EPHESIANS Time and place are indeed by no means unimportant in determining what is to be written, but they are more in the distance than before. Now for the first time St. Paul is free, as it were, to pour forth his own thoughts in a positive form, instead of carrying on an argument, and therefore being hampered by its necessary limitations: and this great change could not but greatly affect his style. . . . The lofty calm which undeniably does pervade it may in part be due to the mellowing effect of years, but doubtless much more to the sense of dangers surmounted, aspirations satisfied, and a vantage-ground gained for the world-wide harmonious action of the Christian community under the government of God. But, though the vehement words of the earlier contests have subsided, many parts of the epistle glow with a steady white heat. . . This idea of the unity of Christians as forming a single society with Christ for its invisible Head, which in its different forms dominates the whole epistle, was the natural outflow of the apostle's mind at this time, as determined by the course of outward and inward history on the basis of his primary faith. It needed to be set forth for the completion of his gospel. On the other hand, it was equally needed for the instruction of the no longer infant churches of Western Asia Minor, in whom the Greek spirit of separateness and independence was doubtless working with dangerous vigour.—Hort. ... 11.2 Greeting. 13-14 Thanksgiving for the blessing of God's choice (6a, els Eraivov d¿ens tŷs xápiros avтoû) and purpose in Jesus Christ (12a, eis ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ), already experienced through the Spirit (14°, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ). 115-921 Dogmatic: prayer for knowledge of God's power as exhibited in 118-23 21-10 211-22 31-13 314-21 Christ-his exaltation and authority: the individual experience-of forgiveness and renewal: humanity-the common Peace produced through Christ Jesus for Gentile and Jew. Paul, the apostle of this gospel-- his prayer for his readers-the fulness of God's life. 41-620 Ethical: a call to Christian unity in the common life of Christ: a call to the new life as contrasted with the old : maxims and motives: 417-24 425-521 522-69 610-20 621. 22 Personal. 623. 24 Farewell. slave and master. obstacles and aids to Christian virtue. EPHESIANS ... 1 1 PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God, to the saints who are 1 to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly regions in Christ, 4 since he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we 5 should be holy and faultless before him, by fore-appointing us in love to 6 his sonship through Jesus Christ, in virtue of the pleasure of his will, to the praise of the majesty of his grace, with which he has highly favoured 7 us in the beloved in whom we have the redemption through his blood 8-the remission of trespasses-thanks to the riches of his grace which he 9 has bestowed amply on us in all wisdom and thoughtfulness, by displaying to us the secret of his will, in virtue of his design, with which he 10 was pleased to carry out in him a dispensation in the fulness of the times for the gathering up of all things under one head in the Christ, the 11 things in the heavens and the things on the earth in him, in whom also we have had an inheritance allotted us as those who have been foreappointed according to the purpose of him who works everything accord12 ing to the counsel of his will, that we should be to the praise of his 13 majesty, we who had hoped beforehand in the Christ; in whom you also, upon learning the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation-in whom you also believed and were sealed with the promised spirit of holi14 ness, which is the pledge and instalment of our inheritance, for the redemption that gives actual possession, to the praise of his majesty. 15 For this reason, on hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your 16 love for all the saints, I also have not ceased to give thanks for you, 17 as I make mention of you in my prayers, praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ-the Father of majesty-may give you a spirit of wisdom 18 and revelation in the full knowledge of him with light for the eyes of your heart, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what 19 is the riches of the majesty of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in virtue of the 20 force of the might of his strength which he has wrought in the Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the 21 heavenly regions, high above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name named not only in this age but also in that which is 22 to come and he has made all things subject under his feet, and given him 23 to the Community as head over all, to the Community which is his 21 body, the fulness of him who is filling all in all. And as for you, you 2 were dead with your trespasses and sins, in which at one time you walked according to the course of the present age, according to the ruler of the 1 Omitting [[ 'Epíry]]. power of the air, of the spirit that is now active among the sons of dis3 obedience (among whom also at one time we all conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, following the inclinations of flesh and thoughts, 4 and were by nature children of wrath like the rest also)-but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, dead 5 even as we were with our trespasses, made us live together with the 6 Christ (it is by grace that you are saved), and raised us with him and 7 seated us with him in the heavenly regions in Christ Jesus, that in the future ages he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness 8 towards us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace that you are saved 9 through faith-and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not a 10 matter of deeds, lest any one should exult. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good deeds, which God has made ready beforehand for us to walk therein. 11 12 Wherefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the fleshcalled "Uncircumcision " by the so-called "Circumcision," which is a mere thing in the flesh- remember that you were at that time apart from Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, with no hope and with no God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who were at one time far away have been brought near by the blood of the Christ. 14 For he is our peace, He who made both parties one by breaking down the barrier of the wall between, 15 Who abolished in his flesh the enmity (that is, the law of commandments which consisted of statutes), 16 That he might make peace by creating in himself out of the two one new man, And that he might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, By slaying the enmity in himself 1; 17 And he came and preached the gospel of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near, 18 19 20 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Well then, you are no longer strangers and sojourners ; You are fellow-citizens with the saints, you are members of God's Built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ 21 In whom all the building is closely framed together and grows to be a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling of God in the Spirit. 