Colossians 3

Colossians 3:1-99

Chap. 3:1-4:6. Second part of the Epistle. Direct exhortations to the duties of the Christian life— founded on their union with their risen Saviour.

1-4. Transition to the new subject, and grounding of the coming exhortations.

1. If then (as above asserted, ch. 2:12, 20: the εἰ implies no doubt of the fact, but lays it down as ground for an inference, see ch. 2:20, and cf. Xen. Mem. i. 5. 1) ye were raised up together with Christ (not as E. V. ‘ are risen:’ the allusion, as above, ch. 2:11-13, is to a definite time, your baptism. And it is important to keep this in view, that we may not make the mistake so commonly made, of interpreting συνηγέρθητε in an ethical sense, and thereby stultifying the sentence— for if the participation were an ethical one, what need to exhort them to its ethical realization?

The participation is an objective one, brought about by that faith which was the condition of their baptismal admission into Him. This faith the Apostle exhorts them to energize in the ethical realization of this resurrection state), seek the things above (heavenly, spiritual things: cf.

Matthew 6:33; Galatians 4:26; Philippians 3:20) where Christ is (‘ se trouve,’ not merely the copula. If you are united to Him, you will be tending to Him; and He is in heaven),— seated on the right hand of God (see Ephesians 1:20. Here, as every where, when the present state of Christ is spoken of, the Ascension is taken for granted): care for the things above (φρονεῖτε , wider than ζητεῖτε , extending to the whole region of their thought and desire), not the things on the earth (cf. οἱτὰἐπίγειαφρονοῦντες , Philippians 3:19: i.e. matters belonging to this present mortal state— earthly pleasure, pelf, and pride. There is no reason, with Thl., Calv., Schrad., Huther, to suppose him still aiming at the false teachers, and meaning by τὰἐπὶτῆςγῆς , τὰπερὶβρωμάτωνκ . ἡμερῶν (Thl.): in this part of the Epistle he has dropped the controversial and taken the purely ethical tone). For ye died (ch. 2:12: ‘ are dead,’ though allowable, is not so good, as merely asserting a state, whereas the other recalls the fact of that state having been entered on. That being made partakers with Christ’ s death, cut you loose from the τὰἐπὶτῆςγῆς : see Romans 6:4-7), and your life (that resurrection life (which is “ your real and true life” as Ellic., objecting to this explanation.

The only real life of the Christian is his resurrection life in and with Christ. The fact is, Ellic. has mistaken my meaning in this term: see my remarks on it below), which you now have only in its first fruits, in possession indeed, but not in full possession, see below, and cf.

Romans 8:19-23) is hidden (οὔπωἐφανερώθη , 1 John 3:2: is laid up, to be manifested hereafter: that such is the sense, the next verse seems plainly to shew) with Christ (who is also Himself hidden at present from us, who wait for His ἀποκάλυψις (1 Corinthians 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:7. 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:13), which shall be also ours, see ver. 4, and Romans 8:19) in God (with Christ who is εἰςτὸνκόλποντοῦΠατρός — it is in Him, as in a great depth, that all things concealed are hidden, and He brings them out as seems good to Him. Notice the solemnity of the repetition of the articles: and so all through these verses).

When Christ shall be manifested (shall emerge from his present state of hiddenness, and be personally revealed), who is our (no emphasis— ἡμῶν applies to Christians generally— see on ὑμ . below) life : Christ is personally Himself that life, and we possess it only by union with Him and His resurrection: see John 14:19), then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory (see on the whole, the parallel 1 John 3:2. Though the completed life of the resurrection seems so plainly pointed out by this last verse as the sense to be given to ἡζωή , this has not been seen by many Commentators, who hold it to be ethical; hidden, inasmuch as inward and spiritual— ἐντῷκρυπτῷ , Romans 2:29 (De W.), and ideal: or, inasmuch as it is unseen by the world (Beng., similarly Storr, Flatt, Bisping, al.). The root of the mistake has been the want of a sufficiently comprehensive view of that resurrection life of ours which is now hidden with Christ. It includes in itself both spiritual, ethical, and corporeal: and the realization of it as far as possible, here, is the sum of the Christian’ s most earnest endeavours: but the life itself, in its full manifestation, is that perfection of body, soul, and spirit, in which we shall be manifested with Him at His appearing. Cf. Thdrt.: ἐκείνουγὰρἀναστάντοςπάντεςἠγέρθημεν · ἀλλ ʼ οὐδέπωὁρῶμεντῶνπραγμάτωντὴνἔκβασιν . κέκρυπταιδὲἐναὐτῷτῆςἡμετέραςἀναστάσεωςτὸμυστήριον ).

