving souls. As
far as we can agree, let us go and
labour together; and where we can
not yet, let us ' agree to differ.' We
shall all think alike by-and-by.
17. Brethren, be followers toge
ther of me. That is, live as I do.
A minister of the gospel, a parent,
or a Christian of any age or condi
tion, ought so to live that he can re
fer to his own example, and exhort
others to imitate the course of life

which walk so, as ye have us ' for
an ensample. b 1 Pe. 5. 3.
which he had led. Paul could do
this without ostentation or impropri
ety. They knew that he lived so
as to be a proper example for others ;
and he knew that they would feel
that his life had been such that there
would be no impropriety in his refer
ring to it in this manner. But, alas !
how few are there who can safely
imitate Paul in this ! 1f And mark
them which walk so, as ye have us for
an ensample. There were those in
the church who endeavoured to live
as he had done, renouncing all con
fidence in the flesh, and aiming to
win the prize. There were others,
it would seem, who were actuated
by different views. See ver. 18.
There are usually two kinds of pro
fessing Christians in every church—
those who imitate the Saviour, and
those who are worldly and vain.
The exhortation here is,, to 'mark'
—that is, to observe with a view to
imitate — those who lived as the
apostles did. We should set before
our minds the best examples, and
endeavour to imitate the most holy
men. A worldly and fashionable
professor of religion is a very bad
example to follow; and, especially,
young Christians should set before
their minds for imitation, and asso
ciate with, the purest and most spi
ritual members of the church. Our
religion takes its form and complex
ion much from those with whom we
associate ; and he will usually be the
most holy man who associates with
the most holy companions.
18. For many walk. Many live,
the christian life being often in the
Scriptures compared with a journey.
In order to induce them to imitate
those who were the most holy, the
apostle says that there were many,
even in the church, whom it would
net he safe forthem to imitate. Ho

236

PHILIPPIANS.

[A.D. 64.

18 (For many walk, of whom
I have told you often, and now
tell you even weeping, that they

evidently here refers mainly to the
church at Philippi, though it maybe
that he meant to make the declara
tion general, and to say that the
same thing existed in other churches.
There has not probably been any
time yet in the christian church
when the same thing might not be
said. If Of whom I have told you
often. When he preached in Phi
lippi. Paul was not afraid to speak
of church-members when they did
wrong, and to warn others not to
imitate their* example. He did not
attempt to cover up or excuse guilt
because it was in the church, or to
apologize for the defects and errors
of those who professed to be Chris
tians. The true way is, to admit
that there are those in the church
who do not honour their religion, and
to warn others against following
their example. But this fact does
not make religion any the less true
or valuable, any more than the feet
that there is counterfeit money
makes all money bad, or makes ge
nuine coin of no value. ff And now
tell you even weeping. This is the
true spirit with which to speak of
the errors and faults of Christians.
It is not to go and blazon their incon
sistencies abroad. It is not to find
pleasure in the fact that they are in
consistent. It is not to reproach re
ligion on that account and to say
that all religion is false and hollow,
and that all professors are hypocrites.
We should rather speak of the fact
with tears; for, if there is anything
that should make us weep, it is, that
there are those in the church who
are hypocrites, or who dishonour
their profession. We should weep,
(1.) because they are in danger of
destroying their own souls; (2.) be
cause they are destined to certain
disappointment when they come to

are the enemies " of the cross of
Christ ; _ a Ga. 1. 7. 6. 12.

appear before God ; and (3.) because
they injure the cause of religion, and
give occasion to the ' enemies of the
Lord to speak reproachfully.' He
who loves religion, will weep over
the inconsistencies of its friends ; he
who does not, will exult and triumph.
ff That they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ. The 'cross' was
the instrument of death on which
the Redeemer died to make atone
ment for sin. As the atonement
made by Christ for sin is that which
peculiarly distinguishes his religion
from all others, the ' cross' comes to
be used to denote his religion ; and
the phrase here means, that they
were the enemies of his religion, or
were strangers to the gospel. It is
not to be supposed that they were
open and avowed enemies of the
cross, or that they denied that the
Lord Jesus died on the cross to make
an atonement. The characteristic
of those persons mentioned in the
following verse is, rather, that they
were living in a manner which
showed that they were strangers to
his pure gospel. An immoral life is
enmity to the cross of Christ; for he
died to make us holy. A life where
there is no evidence that the heart
is renewed, is enmity to the cross ;
for he died that we might be renew
ed. They are the enemies of the
cross, in the church, (1.) who have
never been born again ; (2.) who are
living in the indulgence of known
sin; (3.) i who manifest none of the
peculiarities of those who truly love
him ; (4.) who have a deeper interest
in worldly affairs than they have in
the cause of the Redeemer; (5.)'
whom nothing can induce to give up
their worldly concerns when God
demands it ; (6.) who are opposed to
all the peculiar doctrines of Christ
tianity; and (7.) who are opposed

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER III.

237

19 Whose end " is destruction,
whose God * is their belly, and
whose glory c is in their shame,
who mind earthly things.)
nSCo.'ll. 15. 2Pe. 3 1.
4 1Ti.6.5. cHos. 4. 7.
to all the peculiar duties of religion,
or who live in the habitual neglect
of them. It is to be feared that at
all times there are such enemies of
the cress in the church, and the lan
guage of the apostle implies that it
is a proper subject of grief and tears.
He wept over it, and so should we.
It is from this cause that so much
injury is done to the true religion in
the world. Orie secret enemy in a
camp may do more harm than fifty
men who are open foes ; and a single
unholy or inconstant member in a
church may do much more injury
than many men who are avowedly
opposed to religion. It is not by in
fidels, and scoffers, and blasphemers,
so much, that injury- is done to the
cause of religion; it is by the unholy
lives of its professed friends— .-the
worldliness, inconsistency, and want
of the proper spirit of religion, among
those who are in the church. Nearly
all the objections that are made to
religion are from this quarter ; and,
if this objection were taken away,
the religion of Christ would soon
spread its triumphs around the globe.
19. Whose end is destruction.
That is, as they have no true reli
gion, they must perish in the same
manner as all sinners. A mere pro
fession will not save them. Unless
they are converted, and become the
true friends of the cross, they cannot
enter heaven, ff Whose God is their
belly. Who worship their own ap
petites ; or who live not to adore and
honour God, but for self-indulgence
and sensual gratifications. See Rom.
xvi. 18. ff And whose glory is in
their shame. That is, they glory in
things of which they ought to be
ashamed. They indulge in modes

20 For our conversation * is in
heaven ; from whence also we
look ' for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ ;
i Ep. 2. 6, 19. e He. 9. 23.

of living which ought to cover them
with confusion, ff Who mind earth
ly things. That is, whose hearts
are set on earthly things, or who live
to obtain them. Their attention is
directed to honour, gain, or pleasure,
and their chief anxiety is that they
may secure these objects. This is
mentioned as one of the character
istics of enmity to the cross of Christ ;
and if this be so, how many are there
in the church now who are the real
enemies of the cross ! How many
professing Christians are there who
regard little else than worldly things !
How many who live only to acquire
wealth, to . gain honour, or to enjoy
the pleasures of the world ! How
many are there who have no interest
in a prayer-meeting, in a Sabbath-
school, in religious conversation, and
in the advancement of true religion
on the earth ! These are the real
enemies of the cross. It is not so
much those who deny the doctrines
ofthe cross, as it is those who oppose
its influence on their hearts ; not so
much those who live to scoff and de
ride religion, as it is those who ' mind
earthly things,' that injure this holy
cause in the world.
20. For our conversation is in
heaven. That is, this is true of all
who are sincere Christians. It is a
characteristic of Christians, in con
tradistinction from those who are
the 'enemies ofthe cross,' that their
conversation is in heaven. The word
' conversation' we now apply almost
entirely to oral discourse. It for
merly, however, meant conduct in
general, and it is usually employed
in this sense in the Scriptures. See
Notes on ch. i. 27, where the verb
occurs, from which the noun here is

238

PHILIPPIANS.

[A.D. 64

derived. The word here used —
rtoxltivua — is found nowhere else in
the New Testament. It properly
means, any public measure, admin
istration of the state, the manner in
which the affairs of a state are ad
ministered ; and then the slate itself,
the community, commonwealth, those
who are bound under the same laws,
and associated in the same society.
Here it cannot mean that their ' con-
versatiori,' in the sense of discourse
or talking, was in heaven ; nor that
their ' conduct' was in heaven — for
this would convey no idea, and the
original word does not demand it;
but the idea is, that they were hea
venly citizens, or citizens ofthe hea
venly world, in contradistinction
from a worldly community. They
were governed by the laws of hea
ven ; they were a community asso
ciated as citizens of that world, and
expecting there to dwell. The idea
is, that there are two great commu
nities in the universe — that of the
world, and that of heaven ; that gov
erned by worldly laws and institu
tions, and that by the laws of hea
ven; that associated for worldly
purposes, and that associated for hea
venly or religious purposes; and that
the Christian belonged to the latter,
— the enemy of the cross, though in
the church, belonged to the former.
Between true Christians, therefore,
and others, there is all the difference
which arises from belonging to dif
ferent communities ; being bound to
gether for different purposes; sub
ject to different laws; and altoge
ther under a different administra
tion. There is more difference be
tween them than there is between
the subjects of two earthly govern
ments. Comp. Notes on Eph.' ii. 6.
19. ff From whence also we look
for the Saviour. From heaven.
That is, it is one of the characteris
tics of the Christian that he believes
that the Lord Jesus will return from
heaven, and that he looks and waits

for it Other men do not believe
this (2 Pet. iii. 4), but the Christian
confidently expects it His Saviour
has been taken away from the earth,
and is now in heaven, but it is a great
and standing article of his feitli that
that same Saviour will again come,
and take the believer to himself. See
Notes on John xiv. 2, 3. 1 Thess. iv
14. This was the firm belief of tin
early Christians, and this expecta
tion with them was allowed to exert
a constant influence on tlieir hearts
and lives. It led them (1.) to desire.
to be prepared for his coming ; (2^) ,
to feel that earthly affairs were of
little importance, as the scene here
was soon to close ; (3.) to live above
the world, and in the desire of the
appearing of the Lord Jesus. This
was one of the elementary doctrines
of their faith, and one of the means
of producing deadness to the world
among them ; and among the early
Christians there was, perhaps, no
doctrine that was more the object
of firm belief, and the ground of
more delightful contemplation, than
that their ascended Master would
return. In regard to the certainty
of their belief on this point, and the
effect which it had on their minds,
see the following texts of-the New
Testament. Matt. xxiv. 42. 44.
Luke xii. 37. John xiv. 3. Acts i.
11. 1 Cor. iv. 5. Col. iii. 4. 1
Thess. ii. 19. 2Thess.ii.l. Heb.x.
37. James v. 7, 8. 1 John iii. 2. Rev.
xxii. 7. 12. 20. It may be asked,
with great force, whetlier Chris
tians in general have now any such
expectation of the second appear
ing of the Lord Jesus, or whether^
they have not fallen into the dan
gerous error of prevailing unbelief, '
so that the expectation of his com
ing is allowed to exert almost no
influence on the soul. In the pas
sage before us, Paul says that it was
one of the distinct characteristics of
Christians that they looked for the
coming of the Saviour from heaven.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER III.
21 Who shall change "our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according
a 1 Co. 15. 43, He. 1 Jno. 3. 2.

239

They believed that he would return.
They anticipated that important ef
fects would follow to them from his
second coming. So we should look.
There may be, indeed, a difference
of opinion about the time when he
will come, and about the question
whether he will come to reign ' lite
rally, on the earth — hut the fact that
Christ will return to our world is
common ground on which all Chris
tians may meet, and is a feet which
should be allowed to exert its full
influence on the heart. It is a glo-
ripus truth — for what a sad world
would this be, and what a sad pros
pect would be before the Christian,
if the Saviour were never to come
to raise his people from their graves,
and to gather his redeemed to him-
s?lf ! The fact that he will come
is identified with all our hopes. It
is fitted to cheer us in trial ; to guard
us in temptation ; to make us dead
to the world ; to lead us to keep the
eye turned toward heaven.
21. Who shall change our vile
body. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. xv.
The original words, which are here
rendered ' vile body,' properly mean
' the body of humiliation ;' that is,
our humble body. It refers to the
body as it is in its present state, as
subject .to infirmities, disease, and
death. It is different far from what
it was when man was created, and
from what it will be in the future
world. Paul says that it is one of
the objects ofthe christian hope and
expectation, that this body, so sub
ject to infirmities and sicknesses,
will be changed. If That it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious
body. Gr., ' The body of his glory ;'
that is, the body which he has in his
glorified state. What change the
Wxiy of the Redeemer underwent

to the working • whereby he is-
able even c to subdue all things
unto himself.
6 Ep. 1. 19.

r. I Co. 15. 20, 27.

when he ascended to heaven, we are
not informed, — nor do we know what
is the nature, size, appearance, or
form of the body which he now has.
It is certain that it is adapted to the
glorious world where he dwells;
that it has none of the infirmities to
which it was liable when here ; that
it is not subject, as here, to pain or
death ; that it is not sustained in the
same manner. The body of Christ
in heaven is of the same nature as
the bodies of the saints will be in
the resurrection, and which the apos
tle calls 'spiritual bodies,' (Notes,
1 Cor. xv, 44) ; and it is doubtless ac
companied with all the circumstances
of splendour and glory which are
appropriate to the Son of God. The
idea here is, that it is the object of
the desire and anticipation of the
Christian, to be made just like Christ
in all things. He desires to resem
ble him in moral character here, and
to be like him in heaven. Nothing
else will satisfy him but such con
formity to the Son of God ; and when
he shall resemble him in all things,
the wishes of his soul will all be met
and fulfilled. ^According to the
working, &c. That is, such a change
demands the exertion of vast power.
No creature can do it. But there is
One who has power intrusted to him
over all things, and he can effect
this great transformation in the bo
dies of men. Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 26,
27. He can mould the mind and
the heart to conformity to his own
image, and thus also he can trans
form the body so that it shall resem
ble his. Every thing he can make
subject to his will. (Notes on Matt.
xxviii. 18. John xvii. 2.) And he
that has this power can change our
humbled and debased bodies, so that
they shall put on the glorious appear

240

PHILIPPIANS.

f A. D. 64,

ance and form of that of the Son of
God himself. What a contrast be
tween our bodies here — frail, feeble,
subject to sickness, decay, and cor
ruption — and the body as it will be
in heaven ! And what a glorious
prospect awaits the weak and dying
believer, in the future world !
R EM ARKS.
1. It is a privilege of the Chris
tian to rejoice. Ver. 1. He has more
sources of real joy than any other
persons. See 1 Thess. v. 16. He
has a Saviour in whom he may al
ways find peace ; a God whose cha
racter he can always contemplate
with pleasure ; a heaven to look for
ward to where there is nothing but
happiness ; a Bible that is full of pre
cious promises, and at all times the
opportunity of prayer, in which he
may roll all his sorrows on the arms
of an unchanging friend. If there
is any one on earth who ought to be
happy, it is the Christian.
2. 'The Christian should so live as
to leave on others the impression
that religion produces happiness.
In our intercourse with our friends,
we should show them that religion
does not cause sadness or gloom,
sourness or misanthropy, but that it
produces cheerfulness, contentment,
and peace. This may be shown by
the countenance, and by the whole
demeanour — by a calm brow, and a
benignant eye, and by a cheerful as
pect. , The internal peace of the soul
should be evinced by every proper
external expression. A Christian
may thus be always doing good —
for he is always doing good who
loaves the impression on others that
religion makes its possessors happy.
3. The nature of religion is al
most always mistaken by the world.
They suppose that it makes its pos
sessors melancholy and sad. The
reason is, not that they are told so
by those who are religious, and not
that even they can see anything in

religion to produce misery, but be
cause they have fixed their affections
on certain things which they suppose
to be essential to happiness, and
which they suppose religion would
require them to give up without sub
stituting anything in their place.
But never was there a greater mis
take. Let them go and ask Chris
tians, and they will obtain but one
answer from them. It is, that they
never knew what true happiness was
till they found it in the Saviour.
This question may be proposed to a
Christian of any denomination, or in
any land, and the answer will be
uniformity the same. Why is it,
then, that the mass of persons re
gard religion as adapted only to
make them unhappy? Why will
they not take the testimony of theii
friends in the case, and believe those
whom they would believe on any
other subject, when they declare that
it is only true religion that ever gives
them solid peace ?
4. We cannot depend on any ex
ternal advantages of birth or blood
for salvation. Vs. 4, 5, 6. Few or
no persons have as much in this re
spect to rely on as Paul had. In
deed, if salvation were to be obtain
ed at all by such external advan
tages, it is impossible to conceive
that more could have been united
in one case than there was in his.
He had not only the advantage of
having been born a Hebrew ; of hav
ing been early trained in the Jewish
religion ; of being instructed in the
ablest manner, but also the advan
tage of entire blamelessness in his
moral deportment. He had showed
in every way possible that he was
heartily attached to the religion of
his fathers, and he began life with a
zeal in the cause which seemed to
justify the warmest expectations of
his friends. But all this was re
nounced, when he came to see the
true method of salvation, and saw
the better way by which eternal life

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER III.
is to be obtained. And if Paul could
not depend on this, we cannot safely
do it It will not save us that we
have been born in the church ; that
we have had pious parents ; that we
were early baptized and consecrated
to God ; that we were trained in the
Sabbath-school. Nor will it save us
that we attend regularly on the
place of worship, or that we are
amiable, correct, honest, and upright
in our lives. We can no more de
pend on these things than Saul of
Tarsus could, and if all his eminent
advantages felled to give him a solid
f round of hope, our advantages will
e equally vain in regard to our sal
vation. It almost seems as if God
designed in the case of Saul of Tar
sus, that there should be one instance
where every possible external advan
tage for salvation should be found,
and there should be everything that
men ever could rely on in moral cha
racter, in order to show that no such
things could be sufficient to save the
soul. All these may exist, and yet
Jiere may not be a particle of love
to God, and the heart may be full of
selfishness, pride, and ambition, as
it was in his case.
-5. Religion demands humility.
Vs. 7, 8. It requires us to renounce
ill dependence on our own merits,
and to rely simply on the merits of
another — the Lord Jesus Christ. If
we are ever saved, we must be brought
to esteem all the advantages which
birth and blood and our own right
eousness can bestow as worthless,
and even vile, in the matter of jus
tification. We shall not despise
these things in themselves, nor shall
we consider that vice is as desirable
as virtue, nor that a bad temper is
to be sought rather than an amiable
disposition, nor that dishonesty is as
commendable as honesty; but we
shall feel that in comparison with
the merits of the Redeemer all these
are worthless. But the mind is not
brought to this condition without
21

241

great humiliation. Nothing but the
power of God can bring a proud and
haughty and self-righteous simier to
this state, where he is willing to re
nounce all dependence on his own
merits, and to be saved in the same
way as the vilest of the species.
6. Let us seek to obtain an inte
rest in the righteousness of the Re
deemer. Ver. 9. Our own right
eousness cannot save us. But in him
there is enough. There is all that
we want, and if we have that right
eousness which is by faith, we have
all that is needful to render us ac
cepted with God, and to prepare us
for heaven. When there is such a
way of salvation — so easy, so free,
so glorious, so ample for all, how un
wise is any one to rest on his own
works, and to expect to be saved by
what he has done ! The highest ho
nour of man is to be saved by the
merits of the Son of God, and he
has reached the most elevated rank
in the human condition who has the
most certain hope of salvation
through him.
7. There is enough to be gained
to excite us to the utmost diligence
and effort in the christian life. Vs.
10 — 14. If men can be excited to
effort by the prospect of an earthly
crown in a race or a game, how
much more should we be urged for
ward by the prospect of the eternal
prize! To seek to know the Re
deemer; to be raised up from the
degradation of sin ; to have part in
the resurrection of the just; to ob
tain the prize of the high calling in
heaven — to be made everlastingly
happy and glorious there — what ob
ject was ever placed before the mind
like this? What ardour should it
excite that we may gain it ! Surely,
the hope of obtaining such a prize
as is before the Christian, should call
forth all our powers. The struggle
will not be long. The race will soon
be won. The victory will be glori
ous ; the defeat would be overwhelm-

842

ing and awful. No one need fear
that he can put forth too much effort
to obtain the prize. It is Worth every
exertion, and we should never relax
our efforts, or give over in despair.
8. Let us, like Paul, ever cherish
an humble sense of our attainments
in religion. Vs. 12, 13. If Paul had
not reached the point of perfection,
it is not to be presumed that we have ;
if he could not say that he had ' at
tained,' it is presumption in us to
suppose that we have ; if he had oc
casion for humiliation, we have more ;
if he felt that he was far short of the
object which he sought, and was
pressed down with the consciousness
of imperfection, such a feeling be
comes us also. Yet let us not sink
down in despondency and inaction.
Like him, let us strain every nerve
that we may overcome our imper
fections and win the prize. That
prize is before us. It is glorious.
We may be sensible that we, as yet,
have-not reached it, but if we will
strive to obtain it, it will soon be
certainly ours. We may feel that
we are far distant from it now in the
degree of our attainments, but we
are not- far from it in fact. It will
be but a short period before the
Christian will lay hold on that im
mortal crown, and before his brow
will be encircled with the diadem of
glory. For the race of life, whether
we win or lose, is soon run; and
when a Christian begins a day, he
knows not but he may end it in hea
ven ; when he lies down on his bed
at night he knows not but he may
awake with the ' prize' in his hand,
and with the diadem of glory spark
ling on his brow.
9. Our thoughts should be much
in heaven. Ver. 20. Our home is
there ; our citizenship is there. Here
we are strangers and pilgrims. We
are away" from home, in a cold and
unfriendly world. Our great interests
ara in the skies; our eternal dwell
ing is to be there ; our best friends

PHILIPPIANS, 1A. D. 64.
are already there. There is our glo
rious Saviour, with a body adapted
to those pure abodes, and there are
many whom we have loved on earth
already with him. They are happy
now, and we should not love them
less because they are in heaven.
Since, therefore, our great interests
are there, and our best friends there;
and since we ourselves are citizens
of that heavenly world, our best af
fections should be there.
10. We look for the Saviour. Vt
20, 21. He will return to our world
He will change our vile bodies, and
make them like his own glorious ,
body. And since this is so, let us
(1.) bear with patience the trials and
infirmities to which our bodies here
are subject. These trials will be
short, and we may well bear them
for a few days, knowing that soon
all pain will cease, and that all that
is humiliating in the body will be
exchanged for glory. (2.) Let us not
think too highly or too much of our
bodies here. They may be now
beautiful and comely, but they are
' vile' and degraded, compared with
what they will soon be. They are
subject to infirmity and to numerous
pains and sicknesses. Soon the most
beautiful body may become loath
some to our best friends. Soon,
too offensive to be looked upon, it
will bef hidden in the grave. Why
then should we seek to pamper and
adorn these mortal frames? Why
live only to decorate them ? Why
should we idolize a mass of moulded
and animated clay ? Yet (3.) let us
learn to honour the body in a true
sense. It is soon to be changed. It
will be made like the glorified body
of Christ. Yes, this frail, diseased,
corruptible, and humbled body ; this
body, that is soon to be laid in the
grave, and to return to the dust^is
soon to put on a new form, and to be
clothed with immortality. It will
be what the body of Christ now is—
glorious and immortal. What a

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

243

change ! Christian, go and look on
the creeping caterpillar, and see it
changed to the gay and gilded but
terfly — yesterday, a crawling and
offensive insect; to-day, with gaudy
colours, an inhabitant ofthe air, and
a dweller amidst flowers; and see
an image of what thy body shall be,
and of the mighty transformation
which thou wilt soon undergo. See
the change from the cold death of
winter to the fragrance and life of
spring, and behold an image of the
change which thou thyself wilt ere
long experience, and a proof that
some such change awaits thee.
" Shall spring the faded world revive ?
Shall waning moons their light renew?
Again shall setting suns ascend
And chase the darkness from our view ?
Shall life revisit dying worms,
And spread the joyful insect's wing?
And, oh, shall man awake no more,
To see thy face, thy name to sing ?
Faith sees the bright, eternal doors
Unfold to make her children way;
They shall be clothed with endless life,
And shine in everlasting day." Dwight.
11. Let us look for the coming of
the Lord. Ver. 21. All that we hope
for depends on his reappearing. Our
day of triumph and ofthe fulness of
our joy, is to be when he shall return.
Then we shall be raised from the
grave ; then our vile bodies shall be
changed ; then we shall be acknow
ledged as his friends ; then we shall
go to be forever with him. The
earth is not our home; nor is the
grave to be our everlasting bed of
rest. Our home is heaven — and the
Saviour will come, that he may raise
us up to that blessed abode. And
who knows when he may appear?
He himself commanded us to be
ready, for he said he would come at
an hour when we think not. We
should so desire his coming, that the
hours of his delay would seem to be
heavy and long, and should so live
that we can breathe forth with sin
cerity, at all times, the fprvent prayer

of the beloved disciple, " Come, Lord
Jesus, come quickly." Rev. xxii. 20.
" My faith shall triumph o'er the grave,
And trample on the. tombs;
My Jesus, my Redeemer, lives,
My God, my Saviour, comes ;
Ere long I know he shall appear,
In power and glory great;
And denth, the last of all his foes,
Lie vanquisird at his feet.
Then, though the worms my flesh devour.
And make my form their prey,
I -know I shall arise with power,
Ou the last judgment-day;—
When God shall stand upon the earth,
Him then mine eyes shall see;
My flesh shalPfeel a sacred birth ;
And ever with him be.
Then his own hand shall wipe the tears
From every weeping eye;
And pains, and groans, and griefs, and
fears,
, Shall cease eternally.
How long, dear Saviour 1 Oh, how long
Shall this bright hour delay?
Fly swift around, ye wheels of time,
And bring the welcome day," Watts.
CHAPTER IV.
ANALYSIS OP THE CHAPTER.
This chapter comprises the follow
ing points :
I. Exhortations.
II. Solemn commands to live as
"became Christians.
III. The expression of a grateful
acknowledgment of the favours
which he had received from them ;
and, IV. The customary salutations.
I. Exhortations. Vs. 1—3. (1.)
He exhorts them to stand fast in the
Lord. Ver. 1. (2.) He entreats Eu-
odias and Syntyche, who appear to
have been alienated from each other,
to be, reconciled. Ver. 2: (3.) He
entreats one whom he calls a ' true
yoke-fellow' to render assistance to
those women who had laboured with
him in the gospel. Ver. 3.
II-. Commands. Vs. 4 — 9. He
commands them to rejoice in the
Lord always, ver. 4; to let their
moderation be known to all, ver. 5 ;
to have no anxiety about worldly

244

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

CHAPTER IV.

rpHEREFORE, my brethren
J_ dearly beloved and longed

matters, but in all their necessities
to go to God, vs. 6, 7; and to do
whatever was honest, just, pure,
lovely, and of good report Vs. 8, 9.
III. A grateful acknowledgment
of their kindness. Vs. 10 — 19. He
says that their care of him had been
manifested again, in such a way as
to be highly grateful to his feelings.
Ver. 10. He did not indeed say that
he had suffered, for he had learned,
in whatever state he was, to be con
tent (vs. 11 — 13); but they had
shown a proper spirit in endeavour
ing to relieve his necessities, ver. 14.
He remarks that their church was
the only one that had aided him
when he was in Macedonia, and
that they had sent to him more than
once when he was in Thessalonica,
and says that their favour now was
an offering acceptable to God, who
would abundantly reward them. Vs.
15—20. IV. Salutations. Vs. 21—23.
1. Therefore, my brethren dearly
beloved and longed for. Doddridge
unites this verse with the previous
chapter, and supposes that it is the
proper close of the solemn statement
which the apostle makes there. The
word therefore — watt — has undoubt
ed reference to the remarks made
there ; and the meaning is, that in
view ofthe fact that there were many
professed Christians who were not
sincere — that the ' citizenship' of all
true Christians was in heaven, and
that Christians looked for the coming
of the Lord Jesus, who would make
them like to himself, the apostle ex
horts them to stand fast in the Lord,
The accumulation of epithets of en
dearment in this verse shows his
tender regard for them, and is ex-

for, my joy and crown, so stand
fast in the Lord, my dearly be
loved. 2 I beseech Euodias, and be

pressive of his earnest solicitude for
their welfare, and his deep convic
tion of their danger. The term
' longed for' is expressive of strong
affection. See ch. i. 8, and ii. 26.
IT My joy. The sources of my joy..
He rejoiced in the feet that they had
been converted under him; and in
their holy walk and their friendship.
Our chief joy is in our friends ; and
the chief happiness of a minister of
the gospel is in the pure lives of
those to whom he ministers. See
3 John 4. If And crown. Comp.
1 Thess. ii. 19. The word crown
means a circlet, chaplet, or diadem,
(1) as the emblem of royal dignity — •
the symbol of office ; (2) as the prize
conferred on victors in the public
games, 1 Cor. ix. 25, and hence as
an emblem of the rewards of a fu
ture life, 2 Tim. iv. 8. James i. 12.
1 Pet v. 4 ; (3) anything that is an
ornament or honour, as one glories
in a crown. Comp. Prov. xii. 4, "A
virtuous woman is a crown to her
husband ;" xiv. 24, " The crown of
the wise is their riches;" xvi. 31,
"The hoary head is a crown of
glory ;" xvii. 6, " Children's children
are the crown of old men." The
idea here is, that the church at Phi
lippi was that in which the apostle
gloried. He regarded it as a high
honour to have been the means of
founding such a church, and he
looked upon it with the same inte
rest with which a monarch looks
upon the diadem which he wears.
IT So stand fast in the Lord. In
the service of the Lord, and in the
strength which he imparts. See
Notes on Eph. vi. 13, 14.
2. I beseech Euodias, and beseech
Syntyche. These are doubtless the
names of females. The name Syn

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

245

seech Syntyche, that they be of
the same mind in the Lord.
3 And I entreat thee also, true
tyche is sometimes the name of a
man ; but, if these persons are refer
red to in ver. 3, there can be no
doubt that they were females. No
thing more is known of them than is
here mentioned. It has been com
monly supposed that they were dea
conesses, who preached the gospel to
those of their own sex ; but there is
no certain evidence of this. All
that is known is, that there was
some disagreement between them,
and the apostle entreats them to be
reconciled to each other. % That
they be of the same mind. That
they be united, or reconciled. Whe
ther the difference related to doc
trine, or to something else, we can
not determine from this phrase. The
language is such as would properly
relate to any difference. IT In the
Lord. In their christian walk and
plans. They were doubtless profess
ing Christians, and the apostle ex
horts them to make the Lord the
great object of their affections, and,
in their regard for him, to bury all
their petty differences and animosi
ties. 3. And I entreat thee also, true
yoke-fellow. It is not known to
whom the apostle refers here. No
name is mentioned, and conjecture
is useless. All that is known is, that
it was some one whom Paul regard
ed as associated with himself in la
bour, and one who was so prominent
at Philippi that it would be under
stood who was referred to, without
more particularly mentioning him.
The presumption, therefore, is, that
it was one of the ministers, or ' bi
shops' (see Notes, ch. i. 1) of Philip
pi, who had been particularly asso
ciated with Paul when he was there.
The epistle was addressed to the
* church with the bishops and dea
cons' (ch. i. 1); and the fact that
HI*

yoke-fellow, help those women
which laboured with me in the
gospel, with Clement also, and

this one had been particularly asso
ciated with Paul, would serve to de
signate him with sufficient particu
larity. Whether he was related to
the women referred to, is wholly un
known. Doddridge supposes that he
might be the husband of one of these
women ; but of that there is no evi
dence. The term 'yoke-fellow' —
auftyos — some have understood as a
proper name {Syzygus); but the
proper import of the word is yoke
fellow, and there is no reason to be
lieve that it is used here to denote a
proper name. If it had been, it is
probable that some other word than
that here used and rendered Zrue—
wijscoj — would have been employed.
The word true— yi^aioj — means that
he was sincere, faithful, worthy of
confidence. Paul had had evidence
of his sincerity and fidelity ; and he
was a proper person, therefore, to
whom to intrust a delicate and im
portant business. If Help those wo
men. The common opinion is, that
the women here referred to were
Euodias and Syntyche, and that the
office which the friend of Paul was
asked to perform was, to secure a re
conciliation between them. There
is, however, no certain evidence of
this. The reference seems rather to
be to influential females who had ren
dered important assistance to Paul
when he was there. The kind of
'help' which was to be imparted was
probably by counsel, and friendly co
operation in the duties which they
were called to perform. There is
no evidence that it refers to pecuni
ary aid; and, had it referred to a
reconciliation of those who were at
variance, it is probable that some
other word would have been used
than that here rendered help — ffia-
lapjiavov. IT Which laboured with me
in the gospel. As Paul did not per-

246

with other my fellow-labourers,
whose names are in the book of
life.

