Introductory remarks:
In the first three chapters Paul taught us our position in Christ with all the riches of God's grace; he taught us that we are indwelt with Christ through the Holy Spirit, and that it is this divine power that energizes us. Now he teaches us how and why we should walk worthy of our heavenly position. "Paul begs them to live worthy of their position in Christ by being meek, loving and unified. In His grace He gave gifts, apostles, prophets, teachers and evangelists to perfect them in unity and knowledge. He says they should no longer be misled by deceptive tricks of men, but forms a unified body under Christ. They should no longer live unclean lives like ignorant Gentiles they used to be. By living in the Spirit, they thwart the devil and give up sinful ways and instead are kind and tenderhearted to each other and forgiving as God is to us." (A Survey of Ephesians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: The unity of the body vv. 1-16: The old life and the new vv. 17-24: Rules for the new life vv. 25-32.
The Unity of the body
Verse 1, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called."
LGT "I therefore, the prisoner in [the] Lord, exhort you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called."
I therefore: this "therefore" connects with all that Paul had taught them about their position in Christ, in the first three chapters. The prisoner in the Lord: Paul does not mean that he is a prisoner in his position in Christ, for he is seated with Christ in the heavenlies; he is saying that he now sits in prison because of his witness for the Christ. Exhort you to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye were called: Paul exhorts the Galatians to not disgrace the grace that was lavished on them. This grace should be the motive for all Christians to walk in fellowship with the Lord. The fact that we are seated in the heavenlies, and that we are part of God's royal family should motivate us to walk in newness of life. The rest of this epistle will be Paul teaching the believer how to walk worthy.
Verse 2, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;"
LGT "With all humility and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love:"
With all humility: Paul begins with teaching them that they should walk worthy with humility. Paul is about to teach them about unity, and as Calvin says, "humility is the first step." Humility is the opposite of high-minded arrogance, haughtiness and conceit. A humble Christian will not be a self-important ass. And meekness: "meekness of spirit in all relations, both toward God and toward man - which never rises in insubordination against God nor in resentment against man. It is a grace ascribed by the Savior to Himself (Matt. 11:29), and ascribed to him by the apostle (2 Cor. 10:1; Gal. 5:23)" (Eadie). With longsuffering: this is not having a short temper with anyone. Self-control is a virtue to be desired. I see my wife smiling at me right now as I read this to her. Bearing with one another in love: as we know agape love is recognizing a relationship; we should keep our tempers in check with our brothers and sisters in Christ; for you see, we are all joint heirs with Christ, and to get angry with a family member is to get angry with the Lord, and this is the height of rebellion, and He will take us to the wood-shed if we don't straighten up.
Verse 3, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
LGT "Being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Paul tells the Ephesian believers that they should be conscientiously working at keeping the bond of Peace the Spirit has placed in their hearts, by being obedient to the doctrines of grace; now Paul will list the seven of these graces that promote unity in the family.
Verse 4, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling:"
LGT "One body and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling:"
One body: this is the first of the graces that promotes unity. This body of course is the Church, made up of all believers from Pentecost to the rapture of the church. This is the mystical or invisible body of Christ. And one Spirit: this second grace unity is the Holy Spirit that indwells every believer. Even as ye were called in one hope of your calling: The third grace unity is that all believers have the same hope of spending eternity together in the mansions prepared for them. Our earthly calling is fellowship with the Lord in time; our heavenly calling is spending eternity with our Blessed Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and the Father and Holy Spirit.
Verse 5, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism:"
LGT "One Lord, one faith, one baptism:"
One Lord: the fourth grace unity is union with the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Head of the Church. One faith: the fifth grace unity is one faith, and this is not faith principle, as McGee and others believe, but the faith placed in trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This faith resulting in, one baptism: this one baptism is the sixth grace unity, which is Spirit baptism, as the Holy Spirit places the believer into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Water baptism was practiced in the apostolic church before the Bible was complete, teaching them this unifying principle.
Verse 6, "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
LGT "One God and Father of all, who [is] over all, and through all, and in all."
