Final Greetings (6:21-24)

The letter’s closing commends Tychicus and explains his task (6:21-22) and wishes grace, love with faith, and grace to its readers (6:23-24)

21 But that ye also may know my affairs, [and] how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace [be] with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Explanation of Tychicus’ Task (6:21-22)

F. F. Bruce comments, “The words at the beginning of v. 21–‘so that you also may know my affairs’–most probably mean ‘so that you, in addition to others who are receiving news of me, may know my affairs.’ This would be natural if Colossians and Ephesians were written and sent at the same time. Tychicus, who was evidently in Paul’s company at the time of the writing, would be able to convey further information about him by word of mouth.” (The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984, page 414)

J. Armitage Robinson summarizes well what we know about Tychicus from Scripture: “The words which concern the mission of Tychicus are found also in the Epistle to the Colossians (Col. iv 7), with hardly a difference, except that there Onesimus is joined with him. Tychicus is mentioned in Acts (Acts xx 4) together with Trophimus as a native of proconsular Asia, who met St Paul at Troas on his return from Greece through Macedonia in the year 58 A.D. [57 A.D., according to F. F. Bruce, Apostle of the Heart Set Free, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977, page 340]. This was the memorable journey which issued in the apostle’s arrest in the temple at Jerusalem, and his imprisonment at Caesarea (Acts xxi 29). It is probable that as a delegate of the Colossian Church he went, as Trophimus did on behalf of the Ephesians, the whole of the way to Jerusalem. But at least we may think of him as present when the Apostle preached and broke bread at Troas, and when he addressed the Ephesian Elders at Miletus. This was five years before the present epistle, which he carried from Rome to several Asian Churches. [Robinson and many other scholars view Ephesians as a circular letter for many churches in Asia Minor rather than as a letter specifically for Ephesus because “in Ephesus” is absent from some of the oldest and best manuscripts of Ephesians and because it lacks details about Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and personal greetings.] Five years later we find him again with St Paul, who speaks of sending him or Artemas to visit Titus in Crete (Tit. iii 12), and who actually sent him not long afterwards to Ephesus (2 Tim. iv 12). [On this occasion Tychicus probably carried five letters–Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, 2 Timothy, and Titus–and may have relieved two of Paul’s apostolic delegates–Timothy and Titus.] So by acts of service extending over a period of ten years he justified his title of ‘a beloved brother’ and the Apostles’ ‘faithful minister.’ (St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1903, pages 136-37)

On verse 22 Albert Barnes writes, “The churches where Paul had preached, would feel a great interest in his welfare. He was a prisoner at Rome, and it was doubtful what the result would be. In this situation, he felt it proper to despatch a special messenger to give information about his condition; to state what was doing in Rome; to ask the prayers of the churches; and to administer consolation to them in their various trials. The same sentiment in regard to the embassy of Tychicus, is expressed in the Epistle to the Colossians, Colossians 4:7-8. No small part of the consolation which he would impart to them would be found in these invaluable letters which he bore to them from the apostle.” (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint, page 1016)

Final Benediction (6:23-24)

Paul concludes his letter with a benediction of peace and grace upon the church, as he’d done in the opening, “Grace [be] to you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2). “Grace” is the unmerited favour of God, and “peace” includes peace with God, peace with others, and inner peace. “Love with faith” signifies that love is accompanied by faith. The ESV has “with love incorruptible” and the NIV has “with an undying love” instead of “in sincerity.” (Thus they have “love” three times in verses 23-24, which is suitable for a letter in which “love” is a prominent theme.) Although my commentaries give much consideration to the meaning of the phrase and to what part of the sentence it is connected–“grace,” “love,” or “our Lord Jesus Christ,” I’ll just share Barnes’ comment on “in sincerity”: “With a pure heart; without dissembling; without hypocrisy. There could not be a more appropriate close of the Epistle than such a wish; there will be nothing more needful for us when we come to the close of life than the consciousness that we love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. To writer and reader may this be equally the inestimable consolation then! Better, far better then will be the evidence of such sincere love, than all the wealth which toil can gain, all the honors which the world can bestow – than the most splendid mansion, or the widest fame. The subscription to this Epistle, like those affixed to the other epistles, is of no authority, but in this instance there is every reason to believe that it is correct. Compare notes at the end of the Epistle to the Romans and 1 Corinthians.” (page 1016)

Update on my Introduction to Ephesians (https://opentheism.wordpress.com/2022/04/19/introduction-2/)

I opened my introduction to Ephesians with:
“In my personal reading of Albert Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament accompanied by the reading of other commentaries, I’m now reading Ephesians. Albert Barnes (1798-1870) was a American minister (Presbyterian), theologian, and author. His Notes on the New Testament was so popular that more than one million copies were sold before his death. His notes on Ephesians can be read at https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/barnes/eph.htm. The other commentaries that I plan to consult regularly are those by F. F. Bruce, Harold W. Hoehner, Andrew T. Lincoln, Peter T. O’Brien, and Klyne Snodgrass.”

Subsequently I decided to consult all of my commentaries on Ephesians in doing my study of it. A list of them appears at the end of this article.

I closed my introduction to Ephesians by considering Paul’s object in writing Ephesians:
“After noting that various opinions have been proposed on why Ephesians was written, Barnes affirms that ‘one object was to show that all Christians, whether of Jewish or heathen origin, were on a level, and were entitled to the same privileges.’ He also gives an outline of the epistle, which I’ll follow in my exposition of it, and points out the importance of the doctrine of predestination in it.
“In considering the nature and purpose of Ephesians in his [commentary on] Ephesians, F. F. Bruce, a scholar on the life and ministry of Paul, suggests that it was written to encourage Gentile Christians to appreciate their heavenly calling and to lead lives worthy of that calling.
“[Harold W.] Hoehner agrees that Ephesians reveals those themes but notes that other epistles of Paul also do so. Observing that most commentators agree that unity is a theme of Ephesians, that true unity is accomplished when people love one another, and that “love” occurs more frequently in Ephesians than in the other Pauline epistles, [he] concludes that the purpose of Ephesians is to encourage believers to love one another more deeply.
“Another recent commentator, Peter T. O’Brien, proposes in his [commentary on Ephesians] that cosmic reconciliation and unity in Christ is the central message in Ephesians, asserting that this initially emerges from Ephesians 1:9-10, ‘[God has] made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him,’
“At this time each of their suggestions…sounds good to me.”

Subsequently I decided to make my own outline of Ephesians instead of following Barnes’ outline of it. My outline appears below.

Throughout my study of Ephesians I kept in mind the question of Paul’s object in writing it. Although thinking that Paul’s stated reason for sending Tychicus to them–“that ye might know our affairs, and [that] he might comfort your hearts”–was also his reason for writing Ephesians, I agree with Bruce that in writing it Paul aimed “to encourage [its Gentile readers] to appreciate their heavenly calling and to lead lives worthy of that calling.”

The Outline of Ephesians Used in This Series of Articles

I. Doctrinal Exposition (1:1-3:21)
A. Salutation (1:1-2)
B. Doxology: Praise for What God Has Done for Us (1:3-14)
C. Prayer for His Readers (1:15-23)
1. Thanksgiving for Them (1:15-16a)
2. Supplication for Them (1:16b-19)
3. The Supreme Exaltation of the Heavenly Christ (1:20-23)
D. Made Alive in Christ (2:1-10)
E. The Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile (2:11-22)
1. Statement (2:11-13)
2. Explanation (2:14-18)
3. Consequences (2:19-22)
F. Paul A Minister of the Mystery (3:1-13)
1. The Introduction (3:1)
2. The Mystery (3:2-6)
3. The Ministry (3:7-12)
4. The Injunction (3:13)
G. Another Prayer for the Ephesians (3:14-21)
1. Introduction (3:14-15)
2. Prayer (3:16-19)
3. Doxology (3:20-21)
II. Practical Exhortation (4:1-6:24)
A. Unity in the Body of Christ (4:1-16)
1. Exhortation to Unity (4:1-6)
2. Demonstration that Unity Is Served by Diversities of Gifts (4: 7-16)
B. The Changed Life (4:17-24)
1. Exhortation Not to Live as the Gentiles Do (verses 17-19)
2. The Lifestyle Expected of Those Who Have “Learned Christ” (verses 20-24)
C. Practical Injunctions About Living for Christ (4:25-5:2)
D. From Darkness to Light (5:3-14)
1. Commands to Avoid Certain Shameful Sins (5:3-7)
2. The Relation of Christians and the Disobedient (5:8-14)
E. Wise and Spirit-Filled Living (5:15-20)
F. Instructions for Wives and Husbands (5:21-33)
1. Submit Yourselves (5:21)
2. To Wives (5:22-24)
3. To Husbands (5:25-33)
G. More Instructions for Christian Households (6:1-9)
1. To Children and Fathers (6:1-4)
2. To Slaves and Masters (6:5-9)
H. The Whole Armour of God (6:10-20)
1. Be Strong Against Evil (6:10-13)
2. Stand in the Armour of God (6:14-17)
3. Pray Constantly (6:18-20)
I. Final Greetings (6:21-24)
1. Explanation of Tychicus’ Task (6:21-22)
2. Final Benediction (6:23-24)