PHILIPPIANS. LA. IX 64J
4 Rejoice " in the Lord alway :
and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation * be
nc. 3. 1. JlCo. 0. 25.

mit women to preach (see 1 Tim.
ii. 12 ; comp. Notes on 1 Cor. x. 5),
he must have referred here to some
other services which they had ren
dered. There were deaconesses in
the primitive churches (Notes, Rom.
xvi. 1. 1 Tim. v. 9, seq.), to whom
was probably intrusted particularly
the care of the female members of a
church. In the custom which pre
vailed in the oriental world, of ex
cluding females from the public
gaze, and of confining them to their
houses, it would not be practicable
for the apostles to have access to
them. The duties of instructing and
exhorting them were then probably
intrusted chiefly to pious females;
and in this way important aid would
be rendered in the gospel. Paul
could regard such as 'labouring with
him,' though they were not engaged
in preaching. % With Clement also.
That is, they were associated with
Clement, and with the other fellow-
labourers of Paul, in aiding him in
the gospel. Clement was doubtless
some one who was well known
among them; and the apostle felt
that, by associating them with him,
as having been real helpers in the
gospel, their claim to respectful at
tention would be better appreciated.
Who Clement was, is unknown.
Most of the ancients say it was Cle
ment of Rome, one of the primitive
fathers. But there is no evidence
of this. The name Clement was
common, and there is no improbabi
lity in supposing that there might
have been a preacher of this name
in the church at Philippi. Tf Whose
nnmes are in the book of life. See
Notes bn Isa. iv. 3. The phrase,
' the book of life,' which occurs here,
and in Rev. iii. 5 ; xiii. 8 ; xx. 12.
15 ; xxi. 27 ; xxii. 19, .is a Jewish

phrase, and refers originally to a re
cord or catalogue of names, as the
roll of an army. It then means to
be among the living, as the name of
an individual would be erased from
a catalogue when he was deceased.
The word life here refers to eternal
life ; and the whole phrase refers to
those who were enrolled among the
true friends of God, or who would
certainly be saved. The use of this
phrase here implies the belief of
Paul that these persons were true
Christians. Names that are written
in the book of life will not be blotted
out. If the hand of God records
them there, who can obliterate
them? 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway.
See Notes, ch. iii. 1. It is the privi
lege of Christians to do this, not at
certain periods and at distant inter
vals, but at all times they may re
joice that there .is a God and Sa
viour ; they may rejoice in the cha
racter, law, and government of God
— in his promises, and in communion
with him. The Christian, therefore,
may be, and should be, always a
happy man. If everything else
changes, yet the Lord does not
change ; if the sources of all other
joy are dried up, yet this is not;
and there is not a moment of a
Christian's life in which he may not
find joy in the character, law, and
promises of God.
5. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. That is, let it be such
that others may see it. This does
not mean that they were to make an
ostentatious display of it, but that it
should be such a characteristic of
their lives that it would be constant
ly visible to others. The word mo
deration — istuunc, — refers to re
straint on the passions, general so-

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
known unto all men : The Lord °
is at hand. a Re. 23. 7, 2a

247

berness of living, being free from all
excesses. The word properly means
that which is fit or suitable, and then
propriety, gentleness, mildness. —
They were to indulge in no excess
of passion, or dress, or eating, or
drinking. They were ,to govern
their appetites, restrain their tem
per, and to be examples of what was
proper for men in view of the ex
pectation that the Lord would soon
appear. % The Lord is at- hand. Is
near. See Notes, ch. iii 20. 1 Cor.
xvi. 22. This has the appearance
bf being a phrase in common use
among the early Christians, and as
being designed to keep before their
minds a lively impression of an event
which ought, by its anticipation, to
produce an important effect Whe
ther, by this phrase, they commonly
understood the coming of the Lord
to destroy Jerusalem, or to remove
them by death, or to judge the world,
or to reign personally on the earth,
it is impossible now to determine,
and is not very material to a proper
understanding of its use here. The
idea is, that the expectation that the
Lord Jesus will ' come,' ought to be
allowed to produce moderation of
our passions, in our manner ot[ liv
ing, in our expectations of what this
world can furnish, and in our desires
of earthly good. On him who feels
that he is soon to die, and to^tand
at the bar of God — on him who ex
pects soon to see the Lord Jesus
coming in the clouds of heaven, it
cannot feil to have this effect. Men
indulge their passions — are extrava
gant iu their plans of- life, and in
their expectations of earthly good for
themselves and for their families,
because they have no realizing sense
ofthe truth that there is before them
a vast eternity. He that has a lively
t<pectation that heaven will soon he

6 Be careful 'for nothing; but
in every thing by prayer and sup-
b Mat. 6. 25. 1 Pe. 5. 7.

his, will form very moderate expecta
tions of what this world can furnish.
6. Be careful for nothing. That
is, be not anxious or solicitous about
the tilings of the present life. The
word here nsei—psBifwati — does not
mean that we are to exercise no care
about worldly matters — no -care to
preserve our property, or to provide
for our families (comp. 1 Tim. v. 8) ;
but that there is to be such confi
dence in God as to free the mind
from anxiety, and such a sense of
dependence on him as to keep it
calm. See the subject explained in
the Notes on Matt vi. 25. %Bul in
everything. Everything in refer
ence to the supply of your wants,
and the wants of your families;
everything in respect to afflictions,
embarrassments, and trials; and
everything relating to your spiritual
condition. There is nothing which
pertains to body, mind, estate, friends,
conflicts, losses, trials, hopes, fears,
in reference to which we may not
go and spread it all out before the
Lord. If By prayer and supplica
tion. The word rendered supplica
tion is a stronger term than the for
mer. It is the mode of prayer pecu
liarly which arises from the sense of
need, or want — from Siopm, to want,
to need. IT With thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving connected with prayer.
We can always find something to
be thankful for, no matter what may
be the burden of our wants, or the
special subject of our petitions.
When we pray for the supply of our
wants, we may be thankful for that
kind providence which has hitherto
befriended us ; when we pray for re*
storation from sickness, we may be
thankful for the health we have
hitherto enjoyed, and for God's mer
ciful interposition in the former days
qf trial, and for his goodness in now

248

plication, with thanksgiving, let
your request be made known unto
God: 7 And the peace " of God,
a Is. 26. 3. Jno. 14. 27.

PHILIPPIANS. LA. D. 64.
which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. /
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever

sparing our lives; when we pray
that our children and friends may be
preserved from danger and death,
we may remember how often God
has interposed to save them; when,
oppressed with a sense of sin, we
pray for pardon, we have abundant
cause of thanksgiving that there is
a glorious way by which we may be
saved. The greatest sufferer that
lives in this world of redeeming
love, and who has the offer of heaven
before him, has cause of gratitude.
If Let your request be made known
unto God. Not as if you were to
give him information, but to express
to him to your wants. God needs
not to be informed of our necessities,
but he requires that we come and
express them to him. Comp. Ezek.
xxxvi. 37. " Thus saith the Lord
God, I will yet for this be inquired
of by the house of Israel to do it for
them." 7. And the peace of God. The
peace which God gives. The peace
here particularly referred to is that
which is felt when we have, no anx
ious care about the supply of our
wants, and when we go confidently
and commit everything into the
hands of God. "Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on thee." Isa. xxvi. 3. See
Notes on John xiv. 27. Tf Which
passeth all understanding. That
is, which surpasses all that men had
conceived or imagined. The ex
pression is one that denotes that the
peace imparted is of the highest
possible kind. The apostle Paul
frequently used terms whiph had
somewhat of a hyperbolical cast (see
Notes on Eph. iii. 19. Comp. John
xxi. 25), and the language here is
that Wftioh one lyvuld, use Who de

signed to speak of that which was
ofthe highest order. The Christian,
committing his way to God, and feel
ing that he will order all things
aright, has a peace which is nowhere
else known. Nothing else will fur
nish it but religion. No confi
dence that a mah can have in his
own powers ; no reliance which he
can repose on his own plans or on
the promises or fidelity of his fellow-
men, and no calculations which he
can make on the course of events,
can impart such peace to the soul as
simple confidence in God. IT Shalt
keep your hearts and minds. That
is, shall keep them from anxiety and
agitation. The idea is, that by thus
making our requests known to God,
and going to him in view of all our
trials and wants, the mind would
be preserved from distressing anx
iety. The way to find peace, and
to have the heart kept from trouble,
is thus to go and spread out all be
fore the Lord. Comp. Isa. xxvi. 3,
4. 20 ; xxxvii. 1 — 7. The word here
rendered shall keep, is a military
term, and means that the mind would
be guarded as a camp or castle is.
It would be preserved from the in
trusion of anxious fears and alarms.
If Through Christ Jesus. By his
agency, or intervention. It is only
in him that the mind can be preserv
ed in peace. It is not by mere con
fidence in God, or by mere prayer, but
it is by confidence in God as he is
revealed through the Redeemer, and
by feith in him. Paul never lost
sight of the truth' that all the secu
rity and happiness of a believer wore
to be traced to the Saviour.
8. Finally, brethren. As for what
remains — to towox — or as a final
counsel or exhortation. If Whgt-

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER IV.

249

things are true, "whatsoever things
a Ep. 4. 25.

soever things are true. In this ex
hortation the apostle assumes that
there were certain things admitted
to be true, and pure, and good, in the
world, which had not been directly
revealed, or which were commonly
regarded as such by the men of the
world, and his object is to show them
that such things ought to be exhibit
ed by the Christian. Everything
that was honest and just towards
God and towards men was to be
practised by them, and they were in
all things to be examples of the high
est kind of morality. They were
not to exhibit partial virtues ; not to
perform one set of duties to the ne
glect or exclusion of others ; not to
be faithful in their duties to God,
and to neglect their duty to men ;
not to be punctual in their religious
rites, and neglectful of the common
laws of morality ; but they were to
do everything mat could be regard
ed as the fair subject Of commenda
tion, and that was implied in the
highest moral character. The word
true refers here to everything that
was the reverse of falsehood. They
were to be true to their engagements ;
true to their promises; true in tlieir
statements ; and true in their friend
ships. They were to maintain the
truth about God; about eternity;
about the judgment; and about every
man's character. Truth is a repre
sentation of things as they are; and
they were constantly to live under
the correct impression of objects. A
man who is false to his engagements,
or false in his statements and pro
mises, is one who will always dis
grace religion, ^f Whatsoever things
are honest, eepm. Properly, vene
rable, reverend; then honourable,
reputable. The word was originally
used in relation to the gods, and to
the things that pertained to them, as
being worthy of honour or venera-

are ' honest, * whatsoever things
' or, venerable. b 2 Co. 8. 21.

tion. Passow. As applied to men,
it commonly means grave, dignified,
worthy of veneration or regard. In
the New Testament it is rendered
grave in 1 Tim. iii. 8. 11, and Titus
ii. 2, the only places where the word
occurs except this; and the noun
{aspMotrjt) is rendered honesty in 1
Tim. ii. 2, and gravity in 1 Tim. iii.
4, and Tit ii. 7. It occurs nowhere
else in the New Testament. The
word, therefore, does not express
precisely what the word honest does
With us, as confined to dealings or
business transactions, but rather has
reference to what was regarded as
worthy of reputation or honour; what
there was in the customs of society,
in the respect due to age and rank,
and in the intercourse of the world,
that deserved respect or esteem. It
includes indeed what is right in
the transaction of business, but it
embraces also much more, and
means that the Christian is to show
respect to all the venerable and pro
per customs of society, when they
did not violate conscience or inter
fere with the law of God. Comp.
1 Tim. iii. 7. % Whatsoever things
are just. The things which are
right between man and man. A
Christian should be just in all his
dealings. His religion does not ex
empt him from the strict laws which
bind men to the exercise of this vir
tue, and there is no way by which a
professor of religion can do more in
jury perhaps than by injustice and
dishonesty in his dealings. It is to
be remembered that the men of the
world, in estimating a man's charac
ter, affix much more importance to
the virtues of justice and honesty
than they do to regularity in observ
ing the ordinances of religion ; and
therefore if a Christian would make
an impression on his fellow-men fa
vourable to religion, it is indispensa-

250

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. b4.

are just, " whatsoever things are
me, h whatsoever things are love-
'y, c whatsoever things are of good
report ; * if there be any virtue, *

I

a De. lfl. 20. Is. 26. 7.
b Ja. 3. 17. 1 Jno. 3. a
dCol. 4. 5. He. 11. 2.

c 1 Co. c 13.
e2Pe. 1.3,4.

ble that he manifest uncorrupted in;
legrity in his dealings. H Whatso
ever things are pure. Chaste — in
hought, and feeling, and in the in
tercourse between the sexes. Comp.
Notes, 1 Tim. v. 2. % Whatsoever
things are lovely. The word here used
means properly what is dear to any
one ; then what is pleasing. Here.it
means what is amiable — such a tem
per of mind that one can'love it ; or
such as to be agreeable to others.
A Christian should not be sour, crab
bed, and irritable in his temper — for
nothing almost tends so much to in
jure the cause of religion as a tem
per always chafed; a brow morose
and stern ; an eye that is severe and
unkind, and a disposition to find fault
with everything. And yet it is to
6e regretted that there are many
persons, who make no pretensions to
piety, who far surpass many profes
sors of religion in the virtue here
commended. A sour and crabbed
temper in a professor of religion will
undo all the good that he attempts
to do. If Whatsoever things are of
good report. That is, whatsoever
is truly reputable in the world at
large. There are actions which all
.nen agree in commending, and
which in all ages and countries are
regarded as virtues. Courtesy, ur
banity, kindness, respect for parents,
purity between brothers and sisters,
are among those virtues, and the
Christian should be a pattern and an
trample in them all. His useful
ness depends much more on the cul
tivation of these virtues than is com
monly supposed. If If there be any
virtue. If there is anything truly
virtuous. Paul did not suppose that

and if there be any praise/ think
on these things.
9 Those things which ye have
both learned, and received, and
heard, and seen in me, do: and the
God f of peace shall be with you.
/Ro. 13. 3.  g He. 13.2(1.
he had given a full catalogue of the
virtues which he would havef culti
vated. He, therefore, adds, that if
there was anything else that had the
nature of true virtue in it, they
should be careful to cultivate that
also. The Christian should be a pat
tern and example of every virtue.
Tf And if there be any praise. Any
thing worthy of praise, or that ought
to be praised. If Think on these
things. Let them be the object of
your careful attention and study, so
as to practise them. Think what
they are ; think on the obligation to
observe them; think on the influ
ence which they would have on the
world around you.
9. Those things which ye have
both learned, and received, and
heard, and seen in me, do. That is,
what you have witnessed in me, and
what you have learned of me, and
what you have heard about me, prac
tise yourselves. Paul refers them to
his uniform conduct — to all that they
had seen, and known, and heard of ,
him, as that which it was proper for
them to imitate. The same thing,
substantially, he urges in ch. iii. 17.
See Notes on that verse. It could
have been only the consciousness
of a pure and upright life which
would- make such counsel proper.
How few are the men at this day
who can urge others to imitate all
that they have seen in them, and
learned from them, and heard of
them. Tf And the God of peace
shall be with you. The God who
gives peace. Comp. Heb. xiii. 20.
1 Thess. v. 23. See also Notes on
ver. 7. The meaning here is, that
Paul, by pursuing the course of life

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER IV.

251

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord
greatly, that now at the last your.
care of me ' hath flourished again ;
wherein ye were also careful, but
ye lacked opportunity. »
' or, is revived. a 2 Cor. 6. 7.

which he had led, and which he here
counsels them to follow, had found
that it had been attended with the
blessing of the God of peace, and
he felt the fullest assurance that the
same blessing would rest on them
if they imitated his example. The
way to obtain the blessing of the
God of peace, is to lead a holy life,
and to perform with faithfulness all
the duties which we owe to God and
to our fellow-men.
10. But I rejoiced in the Lord
greatly. The favour which Paul
had received, and for which he felt
so much gratitude, had been received
of the Philippians ; but he regarded
' the Lord' as the source of it, and
rejoiced in it as the expression of his
kindness. The effect was to lead
his heart with cheerfulness and joy
up to God. Y That now al the last.
After so long a time. The reason
why he had not before received the
favour, was not neglect or inatten
tion on tlieir part, but the difficulty
of having communication with him.
If Your care of me hath flourished
again. In the margin this is ren
dered 'is revived,' and this is the
proper meaning of the Greek word.
It is a word properly applicable to
plants or flowers, meaning to grow
green again; to flourish again; to
spring up again. Here the meaning
is, that they had been again prospered
in their care of him, and to Paul it
seemed as if their care had sprung
up anew. If Wherein ye were also
careful. That is, they were desi
rous to render him assistance, and to
minister to his wants. Paul adds
this, lest they should think he was
disposed to blame them for inatten-

11 Not that I speak in respect
of want : for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith
to be content. 4
b He. 13. 5.

tion. If But ye lacked opportunity.
Because there were no persons go
ing to Rome from Philippi by whom
they could send to him. The dis
tance was considerable, and it is not
probable that the intercourse be
tween the two places was very con
stant 11. Not that I speak in respect of
want. Though Paul was doubtless
often in circumstances of necessity,
yet he did not make these remarks
on that account In his journeys, in
his imprisonments, he could not but
be at times in want; but he had
learned to bear all this; and that
which most impressed itself on his
mind was the interest which the
church ought to show in the cause
of religion, and the evidence which
it would thus furnish of attachment
to the cause. As to his own per
sonal trials, he had learned to bear
them, so that they did not give him
great uneasiness. IT For I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content. That is, to
have a contented mind. Paul says
that he had ' learned' this. Probably
by nature he had a mind as prone to
impatience as others, but he had
been in circumstances fitted to pro
duce a different state of feeling. He
had had ample experience (2 Cor.
xi. 26), and, in his life of trials, he
had acquired invaluable lessons on
the subject. He had had abundant
time for reflection, and he had found
that there was grace enough in the
gospel to enable him to bear trials
with resignation. The considera
tions by which he had been taught
this, he does not state; but they
were probably such as the follow-

PHILIPPIANS;

[A. D.64.

12 I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound :
ing : that it is Wrong to murmur at
the allotments of Providence ; that
a spirit of impatience does no good,
remedies no evil, aind supplies no
want; that God could provide for
him in a way which he could not
foresee, and that the Saviour was
able abundantly to sustain him. A
contented mind is an invaluable
blessing, and is one of the fruits of
religion in the soul. It arises from
the belief that God is right in all his
ways. Why should we be impa
tient, restless, discontented? What
evil will be remedied by it? what
want supplied? what calamity re
moved ? " He that is of a merry
heart hath a continual feast" (Prov.
xv. 15) ; and one of the secrets of
happiness is to have a mind satisfied
with all the allotments of Providence.
The members of the Episcopal
church beautifully pray, every day,
'Give us minds always contented
with our present condition.' No
prayer can be offered which will en
ter more deeply into all our happi
ness on earth.
12. I know both how to be abased.
To be in circumstances of want.
If And I know how to abound. To
have an abundance. He had been
in circumstances where he had an
ample supply for all his wants, and
knew what it was to have enough.
It requires as much grace to keep
the heart right in prosperity, as it
does in adversity, and perhaps more.
Adversity, of itself, does something
to keep the mind in a right state ;
prosperity does nothing. , IT Every
where and in all things. In all my
travels and imprisonments, and in
reference to everything that occurs,
I learn important lessons on these
points. IT I am instructed. The
word here used — pipiitiimi — is one
that is commonly used in relation to
mysteries, and denoted being in

every where, and in all things, 1
am instructed, both to be full and

structed in the secret doctrines that
were taught in the ancient ' myste
ries.' Passow. In those mysteries,
it was only the ' initiated' who were
made acquainted with the lessons
that were taught there. Paul says
that he had been initiated into the
lessons taught by trials and by pros
perity. The secret and important
lessons which these schools of adver
sity are fitted to teach, he had had
an ample opportunity of learning ;
and he had faithfully embraced the
doctrines thus taught %Both to be
full. That is, he had learned to
have an ample supply of his wants,
and yet to observe the laws of tem
perance and soberness, and to che
rish gratitude for the mercies which
he had enjoyed. If A nd to be hunt
gry. That is, to be in circumstances
of want, and yet not to murmur or
complain. He had learned to bear
all this without discontent. This
was then, as it is now, no easy lesson
to learn ; and it is not improper to
suppose that, when Paul says that
he had 'been instructed' in this, even
he means to say that it was only by
degrees that he had acquired it It
is a lesson which we slowly learn,
not to murmur at the allotments of
Providence ; not to be envious at the
prosperity of others; not to repine
when our comforts are removed.
There may be another idea suggest
ed here. The condition of Paul was
not always the same. He passed
through great reverses. At one
time he had abundance ; then he
was reduced to want ; — now he was
in a state which might be regarded
as affluent; then he was brought
down to extreme poverty. Yester
day, he was poor and hungry; to
day, all his necessities are supplied.
Now, it is in these sudden reverses
that grace is most needed, and in
these rapid changes of life that it »

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV

253

to be hungry, both to' abound and
to suffer need.

most difficult to learn the lessons of
calm contentment Men get accus
tomed to an even tenor of life, no
matter what it is, and learn to shape
their temper and their calculations
according to it But these lessons
of philosophy vanish when they pass
suddenly from one extreme to an
other, and find their condition in life
suddenly changed. The garment
.that was adapted to weather of an
uniform temperature, whether of
heat or cold, fails to be fitted to our
wants when these transitions rapidly
succeed each other. Such changes
are constantly occurring in life. God
tries his people, not by a steady
course of prosperity, or by long-con
tinued and uniform adversity, but by
transition from the one to the other ;
and it often happens that the grace
which would have been sufficient for
either continued prosperity or adver
sity, would feil in the transition from
the one to the other. Hence, new
grace is imparted for this new form
of trial, and new traits of christian
character are developed in these ra
pid transitions in life, as some ofthe
most beautiful exhibitions of the laws
of matter are brought out in the
transitions produced in- chemistry.
The rapid changes from heat to
cold, or from a solid to a gaseous
state, develope properties before un
known, and acquaint us much more
intimately with the wonderful works
of God. The gold or the diamond,
unsubjected to the action of intense
heat, and to the changes produced
by the powerful agents brought to
bear on them, might have continued
to shine with steady beauty and bril
liancy; but we should never have
witnessed the peculiar beauty and
brilliancy which may be produced in
rapid chemical changes. And so
there is many a beautiful trait of
22

13 1 can do all things through*
Christ which strengtheneth me.
a Jno. 15. 5. 2 Co. 12. 9.

character which would never have
been known by either continued
prosperity or adversity. There might
have been always a beautiful exlii
bition of virtue and piety, but not
that peculiar manifestation which is
produced in the transitions from the
one to the other.
13. I can do all things. From
the experience which Paul had in
these various circumstances of life,
he comes here to the general con
clusion that he could 'do all things.'
He could bear any trial, perform
any duty, subdue any evil propen
sity of his nature, and meet all the
temptations incident to any condi
tion of prosperity or adversity. His
own experience in the various
changes of life had warranted him
in arriving at this conclusion; and
he now expresses the firm confidence
that nothing would be required of
him which he would not be able to
perform. In Paul, this declaration
was not a vain self-reliance, nor was
it the mere result of his former ex
perience. He knew well where the
strength was to be obtained by which
to do all things, and on that arm that
was able to uphold him he confident
ly relied. % Through Christ which
strengtheneth me. See Notes on
John xv. 5. Of the strength which
Christ can impart, Paul had had
abundant experience ; and now his
whole reliance was there. It was
not in any native ability which he
had ; not in any vigour of body or
of mind; not in any power which
there was in his own resolutions; it
was in the strength that he derived
from the Redeemer. By that he was
enabled to bear cold, fatigue, and
hunger; by that, he met tempta
tions and persecutions; and by that,
he engaged in the performance of
his arduous duties. Let us learn,

254

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64

14 Notwithstanding, ye have
well done that ye did communi
cate with my affliction.
15 Now, ye Philippians, know
also, that in the beginning of the

hence, (1.) That we need not sink
under any trial, for there is one who
can strengthen us. (2.) That we
need not yield to temptation. There
is one who is able to make a way
for our escape. (3.) That we need
not be harassed, and vexed, and tor
tured with improper thoughts and
unholy desires. There is one who
can enable us to banish such thoughts
from the mind, and restore the right
balance to the affections of the soul.
(4.) That we need not dread what
is to come. Trials, temptations, po
verty, want, persecution, may await
us; but we need not sink into de
spondency. At every step of life,
Christ is able to strengthen us, and
can bring us triumphantly through.
What a privilege it is, therefore, to
be a Christian — to feel, in the trials
of life, that we have one friend, un
changing and most mighty, who can
always help us! How cheerfully
should we engage in our duties, and
meet the trials that are before us,
leaning on the arm of our Almighty
Redeemer ! Let us not shrink from
duty ; let us not dread persecution ;
let us not fear the bed of death. In
all circumstances, Christ, our un
changing Friend, can uphold us.
Let the eye and the affections ofthe
heart be fixed on him ; let the sim
ple, fervent, believing prayer be di
rected always to him when trials
come, when temptations assail, when
duty presses hard upon us, and when
a crowd of unholy and forbidden
thoughts rush into the soul; and we
shall be safe.
14. Notwithstanding, ye have well
done. Though he had learned the
grace of contentment, and though he
knew that Christ could enable him

gospel, when I departed from Ma
cedonia, no * church communi
cated with me as concerning giv
ing and receiving, but ye only.
a 2 To. 11. 8,9.

to do all things, it was well for them
to show sympathy for his sufferings ;
for it evinced a proper regard for a^
benefactor and an apostle. If Ye did
communicate. You took part with
my affliction. That is, you sympa
thized with me, and assisted me in
bearing it The relief which they
had sent, not only supplied his wants,
but it sustained him by the certainty
that he was not forgotten.
15. In the beginning of the gos
pel. 'At the time when I first
preached the gospel to you ; or when
the gospel began its benign influence
on your hearts.' IT When I departed
from Macedonia. See Acts xvii. 14.
The last place that Paul visited in
Macedonia, at that time, was Berea.
There a tumult was excited by the
Jews, and it was necessary for him
to go away. He left Macedonia to
go to Athens ; and left it in haste,
amidst scenes of persecution, and
when he needed sympathizing aid.
At that time, as well as when he was
in Thessalonica (Acts xvii. 1 — 10),
he needed the assistance of others to
supply his wants ; and he says that
aid was not withheld. The meaning
here-is, that this aid was sent to him
' as he was departing from Macedo
nia;' that is, alike in Thessalonica
and afterwards. This was about
twelve years before this epistle was
written. Doddridge, f No church
communicated with me. No church
so participated with me in my suf
ferings and necessities, as to send to
my relief. Comp. 2 Cor. xi. 8, 9.
Why they did not, Paul does not in
timate. It is not necessary to sup
pose that he meant to blame them.
They might not have been acquaint
ed with his necessities. All that, is

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER IV.
16 For even in Thessalonica
ye sent once and again unto my
necessity. 17 Not because I desire a gift ;
out I desire fruit that may abound
to your account.

255

implied here is, that he specially
commends the Philippians for their
attention to him.
16. For even in Thessalonica.
Notes, Acts xvii. 1. Paul remained
there long enough to establish a
flourishing church. He met, indeed,
with much opposition and persecu
tion there; and hence it was neces
sary that his wants should be supplied
by others.
17. Not because I desire a gift.
1 The reason why I rejoice in the re
ception of what you have sent to
me, is not that I am covetous.' From
the interest with which he had
spoken of their attention to him,
some might, perhaps, be disposed to
say, that it arose from this cause.
He says, therefore, that, grateful as
he was for the favour which he had
received, his chief interest in it arose
from the fact that it would contribute
ultimately to their own good. It
showed that they were governed by
christian principle, and this would
not foil to be rewarded. What Paul
states here is by no means impossi
ble ; though it may not be very com
mon. In the reception of fevours
from others, it is practicable to re
joice in them mainly, because their
bestowment will, be a means of good
to the benefactor himself! All our
selfish feelings and gratifications may
be absorbed and lost in the superior
joy which we have in seeing others
actuated by a right spirit, and in the
belief that they will be rewarded.
This feeling is one of the fruits of
christian kindness. It is that which
leads us to look away from self, and
to rejoice in every evidence that

18 But I ' have all, and abound :
I am full, having received of
Epaphroditus the things which
were sent from you, an odour of
a sweet smell, a sacrifice • accept
able, well-pleasing to God.

* or, have received.

a He. 13. 16.

others will be made happy. % I de
sire fruit. The word * fruit' is often
used in the Scriptures, as elsewhere,
to denote results, or that which is
produced. Thus we speak of pun
ishment as the fruit of sin, poverty
as the fruit of idleness, and happi
ness as the fruit of a virtuous life.
The language is taken from the feet,
that a man reaps or gathers the fruit
or result of that which he plants.
If To your account. A phrase taken
from commercial dealings. The apos
tle wished that it might be set down
to their credit. He desired that when
they came to appear before God, they
might reap the benefit of all the acts
of kindness which they had shown
him. 18. But I have all. Marg., ' or,
have received.' The phrase here is
equivalent to, ' I have received every
thing. I have all I want, and desire
no more.' He was entirely satisfied.
What they had sent to him is, of
course, now unknown. It is suffi
cient to know, that it was of such a
nature as to make his situation com
fortable. IT I am full. I have enough.
This is a strong expression, denoting
that nothing was lacking. "|f Hav
ing received of Epaphroditus. See
Notes, ch. ii. 25. f[ An odour of a
sweet smell. This does not mean
that it was such an odour to Paul,
but to God. He regarded it as an
offering which they had made to
God himself; and he was persuaded
that he would regard it as accepta
ble to him. They had doubtless
made the offering, not merely from
personal friendship for Paul, but be
cause he was a minister of Christ,

256

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64

19 But my God shall supply "
all your need, according to his

and from love to his cause; and
Paul felt assured that this offering
would be acceptable to him. Comp.
Matt. x. 41, 42. The word ' odour'
refers properly to the pleasant fra
grance produced in the temple by
the burning of incense. Notes on
Luke i. 9. On the meaning of the
word rendered 'a sweet smell,' —
iiu>Sui — see Notes on 2 Cor. ii. 15.
The whole language here is taken
from an act of worship ; . and the
apostle regarded what he had re
ceived from the Philippians as, in
fact, a thank-offering to God, and as
presented with the spirit of true de
votion to him. It was not, indeed, a
formal act of worship; but it was
acceptable to God as an expression
of their regard for his cause. If A
sacrifice acceptable. Acceptable to
God. Comp. Heb. xiii. 16. Notes,
Rom. xii. 1. IT Well-pleasing to
God. Because it evinced a regard
for true religion. Learn hence, (1.)
that kindness done to the ministers
of the gospel, is regarded as an ac
ceptable offering to God. (2.) That
kindness to the servants of God in
distress and want, is as well-pleas
ing to God as direct acts of worship.
(3.) That such acts of benevolence
are evidences of attachment to the
cause of religion, and are proofs of
genuine piety. Notes, Matt x. 42.
19. But my God shall supply all
your need. That is, 'You have
shown your regard for me as a friend
of God, by sending to me in my dis-.
tress, and I have confidence that, in
return for all this, God will supply
all your wants, when you are in cir
cumstances of necessity.' Paul's
confidence in this seems not to have
been founded on any express revela
tion; but on the general principle
that God would regard their offering
with favour. Nothing is lost, even

riches * in glory by Christ Jesus.
20 Now c unto God and out
b Ep. 3. 16. c Ro. 16. 27.

in the present life, by doing good.
In thousands of instances it is abun
dantly repaid. The benevolent are
not usually poor; and if they are,
God often raises up for them bene
factions, and sends supplies hi a
manner as unexpected, and bearing
proofs of divine interposition as de
cided, as when supplies were sent by
the ravens to the prophet ^f Ac
cording to » his riches in glory.
Notes, Eph. iii. 16. The word riches
here means, his abundant fulness;
his possessing all things; his inex
haustible ability to supply their wants.
The phrase 'in glory,' is probably
to be connected with the following
phrase, ' in Christ Jesus ;' and means
that the method of imparting sup
plies to men was through Jesus
Christ, and was a glorious method ;
or, that it was done in a glorious
manner. It is such an expression
as Paul is accustomed to use, when
speaking of what God does. He is
not satisfied with saying simply that
it is so; but connects with it the
idea that whatever God does is done
in a way worthy of himself, and sp
as to illustrate his own perfections.
% In Christ Jesus. By the medium
of Christ ; or through him. All the
fevours that Paul expected for him
self, or his fellow-men, he believed
would be conferred through the Re
deemer. Even the supply of our
temporal wants comes to us through
the Saviour. Were it not for the
atonement, there is no more reason
to suppose that blessings would be
conferred on men than that they
would be on fallen angels. For
them no atonement has been made ;
and at the hand of justice they
have received only wretchedness
and wo.
20. Now unto God and our Fa
ther, &c. See Notes on Rom. xvi.

A D. 64] CHAPTER IV.
Father be glory for ever and ever.
Amen. 21 Salute every saint in Christ
lesus. The brethren which are
with me greet you.
22 All the saints salute you,

257

chiefly they that are of Cnssar's
household. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen.
It was written to the Philippians
from Rome, by Epaphroditus.

27. It was common for Paul to ad
dress such an ascription of praise to
God, at the close of his epistles.
21. Salute every saint in Christ
Jesus. It was usual for him also to
close his epistles with affectionate
salutations to various members of
the churches to which he wrote.
These salutations are generally spe
cific, and mention the names, parti
cularly if prominent members of the
churches. See the close of the epis
tles to the Romans ; 1 Corinthians ;
Colossians, and 2 Timothy. In this
epistle, however, as in some others,
the salutation is general Why none
are specified in particular is not
certainly known. If The brethren
which are with me, &c. The word
'brethren' here probably refers to
ministers that were with Paul, as
the 'saints' in general are men
tioned in the next verse. It is pos
sible that at Rome the ministers
were known by the general name of
the brethren. Pierce.
22. All the saints salute you. All
in Rome, where this epistle was
written. No individuals are speci
fied, perhaps because none of the
Christians at Rome were personally
knOwn ta the church at Philippi.
They would, however, feel a deep
interest in a church which had thus
the confidence and affection of Paul.
There is reason to believe that the
bonds of affection among the churches
then were much stronger than they
are now. There was a generous
warmth in the newness ofthe chris
tian affection — the first ardour of
love ; and the common trials to which
they were exposed , would serve to
bind them closely together. %Chief-
22*

ly they that are ofCasar's household.
That is, of Nero, who was at that
time the reigning emperor. The
name Casar was given to all the
emperors after the time of Julius
Caesar, as the name Pharaoh was
the common name of the kings of
Egypt. ^The phrase here used —
'the household of Ceesar' — may refer
to the relatives ofthe emperor ; and
it is certainly possible that some of
them may have been converted to
Christianity. But it does not of ne
cessity refer to those related to him,
but may be applied to his domestics,
or to some ofthe officers ofthe court
that were more particularly employ
ed around his person ; and as it is
more probable that some of then]
¦would be converted than his own re
latives, it- is more safe to suppose
that they were intended. See Notes
on ch. i. 13.
23. The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, &c. Notes, Rom. xvi. 20.
In regard to the subscription at
the end of this epistle, it may be re
marked, as has been done of the
other subscriptions at the end of the
epistles, that it is of no authority
whatever. There is no reason, how
ever, to doubt that in this case it is
correct The epistle bears internal
evidence of having been written
from Rome, and was doubtless sent
by Epaphroditus. See the Intro., $ 3
There is considerable variety in the
subscription. The Greek is, " It was
written to the Philippians from Rome
by Epaphroditus." The Syriac,
" The epistle to the Philippians was
written from Rome, and sent by
Epaphroditus." The JEtbiopie, " To
the Philippians, by Timothy,"

25S

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

REMARKS.