This is the seventh grace unity, for God is the one who orchestrates this unity by His eternal plan of the ages. This verse has only a reference to believers, for God is not the Father of the unbeliever, He is only their Creator; He did not create the man to be an unbeliever, this is their individual choice, for God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. John Eadie states, "This is the ultimate, highest, and truest unity." He goes on to remark about these seven grace unities, "Seven times does Paul use the epithet One. The church is one body, having one Spirit in it, and one Lord over it; then its inner relations and outer ordinances are one too; its calling has attached to it one hope; its means of union to Him is one faith; its dedication is one baptism: and all this unity is but the impress of the great primal [original] unity - one God. His unity stamps an image of itself on that scheme which originated in Him, and issues in His glory. Christians serve one God, are not distracted by a multiplicity of divinities, and need not fear the revenge of one while they are doing homage to his rival. Oneness of spirit ought to characterize their worship. 'One God and Father of all,' that is, all Christians, for the reference is not to the wide universe, or to all men." The doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man is right out of a garbage can of hell.
Verse 7, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
LGT "But to each one of us was given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ."
But to each one of us: every believer. Was given grace: grace is the gift of God, and it is not based on who deserves it, but it is undeserved favor of God. According to the measure of the gift of Christ: the Holy Spirit was given to every Christian the moment of their salvation, and it is this grace gift of the Holy Spirit that enables the believer to live the Christian life, well pleasing to the Lord. No believer is able to live without the Holy Spirit working His wonderful grace through him or her. Paul is not speaking of the supernatural gifts given the apostolic church. Unity is not conformity; the Holy Spirit works out His grace differently in every believer. Any talent we have comes from God, and the Holy Spirit is able to use these talents when the believer is subjected to Bible Doctrine, and submits to the working of God through His Holy Spirit; this comes from being in fellowship, and being obedient to the Word of God.
Verse 8, "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."
LGT "Wherefore He says. Having ascended up on high He led captivity captive, He gave gifts to men."
The best I can come up with after studying this verse, is that Paul is quoting Psalm 68:18, which is David's song of victory. Paul loosely quotes this verse describing the fact that when Christ ascended to His rightful place at God's right hand, he conquered sin and death, and delivered the final blow to Satan. The captives are not departed saints from the Old Testament, but enemies of the cross. The gifts He gave were the gifts of grace, as Edie rightly states, "The Holy Spirit, a perfect salvation, and a completed Bible. Paul will deal with supernatural gifts shortly. This is the best I could do please don't quote me.
Verses 9, 10, "(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things)."
LGT "But that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended into the lower [parts] of the earth? He that descended is the same who also ascended above all the heavens, in order that He might fill all things."
But that ascended, what is it that He also descended: this speaks of Christ incarnation first, and then after His finished work on the cross He ascended. Into the lower parts of the earth? Christ was subjected to the lowest of all humiliation. Barnes notes that, "heaven and earth are in opposition to each other." Christ descended from His lofty position in heaven to a base humble existence on this earth. He that descended is the same who also ascended: Christ descended to earth as our Savior, and ascended as our wonderful Redeemer. In order that He might fill all things: our salvation was complete in Christ; He fulfilled His mission of reconciling the world to Himself, that is, the believing world.
Calvin notes on this filling all things by Christ's resurrection:
"To fill often signifies to Finish, and it might have that meaning here; for, by His ascension into heaven, Christ entered into the possession of authority given Him by the Father, that He might rule and govern all things. But a more Beautiful view, in my opinion, will be obtained by connecting the two meanings, which, though apparently contradictory, are perfectly consistent. When we hear of the ascension of Christ, it instantly strikes our minds that He is removed to a great distance from us; and so He actually is, with respect to His body and human presence. But Paul reminds us, that, while He is removed from us in bodily presence, He fills all things by the power of His Spirit. Wherever the right hand of God, which embraces heaven and earth, is displayed, Christ is spiritually present by His boundless power; although, as respects His body, the saying of Peter holds true, that 'the heaven must receive Him until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.' (Acts 3:21).
Verse 11, "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
LGT "And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] shepherds and teachers:"
And He gave some as apostles: these were men chosen by the Lord, and they were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ. And some as prophets: these were New Testament prophets that were inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach Bible Doctrine. And some as evangelists: these were inspired teachers chosen as traveling missionaries; Paul was such a one. And some as shepherds and teachers: these two gifts were combined, that is, some of them were shepherds and teachers, while others were just shepherds, and others just teachers. Let me remind you that these gifts were in effect in the apostolic church before the Bible was complete; today they are no longer needed, for we have the Word of God as our only authority, and Jesus Christ as our Head. "We are ignorant to a very great extent of the government of the primitive church, and much that has been written upon it is but surmise and conjecture. The apostle Paul says nothing of the modes of human appointments or ordination to these various offices."