5-17. General exhortations: and herein (5-11)— to laying aside of the vices of the old man,— (12-17) to realizing the new life in its practical details. Put to death therefore (the οὖν connects with the ἀπεθάνετε of ver. 3: follow out, realize this state of death to things on earth— νεκρώσατε — notice the aorist implying a definite act:— cf. ἐσταύρωσαν Galatians 5:24, θανατοῦτε Romans 8:13, in the same reference) your members which are on the earth , is certainly a mistake: cf. τὰἐπὶτῆςγῆς above, ver. 2),— fornication (these which follow, are the carnal functions of the earthly members. It is one instance of that form of the double accusative, where the first denotes the whole, the second a part of it, as τὸνδ ʼ ἄοριπλῆξ ʼ αὐχένα , λῦσεδὲγυῖα , Il. λ . 240,— ποῖόνσεἔποςφύγενἕρκοςὀδόντων ; Od. α . 64 See Kü hner, ii. p. 230), impurity (reff.), lustfulness (see Romans 1:26, whence it would appear that the absolute word need not be understood of unnatural lust, the specifying genitive ἀτιμίας giving it there that meaning. We may understand it generally as in Plato, Phæ dr. p. 265 b, τὸἐρωτικὸνπάθος ,— ‘ morbum libidinis,’ Beng.), shameful desire , and covetousness (τὴνπλ . as Beng.— ‘ articulus facit ad epitasin, et totum genus vitii a genere enumeratarum modo specierum diversum complectitur.’ On πλεονεξία , see on Ephesians 4:19, and Trench, N. T.

Synonyms, § xxiv.), for it is idolatry (the πλεονέκτης has set up self in his heart— and to serve self, whether by accumulation of goods or by satiety in pleasure, is his object in life. He is therefore an idolater, in the deepest and worst, namely in the practical significance. τὸμαμωνᾶ , κὺριονὁΣωτὴρπροσηγόρευσε , διδάσκωνὡςὁτῷπάθειτῆςπλεονεξίαςδουλεύων , ὡςθεὸντὸνπλοῦτοντιμᾷ , Thdrt.), on which account (on account of the πλεονεξία , which amounts to idolatry, the all-comprehending and crowning sin, which is a negation of God and brings down His especial anger) cometh (down on earth, in present and visible examples) the wrath of God: in which , John 11:54, Ephesians 2:3, which last, if the clause ἐπ . τ . υἱ . τ . ἀπ . were inserted here, would certainly go far to decide the matter) ye also walked once, when ye lived (before your death with Christ to the world) in these things (the assertion is not tautological: cf.

Galatians 5:25, εἰζῶμενπνεύματι , πνεύματικαὶστοιχῶμεν . When ye were alive to these things, ye regulated your course by them, walked in them. “ Vivere et ambulare inter se differunt, quemadmodum potentia et actus: vivere præ cedit, ambulare sequitur.” Calv.):

8. but now (that ye are no longer living in them: opposed to ποτὲὅτε above) do ye also (as well as other believers) put away the whole (τὰπάντα seems to have a backward and a forward reference— ‘ the whole,— both those things which I have enumerated, and those which are to follow.’ The mistake of rendering ἀπόθεσθε , ‘ have put off,’ which one would hardly look for in a Commentator, occurs in Eadie here— cf. Ephesians 4:22),— anger, wrath (see on Ephesians 4:31), malice (ib.), evil speaking (ib.), abusive conversation , for these four regard want of charity, of kindness in thought and word, rather than sins of uncleanness, which were before enumerated. And the occasional usage of the word itself bears this out, cf. Plato, Rep. iii. p. 395 end, κακηγοροῦντάςτεκαὶκωμῳδοῦνταςἀλλήλουςκ . αἰσχρολογοῦντας : Polyb. viii. 13. 8, ἡκατὰτῶνφίλωναἰσχρολογία ) out of your mouth ,— lie not towards (εἰς the indifferent general preposition of direction: so κατά with ψεύδομαι in a hostile sense, James 3:14. Plato, Euthyd. p. 284 a, οὐδὲνκατάσουψεύδεται . We have πρὸςἐκεῖνονψευσάμενον , Xen.

