Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1

I therefore the apostle that am at this time a prisoner for the cause of Christ, ch. iii. 1, (from whence to this place seems to be one long parenthesis, see note [c] Gal. ii,) do exhort you to behave yourselves like persons that have been vouchsafed by God that great mercy of revealing Christ to you in your Gentile state.

Ephesians 4:2

And that must be by the exercise of that Christian charity, and those many effects of it, (1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5,) a lowly opinion of yourselves, a mild behaviour toward others, a patient bearing (opposed to revenging) of injuries, much more of weaknesses and ignorances,

Ephesians 4:3

Labouring your utmost to preserve that unity in the church, which is kept in the body by being animated by the same spirit, and by being joined one member friendly and peaceably to another by sinews &c.; that is, unity of charity, as the spirit; and of outward communion, as the sinews, to knit you all together into a peaceable church, loving and living peaceably one with another.

Ephesians 4:4

That as ye are one society, one body of Christians, so ye may have one soul, as it were, one spirit of love to animate that body, according to that one aim, (in which you all conspire, and to the obtaining of which Christianity gives you all the same pretension and hope,) viz. eternal life.

Ephesians 4:5

And according as ye have but one Master whose commands ye are bound to obey, one body of creed to be believed by all, and the same form of initiation, the same vow of baptism appointed to be administered to all.

Ephesians 4:6

And as having all of you the same God which created and now owneth you for his children, who overseeth all actions, pierceth through all secrets, and powerfully worketh in you by his gifts and graces.

Ephesians 4:7

But these gifts and capacities and qualifications for the serving of Christ in the church are not in the same manner and measure given to all, but severally and in diverse degrees, such as Christ in his several distribution of gifts is pleased to dispense.

Ephesians 4:8

According to that of the psalmist, ps. lxviii. 18,

[a] gave gifts] It hath been the manner of many nations, in their triumphs after victories, to go up to the city in pomp and splendour, to bring in captives bound, all people coming forth to the spectacle, and then to give solemn gifts or largesses to their friends and countrymen, or kindred, as part of the solemnity: so M. Aurelius gave eight pound apiece to the poor people in the time of triumph. And this is here accommodated to Christ in his victory and triumph over hell, accomplished by his death and resurrection. For to increase the solemnity of that, he went up to the heavenly Jerusalem, his own city, from which he came forth, carried the devil, and sin, and death captives, shewed them openly, shackled and unarmed, the devil gagged and silenced in his oracles, death’s sting pulled out, and sin left unable to hurt any that had truly repented of it; and, for a complement of all, he sent his largesses to his disciples and clients, the gifts of the Holy Ghost. That which is here ἴδωκε, gave, is in the Greek of the psalm, lxxviii. 19, ἴλαβες, received, probably from the nature of the Hebrew לקח, which, as it signifies to give, so it is to receive also, as in English, to take sometimes signifies to give, and in Greek λῆμμα and δῶρον are all one.

Ephesians 4:9

(And what doth this his ascent to heaven signify, but that he first descended from heaven to these lower parts of the world called the earth, or to the Virgin’s womb, to be conceived there in human flesh, which is by the psalmist also styled, being fashioned beneath in the earth, psalm cxxxix. 15, (see Paulus Fagius on Targum, Gen. xxxvii. 36,) or else to the grave, called the lower parts of the earth, psalm lxiii. 9.

Ephesians 4:10

And as his descent was on purpose to do us good, to bestow and scatter his graces among us, so his ascending again, though it were for a time the leaving of us, yet it was designed to the sending down the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, by that means to supply all our wants, to do what was necessary to be done to the planting and governing of his church.)

Ephesians 4:11

And to that end he hath constituted some to be founders and governors of all churches, (see note on John xx. 21, and note [b] 1 Cor. xii,) others to teach and confirm them when they are founded, (see note [e] Acts xv, and note [c] 1 Cor. xii,) others, followers of the apostles, sent to preach the gospel where the apostles could not go, (see note on John xx. 21,) others to reside as bishops, and govern particular churches, and instruct them also,