John Eadie lists six elements or requirements for these offices:
That the apostles should receive their commission immediately from the living lips of Christ; they spoke in Christ's stead. (Matt. 10:5; Mark 6:7; Gal. 1:1; Matt. 28:19; John 20:21,23.)
That having seen the Savior after He rose again, they should be qualified to attest the truth of His resurrection. So Peter defines it, Acts 1:21,22; so Paul asserts his claim, 1 Cor. 9:1,5,8; so Peter states it, Acts 2:32; and so the historian records, Acts 4:33. The assertion of this crowning fact was fittingly assumed as the work of those 'chosen witnesses to whom He showed Himself alive after His passion, by many infallible proofs.'
They enjoyed a special inspiration. Such was the promise, John 14:26, 16:13; and such was the possession, 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:11,12; 1 Thess. 2:13. Infallible exposition of Divine truth was their work; and their qualification lay in their possession of the inspiring influence of the Holy Ghost.
Their authority was therefore supreme. The church was under their unrestricted administration. Their word was law, and their directions and precepts are of permanent obligation. Matt. 18:18,20; John 20:22,23; 1 Cor. 5:3-6; 2 Cor. 10:8.
In proof of their commission and inspiration, they were furnished with ample credentials. They enjoyed the power of working miracles. It was pledged to them, Mark 16:15; and they wielded it, Acts 2:43, 5:15; and 2 Cor. 12:12. Paul calls these manifestations 'the signs of an apostle;' and again in Heb. 2:4, he signalizes the process as that of 'God also bearing them witness.' They had the gift of tongues themselves, and they had also the power of imparting spiritual gifts to others. Rom. 1:11; Acts 8:17, 19:6.
And lastly, their commission to preach and found churches was universal, and in no sense limited. 2 Cor. 11:28
Verse 12, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
LGT "With a view to the perfecting of the saints; for work of [the] service; for the building up of the body of the Christ."
All of these things are still being done, with one exception, the Holy Spirit is doing all these things using the Word of God; we meet together to share the Word, and the result should be the same as if we still had inspired men to lead us. There is no longer a need for rulers in the Church, for we are all joint heirs, and we all have the Word of God to lead us.
Verse 13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
LGT "Until we all may arrive at the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at a full grown man, at [the] measure of [the] stature of the fullness of the Christ;"
Until we all may arrive at the unity of the faith: Paul is specifying as the time that the gift ministry last. And of the knowledge of the Son of God: there cannot be any discussion about the Son of God that is contrary to the Gospel of Grace Paul taught. Today there is no unity; otherwise, there would be no conservative denominations. I do not list any of the cults because they are all out of the way and headed for perdition. True lasting unity will never be realized on this earth, that is, until Christ reigns for one thousand years. At the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ: this has to do with spiritual growth among the church. The point made here by Paul is that the members are to be mature in the whole counsel of God, and not in one sphere alone. We are to be occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that occupation is to be our rule of faith; we are to be in fellowship with Him through the daily study of His Word.
Verse 14, "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
LGT "That we may be infants no longer, being tossed and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with the view to systematizing of error."
That we may be infants no longer: Robertson wrote, "that some Christians are contented to remain doctrinal children that have not yet cut their eyeteeth, and they become the victims of every charlatan that comes along". After Paul spent so much time writing about the Christians moving toward being perfected in Christ by studying and obeying grace doctrine (and we know that Christ does the perfecting, but we must study so that we are aware and appreciate what He is doing in our lives), but some just have no interest in advancing, and by choice, they remain babies. Being tossed to and fro: these spiritual infants are one day on the mountaintop of happiness and excitement, and the next day in the depths of despondency. The sign of a mature Christian is stability; these are the ones that other Christians seek out for advice. Eadie notes on this stability, "Decision and firmness are indispensable to spiritual improvement. Only one form of teaching is beneficial [and that is grace teaching], and all deviations are pernicious [destructive]. And carried about by every wind if teaching: if the Christian is not anchored in the doctrines of grace, they will be easy prey for every false teaching, which places them in the do, do, do, category, and they cannot relax because they are so busy trying to keep secure in the Lord, instead of relaxing in the knowledge that their salvation has already been secured and completely finished in Christ, and that it is impossible to lose it. In the sleight of men: this word means "deceit" as throwing the dice. This is very evident in the Roman Church with all their superstitions. This also reminds me of Christians making deals with God, by saying, God, if you do this for me, I will promise to do such and such for you. Don't laugh; we've all been there. In craftiness with the view to systematizing of error: being grounded in the doctrines of grace is the only system that will keep us from error. Preachers who view the Church as game, will profit by it through deceiving the willing congregation by deceiving them into thinking they can please God by working, rather than trusting Him, and letting Him, by the Holy Spirit do the work. (A good example of this type of deceiver is Rick the slick Warren, and his Purpose Driven nonsense) The Holy Spirit works in our lives through the Word of God, and directs our paths thereby; if we obey the Word, we obey God, for one cannot separate God from His Word. No man is able to direct us without the Word of God taught in the Light of pure grace.