The principal lessons taught in
this closing chapter are the follow
ing: —
1. It is our duty to be firm in the
Lord, in all the trials, temptations,
and persecutions to which we may
be exposed. Ver. 1. _ This duty
should be pressed on Christians by
their teachers, and by each other, by
all that is tender and sacred in the
christian profession, and all that is
endearing in christian friendship.
Like Paul, we should appeal to
others as ' brethren dearly beloved
and longed for,' and by all their af
fection for us we should entreat them
to be steadfast in the christian pro
fession. As their "joy and crown,"
also, ministers should desire that their
people should be holy. Their own
happiness and reward is to be closely
connected with the firmness with
which tlieir people maintain the
principles of the christian faith. If
Christians, therefore, wish to impart
the highest joy to their religious
teachers, and to exalt them as high
as possible in future happiness and
glory, they should strive to be faith
ful to their great Master, and to be
steadfast in attachment to his cause.
2. It is the duty of those who
have from any cause been alienated,
to seek to be reconciled. Ver. 2.
They should be of the same mind.
Almost nothing does more to hinder
the cause of religion than alienations
and bickerings among its professed
friends. It is possible for them to
live in harmony, and to be of the
same mind in the Lord ; and such is
the importance of this, that it well
deserves to be enforced by apostolic
authority and persuasion. It may
be observed, also, that in the case
referred to in this chapter— that of
Euodias and Syntyche — the exhort
ation to reconciliation is addressed
to both. Which was in the wrong,
pr whether both were, is not inti

mated, and is not needful for us to
know. It is enough to know that
there was alienation, and both of
them were exhorted to see that the
quarrel was made up. So, in all
cases where members of the church
are at variance, it is the business of
both parties to seek to be reconciled,
and neither party is right if he waits
for the other before he moves in the
matter. If you feel that you have
been injured, go and tell your bro
ther kindly wherein you think he
has done you wrong. He may at
once explain the matter, and show
that you have misunderstood it, or
he may make proper confession or
restitution. Or, if he will do nei
ther, you will have done your duty.
Matt, xviii. 15. If you are conscious
that you have injured him, then no
thing is more proper than that you
should go and make confession. The
blame ofthe quarrel rests wholly on
you. And if some meddling third
person has got up the quarrel be
tween you, then go and see your
brother, and disappoint the devices
of the enemy of religion.
3. It is our duty and our privilege
to rejoice in the Lord always. Ver.
4. As God is unchanging, we may
always find joy in him. The cha
racter of God which we loved yes
terday, and in the contemplation of
which we found happiness then, is
the some to-day, and its contempla
tion will furnish the same joy to us
now. His promises are the same;
his government is the same; his
readiness to impart consolation is the
same; the support which he can
give in trial and temptation is the
same. Though in our own hearts
we may find much over which to
mourn, yet when we look away from
ourselves we may find abundant
sources of consolation and peace.
The Christian, therefore, may be
always happy. If he will look to
God and not to himself; to heaven
and not to earth, he will find perma-

A D. 64.J CHAPTER IV.
nent and substantial sources of en
joyment But in nothing else than
God can we rejoice always. Our
friends, in whom we find comfort,
ore taken away ; the property that
we thought would make us happy,
fails to do so; and pleasures that we
thought would satisfy, pall upon the
sense and make us wretched. No
man can be permanently happy who
does not make the Lord the source
of joy, and who does not expect to
find his chief pleasure in him.
4 It is a privilege to be permitted
to go and commit everything to God.
Vs. 6, 7. The mind may be in such
a state that it shall feel no anxiety
about anything. We may feel so
certain that God will supply all our
wants ; that he will bestow upon us
all that is really necessary for us jn
this life and the next, and that he
will withhold from us nothing which
it is not for our real good to have
withheld, that the mind may be con
stantly in a state of peace. With
a thankful heart for all the mercies
which we have enjoyed — and in all
cases they are many — we may go
and commit ourselves to God for all
that we need hereafter. Such is the
privilege of religion ; such an ad
vantage is it to be a Christian. Such
a state of mind will be followed by
peace. And it is only in such a way
that true peace can be found. In
every other method there will be
agitation of mind and deep anxiety.
If we have not this confidence in
God, and* this readiness to go and
commit all to him, we shall be per-
Elexed with the cares Of this life ;
isses and disappointments will ha
rass us; the changes which occur
will weary and wear out our spirits,
and through life we shall be tossed
as on a restless ocean.
5. It is the duty of Christians to
be upright in every respect. Ver. 8.
Every friend of the Redeemer should
be a man of incorruptible and un
suspected integrity. He should be

one who can always be depended on
to do what is right, and pure, and
true, and lovely. I know not that
there is a more important verse in
the New Testament than the eighth
verse of this chapter. It deserves
to be recorded in letters of gold in
the dwelling of every Christian, and
it would be well if it could be made
to shine on his way»as if written in
characters of living light There
should be no virtue, no truth, no noble
plan of benevolence, no pure and holy
undertaking in society, of which the
Christian should not be, according to
his ability, the patron and the friend.
The reasons are obvious. It is not
only because this is in accordance
with the law of God, but it is from
its effect on the community. The
people of the world judge of reli
gion by the character of its profess
ed friends. It is not from what they
hear in the pulpit, or learn from the
Bible, or from treatises on divinity ;
it is from what they see in the lives
of those who profess to follow Christ
They mark the expression of the
eye; the curl of the lip; the words
that we speak — and if they perceive
peevishness and irritability, they set
it down to the credit of religion.
They watch the conduct, the tem
per and disposition, the manner of
doing business, the respect which a
man has for truth, the way in which
he keeps his promises, and set it all
down to the credit of religion. If a
professed Christian foils in any one
of these things, he dishonours reli
gion and neutralizes all the good
which he might otherwise do. It is
not only the man in the church who
is untrue, and dishonest, and unjust,
and unlovely in his temper, that does
evil ; it is he who is either false, or
dishonest, or unjust, or unlovely in
his temper. One evil propensity
will neutralize all that is good ; and
one member of the church who fails
to lead a moral and upright lifo will
do much to neutralize all the good

260

PHILIPPIANS.

[A. D. 64.

that can be done by all the rest of
the church. Comp. Eccl. x. 1.
6. It is the duty of Christians to
show kindness to the ministers ofthe
gospel, especially in times and cir
cumstances of want. Vs. 10. 14 —
17. Paul commended much what
the Philippians had done for him.
Yet they had done no more than they
ought to do. See, 1 Cor. ix. 11. He
had established the gospel among
them, carrying it to them by great
personal sacrifice and self-denial.
What he had done for them had cost
him much more than what they had.
done for him — and was of much
more value. He had been in want
He was a prisoner ; among strangers ;
incapable of exerting himself for his
own support; not in a situation to
minister to his own wants, as he had
often done by tent-making, and in
these circumstances he needed the
sympathizing aid of friends. He
was not a man to he voluntarily de
pendent on others, or to be at any
time a burden to them. But circum
stances beyond his control had made
it necessary for others to supply his
wants. - The Philippians nobly re
sponded to his claims on them, and
did all that he could ask. Their
conduct is a good example for other
Christians to imitate in their treat
ment of the ministers of the gospel.
Ministers now are often in want
They become old, and are unable to
labour; they are sick, and cannot
render the service which they have
been accustomed to; their families
are afflicted, and they have not the
means of providing for them com
fortably in sickness. It is to be re
membered also that such cases often
happen where a minister has spent
the best part of his life in the ser
vice of a people ; where he has de
voted his most vigorous days to their
welfare ; where he has been unable
to lay up anything for sickness or
old age ; where he may have aban
doned what would have been a lucra

tive calling in life, for the purpose
of preaching the gospel. If there
ever is a claim on the generosity of
a people, his case is one, and there
is no debt of gratitude which a peo
ple ought more cheerfully to pay
than that of providing for the wants
of an aged or an afflicted and disa
bled servant of Christ, who has spent
his best years in endeavouring to
train them and their children up for
heaven. Yet, it cannot be denied,
that great injustice is often done in
such cases. The poor beast that has
served a man and his family in the
days of his vigour, is often turned
out in old age to die ; and something
like this sometimes occurs in the
treatment of ministers of the gospel.
The conduct of a people, generous
in many other respects, is often un
accountable in their treatment of
their pastors ; and one of the lessons
which ministers often have to learn,
like their Master, by bitter experi
ence, is the ingratitude of those for
whose welfare they have toiled, and
prayed, and wept
7. Let us learn to be contented
with our present condition. Vs. 11,
12. Paul learned this lesson. It is
not a native state of mind, It is a
lesson to be acquired by experience.
By nature we are all restless and
impatient; we are reaching after
things that we have not, and often
after things that we cannot and
ought not to have. We are envious
of the condition of others, and sup
pose that if we had what they have
we should be happy. Yet, if we
have right feelings, we shall always
find enough in our present condition
to make us contented. We shall
have such confidence in the arrange
ments of Providence as to feel that
things are ordered for the best. If
we are poor, and persecuted, and in
want, or are prostrated by sickness,
we shall feel that there is some good
reason why this is so arranged —
though the reason may not be known

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

261

to us. If we are benevolent, as we
ought to be, we shall be willing that
others shall be made happy by what
they possess, instead of coveting it
for ourselves, and desiring to wrest
it from them. If we are disposed to
estimate our mercies, and not to give
up our minds to a spirit of complain
ing, we shall see enough around us
to make us contented. Paul was
a prisoner; he was poor; he was
among strangers; he had neither
wife nor children ; he was about to
be tried for his life, and probably put
to death — yet he learned to be con
tent He had a good conscience ; the
hope of heaven ; a sound intellect ;
a heart disposed to do good, and con
fidence in God, and why should a
man in such circumstances murmur?
Says Jeremy Taylor, " Am I fallen
into the hands of publicans and seques
trators, who have taken all from me?
What now ? Let me look about me.
They have left me the sun and moon,
fire and water, a loving wife, and
many friends to pity me, and some
to relieve me, and I can still dis
course ; and unless I list, they have
not taken away my merry counte
nance, and a cheerful spirit, and a
good conscience ; they still have Jeft
me the providence of God, and all
the promises of the gospel, and my
religion, and my hopes of heaven,
and my charity to them too; and
still I sleep and digest; I eat and
drink; I read and meditate; I can
walk in my neighbour's pleasant
fields, arid see the varieties of natu
ral beauties, and delight in all in
which God delights, that is, in virtue
and wisdom, in the whole creation,
and in God himself And he who
bath so many causes of joy, and so

great, is very much in love with sor
row and peevishness, who loses all
these pleasures, and chooses to sit
down upon his little handful of
thorns." Holy living, ch. ii. sect. vi.
Let the whole of this section " on
Contentedness" be read. It is one
of the most beautiful arguments for
contentment that ever proceeded
from uninspired lips,
8. In all these things ; in all the
duties and the trials of life ; in all
our efforts to meet temptation, and
to cultivate contentment with our
present condition, let us put our trust
in the Saviour. Ver. 13. Paul said
that he could " do all things through
Christ who strengthened him." His
strength was there; ours is there
also. If we attempt these things,
relying on our own strength, we
shall certainly fail. The had pas
sions of our nature will get the as
cendency, and we shall be left to
discontent and murmuring. The
arm that is to uphold us is that
of the Redeemer ; and relying on
that, we shall find no duty so ardu
ous that we may not be able to per
form it; no temptation so formidable
that we may not be able to meet it;
no trial so great that we may not be
able to bear it ; no situation in life
through which we may be called to
pass, where we may not find con
tentment and peace. And may God
of his rich mercy give to each one
who shall read these Notes on this
beautiful epistle to the Philippians,
abundant grare thus to confide in
the Saviour, and to practise all the
duties so tender'y enjoined oo the
Philippian Christians and on us by
this illustri via prisoner in the cause
of Christ.

T»»

EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS

INTRODUCTION.

5 1. The situation of Colosse.
Colosse, or, as it is written in many manuscripts, Colasse, was a cele
brated city of Plirygia, in Asia Minor. See the map prefixed to the Notes
on the Acts ofthe Apostles. It was in the southern part of that province,
was nearly directly east of Ephesus, north of Laodicea, and nearly west
of Antioch in Pisidia. .It is mentioned by Herodotus (Polyhymn. Lib.
viii. c. 30) as 'a great city of Phrygia, in that part where the river Lycus
descends into a chasm of the earth and disappears, but which, after a dis
tance of five stadia, rises again and flows into the Meander' — ej tov Matav-
Spov. Xenophon also mentions the. city of Colosse as being Ilom oixavptvti
cv&aipuv xoj, ptyaXr/ — ' a city well inhabited, pleasant, and large.' Expedi.
Cyr. Lib. L In the time of Strabo, however, it seems to have been much
diminished in size, as it is mentioned by him among the ' smaller towns' —
rtoteapata. Lib. xii. p. 864. In the latter part of the reign of Nero, ano
not long after this epistle was written, Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis
were at the same time overwhelmed by an earthquake. Pliny, Hist Nat.
Lib. v. c. 41. Colosse recovered, however, from this shock, and is men
tioned by. the Byzantine writers as among the most opulent cities. See
Koppe, Proleg. The ancient town is now extinct, but its site is occupied
by a village called Chonos, or Khonas. This village is described by Mr.
Arundell as being situated most picturesquely under the immense range
of Mount Cadmus_, which rises to a very lofty and perpendicular height
behind the village, in some parts clothed with pines, in others bare of soil,
with vast chasms and caverns. The immense perpendicular chasm, seen
in the view, affords an outlet to a wide mountain torrent, the bed of which
is dry in summer. The approach to the village is as wild as the village
itself is beautiful, abounding in tall trees, from which vines of most luxu
riant growth are suspended. In the immediate neighbourhood are several
vestiges of an ancient city, consisting of arches, vaults, squared stones,
while the ground is strewed with broken pottery, which so generally and
so remarkably indicates the site of ancient towns in the East. That thesf
(cclxiii'i

CClxiv INTRODUCTION.
ruins are all that now remain of Colosse, there seems no reason to doubt
The opposite cut will furnish an idea of their appearance.
Colosse, as has been remarked, was situated in Phrygia. On the name
Phrygia, and the origin of the Phrygians, very different opinions have
been entertained, which it is necessary to specify in order to an
understanding of this epistle. They claimed to be the most ancient peo
ple of the world ; and it is said that this claim was admitted by the Egyp
tians, who, though boastful of their own antiquity, were content to regard
themselves as second to the Phrygians. Pict. Bib. Like otner parts i f
Asia Minor which were distinguished as provinces under the Romar
empire, Phrygia is first historically known as a kingdom, and continued
such until it was made a province of the Lydian monarchy. It remained
a province of that monarchy until Croesus, king of Lydia, was conquered
by Cyrus of Persia, who added the Lydian kingdom to his empire. After
that Phrygia, like the rest of Asia Minor, became successively subject to
the Greeks, the Romans, and the Turks. In the time when the gospel
was preached there, it was subject to the Romans ; it is now under the
dominion ofthe Turks, Phrygia was anciently celebrated for its fertility;
but under the Moslem yoke, a great part ofthe country lies uncultivated.
j 2. Tlie establishment of the church in Colosse.
'I he gospel was first preached in Phrygia by Paul and Silas, accompa
nied also by Timothy. Acts xv. 40, 41 ; xvi. 1 — 3. 6. It is said that they
" went throughout Phrygia," which means, doubtless, that they went to
the principal cities and towns. In Acts xviii. 23, it is said that Paul visited
Phrygia again, after he had been to Philippi, Athens, Jerusalem, and
Antioch. He " went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order,
strengthening air the disciples." It is not, indeed, expressly said of Paul
and Silas that they went to Colosse ; but, as this was one of the principal
cities of Phrygia, there is every reason to suppose that they preached the
gospel there.
It has been doubted, however, whether Paul was ever at Colosse. It
is expressly affirmed by Hug {Intro.), and by Koppe {Proleg.), that Paul
had not taught at Colosse himself, and that he had no personal acquaint
ance with the Christians there. It has been maintained that the gospel
was, probably, first preached there by Epaphras, who heard the apostle at
Ephesus, and who returned and preached the gospel to his own country
men. The opinion that Paul had not been there, and was personally
unacquainted with the church, is founded on his declaration in ch. ii 1 —
" For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for
them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh."
From this it is inferred that he was neither at Colosse nor at Laodicea.
Vet it may be justly doubted whether this passage will authorize this con
clusion. Theodoret long since suggested that the meaning of this was —
'1 have not only a concern for you, but I have also great concern for those
who have not seen me.' Dr. Lardner, however, maintains that the gospel
was preached in Colosse by Paul. The reasons which he gives for the
opinion are briefly these :
(1.) The declarations of Luke, already quoted, that Paul more than
ance passed through Phrygia. The presumption is, that he would visit
the chief cities of that province in passing and repassing through it It is

INTRODUCTION,

cclxv

23

CClxvi INTRODUCTION.
to be remembered that, according to ch. ii. 1, Colosse and Laodicea are
placed on the same footing; and hence the difficulty ofthe supposition that
he did not visit the former is increased. Can it be supposed that Paul
would go again and again through that region, preaching the gospel in the
points where it would be likely to exert the widest influence, and yet
never visit either of these principal cities ofthe province, especially when
it is remembered that Laodicea was the capital ? (2.) Dr. Lardner appeals
to what Paul says in ch. i. 6, and ii. 6, 7, in proof that he knew that they
had been rightly taught the gospel. From this he infers that Paul had
himself communicated it to them. This conclusion is not perfectly clear,
since it is certain that Paul might have known their first teachers, and
been satisfied that they taught the truth; but it is such language as he
would have used on the supposition that he was the spiritual father of the
church. (3.) Epaphras, says Dr. Lardner, was not their first instructor in
the gospel. This he infers from what is said of him in ch. i. 7, and in ch.
iv. 12, 13. He is commended as "one of them," as a "fellow-servant,"
as " a faithful minister of Christ," as one " beloved." But he is not spoken
of as sustaining any nearer relation to them. If he had been the founder
of their church, he thinks it is incredible that there is no allusion to this
fact m writing to them ; that the apostle should have spoken more than
once of him, and never referred to his agency in establishing the church
there. (4) Paul does, in effect, say that he had himself dispensed the
gospel to these Colossians. Ch. i. 21 — 25. The salutations at the end of"
the epistle, to various persons at Laodicea and Colosse, show that he ws.i
personally acquainted there. See these and other reasons drawn out in
Lardner's Works, vol. vi., pp. 151 seq., Ed. Lond. 1829. The considerations
suggested by Dr. Lardner seem to me to be sufficient to render it in the
highest degree probable that the church at Colosse was founded by Paul.
5 3. When and where the epistle was written.
This epistle is believed to have been written at Rome, when Paul was
a prisoner there, and at about the same time that the epistle to the Ephe
sians, and the epistle to Philemon, were written ; and that they were all
sent by the same persons. It is said in the epistle itself (ch. iv. 7. 9), that
it was sent by Tychicus and Onesimus, both of whom are commended as
' faithful and beloved' brethren. But the epistle to the^Ephesians was
written at Rome (see the Intro.), and was sent by Tychicus (Eph. vi. 21);
and the epistle to Philemon was sent by Onesimus. It is probable, there
fore, that these persons visited Ephesus, Colosse, and the place where
Philemon resided ; or, rather, that Tychicus and Onesimus visited Colosse
together, and that then Tychicus went to Ephesus, and Onesimus went to
his former master Philemon. That this epistle and the one to Philemon
were written at about the same time, is further apparent from the fact
that Epaphras is mentioned in both as with the apostle, and as joining in
the salutation. Col. iv. 12. Phil. 23. The epistle to the Colossians bears
internal marks of having been written at Rome, when the apostle was a
prisoner. Thus, in ch. i. 24, he says, " who now rejoice in my sufferings
for you." Ch. iv. 18, "Remember my bonds." If this be so, then it is not
difficult to fix the date of the epistle with some degree of accuracy. This
would be about the year 62.

INTRODUCTION. CClxVlI
5 4. The occasion and design of the epistle.
The general drift of this epistle has a strong ' resemblance to tnat
addressed to the Ephesians, and it bears internal marks of being from the
same hand. It was evidently written in view of errors which extensively
prevailed among the churches of that part of Asia Minor, and was designed
to inculcate the same general duties. It is of importance, therefore, to
possess a general understanding of the nature of these errors, in order to
a correct interpretation of the epistle.
The church at Colosse was one of a circle or group of churches, lying
near each other, in Asia Minor; and it is probable that the same general
views of philosophy, and the same errors, prevailed throughout the entire
region where they were situated. That group of churches embraced those
at Ephesus, Laodicea, Thyatira, and, in general, those addressed in the
Apocalypse as ' the seven churches of Asia.' ' From some of the notices
of those churches in the New Testament, as well as from the epistle
before us, we may learn what errors prevailed there in general, and
against what form of error particularly the epistle to the Colossians was
designed to guard.
(1.) Several classes Of errorists are mentioned as existing within the
limits of the ' seven churches of Asia.' Thus, in the church at Ephesus,
"those which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them
-liars" (Rev. ii. 2); in Smyrna, those "which say they are Jews, and are
not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. ii. 9) ; in Thyatira, " that
woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess" (Rev. ii. 20); in Per-
gamos, "them that hold the doctrine ofthe Nicolaitanes;" those "who
hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block
before the children of Israel." Rev. ii. 14, 15. The near proximity of
these churches to Colosse would render it probable that the infection of
these errors might have reached that church also.
(2.) The apostle Paul, in his parting speech to the elders of the church
at Ephesus, alludes to dangerous teachers to which the church there might
be exposed, in such a manner as to show that there was some peculiar
danger from such teachers in that community. " For I know that after
my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock. Also of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking perverse things,
to draw away disciples after them." Acts xx. 29, 30. He does not specify,
indeed, the kind of danger to which they would be exposed ; but it is
evident that the danger arose from plausible teachers of error. These
were of two classes — those who would come in from abroad, implying
probably that there were such teachers in the neighbouring churches;
and such as would spring up among themselves.
(3.) In that vicinity there appear to have been numerous disciples of
John the Baptist, retaining many Jewish prejudices and prepossessions,
who would be tenacious of the observances of the Mosaic law. What
were their views, is not precisely known. But it is clear that they regarded
the Jewish law as still binding ; that they would be rigid in its observance,
and in insisting on its observance by others; that they had at best, if
any, a very imperfect acquaintance with Christianity ; and that they were
ignorant of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, and of the fact that
'hat had been poured out in a remarkable manner under the preaching
of the apostles Paul found a number of these disciples of John at Ephesus,

CClXVlll INTRODUCTION.
who professed not to have received the Holy Ghost, and who said that they
had been baptized unto John's baptism. Acts xix. 1—3. Among the most
distinguished and influential of the disciples of John in that region was
Apollos (Acts xviii. 24, 25), who is represented as an eloquent man, and
mighty in the Scriptures. He taught at Ephesus, but how long before he
was made more fully acquainted with the gospel, is unknown. He is
represented as having been zealously engaged in that work, and as being
eminently successful. Acts xviii. 25. There is no reason to doubt that he
contributed not a little in diffusing, in that region, the peculiar views held
by -those who were known as the disciples of John. What was precisely
the doctrine which Apollos taught before 'the way of God was expounded
more perfectly to him' (Acts xviii. 26), is not now known. There is every
reason, however, to suppose that he would insist on the observance of the
Jewish laws, and the customs of their nation. The opinions which would
be likely to be defended by one in his circumstances, would be those which
prevailed when John preached — when the law of Moses was considered
to be in full force, and when it was necessary to observe all his institutions.
The advocates for the Jewish law among the churches would be likely to
appeal with great force to the sentiments of so good and so eloquent a man
as Apollos. So extensive was his influence, that Koppe supposes that the
principal errors prevailing in the churches in Phrygia, which it was the
design of the apostle in this epistle to correct, could be traced to the
influence of the disciples of John, and especially to the teachings of this
eloquent man. Proleg., p. 160.
(4.) If we look into the epistle itself, we shall be able to determine with
some degree of certainty the errors which prevailed, and which it was the
design of this epistle to correct, and we shall find that they correspond
remarkably with what we might anticipate, from what we have seen to be
the errors abounding in that region, {a) Their first danger arose from
the influence of philosophy. Ch. ii. 4—8. The apostle warns them to
beware lest any one should "beguile them with enticing words ;" he cau
tions them against " philosophy and vain deceit" — a philosophy that was
based on the " tradition of men," " after the rudiments of the world, and
not after Christ." Such philosophy might be expected to prevail in those
cities so near to Greece, and so much imbued with the Grecian spirit, and
one of the chief dangers which would beset them would arise from its
prevalence. (6) A second source of danger referred to, was that arising
from the influence of those who insisted on the observance of the 'rites and
customs of the Jewish religion. This the apostle refers to in ch. ii. 16.
" Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an
holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days." These are sub
jects on which the Jews would insist much, and in this respect the disci
ples of John would be likely to sympathize entirely with them. It is evi
dent that there were those among them who were endeavouring to enforce
the observance of these things, (c) There is some evidence of the pre
valence there of a philosophy more Oriental than Grecian — a philosophy
that savoured of Gnosticism. This philosophy was subsequently the foun
dation of a large part of the errors that crept into the church. Indications
of its prevalence in Colosse, occur in places like the following. Ch. ii. 9.
"For in him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;"
from which it would seem probable that there were those who denied that
the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in the Lord Jesus — a favourite

INTRODUCTION. CclxiX
doctrine of the Gnostics, who maintained that the assumption of human
nature, by the Son of God, was in appearance only, and .that he died on
the cross only in appearance, and not in reality. So in ch. ii. 18, there is
a reference to ' a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding
into those things which are not seen, and which tend vainly to puff up a
fleshly mind' — a description that will apply with remarkable accuracy to
the homage paid by the Gnostics to the iEons, and to the general efforts
of those who held the doctrines of that philosophy to intrude into those
things which are not seen, and to offer an explanation of the mode of the
divine existence, and the nature of the divine agency. See Notes on the
verses here referred to. It will contribute not a little to a proper under
standing of this epistle, to keep these things in remembrance respecting
the kind of philosophy which prevailed in the region in which Colosse was
situated, and the nature of the dangers to which they were exposed.
(5.) It will be seen from these remarks, and from the epistle itself, that
the difficulties in the church at Colosse did not relate to the moral and
religious character of its members. There is no mention of any improper
conduct, either in individuals or in the church at large, as there was in
the church at Corinth ; there is no intimation that they had been guilty
of any sins but such as were common to all heathens before conversion.
There are, indeed, intimations that they were exposed to sin, and there
are solemn charges against indulgence in it. But the sins to which they
"were exposed -were such as prevailed in all the ancient heathen world,
and doubtless such as the Gentile part of the church, particularly, had
been guilty of before their conversion. The following sins particularly
are mentioned : " Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, covetous
ness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications, and lying."
Ch iii. 5 — 9. These were common sins among the heathen (comp. Notes
on Rom. i.), and to a relapse into these they were particularly ex
posed ; but it does not appear that any of the members of the church had
given occasion for public reproach, or for apostolic reproof, by falling into
them. As they were sins, however, in which they had formerly indulged
(ch. iii. 7), and as they were, therefore, the more liable to fall into them
again, there was abundant occasion for all the solicitude which the apostle
manifests on the subject.
From the remarks now made, it is .easy to see what was the design of
the epistle to the Colossians. It was primarily to guard the church against
the errors to which it was exposed from the prevalence of false philosophy,
and from the influence of false teachers in religion ; to assert the superior
claims of Christianity over all philosophy, and its independence of the
peculiar rites and customs of the Jewish religion.
It hasbeen asked why the apostle wrote an epistle to the church at Co
losse, rather than to the church in Laodicea, especially as Laodicea was
the capital of Phrygia ? And it has been asked also, why an epistle was
addressed to that church so strikingly resembling the Epistle to the Ephe
sians (see 5 5), especially as it has been supposed that the Epistle to the
Ephesians was designed to be a circular letter, to be read by the churches
in the vicinity ? The reasons why an epistle was addressed particularly
to the church at Colosse, seem to have been such as the following: —
(1.) Onesimus was at that time with Paul at Rome, and was about ta
return to his master Philemon, at Colosse. See the Introduction to the
Epistle to Philemon, It was perfectly natural that Paul should avail him
23*

CC1XX INTRODUCTION
self of the opportunity thus afforded him, to address a letter to the church
at Colosse also.
(2.) Epaphras, a principal teacher of the church at Colosse, was also
with Paul at Rome. Ch. i. 7; iv. 12. He was at that time a fellow-pri
soner with him (Philem. 23), and it is not improbable that it was at his soli
citation particularly that this epistle was written. Paul had learned from
him the slate of the church at Colosse (ch. i. 6, 7), and it is not impossi
ble, as Koppe conjectures, that he had been sent to Rome by the church
to seek the eounsel of the apostle in the state of things which then exist
ed in Colosse. Epaphras was, at any rate, greatly interested in the state
of things in the church, as well as in the condition ofthe churches at Lao
dicea and Hierapolis (ch. iv. 13), and nothing was more natural than that
he should endeavour to induce the apostle to direct a letter that might be
of benefit to them all.
(3.) A particular reason for sending this epistle appears to have been,
to confirm the authority of Epaphras, and to give the sanction ofthe apos
tle to the truths which he had taught. In their difficulties and dangers,
Epaphras had taken an important part in giving them counsel. His views
might have been opposed ; or his authority might have been disputed by
the teachers of error there, and it was important that the apostolic sanc
tion should be given to what he had taught. Hence the apostle speaks
with so much affection of Epaphras, and so warmly of him as a faithful
servant of Christ. Ch. i. 7; iv. 12, 13.
(4.) It may be added, that although there is a strong resemblance be
tween this epistle and that to the Ephesians, and although it may be re
garded as probable that the epistle to the Ephesians was intended in part
as a circular, yet this epistle would not have been needless. It contains
many things which are not in that epistle ; is especially adapted to the
state of things in the church at Colosse, and would have the greater weight
with Christians there from being specifically addressed to them. See
Michaelis' Intro, to the New Testament, vol. iv. 122, and Koppe, Proleg.,
pp. 163, 164.
§ 5. The resemblance between this epistle and that to the Ephesians.
Every person who has given any considerable degree of attention to
this epistle, must have been struck with its remarkable similarity to the
epistle to the Ephesians. That resemblance is greater by far than exists
between any other two of the epistles of Paul — a resemblance not only in
the general style and manner which may be expected to characterize the
different productions of the same author, but extending to the course of
thought; the structure of the argument; the particular instructions, and
to some phrases which do not occur elsewhere. This similarity relates
particularly to the following points : —
(1.) In the representation of the reason for which the apostle was im
prisoned at Rome. This resemblance, Dr. Paley {Horte Paul.) remarks,
is " too close to be accounted for from accident, and yet too indirect and
latent to be imputed to design, and is one which cannot easily be resolved
into any other source than truth." It is not found in any other of his epis
tles. It consists in this, that Paul in these two epistles attributes his im
prisonment not to his preaching Christianity in general, but to his assert-
ing the right of the Gentiles to be admitted into the church on an equal

INTRODUCTION. Cclxxi
tooting with the Jews, and without being obliged to conform themselves to
the Jewish law. This was the doctrine to which he considered himself a
martyr. Thus in ch. i. 24, he says, ' Who now rejoice in my sufferings
/'or you ;" and in ch. ii. 1, " for I would that ye knew what great conflict
have for you, and for them at Laodicea." That is, his conflicts and
trials, his imprisonment and danger of death, had somehow come upon
him in consequence of his endeavouring to spread the gospel in such places
as Colosse and Laodicea. These were Gentile communities ; and the mean
ing is, that his trials were the result of his efforts to preach among the
Gentiles. The same representation is made in the epistle to the Ephe
sians — likewise written from Rome during his imprisonment. " For this
cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ fir you Gentiles." Ch. iii. 1.
And this coincidence is also apparent by comparing two other places in
the epistles. Thus Col. iv. 3. " Praying for us, that God would open unto
us a door of utterance to speak the mysteries of Christ, for which I am
in bonds." An allusion to the same ' mystery' occurs also in the Epistle
to the Ephesians. " Whereby when ye read, ye may understand my know
ledge in the mystery of Christ — that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs
of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."
Ch. iii. 4^—6. In the Acts of the Apostles the same statement occurs in
regard to the cause for which the apostle was persecuted and imprisoned —
and it is on this coincidence, which is so evidently undesigned, that Paley
has founded the argument for the genuineness of the epistles to the Ephe
sians and Colossians. Horce Paulinm. The statement in the Acts ofthe
Apostles is, that the persecutions of Paul which led to his appeal to the
Roman emperor and to his imprisonment at Rome, were in consequence
of his maintaining that the Gentiles were, in the Christian administration,
to be admitted to the same privileges as the Jews, or that there was no
distinction between them in the matter of salvation ; and his sufferings,
therefore, were, as he says, ' in behalf of the Gentiles.' See, particu
larly, Acts xxi. 28 ; xxii. 21, 22. From these passages it appears that1
the offence which drew down on Paul the vengeance of his countrymen
was, his mission to the Gentiles, and his maintaining that they were
to be admitted to the privileges of salvation on the same terms as the
Jews. (2.) There is a strong resemblance between the course of thought and
the general structure of the Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians.
To an extent that does not occur in any other of Paul's epistles, the same
topics are introduced, and in the same order and connection. Indeed, in
some portions, they are almost identical. Particularly the order in which
the various topics are introduced is nearly the same. The following por
tions of the two epistles will be seen to correspond with each other.
Ephesians. Colossians.
L 15—19  with  i. 9—11.
i. 20—23  "  i. 15—19.
i. 10  "  i20.
ii. 1—10  "  i- 21—23.
UL 7  "  i-25.
iii. 9, 10  "  ..i. 26, 27.
iii. 17  "...  ii-7.
ii. 11—22  "  ii. 11- 15.