[b] evangelists] The rest of these offices of the church have been explained in notes [a] [b] and [c] on 1 Cor. xii; and this of evangelist by the way, note [l] on Matt. ix, and [a] on John xx; to which somewhat may here be added, for the giving the full notion of it. As, first, that the word ιὐαγγελιον, good news or message, being common to that which is written, and which is delivered by word of mouth, two notions there are of evangelist, one for the writer, another for the preacher of the gospel. In the first notion we have the four evangelists, of which two were apostles of the twelve, Matthew and John, and yet those as ordinarily called evangelists as the other two. But this is not the notion which belongs to this place, (where evangelist is a distinct office from apostle,) but the second, which denotes an office then known in the church, when any that was taken notice of for some eminent degree of proficiency in the gospel, and special abilities of utterance and diligence, &c., was upon recommendation of the church (as it is said of Timotheus, Acts xvi. 2,) chosen by any of the apostles to assist them in their work, and sent out with power of preaching the gospel, (and of doing miracles, and with gifts of healing, to that purpose,) and of baptizing those that should receive the gospel, and with other powers also of ordaining bishops, when the apostle thought fit to allow it him. For as the office of evangelist, being to preach to unbelievers, requires not the donation of all the episcopal power, viz. of ruling, nor the power of ordination necessarily, because when the evangelist hath planted the faith, the apostle himself may come and confirm and ordain bishops, as we see in Samaria, Acts viii. 17, (and therefore the author of the Commentaries on the Epistles under St. Ambrose’s name, saith on this place, Quamvis non siut sacerdotes, evangelizare tamen possunt sine cathedra, quemadmodum Stephanus et Philippus, “Though they be not priests, (that is, bishops,) yet they may evangelize without a chair,”) so the donation of that superior power doth not yet make them cease to be evangelists. And accordingly as Philip,

Ephesians 4:12

For the holding together the body of the church to frequent public assemblies, (see note [c]

Ephesians 4:13

Till Jews and Gentiles all coming to the church, and joining in the same faith and profession of Christ, attain to full age, as it were, and stature, such as uses to have full knowledge belonging to it, viz. the perfect knowledge of Christ’s will revealed to them:

Ephesians 4:14

Which may secure us from that which we now see is the fate of many, viz. to be (as children are

⁶ Or, Having ascended to the height, and led captive, he gave—for the King’s MS. reads

αἰχμαλωτεύσας—Ἰδωκεν. ⁶ unto, els. ⁷ fulfil, πληρώση. ⁸ compacting, or, knit-

ting together, καταρτισμόν. ⁹ of ministration, διακονίας. ¹⁰ acknowledgment, ἀντρώσεως.

[c] sleight] The word κυβεία from κύβος, a dye, might possibly signify inconstancy and mutability, because nothing is more variable than that. And so in Antoninus, l. 1. ἀναμφιβολως ἀκύβευτος is set to signify the firmest constancy of mind. In this sense it might well enough agree with the περιφερόμενοι here, being carried about with the wind, &c.; and so Xylander upon that place hath taken confidence to interpret it, that St. Paul advises us to avoid κυβείας ἀνθρώπων, that is, saith he, ne omni vento doctrinae circumagi nos et in errores abripi patiamur, “that we do not permit ourselves to be driven about, and snatched into errors by every wind of doctrine.” But the gloss of Phavorinus is more to be heeded, who renders it πανοουργία, craft, subtilty, dexterity to deceive; and agreeably the very word πανοουργία is here set with it, in the sense wherein we proverbially say of a cunning cheat, that he sets the dice upon us. And so Eusebius out of Irenæus, speaking of Marcus, saith he was μαγικῆς κυβείας ἐμπειρότατος, by κυβεία signifying deceitful artifice, such as conjurers use, Eccles. Hist. l. 4. c. 11. See Theophylact, who, comparing the false teachers to κυβευταί, dicers, saith of them, that they do μετατιθέναι ἀφελεστέρους, ὥσπερ πεττούς, ὡς βούλονται, “remove the simple as they please, as at dice they can cast what throw they have a mind to;” and this, saith he, is the κυβεία here spoken of, and the μεθοδεία πλάνης, ὅπερ ἡ πλάνος αὐτῶν μεθοδεία βούλεται, “whatsoever their deceitful artifices have a mind to.”