Verse 15, "But speaking truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
LGT "But speaking the truth in love, [in order that] we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ."
But speaking the truth in love: the Greek word for "speaking the truth" does not limit it to speaking the truth correctly, alone, but also living it, that is, holding firm to the truth. Now in speaking the truth, it should always be done in true agape love, for it is God's precious Word that one is speaking; because it is truth, it should not be done argumentatively, or in a stern unloving manner, that tends to ridicule rather than edify. In order that we may grow up into Him in all things: I added the hina clause, "in order that" after studying it in the Greek language, because I verified it by searching Robertson, Vincent, Eadie and Barnes. The phrase in all things means all things spiritual. Eadie remarks on this growth in love into Christ, "In love describes the sphere of growth, and the meaning is, not that we are to grow in love, as if love were the virtue in which progress was to be made, but that in love we are to grow in reference to all things - all the elements essential to perfection; love being the means and the sphere of our advancement . . . into Him, into closer union with Him (I'm sure Eadie means fellowship and not union, for our union cannot be improved upon), as the center and support of life and growth." Who is the Head, Christ: "The Head is Christ - one set apart, commissioned, and qualified as Redeemer, and who by His glorious and successful interposition has won for Himself this illustrious pre-eminence."
Verse 16, From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
LGT "From whom all the body, fitted together and compacted by every joint of supply, according to [the] working in [its] measure of each one part, the increase of the body makes for itself to [the] building up of itself in love."
From whom: from the last verse referring to Christ our Head. All the body: every Christian in this age of grace, from Pentecost to the rapture. Fitted together and compacted by every joint of supply: these two present participles, fitted together and compacted, denote present continuous action; the meaning is harmony and solidarity. "The two participles express the idea that the body is of many parts, which have such mutual adaptation in position and function, that it is a firm and solid structure" (Eadie). According to the working in its measure of each one part: without mutual love in all the body parts, it is useless. The working together is that the individual Christians meeting together to study God's Word should do so with mutual respect and love, and not to be divisive and quarrelsome. No one member is more worthy than the other; all are mutually inclusive and necessary to glorify God. The increase of the body: when this working together is effectual, the body grows spiritually to the glory of God. Makes for itself to the building up itself in love: the love comes from the head, and it is beneficial when the body cooperates with the Head, and when they edify sincerely, one another. "Whatever parts it may have, whatever their form, uses, and position, whatever the amount of energy resident in them, still, from their connection with the One living Head, and from their own compacted union and mutual adjustment, they compose but one growing structure [a holy temple unto God] in love:"
'I'm apt to think, the man
That surround the sum of things, and spy
The heart of God and secrets of His Empire,
Would speak but love. With him the bright result
Would change the hue of intermediate scenes,
And make one thing of all theology.'
(Eadie)
The Old Life and the New
Verse 17, "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind."
LGT "This therefore I say, and testify in [the] Lord, that ye walk no longer even as the Gentiles, are walking in the vanity of their mind."
This therefore I say: this pertains to what follows, resuming what he had said in verses 1-3. Paul will deliberate on the negatives that Christians should beware of. And testify in the Lord: Paul says that what he is saying, he is saying inspired by the Lord. That ye walk no longer even as the Gentiles: the verb "walk" refers to their way of life. Paul addresses the Gentile portion of the church, and exhorts them not to continue living as the unbelieving Gentiles. Are walking in the vanity of their mind: the mind is where the decisions are made, and where men decide what they are going to do. "Nous, the mind, is not intellect simply, but in the case of believers it signifies that portion of the spiritual nature whose function is to comprehend and relish Divine truth. In the case of the Gentiles, their mind was characterized by vanity. Its ideas and impulses were perverse and fruitless . . . the ethical and religious element of their life was unsatisfactory and cheerless, alike in worship and in practice, the same as to present happiness as to future prospect, for they knew not man's chief end" (Eadie).