31 On this account I Paul, the prisoner of the Christ 2 for you Gentiles-2 seeing that you have indeed heard of the stewardship of the grace of God 3 granted me for you, namely, that the secret has been made known to me 4 by revelation; even as I have written already in a few words, on reading 5 which you can understand my intelligence in the secret of Christ (which in other generations was not displayed to the sons of men as it has now 6 been revealed to his [holy] apostles and prophets in the Spirit), namely, 1 Reading air. 2 Omitting 'Inou. that the Gentiles are heirs together and in the same body together and partakers together of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister by the free gift of God's grace which he 8 granted me in virtue of the force of his power. To me, the least of all saints, was this favour granted, that I should preach to the Gentiles the 9 gospel of the unsearchable riches of the Christ, and enlighten them on what is the dispensation of the secret which has been hidden from the 10 ages in God who created all, in order that the most manifold wisdom of God might now be displayed through the Community to the principalities 11 and powers in the heavenly regions, according to the purpose of the ages 12 which he executed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have our con13 fidence and access with perfect trust through faith in him. Therefore I ask you not to lose heart over the distresses that I suffer on your behalf 14 for these redound to your credit. On this account I bow my 15 knees to the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is 16 named, that through the riches of his majesty he may grant you to be 17 made strong with power through his Spirit in the inner man, that the Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that fixed and founded 18 in love you may be well able to comprehend with all the saints what is 19 the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the 20 fulness of God. Now to him who is able to do far beyond all that we ask or understand, in virtue of the power which is at work in 21 us, to him be the honour in the Community and in Christ Jesus to all generations for evermore: Amen. 41 I appeal to you then, I the prisoner in the Lord, walk worthily of 2 the calling with which you were called, with all humility and gentleness, 3 with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring eagerly to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 5 6 One body and one Spirit (as also you were called in one hope of your calling); one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 Now to each one of us grace was granted according to the measure of the 8 free gift of the Christ. Therefore it is said, After going up on high, he led captives captive: He gave gifts to men. 9 Now what does the word he went up mean, except this: that he also 10 descended into the lower regions of the earth? He who descended is the same as he who went up high above all the heavens, that he might fill all 11 things. And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evan12 gelists, others as shepherds and teachers, with the object of fitting the 13 saints for the work of ministering, that is, for building the body of the Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to full-grown manhood, to the ripe maturity of 14 the fulness of the Christ: that we may no longer be children, tossed and swept about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, by crafti15 ness which works by error's artifice-but that, holding to the truth, we may by love grow up in all points into him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom all the body, closely bound and knit together through every joint with which it is supplied, according to the proportion and exercise of each separate part, carries on its growth as a body to upbuild itself by love. I say this then and charge you in the Lord, no longer walk even 1 Omitting [[x]]. 17 18 as the Gentiles also walk with their mind befooled, darkened in their understanding, aliens to the life of God, owing to the ignorance that is in 19 them on account of the hardening of their heart-men who in callous indifference have given themselves up to sensuality, to traffic covetously in 20, 21 all impurity. But you, you have not thus studied the Christ--since you have indeed been taught him and have been instructed in him (even as 22 he truly is in Jesus) to put away, as regards your former conduct, the 23 old man whom the lusts of deceit destroy: to revive yourselves in the 24 spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man created after God's like25 ness in uprightness and holiness of truth. Wherefore put 1 away falsehood and speak the truth each of you with his neighbour; for we 26 are members one of another. Be angry, yet sin not: let not the sun set 27, 28 upon your rage, and give the devil no chance. Let the thief no longer steal; rather let him labour with his 2 hands at honest work, that he may 29 have something to give to the needy. Let no foul speech issue from your mouth, but only such as is good for improving the occasion, that it may 30 bring profit to the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, with 31 whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and passion and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, with 32 all malice. And show yourselves kind to one another, compassionate, 5 1 forgiving each other even as God also in Christ forgave you. Be, then, 2 imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God 3 for an odour of fragrance. But as for fornication and all impurity or covetousness, never let them be so much as named among you (even 4 as is becoming for saints), no, nor indecency and silly talk or ribaldry 5 (which are discreditable), but rather thanksgiving. For know and understand that no one who is a fornicator or impure or covetous-that is, an idolater-has any inheritance in the reign of the Christ and God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: it is for these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Be not therefore of 7, 8 their company; for while once you were darkness, now you are light in 9 the Lord. Walk as children of light-for the fruit of the light consists in 10 all goodness and uprightness and integrity-testing what is well-pleasing 11 to the Lord; and have no part in the unfruitful deeds of the darkness, on the contrary expose them. For it is disgraceful even to mention the 12, 13 things they do in secret, but when all these are exposed by the light they 14 are disclosed, for everything that discloses is light. Therefore it is said, "Sleeper, awake 15 And rise from the dead, And the Christ shall shine upon thee!" Be careful then how you walk, not like unwise people but like wise: 16, 17 making the very most of your time, because the days are evil. So do not 18 be senseless, but understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk with wine-that means profligacy-but be filled with the 19 Spirit, speaking to each other in spiritual psalms and hymns and songs, 20 singing and praising the Lord in your heart, giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father. 21, 22 Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be sub23 ject to your own husbands as to the Lord; because the husband is head of the wife, even as the Christ also is head of the Community-he is the 24 saviour of the Body. Yes, as the Community is subject to the Christ, so 25 also let wives be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, 1 Reading ἀληθείας. 2 Omitting [[idimus]]. |