Commentaries Consulted in My Study of Ephesians

• T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians in The International Critical Commentary, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897
• J. Wesley Adams and Donald C. Stamps, “Ephesians” in Full Life Commentary to the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1994
• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• S. M. Baugh, “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians” in ESV Study Bible, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008
• Francis W. Beare, “The Epistle to the Ephesians” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Nashville, Tennessee, 1953
• John Albert Bengel, “Word Studies in Ephesians” in New Testament Word Studies, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1971 (originally published in 1742 in Latin)
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
• Saint Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians…Philemon in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969 reprint (originally composed in Greek before 392)
• Matthew Henry, A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, reprint (Ephesians completed after Henry’s death in 1714) (available online)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937
• Walter L. Liefeld, “Ephesians” in NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011 edition (original copyright 1985)
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999
• J. Armitage Robinson, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1903
• Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996
• A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978

The Whole Armour of God (6:10-20)

Having told the Ephesian believers how they should live, Paul acknowledges that the moral issues with which he deals are not just matters of personal preference, as many in today’s world claim, but are essential items in the cosmic war between the forces of good and evil. He encourages his readers to put on “the whole armour of God” so that they can stand against the forces of evil. Gordon D. Fee (see below) suggests: “Given the nature of ancient rhetoric, in coming to this final section of the letter we also most likely are coming to Paul’s primary concern for his recipients. That is, Paul’s placing this material in the emphatic final position suggests that he had been intentionally building the letter to this climax right along” (page 723). The passage contains three sections: admonishment to the readers to be strong in the Lord and to put on the armour of God in their warfare against evil powers (verses 10-13), exhortation to stand and a listing of the pieces of the armour of God (verses 14-17), and urging the believers to pray constantly, to be watchful, and to pray for Paul that he would witness boldly (verses 18-20).

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 breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Be Strong Against Evil (6:10-13)

“Finally”marks this as the concluding section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers. Matthew Henry (see below) comments on “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”: “Be strong in the Lord, either in his cause and for his sake or rather in his strength. We have no strength of our own. Our natural courage is as perfect cowardice, and our natural strength is as perfect weakness; but our sufficiency is of God. In his strength we must go forth and go on. By the actings of faith, we must fetch in grace and help from heaven to enable us to do that which of ourselves we cannot do, in our Christian work and warfare. We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God’s all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of his might.” (page 718) “Whole armour” refers to the complete equipment of fully armed soldiers, offensive and defensive. The armour “of God” is the armour which He Himself wears (Isaiah 11:5; 59:17) and now provides for believers as they prepare for battle. “The wiles of the devil” are the various temptations to unbelief and to sin which beset believers. “For we wrestle,” which undoubtedly alludes to the ancient games of Greece, refers to the believers’ struggle with evil. “Not against flesh and blood” warns that, although believers were exposed to persecution by others and had to contend with their own human nature, their main conflict was with invisible evil spirits. “Principalities … powers … rulers” are various ranks and orders of those evil spirits under their leader, Satan. “The darkness of this world” refers to the regions of ignorance and sin with which the earth abounds. “Spiritual wickedness in high places” refers to all classes of evil spirits rather than to another rank or order and possibly recognizes that evil spirits were thought to occupy the lower heavens. Commentators interpret “the evil day” variously, including the whole of this present age, the end-time tribulation, and any time in a believer’s life that he/she encounters demonic attack. I suspect that Paul may have been thinking of both the whole present age and critical occasions in a believer’s life. With “stand” (verse 11) and “withstand” (verse 13) Paul portrays Christians as soldiers in the battle line holding fast against the enemy’s charge.

Stand in the Armour of God (6:14-17)

The following chart of the pieces of the armour of God is adapted from one in NIV Study Bible, which is adapted from Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: NT: Vol. 3 by Clinton E. Arnold.

Piece of Armour	Spiritual Weapon	Old Testament Background
girdle or belt (verse 14)	truth	Isaiah 11:5, “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
breastplate (verse 14)	righteousness	Isaiah 59:17, “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate.”
footwear (verse 15)	gospel of peace	Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.”
shield (verse 16)	faith	Psalm 35:2, “Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” (David to the Lord)
helmet (verse 17)	salvation	Isaiah 59:17, “For he put … an helmet of salvation upon his head.”
sword (verse 17)	word of God	Isaiah 49:2, “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword.”

All that I’ll do here is to comment on the spiritual weapons. However most commentators also describe the pieces of armour and suggest how the pieces of armour and the spiritual weapons are connected. You can read the descriptions of the pieces of armour, comments on the spiritual weapons, and suggested connections between them made by Albert Barnes (see below) at https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/ephesians-6.html, but remember that the connections are just Barnes’ suggestions.
“Truth” (verse 14) may be the objective truth of Christianity–“the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13) or subjective truth–“truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6). Harold W. Hoehner (see below) suggests that Paul may have had both in mind, concluding “As believers internalize God’s truth they live and move in it. Therefore, though objective truth may be partially in mind, the subjective truth of God is the main emphasis” (page 840).
“Righteousness” (verse 14) may be Christ’s righteousness which God imputes to those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26) or ethical righteousness. Peter T. O’Brien (see below) combines them thus: “By putting on God’s righteousness believers are committed to being imitators of him (5:1) and acting righteously in all their dealings” (page 475).
“The preparation of the gospel of peace” (verse 15) may be the readiness (ESV and NIV have “readiness” instead of “preparation”) to stand firm which is bestowed by the Gospel or a willingness to share the Gospel. Because of the passage’s emphasis on standing, I favour the first view.
“Faith” (verse 16), which the writer of Hebrews defines as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), is appropriating God’s promises on our behalf.
“Salvation” (verse 17) here is probably the present aspect of salvation, God’s freeing believers from bondage to sin and the attacks of Satan. However in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul identifies the helmet with “the hope of salvation,” the hope for the complete deliverance with which this present deliverance will be consummated in eternity.
“The word of God” (verse 17) is identified with “the sword of the Spirit,” indicating that this weapon is provided by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” Jesus met the tempter with it in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Barnes makes these suggestions: (1) we should study the Bible so that we may understand what the truth is; (2) we should have texts of Scripture at command, as Jesus did, to meet the various forms of temptation; (3) we should not depend on our own reason or rely on our own wisdom; and (4) we may see the importance of training up the young in the accurate study of the Bible.

Pray Constantly (6:18-20)

“Praying always” emphasizes the need to pray persistently. “Praying…in the spirit” means praying under the influence of and with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere Paul says, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God” (Romans 8:26-27). “Watching thereunto” is translated “”keep alert” in the ESV and “be alert” in the NIV. This vigilance is to be accompanied by “perseverance and supplication for all saints” and for Paul. The prayer that Paul requests for himself is not for him personally but that he “may open [his] mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.” The word translated “boldly” in verses 19 and 20 can be translated “clearly”; perhaps Paul had both meanings in mind. “The mystery of the gospel” is “that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). “I am an ambassador” reminds Paul’s readers that he is an apostle sent with a message (the Gospel) from Christ. “In bonds” or (ESV and NIV) “in chains” refers to Paul’s being a prisoner in Rome when he wrote Ephesians (Acts 28:16-31). Klyne Snodgrass (see below) concludes his consideration of this passage by reminding us that “our intent and prayer should be the same as Paul’s. Paul felt a necessity to reveal who Christ is and set his mind on doing so. We should do the same. As strange as it seems, when our lives reveal his, they take on a dignity and meaning impossible elsewhere. We do find life by losing it. Paul also knew he needed the right words and freedom of expression and asked his friends to pray accordingly. We still need to pray for wisdom and the freedom to say the right things. Then we need to do it.” (page 361)

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• Fee, Gordon D., God’s Empowering Presence, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994
• Matthew Henry, A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, reprint (Ephesians completed after Henry’s death in 1714) (available online)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999
• Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

More Instructions for Christian Households (6:1-9)

In Ephesians 5:21-6:9 Paul gives admonitions on relationships within Christian households. He opens by encouraging submission based on reverence for Christ (5:21). He then gives instructions to three groups: wives and husbands, 5:22-33; children and parents, 6:1-4; and slaves and masters, 6:5-9. He gives a shorter version of the instructions in Colossians 3:18-4:1. In my last article I commented on 5:21-33, and in this one I’ll comment on 6:1-9.