Verse 18, "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart."
LGT "Being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, on account of the ignorance which is in them, on account of the hardness of their heart,"
Being darkened in their understanding: all unbelievers are of their father the Devil, and in their world is total darkness to spiritual reality. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor. 4:4). Being alienated from the life of God, on account of the ignorance which is in them: the ignorance in the unbeliever is the effect of the darkness and not the cause. Ignorance is the effect from the deliberate blocking out of the light by the unbeliever. "Deep shadow lay upon the Gentile mind, unrelieved save by some fitful gleams which genius occasionally threw across it, and which were succeeded only by profounder darkness. A child in the lowest form of a Sunday school, will answer questions with which the greatest minds of the old heathen world grappled in vain" (Eadie). On account of the hardness of their heart: here we have Paul teaching that the hardness of the unrepentant Gentiles heart a deliberate rebellion against the Light of the glorious Gospel of Grace. The longer the resistance to the light, the darker the mind becomes.
Barnes notes:
"A man who has a blind and hard heart sees no beauty in truth, and feels not its force, and is insensible to all appeals. Learn then (1.) That men are to blame for the 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 understanding of mankind is to purify the heart. The approach must be made through the affections. Lest men feel right towards God, and they will soon think right; let the heart be pure, and the understanding will be clear." (All that Barnes writes is what it is to be darkened. He does believe that the Salvation of man is by free grace, and does not in any way think that man can clean up his own heart; the new heart comes with conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ from spiritual darkness. What Barnes is noting here is what God requires from man; God also provided for man free salvation to receive a new heart.)
Verse 19, "Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
LGT "Who having cast off all feeling, gave up themselves to licentiousness, for [the] working of all uncleanness with craving."
Who having cast off all feeling: this phrase describes the unbeliever becoming apathetic, and are given over to sin; sin never satisfies, but the sinner goes deeper and deeper into it looking for some satisfaction, which, by the way, never comes. Gave up themselves to licentiousness: unbridled lust, Meyer says, "with frightful emphasis." Where men persistently give themselves up to evil, God gives them up to its power. See Rom. 1:24. In John 3:20 we read that the man who does evil hates the Light; the sinner gives himself up to sin, and when it says "God gave them up," it means that God permits them to exercise their own free will. For the working of all uncleanness with craving: the working is that they crave more and more, and never satisfied. "Depraved and wicked desires being insatiable, Paul represents them as attended and followed by greediness, which is the contrary of moderation" (Calvin). Eadie defines this word "craving or greediness as, 'Self in everything, God in nothing.'
Verse 20, But ye have not so learned Christ:"
LGT "But ye learned not thus, the Christ."
Paul now begins to contrast the believer's life with that of the unregenerate.
Verse 21, "If so that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth in Jesus."
LGT "If indeed ye heard Him, and in Him were taught, according as is [the] truth in Jesus."
If indeed ye heard Him: the "if" is in the first class condition and assumed to be true. Paul knew that He had taught them grace doctrine, and he assumed they had listened and learned. And in Him were taught: that is in fellowship with Him, for we must be in fellowship to learn doctrine. According as is the truth in Him: Paul is stressing the fact that the truth in fellowship with Jesus is in contrast to living the manner of the Gentiles. They were not taught to walk in the way of the Gentiles, but to fellowship in and with the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This phrase "tells the kind of teaching which they had enjoyed, and the next verse contains its substance. Their teaching was not according to falsehood, nor according to human invention, but according to truth, brought down to men, fitted to men, and communicated to men, by its being lodged in the man Jesus. They were in Him - the Christ - and so came into living contact with that truth which was and is in Jesus" (Eadie).