Anab. i. 3. 5) one another,— having put off , Calv. (postquam exuistis), Mey., al. Vulg. (exuentes), Luth., Calov., Beng., Olsh., De W., Conyb., al., understand them as contemporary with ἀπόθεσθε ,— putting off,— or, and put off. But surely this is very flat, and besides would, if it is to answer to the foregoing, contain a superfluous member, the ἐνδυσάμ . κ .τ .λ . there being no exhortation to graces in the former sentence, only dehortation from vices. Besides, as Mey. remarks, the objective description in ver. 11 belongs to an assignment of motive, not to a hortative sentence: and the hortative figure begins ver. 12) the old man (i.e. as Mey., ‘ die vorchristliche Individualitä t;’ the nature which they had before their conversion: see on reff.) with his deeds , and having put on the new (the other was the negative ground: this is the positive. See on Ephesians 4:23, and 2:15), who (the two are personal: not ‘ which,’ — except in its old personal sense) is continually being renewed (notice the present participle. “ The new man is not any thing ready at once and complete, but ever in a state of development (by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5), by which a new state and nature is brought about in it, specifically different from that of the old man.” Mey.) towards perfect knowledge (which excludes all falsehood, and indeed all the vices mentioned above) according to the image of Him that created him (the new creation of the spirit unto fulness of knowledge and truth, the highest form of which would be the perfect knowledge of God, is regarded by the Apostle as analogous to man’ s first creation. As he was then made in the image of God, so now: but it was then his naturally, now spiritually in ἐπίγνωσις . Some join κατ ʼ εἰκ . with ἀνακαιν ., some with ἐπίγνωσ .

The sense will be the same; but grammatically it is far better to join it with ἀνακαιν . Thus the norm and method of the renewal is, κατ ʼ εἰκ . τ . κτίσαντοςαὐτόν (the new man),— i.e. God, who is ever the Creator, not as Chrys., al., Christ. To understand the whole passage as referring to a restoration of the image of God in the first creation, as Calov., Est., and De W., is to fall far short of the glorious truth. It is not to restore the old, but to create the new, that redemption has been brought about. Whatever may have been God’ s image in which the first Adam was created, it is certain that the image of God, in which Christ’ s Spirit re-creates us, will be as much more glorious than that, as the second man is more glorious than the first): where (viz. in the realm or sphere of the new man) there is not (on ἔνι see Galatians 3:28) Greek and Jew (difference of nation; with special allusion also to the antiquation of the Abrahamic privilege as regarded his natural seed), circumcision and uncircumcision (difference of legal ceremonial standing),— barbarian (having as yet specified by pairs, he now brings forward a few single categories, which in the new man were nonexistent as marks of distinction; see below. The proper contrast to Βάρβαρος would have been Ἕλλην , which has been already expressed), Scythian , bond, free (he perhaps does not say ‘ bond and free,’ because these relations actually subsisted: but the persons in them were not thus regarded in Christ— no man is, quoad a Christian, δοῦλος , nor (see also Galatians 3:28) ἐλεύθερος ): but Christ (emphatically closes the sentence) is all (every distinctive category of humanity is done away as to worth or privilege, and all have been absorbed into and centre in this one, χριστοῦεἶναι , yea χριστὸςεἶναι — His members, in vital union with Him) and in all (equally sprinkled on, living in, working through and by every class of mankind).