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. 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 eyeservice, as menpleasers; 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 doeth, 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. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

To Children and Fathers (6:1-4)

(1-3) “Children, obey your parents” tells children that they are to do what their parents command them to do. “In the Lord” means the same as “as unto the Lord” of 5:22 and “as unto Christ” of 6:6. Although “for this is right” might just mean that obedience to parents is part of the natural law, it may also indicate that obedience to parents is in accordance with the Law. If it does, it is reinforced by Paul’s quoting from the Ten Commandments in the next verse, “Honour thy father and mother” (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). “Which is the first commandment with promise” points out that this was the first (and only) of the Ten Commandments with a promise attached to it. (The second commandment is followed by an assurance by God of His “shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments,” but that is a description of God’s character and applies to all of His commandments rather than a promise regarding a specific commandment.) The promise given for obeying that commandment, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee,” referred to Canaan, but that not being applicable to Paul’s readers he generalizes it. Commentators differ on whether the promise given here refers to physical life here or to eternal life in the age to come; because of its specifying “on the earth,” I take it as the former.

(4) “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath” tells fathers to act reasonably to their children. Andrew T. Lincoln (see below) observes that this rules out “excessively severe discipline, unreasonably harsh demands, abuse of authority, arbitrariness, unfairness, constant nagging and condemnation, subjecting a child to humiliation, and all forms of gross insensitivity to a child’s needs and sensibilities” (page 406). “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” points to the important role that Christian parents have in training and correcting their children. Commentators explain “of the Lord” in various ways–including its referring to the content of the training, its referring to the spirit in which the training is given, and its indicating “that the training and admonition come from the Lord or is prescribed by the Lord through fathers” (Harold W. Hoehner, see below, pages 798-99); I can’t choose among them.

To Slaves and Masters (6:5-9)

(5-8) In the Greco-Roman world of Paul’s time slavery was a part of life with as many as one-third of the population being slaves. Klyne Snodgrass (see below) observes, “People became slaves through various avenues: birth, parental selling or abandonment, captivity in war, inability to pay debts, and voluntary attempts to better one’s condition. Race was not a factor [as it was in 17th to 19th century America]. No doubt for many slaves life was harsh and cruel, but their circumstances depended on their owners. They did not merely do menial work; they did nearly all the work, including oversight and management and most professions…. They could own property…and were allowed to save money to buy their freedom.” (page 327) By including instructions here for slaves, Paul wasn’t encouraging or condoning slavery but providing advice for dealing with a reality of his time. He urges slaves to obey their masters “with fear and trembling” and “in singleness of your heart” (wholeheartedly). He elaborates on the latter by calling upon them to obey their masters “not with eyeservice [service performed only when their master’s eye is upon them], as menpleasers” but “as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” As motivation for them to do so, he reminds them, “Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,” which probably refers to the believer’s final reward.

(9) Paul admonishes masters to treat their slaves with respect too and forbids them to use threats or any form of harshness to secure obedient service. “Neither is there respect of persons with him” means here that God would not be influenced in His distribution of rewards and punishments by a regard for the rank of the master or the slave.

We no longer have slavery and so Paul’s advice to slaves and masters may seem redundant. However Hoehner points out that some of Paul’s advice to Christian slaves and masters in his society is applicable to Christian employees and employers in our society, observing that they should deal with each other with integrity and good will, that they should recognize that they have a heavenly master to whom they are accountable, and that their behaviour should be a witness to the unbelievers with whom they work (page 816). Actually we should all do all of those things in all our dealings with others. A tall order, but possible (and only possible) if we are filled with the Spirit as Paul urged his readers (and us) to be in Ephesians 5:18.

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Instructions for Wives and Husbands (5:21-33)

In Ephesians 5:21-6:9 Paul gives admonitions on relationships within Christian households. He opens by encouraging submission based on reverence for Christ (5:21). He then gives instructions to three groups: wives and husbands, 5:22-33; children and parents, 6:1-4; and slaves and masters, 6:5-9. He gives a shorter version of the instructions in Colossians 3:18-25. I’ll comment on the passage in two articles, this one on 5:21-33 and my next one on 6:1-9.

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; 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. 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. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Submit Yourselves (5:21)

This verse could go with either the preceding or the following section. “Submitting” is the last in a series of participles following the command, “Be filled with the Spirit” (verse 18), the others being speaking, singing, making melody, and giving thanks. However “submitting” is also a basic part of each of the relationships described in 5:22-6:9–wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters. Although some commentators understand submitting “one to another” to be mutual submitting, others understand it to be submitting to others in accordance an hierarchal order established by God. Thus wives submit to their husbands, children obey their parents, and slaves obey their masters; but husbands love their wives, parents provoke not their children to wrath but nurture them, and masters forbear threatening their slaves. Paul adds that this submitting to others should be “in the fear of Christ” (the KJV substitutes the more familiar expression “in the fear of God”). Both of the versions that I use most often (besides the KJV), the ESV and the NIV, translate the phrase as “out of reverence for Christ,” but Peter T. O’Brien (see below) argues that “fear” is a better translation, explaining, “Although it does not convey the idea of ‘terror’ or ‘intimidation’ for those who are in Christ, it signifies a sense of awe in the presence of one who is Lord and coming Judge” (page 404).

To Wives (5:22-24)

In these verses Paul tells wives to submit unto their husbands in everything as they would submit unto the Lord because the husband is the head of his wife just as Christ is the head of the Church and the Church submits to him. In 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 Paul gives as the reason for this submission woman’s being made from man for man, referring to God’s making Eve from a rib taken out of Adam so that Adam would have a suitable helper (Genesis 2:20-22). Because Paul tells wives to be subject to their husbands as the Church is to Christ, reflecting on how Paul depicts the Church’s relation to Christ in the rest of Ephesians should indicate more fully what Paul thinks should be wives’ relation to their husbands. Andrew T. Lincoln (see below) does so and concludes, “The Church’s subordination, then, means looking to its head for his beneficial rule, living by his norms, experiencing his presence and love, receiving from him gifts that will enable growth to maturity, and responding to him in gratitude and awe. It is such attitudes that the wife is encouraged to develop in relation to her husband” (page 372). Paul adds “he is the saviour of the body” to his calling Christ the head of the Church; further on he refers to Christ’s loving the Church and giving himself for it and appeals to husbands to love their wives in the same way (verse 25). However he doesn’t make this a condition on a wife’s submission to her husband.

To Husbands (2:25-33)

25-27 In these verses Paul tells husbands to love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it so that he might sanctify and cleanse it and present it to himself as glorious and holy. “Gave itself for it” refers to Christ’s suffering and dying on the cross to save the Church. Saint Chrysostom (see below) eloquently appeals to husbands, “Wouldest thou have thy wife obedient unto thee, as the Church is to Christ? Take then thyself the same provident care for her, as Christ takes for the Church. Yea, even if it shall be needful for thee to give thy life for her, yea, and to be cut into pieces one thousand times, yea, and to endure and undergo any suffering whatever–refuse it not.” (page 144) On “that he might sanctify and cleanse it” Harold W. Hoehner argues that it should be translated “in order that he might sanctify her having cleansed her,” bringing out the relationship between the two actions. He continues, “Cleansing deals with the negative aspect, the being cleansed from the defilement of sin, whereas sanctification is the positive aspect, that of being set apart to God. They are two sides of the same coin.” (page 752). “Washing of water” is taken by most commentators to refer to baptism, but F. F. Bruce (see below) and some other recent commentators take it to allude to the bridal bath that the Lord says in Ezekiel 16:9 that He gave to Jerusalem when He entered into a covenant with her (page 387). If “washing of water” refers to baptism, as I think that Paul’s Gentile readers would take it, then “by the word” could refer to the words spoken at baptism.
“That he might present it to himself” refers to Christ’s presenting the Church as his bride at his Second Coming (see Revelation 21). Albert Barnes (see below) comments: “The passage here shows us what the church will yet be. There will be a period in its history when there shall not be any imperfection; when there shall be neither spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing. In heaven all will be pure. On earth we are preparing for that world of purity; and it cannot be denied that here there is much that is imperfect and impure. But in that future world, where the church shall be presented to Christ, clothed in the robes of salvation, there shall not be one unholy member; one deceiver or hypocrite; one covetous or avaricious man; one that shall pain the hearts of the friends of purity by an unholy life. And in all the million that shall be gathered there out of every land, and people, and tongue, and age, there shall be no envy, malice, backbiting, pride, vanity, worldliness; there shall be no annoying and vexing conflict in the heart with evil passions, “nor any such thing.” How different from the church as it now is; and how we should pant for that blessed world!” Amen!