Verse 22, "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;"
LGT "For you to have put off according to the former conduct the old man, which is corrupt according to the desires of deceit;"
The old man is the former life without Christ, which was dictated to us, by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which ended always in deceit. We still have the old man, that is, the flesh, but we also have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and He is the power that enables us to walk in the light. If we try to put off the old man by works of the flesh, we surely will fail. There are tons of books out in the public that attempt to teach Christians how to live, and these all fall short of the glory of God. God gave us His Word, and that is sufficient to enable us to put off the old man. If we trust the truth that is Jesus, and realize our wonderful eternal position in Him, and enjoy fellowshipping in and with Him, we know how to not allow the flesh to reign supreme in our lives. McGee agrees with my position, for we read, "The putting off the old man and putting on the new cannot be done by self-effort, nor can it be done by striving to imitate Christ's conduct. It has been done for the believing sinner by the death of Christ . . . In view of the truth that the old man has already been crucified with Christ; we are to put it off in the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that the flesh, the old nature, is ever eliminated in this life. We do not get rid of the old nature, but we are not to live in it; that is, we are not to allow it to control our lives."
Verse 23, "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;"
LGT "That ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
The fact that we need renewing every day is not to be disputed, but the how is what is to some a mystery. The mechanism of using 1 John 1:9 daily is the beginning. When we sin, we immediately confess the sin, and be renewed to fellowship. Then comes the operation of renewing the spirit of our minds, and this is done by the daily study of God's Word. The spirit of our mind is where we make decisions whether to sin or not.
John Eadie notes:
"The organism of the mind survives as it was, but the spirit, its highest part, the possession of which distinguishes man from the inferior animals, and fits him for receiving the Spirit of God, is being renovated. The memory, for example, still exercises its former functions, but on a very different class of subjects; the judgment still discharging its different class of subjects; the judgment still discharging its old office, is occupied among a new set of themes and ideas; and love, retaining all its ardor [passion or zeal], attaches itself to objects quite in contrast with those of its earlier preference and pursuit . . . It is not simply in the spirit, as if it lay there in dim and mystic quietude; but it is 'in the spirit of the mind,' in the power which, when changed itself, radically alters the entire sphere and business of the inner mechanism."
Verse 24, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
LGT "And to have put on the new man, which according to God, was created in righteousness and holiness of truth."
And to have put on the new man: the old man has to be put off before the new man is put on. This is a daily process; so rid the thought of sinless perfection. Which was created in righteousness and holiness of truth: this creation is all the act of God, for only God, by His wonderful grace, can work righteousness in and through us. Christ made us righteous before God, and because of this imputed righteousness which we posses, the Holy Spirit is now able to work in and through us. Paul will continue telling the Ephesians how they are to accomplish putting off the old man, and putting on the new.
Rules for the New Life
Verse 25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another."
LGT "Wherefore having put off the lie, speak truth each with his neighbor, because we are members one of another."
Wherefore having put off the lie: Paul resumes the doctrine he began in verse 17 of putting off the old man, and continues throughout the remainder of the epistle. Lying is divisive and is not to be tolerated among believers. Speak truth each with his neighbor: Paul is quoting from Zech. 8:16. Telling the truth should be the example every Christian should honor. Because we are members one of another: lying is the sure way to ruin any relationship. Brothers and sisters that lie to each other really have no love for one another. No marriage is worth a fig where husband and wife lie to one another.
John Chrysostom uses this illustration:
"Observe how everywhere he shames them by this similitude of the body. Let not the eye, saith he, lie to the foot, nor the foot to the eye. For example, if there shall be a deep pit, and then by having reeds laid across upon the mouth of it upon the earth, and yet concealed under earth, it shall by its appearance furnish to the eye an expectation of solid ground, will not the eye use the foot, and discover whether it yields and is hollow underneath, or whether it is firm and resists? Will the foot tell a lie, and not report the truth as it is? If the eye were to spy a serpent or a wild beast, will it lie to the foot? Will it not at once inform it, and the foot thus informed by it refrain from going on? And what again, when neither the foot nor the eye shall know how to distinguish, but all shall depend upon the smelling, as, for example, whether a drug be deadly or not; will the smelling lie to the mouth? And why not? Because it will be destroying itself also. But it tells the truth as it appears to itself. And what again? Will the tongue lie to the stomach? Does it not, when a thing is bitter, reject it, and, if it is sweet, pass it on? Observe ministration, and interchange of service; observe a provident care arising from truth, and, as one might say, spontaneously from the heart. So surely should it be with us also; let us not lie, since we are 'members one of another.' This is a sure token of friendship; whereas the contrary is of enmity. What then, thou wilt ask, if a man shall use treachery against thee? Hearken to the truth. If he use treachery, he is not a member; whereas he saith, lie not towards the members."