12. Put on therefore (as a consequence of having put on the new man, to whom these belong) as the elect of God (see reff. and 1 Thessalonians 1:4), holy and beloved (it seems best to take, as Mey., ἐκλεκτοί for the subject, and ἅγ . and ἠγ . for predicates,— 1) because ἐκλεκτοί is a word which must find its ground independently of us, in the absolute will of God, and therefore cannot be an adjunctive attribute of ἅγιοιἠγαπ .— and 2) because ἐκλεκτοὶθεοῦ is used in reff. and ἐκλεκτοὶ in several other places, as a substantive), bowels of compassion (see reff., and Luke 1:78. The expression is a Hebraism: and the account of it to be found in the literal use of σπλάγχνα as the seat of the sympathetic feelings: cf. Genesis 43:30), kindness (see on Galatians 5:22), lowliness (towards one another— see on Ephesians 4:2), meekness (Eph. ib.: but here it is primarily towards one another; not however excluding but rather implying meekness towards God as its ground), long-suffering (ib.), forbearing one another (see ib.) and forgiving each other (ἑαυτοῖς is not = ἀλλήλοις , as De W., al.: but the mutual forgiveness of the Christian body is put in marked correspondence to that great act of forgiveness which has passed upon the whole body, in Christ. ‘ Forgiving yourselves,’ did it not convey to our ears a wrong idea, would be the best rendering: doing as a body for yourselves, that which God did once for you all), if any have cause of blame (the phrase is a classical one— cf. Eur. Orest. 1068, ἓνμὲνπρῶτάσοιμομφὴνἔχω — Phœ n. 781; Soph.

Aj. 180, and other examples in Wetst.): as also (καί ; besides, and more eminent than, the examples which I am exhorting you to shew of this grace) the Lord forgave (see on Ephesians 4:32) you, so also ye (scil. χαριζόμενοι — do not supply an imperative, by which the construction is unnecesarily broken. Chrys. carries this χαρίζεσθαι to an exaggerated extent, when he says that it extends not only to τὴνψυχὴνὑπὲραὐτῶνθεῖναι — τὸγὰρ ‘ καθὼς ’ ταῦταἀπαιτεῖ — καὶοὐδὲμέχριθανάτουμόνονστῆναιδεῖ , ἀλλ ʼ εἰδυνατὸνκαὶμετὰταῦτα ; thinking perhaps on Romans 9:3):

14. but (the contrast lies between ταῦταπάντα , which have been individually mentioned, and ἐπὶπᾶσιτούτοις , that which must over-lie them as a whole) over (carrying on the image ἐνδύσασθε — see below. Calvin’ s ‘ propter omnia hæ c’ is every way wrong:— ‘ in addition to,’ as Eadie, al., falls short of the fitness and beauty of the passage, weakening what is really the literal sense into a metaphorical one. The E. V., ‘ above all these things,’ looks ambiguous, but by repeating ‘ put on,’ it seems as if our translators meant ‘ above’ to be taken locally and literally) all these things (put on) love (the article gives a fine and delicate sense here, which we cannot express— ἡἀγάπη is not merely love, but ‘ the (well-known) love which becomes Christians:’ the nearest rendering would perhaps be ‘ Christian love,’ but it expresses too much), which thing is the bond of perfectness (the idea of an upper garment, or perhaps of a girdle, as Calov. supposed, seems to have been before the Apostle’ s mind. This completes and keeps together all the rest, which, without it, are but the scattered elements of completeness: πάνταἐκεῖνά , φησιν , αὕτησυσφίγγειπαροῦσα · ἀπούσηςδὲδιαλύονταικ . ἐλέγχονταιὑπόκρισιςὄντακ . οὐδέν , Thl. Wetst. cites from Simplic. in Epictet., p. 208, καλῶςοἱΠυθαγόρειοιπερισσῶςτῶνἄλλωνἀρετῶντὴνφιλίανἐτίμων , κ . σύνδεσμοναὐτὴνπασῶντῶνἀρετῶνἔλεγον .

The genitive after σύνδεσμος is not the genitive of apposition, as in Ephesians 4:3, but of that which is held together by the σύνδεσμος , as in Plato, Rep. x. p. 616 c, εἶναιγὰρτοῦτοτὸφῶςξύνδεσμοντοῦοὐρανοῦ , οἷοντὰὑποζώματατῶντριήρων , οὕτωπᾶσανξυνέχοντὴνπεριφοράν . Those who, as some of the Roman Catholic expositors (not Bisping), find here justification by works, must be very hard put to discover support for that doctrine.