[d] lie in wait to deceive] What μεθοδεία signifies in this place may thus be collected. Hesychius seems to render it τέχναι, arts, for so I

Ephesians 4:15

But that preserving unity of faith and charity we may improve (as members in unity with the head) and grow in all Christian knowledge whatsoever;

Ephesians 4:16

Christ being that head, from whose influence (as from the influence of the principal member the body of any living creature is ordinarily compacted, and by the supplies that the veins and arteries, binding fast the joints, afford to every part, proportionably to the power or efficacy of the one, and the wants of the other, doth daily increase and grow till it come to perfect maturity, and all this through the mutual amity that is preserved in the body, so) the whole body of the church being held together in frequent assemblies, ver. 12, by every man’s doing his best in the capacity he is in towards the service of the church, (or by means of the rich men’s contributing to the maintenance of the poor, accordingly as one wants and the other is able to supply,) grows into a complete spiritual body fit for the service of Christ; and all this by the means of mutual love and charity.

[eʳ from whom the whole body—] This verse hath much of difficulty in it, and the first part of that is, whether, Christ being called in the former verse the head of the church, the influences that here are said to come from him, and are set down by analogy with the natural body, are those that come from the head, and not rather from the heart. To this the solution may be easy, first, that it is very probable that in a man’s body the growth is from the head. For the animal spirits are by the nerves conveyed to the nourishing and increasing the several parts through the whole body; and those nerves descend from the brain by the spina dorsi, and are from the vertebræ there branched out over the whole body, from whence it comes to pass in crooked persons, where the vertebræ are displaced, that the growth is thereby hindered. And then the analogy will hold exactly to the church, the body of Christ, that it receives its supply for increase, or growth, from Christ the head. Secondly, that if this be not so, but that the heart should be found to be the fountain both of life and growth, yet the analogy here will still hold, it being reasonable to affirm that Christ supplies the place of both these parts in the church,

γ Tom. 3. p. 879. l. 43.

Ephesians 4:17

This command therefore I give you with all carnestness in the name of Christ, whose apostle I am, that being converted from heathenism to Christianity ye do not any longer live after the manner of the heathens, in the vileness of those practices used in their idol-worships: (see note [h] Rom. viii.)

Ephesians 4:18

That long course of sin having blinded their understandings, so that they see not that which by the light of nature they are enabled to see, and by that gross ignorance and obduration of heart run into all impiety, are far removed from that life which God and nature requires of them.

Ephesians 4:19

And in a kind of senselessness and benumbedness yield themselves up to all softness and im-

[f] past feeling] Ἀπαλγεῖν is, saith Pausanias, παύσασθαι ἄλγεῖν, to cease to feel cold; as ἄλγεῖν is not πονεῖν, but πάσχειν, not actively to labour, but passively to suffer pain. So ἀπαλγοῦντες ἀπὸ τοῦ πολλοῦ ῥίγους, they that through extreme cold are numbed, and can neither feel nor do any thing.

[g] uncleanness] Ἀκαθαρσία τῶν ἀρρένων, καὶ θηλέων ἀρρητοποιῶαι, saith S. Basil ad Diodorum, the word is used for those “abominable sins not to be named, whether of men or women.”

Ephesians 4:20

The contrary to all which ye have been taught by the Christian religion, and therefore ought not to permit yourselves to be seduced by false teachers, the Gnostics, under pretence of Christian liberty to such unchristian licentiousness.

Ephesians 4:21

This certainly is your duty, and so you will believe, if you have known (see note [f] ch. i,) and been thoroughly instructed in the truth of Christian doctrine;

Ephesians 4:22

To wit, that you should change your former course of life, and put off all your idolatrous uncleannesses that before you lived in, defiled and corrupted by unnatural lusts, (see note [b] 2 Peter i,) which now your false teachers, the Gnostics, desire to bring in again; 23, 24. And being inwardly and cordially changed to new desires and pursuits, conform all your actions also to this new rule of Christian purity and sincere unfeigned holiness.

Ephesians 4:25

To this purpose these so many sins will be fit to be avoided at this time; first, that of lying, which is a sin destructive to society; and for the restraining of this, ye must consider that not only all Christians but all men are members of the same body, viz. of mankind; and sure one member never speaks false or deceives another member, nor consequently must we lie to any man in the world, though he be not a Christian, much less when it is to the injuring of our fellow-Christians.

Ephesians 4:26

Another sin to be guarded by you is wrath; and if you be surprised suddenly with any commotion of mind for any thing done injuriously to you or others, yet let it not break out into bitter or contumelious behaviour, or if it do, make all haste to subdue that rage, and to reconcile thyself to him that hath been thus injured by thee.