28-31 “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (verse 28) is based on the quotation of Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh,” in verse 31. Thus for a man to love his wife is to love one who has become part of himself. Paul goes on to observe that no man disregards his own body but “nourisheth and cherisheth” it, implying that, because of what had said in verse 28, he should nourish and cherish his wife. He adds that similarly Christ ministers to the Church as his body, implying that husbands should minister to their wives in the same way. With “For we are members of his body” (verse 30) Paul reminds his readers that they are members of the Church. “Of his flesh, and of his bones” doesn’t have full textual authority; thus someone may have added Adam’s words to Eve, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23) to what Paul wrote. If it is genuine, it is hard to interpret. After noting various ways in which it has been interpreted, Hoehner concludes, “The most plausible explanation is that as Eve derived her physical life from Adam, we as believers derive our spiritual life from Christ” (page 770).

32-33 Paul’s describing the union of Christ and the church as a “mystery” in verse 32 recognizes that it is beyond unaided human understanding; see my comments on Ephesians 1:9. Here Paul says that the relationship of a husband and his wife should resemble that union. S. M. Baugh comments, “Paul’s meaning is profound: He interprets the original creation of the husband-and-wife union as itself modelled on Christ’s forthcoming union with the church as his ‘body’ (see v. 23). Therefore, marriage from the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) was created by God to be a refection of and patterned after Christ’s [future] relation to the church. Thus Paul’s commands regarding the roles of husbands and wives do not merely reflect the culture of his day but present God’s ideal for all marriages at all times, as exemplified by the relationship between the bride of Christ (the church) and Christ himself, the Son of God” (page 2272). Awesome! (However Barnes objects that there is no evidence that the marriage contract was designed to symbolize the union of Christ and the Church.) Verse 33 sums up the whole passage.

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• S. M. Baugh, “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians” in ESV Study Bible, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• Saint Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians…Philemon in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969 reprint (originally composed in Greek before 392)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Wise and Spirit-Filled Living (5:15-20)

This passage further explains what it means to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (4:1). It contains three exhortations–verses 15-16, verse 17, and verses 18-20, each of which contrasts negative and positive behaviour.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

15 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” Paul encourages the Ephesian Christians to watch carefully how they live, not as ones who either don’t understand or don’t appreciate God’s will for their lives but as ones who have insight into and live in accordance with God’s will for their lives (see verse 17).

16 “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” “Redeeming” comes from commercial language and seems to be being used metaphorically here. Recognizing this, the ESV and the NIV render “redeeming the time” as “making the best use of the time” and “making the most of every opportunity” respectively. Thus Paul is telling the Ephesian Christians that, because there are so many evil influences tending to waste their time, they should be especially careful to make the most of their time. Albert Barnes (see below) lists some evil influences that tend to waste one’s time and some ways to improve one’s use of time. The evil influences that tend to waste one’s time which he lists are: (1) allurements to pleasure and amusement, (2) temptations to novel-reading, (3) temptation of ambition, (4) dissipation, (5) wild and visionary plans, and (6) luxurious indulgences in dressing, eating, and drinking. A contemporary equivalent to novel-reading would be movie-watching; I must confess that I enjoy both reading novels and watching movies. The ways to improve one’s use of time which he lists are: (1) gaining useful knowledge, (2) doing good to others, (3) working to provide a livelihood for themselves and their families, (4) prayer and self-examination, and (5) seeking salvation and endeavouring to do the will of God. (page 1003)

17 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Paul advises the Ephesian Christians not to be foolish in the use of their time but to show true wisdom in trying to understand the Lord’s will, by which Paul probably means both God’s general will (see Ephesians 1.3-14) and Christ’s specific will for them as individuals.

18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Drunkenness being common in the pagan world and thus being a source of temptation to the Ephesian Christians, Paul advises them not to become drunk with wine but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead of “wherein is excess” the ESV has “for that is debauchery” and the NIV has “which leads to debauchery”; debauchery is wild living. The Greek present tense in “be filled with the Spirit” indicates that the filling that Paul is referring to is not a once-for-all experience (such as occurred on the Day of Pentecost) but a continuing one. Being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit are similar in that both can affect a person’s behaviour, but whereas being drunk with wine can ruin one’s judgment and lead to debauchery, being filled with the Spirit can lead to manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23.

19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Both the ESV and the NIV have “one another” instead of “yourselves.” Reading this verse always reminds me of my wife’s habit of singing songs of worship wherever she is and whatever she is doing. However in my opinion it also gives support to our practice of singing in public worship and indicates that such singing can include the Psalms of David which were sung by the Jews at the Temple and by early Christians, hymns (songs in praise of God), and other songs relating to spiritual things and that doing so provides a means for praising and (verse 20) thanking God.

20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Barnes comments, “The sense, according to this, would be, that we are to praise God for his general mercy to mankind; for all the happiness which mortals are permitted to enjoy; for the love of God to mankind in creation, in providence, and in redemption – just as a grateful child will give thanks for all the kindness shown to his brothers and sisters.” He then notes some effects of our doing this: “One obvious effect of this would be to overcome ‘selfishness,’ and to make us rejoice in the happiness of others as well as in our own. Another effect would be to make us feel a deeper interest in the condition of our fellow creatures. Another would be to elevate and enlarge our conceptions of the goodness of God – directing the mind to all the favors which he has bestowed on the race.” (page 1004). Praying in “the name of” Jesus means to pray in faith, trusting in Jesus as our mediator with God the Father.

The only commentary that I quoted from or referred to above is Albert Barnes’ Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s). A list of the commentaries that I consulted in my study of the passage is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

From Darkness to Light (5:3-14)

In this passage Paul describes what is excluded from the Christian life described in Ephesians 4:20-24: sexual sins, covetousness, and sins of the tongue. It contains two sections, 5:3-6 consisting of commands to avoid such shameful sins, and 5:8-14 describing the relation of Christians and the disobedient. Verse 7 is a connecting verse; I’ll consider it with 5:3-6.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Avoid Shameful Sins (5:3-7)

3 Paul condemns fornication, impurity, and covetousness. “Fornication” is from the Greek porneia, which covers all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, which is forbidden by the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:7); “impurity” can signify unrestrained sexual activity but “all” points to other moral impurities as well; and “covetousness” is the desire to have what others possess and is forbidden by the tenth commandment (Exodus 20:17). “Must not even be named among you” indicates that Paul viewed these sins to be so unholy that they “should not be acceptable subjects of conversation among people whom God has called to be holy” (F. F. Bruce, see below, page 370).

4 Paul condemns filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting in conversation. “Filthiness” is shameful and indecent language, “foolish talking” is foolish or silly talk, and “jesting” is coarse joking. “Thanksgiving” is in contrast to “foolish talking…jesting.” S. M. Baugh (see below) points out that thanksgiving also counteracts covetousness (verse 3), commenting, “The way to avoid coveting others’ possessions is to concentrate with thanks upon the good things the Lord has given (see vv. 19-20)” (page 2270).

5 Paul warns the Ephesian Christians that those who commit the sins identified in verse 3 will have no “inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” “Covetous man, who is an idolater” identifies covetousness with idolatry (compare Colossians 3:5); Paul’s idea seems to be that the covetous person worships the created thing instead of the Creator. “Inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” may refer to the present “kingdom of [God’s] dear Son” (Colossians 1:13) and as well as to our future home in Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:50). Peter T. O’Brien (see below) comments: “Those who have given themselves over to immorality, impurity, and greed, even if they call themselves Christian, show that they are excluded from eternal life. The apostle is not asserting that the believer who ever falls into these sins is automatically excluded from God’s kingdom. Rather, what is envisaged here is the person who has given himself or herself up without shame or repentance to this way of life” (page 363).

6 On “Let no man deceive you with vain words” Francis W. Beare (see below) comments, “This warning clearly implies that specious arguments were being advanced in some quarters to justify immorality, or to persuade Christians that licentious living had no significant relation to the life of the spirit” (page 708). However Paul says that such behaviour will bring upon them “the wrath of God.” Harold W. Hoehner (see below) says that the present tense of the verb signifies the present nature of that wrath but continues, “But is not the wrath of God in the future? In Romans Paul states that the present wrath of God is revealed from heaven (Rom 1:18) and that there is a future wrath for those who are hard-hearted and who continue to store up wrath for the day of God’s judgment (2:5)” (page 664).