Cclxxii INTRODUCTION.
Ephesians. Colossians.
iv. 14  with  ii. 8.
iv. 15, 16  "  "• 19.
iv. 25  "  ih-9-
iv. 22—24  "  iii- 9, 10.
iv. 32  "  i". 12.
v. 19, 20  "  iii- 16, 17.
v. 21 ; vi. 6—9  "  iii- 18—22; iv. 1.
vi. 19  "  iv. 3.
v. 16  "  iv. 5.
vi. 21  "•..."  iv. 7.
This resemblance, thus carried almost through the epistle, shows that
there was a similarity of condition in the two churches in reference to the
dangers to which they were exposed, the kind of philosophy which pre
vailed, the false teachers who might have an influence over them, and
the particular duties to which it was desirable their attention should be
turned. There is, indeed, some considerable variety of phraseology in the
discussion of these topics, but still the resemblance is remarkable, and
would indicate that the epistles were written not far from the same time,
and clearly by the same person. It is remarkable, among other things, as
Michaelis has observed, that it is only in these two epistles that the apos
tle warns his readers against lying. Eph. iv. 25. Col. iii. 9. Hence we
may conclude that this vice was one that particularly prevailed in the re
gion where these churches were situated, and that the members of these
churches had been particularly addicted to this vice before their con
version. { 6. The epistle from Laodicea.
In ch. iv. 16 of this epistle, the apostle gives this direction : " And when
this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of
the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea."
The former part of this verse is clear, and the direction was given, doubt
less, because the churches of Colosse and Laodicea were in the vicinity
of each other, and the instructions were adapted to both churches. Doubt
less the same form of philosophy prevailed, and the churches were exposed
to the same errors. But it is not so clear what is meant by the " epistle
from Laodicea." The most natural and obvious interpretation would be,
that Paul had sent a letter also to that church, and that he wished them
to procure it and read it. But no such epistle is now extant, and, conse
quently, much difficulty has been felt in determining what the apostle
referred to. A brief examination of the opinions entertained on the sub
ject, seems necessary in this place. They are the following :
1. It has been supposed that the reference is to a letter sent from the
Laodiceans to Paul, proposing to him some questions which they desired
him to answer, and that he now wishes the Colossians to procure that
letter, in order that they might more fully understand the drift of the
epistle which he now sent to them. This opinion was held by Theodoret,
and has been defended by Storr, Rosenmuller, and others. But the objec
tions to it are obvious and conclusive. (1.) It is not the fair meaning of
the language used by Paul. If he had referred to a letter to him, he

INTRODUCTION. CClxxiil
would have said so ; whereas the obvious meaning of the language used
Is, that the Colossians were to procure a letter in the possession of the
Laodiceans, in exchange for the one which they now received from Paul.
The churches were to make an exchange of letters, and one church was
to read that which had been addressed to the other. (2.) If the letter had
been addressed to Paul, it was doubtless in his possession ; and if he wished
the church at Colosse to read it, nothing would be more natural or obvious
than to send it, by Tychicus, along with the letter which he now sent
Why should he give directions to send to Laodicea to procure a copy of
it? (3.) If a letter had been sent to him by the Laodiceans, proposing
certain questions, why did he send the answer to the church at Colosse,
and not to the church at Laodicea ? The church at Laodicea would cer
tainly have been the one that was entitled to the reply. There would
have been a manifest impropriety in sending an epistle to one church,
made up of answers to questions proposed by another, and then at the end
requesting them to procure those questions, that they might understand
the epistle. (4.) It may be added, that it is not necessary to suppose that
there was any such epistle, in order to understand this epistle to the Colos
sians. This is not more difficult of interpretation than the other epistles
of Paul, and does not furnish in its -structure any particular evidence that
it was sent in answer to inquiries which had been proposed to the author.
2, It has been supposed by some that the epistle referred to was one
written to Timothy, by the apostle himself, at Laodicea. This opinion
was defended by Theophylact The only show of authority for it is the
subscription at the end of the First Epistle to Timothy — " The first to
Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia
Pacatiana." But that this is erroneous, can be easily shown. (1.) The
subscription to the epistle to Timothy is of no authority. (2.) If this
epistle had been referred to, Paul would not have designated it in this
manner. It would have been rather by mentioning the person to whom it
was addressed, than the place where it was written. (3.) There is nothing
in the epistle to Timothy which would throw any important light on this
to the Colossians, or which would be particularly important to them as a
church. It was addressed to one individual, and it contains counsels
adapted to a minister of the gospel, rather than to a church.
3. Many have supposed that the ' epistle from Laodicea,' referred to,
was one which Paul had written to the Laodiceans, partly for their use,
but which was of the nature of a circular epistle, and that we still have
it under another name. Those who hold this opinion suppose that the
epistle to the Ephesians is the one referred to, and that it was, in fact, sent
also to the church at Laodicea. See this question treated at length in the
Introduction to the Epistle to the Ephesians, { 5. The reasons for sup
posing that the epistle now known as the ' Epistle to the Ephesians' was
neither a. circular letter, nor addressed to the church at Laodicea, are
there given. But if the common reading of the text in Eph. i. 1, 'the
saints which are at Ephesus,' he correct, then it is clear that that epistle
was really sent to the church in that place. The only question, then, is,
whether it is of so general a character that it might as well be sent to
other churches as to that, and whether Paul actually sent it as a circular,
with a direction to different churches? Against this supposition, there
are strong improbabilities. (1.) It is contrary to the usual practice of
Paul. He addressed letters to oarticular churches and individuals ; and

rr.lxxiv INTRODUCTION.
unless this case be one, there is no evidence that he ever adopted the
practice of sending the same letter to different individuals or churches.
(2.) There would have been some impropriety in it, if not dishonesty. An
avowed circular letter, addressed to churches in general, or to any number
whose names are enumerated, would be perfectly honest But how would
this be, if the same letter was addressed to one church, and then, with a
new direction, addressed to another, with no intimation of its circular cha
racter? Would there not be a species of concealment in this which we
should not expect of Paul ? (3.) How happens it, if this had occurred,
that all remembrance of it was forgotten ? When those epistles were
collected, would not the attention be called to the fact, and some record
of it be found in some ancient writer? Would it fail to be adverted to that
the same epistle had been found to have been addressed to different
churches, with a mere change in the name ?
4. There is 'but one other opinion which can exist on this question; and
that is, that the apostle refers to some letter which had been sent to the
Laodiceans, which we have not now in the New Testament. If this be
so, then the reference could only be to some epistle which may be extant
elsewhere, or which is now lost. There is an epistle extant which is
known by the name of " St. Paul's Epistle to the Laodiceans ;" but it has
no well-founded claims to being a genuine epistle of Paul, and is univer
sally regarded as a forgery. "It is," says Michaelis, "a mere rhapsody,
collected from St Paul's other epistles, and which no critic can receive as
a genuine work of the apostle. It contains nothing which it was necessary
for the Colossians to know, nothing which is not ten times better and more
fully explained in the epistle which St. Paul sent to the Colossians ; in
short, nothing which could be suitable to St Paul's design." Intro, to the
New Tes. iv. 127. The Greek of this epistle may be found at length in
Michaelis; and, as it may be a matter of curiosity, and will show that this
cannot be the epistle referred to by Paul in Col. iv. 16, 1 will subjoin here
a translation. It is as follows : " Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by
men, but by Jesus Christ, to the brethren in Laodicea. Grace be to you,
and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ I give thanks
to my God in Christ always in my prayers, that you are mindful of and
are persevering in good works, waiting for the promise in the day of judg
ment And let not the vain speeches of some who would conceal the
truth disturb you, to turn you away from the truth ofthe gospel which has
been preached unto you. Now God grant that all they who are of me may
be borne forward to the perfection of the truth of the gospel, to perform
those excellent good works which become the salvation of eternal life.
And now are my bonds manifest, in which bonds I am in Christ, and at
the present time; but 1 rejoice, for I know that this shall be for the fur
therance of my salvation, which is through your praver and the supply of
the Holy Ghost, whether by life or by death. For to me to ,ive is Christ,
and to die is joy. But our Lord himself shall grant you his mercy with
us, that possessing love you may be of the same mind, and think the same
thing. On this account, brethren, as ye have heard of the appearing of
the Lord, so think and do in the fear of God, and it shall be eternal life to
you, for it is God who worketh in you. Do all things without murmuringa
and disputings. And for the remainder, brethren, rejoice in the J/srd
Jesus Christ, and see that ye keep yourselves from all base gain of covetous-
ness. Let all your requests be made known with boldness unto God, and

INTRODUCTION. Cclxxv
be irm in the mind of Christ And finally, brethren, whatsoever things
on; true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are holy, what
soever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, these things do. And
what vou have heard and received, keep in your hearts, and it shall give
you peace. Salute all the brethren with an holy kiss. All the saints
salute you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Amen. Cause that this epistle be read in the church of the Colossians,
and do you also read the epistle from Colosse." Nothing can be plainer
than that this is not such an epistle as the apostle Paul would have written ;
it is therefore a mere forgery. The conclusion to which we are conducted
is, that the reference in Col. iv. 16 is to some epistle of Paul to the church
at Laodicea which is not now extant, and that the probability is, that.
having accomplished the object for which it was sent, it has been suffered
to be lost Thus, it is to be numbered with the writings of Gad, and Iddo
the Seer, and Nathan, and the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the
book of Jehu (1 Chron. xix. 29. 2 Chron. ix. 29; xx. 31. 1 Kings xvi.
1) ; works which, having accomplished the object for which they were
composed, have been suffered to become extinct Nor is there anything
improbable or absurd in the supposition that an inspired book may have
tieen lost There is no special sacredness in a mere writing, or in the
fact that inspired truth was recorded, that makes it indispensable that it
should be preserved. The oral discourses of the Saviour were as certainly
inspired as the writings of Paul ; and yet but a small part of what he said
has been preserved. John xxi. 25. Why should there be anyimprobability
in supposing that an inspired book may also have been lost? And, if it
has, how does that fact weaken the evidence of the importance or the
value of what we now possess ? How does the fact that a large part of
the sermons of the Saviour have perished, by not being recorded, diminish
the value, or lessen the evidence of the divine authority, of the Sermon
on the Mount?

THE

EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS.

CHAPTER I.
V)AUL, ° an apostle of Jesus

a Ep. 1. 1.

CHAPTER I.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This chapter embraces the follow
ing topics : —
(1.) The usual salutation to the
church. Vs. 1, 2.
(2.) Thanks to God for what he
had done for the Colossians, and for
the fruits ofthe gospel among them.
Vs. 3—8.
(3.) Prayer that they might per
severe in the same course, and might
walk worthy of their calling. Vs.
9—11. (4.) An exhortation to render
thanks to God for what he had done
for them in redemption. Vs. 12 —
14 (5.) A statement of the exalted
dignity of the Redeemer. Vs. 15
—18. (6.) A statement of what he had
done in the work of redemption, in
making peace by the blood of his
cross and reconciling the world to
God. Vs. 19,20.
(7.) Through this gospel, Paul
says, they had been reconciled to
God, and were now brought into a
state in which they might be pre
sented as holy and unblameable in
his sight Vs. 21— 23.
(8.) Of this gospel, Paul says he
was a minister ; in preaching it he
had been called to endure trials, but
those trials he endured with joy;
and in preaching this gospel he used
the utmost diligence, warning every
24

Christ, by the will of God, and
Timotheus our brother.

man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom, that he might present every
one perfect in Christ Jesus. Vs. 24
—29. 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ. See Notes, Rom. i. 1. ^ By
the will of God. Notes, 1 Cor. i. 1.
IT And Timotheus our brother. On
the question why Paul associated
others with him in his epistles, see
Notes on 1 Cor. i. 1. There was a
particular reason why Timothy
should be associated with him in
writing this epistle. He was a na
tive of the region where the church
was situated (Acts xvi. 1—3), and
had been with Paul when he preach
ed there, and was doubtless well
known to the church there. Acts
xvi. 6. It is evident, however, from
the manner in which Paul mentions
him here, that he did not regard him
as ' an apostle,' and did not wish the
church at Colosse to consider him as
such. It is not ' Paul and Timothy,
apostles of Jesus Christ,' but 'Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timo
thy our brother.' Paul is careful
never to apply the term apostle to
Timothy. Phil. i. 1. "Paul and
Timotheus, the servants of Jesus
Christ." Comp. 1 Thess. i. 1. 2
Thess. i. 1. If he had regarded
Timothy as an apostle, or as having
apostolic authority, it is not easy to
conceive why he should not have re
ferred to him as such in these letters
to the churches. Could he have feil-
277

278

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

2 To the saints " and faithful
brethren in Christ which are at
Colosse : * Grace be unto you, and
peace, from God our Father, and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We c give thanks to God and
the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith
• Ps. 16. 3. b Ga. 1. 3.
c lip. 1. IS, 16.

ed to see that the manner in which
he referred to him was adapted to
produce a very important; difference
in the estimate in which he and Ti
mothy would be held by the Colos
sians? 2. Grace be unto you. See Notes,
Rom. i. 7.
3. We give thanks to God. See
Notes on the parallel place in Eph.
i. 15, 16. IT Praying alway s for you.
See Notes on Rom. i. 9. Eph? i. 16.
Comp. 1 Thess. i. 2.
4. Since we heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus. To wit by Epa
phras, who had informed Paul of the
steadfastness of their feith and love.
Vs. 7, 8. This does not prove that
Paul had never been at Colosse, or
that he did not establish the church
there, for he uses a similar expres
sion respecting the church at Ephe
sus (Eph. i. 15), of which he was
undoubtedly the founder. The mean
ing is, that he had heard of their
feith at that time, or of their perse
verance in feith and love. If Which
ye have to all the saints. In what
way they had manifested this is not
known. It would seem that Paul
had been informed that this was a
character of their piety, that they
had remarkable love for all who bore
the christian name. Nothing could
be more acceptable information re
specting them to one who himself so
ardently loved the church; and no
thing could have furnished better
evidence that they were influenced

in Christ Jesus, and of the love
which ye have to all the saints ;
5 For the hope which is laid
up d for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of
the truth of the gospel,
6 Which is come unto you, as
it is in all ¦ the world ; and bring-
eth-'' forth fruit as it doth also in
d 2 Ti. 4. 8. 1 Pe. 1. 4. e ver. 23.
/Jno. 15. 10.

by the true spirit of religion. Comp.
1 John iii. 14.
5. For Ike hope which is laid up
for you in heaven. That is, 'I give
thanks that there is such a hope laid
up for you.' The evidence which
he had that this hope was theirs,
was founded on the feith and love
to the saints which he heard they
had evinced. He fully believed that
where there was such feith and love,
there was a well-founded hope of
heaven. The word 'hope' here is
used, as it often is, for the thing hoped
for. The object of hope — to wit,
eternal happiness, was reserved for
them in heaven. % Whereof ye
heard before. When the gospel was
first preached to you. You were told
of the blessed rewards of a life of
feith, in heaven. If In the word of
the truth of the gospel. In the true
word of the gospel.
6. Which is come unto you. It
has not been confined to the Jews,
or limited to the narrow country
where it was first preached, but has
been sent abroad to the Gentile world.
The object ofthe apostle here seems
to be, to excite in them a sense of
gratitude that the gospel had been
sent to them. It was owing entirely
to the goodness of God in sending
them the gospel, that they had this
hope, of eternal life. % As it is in
all the world. It is confined to no
place or people, but is designed to
be a universal religion. It offers the
same blessedness in heaven to all.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

279

you, since the day ye heard • of
it, and knew the * grace of God
in truth. «
7 As ye also learned of d Epa
phras our dear fellow-servant, who
is for you a faithful minister of
Christ ;
oRo. 10. 17. 6 Tit. 2. 11, 12.
c Jno. 4. 23. d Phi. 23.

Comp. Notes on ver. 23. If And
bringing forth fruit. The fruits
of righteousness or good living. See
Notes on 2 Cor. ix. 10. The mean
ing is, that the gospel was not with
out effect wherever it was preached.
The same results were observable
everywhere else as in Colosse, that
it produced most salutary influences
on the hearts and lives of those who
received it . On the nature of the
' fruits' of religion, see Notes on Gal.
v. 22, 23. If Since the day ye heard
of it. It has constantly been pro
ducing these fruits since you first
heard it preached. If And knew the
grace of God in truth. Since the
time ye knew the true grace of God ;
since you became acquainted with
the real benevolence which God has
manifested in the gospel. The mean
ing is, that ever since they had heard
the gospel it had been producing
among them abundantly its appropri
ate fruit, and that the same thing
oad also characterized it wherever it
had been dispensed.
7. As ye also learned of Epaphras.
Epaphras was then with Paul. Phi-
lem.23. He had probably been sent to
him by the church at Colosse to con
sult him in reference to some mat
ters pertaining to the church there.
It is evident from this, that Epaphras
was a minister of the church at Co
losse, though there is no evidence,
as has been often supposed, that he
was the founder of the church. The
apostle here says, that they had learn
ed from Epaphras the true nature of
the gospel, and he designs undoubt
edly to confirm what he had taught

8 Who also declared unto us
your love ' in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also, since
the day we heard it, do not cease
to pray for you, and to desire
that ye might be filled with the
knowledge of his will, / in all
e Ro. 15. 30. / Ro. 12. 2. Ep. 5. 10, 17.

them, in opposition to the teachings
of errorists. See the Introduction,
5 4. He had doubtless conferred with
Epaphras respecting the doctrines
which he had taught there. IT Our
dear fellow-servant. This shows
that Paul had contracted a strong
friendship for Epaphras. There is
no reason to believe that he had
known him before, but his acquaint
ance with him now had served to
attach him strongly to him. It is
possible, as has been conjectured (see
the Introduction), that there was a
party in the church at Colosse op
posed to Epaphras and to the doc
trines which he preached, and if this
were so, Paul's strong expression of
attachment for him would do much
to silence the opposition. If Who is
for you a faithful minister of Christ.
' For you,' when he is with you, and
in managing your interests here.
8. Who also declared unto us your
love in the Spirit. The love wrought
in you by the Holy Spirit. It was
not mere natural affection, but love
wrought in their hearts by the agency
of the Holy Ghost.
9. Do not cease to pray for you.
Ver. 3. The progress which they
had already made, and the love
which they had shown, constituted
an encouragement for prayer, and a
reason why higher blessings still
should be sought. We always feel
stimulated and encouraged to pray
for those who are doing well. IT That
ye might be filled with the know
ledge of his will. They had shown
by their faith and love that they
were disposed to do his will, and the

280

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

wisdom "and spiritual understand
ing;' iOThat ye might walk worthy "of
the Lord unto all pleasing, d being
'fruitful in every good work, and in-

a P». 119. 99.
d 1 Th. 4. 1.

b 1 Jno. 5. 20. c Ph. 1. 27.
e Jno. 15. 8, 16.

apostle now prays that they might
be fully acquainted with what he
would have them do. He offered a
similar prayer in behalf of the Ephe
sians. See the parallel place in Eph.
i. 17 — 19, and the Notes on those
verses. If In all wisdom. That you
may be truly wise in all things.
Eph. i. 17. if And spiritual under
standing. In understanding those
things that pertain to the 'Spirit;'
that is, those things taught by the
Holy Spirit, and those which he pro
duces in the work of salvation. See
Notes on 1 Cor. ii. 12, 13. Comp.
1 Johnii. 20; v. 20.
10. That ye might walk worthy
of the Lord. That you may live
as becomes the followers ofthe Lord.
How this was to be done he states
in this and the following verses.
^f Unto all pleasing. So as to please
him in all things. Comp. Heb. xi.
5. IT Being fruitful in every good
work. This is one way in which we
are to walk worthy of the Lord, and
so as to please him. See Notes on
John xv. 8. If And increasing in
the knowledge of God. This is an
other way in which we may walk
worthy of the Lord, and so as to
please him. It is by endeavouring
to become better acquainted with his
true character. God is pleased with
those who desire to understand what
he is ; what he does ; what he pur
poses; what he commands. Hence
he not only commands us to study
his works (comp. Ps. cxi. 2), but he
has made a world so beautiful as to
invite us to contemplate his perfec
tions as reflected in that world. All
good beings desire that others should
understand their character, and God i

creasing-fin the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened e with all
might, according to his glorious
power, unto all patience * and
long-suffering, with joyfulness ; '

/ 2 Pe. 3. 18.
h Jn. 1.4.

g Is. 45. 24.
i Ho. 5. 3.

delights in those who are sincerely
desirous of knowing what he is, and
who inquire with humility and rever
ence into his counsels and his will.
Men are often displeased when others
attempt to look into their plans, for
they are sensible they will not bear
the light of investigation. God has no
plans which would not be seen to be,
in the highest degree, glorious to him.
11. Strengthened with all might.
This was also an object of Paul's
earnest prayer. He desired that they
might be strengthened for the per
formance of duty ; to meet tempta
tions ; and to bear up under the va
rious trials of life. If According to
his glorious power. Not by any
human means, but by the power of
God. There is a manifestation of
power in the spirit with which Chris
tians are enabled to bear up under
trials, which shows that it is not of
human origin. It is the power which
God gives them in the day of trial.
This power is ' glorious,' or, as it is
in the Greek, it is the ' power of his
glory.' It is manifestly the power
of the great and glorious God, and
it tends to promote his glory, a'nd to
show forth his praise. If Unto all
patience. So that you may be ena
bled to bear all your trials Without
murmuring. It is only the power
of God that can enable us to do that.
IT And long-suffering. Notes, 1 Cor.
xiii. 4. % With joyfulness. Notes,
Rom. v. 3. 2 Cor. vii. 4 The Sy
riac version, Chrysostom, and a few
MSS. attach this to the following
verse, and read it, ' With joyfulness
giving thanks to the Father,' &c.
The only difference is in the pointing,
and either reading: makes good sense.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

28\

12 Giving thanks unto the Fa-

12. Giving thanks to the Father.
This is another mode by which we
may ' walk worthy of the Lord unto
all pleasing' (ver. 10); to wit, by
rendering appropriate thanks to God
for his mercy. The particular point
which the apostle here says demand
ed thanksgiving was, that they had
been called from the kingdom of
darkness to the kingdom of light
This had been done by the special
mercy of the Father, who had pro
vided the plan of salvation, and had
sent his Son to redeem them. The
connection shows that the word
' Father' refers, in this place, not to
God as the Father of his creatures,
but to the Father as distinguished
from the Son. It is the "Father"
who has translated us into the king
dom of the "Son." Our especial
thanks are due to the " Father" in
this, as he is represented as the great
Author of the whole plan of salva
tion — as he who-sent his Son to re
deem us. *fl" Who hath made us
meet. The word here used— Ixama
— means properly to make sufficient,
from Ixoms — sufficient, abundant,
much. The word conveys the idea
of having sufficient or enough to ac
complish anything. See it explained
in the Notes on 2 Cor. iii. 6. The
verb is not elsewhere used in the
New Testament. In its use here,
there seems to be implied the idea
of conferring the privilege or the
ability to be thus made the partakers
of the kingdom, and the idea also of
rendering us fit for it. The sense
is, he has conferred on us grace suffi-
rient to make it proper that we
should partake ofthe blessings of his
kingdom. In regard to this ' fitness*
or ' meetness' for that kingdom, we
may remark, (1.) that it does not
mean that we are rendered fit by our
own merits, or by anything which
we have done; for it is expressly
24*

ther, which hath made us meet «
a Re. 22. 14.

said that it is God who has thus ren
dered us ' meet' for it. No one, by
his own merits, ever made himself
fit for heaven. His good works can
not be an equivalent for the eternal
rewards of heaven ; nor is the heart,
when unrenewed, even in the best
state, fit for the society and the em
ployments of heaven. There is no
adapledness of such a heart, how
ever amiable and however refined,
to the pure spiritual joys of the up
per world. Those joys are the joys
of religion, of the love of God, of
pleasure in holiness ; and the unre
newed heart can never be wrought
up to a fitness to enter into those
joys. Yet (2.) there is a fitness or
meetness which Christians possess
for heaven. It consists in two things.
First, in their having complied with •
the conditions on which God pro
mises heaven, so that, although they
have no merit in themselves, and no
fitness by their own works, they have
that meetness which results from
having complied with the terms of
favour. They have truly repented
of their sins, and believed in the Re
deemer; and they are thus in the
proper state of mind to receive the
mercy of God ; for, according to the
terms of mercy, there is a propriety
that pardon should be bestowed on
the penitent, and peace on the be
lieving. A child that is truly broken
hearted for a fault, is in a fit state
of mind to be forgiven ; a proud, and
obstinate, and rebellious child, is not.
Secondly, there is, in fact, a fitness
in the Christian for the participation
of the inheritance of the saints in
light. He has a state of feeling that
is adapted to that. There is a con-
gruity between his feelings and hea
ven — a state of mind that can be sa
tisfied with nothing but heaven. He
has in his heart substantially the
same principles which reign in hea-

282

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

to be partakers of the inheritance
" of the saints in light :
a Ac. 20. 32.

ven ; and he is fitted to ' find happi
ness only in the same objects in
which the inhabitants of heaven do.
He loves the same God and Saviour;
has pleasure in the same truths;
prefers, as they do, holiness to sin ;
and, like the inhabitants of heaven,
he would choose to seek his pleasure
in holy living, rather than in the
ways of vanity. His preferences are
all on the side of holiness and vir
tue ; and, with such preferences, he
is fitted for the enjoyments of hea
ven. In character, views, feelings,
and preferences, therefore, the Chris
tian is made 'fit' to participate in the
employments and joys of hhe saints
in light f To be partakers of the
inheritance. The privileges of reli
gion are often represented as an
heirship, or an inheritance. See
Notes on Rom. viii. 17. If Of the
saints in light. Called, in ver. 13,
'the kingdom of his dear Son.' This
is a kingdom of light, as opposed to
the kingdom of darkness in which
they formerly were. In the East,
and particularly in Persia, there
prevailed early the belief that there
were two great kingdoms in the uni
verse — that of light, and that of
darkness. We find traces of this
opinion in the Scriptures, where the
kingdom of God is called 'light,'
and that of Satan is called 'dark
ness.' These are, of course, figura
tive expressions; but they convey
important truth. Light, in the Scrip
tures, is the emblem of holiness,
knowledge, happiness ; and all these
are found in the kingdom over which
God presides, and of which Chris
tians are the heirs. Accordingly,
we find the word light often used to
describe this kingdom. Thus it is
said of God, who presides over it,
that he " is light, and in him is no
darkness at all," 1 John i. 5; of

13 Who hath delivered us from
the power of darkness, * and hath

b 1 Pe. 2. 9.

Christ, that he is " the light of man,"
John i. 4; that he is "the true
light," John i. 9; that he is "the
light of the world," John viii. 12
Comp. xii. 35. Luke ii. 32. The
angels of that kingdom are ' angels
of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 14. Those who
compose that kingdom on earth are
' the children of light,' Luke xvi. 8.
1 Thess. v. 5. And all the descrip
tions of that kingdom in heaven re
present it as filled with light and
glory. Isa. Ix. 19. Rev. xx. 23;
xxii. 5.
13. Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness. The power ex
erted over us in that dark kingdom
to which we formerly belonged —
the kingdom of Satan. The charac
teristic of this empire is darkness-*
the emblem of (1.) sin; (2.) error;
(3.) misery and death. Over us, by
nature, these things had uncontrol-
able power; but now we are deliv
ered from them, and brought to the
enjoyment of the privileges of those
who are connected with the kingdom
of light. Darkness is often used, to
represent the state in which men are
by nature. Comp. Luke i. 79. Acts
xxvi. 18. Rom. xiii. 12. 1 Pet.
ii. 9. 1 John ii. 8. *fi And hath
translated us. The word here ren
dered 'translated' is often used in
the sense of removing a people, from
one country to another. See Jose-
phus, Ant. ix. 11. 1. It means, here,
that they who are Christians have
been transferred from one kingdom
to another, as if a. people were thus
removed. They become subjects of
a new kingdom, are under different
laws, and belong to a different com
munity. This change is made in
regeneration, by which we pass from
the kingdom of darkness to the king
dom of light; from the empire of
sin, ignorance, and misery, to one of

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

283

translated us into the kingdom of
1 his dear Son ;
14 In " whom we have redemp-
' the Sou of his love. a Ep. 1. 7.

tion through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins :
15 Who is the image b of the
b He. 1. 3.

holiness, knowledge, and happiness.
No change, therefore, in a man's life
is so important as this ; and no words
can suitably express the gratitude
which they should feel who are thus
transferred from the empire of dark
ness to that of light
14. In whom we have redemption.
See this explained in the Notes on
Eph. i. 7. The passage here proves
that we obtain forgiveness of sins
through the blood of Christ ; but it
does not prove that this is all that we
obtain through that blood.
15. Who is the image of the in
visible God. tixuv tov ^eou toi dopo-
t ou. The object here, as it is in the
parallel place in Eph. i. 20 — 23, is
to give a just view of the exaltation
of the Redeemer. It is probable
that, in both cases, the design is to
meet some erroneous opinion on this
subject that prevailed in those
churches, or among those that claim
ed to be teachers there. See the
Introduction to this epistle, and
comp. the Notes on Eph i. 20 — 23.
For the meaning of the phrase oc
curring here, ' the image of the in
visible God,' see the Notes on Heb.
L 3, and 2 Cor. iv. 4. The meaning
is, that he represents to mankind the
perfections of God, as an image, fig
ure, or drawing does the object which
it is made to resemble. See the word
image — ilxuv — .explained in the
Notes on Heb. x. 1. It properly de
notes that which is a copy or deline
ation of a thing; which accurately
and fully represents it, in contradis
tinction from a rough sketch, or out
line. Comp. Rom. viii. 29. 1 Cor.
xi. 7; xv. 49. The meaning here
is, that the being and perfections of
God are accurately and fully repre
sented by Christ. In what respects
particularly he was thus a represent

ative of God, the apostle proceeds to
state in the following verses, to wit,
in his creative power, in his eternal
existence, in -his heirship over the
universe, in the fulness that dwelt in
him. This cannot refer to him mere
ly as incarnate, for some of the things
affirmed of him pertained to him before
his incarnation ; and the idea is, that
in all things Christ fairly represents
to us the divine nature and perfec
tions. God is manifest to us through
him. 1 Tim. iii. 16. We see God
in him as we see an object in that
which is in all respects an exact
copy of it. God is invisible. No
eye has seen him, or can see him ;
but in what Christ is, and has done
in the works of creation and redenn>
tion, we have a fair and full repre
sentation of what God is. See Notes
on John i. 18 ; xiv. 9. IT The first
born of every creature. Among all
the creatures of God, or over all his
creation, occupying the rank and
pre-eminence of the first-born. The
first-born, or the eldest son, among
the Hebrews as elsewhere, had pe
culiar privileges: He was entitled
to a double portion of the inherit
ance. It has been, also, and espe
cially in oriental countries, a com
mon thing for the eldest son to suc
ceed to the estate and the title of his
father. In early times, the first-born
son was the officiating priest in the
family, in the absence or on the
death of the father. There can be
no doubt that the apostle here has
reference to the usual distinctions
and honours conferred on the first
born, and means to say that, among
all the creatures of God, Christ oc
cupied a pre-eminence similar to
that He does not say that, in all
respects, he resembled the first-born
in a family ; por does hn say that he

284

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

invisible God, the first-born of
every creature :

himself was a creature, for the point
of his comparison does not turn on
these things, and what he proceeds
to affirm respecting him is inconsist
ent with the idea of his being a cre
ated being himself. He that ' cre
ated all things that are in heaven
and that are in earth,' was not him
self created. That the apostle did
not mean to represent him as a crea
ture, is also manifest from the reason
which he assigns why he is called
the first-born. ' He is the image of
God, and the first-born of every crea-
ture; for — iitt — by him were all
things created.' That is, he sus
tains the elevated rank of the first
born, or a high eminence over the
creation, because by him ' all things
were created in heaven and in
earth.' The language here used,
also, does not fairly imply that he
was a creature, or that he was in
nature and rank one of those in re
lation to whom it is said he was the
first-born. It is true that the word
first-born — ttpototoxoc. — properly
means the first-born child of a father
or mother, Matt. i. 25. Luke ii. 7;
or the first-born of animals. But
two things are alsp to be reinarked
in regard to the use of the word :
(1.) It does not necessarily imply
that any one is born afterwards in
the femily, for it would be used of
the first-born, though an onjy child ;
and (2.) it is used to denote one who
is chief, or who is highly distin
guished and pre-eminent Thus it
is employed in Rom. viii. 29, ?! That
he might be the first-bqrn among
many brethren." So, in ver. 1.8 of
this chapter, it is said tb^t he was
-' the first-born from the dead ;" not
that he was Jiterally the first that
was raised from the dead, which was
npt the fact, but that he might be
PF?_?minent among those that are

16 For bj him ° were all things
created, that are in heaven, and

a Jno. 1. 3.

raised. Comp. Ex. iv. 22. The
meaning, then, is, that Christ sus
tains the most exalted rank in the
universe; he is pre-eminent above
all others ; he is at the head of all
things. The expression does not
mean that he was ' begotten before
all creatures,' as it is often explain
ed, but refers to the simple feet that
he sustains the highest rank over the
creation. He is the Son of God.
He is the heir of all things. All
other creatures are also the ' offspring
of God ;' but he is exalted as the Son
of God above all.
16. For by him were all things
created. This is one of the reasons
why he is called ' the image of God,
and the ' first-born.' He makes God
known to us by his creative power,
and by the same power in creation
shows that he is exalted over all
things as the Son of God. The
phrase which is here used by the
apostle is universal. He does not
declare that he created all things in
the spiritual kingdom of God, or that
he arranged the events of the gospel
dispensation, as Socinians suppose
(see Crellius); but that everything
was created by him. A similar form
of expression occurs in John i. 3.
See Notes on that verse. There
could not possibly be a more explicit
declaration that the universe was
created by Christ, than this. As if
the simple declaration in the most
comprehensive terms were not
enough, the apostle goes into a spe
cification of things existing in hea
ven and earth, and so varies the
statement as if to prevent the possi
bility of mistake. If That are in
heaven. The division of the universe
into ' heaven and earth' is natural
and obvious, for it is the one that is
apparent. See Gen. i. 1. Heaven,
then, accordmg to this division, m\]

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER 1.