[h] let not the sun go—] What is here advised by the apostle is parallel to the directions of the ancient philosophers, known by the Ephesians to whom he wrote. Aristotle distinguisheth in this matter, Eth. l. 7. c. 6, between ἀκρόχολοι, those that are highly enraged, and πικροὶ, bitter, or contumelious in their anger, and χαλεποὶ, hard to be reconciled, whom elsewhere he calls δυσδιάλυτοι, those that hardly are dissolved, hardly put off their displeasure, Eth. iv. 5. These three sorts are here referred to by the apostle. The first (ἀκρόχολοι) is intimated in the ὀργίζεσθε, be angry, whether by that be meant sudden anger and hastiness, or whether distemper and rage, conceived upon any the greatest provocation. This first degree is here supposed, and the exhortation founded in the presence of it, which yet concludeth not this, whether suddenness of passion, or inordinacy of rage, to be no sin; for certainly the contrary, to the slowness to anger, is elsewhere commanded, βραδὺς εἰς ὀργὴν, James i. 19, and so of the charitable man it is said, 1 Cor. xiii. 4, μακροθυμεῖ, he is slow to anger. And psalm ii. 4, whence these words are recited from the Septuagint, it is certain those that are there spoken to did sin, in being displeased at God’s setting up David; and their rebellion against him was but an higher degree of it, of which he forewarns them in the next words, sin not, that is, fall not into that horrible sin. The second sort, πικροὶ, is forbidden in the μὴ ἁμαρτᾶνε, sin not, this being the first aggravation of the fault of anger indulged to, that it becomes bitter, which is expressed by παροξύνεται, 1 Cor. xiii. 5, an exasperation or paroxysm of this evil humour. And the third, χαλεποὶ or δυσδιάλυτοι, is here expressed by the very same colour, that the ancient philosophers, the Pythagoreans, had thought fit to express it by. For of them, saith Plutarch, de Fat. Am., that when they fell into any λοιδορία ὑπ’ ὀργῆς, contumely through anger, πρὶν

Ephesians 4:27

And to this end take care that you give not ear to calumniators; or do not suffer the devil to gain in upon you, and bring you to those black detestable sins of malice, mischievous machinations, &c. by your continuing indulgently in this sin of wrath, ver. 26.

Ephesians 4:28

A third sin is stealing, and despoiling of

[i] working with his hands] The reason of the conjoining of the prohibition of stealth and the precept of labour will be discerned by remembering the old verse in Phoeylides,

Πᾶς γὰρ ἀεργὸς ἀνὴρ ζώει κλοπιμῶν ἀπὸ χειρῶν,

“There is no way for a sluggard to live, but by stealing,” and acts of that kind. And so saith Chrysostom, Τὸ γὰρ κλέπτειν ἀργίας ἐστίν, “stealing is an effect of idleness.”

Ephesians 4:30

[k] sealed] The special use of a seal, and that which in this and other places of the scripture is most commonly referred to, is that of a mark or character set upon wares or commodities that are bought by any; and because men were as ordinarily bought as any other commodity, nothing was more ordinary than to set a seal or mark upon them, either in their forehead or some other part, to distinguish them from all other men’s servants. So saith Theophylact on Rom. viii. 10. Ὁ μὴ ἔχων σφραγίδα, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ δεσπότου τοῦ διὰ τῆς σφραγίδος ἐκείνης δηλουμένον, “He that hath not the seal, is not the servant, or goods of the master, who is expressed to be so by that seal.” Thus Rev. vii. 3, the sealing is there accommodated to the servants of God, who are there supposed to be bought, and are now further to be rescued out of the temporal ensuing danger, and, as a token of that, sealed in the forehead; as servi, “servants,” in respect of the original of the word, a servando, is all one with σωζόμενοι, who, being spiritually rescued and saved already from the pollutions of the world, are now to be delivered from the approaching destruction, when, without that mark of discrimination, the good and ill might all be involved in the same calamity. See note [c] on Rev. vii. Thus when John vi. 27, it is said that God the Father hath sealed Christ, the meaning is clear, that by the miracles which he did, and especially by the Holy Ghost’s descending upon him, with οὗτός ἐστι, this is he, he had owned him his servant, Isa. xlii. 1, (see note [l] on Matt. iii,) and demonstrated it as punctually as if he had marked him in the forehead that this was his anointed special servant, sent by commission from him, discriminated from all others, and that whatsoever he said was the will and pleasure of God. In reference to what was there said of God’s sealing Christ, is that which