,libraries7 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this e-text is intended for users whose text readers cannot display the ,unicode 7utf-#h7 version of the file4 ,greek words have been transliterated and enclosed in equals signs1 e4g4 ho logos4 ,italic words have been similarly enclosed in underscores4 ,as the oe ligature cannot be included in this file format1 for consistency both ae and oe ligatures have been replaced with the separate letters throughout4 ,in addition1 where a macron is placed above the letter e in the original to represent the ,greek letter eta1 it is replaced in this version by a circumflex over the e3 4 ,a few minor typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,the ,table of ,contents refers to original page numbers4 ,all advertising material has been placed at the end of the text4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d4 ,editor of ,the ,expositor1 etc4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,ephesians ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,professor ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,,headingley ,,college1 ,,leeds ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mdcccxcviii ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,ephesians ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,professor ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,,headingley ,,college1 ,,leeds ,,third ,,edition ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mdcccxcviii ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,contents4 ,,introduction4 ,,chapter i4 #a1 #b4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,writer ,,and ,,readers4 ,,page ,contrast of ,galatians and ,ephesians--,pauline qualities of ,ephesians3 intellectual1 historical1 theological1 spiritual1 ethical--,the ,idea of the ,church--,the ,person of ,christ--,ephesians and ,colossians--,style of ,ephesians--,circular ,hypothesis--,epistle from ,laodicea--,designation of the ,readers--,faithful ,brethren #c ,,praise ,,and ,,prayer4 ,,chapter i4 #c-ai4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,eternal ,,purpose4 ,the ,apostle's ,hymn of ,praise--,blessed be ,god6--,blessing spiritual1 heavenly1 ,christian--,in the ,beginning the ,election of ,grace--,the ,world and its ,founder--,redemption embedded in ,creation--,god's prescient ,choice--,our ,holiness ,his ,purpose--,divine ,adoption--,who are the ,elect8 #ba ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,bestowment ,,of ,,grace4 ,structure of the ,paragraph--,grace an ,experience--,christ the ,beloved--,forgiveness and its ,price--,the ,value of ,forgiveness--,wisdom a ,gift of ,grace--,the ,gospel as an intellectual ,force--,god's ,will the ,goal of human ,thought--,sonship and ,heritage--,the ,fulness of the ,times--,the ,christian ,inventory of the ,universe--,reconciliation and ,reconstitution--,gathering in and ,gathering out #cd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,final ,,redemption4 ,mutual ,inheritance--,jewish and ,gentile ,heirs--,uses of the ,seal--,the ,stamp of ,sanctity--,promise fulfilled and to be fulfilled--,hearing and ,believing--,salvation by the ,truth--,salvation for the ,gentiles--,faith and the ,holy ,spirit--,the two ,redemptions--,the encumbered ,property--,the ,earnest of our consummate ,life #ej ,,chapter ,v4 ,,for ,,the ,,eyes ,,of ,,the ,,heart4 ,thanksgiving for the ,readers--,the ,god of ,christ1 the ,father of ,glory--,christian ,enlightenment--,seeing with the ,heart--,what is our ,hope8--,god's ,wealth in ,men--,the true ,standard of ,value--,the ,power of ,christ's ,resurrection #fe ,,the ,,doctrine4 ,,chapter i4 #bj--;iii4 #ac4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,what ,,god ,,wrought ,,in ,,the ,,christ4 ,prayer and ,teaching--,historical ,effect of ,christ's ,resurrection--,the ,stages of ,his ,exaltation--,christianity without ,miracles--,the efficient ,cause of ,christianity--,the perfect ,resurrection--,the ,first-begotten out of the ,dead--,the ,risen ,one1 the ,holy ,one--,resurrection and ,ascension--,ascension to ,rule--,christ and the ,angels--,christ glorified ,god's ,gift to the ,church--,christ the ,fulness of ,god #ha ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,from ,,death ,,to ,,life4 ,raised with ,christ--,sin is ,death--,jesus ,christ in a dead ,world--,alive in ,body1 dead in ,spirit--,religious ,difficulties--,antipathy to ,god--,the ,power of the ,air--,god's ,anger against ,sinners--,the ,soul's ,awaking--,consciousness of ,god--,fellowship in ,salvation #ie ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,saved ,,for ,,an ,,end4 ,beginning and ,end of ,god's ,plan--,mercy1 ,love1 ,kindness1 ,grace and ,gift--,not of ,works--,boasting excluded--,evangelical ,assurance--,in the heavenly ,places--,grace a ,task-master--,creation and ,redemption--,the apostolic ,church and the coming ,times #aji ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,far ,,and ,,near4 ,wherefore remember6--,sudden and gradual ,conversion--,the ,gentile ,world3 ,godless1 hopeless1 ,christless--,away with the ,atheists6--,the double ,pessimism--,the ,uncircumcision--,nigh in the ,blood of ,christ--,reunion in ,guilt and in ,pardon #abj ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,double ,,reconciliation4 ,the ,jewish ,war--,the two ,parties in the ,church--,the ,jewish ,enmity typical--,the new ,christian ,humanity--,the ,church in the first ,century and the nineteenth--,hindrances to ,unity3 external1 