285

that are in earth, visible and invi
sible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or

embrace all the universe, except the
earth ; and will include the heavenly
bodies and their inhabitants, the dis
tant worlds, as well as heaven, more
strictly so called, where God resides.
The declaration, then, is, that all
things that were in the worlds above
us were the work of his creative
power, ^f And that are in earth.
All the animals, plants, minerals,
waters, hidden fires, &c. Everything
which the earth contains. If Visible
and invisible. We see but a small
part of the universe. The angels
we cannot see. The inhabitants of
distant worlds we cannot see. Nay,
there are multitudes of worlds which,
even with the best instruments, we
cannot see. Yet all these things are
said to have been created by Christ
H Whether they be thrones. Whe
ther those invisible things be thrones.
The reference is to the ranks of an
gels, called here thrones, dominions,
die. See Notes on Eph. i. 21. The
word ' thrones' does not occur in the
parallel place in Ephesians; but
there can be no doubt that the refer
ence is to an order of angelic beings,
as those to whom dominion and
power were intrusted. The other
orders enumerated here are also
mentioned in Eph. i. 21. If All
things were created by him. The
repetition, and the varied statement
here, are designed to express the
truth with emphasis, and so that
there could not be the possibility of
mistake or misapprehension. Comp.
Notes on John i. 1 — 3. The import
ance of the doctrine, and the fact
that it was probably denied by false
teachers, or that they held philoso-
ohical opinions that tended to its
practical denial, are the reasons why
the apostle dwells so particularly on
this point If And for him. For his
glory; for such purposes as he de-

powers : all things were created
by • him, and for him :
a Ro. 11. 36.

signed. There was a reference to
himself in the work of creation, just
as, when a man builds a house, it is
with reference to some important
purposes which he contemplates,
pertaining to himself. The universe
was built by the Creator to be his
own property ; to be the theatre on
which he would accomplish his pur
poses, and display his perfections.
Particularly the earth was made by
the Son of God to be the place where
he would become incarnate, and ex
hibit the wonders of redeeming love.
There could not be a more positive de
claration than this, that the universe
was created by Christ; and, if so, he
is divine. The work of creation is
the exertion ofthe highest power of
which we can form a conception,
and is often appealed to in the Scrip
tures by God to prove that he is di
vine, in contradistinction from idols.
If, therefore, this passage be under
stood literally, it settles the question
about the divinity of Christ. Ac
cordingly, Unitarians have endea
voured to show that the creation
here referred to is a moral creation ;
that it refers to the arrangement of
affairs in the christian church, or to
the kingdom of God on earth, and
not to the creation of the material
universe. This interpretation has
been adopted even by Grotius, who
supposes that it refers to the arrange
ment by which all things are fitted
up in the new creation, and by which
angels and men are reconciled. By
the ' things in heaven and in earth,
some Unitarian expositors have un
derstood the Jews and the Gentiles,
who are reconciled by the gospel;
others, by the things in heaven, un
derstand the angels, and, by the
things on earth, men, who are brought
into harmony by the gospel plan of
salvation. But the objections to this

28e

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

11 And he j before " all things,

a Jno. 1. 1.

interpretation are insuperable : (1.)
The word created is not used in this
sense properly, and cannot be. That
it may mean to arrange, to order, is
true ; but it is not used in the sense
of reconciling, or of bringing dis
cordant things into harmony. To
the great mass of men, who have no
theory to support, it would be under
stood in its natural and obvious sense,
as denoting the literal creation. (2.)
The assertion is, that the ' creative'
power of Christ was exerted on 'all
things.' It is not in reference to
angels only, or to men, or to Jews,
or to Gentiles; it is in relation to
' everything in heaven and in earth ;'
that is, to the whole universe. Why
should so universal a. declaration be
supposed to denote merely the intel
ligent creation? (3.) With what
propriety, or in what tolerable sense,
can the expression ' things in heaven
and things in earth' be applied to the
Jews and Gentiles ? In what sense
can it be said that they are ' visible
and invisible ?' And, if the language
could be thus used, how can the fact
that Christ is the means of reconcil
ing them be a reason why he should
be called 'the image ofthe invisible
God ?' (4.) If it be understood of a
moral creation, of a renovation of
things, of a change of nature, how
can this be applied to the angels ?
Has Christ created them anew?
Has he changed their nature and
character? Good angels cannot need
a spiritual renovation; and Christ
did not come to convert fallen an
gels, and to bring them into harmony
with the rest of the universe. (5.)
The phrase here employed, of ' cre
ating all things in heaven and on
earth,' is never used elsewhere to
denote a moral or spiritual creation.
It appropriately expresses the crea
tion ofthe universe. It is language
strikingly similar to that used by

and by him all things consist;

Moses, Gen. i. 1; and it would be
so understood by the great mass of
mankind. If this be so, then Christ
is divine, and we can see in this
great work a good reason why \^r
called 'the image of the invisible
God,' and why he is at the head of
the universe — the firsfc-born of the
creation. It is because, through him,
God is made known to us in the work
of creation ; and because, being the
great agent in that work, there is a
propriety that he should occupy this
position at the head of all things.
17. And he is before all things.
As he must be, if he created all
things. Those who regard this as
referring to a moral creation, inter
pret it as meaning that he has the
pre-eminence over all tilings ; not
as referring to his pre-existence.
But the fair and proper meaning Oi
the word before (*p6) is, that he was
before all things in Ihe order of ex
istence. Comp. Matt. viii. 29. John
xi. 55 ; xiii. 1. Acts v. 36 ; xxi. 38.
2 Cor. xii. 2. It is equivalent to say
ing that he was eternal — for he that
had an existence before anything
was created, must be eternal. Thus
it is equivalent to the phrase ' In the
beginning.' Gen. i. 1. Comp. Notes,
John i. 1. Tf And by him all things
subsist. Or are sustained. See
Notes on Heb. i. 3. The meaning
is, that they are kept in the present
state ; their existence, order, and ar
rangement are continued by his pow
er. If unsupported by him, they
would fall into disorder, or sink back
to nothing. If this be the proper
interpretation, then it is the ascrip
tion to Christ of infinite power — for
nothing less could be sufficient to
uphold the universe; and of infinite
wisdom — for this is needed to pre
serve the harmonious action of tho
suns and systems of which it is corn-
None could do this but one

AD. 64J

CHAPTER I.

287

18 And We .s the head "of the
body, the church ; who is the be
ginning, * the first-born from the
a Ep. 5. 23. b 1 Co. 15. 20.
who is divine; and hence we see
the reason why he is represented as
the image of the invisible God. He
is the great and glorious and ever-
active agent by whom the perfections
of God are made known.
18. And he is the head of the
body, the church. Notes, Eph. i. 22 ;
v. 23. T Who is the beginning. In
all things—alike in the work of cre
ation and in the church. He is the
fountain of authority and power, and
commences everything that is de
signed to uphold the order of the
universe, and to save the world.
IT TJierfirst-born from the dead. At
the head of those who rise from their
graves. This does not mean liter-
illy that he was the first who rose
from the dead, for he himself raised
up Lazarus and others, and the bo
dies of saints arose at his crucifixion ;
but it means that he had the pre
eminence among them all ; he wan
the most illustrious of those who
will be raised from the dead, and is
the head over them all. Especially,
he had this pre-eminence in the re
surrection in this respect, that he
was the first who rose from death to
immortality. Others who were raised
undoubtedly died again. Christ rose
to die no more. See Notes on
I Cor. xv. 20. If That in all things.
Marg., among all. The Greek will
bear either construction, and either
will accord with the scope of the
apostle's remarks. If the former, it
means that he is at the head of all
things — the universe ; if the latter,
that he is chief among' those who
rose from the dead. Each of these
is true, but the scope of the passage
seems rather to require us to under
stand this of everything, and to mean
that all the arrangements respecting
turn were such as to give him supre-

dead ; that ' in all things he mignt
have the pre-eminence.
19 For it pleased the Father

> among all.

macy over the universe. % He might
have the pre-eminence. Gr., might
be first — ttpatevuv. That is, might
be first in rank, dignity, honour, pow
er. He has the pre-eminence (I.)
as over the universe which he has
formed — as its Creator and Proprie
tor; (2.) as chief among those who
shall rise from the dead — since ho
first rose to die no more, and their
resurrection depends on him ; (3.) as
head of the church — all synods,
councils, and governments being
subject to him, and he alone having
a right to give law to his people ;
and (4.) in the affections of his
friends — being in their affections and
confidence superior to all others.
19. For it pleased the Father.
The words ' the Father' are not in the
original, but they are not improperly
supplied. Some word must be un
derstood, and as the apostle in ver,
12 referred to ' the Father' as having
a claim to the thanks of his people
for what he had done, and as the
great favour for which they ought to
be thankful is that which he imme
diately specifies — the exaltation of
Christ, it is not improper to suppose
that this is the word to be under
stood here. The meaning is, that
he chose to confer on his Son such a
rank, that in all things he might
have the pre-eminence, and that
there might be in him 'all fulness.'
Hence, by his appointment, he was
the agent in creatidn, and hence he
is placed over all things as the head
of the church. IT That in him
should all fulness dwell. That in
him there should be such dignity,
authority, power, and moral excel
lence as to be fitted to the work of
creating the world, redeeming his
people, and supplying everything
I needful for their salvation. On the

28S

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 04,

that in him ° should all fulness
dwell ;
20 And, ' having made * peace
01 Jno. 1.16. * or, maftin^-. b Ep. 2. 14-16.

word fulness, see Notes on John i.
14. 16. Comp. Rom. xi. 12. 25. Gal.
iv. 4 Eph. i. 23; iii. 19. Col. ii.
9. This is to us a most precious
truth. We have a Saviour who is
in no respect deficient in wisdom,
power, and grace to redeem and save
us. There is nothing necessary to
be done in our salvation which he is
not qualified to do ; there is nothing
which we need to enable us to per
form our duties, to meet temptation,
and to bear trial, which he is not
able to impart. In no situation of
trouble and danger will the church
find that there is a deficiency in him ;
in no enterprise to which she can
put her hands will there be a lack
of power in her great Head to ena
ble her to accomplish what he calls
her to. We may go to him in all
our troubles, weaknesses, tempta
tions, and wants, and may be sup
plied from his fulness — just as, if we
were thirsty, we might go to an
ocean of pure water and drink.
20. And having made peace.
Marg., making. . The Greek will
bear either. The meaning is, that
by his atonement he produces recon
ciliation between those who were
alienated from each other. See
Notes on Eph. ii. 14. It does not
mean here that he had actually ef
fected peace by his death, but that
he had laid the foundation for it ; he
had done that which would secure
it. If By the blood of his cross. By
his blood shed on the cross. That
blood, making atonement for sin,
was the means of making reconcilia
tion between God and man. On the
meaning of the word blood, as used
in this connection, see Notes on Rom.
iii. 25. IT By him to reconcile all
things to himself. On the meaning
of the word reconcile, see Notes on

through the blood of his cross, by
him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether

Matt. v. 24 Rom. v. 10, and 2 Cor.
v. 18. When it is said that 'it
pleased the Father by Christ to re
concile all things to himself,' the
declaration must be understood with
some limitation. (1.) It relates only
to those things which are in heaven
and earth — for those only are speci
fied. Nothing is said of the inhabit
ants of hell, whether fallen angels,
or the spirits of wicked men who
are there. (2.) It cannot mean that
all things are actually reconciled —
for that never has been true. Mul
titudes on earth have remained alien
ated from God, and have lived and
died his enemies. (3.) It can mean
then, only, that he had executed a
plan that was adapted to this ; that
if fairly and properly applied, the
blood of the cross was fitted to se
cure entire reconciliation between
heaven and earth. There was no
enemy which it was not fitted to re
concile to God ; there was no guilt,
now producing alienation, which it
could not wash away. % Whether
they be things in earth, or things in
heaven. That is, to produce harmo
ny between the things in heaven
and in earth ; so that all things shall
be reconciled to him, or so that there
shall be harmony between heaven
and earth. The meaning is not, that
' the things in heaven' were alien
ated from God, but that there was
alienation in the universe which
affected heaven, and the object was
to produce again universal concord
and love. Substantially the same
sentiment is found in Eph. i. 10. See
Notes on that verse. Much has been
written on the meaning of this ex
pression, and a great variety of opin
ions have been entertained of it. It is
best, always, unless necessity require
a different interpretation, to take

A, D. 64.]

CHAPTER I.

289

they be things in earth, or things
in neaven.
21 And you, that were some
time alienated, and enemies ' in
1 or, by.

words in their usual signification.
If that rule be adopted here, ' things
in heaven' will refer to God and the
angels, and perhaps may include the
principles ofthe divine government
' Things on earth,' will embrace men,
and the various things on earth which
are now at variance with God and
with heaven. Between these, it is
designed to produce harmony by the
blood of the cross, or by the atone
ment As in heaven nothing is
wrong; as it is not desirable that
anything should be changed there,
all the change that is to take place
in order to produce reconciliation, is
to be on the part of men and the
things of this world. The only effect
uf the blood of the atonement on the
' things' of heaven in effecting the
reconciliation is, to render it consist
ent for God to be at peace with sin
ners. The effect on earth is, to dis
pose the sinner to a willingness to
be reconciled; to lead him to lay
aside his enmity; to change his
neart, and to effect a change in the
riews and principles prevailing on
earth which are now at variance
with God and his government When
this shall be done there will be har
mony between heaven and earth, and
an alienated world will be brought
into conformity with the laws and
government of the Creator.
21. And you, that were sometime
alienated. In this work of recon
ciling heaven and earth, you at Co
losse, who were once enemies of
God, have been reached. The bene
fit of that great plan has been ex
tended to you, and it has accomplish
ed in you what it is designed to ef
fect everywhere — to reconcile ene
mies to God. The word sometime
25

your mind 2 by wicked works, yet
now hath he reconciled,
22 In the body of his flesh
through death, to present ¦ you

a or, in.

a Jude 24.

here — rtote — means formerly. In
common with all other men they
were, by nature, in a state of enmity
against God. Comp. Notes on Eph.
ii. 1 — 3. % In your mind. It was
not merely by wicked works, or by
an evil life ; it was alienation seated
in the mind, and leading to wicked
works. It was deliberate and pur
posed enmity. It was not the f esult
of passion and excitement ; it had a
deeper seat, and took hold of the in
tellectual powers. The understand
ing was perverse and alienated from
God, and all the powers of the soul
were enlisted against him. It is this
feet which renders reconciliation
with God so difficult Sin has cor
rupted and perverted alike the mo
ral and the intellectual powers, and
thus the whole man is arrayed against
his Creator. Comp. Notes on Eph.
iv. 18. f By wicked works. The
alienation of the mind showed itself
by wicked works, and those works
were the public evidence of the
alienation. Comp. Eph. ii. 1, 2.
If Yet now hath he reconciled. Har
mony has been secured between
you and God, and you are brought to
friendship and love. Such a change
has been produced in yon as to
bring your minds into friendship
with that of God. All the change
in producing this is on the part of
man, for God cannot change, and
there is no reason why he should, if
he could. In the work of reconcili
ation man lays aside his hostility to
his Maker, and thus becomes his
friend. See Notes, 2 Cor. v. 18.
22. In the body of his flesh through
death. The death of his body, or
his death in making an atonement,
has been the means of producing

290

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

holy and unblameable and unre-
proveable in his sight ;

this reconciliation. It (1.) removed
the obstacles to reconciliation on the
part of God — vindicating his truth
and justice, and maintaining the
principles of his government as much
as if the sinner had himself suffered
the penalty ofthe law — thus render
ing it consistent for God to indulge
the benevolence of his nature in
pardoning sinners; and (2.) it was
the means of bringing the sinner
himself to a willingness to be recon
ciled — furnishing the strongest pos
sible appeal to him ; leading him to
reflect on the love of his Creator,
and showing him his own guilt and
danger. No means ever used to pro
duce reconciliation between two
alienated parties has had so much
tenderness and power as those which
God has adopted, in the plan of sal
vation", and if the dying love of the
Son of God fails to lead the sinner
back to God, everything else will
fail. The phrase 'the body of his
flesh' means, the body of flesh which
he assumed in order to suffer in mak
ing an atonement. The reconcilia
tion could not have been effected but
by his assuming such a body, for his
divine nature could not so suffer as
to make atonement for sins. IT To
present you. That is, before God.
The object of the atonement was to
enable him to present the redeemed
to God freed from sin, and made
holy in his sight. The whole work
had reference to the glories of that
day when the Redeemer and the re
deemed will stand before God, and
he shall present them to his Father
as completely recovered from the
ruins of the fell. If Holy. Made
holy, or made free from sin. Comp.
Luke xx. 36. IT And unblameable.
Not that in themselves they will not
be deserving of blame, or will not
be unworthy, but that they will be

23 If ye continue " in the faith
grounded and settled, and be not

purified from their sins. The word
here used — dfiupoc — means, proper
ly, spotless, without blemish. See the
Notes on Eph. i. 4 ; v. 27. Heb. ix.
4 It is applied to a lamb, 1 Pet. i.
19 ; to the Saviour, Heb. ix. 14, and
to the church, Eph. i. 4; v. 27. Jude
24. Rev. xiv. 5. It does not else
where occur. When the redeemed
enter heaven, all tlieir sins will have
been taken away ; not a spot of the
deep dye of iniquity will remain on
their souls. Rev. i. 5 ; vii. 14. If And
unreproveable in his sight. There
will be none to accuse them before
God ; or they will be free from all
accusation. The taw will not ac
cuse them — for the death of their
Redeemer has done as much to
honour it as their own punishment
would have done ; God will not ac
cuse them — for he has freely forgiven
them ; their consciences will not ac
cuse them — for their sins will all
have been taken away, and they will
enjoy the favour of God as if they
had not sinned ; holy angels will not
accuse them — for they will welcome
them to their society; and even Sa
tan will not accuse them, for he will
have seen that their piety is sincere,
and that they are truly what they
profess to be. Comp. Notes on Rom.
viii. 33, 34.
23. If ye continue in the faith.
In the belief of the gospel, and in
holy living. If this were done, they
would be presented unblameable be
fore God ; if not, they would not be.
The meaning is, that it will be im
possible to be saved unless we con
tinue to lead lives becoming the gos
pel. ^Grounded. On a firm found
ation. See Notes on Eph. iii. 17,
where the same word occurs. If And
settled. Gr., firm; as a building is
that is founded on a rock. Comp.
Matt. vii. 25. <j[ And be not moved

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER I.

291

moved away from the hope of the
gospel, which ye have heard, and
which was preached to every "
creature which is under heaven ;
a Mat. 24. 14. Mar. 16 15.

away from the hope of the gospel.
By tne arts of philosophy, and the
allurements of sin. If Which was
preached to every creature which is
under heaven. It cannot be supposed
that it was literally true that every
creature under heaven had actually
heard the gospel. But this may
mean, (1.) that it was designed to be
preached to every creature, or that
the commission to make it known
embraced every one, and that, so far
as the provisions of the gospel are
concerned, it may be said that it was
a system proclaimed to all mankind.
See Mark xvi. 15. If a vast army,
or the inhabitants of a distant pro
vince, were in rebellion against a
government, and a proclamation of
pardon were issued, it would not be
improper to say that it was made to
every one of them, though, as a mat
ter of feet, it might not be true that
every one in the remote parts of the
army or province had actually heard
of it. (2.) The gospel in the time
of Paul seems to have been so ex
tensively preached, that it might be
said that it was proclaimed to every
body. All known countries appear
to have been visited ; and so zealous
and laborious had been the heralds
of salvation, that it might be said
that the message had been proclaim
ed to all the world. See ver. 6.
Comp. Notes on Matt. xxiv. 14.
If Whereof I Paul am made a minis
ter. See Notes, Eph. iii. 1 — 7. Paul
here pursues the same train of
thought which he does in the epistle
to the Ephesians, where, having
shown the exalted nature ofthe Re
deemer, and the design of the gos
pel, he adverts to his own labours
and sufferings in making it known.

whereof I Paul am made a min
ister ;
24 Who now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up that

The object seems to be to show thai
he regarded it as the highest honour
to be thus intrusted with the mes
sage of mercy to mankind, and con
sidered it as a privilege to suffer
in that cause.
24. Who now rejoice in my suf
ferings for you. For you as a part
of the Gentile world. It was not
for the Colossians alone, but he re
garded himself as suffering , on ac
count of his labours in preaching to
the heathen at large. His trials at
Rome had come upon him because
he had maintained that the wall of
partition between Jews and Gentiles
was broken down, and that the gos
pel was to be preached indiscrimi
nately to all mankind. See this il
lustrated in the Introduction, $ 5.
Tf And fill up that which is behind
of the afflictions of Christ. That
which I lack of coming up to the
sufferings which Christ endured in
the cause ofthe church. The apostle
seems to mean, (1.) that he suffered
in the same cause as that for which
Christ suffered ; (2.) that he endured
the same kind of sufferings, to some
extent, in reproaches, persecutions,
and opposition from the world; (3.)
that he had not yet suffered as much
as Christ did in this cause, and,
though he had suffered greatly, yet
there was much that was lacking to
make him equal in this respect to
the Saviour; and (4.) that he felt
that it was an object to be earnestly
desired to be made in all respects
just like Christ, and that in his pre
sent circumstances he was fast fill
ing up that which was lacking, so
that he would have a more complete
resemblance to him. What he says
here is based on the leading desire

292

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

which is behind of the afflictions *
of Christ in my flesh for his body's
sake, which is the church ;
' 25 Whereof I am made a min
ister, according to the dispensation
of God which is given to me for
you, ' to fulfil the word of God ;
a Ph. 3. 10. l or, fully to preach.

of his soul — the great principle of
his life — to be just like Christ;
alike in moral character, in suffering,
and in destiny. See Notes on Phil.
iii. 10. Having this strong wish, he
had been led to pursue a course of life
which conducted him through trials
strongly resembling those which
Christ himself endured; and, as fast
as possible, he was filling up that in
which he now fell short. He does
not mean that there was anything
lacking or deficient in the sufferings
which Christ endured in making an
atonement which was to be supplied
by his followers, so that their me
rits might be added to his in order
to secure the salvation of men, as
the Romanists seem to suppose ; but
that there was still much lacking on
his part before he should be entirely
conformed to the Saviour in his suf
ferings, and that his present condi
tion was such as rapidly to fill that
up. This seems to me to be the fair
meaning of this expression, though
not the one commonly given. The
jsual interpretation is, ' that which
remains to me of affliction to be en
dured in the cause of Christ' But
this seems to me to be cold and
tame, and not to suit the genius of
Paul. %In my flesh. In bodily suf
ferings. ^ For his body's sake, which
is the church. See Notes on Eph.
i. 23. 25. According to the dispensation
of God. The arrangement which
God has made. That is, he designed
that the gospel should be preached
to the Gentiles, and, in accordance
with that arrangement, he has called

26 Even the mystery * which
hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now c is made
manifest to his saints :
27 To whom God would make
known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the
b Ep. 3. 9. c 2 Ti. 1. 10.

me to be a minister. Notes, Eph.
iii. 2. -If To fulfil the word of God.
Marg., 'fully to preach.' The Greek
is, ' to fill up the word of God ;' the
meaning is, ' fully to teach and pro
mulgate the gospel.' Comp. Notes,
Rom. xv. 19.
26. Even the mystery. To make
that mystery fully known. See this
explained in the Notes on Eph. iii.
2—9. The great doctrine that sal
vation was to be proclaimed to all
mankind, Paul says, had been con
cealed for many generations. Hence
it was called a mystery, or a hidden
truth. If But now is made manifest
to his saints. It was communicated
especially to the apostles who were
appointed to proclaim it, and through
them to all the saints. Paul says
that he regarded himself as specially
ealled to make this truth known, as
far as possible, to mankind.
27. To whom. To the saints.
% God would make known. ' Willed
(Gr.) to make known ;' that is, he
was pleased to make this known. It
was concealed in his bosom until he
chose to reveal it to his apostles. It
was a doctrine which the Jewish
people did not understand. Eph. iii.
5, 6. % What is the riches of the
glory of this mystery. Thet rich
glory of this great, long-concealed
truth. On the use of the wond
riches, see Notes on Rom. ii. 4. It
is a favourite word with the apostle
Paul to denote that which is valua
ble, or that which abounds. The
meaning here is, that the truth that
the gospel was to be preached to all
mankind, was a truth abounding in

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER 1.

29E

Gentiles ; which is Christ ' in you,
the • hope of glory :
28 Whom we preach, warning
* every man, and teaching e every

• or,
b Ac. 20.

8,31.

olTi. 1.1.
e 2 Ti. 2. 25.

glory. If Among the Gentiles. That
is, the glory of this truth is mani
fested by the effects which it has
produced among the Gentiles. —
If Which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Or, Christ among you.
Margin. The meaning is, that the
whole of that truth, so full of glory,
and so rich and elevated in its effect,
is summed up in this — that Christ is
revealed among you as the source
of the hope of glory in a better
world. This was the great truth
which so animated the heart and
fired the zeal of the apostle Paul.
The wonderful announcement had
burst on his mind like a flood of day,
that the offer of salvation was not to
be confined, as he had once sup
posed, to the Jewish people, but that
all men were now placed on a level ;
that they had a common Saviour;
that the same heaven was now open
ed for all, and that there were none
so degraded and vile that they riiight
not have the offer of life as well as
others. This great truth Paul burn
ed to communicate to the whole
world; and for holding it, and in
making it known, he had involved
himself in all the difficulties which
he had with his own countrymen ;
had suffered from want, and peril,
and toil ; and had finally been made
a captive, and was expecting to be
put to death. It was just such a
truth as was fitted to fire such a
mind as that of Paul, and to make it
known was worth all the sacrifices
and toils which he endured. Life is
well sacrificed, in making known
such a doctrine to the world.
28. Whom we preach, warning
every man. This does not mean
warning of danger, but ' admonish-
25*

man in all wisdom; that d we
may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus :
29 Whereunto ' I also laboui,
d2Co. 11. 2. el-Co. 15. 10.

ing all of the claims of the gospel
to attention.' Our word warn is
commonly used in the sense of cau
tioning against danger. The Greek
word here means to put in mind;
to admonish ; to exhort. The idea
of the apostle is, that he made it his
great business to bring the offers of
the gospel fairly before the mind of
every man. As it had the same
claims on all ; as it might be freely
offered to all, and as it furnished the
only hope of glory, he made it the
object of his life to apprize every
man of it, as far as he could, ^f And
leaching every man. Paul made it
his business to instruct men, as well
as to exhort them. Exhortation and
warning are of little use where there
is not sound instruction and a care
ful inculcation of the truth. It is
one of the duties of the ministry to
instruct men in those truths of which
they were before ignorant^ See
Matt xxviii. 19. 2 Tim. ii. 25. If In
all wisdom. Comp,. Notes on Matt,
x. 16. Col. i. 9. The meaning is,
that he and his fellow-lahourers en
deavoured to manifest true wisdom
in the method in which they in*
structed others, ^f That we may
present every man. When we come
to appear before God. Notes, 2 Cor.
xi. 2. Paul was anxious that no one
to whom this gospel was preached
should be lost. He believed it to be
adapted to save every man ; and as
he expected to meet alt his hearers
at the bar of God, his aim was to
present them made .perfect by means
of that gospel which he preached.
29. Whereunto I also labour. See
Notes, 1 Cor. xv. 10. If Striving.
Gr. agonizing. He taxed all his
energies to accomplish this, as tha

294

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

striving according to his working,

wrestlers strove for the mastery in the
Grecian games. If According to his
working. Not by my own strength,
but by tne power which God alone
can give. See Notes on 1 Cor.
xv. 10. REMARKS.
Among the truths of practical im
portance taught by this chapter, are
the following : —
1. We should rejoice in the piety
of others. Vs. 2 — 8. It should be to
us a subject of unfeigned gratitude'
to God, when others are faithful to
their high calling, and when they so
live as to adorn the blessed gospel.
In all their faith, and love, and joy,
we should find occasion for thankful
ness to God. We should not envy
it, or be disposed to charge it to
wrong motives, or suspect it of in
sincerity or hypocrisy; but should
welcome every account of the zeal
and faithfulness of those who bear
the christian name — no matter who
the persons are, or with what deno
mination of Christians they may be
connected. Especially is this true
in relation to our friends, or to those
for whose salvation we have laboured.
The source of highest gratitude to a
Christian, in relation to his friends,
should be, that they act as becomes
the friends of God ; the purest joy
that can swell the bosom of a minis
ter of Christ,, is produced by the
evidence that they to whom he has
ministered are advancing in know
ledge and love.
2. We should earnestly pray that
they who have been much favoured
should be prospered more and more.
Vs. 9—11.
3. It is a good time to pray for
Christians when they are already
prosperous, and are distinguished for
zeal and love. Vs. 9^11. We have
then encouragement to do it. We
feel that our prayers will not be in

which worketh in me mightily.

vain. For a man that is doing well,
we feel encouraged to pray that he
may do still better. For a Christian
who has true spiritual joy, we are
encouraged to pray that he may
have more joy. For one who is aim
ing to make advances in the know
ledge of God, we are encouraged to
pray that he may make still higher
advances ; and if, therefore, we wish
others to pray for us, we should show
them by our efforts that there is some
encouragement for them to do it
4. Let us cherish with suitable
gratitude the remembrance of the
goodness of God, who has translated
us from the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of his dear Son.
Vs. 12, 13. By nature we, like others,
were under the power of darkness.
In that kingdom of sin, and error,
and misery, we were born and rear
ed, until God, in great compassion
brought us out from it, and made us
heirs of light Now, if we are true
Christians, we belong to a kingdom
of holiness, and knowledge, and hap
piness. No words can express ap
propriately the goodness of God in
thus making us heirs of light; and
not an hour of our lives should pass
without a thoughtful remembrance
of his mercy.
5. In the affections of our hearts
let the Saviour in all things have
the pre-eminence. Vs. 15 — 18. He
is the image of God ; and when we
think of him, we see what God is —
how holy, pure, benevolent. He is
the first-born of all things ; the Son
of God'; exalted to the highest seat
in the universe. When we look on
the sun, moon, and stars, let us re
member that he created them all.
When we think ofthe angels, let us
remember that they, are the work
manship of his hands. When we look
on the earth — the floods, the rivers,
the hills, let us remember that all
these were made by his power, The

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER 1.

295

vast universe is still sustained by
him. Its beautiful order and har
mony are preserved by him ; and all
its movements are under his control.
So the church is under him. It is
subject to his command; receives
its laws from his lips, and is bound
to do his will. Over all councils
and synods ; over all rule and autho
rity in the church, Christ is the
Head; and whatever may be or
dained by man, his will is to be
obeyed. So, when we think of the
resurrection, Christ is chief. He
first rose to return to death no more :
he rose as the pledge that his people
should also rise. As Christ is thus
head over all things, so let him he
first in the affectiens of our hearts;
as it is designed that in every thing
he shall have the pre-eminence, so
let him have the pre-eminence in
the affections of our souls. None
should be loved by us as Christ is
loved ; and no friend, however dear,
should be allowed to displace him
from the supremacy in our affec
tions. 6. In all our wants let us go to
Christ Ver. 19. 'It pleased the
Father that in him should all fulness
dwell.' We have not a want which
he cannot supply ; there is not a sor
row of our lives in which he cannot
comfort us; not a temptation from
which he cannot deliver us; notapain
which he cannot relieve, or enable
us to bear. Every necessity of body
or mind he can supply; and we
never can go to him, in any circum
stance of life in which we can pos
sibly be placed, where.we shall foil
of consolation and support because
Christ is not able to help us. True
piety learns day by day to live more
by simple dependence on the Sa
viour. As we advance in holiness,
we become more and more sensible
of our weakness and insufficiency,
and more and more disposed to live
by the faith of the Son of God.'
7. By religion we become united

with the angels. Ver. 20. Harmony
is produced between heaven and
earth. Alienated worlds are recon
ciled again, and from jarring ele
ments there is rearing on% great and
harmonious empire. The work of
the atonement is designed to remove
what separated earth from heaven ;
men from angels; man from God.
The redeemed have substantially
the same feelings now, which they
have who are around tbe throne of
God ; and though we are far inferior
to them in rank, yet we shall be
united with them in affection and
purpose, forever and ever. What a
glorious work is that of the gospel !
It reconciles and harmonizes distent
worlds, and produces concord and
love in millions of hearts which but
for that would have been alienated
forever !
8. By religion we become fitted
for heaven. Vs. 12. 22. We are
made ' meet' to enter there ; we shall
be presented there unblamable and
unreprovable. No one will accuse
us before the throne of God. Nor
Satan, nor our own consciences, nor
our fellow-men will then urge that
we ought not to be admitted to hea
ven. Redeemed and pardoned, re
newed and sanctified, the universe
will be satisfied that we ought to be
saved, and will rejoice. Satan will
no longer charge the friends of Jesus
with insincerity and hypocrisy; our
own minds will be no longer trou
bled with doubts and tears ; and holy
angels will welcome us to their pre
sence. Not a voice will be lifted up
in reproach or condemnation, and
the Universal Father will stretch
out his arms and press to his bosom
the returning prodigals. Clothed in
the white robes of salvation, we
shall be welcome even in heaven,
and the universe will rejoice that we
are there.
9. It is a privilege to suffer for the
welfare of the church. Ver. 24.
Paul regarded it as such, and re-

296

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

joiced in the trials which came upon
him in the cause of religion. The
Saviour so regarded it, and shrank
not from the great sorrows involved
in the work of saving his people.
We may suffer much in promoting
the same object. We may be ex
posed to persecution and death. We
may be called to part with all we
have — to leave country and friends
and home, to go and preach the gos
pel to benighted men. On a foreign
shore, far from all that we hold dear
on earth, we may lie down and die,
and our grave, unmarked by sculp
tured marble, may be soon forgotten.
But to do good ; to defend truth ; to
promote virtue ; to save the souls of
the perishing, is worth all which it
costs, and he who accomplishes these
things by exchanging for them
earthly comforts, and even life, has
made a wise exchange. The uni
verse gains by it in happiness ; and
the benevolent heart should rejoice
that there is such a gain, though
attended with our individual and per
sonal suffering.
10. Ministers have a noble office.
Vs. 24 — 29. It is their privilege to
make known to men the most glorious
truths that can come before the human
mind; truths which were hid from ages
and generations, but which are now
revealed by the gospel. These great
truths are intrusted to the ministry
to explain and defend, and are by
them to be carried around the world.
The ministers of religion strive not
for gold and honour and worldly
pleasures; they strive in the noble
effort to show to every man that he
has a Saviour ; that there is a hea
ven to which he may come ; and to
present every one perfect before God.
With all its sacrifices and self-deni
als, therefore, it is an inestimable pri
vilege to be a minister of the gospel
— for there is no man who diffuses
through a community so much solid
happiness ; there is no one, the re
sult of whose labours reaches so far

into future ages. To a benevolent
heart there is no higher privilege
than to be permitted to go to every
man — to the poor, the tempted, the
oppressed, the slave, the penitent,
and the dying sinner, and to say to
him that he has a Saviour, that Christ
died for him, and that, if he will
have it so, he may have a home in
heaven. No matter whom he meets ;
no matter how debased and degraded
he may be to whom he ministers,
no matter though it be the poor
slave, or the lonely wanderer on path
less sands, or the orphan, or the out
cast, the herald of salvation may tell
him that there is a heaven for him
— a Saviour who died for him — a
God who is ready to pardon and save
his soul. In such a work, it is a pri
vilege to exhaust our strength; in
the performance of the duties of
such an office, it is an honour to be
permitted to wear out life itself.
Doing this, a man when he comes
to die will feel that he has not lived
in vain ; and whatever self-denial he
may practise in it; however much
comfort, or however many friends he
may forsake, all these things will
give him no pang of regret when
from a bed of death he looks out on
the eternal world.
CHAPTER II.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
This entire chapter may be regard
ed as designed to guard the Colos
sians against the seductive influence
of the false philosophy which tended
to draw them away from the gospel.
It is evident from the chapter that
there were at Colosse, or in the vi
cinity, professed instructors in reli
gion, who taught an artful and plau
sible ph ilosophy, adapting themselves
to the prejudices of the people, and
inculcating opinions that tended to
lead them away from the truths
which they had embraced. These
teachers were probably of Jewish

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

297

CHAPTER II.
TVK)R I would that ye knew
Jj what great ' conflict I have

1 or. fear ; or, care.

origin, and had adopted many of the
arts of a plausible rhetoric, from the
prevailing philosophy in that region.
See the Intra § 4. Against the se
ductive influences of this philosophy,
it is the design of this chapter to
guard them, and though the apostle
does not seem to have intended to
pursue an exact logical order, yet
the argument in the chapter can be
conveniently regarded as consisting
of two parts : — A statement of the
reasons why they should be on their
guard against the arts of that phi
losophy ; and a specification of the
particular errors to which they were

I. A statement of the reasons why
they should not allow themselves to
be drawn away by the influence of
the prevalent philosophy. Vs. 1 —
15. This also consists of two parts.
A. The importance ofthe subject
Vs. 1-7V
(1.) The apostle felt great solici
tude for them, and for all whom
he had not seen, that they might
hold the truth in reference to
the divine existence and perfec
tions. Vs. 1, 2.
(2.) All the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge were in Christ,
and it was, therefore, of the
greatest importance to hold to
the truth respecting him. Ver. 3.
(3.) They were in danger of be
ing led astray by enticing words.
Ver. 4.
(4.) Paul says that he was with
them in spirit, and he exhorted
them, therefore, to remain root
ed and grounded in the doctrines
which they had received respect
ing the Saviour. Vs. 5 — 7.
B. Reasons why they should be
steadfast and not drawn away

for you, and for them at Laodicea,
" and for as many as have not seen
my face in the flesh ;
a Ho. 3. 14, Ice.

by the influence of false philo
sophy. Vs. 8 — 15.
(1.) The danger of depending on
traditions and worldly principles
in religion ; of being ' spoiled'
or robbed by philosophy. Ver. 8.
(2.) All that we need to desire is
to be found in Christ Vs. 9,
10.
(3.) We have received through
him the true circumcision — the
putting away our sins. Ver
(4.) We have been buried with
him in baptism, and have so
lemnly devoted ourselves to him.
Ver. 12.
(5.) We have been quickened by
him; our sins have been for-
fiven ; and everything that hin-
ered our salvation has been
taken out of the way by him,
and he has triumphed over out
foes. Vs. 13— 15.
H. Specification of particular er
rors to which they were exposed, or
of particular things to be avoided.
Vs. 16— 23.
The chapter closes (vs. 20—23)
with an earnest exhortation wholly
to avoid these things ; not to touch
or taste or handle them. However
plausible the pretences might be on
which they were urged; whatever
appearance of wisdom or humility
there might be, the apostle assures
them that there was no real honour
in them, and that they were wholly
to be avoided.
1.- For I would that ye knew. I
wish you knew or fully understood.
He supposes that this would deeply
affect them if they understood the
solicitude which he had had on their
account. If What great nmflict.