7 Although “with them” can be taken either with the sins described in verses 3-5 or with “the children of disobedience” (verse 6), most commentators take it with the latter. However Paul is not prohibiting all contact or association with such people but warning his readers against sharing with those people in their sins. Walter L. Liefeld (see below) comments, “Although Christians live in normal social relationships with others, as did the Lord Jesus (Lk 5:30-42; 15:1-2), they are not to participate in the sinful lifestyle of unbelievers (2Co 6:14)” (page 1992).

The Relation of Christians and the Disobedient (5:8-14)

8 Verses 8-14 contrast light and darkness, “showing that those who belong to him who is ‘light’ (1Jn 1:5), i.e., pure and true, not only have their lives illumined by him but also are the means of introducing that light into the dark areas of human conduct (cf. Mt 5:14)” (Liefeld, page 1992). Klyne Snodgrass (see below) identifies four acts required for Christians to “leave the light on”: (1) Live continually in the Lord…. (2) Refuse to partner with or participate in [various forms of sin]; (3) Perform positive action…. (4) Expose the darkness for what it is [verse 11]” (page 282).

9 In a brief aside (the verse is bracketed in both versions that I use regularly besides the KJV, the ESV and the NIV), Paul explains what it means to live as “children of light” (verse 8) by referring to three Christian graces, “goodness and righteousness and truth,” depicting them as “the fruit of the Spirit.” “Goodness” is moral excellence combined with a generous spirit; “righteousness” is justice in our dealings; and “truth” is genuineness and honesty. See Galatians 5:22-23 for a fuller description of the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of “the fruit of the Spirit” the ESV and the NIV have “the fruit of the light,” which Liefeld says has a clear meaning despite being a mixed metaphor, explaining, “Light is productive (consider the effect of light on plant growth), and those who live in God’s light produce the fruit of moral and ethical character (cf. Gal 5:22-23), while those who live in darkness do not (see v. 11)” (page 1992).

10 Paul says that Christians’ living as children of light will prove or show that they discern and practise what is acceptable to the Lord. Hoehner concludes his comments on verses 8-10 thus: “In verses 8-10, Paul has stated that believers are to walk as children of light and approve what is pleasing to the Lord. This goes beyond the moral will of God because his moral will is revealed in specific commands which do not need to be tested. It is to test the will of God for every aspect of life and to approve what would be pleasing to him. The Word of God is a guide for this purpose. However, certain situations in life are not directly addressed in the Scriptures. In such cases, believers need to find principles from the Scriptures whereby they might be able to make choices that will please the Lord. Although not mentioned here, as the Scriptures are consulted the Holy Spirit enlightens and enables believers to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” (pages 676-77). I know that this is a long quote, but it explains and expands on the verse so well that I just had to share it.

11 Walking as children of light (verse 8) not only entails producing the fruit of the light (verse 9) but also excludes “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” Instead believers are to “reprove” or (both ESV and NIV) “expose” those works by their actions and conversations. Albert Barnes (see below) comments: “This is the business of Christians. Their lives should be a standing rebuke of a sinful world, and they should ever be ready to express their disapprobation of its wickedness in every form” (page 1002).

12 Paul gives a reason for telling his readers not to participate in works of darkness but to reprove them, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” O’Brien observes, “Paul and his readers know what [those things] were, but he will not dignify them by naming them. Instead, he wants the light of the gospel to shine through the readers’ lives and expose these deeds for what they are” (page 372). Thus he applies the principle that he lay down in verse 3, “Let [the shameful sins] not be once named among you.”

13 This verse is hard to understand. A. Skevington Wood (see below) explains it thus: “Paul appeals to the effect of light in the natural world. It penetrates wherever it shines, so that everything is lit up by it. In the same way, wherever the light of Christ appears, it shows up sin for what it is. Evil can no longer masquerade as anything else…. Whatever hidden wickedness is revealed by the light of Christ can no longer be obscured by darkness but is shown up in its real nature.” (page 70) He adds, “Others see here a reference to the transformation brought about by the light,” and admits that verse 14 could support such an interpretation.

14 “Wherefore he saith” suggest that the rest of the verse is a quotation from the Old Testament. Barnes observes that some suppose that it refers to Isaiah 26:19 or 60:1-3 and offers objections to its referring to either of them. He then observes that some suppose that the words are from some book among the Jews which is now lost or allude to a sentiment which prevailed among the Jews and describes this as mere conjecture. He concludes, “I see no evidence that Paul meant to make a quotation at all. Why may we not suppose that he speaks as an inspired man, and that he means to say, simply, that God now gives this command, or that God speaks in this way?” (page 1092). However O’Brien argues that the passage has connections with Isaiah 26:19 or 60:1-2, noting these points: “(a) The rhythmic pattern of Isaiah 26:19 is close to that of Ephesians 5:14, while there are significant verbal connections between the two texts…. (b) There are substantial links between the Ephesians context and Isaiah 60:1-2…. (c) The textual differences between Ephesians 5:14 and Isaiah 26:19; 60:1, 2…and the linguistic and conceptual connections between [them] are best supposed that an early Christian hymn…has been based on these two Old Testament passages” (pages 375-76).
Barnes lists four things that we can learn from the quotation: “(1.) That men are not dead in sin in any sense that they are not moral agents, or responsible. (2.) That they are not dead in any sense that they have no power of any kind. (3.) That it is right to call on sinners to arouse from their condition, and live. (4.) That they must put forth their efforts as if they were to begin the work themselves, without waiting for God to do it for them. They are to awake; they are to arise. (page 1003) When they do so, “Christ shall give [them] light.” Matthew Henry (see below) notes that some understand the verse to apply to both sinners and saints: “the former must arise from their spiritual death; and the latter must awake from their spiritual deadness” (page 712).

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• S. M. Baugh, “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians” in ESV Study Bible, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008
• Francis W. Beare, “The Epistle to the Ephesians” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Nashville, Tennessee, 1953
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• Matthew Henry, A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, reprint (Ephesians completed after Henry’s death in 1714) (available online)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Walter L. Liefeld, “Ephesians” in NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011 edition (original copyright 1985)
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999
• Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996
• A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Practical Injunctions About Living for Christ (4:25-5:2)

In 4:25-5:2 Paul shows us how to put into practice the truths presented in 4:17-24. The value of the passage is indicated by Saint Chrysostom’s devoting to its ten verses 3 1/2 of the 24 sermons in his “Homilies on Ephesians” (see below). Some commentators consider 5:1-2 with the verses following them instead of with 4:25-32. Peter T. O’Brien (see below) gives as his reason for putting it with 4:25-32, “The exhortation to live in love summarizes the preceding specific admonitions, while the motivating clause about Christ’s death, which provides the theological basis for the admonition, rounds out the passage in a climatic way” (page 335).

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 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. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

25 Paul encourages the Ephesian believers to practice telling the truth instead of lying, appealing to their being members of one another. The verse quotes Zechariah 8:16, “Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour.” “Neighbour” here refers primarily to fellow Christians (“for we are members of one another”). R. C. H. Lenski (see below) considers the question as to whether a lie is ever justified. He replies, “[No.] Panic, loss of presence of mind, cowardice make a Christian lie. There is always a way out, perhaps there are several.” Ways that he suggests are: confront a question asked you with a question of your own, speak the truth in love (verse 15), decline to speak, and take the consequences (pages 575-76).

26 Although further on in the passage (verse 31) Paul tells his readers, “Let all…anger…be put away from you,” in this verse he suggests that anger is sometimes justified. However he warns them not to sin in their anger (compare Psalm 4:4, “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still”), to keep it brief, and not to give an opportunity to the devil. John Calvin (see below) identifies three occasions when God is offended by our anger: “The first when we are angry from slight causes, or often from none or are moved by private injuries or offences. The second is when we go too far, and are carried into intemperate excess. The third is when our anger, which ought to have been directed against ourselves or against sins, is turned against our brethern” (page 192). Albert Barnes (see below) adds: “(4.) When it is attended with the desire for revenge… (5.) When it is cherished and heightened by reflection…. And (6) when there is an unforgiving spirit” (page 998). “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” is a way of saying that anger must not endure; the situation must be dealt with quickly and then set aside, not giving the devil an opening (verse 27). Most commentators agree that “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” does not apply to anger over injustice, which ought to be sustained until the evil which prompted it has been removed.