Verse 26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:"
LGT "Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun set upon your irritation:"
Be angry, and sin not: Paul is quoting Palm 4:4. (The Hebrew being, "stand in awe, and sin not). The act of being angry is not always wrong; it is how we react to our anger that is mostly wrong, that is, in my case. There are times when we should be angry, for instance, when we see wrong being done to our family, or another loved one; but the fact of the matter is, we should, in most cases, not respond to our anger with vengeance. Self-control is the genuine virtue we should posses. And we should not let anger fester in our minds. Let not the sun set upon your irritation: holding a grudge is very unreasonable, and we miss so much enjoyment in life when we are unreasonably irritated. So Paul has this divine instruction of not letting our irritation fester.
Verse 27, "Nether give place to the devil."
LGT "Also give no place to the devil."
"The idea indicated by the connection [that is to the preceding verse] is, that anger nursed in the heart affords opportunity to Satan. Satan has sympathy with a spiteful and malignant spirit; it is so like his own. Envy, cunning, and malice are the pre-eminent feelings of the devil, and if wrath gain the empire of the heart, it lays it open to him, and to those fiendish passions which are identified with his presence and operations. Christians are not, by the indulgence of angry feeling, to give place to him; for if he have any place, how soon may he have all place! Give him 'place' but in point, and he may speedily cover the whole platform of the soul" (Eadie).
Verse 28, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
LGT "Let the stealer steal no longer, but rather let him labor working with his hands what is good, in order that he may have to impart to him that has need."
Let the stealer steal no longer: remember, Paul is talking to believers in the church; believers are guilty of all types of sins and they are still believers. If your honest, you will have to admit with me that you sin every day. Sin removes us from fellowship with the Lord; we don't lose our salvation, for Christ has already paid for all our sins, past, present, and future. Now Paul is addressing the stealers in the church. There are all types of thieving we are guilty of; one for instance is selling a thing that you have misrepresented to the buyer; another is being a slacker at work, and fooling your boss into thinking you are hard at work; another is an employer not paying his employees a decent wage, in order to improve his profits, and on and on, and on. Paul now states the remedy for this sin of stealing, but rather let him labor with his hands what is good: Paul says take those thieving hands and put them to work with honest labor. Paul says honest labor is honorable. We live in an age where the lower class frowns on hard work because it is easier to get welfare and food stamps; the middle class are the working class, however, they too are looking at ways of more pay and shorter work weeks; the upper class look down on the other classes of society as low-class vermin. In order that he may have to impart to him that has need: Paul says the reason we accumulate wealth is to help one another in need, and not to build an empire for ourselves. This is probably one of the hardest things for the flesh to deal with, for our pride tells us the opposite. I read a bumper sticker some time ago that read: "The one with the most toys wins." Now Paul says just the opposite, "the one with the most toys looses." We should lay up treasures in heaven by giving, not keeping. "That which I kept I lost, and that which I gave I kept." We will reap eternal reward for helping one another.
Verse 29, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
LGT "Let not any filthy word go forth out of your mouth, but if any is good for the building up as the need may be, in order that it may give grace to the ones hearing."
Let not any filthy word go forth out of your mouth: this not only condemns filthy jesting, but it also covers any words that might be offensive to the hearer, such as, "All falsehood and equivocation [evasion, hedging and spinning], all spiteful epithets [nicknames] and vituperation [sustained and bitter scolding]; all envious and vengeful detraction [petty criticism]; all phases which form a cover for fraud and chicanery [trickery] - are filthy speech, and with such language a Christian's mouth ought never to be defiled" (Eadie). But if any good, for the building up as the need may be: our speech should be always for the encouragement of our fellow believer. I'm not referring to having a good time and jesting with one another; but it should never be out of context to the detriment of the weaker brother, and we should always be on guard as to the audience that we are speaking with. The filthy communication among the heathen in the Gentile world was so horrid that they were to avoid contact with them. Today in the so-called music world we have this same heathen speech in the rap singers, and it does corrupt the hearers, for to listen and gutter along with them is a sign of complete degeneracy. We are to avoid contact with these heathen. In order that it may give grace to the ones hearing: we should always consider the person or persons we are speaking with, in order to help them in whatever stressful situation they might be facing. A word spoken in haste can harm a person without even knowing it. We should always think before we speak, and not vise-versa. "For as sweet ointment gives grace to them that partake of it, so also does good speech. Hence it was moreover that one said, 'thy name is as ointment poured forth.' It caused them to exhale that sweet perfume. Thou seest that what he continually recommends, he is saying now also, charging every one according to his several ability to edify his neighbors. Thou then that givest advice to others, how much more to thyself!" (Chrysostom.) "A word spoken in season, how good is it! - Like apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Prov. 25:11).