298

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

2 That their hearts might be
comforted, be'ng knit together in
Marg., fear, or care. The Greek
word is agony — wyuva,. It is not,
however, the word rendered agony
in Luke xxii. 44 — a/yawa — though
that is derived from this. The word
is rendered conflict in Phil. i. 30 ;
contention, 1 Thess. ii. 2 ; fight, 1
Tim. vi. 12. 2 Tim. iv. 7 ; and race,
Heb. xii. 1. It properly refers to the
combats, contests, struggles, efforts
at the public games; the toil and
conflict to obtain a victory. It refers
here to the anxious care, the men
tal conflict, the earnest solicitude
which he had in their behalf, in view
of the dangers to which they were
exposed from Judaizing Christians
and Pagan philosophy. This men
tal struggle resembled that which
the combatants had at the public
games. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. ix.
25. 27. If And for them at Laodi
cea. For Christians there, who were
exposed to similar danger. Laodi
cea was the capital of Phrygia, in
Asia Minor, and a little south of
Colosse. See Intro. § 1. 6. Notes
on ch. iv. 16. There was a church
early planted there — the ' lukewarm'
church mentioned in Rev. iii. 14.
Being in the vicinity of Colosse, the
church there would be exposed to
the same perils, and the rebuke in
Rev. iii. 14, showed that the fears
of Paul were well founded, and that
the arts of the false teachers were
too successful. If And for as many
as have not seen my face in the flesh.
That is, evidently, in that region.
He had, doubtless, a general solici
tude for all Christians, but his re
mark here has reference to those in
the neighbourhood of the church at
Colosse, or in that church. On the
question which has been raised, whe
ther this proves that the apostle Paul
had never been at Colosse or Lao
dicea, see Intro. § 2. 1. This pas-

love, " and unto all riches of the
full * assurance of understanding,
a c. 3. 14. b Is. 32. 17. He. 6. 11.

sage does not seem to me to prove
that he had not been there. It may
mean that he had great solicitude
for those Christians there whom he
knew, and for all others there, or in
the vicinity, even though he was
not personally acquainted with them.
He may refer (1.) to some churches
in the neighbourhood formed since
he was there ; or (2.) to strangers
who had come in there since he was
with them ; or (3.) to those who had
been converted since he was there,
and with whom he had no personal
acquaintance. For all these he
would feel the same solicitude, for
they were all exposed to the same
danger. To ' see one's face in the
flesh,' is a Hebraism meaning to be
come personally acquainted with him.
2. That their hearts might be
comforted. Like all other Chris
tians in the times of the apostles,
they were doubtless exposed to trials
and persecutions. % Being knit to
gether in love. The same word
which is here used {avpfSifiaXui) oc
curs in Eph. iv. 16, and is rendered
compacted. See Notes on that place.
In Acts ix. 22, it is rendered prov
ing; Acts xvi. 10, assuredly gather
ing; 1 Cor. ii. 16, instruct; and
here, and in ver. 19, knit together.
It means, properly, to make to come
together, and hence refers to a firm
union, as where the hearts of Chris
tians are one. Here it means that
the way of comforting each other
was by solid christian friendship, and
that the means of cementing that was
love. It was not by a mere outward
profession, or by mere speculative
feith ; it was by a union of affection.
f And unto all riches. On the
meaning of the word riches, as used
by the apostle Paul, see Notes on
Rom. ii. 4. There is a great energy
of expression here. The meaning

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

299

to the acknowledgment of the
mystery ° of God, and of the Fa
ther, and of Christ ;

a 1 Jno. 5. 7.

is, that the tiling referred to — ' the
full understanding' ofthe 'mystery'
of religion — was an invaluable pos
session, like abundant wealth. This
passage also shows the object for
which they should be united. It
should be in order that they might
obtain this inestimable wealth. If
they were divided in affections, and
split up into factions, they could not
hope to secure it If Of the full as-
surunce of understanding. This
word (rftijpo^opMi) means firm per
suasion, settled conviction. It oc
curs only here and in 1 Thess. i. 5.
Heb. vi. 11 ; x. 22, and is rendered
by assurance, or full assurance, in
every instance. See the verb, how
ever, in Luke i. 1. Rom. iv. 21 ; xiv.
5. 2 Tim. iv. 5. 17. It was the desire
of the apostle thattheymighthave en
tire conviction ofthe truth ofthe chris
tian doctrines. If To the acknowledg
ment. So as fully and openly to ac
knowledge or confess this mystery.
If TAe mystery. On the meaning of
this word, see Notes on Rom. xi. 25.
Eph. i. 9. The meaning is, the doc
trine respecting God, which had be
fore been concealed or hidden, but
which was now revealed in the gos
pel. It does not mean that there
was anything unintelligible or in-
raomprehensible respecting this doc
trine when it was made known.
That might be as clear as any other
truth. -If Of God. Of God as he
actually subsists. This does not
mean that the mere feet of the ea;
istence of God was a 'mystery,' or a
truth which had been concealed, for
that was not true. But the sense
plainly is, that there were truths
now made known in the gospel to
mankind, about the mode of the di
vine existence, which had not before
been disclosed; arid this 'mystery'

3 In ' whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and know
ledge. 1 or, wherein.

he wished them to retain, or fully
acknowledge. The 'mystery,' or
the hitherto unrevealed truth, re
lated to the feet that God subsisted
in more persons than one, as 'Fa
ther,' and as ' Christ.' If And of the
Father. Or, rather, 'even of the
Father ;' for so the word xai {and) is
often used. The apostle does not
mean that he wished them to ac
knowledge the hitherto unrevealed
truth respecting ' God' and another
being called 'the Father;' but re
specting 'God' as the 'Father,' or
of God as 'Father' and as 'Christ.'
TfAnd of Christ. As a person of the
Godhead. What the apostle wished
them to acknowledge was, the full
revelation now mg.de known respect
ing the essential nature of God, as
the 'Father,' and as 'Christ' In
relation to this, they were in special
danger of being corrupted by the
prevalent philosophy, as it is in rela
tion to this that error of christian
doctrine usually commences. It
should be said, however, that there
is great variety of reading in the
MSS. on this whole clause, and that
many critics (see Rosenmiiller) re
gard it as spurious. I do not see
evidence that it is not genuine ; and
the strain of exhortation ofthe apos
tle seems to me to demand it.
3. In whom. Ma^g., wherein.
The more correct translation is ' in
whom.' The reference is doubtless
to Christ, as his name is the imme
diate antecedent, and as what is af
firmed here properly appertains to
him. If Are hid. Like treasures
that are concealed or garnered up.
It does not mean that none of those
' treasures' had been developed ; but
that, so to speak, Christ, as Media
tor, was the great treasure-house
where were to be found all the wis-

300

COLOSSIANS.

[A.D. 64

4 And this I say, lest any man
should beguile " you with enticing
words. 5 For though I be absent in
the flesh, yet am I with you in
the Spirit, joying and beholding
a Mar. 13. 22.

dom and knowledge needful for men.
IT All the treasures. It is common
to compare any thing valuable with
' treasures' of silver or gold. The
idea here is, that in reference to the
wisdom and knowledge needful for
us, Christ is what abundant treasures
are in reference to the supply of our
wants. If Wisdom. The wisdom
needful for our salvation. Notes,
1 Cor. i. 24. % And knowledge.
The knowledge which is requisite
to guide us in the way to life.
Christ is able to instruct us in all
that it is desirable.for us to know, so
that it is not necessary for us to ap
ply to philosophy, or to the teachings
of men.
4. And this I say. Respecting
the character and sufficiency of the
truth revealed in Christ. If Lest
any man should beguile you. "De
ceive you, lead you away from the
truth. 1 With enticing words.
Artful words, smooth and plausible
arguments, such as were employed
by the Greek sophists and rhetori
cians. 5. For though life absent in the
flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit.
That is, I seem to see you ; I feel as if
I were there, and were looking upon
you ; and I have the same solicitude
as if I were there, and saw all the
danger which exists that your beau
tiful order and harmony should be
disturbed by the influence of false
philosophy. See Notes on 1 Cor. v.
3. The word ' spirit' here, does not
refer to the Holy Spirit, or to any
inspiration by which the apostle was
enabled to see them ; but it is equi
valent to what we mean when we

your order, and the stedfastness
of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk •
ye in him ; I, l Jno. 2. 6.

say, 'My heart is with you.' He
seemed to be beholding them, f Joy
ing and beholding your order. That
is, I rejoice as if I saw your order.
He had such confidence that every
thing would be done among them as
became Christians, that he could re
joice as if he actually saw it.
6. As ye have therefore receivea
Christ Jesus the Lord. Have re
ceived him by feith as your Saviour,
or as you were instructed respect
ing his rank, character, and work.
The object here is to induce them
not to swerve from the views which
they had of Christ when he was
made known to them. They had at
first probably received their ideas
of the Saviour from the apostle him
self (see the Intro.) ; and, at any
rate, the apostle designs to assure
them that the views which they had
when they 'received him,' were
founded in truth. If So walk in him.
Continue in those views of Christ;
live in the maintenance of them ; let
them regulate your whole conduct
The word-7o«Mr, in the Scriptures, is
used to denote the manner of life ;
and the sense here is, that they
should live and act wholly under the
influence of the conceptions which
they had of .the Saviour when they
first embraced him. The particle ' so'
is supplied by our translators, and ra
ther weakens the sense. No stress
should be laid on it, as is often done.
The meaning is, simply, ' Since you
have received Christ as your Lord
as he was preached to you, hold
fast the doctrine which you have
received, and do not permit your
selves to be turned aside by any Jew-

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

301

7 Rooted "and built up in him,
• and stablished in the faith, as
ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware c lest any man spoil
a Ep. 3. 17. b Jno. 15. 4, 5.
c Ko. 16. 17. Ep. 5. 6. He. 13. 9.
ish teachers, or teachers of philoso
phy.? 7. Rooted — in him. As a tree
strikes its roots deep in the earth, so
our faith should strike deep into the
doctrine respecting the Saviour. See
the phrase here used explained in
the parallel place in Eph. iii. 17.
% And established in the faith, as
¦ye have been taught. To wit, by
the founders of the church, and by
those faithful ministers who had
succeeded them. Notes, ch. i. 7.
Tf Abounding therein with thanks
givings Expressing overflowing
thanks to God that you have been
made acquainted with truths so pre
cious and glorious. If there is any
thing for which we ought to be
thankful, it is for the knowledge of
the great truths respecting our Lord
and Saviour.
8. Beware lest any man spoil you.
The word spoil now commonly
means, to corrupt, to cause to decay
and perish, as fruit is spoiled by
keeping too long, or paper by wet
ting, or hay by a long rain, or crops
by mildew. But the Greek word
here used means to spoil in the sense
of, plunder, rob, as when plunder is
taken in war. The meaning is,
' Take heed lest any one plunder or
rob you of your faith and hope by
philosophy.' These false teachers
would strip them of their faith and
hope, as au invading army would
rob a country of all that was valu
able. IT Through philosophy. The
Greek philosophy prevailed much in
the regions around Colosse, and per
haps also the oriental or Gnostic phi
losophy. See the Intro. They were
26

you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the ' rudiments of the world,
and not alter Christ:
9 For in him d dwelleth all the
fulness of the podhead bodily.
1 or, elements. d c. 1. 19.

exposed to the influences of these
plausible systems. They consisted
much of speculations respecting
the nature of the divine existence ;
and the danger of the Colossians
was, that they would rely rather
on the deductions of that spe
cious reasoning, than on what they
had been taught by their christian
teachers. ITAnd vain deceit. Mere
fallacy. The idea is, that the doc
trines which were advanced in those
systems were maintained by plausi
ble, not by solid arguments ; by con
siderations not fitted to lead to the
truth, but to lead astray. If After
the tradition of men. There appear
to have been two sources of danger
to which the Christians at Colosse
were exposed, and to which the
apostle in these cautions alludes,
though he is not careful to distin
guish them. The one was tha'
arising from the Grecian philosophy
the other, from Jewish opinions
The latter is that to which he referi
here. The Jews depended much 01
tradition (see Notes on Matt. xv. 2),
and many of those traditions would
have tended much to corrupt the
gospel of Christ If After the rudi
ments ofthe world. Marg., elements.
See this explained in the Notes
on Gal. iv. 3. IT And not after
Christ. Not such as Christ taught.
9. For in him dwelleth. That is,
this was the great and central doc
trine that was to be maintained about
Christ, that all the fulness of the
Godhead dwelt in him. Every sys
tem which denied this was a denia
of the doctrine which they had been
taught; and against everything

302 COLOSSIANS
10 And ye are complete •
a He. 5. 9.

[A. D. 64

that would go to undermine this,
they were especially to be on their
guard. Almost all heresy has been
begun by some form of the denial
of the great central truth of the in
carnation of the Son of God. % All
the fulness. Notes, ch. i. 19. \Of
the Godhead. Of the Divinity, the
divine nature — Siottic. The word
is one that properly denotes the di
vine nature and perfections. Robin
son, Lex. It occurs nowhere else
in the New Testament . If Bodily.
aapattxic. This word also is found
nowhere else in the New Testament,
though the adjective bodily — aapa-
tixoc.— occurs twice: Luke iii. 22,
' in a bodily shape ;' and 1 Tim. iv.
8, ' for bodily exercise profiteth lit
tle.' The word means, 'having a
bodily appearance, instead of exist
ing or appearing in a spiritual form ;'
and the fair sense of the phrase is,
that the fulness of the divine nature
became incarnate, and was indwell
ing in the body of the Redeemer.
It does not meet the case to say, as
Crellius does, that the ' whole divine
will was in him,' for the word &6trjc.
— godhead — does not mean the will
of God ; and it is as certainly true
that the inspired prophets were un
der the control of the divine will, as
that the Saviour was. Nor can it
mean, as Socinus supposes, that the
fulness of divine knowledge dwelt
in him, for this is not the proper
meaning of the word (^orjjs) god
head ; nor can it mean, for the same
reason, that a fulness of divine gifts
was intrusted to him. The language
is such as would be obviously em
ployed on the supposition that God
became incarnate, and appeared in
human form ; and there is no other
idea which it so naturally expresses,
nor is there any other which it

him, which is the head ' of all
principality and power ;
4 1 Pe. 3. 22.

can be made to express without a
forced construction. The meaning
is, that it was not any one attribute
of the Deity that became incarnate
in the Saviour; that he was not
merely endowed with the know
ledge, or the power, or the wisdom
of God ; but that the whole Deity
thus became incarnate, and appeared
in human form. Comp. John xiv. 9;
i. 18. No language could, therefore,
more clearly demonstrate the divi
nity of Christ. Of what mere man
—of what angel, could it be used ?
10. And ye are complete in him.
Having no need, for the purposes of
salvation, of any aid to be derived
from the philosophy of the Greeks,
or the traditions of" the Jews. All
that is necessary to secure your sal
vation is to be found in the Lord
Jesus. There is a completion, or a
filling up, in him, so as to leave no
thing wanting. This is true in re
spect (1.) to the wisdom which is
needful to guide us; (2.) the atone
ment to be made for sin; (3.) the
merit by which a sinner can be jus
tified ; and (4.) the grace which is
needful to sustain us in the trials,
and to aid us in the duties, of life.
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. i. 30. There
is no necessity, therefore, that we
should look to the aid of philosophy,
as if there was a defect in the teach
ings of the Saviour; or to human
strength, as if he were unable to
save us ; or to the merits of the saints,
as if those ofthe Redeemer were not
sufficient to meet all our wants.
The sentiment advanced in this
verse would overthrow the whole
papal doctrine of the merits of the
saints, and, of course, the whole
doctrine of papal 'indulgences.'
If Which is the head. See Notes on
Eph. i. 21, 22.

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

303

11 In whom also ye are circum
cised with the circumcision • made
without hands, in putting off the
body of the sins of the flesh by
the circumcision of Christ ;
12 Buried » with him in bap-
a Je. 4. 4. Ph. 3.3. b Ro. 6. 4, 5.
11. In whom. In connection with
whom, or in virtue of whose religion.
If Ye are circumcised. You have re
ceived that which was designed to
be represented by circumcision — tiie
putting a way of sin. Notes, Phil. iii. 3.
If With the circumcision made with
out hands. That made in the heart
by the renunciation of all' sin. The
Jewish teachers insisted on the ne
cessity of the literal circumcision in
order to salvation (comp. Eph. ii. 11);
and hence this subject is so often in
troduced into the writings of Paul,
and he is at so much pains to show
that, by believing in Christ, all was
obtained which was required in or
der to salvation. Circumcision was
an ordinance by which it was de
noted that all sin was to be cut off or
renounced, and that he who was cir
cumcised was to be devoted to God
and to a holy life. All this, the apos
tle says, was obtained by the gospel;
and, consequently, they had all that
was denoted by the ancient rite of
circumcision. What Christians had
obtained, moreover, related to the
heart ; it was not a mere ordinance
pertaining to the flesh. If In putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh.
That is, in renouncing the deeds of
the flesh, or becoming holy. The
word ' body,' here, seems to be used
with reference to circumcision. In
that ordinance, the body of the flesh
was subjected to the rite; with
Christians, it is the 6ody of sin that
.s cut off! ^f By the circumcision of
Christ. Not by the fact that Christ
was circumcised, but that we have
that kind of circumcision .which
Christ established, to wit, the re-

tism, wherein also ye are risen
with him through the faith of the
operation ' of God, who hath
raised him from the dead.
13 And. d you, being dead in
your sins and the uncircumcision
c Ep. 1. 19. d Ep. 3. 1, 5, 11.

nouncing of sin. The idea of the
apostle here seems to be, that since
we have thus been enabled by Christ
to renounce sin, and to devote our
selves to God, we should not be in
duced by any plausible arguments to
return to an ordinance pertaining to
the flesh, as if that were needful for
salvation. 12. Buried with him in baptism.
See Notes on Rom. vi. 4. 1f Where
in also, la which ordinance, or by
virtue of that which is signified
by the ordinance, % Ye are risen
with him. From the death of sin to
the life of religion. Notes, Rom. vi.
4, 5. Comp. Notes, Eph. ii. 5, 6.
If Through the faith ofthe operation
of God. By a firm belief on the
agency of God in raising him up;
that is, a belief of the fact that God
has raised him from the dead. The
resurrection of Christ is often repre
sented as the foundation of all our
hopes; and, as he was raised from
the grave to die no more, so, in vir
tue of that, we are raised from the
death of sin to eternal spiritual life.
The belief of this is shown "by oui
baptism, whatever be the mode in
which that ordinance is performed,
and as well shown in one mode' as
another. 13. And you, being dead in your
sins. Notes, Eph. ii. 1. If And the
uncircumcision of your flesh. That
is, Gentiles, and giving unrestrained
indulgence to the desires ofthe flesh.
They lived as those who had not by
any religious rite or covenant brought
themselves under obligations to lead
holy lives. If Hath he quickened.
Notes, Eph. ii. 1. If Together with

304

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having for
given you all trespasses ;

him. In virtue of his being restored
to life. That is, the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus was the means of im
parting to us spiritual life.
14. Blotting out the handwriting.
The word rendered handwriting
means something written by the
hand, a manuscript ; and here, proba
bly, the writings of the Mosaic law,
or the law appointing many ordi
nances or observances in religion.
The allusion is probably to a written
contract, in which we bind ourselves
to do any work, or to make a payment,
arid whieh remains in force against
us until the bond is cancelled. That
might be done, either by blotting out
the names, or by drawing lines
through it, or, as appears to have
been practised in the East, by driv
ing a nail through it. The Jewish
ceremonial law is here represented
as such a contract, binding those un
der it to its observance, until it was
nailed to the^cross. The meaning
here is, that the burdensome require
ments of the Mosaic law are abo
lished, and that its necessity is su
perseded, by the death of Christ
His death had the same effect, in
reference to those ordinances, as if
they had been blotted from the sta
tute-book. This it did by fulfilling
them, by introducing a more perfect
system, and by rendering their ob
servance no longer necessary, since
all that they were designed to typify
had been now accomplished in a bet
ter way. Comp. Notes, Eph. ii. 15.
If Of ordinances. Prescribing the
numerous rites and ceremonies ofthe
Jewish religion. % That was against
us. That is, against our peace, hap
piness, comfort; or, in other words,
which was oppressive and burden
some. Comp. Notes, Acts xv. 10.
Those ordinances bound and fettered

14 Blotting « out the hand
writing of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to
a Ep. 2. 15, 16.

the soul, restrained the expansive
spirit of true piety which seeks the
salvation of all alike, and thus ope
rated as a hindrance to the enlarged
spirit of true religion. Thus they
really operated against the truly pious
Jew, whose religion would lead huh
to seek the salvation of the world';
and to the Gentile, since he was not
in a. situation to avail himself of
them, and since they would be bur
densome if he could. It is in this
sense, probably, that the apostle uses
the word 'us' as referring to all,
and as cramping and restraining the
true nature of religion. % Which
was contrary to us. Operated as a
hindrance, or obstruction, in the
matter of religion; The ordinances
of the Mosaic law were necessary,
in order to introduce the gospel ; but
they were always burdensome. They
were to be confined to one people;
and, if they were continued, they
would operate to prevent the spread
ofthe true religion around the world.
Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. iii. 7. 9.
Hence the exulting language of the
apostle in view of the fact that they
were now taken away, and that the
benefits of religion might be diffused
all over the world. The gospel contains
nothing which is 'against,' or 'con
trary to,' the true interest and happi
nessof any nation or any class of men
If And took it out of the way. Gr.>
'Out of the midst ;' that is, he wholly
removed it. He has removed the
obstruction, so that it no longer pre
vents union and harmony between
the Jews and the Gentiles, f Nail
ing it to his cross. As if he had
nailed it to his cross, so that it would
be entirely removed out of our way.
The death of Jesus had the same
effect, in regard to the rites and in
stitutions of the Mosaic religion, as

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

303

us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross ;

t/they had been affixed to his cross.
It is said that there is an allusion
here to the ancient method by which
a bond or obligation was cancelled,
by driving a nail through it, and af
fixing it to a post This was prac
tised, says Grotius, in Asia. In a
somewhat similar manner, in our
hanks now, a sharp instrument, like
the blade of a knife, is driven through
a check, making a hole through it,
and furnishing to the teller of the
bank a sign or evidence that it has
been paid. If this be the meaning,
then the expression here denotes
that the obligation of the Jewish in
stitutions ceased on the death of Je
sus, as if he had taken them and
nailed them to his own cross, in the
manner in which a bond was can
celled. 15. And having spoiled. Plun
dered ; as a victorious army does- a
conquered country. Notes on ver.
8. The terms used in this verse are
all military, and the idea is, that
Christ has completely subdued our
enemiesjby his death. A complete
victory was achieved by his death,
so that everything is now in subjec
tion to him, and we have nothing to
fear. IT Principalities and powers.
Notes, Eph. i. 21 ; vi. 12. The
' principalities and powers' here re
ferred to, are the formidable enemies
that had held man in subjection, and
prevented his serving God. There
can be no doubt, I think, that the
apostle refers to the ranks of fallen,
evil spirits which had usurped a do
minion over the world. Notes, John
xii. 31. Eph. ii. 2. The Saviour,
by, his death, wrested the dominion
from them, and seized upon what
they had captured as a conqueror
seizes upon his prey. Satan and his
legions had invaded the earth and
261

15 And having ¦ spoiled prin
cipalities and powers, he made a
a Ps. 68. 18. Is. 53.12. Lu. 10. 18. 11. 22.
Jno. 12. 31. He. 2. 14.

drawn its inhabitants into captivity,
and subjected them to their evil
reign. Christ, by his death, subdues
the invaders and recaptures those
whom they had subdued. If He
made a show of them openly. As a
conqueror, returning from a victory,
displays in a triumphal procession
the kings and princes whom he has
taken, and the spoils of victory.
This was commonly done when a
' triumph' was decreed for a conquer
or. On such occasions, it sometimes
happened that a considerable num
ber of prisoners were led along
amidst the scenes of triumph. See
Notes on 2 Cor. ii. 14. Paul says
that this was now done 'openly' —
that is, it was in the face of the whole
universe — a grand victory ; a glori
ous triumph over all the powers of
hell. It does not refer to any public
procession or display on the earth ;
but to the grand victory as achieved
in view of the universe, by which
Christ as a conqueror, dragged Sa
tan and his legions at his triumphal
car. Comp. Rom. xvi. 20. If Tri
umphing over them in it. Marg.,
' or, himself Either 'by the cross,'
or 'by himself.' Or, it may mean,
as Rosenmiiller suggests, that ' God
(ver. 12) triumphed over these foes
in him ; i. e., in Christ.' The sense
is substantially the same, that this
triumph was effected by the atone
ment made for sin by the Redeemer.
See the word triumph explained in
the Notes on 2 Cor. ii. 14. The
meaning of all this is, that since
Christ has achieved for us such a
victory, and has subdued all the foes
of man, we should not be led cap
tive, but should regard ourselves as
freemen. We should not be made
again the slaves of custom, or habit,
or ritual observances, or superstitious

306

COLOSSIANS.

[AD. 04

shew of them openly, triumphing
over them in ' it.
16 Let no man therefore judge "
• or, himself. a Ro. 14. 10, 13.

rites, or anything whatever that has
its origin in the kingdom of dark
ness. We are bound to assert and
to use our freedom, and should not
allow any hostile power in the form
of ^philosophy or false teaching of
any kind, to plunder or 'spoil' us.
Ver. 8. The Christian is a freeman.
His great Captain has subdued all
his enemies, and we should not allow
them again to set up their dark em
pire over our souls. The argument
of the apostle in these verses (13 —
15) is derived from what Christ has
done for us. He mentions four
things. (1.) He has given us spi
ritual life ; (2.) he has forgiven all
our trespasses ; (3.) he has blotted
out or abolished the ' ordinances' that
were against us ; and (4.yhe has tri
umphed over all our foes. From all
this he infers (vs. 16, seq.) that we
should not be made captive or sub
dued by any of the rites of supersti
tion, or any of the influences of the
kingdom of darkness.
16. Let no man, therefore, judge
you. Comp. Notes on Rom. xiv. 10.
13. The word judge here is used
in the sense of pronouncing a sen
tence. The meaning is, ' since you
have thus been delivered by Christ
from the evils which surrounded
you ; since you have been freed from
the observances of the law, let no
one sit in judgment on you, or claim
the right to decide for you in those
matters. You are not responsible to
man for your conduct, but to Christ ;
and no man has a right to impose
that on you as a burden from which
he has made you free.' If In meal.
Marg., for eating and drinking.
The meaning is, ' in respect to the
various articles of food and drink.'
There is reference here, undoubted
ly, to the distinctions which the Jews

you in 2 meat, or in drink, or in
3 respect of an holy day, or of the
new moon, or of the sabbath days;
- or, for eating and drinking. 3 or, part.
made on this subject, implying that
an effort had been made by Jewish
teachers to show them that the Mo
saic laws were binding on all. Tf Or
in respect of a holy day. Marg.,
part. The meaning is, ' in the part
or the particular of a holy day ; that
is, in respect to it' The word ren
dered ' holy-day' — toptij — means pro
perly a feast or festival; and the
allusion here is to the festivals ofthe
Jews. The sense is, that no one
had a right to impose their observ
ance on Christians, or to condemn
them if they did not keep them.
They had been delivered from that
obligation by the death of Christ.
Ver. 14. % Or of the new moon.
On the appearance ofthe new moon,
among the Hebrews, in addition to
the daily sacrifices, two bullocks, a
ram, and seven sheep, with a meat
offering, were required to be pre
sented to God. Num. x. 10; xxviii.
11 — 14. The new moon in the be
ginning of the month Tisri (October)
was the beginning of their civil year,
and was commanded to be observed
as a festival. Lev. xxiii. 24, 25.
IT Or of the Sabbath days. Gr., ' of
the Sabbaths.' The word Sabbath in
the Old Testament is applied not
only to the seventh day, but to all
the days of holy rest that were ob
served by the Hebrews, and particu
larly to the beginning and close of
their great festivals. There is, doubt
less, reference to those days in this
place, as the word is used in the plu
ral number, and the apostle does not
refer particularly to the Sabbath pro
perly so called. There is no evi
dence from this passage that he would
teach that there was no obligation to
observe any holy time, for thero is
not the slightest reason to believe
that he meant to teach that one of

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

307

17 Which are a shadow • of
things to come ; but the body is
of Christ.

the ten commandments had ceased
to be binding on mankind. If he
had used the word in the singular
number — 'the Sabbath,' it would
then, of course, have been clear that
he meant to teach that that com
mandment had ceased to be binding,
and that a Sabbath was no longer to
be observed. But the use of the
term in the plural number, and the
connection, show that he hod his eye
on the great number of days which
were observed by the Hebrews as
festivals, as a part of their ceremo
nial and typical law, and not to the
moral law, or the ten command
ments. No part of the moral law —
no one of the ten commandments
could be spoken of as' ' a shadow of
good things to come.' These com
mandments are, from the nature of
moral law, of perpetual and univer
sal obligation.
17. Which are a shadow of things
to come. See Notes on Heb. viii. 5 ;
x. 1. They were only a dim outline
of future things, not the reality.
1 But the body is of Christ. The
reality, the substance. All that they
signified is of or in Christ Between
those things themselves which are
in Christ, and those which only re
presented or prefigured them, there
is as much difference as there is be
tween a body and a shadow ; a solid
substance and a mere outline. Hav
ing now, therefore, the thing itself,
the shadow can be to us of no value ;
and that having come which was
prefigured, that which was designed
merely to represent it, is no longer
binding. 18. Let no man beguile you of
your reward, Marg., judge against
you. The word here used — xa-tagpa-
fi(.-j —occurs nowhere else in the

18 Let ' no man beguile you
of your reward, 'in a voluntary
humility and worshipping of an-
6 Re. 3. 11. * or, judge against you.
3 being a voluntary in humility.
New Testament It is a word which
was employed with reference to the
distribution of prizes at the Grecian
games, and means, to give the prize
against any one, to deprive of the
palm. Hence it means to deprive
of a due reward ; and the sense here
is, that they were to be on their
guard lest the 'reward' — the crown
of victory to which they looked for
ward — should be wrested from them
by the arte of others. That would
be done if they should be persuaded
to turn back, or to falter in the race.
The only way to secure the prize
was to hold on in the race which
they were then running ; but if they
yielded to the philosophy of the
Greeks, and the teachings of the
Jews, they would be defrauded of
this reward as certainly as a racer
at the games would if the crown of
victory should be unjustly awarded
to another. In this case, too, as real
injustice would be done, though the
apostle does not say it would be in
the same manner. Here it would
be by art ; in the case of the racer
it would be by a wrong decision —
but in either case the-crown was lost.
This exhortation has the more force
from this consideration. Against an
unjust judge we could have no pow
er ; but we may take care that the
reward be not wrested from us by
fraud. IT In a voluntary humility.
Marg., ' being a voluntary in humil
ity.' Tindal renders this, 'Let no
man make you shoot at a wrong
mark, which, after his own imagina
tion, walketh in the humbleness of
angels.' The word used here {tcvrtiv
vo^potswrj) means lowliness of mind,
modesty, humbleness of deportment;
and the apostle refers, doubtless, to
the spirit assumed by those against

308

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

gels, intruding " into those things
a De. 29. 29. Job 38. 2.
whom he would guard the Colossians
— the spirit of modesty or of humble
inquirers. The meaning is, that
they would not announce their opin
ions with dogmatic -certainty, but
they would put on the appearance
of great modesty. In this way, they
would become really more danger
ous — for no false teachers are so dan
gerous as those who assume the as
pect of great humility, and who
manifest great reverence for divine
things. The word rendered 'volun
tary' here — £e>xov— does not, proper
ly, belong to the word rendered ' hu
mility.' It rather appertains to the
subsequent part of the sentence, and
means that the persons referred to
were willing, or had pleasure in at
tempting, to search into the hidden
and abstruse things of religion.
They were desirous of appearing to
do this with an humble spirit — even
with the modesty of an angel — but
still they had pleasure in that pro
found and dangerous kind of inquiry.
IT And worshipping of angels. —
^pr)axia -iw ayyiiiav. This does not
mean, as it seems to me, that they
would themselves worship angels, or
that they would teach others to do
it — for there is no reason to believe
this. Certainly the Jewish teachers,
whom the apostle seems to have had
particularly in his eye, would not do
it ; nor is there any evidence that
any class of false teachers would
deliberately teach that angels were
to be worshipped. The reference
is rather to the profound reverence ;
the spirit of lowly piety which the
angels evinced, and to the feet that
the teachers referred to would as
sume the same spirit, and were,
therefore, the more dangerous. They
would come professing profound re
gard for the great mysteries of reli
gion, and for the incomprehensible
perfections of the divinity, and would

which he hath not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind ;
approach the subject professedly with
the awful veneration which the an
gels have when they ' look into these
things.' 1 Pet i. 12. There was
no bold, irreverent, or confident de
clamation, but the danger in the case
arose from the fact that they assumed
so much the aspect of modest piety ;
so much the appearance ofthe lowly
devotion of angelic beings. The
word here rendered worship— -^*-
x»'a — occurs in the New Testament
only here, in Acts xxvi. 5 ; and James
i. 26, 27, in each of which places it
is rendered religion. It means here
the religion, or the spirit of humble
reverence and devotion which is
evinced by the angels ; and this ac
cords well with the meaning in James
i. 26, 27. If Intruding into those
things which he hath not seen. Or
inquiring into them. The word
used here {ip^attiav) means to go
in, or enter ; then to investigate, to
inquire. It has not, properly, the
meaning of intruding, or of imper
tinent inquiry (see Passow), and I
do not see that the apostle meant to
characterize the inquiry here a?
such. He says that it was the object
of their investigations to look, with
great professed modesty and rever
ence, into those things which are not
visible to the eye of mortals. The
' things' which seem here to be par
ticularly referred to, are the abstruse
questions respecting the mode of the
divine subsistence ; the ranks, orders,
and employments of angelic beings;
and the obscure doctrines relating to
the divine government and plans.
These questions comprised most of
the subjects of inquiry in the Orien
tal and Grecian philosophy, and in
quiries on these the apostle appre=
hended would tend to draw away
the mind from the ' simplicity that
is in Christ' Of these subjects what
can be known more than is revealed'

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

309

19 And not holding the Head,"
from which all the body by joints
and bands having nourishment
ministered, and knit together, in-
creaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore, if ye be dead
a Ep. 4. 15, 10.

f Vainly puffed up by his fleshly
mind. Notwithstanding the avowed
'humility,' the modesty, the angelic
reverence, yet the mind was full of
vain conceit, and self-confident, car
nal wisdom. The two things are
by no means incompatible — the men
apparently most meek and modest
being sometimes the most bold in
their speculations, and the most reck
less in regard to the great landmarks
of truth. It is not so with true mo
desty, and real ' angelic veneration,'
but all this is sometimes assumed for
the purpose of deceiving ; and some
times there is a native appearance
of modesty which is by no means
an index of the true feelings of the
soul. The most meek and modest
men in appearance are sometimes
the most proud and reckless in their
investigations of the doctrines of
.religion. 19. And not holding the Head.
Not holding the true doctrine re
specting the Great Head of the
church, the Lord Jesus Christ Notes,
Eph. i. 22. This is regarded here
as essential to the maintenance of
all the other doctrines of religion.
He who has just views of the Re
deemer will not be in much danger
of erring respecting the other points
of religious belief. If From - which
all the body, Sus. This passage is
almost word for word the same as
in Eph. iv. 15, 16. See it explained
in the Notes there. /
20. Wherefore. In view of all
that has been said. If it be true that
you are really dead to the world,
why do you act as if you still lived
under the principles of the world ?

with Christ from the ' rudiments
of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye sub
ject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; han
dle not ; 1 or, elements.