27 Although personal sin is generally due to our evil desires (James 1:14-15, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin”) rather than to tempting by Satan, he can use our sins (including those connected with anger) to bring about greater evil, such as causing strife within the individual and the community. Later in Ephesians Paul tells the believers to put on the full armour of God (6:10-20, especially verse 11). Of course anger is not the only means Satan uses to achieve his ends. O’Brien comments, “Within the exhortatory context of vv. 25-31 there are prohibitions against lying (v. 25), stealing (v. 28), and ‘unwholesome talk’ (v. 29). The temptation to do any of these…is presumably the occasion of a spiritual battle which the devil is able to exploit to his advantage” (page 341).

28 In making this warning against stealing, Paul may have been thinking of a convert who had been in the habit of stealing before becoming a Christian and was in danger of falling back into this sin. He encourages that person to put his/her hands to good use through hard work instead of using them to steal. In doing so he/she would be able to share with the needy as well as to provide for himself/herself. A former thief’s working and giving to the needy instead of stealing illustrates the principle that we should not only stop sinning but also do good.

29 Paul says that Christians should keep their lips free not only from lying (verse 25) bur also from “corrupt communication,” which may signify not only bad language but also such harmful speech as abusive language and slander. Instead their words should edify and “minister grace” to others. Their stopping evil speech and substituting edifying speech is another example of doing good instead of sinning.

30 Paul goes on to urge his readers not to grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom they were sealed when they believed (1:14), by sinning. In a passage that Paul may have had in mind when he wrote this verse, Isaiah says that when the Israelites grieved the Holy Spirit He turned against them (Isaiah 63:10). T. K. Abbott (see below) observes, “Some of the older as well as later commentators see in the words a suggestion that the Spirit may thus be led to depart, and the seal be lost. But there is no suggestion of a possible departure of the Spirit…. But it would be equally erroneous to say that the doctrine of ‘final perseverance’ is contained or implied” (page 144). “The day of redemption” is the day of Christ’s returning to bring complete salvation (and judgment).

31 The activities listed are sins which grieve the Holy Spirit: “bitterness”or spite that harbours resentment, “wrath” and “anger” (see the next sentence), “clamour” or angry yelling, and “evil speaking” or abusive speech. “Wrath” and “anger” are often used synonymously; Harold W. Hoehner (see below) suggests that the distinction between them may be “that ‘wrath’ was more passionate and temporary, that is, anger that boils up, whereas ‘anger’ was more settled and abiding, a state of anger” (page 635). F. F. Bruce (see below) views “malice” (an active ill will) as a quality of the other sins listed in the verse and refers to Colossians 3:8 and 1 Peter 2:1 in commenting on it.

32 Kindness, tenderheartedness, and mutual forgiveness are the opposite of the sins listed in verse 31. Paul gives as motivation for forgiveness “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Not only did God first forgive us, but also we need His daily forgiveness, as the Lord’s Prayer reminds us: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

1 Paul closes the passage by enjoining the Ephesian believers to follow or imitate God. Paul’s adding “as dear children” reminds them that they should imitate God as children imitate their parents rather than as servants trying to please their master.

2 “Walk in love” explains what is involved in imitating God. The motivation and model of walking in love is Christ’s love and sacrificial offering of himself. “Loved” in “Christ also hath loved us” being in the past tense doesn’t mean that Christ has stopped loving us but that his giving up himself for us was the greatest act of his love (see John 15:13). In the Old Testament the offering of a sacrifice is described as a “sweet savour unto the Lord” in Exodus 29:18,25,41 and Leviticus 1:9,13,17. Similarly our serving others sacrificially will be a sweet savour unto God.

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians in The International Critical Commentary, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
• Saint Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians…Philemon in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969 reprint (originally composed in Greek before 392)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, and to the Philippians, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999.

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

The Changed Life (4:17-24)

Paul opened the practical part of his letter to the Ephesian church with an appeal to maintain Christian unity. Now, before dealing with specific moral injunctions, he reminds his readers about the kind of life that they once lived and of the need for a complete break with it. The passage consists of two sections: an exhortation not to live as the Gentiles do (verses 17-19), and a setting forth of the kind of lifestyle expected of those who have “learned Christ” (verses 20-24).

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, 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: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

17 Telling his readers that he is addressing them by the authority of the Lord (Jesus Christ), Paul urges to fully abandon their former Gentile way of life because he and they are “in the Lord.” He ascribes their old self-indulgent lives to “the vanity of their mind,” with “vanity” denoting falseness (perhaps associated with idolatry) rather than mere emptiness.

18 Paul ascribes the vanity of their mind to their “having the understanding darkened” and thus “being alienated from the life of God,” this state occurring through “the ignorance that is in them” because of “the blindness of their heart.” Note that Paul is not saying that they have fallen into this condition since becoming believers but is describing the condition that they were in before they became believers. Most modern versions translate “blindness” as “hardness.” Albert Barnes (see below) comments: “Hardness is a better word. It is a better translation of the Greek; and it better accords with the design of the apostle. Here the reason is stated why they lived and acted as they did, and why the understanding was blinded. It is not that God has enfeebled the human intellect by a judicial sentence on account of the sin of Adam, and made it incapable of perceiving the truth; it is not that there is any deficiency or incapacity of natural powers; it is not that the truths of religion are so exalted that man has no natural ability to understand them, for they may be as well understood as any other truth. See the notes on 1 Corinthians 2:14. The simple reason is, ‘the hardness OF THE HEART.’” (page 996)

19 Paul says that as a result they have lost sensitivity to moral stimuli and abandoned themselves to “debauchery” and “uncleanness,” pursuing them “with greediness.” “Debauchery” is the practice of sin without concern about what others think, “uncleaness” is moral (sexual and other) impurity, and “greediness” is being concerned with nothing but satisfaction of one’s own desires. F. F. Bruce (see below) agrees that “greediness” can be taken as I’ve taken it, qualifying the other two vices, but, referring to 5:5, claims that more probably it is listed as a third vice (page 356). Francis W. Beare (see below) describes it as “the key to the whole viciousness of pagan life, as love is the key to the whole goodness of Christian life” (page 697). Note that here Paul says that the Gentiles gave themselves over to a sinful kind of life but in Romans 1:24-28 he says that God gave them over to that life. Harold W. Hoehner (see below) suggests that the apparent contradiction can be resolved by considering that there are two stages: “(1) people exercise their perversion of free will and give themselves over to sin, and (2) God’s response is then to give them over to the sin which will continue to enslave them” (page 590). Similarly Peter T. O’Brien (see below) says, “The two emphases are not contradictory: God gives men and women over to the debased behaviour which they gladly choose” (page 323).

20 “But ye” sets up a contrast with the “other Gentiles” of verse 17. Andrew T. Lincoln (see below) comments on the verse, “Since Christians believed that Christ was a living person whose presence was mediated by the proclamation and teaching about him, learning Christ involved not only learning about, but also being shaped by, the risen Christ who was the source of a new way of life as well as of a new relationship with God” (page 280).

21 The NIV translates “If so be that” as “Surely.” Paul asserts that the Ephesians not only had heard of Christ but also had been taught by ministers whom Christ had appointed, including Paul. The use of the word “Jesus” in “the truth is in Jesus” suggests that Paul is referring to the embodiment of truth in Jesus’ earthly life or to what Jesus himself had taught.

22-24 Paul describes the negative (“put off”) and positive (“put on”) sides of sanctification. Regarding “the old man” and “the new man” John Calvin (see below) comments: “In two persons, Adam and Christ, [Paul] describes to us what might be called two natures. As we are first born of Adam, the depravity of nature which we derive from him is called the old man; and as we are born again in Christ, the amendment of this sinful nature is called the new man” (page 190). Paul encourages the Ephesians to abandon all in their old way of life that had been corrupted by sinful inclinations and desires (verse 22), to be renewed in mind and spirit (verse 23), and to become new creations, characterized by God’s righteousness and holiness (verse 24).

24 On “the new man” Walter Liefeld (see below) comments, “Since the new self is created, it cannot refer to the indwelling Christ, but refers to the kind of person he produces in the new believer. Nor is it some kind of new essential nature of the believer, because that would have been brought into existence at his new birth. In contrast, this is a new way of life that one not only ‘puts on’ positionally at conversion (note the past tense in the parallel in Col 3:9-10) but is also urged to ‘put on’ experientially as a Christian (Ro 6:12-13)” (page 1991). Some distinguish between “righteousness” and “holiness,” attributing to the former our duties toward other people and to the latter our duties toward God.

In the passage Paul draws a clear distinction between his readers’ old way of life and their new way of life and urges them not to go back to the old ways. In doing so he lays the groundwork for the ethical exhortation which follow, both for his readers and for us.