The whole passage proceeds upon the ground of previous justification by faith: see ch. 2:12, and our ver. 12, ὡςἐκλ . τ . θ . Some render σύνδεσμος ‘ the sum total,’ or inclusive idea, ‘ Inbegriff:’ so Bengel, Usteri, De W., Olsh., al.: and it appears to bear this sense in Herodian iv. 12.11, πάντατὸνσύνδεσμοντῶνἐπιστολῶν ,— but not in the N. T.; and besides, the sense would be logically inconsistent with ἐπὶπᾶσιντούτοις , implying that Love does not include, but covers and supplements all the former. Still worse is the wretched adjectival rendering of τῆςτελ . as = τέλειος , ‘ the perfect band,’ as Grot., Erasm.-par., Est., al.): and (simply an additional exhortation, not an inference, ‘ and so,’ as Beng.; compare Ephesians 4:3, where peace is the σύνδεσμος . It is exceedingly interesting to observe the same word occurring in the same trains of thought in the two Epistles, but frequently with different application. See the Prolegg. to this Epistle, § iv. 7) let Christ’ s peace (the peace which He brings about, which He left as his legacy to us (ref.

John), which is emphatically and solely His. This peace, though its immediate and lower reference here is to mutual concord, yet must not on account of the context be limited to that lower side.

Its reference is evidently wider, as βραβευέτω shews: see below. It is the whole of Christ’ s Peace in all its blessed character and effects) rule : against this is ἐνταῖςκαρδίαιςὑμῶν , which makes the office of the peace spoken of not adjudicare, but præ venire lites) in your hearts,— to which (with a view to which, as your blessed state of Christian perfection in God— sec Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 57:19: Ephesians 2:14-17) ye were also (the καί marks the introduction of an additional motive— ‘ to which, besides my exhortation, ye have this motive: that,’ &c.) called (reff.) in one body (as members of one body— oneness of body being the sphere and element in which that peace of Christ was to be carried on and realized. This reminiscence refers to the whole context from ver. 8, in which the exhortations had been to mutual Christian graces. διὰτίγὰρἄλλοἐσμὲνἓνσῶμα , ἢἵναὡςμέληὄντεςἀλλήλωνταύτηντηρῶμεν , κ . μὴδιϊστώμεθα ; Thl.): and be thankful (to God, who called you: so the context before and after certainly demands: not ‘ one to another,’ as Conyb., which though an allowable sense of εὐχάριστος , breaks the connexion here, which is as Chrys. on ver. 16— παραινέσαςεὐχαρίστουςεἶναι , καὶτὴνὁδὸνδείκνυσι .

The ἐκλήθητε was the word which introduced the exhortation— all conduct inconsistent with the ‘ calling in one body’ being in fact unthankfulness to God, who called us. Jer., Erasm.-not., Calv., al., render it ‘ amiable,’ ‘ friendly,’ against which the same objection lies. See Ephesians 5:4; and ib. 19, 20: where the same class of exhortations occurs).

16. See the connexion in Chrys. above. This thankfulness to God will shew itself in the rich indwelling in you and outflowing from you of the word of Christ, be it in mutual edifying converse, or in actual songs of praise. Let Christ’ s word (the Gospel: genitive subjective; the word which is His— He spoke it, inspired it, and gives it power) dwell in you (not ‘ among you,’ as Luther, De W., al.: which does not suit ἐνοικ . As Ellic. observes, St. Paul’ s usage (reff., remembering that ref. 2 Cor. is a quotation) seems to require that the indwelling should be individual and personal.

Still we may say with Mey. that the ὑμεῖς need not be restricted to individual Christians: it may well mean the whole community— you, as a church. The word dwelling in them richly, many would arise to speak it to edification, and many would be moved to the utterance of praise.