If If ye be dead with Christ. If you
are dead to the world in virtue of his
death. The apostle here, as else
where, speaks of a very close union
with Christ We died with him;
that is, such was the efficacy of his
death, and such is our union with
him, that we became dead also to
the world. Notes, Rom. vi. 2. 4 8.
11. If From the rudiments of the
world. Marg., elements. The ele
ments or principles which are of a
worldly nature, and which reign
among worldly men. See Notes on
GaL iv. 3. f Why, as though living
in the world. Why do you allow
them to influence you, as though you
were living and acting under those
worldly principles ? They ought no
more to do it, than the things of this
world influence those who are in
their graves. If Are ye subject to
ordinances. The rites and ceremo
nies of the Jewish religion. See
Notes, GaL v. 1 — 4.
21. Touch not; taste not; handle
not. These words, seem intended as
a specimen ofthe kind of ordinances
which the apostle refers to, or an
imitation of the language of the
Jewish teachers in regard to various
kinds of food and drink. ' Why are
ye subject to ordinances of various
kinds, such as this — Touch not, taste
not, handle not?' That is, such as
prohibit you from even touching cer
tain kinds of food, or tasting certain
kinds of drink, or handling certain
prohibited things. The rapid suc
cession of the words here, without
any connecting particle, is supposed
to denote the eagerness of the per
sons who imposed this injunction,

310

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

22 Which all are to perish with

and their earnestness in warning
others from contaminating them
selves with the prohibited things.
Many injunctions of this kind are
found in the writings of the Jewish
Rabbins; and the ancient Jewish
sect of the Essenes (Notes, Matt iii.
7) abounded in precepts of this kind.
See Schoelgen, and Pict. Bib. in
loc. ' They allowed themselves no
food that was pleasant to the taste,
but ate dry, coarse bread, and drank
only water. Many of them ate no
thing until sunset, and, if any one
touched them who did not belong to
their sect, they washed themselves
as if they had been most deeply de
filed. Perhaps there was at Colosse
a society of this" kind, as there were
in many other places out of Judea ;
and, if there was, it is not improba
ble that many Christians imitated
them in the peculiarity of their rules
and observances.' Comp. Jenning's
Jew. Ant. i. 471, and Ros. Alt. u.
neu. Morgenland, in loc. If this be
the correct interpretation, then these
are not the words ofthe apostle, for
bidding Christians to have anything
to do with these ordinances, but are
introduced as a specimen of the man
ner in which they who enjoined the
observance of those ordinances press
ed the subject on others. There
were certain things which they pro
hibited, in conformity with what they
understood to be the law of Moses ;
and they were constantly saying, in
regard to them, ' do not touch them,
taste them, handle them.' These
words are often used as a kind of
motto in reference to the use of in
toxicating drinks. They express
very well what is held by the friends
of total abstinence ; but it is obvious
that they had no such reference as
used by the apostle, nor should they
be alleged as an authority, or as an
argument, in the question about the

the using;) after the command
ments and doctrines of men ?

propriety or impropriety of the use
of spirituous liquors. They may as
well be employed in reference to
anything else as that, and would
have no authority in either case.
Intoxicating drinks should be ab
stained from ; but the obligation to
do it should be made to rest on solid
arguments, and not on passages of
Scripture like this. This passage
could with more plausibility be press
ed into the service of the enemies
ofthe total abstinence societies, than
into their support ; but it really has
nothing to do with the subject, one
way or the other.
22. Which all are to perish with the
using. This is commonly marked
as a part of the parenthesis, or the
quotation ; and there is considerable
difficulty in ascertaining its true
meaning. It seems most probable
that these are the words of the apos
tle himself, thrown in in the rapidity
of composition, and that they are
not to be connected with the phrase
' touch not,' &c. If so, the idea is,
that it cannot be of so much conse
quence as the Jewish teachers sup
posed, to mark distinctly the differ
ence between meats and drinks.
They were all to perish with the
use of them. Nothing was perma
nent about them. It could really
then be of no great importance what
was eaten, or what was drunk, pro
vided it was not in itself injurious.
These ordinances had a value among
the Hebrews when it was designed
to keep them as a distinct people;
but they had no value in themselves,
so as to make them binding on all
mankind. To suppose this, was the
common error of the Jews; and
hence the apostle so frequently la
boured to show that the Jewish rites
had no permanent value. See Notes
on Rom. xiv. 1 — 6. 1 Cor. viii.
Comp. Notes on Matt. xv. 17, 18.

A. D. 64.] CHAPTER II. 311
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will-worship,

According to this interpretation, the
21st verse should be regarded as ex
pressing the common maxim of the
Jewish teachers, and the clause be
fore us as the words of the apostle,
and should be marked as a parenthe
sis. So it is marked in Hahn's Ed. of
the New Testament IT After the. com
mandments and doctrines of men.
Many of the ordinances on which
the Jews insisted were those which
were handed down by tradition.
They depended on human authority
only, and, of course, should not bind
the conscience. Others take the
words here to mean, 'All which
things tend to the corruption of reli
gion {Doddridge),- or are cause of de
struction or condemnation {Rob.
Lex.), by the use of these things,
according to the commandments and
doctrines of these men.'
23. Which things. Which scru
pulous observance of the numerous
precepts enjoining rites and ceremo
nies, the observance of days, and the
distinctions between meats and
drinks. % Have indeed a show of
wisdom. Have a great appearance
of piety, and of regard for the will
of God. They have a show of ' wis
dom,' too, or of a deep acquaintance
with divine things. They who in
sist on them appear to be learned in
what constitutes religion, and to
have a deep insight into its myste
ries. Doubtless they who urged the
obligation of these things laid claim
to uncommon acquaintance with the
nature -of religion, and urged the
observance of these things on the
ground of their tendency to promote
pisty, just as they always do who
insist much on the observance of re
ligious rites and ceremonies. If In
will-worship. Voluntary worship;
t. e., worship beyond what God strict
ly requires — supererogatory service.
Probably many of these things they
lid not urge as being strictly re

quired, but as conducing greatly to
piety. The idea doubtless was, that
piety might lie promoted by service
rendered beyond what was absolute
ly enjoined, and that thus there
would be evinced a spirit of uncom
mon piety — i readiness not only to
obey all that God required, but even
to go beyond this, and to render him
voluntary service. There is much
plausibility in this; and this has •
been the foundation of the appoint
ment ofthe fasts and festivals ofthe
church ; of penances and self-inflict
ed tortures; of painful vigils and pil
grimages; of works of supereroga
tion, and ofthe merits of the 'saints.'
A large part of the corruptions of
religion have arisen from this plausi
ble, but deceitful argument God
knew best what things it was most
conducive to piety for his people to
observe; and we are most safe when
we adhere most closely to what he
has appointed, and observe no more
days and ordinances than he has di
rected. There is much apparent
piety about these things ; but there
is much wickedness of heart at the
bottom, and there is nothing that
more tends to corrupt pure religion.
If And humility. Notes on ver. 18.
There is a great show of reverence
for divine things in the manner in
which they pursue their investiga
tions, and in their humble and meek
compliance with painful rites and
ceremonies; in festings, abstinence,
and penances. Under all this there
lurks often the worst kind of pride ;
for" Pride may be pampered wliile the flesh
grows lean."
If And neglecting the body. Putting
on sackcloth and ashes; subjecting it
to painful fastings and penances;
appearing in a form of squalid po
verty, as if the body were not worth
regarding, and as if the attention
were so much engrossed bv the no-

312
and humility, and ' neglecting of
1 or, punishing ; or, not sparing.

tiler care ofthe soul, as to be entire
ly regardless of the body. Yet, we
may observe, (1.) God made the
body as well as the soul, and has
shown his care of it by its " being
fearfully and wonderfully made,"
and by all the provision which he
has made for its wants. (2.) Reli
gion pertains to the body as well as
the soul, and should teach a man
properly to regard it Man is bound
so to take care of the body, as to
have the most health and the longest
.ife possible in the service of his Cre
ator, and so as to be able to employ
it in the best manner. There is no
religion in ragged or squalid cloth
ing, in a dirty face, in offensive per
sonal habits, in filth and defilement,
and in setting at defiance the de
cencies of life. (3.) Much affected
sanctity may exist where there is a
most proud and corrupt heart. A
long face, a demure countenance, a
studied disregard of the decencies
of dress and the courtesies of life,
as if they were unworthy of notice,
may be the exponent of the most
hateful pride, and of the basest pur
poses of the soul. A man should be
on his guard always against one
who, under pretence of extraordinary
sanctity, professes to despise the or
dinary dress and usages of society.
If ISot in any honour. That is,
thi. re is no real honour in these
things; there is nothing to ennoble
and elevate the soul ; nothing that is
to be commended. If To the satis
fying of the flesh. The only effect
is, to satisfy or please the flesh ; that
is, the carnal and corrupt nature, for
so the word flesh is often used in the
Scriptures. The effect of these ob
servances, on which so much stress
is laid as if they would promote
piety, is merely to gratify pride, self-
righteousness, the love of distinction,
and the other carnal propensities of

COLOSSIANS. [A. D. 64
the body; not in any honour to
the satisfying of the flesh.
our nature. There seems to be s
great deal of humility and piety in
them ; there is really little else than
pride, selfishness, and ambition.
REMARKS.
1. We should feel a deep interest
for the welfare of other Christians,
even those whom we have never
seen. Vs. 1, 2. All belong to the
same family, have the same enemies
to contend with, are engaged in the
same warfare, are travelling to the
same heaven. By our prayers and
sympathy, we may often do much
good to those whom we shall never
see till we meet them in heaven.
2. We should be on our .guard
against the seductive arts of false
teachers. They are often plausible ;
they can urge arguments which we
may not be able to answer; they
may have much more learning than
we have ; and they may put on the
appearance of great humility and of
real piety. Vs. 3, 4.
3. It is, in general, a safe rule for
a Christian to abide by the views
which he had on the^great subjects of
religion when he became converted.
Ver. 6. Then the heart was tender
and soft — like wax — and received
the impression which the Spirit made
on it. There are some things in
which the heart judges better than
the head ; and in which we are quite
as likely to go right if we follow the
former as we are the latter. In re
lation to the performance of many
of the duties of life — the duties of
kindness and charity — the heart is
often a more safe guide than the
head ; and so in many things pertain
ing more immediately to religion, a
man is more likely to judge right if
he follows the promptings of his feel
ings in the happiest moments of piety,
than he is to wait for the more cool
and . cautious course of argument

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER II.

313

The same thing may be true even
of many of the doctrines of religion.
When a poor sinner trembles on the
verge of hell, he feels that none but
an Almighty Saviour can deliver
him, and he goes and commits him
self to Jesus as God — and he is not
in much danger of erring in that
He will be more likely to he drawn
aside from the truth by the artful
reasonings of the advocates of error,
than he will by his feelings at that
moment 4. Our views of the ' mystery of
God' — ofthe divine nature, and espe
cially of the rank and character of
Christ, will determine all our views
of theology. Ver. 2. This has been
so in all ages ; and however it may
be accounted for, the feet is undoubt
ed, that if at any time we can ascer
tain what are the prevalent views
of Christ, we can easily see what
is the prevailing character of the
theology of that age. The influence
Df this will be felt on the views
which are held ofthe native charac
ter of man; of regeneration, the
divine riurposes, the nature of ho
liness, and the retributions beyond
the grave. Hence, the reason why
the apostle Paul insisted so much
on this, and urged so earnestly the
importance of adhering to just views
nf the Saviour.
5. Christ has laid us under the
highest obligations to love and serve
him. Vs. 11 — 15. He has enabled
us to put off our sins; he has raised
us from spiritual death to spiritual
life; he has removed the old ordi
nances that were against us, and has
made religion easy and pleasant; he
has subdued our enemies, and tri
umphed over them. He achieved a
glorious victory over « principalities
and powers,' and has led our great
tnemy captive. He met the enemy
of man whgn-on earth, and overcame
his power _. of, temptation; expelled
him frbrhnhe bodies of men; laid
the foundation for a permanent vic-
27

tory over him on the cross, and tri
umphed over him when he rose and
ascended to heaven. Satan is now
an humbled foe. His power is broken
and limited, and the Lord Jesus will
yet completely triumph over him.
He will return from heaven; rais*
all the dead ; and reoscend, in the
face of the universe, to his native
skies, with all his ransomed hosts —
the ' spoils' of victory. We should
not then fear what Satan can do to
us ; nor should we fear that the great
enemy of the church will ever be
triumphantStand up, my soul, shake off thy fears,
And gird the gospel armour on ;
March to the gates of endless joy,
- Where thy great Captain Saviour's gonn
Hell and thy sins resist thy course ;
But hell and sin are vanquish'd foes ;
Thy Jesus nail'd them to the cross, -
And sung the triumph when he rose.
Then let my soul march boldly on.
Press forward to the heavenly gate;
There peace and joy eternal reign,
And glittering robes for conquerors wait
Then shall I wear a starry crown,
And triumph in Almighty grace;
While all the armies of the skies
Join in my glorious Leader's praise.
6. No individual has a right to
appoint ceremonies and ordinances
in the church to be binding on the
consciences of others; nor is this
authority intrusted to any body of
men. Ver. 16. What God has en
joined is to be obeyed. What man
enjoins beyond that, is of no binding
force on the conscience; and it is
the solemn and sacred duty of all
Christians to resist all such attempts
to make ceremonial observances
binding on the conscience. Christ
has appointed a few ordinances of
religion — and they are enough.
They are simple, easily observed,
and all adapted to promote piety.
He appointed baptism and the Lord's
Supper ; but he appointed no stated
festivals or fasts ; no days in comme
moration of the saints, or of his own
I birth or death ; he enjomed no rites

314

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

of religion but those which are most
simple, and which are easily ob
served. He well knew how those
¦observances would be abused to the
purposes of superstition, and obscure
the great doctrine of justification
by faith. He knew how ready men
would be to rely on them rather than
on the merits of the great Sacrifice,
and hence he appointed no ordinance
where that danger could exist.
7. Pride is often united with ap
parent humility. Ver. 18. It is easy
to assume the appearance of humil
ity in the outer deportment, but no
such assumed appearance reaches
the heart. That remains the same,
whatever external appearance is as
sumed, until it is renewed by the
grace of God.
8. A meek, modest, and candid
demeanour is consistent, with great
boldness and daring. in speculation.
Ver. 18. The most daring specula
tors in religion ; they who make the
most reckless attacks on the truth,
are often, to appearance, eminently
candid, and even put on the aspect
of angelic devotion. Yet they are
bold 'where angels fear to tread;'
and they declaim with confidence on
subjects which must be for ever be
yond the grasp of the human mind.
9. We should not infer, because a
man is modest and humble, and be
cause he appears to be endued with
uncommon meekness and piety, that,
therefore, he is a good man or a safe
guide. Ver. 18. The teachers in
Colosse, against whom Paul warned
the Christians there, appear to have
been men just of this stamp ; and
this is commonly assumed by those
who would lead their fellow-men
into error. ' Satan is often trans^
formed into an angel of light'
10. We should not attempt to pene
trate into those things which lie be
yond the grasp of the human mind.
Ver. 18. We should not 'intrude
into those tilings which are unseen.'
There is an outer limit to our inves

tigations on all subjects, and we soon
reach it. In life we are to act chiefly
on facts; not on the reason why
those fects exist When we have
ascertained or established a ./art, our
feet stand on a solid rock; and there
we shall stand securely. We act
safely and wisely if we act in view
of that fact ; we do not act safelv or
wisely if we disregard that, and act
on theory or imagination.
11. Many real Christians are in
danger of being 'beguiled ofthe re
ward' which they might obtain. Ver.
18. They are allured by the world ;
they are drawn into error by the arts
of philosophy ; they obscure the lus
tre of their piety by conformity to
the world, and thus they lose the
high recompense which they might
have obtained in heaven. For the
rewards of heaven will be strictly in
proportion to the measure of our re
ligion here — the zeal, and feith, and
love which we evince in the cause
of our Master.
12. Many persons are in dangei
of losing the ' reward' altogether—
for the ' reward' of a life of piety is
set before all. Ver. 18. Heaven is
offered freely to all, and there is ne
one who might not obtain it. But,
alas ! how many there are who are
drawn aside by the allurements of
error and of sin ; who are led to de
fer to a future time the great subject
of preparation for death ; who spend
their lives in disregard of the com
mands of God and the invitations of
mercy, until it is too late to seek sal
vation, and they sink down to final
ruin. Every impenitent sinner is in
imminent danger of losing his soul.
The great deceiver is endeavouring
to blind him and decoy him down to
death, and a thousand snares on
every side are spread for his feet, into
which he is in constant danger of
falling. In a world of allurements,
where the work of death from the
beginning has been carried on chiefly
by deception, with what solicitude

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER in.

315

I

CHAPTER III.
F ye then be risen ¦ with Christ,
seek those things which are

should man guard himself lest he
be ' beguiled of heaven' and sink to
a world where heaven will be offer
ed no more !
CHAPTER HI.
ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.
In the previous chapter, the apos-
te.had showed what a true Christian
ought not to follow after. He had
warned the Colossians against the
dangers of false philosophy, and the
doctrines of erroneous teachers. In
this chapter, he teaches them what
they ought to pursue and to seek.
He therefore enjoins various duties
in the different relations of life,
which theyought to perform in such
a way as to show that true religion
had a controlling influence over then-
hearts. He specifies the following :
(1.) The duty of setting the affections
on things above. Vs. 1 — 4. They
were risen with Christ (ch. ii. 12),
they were dead to sin (ver. 3) ; they
were soon to be like Christ (ver. 4),
and they should, therefore, fix their
affections on heavenly things. (2.)
The duty of mortifying their corrupt
passions and carnal propensities. Vs.
5—8. (3.) The duty of speaking
the truth, since they had put off the
old man with his deeds. Vs. 9 — 11.
(4) The duty of kindness, gentle
ness, charity, and the spirit of peace.
Vs. 12—15. (5.) The duty of edi
fying one another by psalms and
songs of praise. Vs. 16, 17. (6.)
The duty of wives, ver. 18 ; (7.) of
husbands, ver. 19 ; (8.) of children,
ver. 20; (9.) of fathers, ver. 21;
(10.) of servants, vs. 22— 25. There
is a very striking similarity between
this chapter and the fifth and sixth

above, where Christ ' sitleth on
the right .hand of God.
2 Set your ' affection on things
above, not ° on things on the earth.
b Eo. 8. 34. I or, mind. c 1 Jno. 2. 15.

chapters of the Epistle to the Ephe
sians, and a full exposition of the
principal subjects adverted to here
may be found in the Notes there.
1. If ye then be risen with Christ.
The apostle in this place evidently
founds the argument on what he had
said in ch. ii. 12. See Notes on that
passage. The argument is, that
there was such an union between
Christ and his people, that in virtue
of his death they become dead to
sin ; that in virtue of his resurrec
tion they rise to spiritual life, and
that, therefore, as Christ now lives in
heaven, they should live for heaven,
and fix their affections there. If Seek
those things which are above. That
is, seek them as the objects of pur
suit and affection; strive to secure
them. IT Where Christ sitleth on
the right hand of God. Notes,
Mark xvi. 19. The argument here
is, that since Christ is there, and
since he is the object of our supreme
attachment, we should fix our affec
tions on heavenly things, and seek
to be prepared to dwell with him.
2. Set your affection. Marg., ' or
mind.' Gr., ' think of — fpoviitt.
The thoughts should be occupied
about the things where Christ now
dwells, where our final home is to
be, where our great interests are.
Since we are raised from the death
of sin, and are made to live anew,
the great object of our contempla
tion should be the heavenly world.
^f Not on things on the earth.
Wealth, honour, pleasure. Our af
fections should not be fixed on houses
and lands; on scenes of fashion -and
gaiety ; on low and debasing enjoy
ments.

316

COLOSSIANS.

[AD. 04

3 For "ye are dead, and your
life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When * Christ, who is c our
life, shall appear, then shall ye
also appear with him in glory.
aRo. 0. 2. 6 1 Jno. 3. 2. c Jno. 11. 25. 14. G.

3. For ye are dead. Dead to the
world ; dead to sin ; dead to earthly
pleasures. On the meaning of the
word dead, see Notes on Rom. vi. 2.
Eph. ii. 1. The idea of the apostle
is, that as Christ became literally
dead in the tomb, so we, in virtue
of our connection with him, have
become dead to sin, to worldly influ
ences, pleasures, and ambition. Or,
in other words, we are to be to them
as if we were dead, and they had
no more influence over us than the
things of earth had over him in the
grave. Notes, Rom. vi. 2. % And
your life. There is still life. Though
dead to one class of objects, you are
alive to others. See the sentiment
here expressed, explained at large
in the Notes on Gal. ii. 20. IT Is
hid with Christ in God. The lan
guage here is taken probably from
treasure which is ' hid' or concealed
in a place of security ; and the idea
is, that eternal life is an invaluable
jewel or treasure, which is laid up
with Christ in heaven where God is.
There it is safely deposited. It has
this security, that it is with the Re
deemer, and that he is in the pre
sence of God ; and thus nothing can
reach it or take it away. It is not
left with us, or intrusted to our keep
ing — for then it might be lost, as
we might lose an invaluable jewel ;
or it might be wrested from us ; or
we might be defrauded of it ; but it
is now laid up far out of our sight,
and far from the reach of all our
enemies, and with one who can ' keep
that which we have committed to
him against that day.' 2 Tim. i. 12.
Our eternal life, therefore, is as se-

5 Mortify * therefore your mem
bers which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordi
nate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idola
try: d Ro. 8. 1 3. 6a. 5. 24. Ep. 5. 3-6.

cure as it could possibly be made.
The true condition of the Christian
is, that he is ' dead' to this world,
but that he has immortal life in pros
pect, and that is secure, being in the
holy keeping of his Redeemer, now
in the presence of God. Prom this
it follows that he should regard him
self as living for heaven.
4. When Christ, who is oar life.
Notes, John i. 4; xi. 25. IT Shall
.appear. In the day when he shall
come to judge the world. % Then
shall ye also appear with him in
glory. 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. Chris
tians shall then be raised from the
dead, and ascend with the Redeemer
to heaven.
5. Mortify therefore your mem
bers. Since you are dead to sin and
the world, and are to appear with
Christ in the glories of his kingdom,
subdue every carnal and evil propen
sity of your nature. The word mor
tify means to put to death (Notes,
Rom. viii. 13. Gal. v. 24), and the
meaning here is, that they were en
tirely to subdue their evil propensi
ties, so that they would have no re
mains of life ; that is, they were not
at all to indulge them. The word
' members' here, refers to the differ
ent members ofthe body — as the seat
of evil desires and passions. Comp.
Notes, Rom. vi. 13. They were
wholly to extirpate those evil pas
sions which he specifies as having
their seat in the various members
of the earthly body. If Fornication.
Notes, Rom. i. 29. f Uncleanness.
Notes, Rom. i. 24. IT Inordinate
affection, rta^oj. Rendered in Rom.
i. 26, ' vile affections.' See Notes on

A. D. 04.]

CHAPTER III.

317

6 For which things' sake the
wrath of God cometh on the chil
dren of disobedience.
7 In * the which ye also walked
sometime, when ye lived in
them. 8 But now ye also put off all
these ; anger, wrath, malice, bias-

that verse. In 1 Thess. iv. 5, the
word is rendered lust — which is its
meaning h^re. If Evil concupis
cence. Evil desires ; licentious pas
sions. Rom. i. 24. Greek. IT And
covetousness, which is idolatry. It
-is remarkable that the apostle al
ways ranks covetousness with these
base and detestable passions. The
meaning here is, (1.) that it is a low
and debasing passion, like those
which he had specified; and (2.)
that it secures the affections which
properly belong to God, and is, there
fore, idolatry. Of all base passions,
this is the one that most dethrones
God from the soul. See this whole
passage more fully explained in the
Notes on Eph. v. 3—5.
6. For which things' sake, &c.
See Notes, Eph. v. 6, where the
same expression occurs.
7. In the which. In all which
evil passions. IT Ye also walked
sometime. You formerly lived. These
were the common vices of the hea
then. Notes, Eph v. 8. 1 Cor. vi
10, 11. Comp. Notes, Rom. i. 24
-32. 8. But now ye also put off all
these. All these which follow, as
Doing also inconsistent with the
Christian calling. 1f Anger, wrath.
Notes, Eph. iv. 26. If Malice. Notes,
Eph. iv. 31. IT Blaspliemy. Notes,
Matt. ix. 3. The word here seems
to mean all injurious and calumni
ous speakmg — whether against God
or man. IT Filthy communication
out of your mouth. Lewd, indecent
27*

phemy, filthy communication out
of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, see
ing that ye have put off the old
man with his deeds ;
10 And have put on the new
man, which is renewed 'in know
ledge after the image of him thai
created him :
b Eph. 4. 23, 24.

and immodest discourse. Notes,
Eph. iv. 29. The conversation of
the heathen everywhere abounds
with this. A pure method of con
versation among men is the fruit of
Christianity. 9. Lie not one to another. Notes,
Eph. iv. 25. IT Seeing that ye have
put off the old man with his deeds.
Your former corrupt and evil nature.
Notes, Eph. iv. 22. The reason for
putting away lying, stated in Eph.
iv. 25, is, that we ' are members one
of another' — or are brethren. The
reason assigned here is, that we have
put off the old man with his deeds.
The sense is, that lying is one . of
the fruits of sin. It is that which
the corrupt nature of man naturally
produces; and when that is put off,
then all that that nature produces
should be also put off with it. The
vice of lying is a universal fruit of
sin, and seems to exist everywhere
where the gospel does not prevail.
Comp. Notes on Titus i. 12. There
is, perhaps, no single form of sin
that reigns so universally in the hea
then world.
10. Which is renewed in know
ledge. In Eph. iv. 24, it is said that
the new man is ' created after God
in righteousness and true holiness.'
In this place it is added that to the
renewed soul knowledge is imparted,
and it is made in that respect as man
was when he was first created. This
passage, in connection with Eph. iv.
24, proves that before man fell he
was endowed with 'rig'

418

COLOSSIANS.

[A. 1). 64.

11 Where "there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scy
thian, bond nor free : but Christ
is all, and in all.
a Ro. 10. 12.

true holiness, and knowledge.' The
knowledge here referred to, is not
the knowledge of everything, but
the knowledge of God. Man was
acquainted with his Creator. He
resembled him in his capacity for
knowledge. He was an intelligent
being, and he had an acquaintance
with the divine existence and per
fections. Comp. Notes on Rom. v.
12. But especially had he that
knowledge which is the fear of the
Lord; that knowledge of God which
is the result of love. Piety, in the
Scriptures, is often represented as
the ' knowledge' of God. See Notes
on John xvii. 3. Comp. Notes on
Eph. iii. 19. IT After the image of
him that created him. So as to re
semble God. In knowledge he was
made in the likeness of his Maker.
11. Where there is neither Greek
nor Jew. See this fully explained
in the Notes on Gal. iii. 28. The
meaning here is, that all are on a
level ; that there is no distinction of
nation in the church ; that all are to
be regarded and treated as brethren,
and that therefore no one should be
false to another, or lie to another.
H Circumcision nor uncircumcision.
No one is admitted into that blessed
society because he is circumcised ;
no one is excluded because he is nn-
circumcised. That distinction is un
known, and all are on a level. If Bar
barians. No one is excluded because
he is a barbarian, or because he lives
among those who are uncivilized,
and is unpolished in his manners.
See the word barbarian explained
in the Notes on Rom. i. 14. IT Scy
thian. This word does not occur
elsewhere in the New Testament
The name Scythian is applied in an-

12 Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffer
ing ;

cient geography to the people who
lived on the north and north-east of
the Black and Caspian Seas, a re
gion stretching indefinitely into the
unknown countries of Asia. They
occupied the lands now peopled
by the Monguls and Tartars. The
name was almost synonymous with
barbarian, for they were regarded
as a wild and savage race. The
meaning here is, that even such a
ferocious and uncivilized people were
not excluded from the gospel, but
they were as welcome as any other,
and were entitled to the same privi
leges as others. No one was exclud
ed because he belonged to the most
rude and uncivilized portion of man
kind. If Bond nor free. See Notes,
Gal. iii. 28. If But Christ is all,
and in all. The great thing that
constitutes the peculiarity of the
church is, that Christ is its Saviour,
and that all are his friends and fol
lowers. Its members lay aside all
other distinctions, and are known
only as his friends. They are not
known as Jews and Gentiles ; as of
this nation or that; as slaves or
freemen, but they are known as
Christians; distinguished from all
the rest of mankind as the united
friends of the Redeemer. Comp,
Notes on Gal. iii. 28.
12. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God. The fact that you thus be
long to one and the same church ;
that you have been redeemed by the
same blood, and chosen by the same
grace, and that you are all brethren,
should lead you to manifest a spirit
of kindness, gentleness, and love.
IT Bowels of mercies. Notes, Phil.
ii. 1. If Kindness, &c. See Notes
on Eph. iv. 32. The language here

A. D. 641

CHAPTER III.

319

13 Forbearing • one another,
and forgiving » one another, if any
man have a quarrel ' against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so
also do ye.
14 And above all these things

a Mar. 11. 25. I
b Mat. 6. 14, 15.