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• Francis W. Beare, “The Epistle to the Ephesians” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Nashville, Tennessee, 1953
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Walter L. Liefeld, “Ephesians” in NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2011 edition (original copyright 1985)
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Unity in the Body of Christ (4:1-16)

Paul now passes from doctrinal exposition (chapters 1-3) to practical exhortation (chapters 4-6), beginning by showing in 4:1-16 how God enables believers to live and work together in unity. The passage contains two sections: exhortation to unity (verses 1-6) and demonstration that unity is served by diversities of gifts (verses 7-16). Because of its length, I’ll comment on only some of the words or groups of words in the passage. However feel free to comment on or to ask questions about other words or groups of words in it as well as on those on which I comment.

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 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 fulness of Christ: 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; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that 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. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Exhortation to Unity (4:1-6)

Albert Barnes (see below) sums up this section thus: “[Paul] entreats them to walk worthy of their vocation Ephesians 4:1; shows them how it could be done, or what he meant; and that, in order to that, they should show meekness and kindness Ephesians 4:3, and particularly exhorts them to unity Ephesians 4:3; for they had one God, one Saviour, one baptism, one religion; Ephesians 4:4-6.” (page 989)

1 “The prisoner of the Lord” indicates that Paul was a prisoner in the service of the Lord when he wrote Ephesians. As I observed when commenting on 3:1, it is generally held that the imprisonment was the one in Rome described in Acts 28:16-30.
“[To] walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” is to live as becomes a Christian. Barnes describes four aspects of living that become a Christian: (1) it is to bear our religion (to live it, not merely to profess it), with us in all places, companies, employments; (2) it is to do or say nothing inconsistent with the most elevated Christian character; (3) it is to do right always; (4) it is to live as one who expects soon to be in heaven. (pages 990-91)
“Vocation” means “calling,” which I explained in my comment on 1:18 as being God’s initiative in bringing a person into relationship with Him. Barnes says that it is through the Holy Spirit and is preceded by various means including preaching, events of Providence, conversation, reading the Bible and other books, and the Holy Spirit’s presiding over and directing people’s minds (page 990).

2 All of the virtues mentioned in the verse–lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and love–were displayed in Christ and should be evident in the Christian’s daily walk. Lowliness is humility; meekness is gentleness; longsuffering is patience. The word “all” preceding “lowliness and meekness” modifies both and denotes the highest degree of them.

3 “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit” conveys the thought not only personally to avoid troubling the unity which the Spirit creates but also to resolve difficulties and dissensions which threaten from other sources.
“The bond of peace” can mean either “the bond that consists of peace” or “the bond that peace creates.” Peace is a state of reconciliation and love and therefore acts as a bond to unite believers in Christ.

4 The sevenfold use of “one” in verses 4-6 emphasizes unity.
“One body, and one Spirit” echoes 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Just as unbelieving Jews and Gentiles became one body when they placed their faith in the work of Jesus at Calvary, today’s Church is “one body” despite the numerous denominations and congregations into which it is separated throughout the world. And just as the human body has one spirit that animates it, so Christ’s body, the Church, is enlivened by “one spirit,” the Holy Spirit.
Third, there is “one hope.” In commenting on 1:18 I explained the Christian’s hope as the consummation of a believer’s salvation, not only in heaven but here. Andrew T. Lincoln (see below) comments, “The one hope is an appropriate reality with which to undergird the call to maintain unity, because it is hope which, in giving men and women a sense of expectancy, directs and unifies their actions” (page 239).

5 The “one Lord” is Jesus Christ.
“One faith” can refer to a common body of belief, but here it more likely refers to a common belief in Christ.
“One baptism” is taken by most commentators as referring to water baptism, and I agree with them. However some take it to refer to baptism by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13) and Harold W. Hoehner (see below) argues that it refers metaphorically to “the believer’s baptism into Christ’s death, speaking of the believer’s union with Christ in his death and resurrection” (page 518).

6 “One God and Father of all” is God the Father. “Who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all” indicates that “all” refers to all believers rather than to all humans. F. F. Bruce (see below) claims that it probably means more specifically “of all–both Jews and Gentiles.”

Demonstration that Unity Is Served by Diversities of Gifts (4: 7-16)

Barnes sums up this section thus: “[Paul] shows them that God had made ample provision for his people, that they might be sound in the faith, and in unity of life and of doctrine, and need not be driven about with every wind of opinion; Ephesians 4:7-16. He assures them that to every Christian is given grace in the Redeemer adapted to his circumstances Ephesians 4:7; that the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven to obtain gifts for his people Ephesians 4:8-10; that he had given apostles prophets and evangelists, for the very purpose of imparting instruction, and confirming them in the faith of the gospel Ephesians 4:11-12; that this was in order that they might attain to the highest elevation in Christian knowledge and piety Ephesians 4:13; and particularly that they might not be driven to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine; Ephesians 4:14-16.” (page 989)

7 Paul has been considering the Church as a whole; now he focuses on the individual. “Grace” is an unmerited favour from God, here a particular enablement given to a believer to empower him or her for ministry (verses 11-12). “According to the measure of the gift of Christ” tells us this grace is measured out by Christ; a proportionate allocation of gifts is also referred to by Paul in Romans 12:3-8, where God is the distributor, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, where the Holy Spirit is the distributor.

8 The quotation is from Psalm 18:18, which speaks of God’s triumphant ascension of Mount Zion (the mount where the Temple would be built). Paul applies it to Christ’s triumphal entry into Heaven. T. K. Abbott (see below) considers various attempts to account for the change from taking gifts in Psalm 18:18 to giving gifts in Ephesians 4:8 and finds unobjectionable “the supposition that St. Paul does not intend to quote exactly or to interpret, but in the familiar Jewish fashion adapts the passage to his own use” (page 112). Paul probably applies “captives” to the spiritual enemies which Christ defeated at the cross; John Calvin (see below) comments, “He has not only overthrown Satan, and sin, and death, and all hell, but out of rebels He makes for Himself every day an obedient people, when He tames by His Word the wantonness of our flesh. On the other hand, His enemies (that is, all the ungodly) are held by chains of iron, when by His power He restrains their fury within the limits which He permits” (page 175).

9-10 “Ascended…descended” has been taken in different ways: Christ who ascended on high also descended into the grave; Christ who ascended on high also descended into Hades; Christ who ascended on high had earlier descended at the time of the incarnation; Christ who ascended on high then descended in the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to give spiritual gifts for the Church. Most Bible scholars since the Reformation have held the third view.
“That he might fill all things” corresponds to 1:23, “the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (see my comments on that verse). Peter T. O’Brien (see below) comments, “[Christ] fills the universe through his lordship. This entails his functioning as the powerful ruler over the principalities (1:21), and giving grace and strength to his people (4:13, 15-16), through whom he fulfills his purposes” (page 297).

11 In this verse Paul gives details of some of the gifts referred to in verse 8. On “apostles” see my comment on 1:1. “Prophets” are those who under the inspiration of the Holy Sprit reveal to the Church a message appropriate to their particular need or situation.” “Evangelists” are those who proclaim the Gospel to the unsaved. “Pastors” are those gifted to oversee the Church and care for its spiritual needs. “Teachers” are those gifted to expound and apply God’s Word. Because “pastors and teachers” is preceded by a single article, some take them as constituting a single group; I view them as two groups but agree with those who suggest that all pastors should be teachers although not all teachers are pastors.

12 The NIV translates “[f]or the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry” as “to equip his people for works of service,” indicating that the ones mentioned in verse 11 weren’t to do all the work themselves but were to train the people to do the work. “For the edifying of the body of Christ” is the ultimate end for which the gifts are bestowed.

13 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith” identifies unity as the goal towards which we strive, whereas in verse 3 it is a possession to be guarded. The two aspects are complementary: that which is given to us by God must be made our own by progressive application. The following phrase, “and of the knowledge of the Son of God,” suggests that “faith” refers to Christians’ common convictions about Christ; Bruce claims that it is unlikely that a body of belief is intended (350).
Observing that “perfect” can mean absolutely perfect, wholly dedicated, or maturity as opposed to immaturity before God, Hoehner comments, “In the present context it cannot have the ethical sense of complete perfection, since this comes only at the parousia…but rather it has the ethical idea of fully grown or mature. This is in contrast to immature and unstable children mentioned in the next verse” (page 555). He then argues, convincingly in my opinion, that “the perfect man” refers not to individuals, but to the Church.
“The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” means the maturity of the perfection of Christ. Again Hoehner claims that the reference is to the maturity of the Church, not of its individual members. He comments, “Each member is to use the gift that has been given to him or her in measure (v. 7) and as each member fulfills this, then the body will measure (v. 13) to Christ’s full measure” (page 557).