Verse 30, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
LGT "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye were sealed for [the] day of redemption."
This verse has one negative, and two wonderful assurances. The first is a negative that the Holy Spirit can be grieved by us, and this is done by not living in fellowship with the Lord. When we grieve the Holy Spirit we are out of fellowship, and the grief the Spirit bears is that He is unable to use us in that wayward position. We are out of fellowship when we commit any sin, and we are restored when we rebound and confess our sins to God by naming them. The first assurance in this verse is that the Holy Spirit has sealed us. This means that when we sin, we do not lose our salvation, but we do lose fellowship for a time, hopefully very brief. But this sealing has secured us for eternity. The second assurance is that we have been sealed for the day of redemption, when the Holy Spirit presents us to the Lord Jesus Christ.
John Eadie notes on security:
"This clause is evidently an argument, or the motive why believers should not grieve the Holy Spirit. If He seal you, and so confirm your faith, and preserve you to eternal glory - if your hope of glory, your preparation for it, and especially your security as to its possession, be the work of God's blessed Spirit, why will you thus grieve Him? There is no formal mention made of the possibility of apostasy [loosing ones salvation], or of the departure of the Spirit. Nor does it seem to be implied, as the verb sealed intimates. They who are sealed are preserved - the seal is not to be shivered [shattered] or effaced [destroyed]. A security that may not be broken at any time, or the value of which depends on man's own fidelity and guardianship, is no security at all . . . In fine the patristic and popish phraseology, in which this seal is applied to the imposition of hands, to baptism, or the sacraments of confirmation, is wholly foreign from the sense and purpose of the passage before us, though its clauses have often been adduced in proof."
Verse 31, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"
LGT "All bitterness, and indignation, and wrath, and chaos, and evil speaking, let be removed from you [along] with all hatred."
All of these five sins Paul has mentioned are opposed to love.
McGee defines these five sins:
7.Bitterness: is an irritable state of mind, which produces harsh and hard opinions of others.
Wrath: acute passion [rage].
8.Anger [I have indignation] chronic [continual] anger.
9.Clamor [I have chaos] means the bold assertion of supposed rights and grievances. [You know people who are always demanding their rights].
10.Evil speaking is blasphemy, but it also means all kinds of slander.
Verse 32, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
LGT "But become kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as also God in Christ forgave you."
And be kind to one another: this is a present imperative meaning, "Keep on becoming kind to one another". This is in contrast with the last verse. We need to treat other believers as joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and when we are kind to them, we are kind to our Lord. Tenderhearted: this means that we treat each other with Christian compassion, feeling their pain, and rejoicing in their happiness, as a true brother or sister. Forgiving one another: we are to overlook the faults of our brothers and sisters, and forgive whatever the fault. Just as God in Christ forgave you: Christ has forgiven all our sins, past, present, and future, and has buried them in the deepest sea. Now if Christ paid this awful price to redeem each one of us, why are we not to forgive those who have hurt us? I know, we put up all kinds of conditions before we can forgive others; however, this is not what Paul says we should do; he says we forgive without conditions, even though if the person asks forgiveness it is much easier to forgive; but this is not always the case, and we are to forgive and forget. "For the pardon of human guilt is no summary act of paternal regard, but sin was punished, government vindicated, and the moral interests of the universe were guarded by the atonement which Christ presented . . . That pardon is full and free and irreversible - all sin forgiven, not because we deserve it; forgiven every day of our lives; and, when once forgiven, never again to rise up and condemn us. Now, because God has pardoned us, we should be ready to pardon others. His example at once enjoins imitation, and furnishes the pattern. And thus the offences of others are to be pardoned by us fully, without retaining a grudge; and freely, without any exorbitant [excessive] equivalent; forgiven not only seven times, but seventy and seven times; and when pardoned, they are not to be raked out of oblivion, and again made the theme of collision and quarrel" (Eadie). Paul continues this theme in the next chapter, for in the original there is no chapter break at this verse.
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