And to this collective sense of ὑμῖν , ἑαυτούς below seems to correspond; see above on ver. 13) richly (i.e. in abundance and fulness, so as to lead to the following results), in all wisdom (these words seem to be better taken with the following than with the foregoing. For 1) ch. 1:28 already gives us νουθ … κ . διδ … ἐνπάσῃσοφίᾳ . 2) ἐνοικείτω has already its qualifying adverb πλουσίως emphatically placed at the end of the sentence. 3) The two following clauses will thus correspond— ἐνπάσῃσοφίᾳδιδάσκοντες … ἐντῇχάριτιᾄδοντες . And so Beng., Olsh., De W., Mey., al.: the usual arrangement has been with E. V., all. (not Chrys.), to join them with the preceding) teaching and warning (see on ch. 1:28) each other (see on ver. 13) in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs (on the meaning of the words, see notes, Ephesians 5:19. The arrangement here adopted may be thus vindicated: ψ . ὕμν . ᾠδ . πν . must be joined with the preceding, not with the following, because 1) the instrumental dative is much more naturally taken after διδ . κ . νουθ . ἑαυτ ., from the analogy of Eph 5:19, λαλοῦντεςἑαυτοῖςψ . κ . ὕμν . κ . ᾠδ . [πν .], ᾄδοντεςκ .τ .λ . 2) ᾄδοντες here has already two qualifying clauses, one before and one after, ἐντῇχάριτι and ἐνταῖςκαρδίαιςὑμῶν . Meyer’ s note here is important: “ Notice moreover that Paul here also (see on Eph. ut supra) is not speaking of ‘ divine service’ properly so called, for this teaching and admonishing is required of his readers generally and mutually, and as a proof of their rich possession of the word of Christ:— but of the communication of the religious life among one another (e.g. at meals, at the Agapæ , and other meetings, in their family circles, &c.), wherein spiritual influence caused the mouth to overflow with the fulness of the heart, and gave utterance to brotherly instruction and reproof in the higher form of psalms, &c.; perhaps in songs already known,— or extemporized, according to the peculiarity and productivity of each man’ s spiritual gift: perhaps sung by individuals alone (which would especially be the case when they were extemporized), or in chorus, or in the form of antiphonal song (Plin.

Ep. x. 97).” How common religious singing was in the ancient church, independently of ‘ divine service’ properly so called, see in Suicer, Thes. 2. p. 1568 f. Euseb., H.

E. ii. 17, v. 28, testifies to the existence of a collection of rhythmical songs which were composed ἀπαρχῆς by Christians (ψαλμοὶδὲὅσοικ . ᾠδαί , ἀδελφῶνἀπαρχῆςὑπὸπιστῶνγραφεῖσαι , τὸνλόγοντοῦθεοῦτὸνχριστὸνὑμνοῦσιθεολογοῦντες , v. 28). On singing at the Agapæ , see Tert. Apol. 39, vol. i. p. 477: “ post aquam manualem et lumina, ut quisque de scripturis Sanctis vel proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere” ); in grace — ἀπὸτῆςχάριτοςτοῦπνεύματόςφησινᾄδοντες , Chrys.: so Œ c., διὰτῆςπαρὰτοῦἁγίουπνεύματοςδοθείσηςχάριτος : not as Erasm., Luth., Melaneth., Calv. , and indeed Chrys. , Beza, Corn.-a-lap., al., ‘ gracefully,’ — which would be irrelevant as applied to the singing of the heart: see below— nor as Anselm, and De W., Conyb., al., ‘ thankfully,’ which would be a flat and unmeaning anticipation of εὐχαριστοῦντες below. The article marks ‘ the grace,’ which is yours by God’ s indwelling Spirit) singing in your hearts to God (this clause has generally been understood as qualifying the former. But such a view is manifestly wrong. That former spoke of their teaching and warning one another in effusions of the spirit which took the form of psalms, &c.: in other words, dealt with their intercourse with one another; this on the other hand deals with their own private intercourse with God.

The second participle is coordinate with the former, not subordinate to it. The mistake has partly arisen from imagining that the former clause related to public worship, in its external form: and then this one was understood to enforce the genuine heartfelt expression of the same.