. 4. 2. 32. 1 or, complaint

is a little different from what it is
there, but the sentiment is the same.
13. Forbearing one another.
Notes, Eph. ivt 2. «f And forgiv
ing one another. Notes, Matt vi.
12. 14 T If any man have a quar
rel against any. Marg., 'or com
plaint.' The word here used —
uou4>>J — occurs nowhere else in the
New Testament It means, fault
found, blame, censures and here
denotes occasion of complaint. The
idea is, that if another one has given
us just occasion of complaint, we
are to forgive him ; that is, we are
(1.) to harbour no malice against
him; (2.) we are to be ready to do
him good as if he had not given us
occasion of complaint; (3.) we are
to be willing to declare that we for
give him when he asks it ; and (4)
we are always afterwards to treat
him as kindly as if he had not in
jured us — as God treats us when he
forgives us. See Notes, Matt xviii
21. "|f Even as Christ forgave you,
so also do ye. Learn here that Christ
has power to forgive sin. Comp.
Notes, Matt. ix. 6. Acts v. 31. Christ
forgave us (I.) freely — he did not
hesitate or delay when we asked
him; (2.) entirely — he pardoned all
our offences ; (3.) for ever — he did
it so as to remember our sins no more,
and to treat us ever onward as if we
had not sinned. So we should for
give an offending brother.
14 And above all these things.
Over, or upon all these things. Comp.
Notes, Eph. vi. 16, If Charity. Love.
Notes, 1 Cor. xiii. 1. IT Which is
the bond of perfectness, The bond

put on charity/ which is * the bond
of perfectness.
15 And let the peace • of God
rule in your hearts, to the which
also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful.

e 1 Pe. 4. 8.
s Ph. 4. 7.

d 1 Co. 13. 2, 8, 13.

of all perfection ; the tiling which
will unite all other things, and make
them complete. Comp. the parallel
place in Eph. iv. 3. The idea seems
to be that love will bind all the other
graces fast together, and render the
whole system complete. Without
love, though there might be other
graces and virtues, there would be
a want of harmony and compact
ness in our christian graces, and
this was necessary to unite and com
plete the whole. There is great
beauty in the expression, and it con
tains most important truth. If it
werapossible to conceive that the
other graces could exist among a
christian people, yet there would be
a sad incompleteness, a painful wont
of harmony and union, if love were
not the reigning principle. Nor
faith, nor zeal, nor prophecy, nor the
power of speaking with the tongue
of angels, would answer the purpose.
See this sentiment expressed in 1
Cor. xiii., and the effect of love more
fully explained in the Notes on tha.:
chapter. 15. And let the peace of God.
The peace which God gives. Notes.
Phil. iv. 7. % Rule in your hearts.
Preside in your hearts; sit as um
pire there {Doddridge) ; govern and
control you. The word here ren
dered rule — Ppafitvctw — is commonly
used in reference to the Olympic and
other games. It means, to be a di
rector, or arbiter of the publ ic games ;
to preside over them and preserve
order, and to distribute the prices to
the victprs. The meaning here is,
that the peace which God gives to

320

COLOSSIANS.

LA. D. 64

16 Let the word « of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom ;
teaching and admonishing one an
other in psalms * and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord.
o Ps. 119. IT. b Ep. 5. 19.
the soul is to be to us what the bra-
beutes, or governor at the games
was to those who contended there.
It is to preside over and govern the
mind ; to preserve everything in its
place; and to save it from tumult,
disorder, and irregularity. The
thought is a very beautiful one. The
soul is liable to the agitations of pas
sion and excitement — like an assem
bled multitude of men. It needs
something to preside over it, and
keep its various faculties in place
and order ; and nothing is so well fit
ted to do this as the calm peace
which religion gives,- a deep sense
of the presence "of God, the dpsire
and the evidence of his friendship,
the hope of his favour, and the be
lief that he has forgiven all our sins.
The ' peace of God' will thus calm
down every agitated element of the
soul ; subdue the tumult of passion,
and preserve the mind in healthful
action and order — as a ruler sways
and controls the passions of assem
bled multitudes of" men. If To the
which ye are also called. To which
peace. % In one body. To be one
body ; or to be united as one. Notes,
Eph. iv. 4 — 6. If And be ye thank
ful. Por all mercies, and especially
for your privileges and hopes as
Christians. A spirit of thankfulness,
also, would tend much to promote
harmony and peace. An ungrateful
people is commonly a tumultuous,
agitated, restless, and dissatisfied
people. Nothing better tends to pro
mote peace and order than gratitude
to God for his mercies.
16. Let the word of Christ. The
doctrine of Christ IT Dwell in you
richly in all wisdom- Abundantly,

17 And whatsoever c ye do
in word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by
him.

c 1 Co. 10. 31.

producing the spirit of true wisdom.
That doctrine is adapted to make
you wise. The meaning is, that
they were to lay up the doctrines of
the gospel in their hearts ; to medi
tate upon them ; tr> allow them to
be their guide, and to endeavour
wisely to improve them to the best
purpose. If Teaching and admon
ishing, &c. See this explained in
the Notes on Eph. v. 19, 20. The
only additional thought here is, that
their psalms and hymns were to be
regarded as a metheoT of ' teaching'
a^-'adjB&imhihg;' that is, they
were to be imbued with truth, and
to be such as to elevate the mind,
and withdraw it from error and
sin. Dr. Johnson once said, that if
he were allowed to make the ballads
of a nation, he cared not who made
the laws. It is true in a more im
portant sense that he who is permit
ted to make the hymns of a church,
need care little who preaches, or
who makes the creed. He will more
effectually mould the sentiments of
a church than they who preach or
make creeds and confessions. Hence,
it is indispensable, in order to the pre
servation of the truth, that the sa
cred songs of a church should be
imbued with sound evangelical sen
timent 17. And whatsoever ye do in xoord
or deed. Whatever ye say or do—
whether relating to temporal affairs
or to religion. The command here
extends to all that we do. % Do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus. Do
it all because he requires and com
mands it, and with a desire to honour
him. His authority should be the
warrant; his glory the ajm of 3'!

A. D. 64]

CHAPTER III.

321

18 Wives, * submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as it is
fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives,
and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, * obey your pa
rents in all things : for this is well
pleasing unto the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your
children to anger, lest they be
discouraged. 22 Servants, ' obey in all things
your masters according to the
a Ep. 5. 22, &c. Ti. 2.4,5. 1 Pe. 3. l.fcc.
b Ep. 6. 1, &c el Pe. 2. 18.
our actions and words. See the gene
ral sentiment here expressed, fully
. illustrated in the Notes on 1 Cor. x.
31. IT Giving thanks to God and
the Father by him. Through him ;
or in his name. All our actions are
to be accompanied with thanksgiv
ing. Notes, Phil. iv. 6. We are
to engage in every duty, not only in
the name of Christ, but with thank
fulness for strength and reason ; for
the privilege of acting so that we
may honour him ; and with a grate
ful remembrance of the mercy of
God that gave us such a Saviour to
be an example and guide. He is
most likely to do his duty well who
goes to it with a heart overflowing
with gratitude to God for his mer
cies, and he who is likely to per
form his duties with the most cheer
ful fideity, is he who has the deep
est sense of the divine goodness in
providing a Saviour for his lost and
ruined soul. See Notes on 2 Cor. v.
14, 15.
18. Wives, submit yourselves, &c.
Notes on the parallel passage in Eph.
v. 21—24.
19. Husbands, love your wives,
&c. Notes on Eph. v. 25—29.
20. Children, obey your parents,
&c. Notes on Eph. vi. 1 — 4
21. Fathers, provoke not, &c.
Notes on Eph. vi. 4 f Lest they
be discouraged. Lest, by your con-

flesh: not with eye-service, .as
men-pleasers ; but in singleness
of heart, fearing God :
23 And whatsoever ye do, do
it heartily, as to the Lord and not
unto men;
24 Knowing, that of the Lord
ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance : for ye serve the Lord
Christ. 25 But he that doelh wrong
shall receive for the wrong which
he hath done : and there is no
respect of persons.

tinually finding fault with them, they
should lose all courage, and despair
of ever pleasing you. There is much
sound sense and practical wisdom in
this observation of the apostle. Chil
dren should not he flattered, but they
should be encouraged. They should
not be so praised as to make them
vain and proud, but they should be
commended when they do well. The
desire of praise should not be the
principle from which they should be
taught to act, but they should feel
that the approbation of parents is a
desirable thing, and when they act
so as to deserve that approbation, no
injury is done them by their under
standing it He who always finds
fault with a child ; who is never sat
isfied with what he does ; who scolds
and frets and complains, let him do
as he will, breaks his spirit, and soon
destroys in the delicate texture of
his soul all desire of doing well
The child in despair soon gives
over every effort to please. He be
comes sullen, morose, stupid, and in
different to all the motives that can
be presented to him, and becomes to
ar great extent indifferent as to what
he does — since all that he does meets
with the same reception from the
parent. 22 — 25. Servants, obey in all
things, Sic. See Notes on Eph. vi
5—8.

322

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

CHAPTER IV.
MASTERS, ° give unto your
a Ep. G. 9, &c.

CHAPTER IV.
1. Masters, give unto your ser
vants, &c. See Notes on Eph. vi.
9. If That which is just and equal.
What they ought to have ; what is
fairly their due. The apostle here,
probably, refers to bondmen or slaves,
and the propriety of this rule is ap
parent. Such persons were subject
to their masters' control ; their time
and services were at their disposal,
and they could not enforce their just
and equal claims by an appeal to the
laws. They were, therefore, de
pendent on the equity and kindness
of their masters. There can be no
doubt that not a few who were con
verted to the christian feith were
held to involuntary servitude (see 1
Cor. vii.) ; and it is as clear that the
apostles did not design to make a
violent disruption of these bonds, or
to lead the slaves to rise and murder
their masters. See Notes, 1 Tim.
vi. 1 — 4. But it is equally clear that
they meant to represent slavery as a
hard and undesirable condition ; that
they intended to instruct the slaves
to embrace the earliest opportunity to
be free which was presented (1 Cor.
vii. 21) ; and that they meant to sug
gest such considerations, and to lay
down such principles as would lead
masters to emancipate their slaves,
and thus ultimately to abolish it.
Among these principles are such as
these. (1.) That all men were of
one and the same blood. Acts xvii.
26. (2.) That they were all re
deemed by the same Saviour, and
were brethren. ITim. vi. 2. Philem.
16. If redeemed; if they were
'brethren;' if they were heirs of
glory, they were not 'chattels' or
' things ;' and how could a Christian
conscientiously hold or regard them
as property ? (3.) That they were
to 'render them that which v/a,s just

servants that which is just and
equal ; knowing that ye also have
a Master in heaven.

and equal.' What would follow from
this if fairly applied t What would
be just and equal to a man in those
circumstances 1 Would it not be
{a) to compensate him fairly for his
labour; to furnish him an adequate
remuneration for what he had earn
ed ? But this would strike a blow
at the root of slavery — for one ofthe
elementary principles of it is, that
there must he 'unrequited labour;'
that is, the slave must earn as much
more than he receives as will do his
part in maintaining the master in
idleness, for it is ofthe very essence
of the system that he is to be main
tained in indolence by the slaves
which he owns — or just so far as he
owns a slave. If he were disposed
to earn his own living, he would not
need the labour of slaves. No man
ever .yet became the permanent own
er of a slave from benevolence to him,
or because he desired to pay him
fully for his work, or because he
meant himself to work in order to
maintain his slave in indolence. (6)
If a man should in fact render to his
slaves ' that which is just and equal,'
would he not restore them to free
dom ? Have they not been deprived
of their liberty by injustice, and
would not 'justice' restore it? What
has the slave done to forfeit his lib
erty 1 If he should make him ' equal'
in rights to himself, or to what he is
by nature, would he not emancipate
him t Has he not been reduced to
his present condition by withholding
that which is 'equal?' Has he
' equal' rights, and ' equal' privileges
with other men ? Has he not been
cut off from them by denying him
the equality to which he is entitled
in the arrangements of God's govern
ment] Can he be held at all with
out violating all the just notions of
equality ? Though, therefore, it may

V. D. b4]

CHAPTER IV.

323

2 Continue « in prayer, and
watch * in the same with thanks
giving ;
3 Withal praying also for us,
that God would open ' unto us
a door of utterance, to speak the
a I.u. 18. 1. b Mar. 13. 33.
e2Th.3.1.

be true that this passage only en
joins the rendering of that which
was 'just' and 'equal' in their con
dition as slaves, yet it contains a
principle which would 'lay the axe
at the root' of slavery, and would
lead a conscientious Christian to the
feeling that his slaves ought to be
free. These principles actually ef
fected the freedom of slaves in the
Roman empire in a few centuries
after Christianity was introduced,
and they are destined to effect it yet
all over the world. IT Knowing that
ye also have a Master in heaven.
Notes, Eph. vi. 9.
2. Continue in prayer. That is,
do not neglect it ; observe it at all
stated times ; maintain the spirit of
prayer, and embrace all proper occa
sions to engage in it Comp. Notes,
Luke xviii. 1. Eph. vi. 18. 1 Thess.
iv. 17. If And watch in the same
with thanksgiving. Watch for fa
vourable opportunities; watch that
vour mind may be in a right frame
when you pray; and watch, that
when your mind is in a right frame
you may not neglect to pray. See
Notes on Eph. vi. 18. Phil. iv. 6.
3. Withal. With all the suppli
cations which you offer for other per
son's and things ; or at the same time
that you pray for them, f Praying
also for us. Notes, Eph. vi. 19, 20.
Comp. 2 Cor. i. 11. Phil. i. 19. Heb.
xiii. 18, 19. If That God would open
tons a door of utterance. Topreach
the gospel. He earnestly desired
to have liberty to preach the gospel,
and asked them to pray that this
might be restored to him. See Notes

mystery of Christ, for which I am
also in bonds :
4 That I may make it mani
fest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom d toward
there, that are without, redeeming
the time. d Ps. 90. 12. Ep. 5. 15, 16.

on Eph. vi. 19. % To speak the
mystery of Christ. Called in Eph.
vi. 19, the ' mystery of the gospel.'
See Notes there. If For which I
also am in bonds. A prisoner at
Rome. Notes, Eph. vi. 20.
4. That I may make it manifest,
&c. Notes, Eph. vi. 20.
5. Walk in wisdom. That is, con
duct uprightly and honestly. Deal
with them on the strictest principles
cf integrity, so that they may not
have occasion to reproach the reli
gion which you profess. If Tojoard
them that are without. Without the
pale of the church, or who are not
professing Christians. See Notes
on 1 Cor. v. 12. They were sur
rounded by heathens, as Christians
now are by men of the world. The
injunction is one that requires us to
act with prudence and propriety
{iv eotylu) towards them ; and there
is perhaps not a more important di
rection in the New Testament than
this. Among the reasons for this
are the following: (1.) Men ofthe
world judge of religion, not from
the profession, but from the life of
its friends. (2.) They judge of reli
gion, not from preaching, or from
books, or from the conduct of its
Founder and his apostles, but from
what they see in the daily walk and
conversation of the members of the
church. (3.) They understand the
nature of religion so well as to
know when its friends are or are
not -consistent with their profes
sion. (4.) They set a much higher
value on honesty and integrity than
they do on the doctrines and duties

324

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

6 Let your speech be alway
with grace, seasoned ° with salt,

a Mar. 9. 50.

of religion; and if the professed
friends of religion are destitute of
the principles of truth and honesty,
they think they have nothing of any
value. They may be very devout
on the Sabbath; very regular at
prayer-meetings ; very strict in the
observance of rites and ceremonies
— but all these are of little worth in
the estimation of the world, unless
attended with an upright life. (5.)
No professing Christian can possibly
do good to others who does not live
an upright life. If you have cheat
ed a man out of never so small a
sum, it is vain that you talk to him
about the salvation of his soul ; if
you have failed to pay him a debt
when it was due, or to finish a piece
of work when you promised it, or to
tell him the exact truth in conversa
tion, it is vain for you to endeavour
to induce him to be a Christian. He
¦wiW feel, if he does not say — and he
might very properly say — that he
wants no religion which will not
make a man honest (6.) No man
will attempt to do much good to
others whose own life is not upright
He will be sensible of the inconsis
tency, and will feel that he cannot
do it with any sense of propriety ;
and the honour of religion, therefore,
and the salvation of our fellow-men,
demand that in all our intercourse
with others, we should lead lives of
the strictest integrity. If Redeem
ing the time. Notes, Eph. v. 16.
6. Let your speech. Your con
versation. In the previous verse the
apostle had given a general direction
that our conduct towards those who
are not professing Christians should
be wise and prudent ; he here gives a
particular direction in regard to our
conversation. %He alway with grace.
Imbued with the spirit of religion.
It should be such as religion is fitted

that ye may know how ye ought
to answer every, man.

to produce ; such as to show that the
grace of God is in our hearts. Bloom
field supposes that this means ' cour
teous and agreeable, not morose and
melancholy.' But though this may
be included, and though the rule
here laid down would lead to that,
it cannot be all that is intended. It
rather means that our conversation
should be such as to show that we
are governed by the principles of re
ligion, and that there is unfeigned
piety in the heart This will indeed
make us mild, courteous, agreeable,
and urbane in our conversation ; but
it will do more than this. It will
imbue our discourse with the spirit
of religion, so as to show that the
soul is under the influence of love
to the Redeemer, ^f Seasoned with
salt. Salt, among the Greeks, was
the emblem of wit. Here the mean
ing seems to be, that our conversa
tion should be seasoned with piety
or grace in a way similar to that in
which we employ salt in our food.
It makes it wholesome and palatable.
So with our conversation. If it be
not imbued with the spirit of piety,
it is flat, insipid, unprofitable, injuri
ous. The spirit of piety .will make
it what it should be — useful, agree
able, beneficial to mankind. This
does not mean that our conversation
is to be always, strictly speaking,
religious — wherever we may be
any more than our food should be
mere salt ; but it means that, what
ever he the topic, the spirit of piety
should be diffused through it — as the
salt in our food should properly sea
son it all — whatever the article of
food may be. If TTiat ye may know
how ye ought to answer every man.
Be imbued with the spirit of piety,
that you may not utter anything that
would be rash and foolish, but be pre
pared to answer any one who mav

A. D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

325

7 All • my state shall Tychicus
declare unto you, who is a beloved
brother, and a faithful minister and
fellow-servant in the Lord :
8 Whom I have sent unto you
for the same purpose, that he might
a Ep. 6. 21, 22.

question you about your religion in
a way that will show that you un
derstand its nature, and that will
tend to edification. This remark
may be extended farther. It may
be understood as meaning also, 'be
imbued with the spirit of religion,
and you will be able to answer any
man appropriately on any subject
If he asks you about the evidence or
the nature of religion, you will be
able to reply to him. If he converses
with you on the common topics of
the day, you will be able to answer
him in a mild, kind, affeble spirit
If he asks you of things of which
you are ignorant; if he introduces
some topic of science with which
you are not acquainted, you will not
be ashamed to confess your igno
rance, and to seek instruction. If
he addresses you in a haughty, inso
lent, and overbearing manner, you
will be able to repress the risings of
your temper, and to answer him with
gentleness and kindness.' Comp.
Luke ii. 46.
7, 8. All my state shall Tychicus
declare unto you. See these verses
explained in the Notes, Eph. vi. 21,
22. . 9. With Onesimus. Who had
been formerly a servant of Philemon,
an inhabitant of Colosse. See Notes,
Philem. 10. Onesimus had probably
been recently converted ; and Paul
felt towards him the warm attach
ment of a brother. Philem. 1.6. In
what way he became acquainted
with him is unknown. A more full
account of him will be found in the
Notes on the Epistle to Philemon.
28

know your estate, and comfort
your hearts ;
9 With Onesimus, * a faithful
and beloved brother, who is one
of you. They shall make known
unto you all things which are done
here. A Phi. 10.

If Who is one of you. That is, either
who is from your city, or one of your
own people and nation. It is clear
from this, that Onesimus was from
Phrygia, and probably from the city
of Colosse itself. It would seem also
that he was of a higher rank than is
designated by the word ' slave' now.
He was, indeed, a ' servant' — Soiij.o$
— of Philemon, but would the apos
tle have addressed the Colossians,
and said that he was ' one of them,'
if he had occupied precisely the con
dition which is now denoted by the
wordsta>e? Would a minister of the
gospel now in the Northern States,
who should send a letter by a run
away slave to a community of mas
ters at the South, say of him that he
was ' one of them ?' Would it be
kindly received, or produce a good
impression, if he did ? There is rea
son, therefore, to think that Onesi
mus was not a slave in the proper
sense, but that he might have been
a respectable youth, who had bound
himself to service for a term of years.
Comp. Philem. 18. % They shall
make known to you all things which
are done here. Relating to Paul
himself and the state of the church
in Rome. As the epistle which Paul
sent was designed not only for them,
but to be a part of the volume of re
vealed truth, he wrote only those
things which would be of permanent
interest. Other matters he left for
those who carried the epistle to
communicate. It would also serve
to give Tychicus and Onesimus
more respectability in view of the
church at Colosse, if he referred the

326

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64.

10 Aristarchus0 my fellow-pri
soner saluteth you, and Marcus, »
sister's son to Barnabas (touching
whom ye received command
ments : if he come unto you, re
ceive him ;)
a Ac. 27. 2. b Ac. 15. 37. 2 Ti. 4. 11.

church to them for information on
important points.
10. Aristarchus my fellow-pri
soner. Aristarchus was of Thessa
lonica, and is mentioned in Acts xix.
29; xx. 4, as Paul's companion in
his travels. In Acts xxvii. 2, it is
said that he accompanied him in his
voyage to Rome, and from the pas
sage hefore us it appears that he was
there imprisoned with him. As he
held the same sentiments as Paul,
and was united with him in his tra
vels and labours, it was natural that
he should be treated in the same
manner. He, together with Gaius,
had been seized in the tumult at
Ephesus and treated with violence,
but he adhered to the apostle in all
his troubles, and attended him in all
his perils. Nothing further is cer
tainly known of him, though " the
Greeks say that he was bishop of
Assamea in Syria, and was beheaded
with Paul at Rome, under Nero."
Calmet. % And Marcus, sister's son
to Barnabas. John Mark, in rela
tion to whom Paul and Barnabas had
formerly disagreed so much as to
cause a separation between Barnabas
and Paul. The ground of the disa
greement was, that Barnabas wished
to take him, probably on account of
relationship, with them in their tra
vels; Paul was unwilling to take
him, because he had, on one occa
sion, departed from them. Notes,
Acts xv. 37—39. They afterwards
became reconciled, and Paul men
tions Mark here with affection. He
sent for him when he sent Tychicus
to Ephesus, and it seems that he had
eome to him in obedience to his re-

11 And Jesus, which is called
Justus ; who are of the circumci
sion. These only are my fellow
workers unto the kingdom of God,
which have been a comfort unto
me.

quest. 2 Tim. iv. 11. Mark had
probably become more decided, and
Paul did not harbour unkind and un
forgiving feelings towards any one.
If Touching whom ye received com
mandments. What these directions
were, and how they were communi
cated, whether verbally or by writ
ing, is now unknown. It was, not
improbably, on some occasion when
Paul was with them. He refers to
it here in order that they might
know distinctly whom he meant
If If he come to you, receive him.
In Philem. 24, Mark is mentioned as
a ' fellow-labourer' of Paul. It would
seem probable, therefore, that he was
not a prisoner. Paul here intimates
that he was about to leave Rome,
and he enjoins it on the Colossians
to receive him kindly. This injunc
tion may have been necessary, as the
Colossians may have been aware of
the breach between him and Paul,
and may have been disposed to re
gard him with suspicion. Paul re
tained no malice, and now commend
ed, in the warmest manner, one from
whom he was formerly constrained
to separate.
11. And Jesus, who is called Jus
tus. The name Jesus was probably
that which he bore among the Jews.
Justus is a Roman name, and was
probably that by which he was known
among the Romans. It was not un
common thus to assume another
name when one went among a fo
reign people. Comp. Notes, Acts
xiii. 9. ^f Who are of the circum
cision. Jews, or Jewish Christians.
Nothing more is known of Justus.
If These only are my fellow-workers

A D. <H]

CHAPTER IV.

327

12 Epaphras, who is one of
you, a servant of Christ, saluteth
you, always labouring ' fervently
• for you in prayers, that ye may
stand * perfect and - complete in
all the will of God.
1 or, striving. a Ja. 5. 16.
b Mat. 5. 48. He. 6. 1. a or, filled.
unto the kingdom of God. The
word ' only' here, probably refers to
the feet that they only of all the
Jews who were at Rome assisted
Paul in his work. Epaphras and
Luke were also with him at Rome,
and doubtless aided him. If Which
have been a comfort unto me. The
more so because they were Jews.
The other Jews in Rome stood aloof,
and doubtless endeavoured to aug
ment the trials ofthe apostle. Comp.
Acts xxviii. 23—29.
12. Epaphras. Notes, ch. i. 7.
If Always labouring fervently for
youin prayers. Marg., ' or striving.'
Gr., agonizing. The word denotes
the intense desire which he had for
their salvation ; his fervent, earnest
pleading for their welfare. If That
ye may stand perfect and complete.
Marg., as in Gr., filled. The desire
was, that they might maintain their
christian principles unadulterated by
the mixture of philosophy and error,
and completely perform the will of
God in every respect This is the
expression of a pious wish in regard
to them, without any affirmation that
any had been absolutely perfect, or
that they would be perfect in this
world. It is, however, a command
of God that we should be perfect
(see Matt. v. 48), and it is the high
est wish of benevolence in reference
to any one that he may be com
plete in moral character, and may
do all the will of God. Comp. Notes
on 2 Cor. xiii. 9.
13. For I bear him record. ^Paul
had had abundant opportunity to
know what were his feelings in re
gard to these churches. If A great

13 For I bear him record, that
he hath a great zeal for you, and
them that are in Laodicea and
them in Hierapolis.
14 Luke, ' the beloved physi
cian, and Demas, greet you.
e2Ti. 4. 10, 11.

zeal for you. A great desire to pro
mote your welfare. ^ And them
that are in Laodicea. Laodicea was
the capital of Phrygia, and not far
from Colosse. There was a church
there. See the Introduction, and
Notes on ver. 16. % And them in
Hierapolis. This was also a city in
Phrygia, and not far from Laodicea
and Colosse. It was situated under
a hill to the north, and had on the
south a large plain about five miles
over. On the south of that plain,
and opposite to Hierapolis, was Lao
dicea, with the river Lycus running
between them, nearer to Laodicea
than to Hierapolis. This place is
now called by the Turks Pambuck-
Kulasi, or the Cotton- Tower, on ac
count of the white cliffs which lie
round about it. It is now utterly
forsaken and desolate, but the ruins
are so magnificent as to show that it
was once one of the most splendid
cities in the East. It was celebrated
for the hot springs in its vicinity, and
on account of the numerous temples
erected there, it received the name
of Hierapolis, or the holy city. The
principal deity worshipped there was
Apollo. See Travels by T. Smith,
B. D., 1S78. Comp. Notes on ver.
16. From the allusion to it here, it
would seem that there were Chris
tians there in the time of Paul,
though there is no mention of a
church there. It is nowhere else
mentioned in the New Testament
14. Luke, the beloved physician.
This was undoubtedly the author of
the gospel which bears his name,
and of the Acts of the Apostles. He
is mentioned as the travelling com-

328

COLOSSIANS.

[A. D. 64

15 Salute the brethren which
are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,
and the " church which is in his
house. 16 And when * this epistle is
a Ro. 16. 5. 1 Co. 16. 19. b 1 Th. 5. 27.

panion of Paul in Acts xvii. 10, and
appears to have accompanied him
afterwards until his imprisonment at
Rome. See 2 Tim. iv. 11. From
ver. 11 of this chapter, it is evident
that he was not by birth a Jew, but
was probably a proselyte. He is
Supposed to have been a native of
Cyrene, and to have died in Achaia,
soon after the martyrdom of Paul,
at the advanced age of eighty-four.
See Rob. Cal. Art Luke. He is
here mentioned as a physician, and
in his Gospel, and in the Acts, there
are incidental evidences that he was
acquainted with the science of medi
cine, and that he observed the events
which he has recorded with the eye
of one who practised the healing art.
It is easy to imagine that the* pre
sence of a physician might have
been of important service to the
apostle Paul in his travels, and that
his acquaintance with the art of heal
ing may have aided not a little in
the furtherance of the gospel. The
miraculous power of healing, pos
sessed by the Saviour and his apos
tles, contributed much to the success
of their preaching ; for the power of
alleviating pain of body — of restor
ing to health by miracles, would not
only be an evidence of the divine
origin of their mission — a credential
that they were sent from God, but
would dispose those who had received
such important benefits to listen at
tentively to the message of salvation.
One ofthe best qualifications in mis
sionaries in modern times, in order
to gain access to the heathen, is an
acquaintance with the healing art.
If And Demas. Demas is mentioned
in two other places, Philem. 24, and

read amcng you, cause that it be
read also in the church of the
Laodiceans ; and that ye like
wise read the epistle from Lao
dicea.

2 Tim. iv. 10. He is here spoken of
with commendation as one in whom
the apostle had confidence. After
wards, when troubles thickened, he
was not found proof to the trials
which threatened him in Rome, and
forsook the apostle and went to
Thessalonica. He did this under
the influence of the ' love of this
present world,' or of life, evidently
unwilling to lay down his life in the
cause for which Paul suffered. See
Notes on 2 Tim. iv. 10. His depar
ture, and that of the others on whom
Paui relied in Rome, was one ofthe
severest trials which he was called
there to endure. See Notes on 2
Tim. iv. 16.
15. Salute the brethren which
are in Laodicea. Notes, ch. ii. 1.
If And Nymphas. This person is
nowhere else mentioned, and nothing
more is known of him. -J" And the
church which is in his house. Notes,
Rom. xvi. 5.
16. And when this epistle is read
among you, cause that it be read
also in the church of the Laodiceans.
Laodicea was near to Colosse, and
the church there was evidently ex
posed to the same dangers from phi
losophy and false teachers as that at
Colosse. The counsels in this epis
tle, therefore, would be equally ap
plicable to both. In 1 Thess. v. 27,
the apostle also charges those to
whom that epistle was addressed to
see that it be " read unto all the holy
brethren." It is evident that the
apostles designed that the letters
which they addressed to the churches
should be read also by others, and
should become the permanent source
of instruction to the friends of Christ

A. D. 64.) CHAPTER IV.
17 And say to Archippus, *
Take * heed to the ministry which

829

o Phi. 2.

b 1 Ti. 4. 17.

Laodicea, here referred to, was the
seat of one of the ' Seven churches'
of Asia (Rev. iii. 14) ; was a city
of Phrygia, and was its capital. It
was situated on the river Lycus
(hence called 'KaoSixtta ixi, Xvxcp — La
odicea on the Lycus), and stood at
the southwestern angle of Phrygia.
Its early name appears to have been
Diospolis, changed subsequently to
Rhoas. The name Laodicea was
given to it by Antiochus Theos, in
honour of his wife Laodice. Under
the Romans it became a very flour
ishing commercial city. It was often
damaged by earthquakes, but was
restored by the Roman emperors. It
is supposed to have been destroyed
during the inroad of Timur Leng,
A. D., 1402. The ruins are called
by the Turks Eski Hissar. These
ruins, and the ruins of Hierapolis,
were visited by Mr. Riggs, an Ame
rican missionary, in 1842, who thus
speaks of them : " These spots, so
interesting to the Christian, are now
utterly desolate. The threatening
expressed in Rev. iii. 10, bas been
fulfilled, and Laodicea is but a name.
In the midst of one of the finest
plains of Asia Minor, it is entirely
without inhabitant Sardis, in like
manner, whose church had a name
to live, but was dead, is now an utter
desolation. Its soil is turned up by
the plough, or overgrown by rank
weeds ; while in Philadelphia, since
the day when our Saviour commend
ed those who had there 'kept the
word of his patience,' there has ne
ver ceased to be a nominally chris
tian church. The ruins of Laodicea
and Hierapolis are very extensive.
The stadium of the former city, and
the gymnasia and theatres of both,
are the most complete which I have
anywhere seen. Hierapolis is re
markable also for the so-called fro-
28*

thou hast received in the Lord,
that thou fulfil it.

zen cascades, a natural curiosity, in
its kind probably not surpassed for
beauty and extent in the world. It
consists of a deposit of carbonate of
lime, white as the driven snow, as
suming, when closely examined, va
rious forms, and covering nearly the
whole southern and western declivi
ties of the elevation on which the
city was built. It is visible for many
miles, and has procured for the place
the name by which alone Hierapolis
is known among the Turks, of the
Cotton Castle." The cut on the fol
lowing page will illustrate the ruins
of Laodicea. If And that ye likewise
read the epistle from Laodicea. In
regard to this epistle, see Introduc
tion, § 6.
17. And say to Archippus. Ar
chippus is mentioned also in Philem.
2. He is not elsewhere referred to
in the New Testament, and nothing
further is known of him. If Take
heed to the ministry, Sic. The Greek
here is, tyv Suixovlrw — meaning the
office of ministering in divine things ;
but it is not certain precisely what
office he held there. It seems pro
bable, from the language which the
apostle applies to him — ' the minis
try' — (comp. Acts i. 17. 25 ; vi. 4 ;
xx. 24; xxi. 19. Rom. xi. 13. 1
Cor. xii. 5. 2 Cor. iii. 7, 8, 9 ; iv. 1 ;
v. 18; vi. 3. Eph. iv. 12), that he
was not a deacon, properly so called,
but that he was a preacher of the
word. In Philem. 2, he is mentioned
by Paul as his ' fellow-soldier,' and
it is evident that the apostle meant
to speak of him with honour. There
is no evidence, as has been supposed
by some, that he intended to imply,
by what he said, that he had been
remiss in the performance of his du
ties, but the apostle doubtless meant
to encourage him, and to excite him
to increased ardour and zeal in the

330

COLOSSIANS.

[A, J ' M.

trtlUV

^lllfe

'111

«**«

I
¦MB

6. I

A D. 64.]

CHAPTER IV.

331

18 The salutation " by the
hand of me Paul. Remember "
my bonds. Grace be with you.
Amen. a 2 Th. 3. 17. b He. 13. 3, 25.

work of the Lord. Comp. Notes
Acts xx. 28. It is always proper to
caution even the most faithful and
self-denying servants of the Lord to
'take heed,' or see to it that they
perform their duties with fidelity.
The office of the ministry is such,
and the temptations to unfaithfulness
are so great, that we need constant
watchfulness. IT That thou fulfil it.
That there be nothing wanting, or
lacking, in any of the departments
of labour which you are called to
perform. 18. The salutation by the hand
of me Paul. Probably the rest of
lie epistle was written by an aman
uensis. As was his custom, Paul

Written from Rome to the Co
lossians, by Tychicus and
Onesimus.

affixed his own hand to it in the
form of a salutation. Comp. Notes,
1 Cor. xvi. 21. 2 Thess. iii. 17.
If Remember my bonds. Also evi
dently written by his own hand, to
make the injunction more impres
sive. Comp. Notes, Heb. xiii. 3.
The meaning is, that they should
not forget him in his confinement
They should remember that he was
suffering on their account (Notes,
ch. i. 24), and that he was entitled
to every expression of sympathy and
love. If Grace be with you. Notes, _
Rom. xvi. 20.
The subscription to this epistle is
undoubtedly correct See the Intro
duction.

TB3 MR

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

3 9002 02382 1656