14 In verses 14-16 Paul discusses the ultimate purpose of growing in unity, first the negative purpose (verse 14) and then the positive purpose (verses 15-16).
In verse 14 he states that believers should no longer be children, “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” Most commentators understand “every wind of doctrine” to refer to various religious philosophies which threatened to undermine or dilute the Gospel. Just as children are easily influenced by others, immature believers fall prey to such philosophies. The same nautical image is used in James 1:6 regarding believers who doubt when asking God for something.
Next Paul affirms that deceit is sometimes behind the false teachings, attributing them to “the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” O’Brien adds that the wording Paul uses suggests that he may also have in mind another source of the false teaching, Satan himself (pages 309-10). Compare 1 Timothy 4:1-2.

15 “Speaking the truth in love” means that the truth of the Gospel should not be used as a club to bludgeon people into acceptance and obedience but should be presented in love.
“May grow up into him in all things” means that we should not remain as children but should grow into Christ in all respects. This is accomplished by means of the gifts given to us individually (verse 7) and to the Church (verse 11).

16 This verse emphasizes that the parts of the body, the Church, help each other in the growing process. Calvin notes three things about the verse: “All the life or health which is diffused through the members flows from the Head…by the distribution, the limited share of each demands a communication between them…without mutual love, the body cannot be healthy” (page 185).

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians in The International Critical Commentary, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,
• F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1984
• John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999
  A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Another Prayer for the Ephesians (3:14-21)

Resuming the prayer that he began in verse 1 but broke off in order to give an account of his ministry to them and their place within the mystery of God, Paul prays that the believers in Ephesus might know the power of Christ’s love. This is Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesians, his first being in 1:15-23. It contains three sections: an introduction (verses 14-15), three requests (verses 16-19), and a doxology (verses 20-21).

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (KJV; for other versions, see https://www.blueletterbible.org/)

Introduction (3:14-15)

14 Paul repeats “for this cause” to show that he is resuming the thought of verse 1 after the long digression of verses 2-13. On “I bow my knees” Albert Barnes comments: “I pray. The usual and the proper position of prayer is to kneel.… It is a posture which indicates reverence, and should, therefore, be assumed when we come before God. It is an unhappy thing that the custom of kneeling in public worship has ever been departed from Christian churches” (page 987). Actually the Bible contains examples of varied postures for prayer, including lying prostrate and standing besides kneeling. “Unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” serves as a reminder that as adopted sons of God Christians can address Him as “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:6), as Jesus addressed Him in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:36).

15 “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” can refer to “the Father” or “our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 14). Taking it as referring to the Father, S. M. Baugh (see below) comments: “To be named in biblical usage refers to the definition of one’s identity. God the Father, the creator of all things (v. 9), is also the one who ‘names’ (i.e., defines the identity of) all creatures, even to the extent of ‘naming’ every family in heaven and earth. God’s present action in the naming of ‘every family’ is a further affirmation of his sovereignty over all creation” (page 2267). Taking it as referring to Jesus Christ, John Calvin (see below) comments: “Let is therefore understand that, under the auspices of Christ, a relationship has been consecrated between Jews and Gentiles, because, by reconciling us the Father, He has at the same time made us all one.… There is but one family which ought to be reckoned, both in heaven and earth, both among angels and among men–if we belong to the Body of Christ” (page 166).

Prayer (3:16-19)

The prayer has three main requests, each beginning with “that”: “That he…by faith” (verses 16-17a), “that ye…knowledge” (verses 17b-19a), and “that ye…of God” (verse 19b). However I’ll group my comments on items according to which verse they’re located in rather than which request they’re part of.

16 “According to the riches of his glory” can be understood as either “according to his glorious riches” or “according to his rich and abundant glory” according to Calvin (page 167), but he prefers the second sense. Following that sense and taking glory as synonymous with power (see Romans 6:4, where Christ is said to have been raised from the dead by the glory of the Father), Paul’s request is that God will strengthen the Ephesian believers in accordance with His great power. Also in verse 16 “to be strengthened with might” means to be powerfully strengthened, “by his Spirit” indicates that God strengthens believers through the Holy Spirit, and “in the inner man” refers to one’s heart or mind.

17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts” doesn’t refer to Christ’s indwelling the believer at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:10) since that occurred when they were saved but denotes that Christ may be completely at home in their hearts or, as Harold W. Hoehner (see below) puts it, “at the very center of or deeply rooted in believers’ lives” (page 481); he continues, “Christ must be the controlling factor in attitudes and conduct.” Also in verse 17 “by faith” expresses the method by which so great a benefit (Christ’s dwelling in believers’ hearts) is obtained and “being rooted and grounded in love” expresses the underlying condition for verses 18-19 to occur. Commentators don’t agree on whether “love” here is God’s love in Christ or believers’ love. Andrew T. Lincoln (see below) comments: “It may well be a mistake…to draw such a sharp distinction between these two aspects of love…. Love is the fundamental principle of the new age, of Christian existence in general and not just of Christian character. As in Paul’s hym to love in 1 Cor 13, love is to be seen as God’s love embodied in Christ and mediated by the Spirit, but also as the power that moves believers to love others with no expectation of reward” (page 207).

18 Many interpretations have been proposed for “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” in “May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.” Lincoln surveys several of the attempts at interpretation (pages 208-13), concluding, “one is hard-pressed to choose between Wisdom and the love of Christ as the reference of the dimensions.” Peter T. O’Brien (see below) builds on Lincoln’s survey (pages 261-64) and concludes, “Although it is not possible to be certain, on contextual grounds reference to the love of Christ is preferable. If this is correct, then…the knowledge for which the apostle prays is not some esoteric understanding for individual initiates but a true insight given by God for the benefit of all believers.”

19 “The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” means that the love of Christ is so great that it cannot be completely known. O’Brien points out that this is not that they may love Christ more but that they might understand better his love for them and comments, “No matter how much we know of the love of Christ, how fully we enter into his love for us, there is always more to know and experience” (page 264). Also in verse 19 “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” means that he who has Christ has everything necessary for perfection in God. However in principle believers already possess the fulness of God, “For in [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10). Francis W. Beare (see below) comments, “Yet the gift still has to be realized in experience through Christian growth; by a kind of paradox, which applies in nearly all realms of Christian experience, what God gives us in present possession remains a goal to be achieved” (page 680).

Doxology (3:20-21)

Rather than commenting on individual words and phrases in the doxology, I am going to quote Matthew Henry’s (see below) comment on the whole passage: “The apostle closes the chapter with a doxology, v. 20, 21. It is proper to conclude our prayers with praises. Our blessed Saviour has taught us to do so. Take notice how he describes God, and how he ascribes glory to him. He describes him as a God that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. There is an inexhaustible fulness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open thy mouth ever so wide, still he hath wherewithal to fill it. Note, In our applications to God we should encourage our faith by a consideration of his all-sufficiency and almighty power. According to the power which worketh in us. As if he had said, We have already had a proof of this power of God, in what he hath wrought in us and done for us, having quickened us by his grace, and converted us to himself. The power that still worketh for the saints is according to that power that hath wrought in them. Wherever God gives of his fulness he gives to experience his power. Having thus described God, he ascribes glory to him. When we come to ask for grace from God, we ought to give glory to God. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus. In ascribing glory to God, we ascribe all excellences and perfections to him, glory being the effulgency and result of them all. Observe, The seat of God’s praises is in the church. That little rent of praise which God receives from this world is from the church, a sacred society constituted for the glory of God, every particular member of which, both Jew and Gentile, concurs in this work of praising God. The Mediator of these praises is Jesus Christ. All God’s gifts come from his to us through the hand of Christ; and all our praises pass from us to him through the same hand. And God should and will be praised thus throughout all ages, world without end; for he will ever have a church to praise him, and he will ever have his tribute of praise from his church. Amen. So be it; and so it will certainly be.”

The commentaries that I quoted from or referred to above are:

• Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1975 reprint (originally published in the 1830’s) (available online)
• S. M. Baugh, “The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians” in ESV Study Bible, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008
• Francis W. Beare, “The Epistle to the Ephesians” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Nashville, Tennessee, 1953
• John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians in Calvin’s Commentaries, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1965 (originally published in French 1548)
• Matthew Henry, A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, reprint (Ephesians completed after Henry’s death in 1714) (available online)
• Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002
• Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians in Word Biblical Commentary, Dallas, Texas: Word, 1990
• Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians in Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999

A list of the commentaries that I regularly consult in my study of Ephesians is at the end of my article on Ephesians 2:1-10.