But this not being so, that which is founded on it falls with it. The singing τῷθεῷ is an analogous expression to that in 1 Corinthians 14:28,— ἐὰνδὲμὴᾖδιερμηνευτής , … ἑαυτῷ … λαλείτωκ . τῷθεῷ . So the ἐνταῖςκαρδ . ὑμ . describes the method of uttering this praise, viz. by the thoughts only: τῷθεῷ designates to whom it is to be addressed,— not, as before, to one another, but to God):

17. general exhortation, comprehending all the preceding spiritual ones. And every thing whatsoever ye do in word or work all things (do) in the name of the lord Jesus (not as Chrys., Œ c., Thl., &c., τουτέστιναὐτὸνκαλῶνβοηθόν , nor as Thdrt., who treats it as a dehortation from the worship of angels, which they were to exclude by their always τὰἔργακοσμῆσαιτῇμνήμῃτοῦδεσπότουχριστοῦ :— but much as the common ἐνχριστῷ — so that the name of Christ is the element in which all is done— which furnishes a motive and gives a character to the whole) giving thanks to God the Father through Him .

18-4:1. Special exhortations to relative social duties: 18, 19, to the married: 20, 21, to children and parents: 22-4:1, to slaves and masters. Seeing that such exhortations occur in Ephesians also in terms so very similar, we are not justified, with Chrys., al., in assuming that there was any thing in the peculiar circumstances of the Colossian church, which required more than common exhortation of this kind. It has been said, that it is only in Epistles addressed to the Asiatic churches, that such exhortations are found: but in this remark the entirely general character of the Epistle to the Ephesians is forgotten. Besides, the exhortations of the Epistle to Titus cannot be so completely severed from these as to be set down in another category, as Eadie has endeavoured to do. See throughout the section, for such matters as are not remarked on, the notes to Ephesians 5:22-9.

18. ὡςἀνῆκεν ] The verb is in the imperfect— as ἔδει and χρῆν , conveying always in its form a slight degree of blame, as implying the non-realization of the duty pointed out— just as when we say, ‘ It was your duty to,’ &c. See Winer, § 40. 3, end. The words ἐνκυρίῳ belong to ἀνῆκεν , not to ὑποτάσεσθε ; as is shewn by the parallel expression in ver. 20: was fitting, in that element of life designated by ἐνκυρίῳ .

19. See the glorious expansion of this in Ephesians 5:25-33. πικραίνεσθαι occurs in the same sense in Demosth. 1464. 18: also in Plato, Legg. p. 731 d,— τὸνθυμὸνπραΰνεινκ . μὴἀκραχολοῦντα , γυναικείωςπικραινόμενον , διατελεῖν . Kypke illustrates the word from Plutarch, de ira cohibenda, p. 457, ‘ ubi dicit, animi prodere imbecillitatem quum viri πρὸςγύναιαδιαπικραίνονται :’ and from Eurip. Helen. 303: ἀλλ ʼ ὅτανπόσιςπικρὸς | ξυνῇγυναικί , κ . τὸδῶμ ʼ ἐστιπικρόν , θανεῖνκράτιστον .

20. See Ephesians 6:1.

κατὰπάντα , the exceptions not being taken into account: St. Paul’ s usual way of stating a general rule. It is best to take εὐάρεστον , as Mey. absolutely, as προσφιλῆ , Philippians 4:8: the Christian qualification being given by the ἐνκυρίῳ : De W., al., understand τῷθεῷ , which would render that qualification meaningless.

21. See on Ephesians 6:4, for πατέρες .

μὴἐρεθ .] do not irritate them— τοῦτόἐστι , μὴφιλονεικοτέρουςαὐτοὺςποιεῖτε . ἔστινὅπουκαὶσυγχωρεῖνὀφείλετε , Chrys. In ἵναμὴἀθ ., it is assumed that the result of such irritation will be to cause repeated punishment, and so eventual desperation, on the part of the child. It would be well if all who have to educate children took to heart Bengel’ s remark here; ‘ ἀθυμία , fractus animus, pestis juventutis.’ Wetst. quotes from Æ neas Tacticus, ὀργῇδὲμηθέναμετιέναιτῶντυχόντωνἀνθρώπων · ἀθυμότεροιγὰρεἶενἄν .

