SECTION X.

CHAPTER V. 21-VI. 9.

CONTENTS.

In this section he gives rules concerning the duties arising from the several relations men stand in one to another, in society: those which he particularly insists on are these three, husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants.

TEXT.

21 Submitting yourselves one to another, in the fear of God.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 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 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;

PARAPHRASE.

21 Submit yourselves one to another, in the fear of God. 22 As for example, wives, submit yourselves to your own hus

bands, or, as being members of the church, you submit your23 selves to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ himself is the head of the church, and it is he, the head, that preserves that his body"; so stands it between man 24 and wife. Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ, so 25 let wives be to their husbands, in every thing. And, you

husbands, do you, on your side, love your wives, even as

NOTES.

21 This, though in grammatical construction it be joined to the foregoing discourse, yet I think it ought to be looked on as introductory to what follows in this section, and to be a general rule given to the Ephesians, to submit to those duties which the several relations they stood in to one another required of them.

23 It is from the head that the body receives its healthy and vigorous constitution of health and life; this St. Paul pronounces here of Christ, as head of the church, that by that parallel which he makes use of, to represent the relation between husband and wife, he may both show the wife the reasonableness of her subjection to her husband, and the duty incumbent on the husband to cherish and preserve his wife, as we see he pursues it in the following verses.

TEXT.

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife, loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

PARAPHRASE.

Christ also loved the church, and gave himself to death for it; 26 That he might sanctify and fit it to himself, purifying it by the washing of baptism, joined with the preaching and re27 ception of the Gospel; That so he himself might present it to himself an honourable spouse, without the least spot of uncleanness, or misbecoming feature, or any thing amiss; but that it might be holy, and without all manner of blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies: he 29 that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man ever hated

his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the 30 Lord Christ doth the church: For we are members of his 31 body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto 32 his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. These words

C

NOTES.

26 'Ev púμazi, "by the word." The purifying of men is ascribed so much, throughout the whole New Testament, to the word, i. e. the preaching of the Gospel, and baptism, that there needs little to be said to prove it: see John xv. 3, and xviii. 17. 1 Pet. i. 22. Tit. iii. 5. Heb. x. 22. Col. ii. 12, 13, and as it is at large explained in the former part of the sixth chapter to the Romans. 27d" He himself:" so the Alexandrine copy reads it avròs, and not autǹy, more suitable to the apostle's meaning here, who, to recommend to husbands love and tenderness to their wives, in imitation of Christ's affection to the church, shows, that whereas other brides take care to spruce themselves, and set off their persons with all manner of neatness and cleanness, to recommend themselves to their bridegrooms; Christ himself, at the expense of his own pain and blood, purified and prepared himself his spouse, the church, that he might present it to himself, without spot or wrinkle.

30 and 31 These two verses may seem to stand here disorderly, so as to disturb the connexion, and make the inferences disjointed, and very loose and

TEXT.

33 Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. VI. 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise)

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

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

PARAPHRASE.

33 contain a very mystical sense in them, I mean in reference to Christ and the church. But laying that aside, their literal sense lays hold on you, and therefore do you husbands, every one of you in particular, so love his wife, as his own self, VI. 1 and let the wife reverence her husband. Children, obey your parents, performing it as required thereunto by our Lord Jesus Christ; for this is right and conformable to that com2 mand, Honour thy father and mother, (which is the first com3 mand with promise) That it may be well with thee, and thou 4 mayest be long-lived upon the earth. And on the other side,

NOTES.

inconsistent to any one who more minds the order and grammatical construction of St. Paul's words, written-down, than the thoughts that possessed his mind when he was writing. It is plain the apostle had here two things in view the one was to press men to love their wives, by the example of Christ's love to his church; and the force of that argument lay in this, that a man and his wife were one flesh, as Christ and his church were one: but this latter, being a truth of the greater consequence of the two, he was as intent on settling that upon their minds, though it were but an incident, as the other which was the argument he was upon; and therefore, having said, ver. 29, that " every one nourisheth and cherisheth his own flesh, as Christ doth the church," it was natural to subjoin the reason there, viz. because "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones:" a proposition he took as much care to have believed, as that it was the duty of husbands to love their wives; which doctrine, of Christ and the church being one, when he had so strongly asserted, in the words of Adam concerning Eve, Gen. ii. 23, which he, in his concise way of expressing himself, understands both of the wife and of the church, he goes on with the words in Gen. ii. 24, which makes their being one flesh the reason why a man was more strictly to be united to his wife than to his parents, or any other relation.

32 fIt is plain, by ver. 30, here, and the application therein of these words, Gen. ii. 23, to Christ and the church, that the apostles understood several passages in the Old Testament, in reference to Christ and the Gospel, which evangelical or spiritual sense was not understood, until, by the assistance of the Spirit of God, the apostles so explained and revealed it. This is that, which St. Paul, as we see he does here, calls mystery. He that has a mind to have a true notion of this matter, let him carefully read 1 Cor. ii., where St. Paul very particularly explains this matter.

TEXT.

5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6 Not with-eye service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7 With good-will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven, neither is there respect of persons with him.

PARAPHRASE.

ye fathers, do not, by the austerity of your carriage, despise and discontent your children, but bring them up, under such a method of discipline, and give them such instruction, as is 5 suitable to the Gospel. Ye that are bondmen, be obedient to those who are your masters, according to the constitution of human affairs, with great respect and subjection, and with that sincerity of heart which should be used to Christ him6 self: Not with service only in those outward actions that come under their observation; aiming at no more but the pleasing of men; but, as the servants of Christ, doing what God requires of you, from your very hearts; In this with good-will paying your duty to the Lord, and not unto men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any one doth to another, he shall be considered and rewarded for it by God, whether he 9 be bond or free. And, ye masters, have the like regard and readiness to do good to your bond-slaves, forbearing the roughness even of unnecessary menaces, knowing that even you yourselves have a Master in heaven above, who will call you, as well as them, to an impartial account for your carriage one to another, for he is no respecter of persons.

SECTION XI.

CHAPTER VI. 10-20.

CONTENTS.

HE concludes this epistle with a general exhortation to them to stand firm against the temptations of the devil, in the exercise of Christian virtues and graces, which he proposes to them, as so many pieces of Christian armour fit to arm them cap-a-pee, and preserve them in the conflict.

TEXT.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness;

PARAPHRASE.

10 Finally, my brethren, go on resolutely in the profession of the Gospel, in reliance upon that power, and in the exercise of that strength, which is ready for your support, in Jesus Christ; 11 Putting on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to 12 resist all the attacks of the devil: For our conflict is not barely with men, but with principalities, and with powers 2, with the rulers of the darkness that is in men, in the present constitution of the world, and the spiritual managers of the 13 opposition to the kingdom of God. Wherefore, take unto yourselves the whole armour of God, that you may be able to make resistance in the evil day, when you shall be attacked, and, having acquitted yourselves in every thing as you ought, 14 to stand and keep your ground: Stand fast, therefore, having your loins girt with truth; and having on the breast-plate of

NOTE.

12 "Principalities and powers" are put here, it is visible, for those revolted angels which stood in opposition to the kingdom of God.