22. See on Ephesians 6:5 ff. The ὀφθαλμοδουλεῖαι here are the concrete acts of the -εία of Ephesians 6:6, the abstract spirit.

τὸνκύριον , Him who is absolutely, and not merely κατὰσάρκα , your master. τοῦτόἑστιφοβεῖσθαιτὸνθεόν , ὅταν , μηδενὸςὁρῶντος , μηδὲνπράττωμενπονηρόν . ἂνδὲπράττωμεν , οὐχὶτὸνθεόν , ἀλλὰτοὺςἀνθρώπουςφοβούμεθα , Chrys.

23. ἐκψυχῆς , as Chrys., μετ ʼ εὐνοίας , μὴμετὰδουλικῆςἀνάγκης , ἀλλὰμετ ʼ ἐλευθερίαςκ . προαιρέσεως . The datives may be taken as of reference, or commodi. In Ephesians 6:7 the construction is filled up by δουλεύοντες . Mey. observes against De W., that οὐκ is an absolute not a mere relative negative: ‘ doing things unto men’ is to be laid aside altogether, not merely less practised than the other: “ as workers to the Lord and non-workers to men,” Ellic.

24. = Ephesians 6:8, but more specific as to the Christian reward. εἰδότες , knowing as ye do … The ἀπὸκυρίου is emphatically prefixed— ‘ that it is from the Lord that you shall … ’ ἀπό , as Winer, § 47. b, is distinguished from παρά , as indicating not immediate bestowal, but that the Lord is the ultimate source and conferrer of the inheritance— from the Lord— not ‘ at the hands of the Lord.’ You must look to Him, not to men, as the source of all Christian reward. (Eadie, p. 265, has represented Winer as saying the contrary of that which he does say.) ἀνταπόδοσις occurs in Thuc. iv. 81, in the sense of a mutual exchange of places taken in war: in Polyb. vi. 5. 3, in that of a compensation, τοῦτοἱκανὸνἀνταπόδοσινποιήσειἐκείνου ,— and xx. 7. 2, ὥσπερἐπιτηδὲςἀνταπόδοσινποιουμένηἡτύχη : and hence in that of ‘ an opposite turn,’ xxvii. 2. 4, ἀνταπόδοσινλαμβάνειτὰπράγματα ,— iv. 43. 5, ἀνταπόδοσινποιεῖταιὁῥοῦςπρός , &c. Here the sense would appear to be, with a marked reference to their present state of slavery, the compensation.

κληρ ., genitive of apposition (reff). The very word κληρονομία should have kept the Roman Catholic expositors from introducing the merit of good works here. The last clause, without the γάρ , is best taken imperatively, as a general comprehension of the course of action prescribed in the former part of the verse: serve ye the Lord Christ. So Vulg. ‘ domino Christo servite,’

25. This verse seems best to be taken as addressed to the slaves by way of encouragement to regard Christ as their Master and serve Him— seeing that all their wrongs in this world, if they leave them in His hands, will be in due time righted by Him, the just judge, with whom there is no respect of persons. For he that doeth wrong shall receive (see, as on the whole, Ephesians 6:8) that which he did wrongfully (the tense is changed because in ἀδικῶν he is speaking of present practice— in ἠδίκησεν , he has transferred the scene to the day of the Lord, and the wrong is one of past time), and there is not respect of persons (= εἴτεδοῦλοςεἴτεἐλεύθερος , Ephesians 6:8). At His tribunal, every one, without regard to rank or wealth, shall receive the deeds done in the body. So that in your Christian uprightness and conscientiousness you need not fear that you shall be in the end overborne by the superior power of your masters: there is A judge who will defend and right you: ἐστὶδικαιοκρίτηςὃςοὐκοἶδεδούλουκ . δεσπότουδιαφοράν , ἀλλὰδικαίανεἰσφέρειτὴνψῆφον , Thdrt. Some, as Thl., Beng., al., suppose the verse spoken with reference to the slaves; but οὐκἔστινπροσωπολημψία is against this, unless we accept Bengel’ s far-fetched explanation of it: “ tenues sæ pe putant, sibi propter tenuitatem ipsorum esse parcendum.”