internal--,the ,ground of ,reconciliation--,enemies of ,god--,the ,atonement of the ,cross--,moral ,communism--,personal ,faith--,the ,fraternization of ,mankind #aca ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,god',s ,,temple ,,in ,,humanity4 ,the ,divine ,occupant--,the ,service of ,man and of ,god--,one ,temple and many ,buildings--,the ,variety of the apostolic ,church--,the primitive ,catholicism--,church and ,dissent--,union by ,approximation--,our ,lord's ,prayer for ,unity--,the apostolic ,basis--,the ,builder ,spirit--,the sure ,foundation ,stone #adc ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,secret ,,of ,,the ,,ages4 ,st ,paul's ,style of ,composition--,christ the ,mystery of ,god--,christ in the ,old ,testament--,the ,exploration of ,christ--,the ,portion of the ,gentiles in ,israel--,the ,organs of the new ,revelation--,the unique ,office and ,influence of the ,apostle ,paul #aee ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,earth ,,teaching ,,heaven4 ,christ the ,bond of ,angels and ,men--,our ,lord and theirs--,jesus of ,nazareth the ,lord of the ,ages--,the ,reality of the ,angels--,their ,interest in the ,church--,the ,peculiarity of the human ,problem--,the ,docility of the heavenly ,potentates--,the angelic ,standpoint--,the ,grandeur of ,christianity inspires ,courage #afg ,,prayer ,,and ,,praise4 ,,chapter iii4 #ad-ba4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,comprehension ,,of ,,christ4 ,contents of ,st ,paul's ,prayer--,the ,father of ,angels and of ,men--,strength of ,spirit and of the ,spirit--,christ abiding in the ,heart--,christ and the ,christ--,christ's ,claim on the ,intellect--,neglect of ,theology--,dimensions of ,god's ,building--,strength to grasp the ,magnitude of ,christianity--,the true ,broad ,churchman #ahc ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,knowing ,,the ,,unknowable4 ,knowledge in the ,growth--,paul's ,study of the ,love of ,christ--,christ's manifested ,love--,god's ,fulness our final ,aim--,the ,fulness more than ,love--,praise out-soaring ,prayer--,god's ,gifts beyond our ,requests--,the ,divine ,power immanent in ,men--,the ,inspirer of ,prayer its ,fulfiller--,the ,union of the ,church and ,christ in ,god's ,praise--,the eternal ,glory #aig ,,the ,,exhortation4 ,,on ,,church ,,life4 ,,chapter iv4 #a-af4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,fundamental ,,unities4 ,the ,prisoner in the ,lord--,the ,foes of ,church ,peace3 ,low-mindedness1 ,ambition1 ,resentfulness--,the ,basis of ,unity3 sevenfold1 threefold--,one ,body despite ,divisions--,one ,spirit makes one ,body--,unity of ,life and ,hope--,one ,lord in all ,churches--,baptism a ,sign of ,christ's ,rule1 the ,seal of a corporate ,life--,the one ,god1 and the many #bac ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,measure ,,of ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,christ4 ,unity in ,diversities--,christ the ,administrator--,the ,ascension of ,david and of ,david's ,son--,height and ,breadth--,the ,giving of ,jesus--,christ's ,descent and ,ascent--,the ,warfare of ,christ--,the ,spoils of ,his ,victory--,the ,enlistment of ,his ,prisoners--,apostles and ,prophets1 ,evangelists and ,pastors--,paul1 ,augustine1 ,luther1 ,knox1 ,wesley--,the ,demands of the ,future--,individual ,responsibility #bbg ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,the ,aim of the ,christian ,ministry--,a perfect ,manhood--,sleight or ,sport8--,junctures of ,supply--,reunion in the ,knowledge of the ,son of ,god--,the ,stature of ,christ our ,standard--,the ,dangers of ,childishness--,speculative ,error--,gnosticism and ,agnosticism--,conditions of ,safety--,church ,organization--,the ,framework of the ,body of ,christ--,its ,continuity of ,tissue #bdd ,,on ,,christian ,,morals4 ,,chapter iv4 #ag-v4 #ba4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,walk ,,of ,,the ,,gentiles4 ,the old ,world and the old ,man--,impotence of ,gentile ,reason--,science and ,pessimism--,loss of the ,life of ,god--,ignorance the ,mother of ,indevotion--,induration of ,heart--,impudicity of ,paganism #bfa ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,two ,,human ,,types4 ,defective ,views of ,christ amongst ,paul's ,readers--,the historical ,jesus the true ,christ--,paul and the ,tradition of ,jesus--,jesus the human ,model--,nero a ,type of the ,pagan ,order--,the ,fraud of ,sin--,the ,growth and the ,birth of the new ,man--,righteousness and ,holiness #bge ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,discarded ,,vices4 ,the seven ,gentile ,sins--,truthfulness and the ,truth--,the ,perils of ,anger--,the ,antidote to ,theft--,sinfulness of vain ,speech--,malice and its ,brood--,imitation of the ,divine ,love--,filthiness and ,jesting--,the golden ,leprosy #bij ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,doctrine ,,and ,,ethics4 ,the ,intrinsic and ,experimental in ,morals--,originality of ,christian ,ethics--,ethical ,art and ,science--,four ,principles of ,pauline ,ethics--,personality and ,morals--,ethical ,character of ,christ's ,forgiveness--,auguste ,comte and the ,gospel--,the moral ,import of the ,resurrection--,and of the ,atonement #cje ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,the ,,light4 ,right the ,fruit of ,light--,all ,virtue from one ,source--,unbelief and ,immorality--,christian ,goodness--,the ,way of ,righteousness--,truth the ,hall-mark of ,sanctity--,verity and ,veracity--,specialists in ,virtue--,reproof of open and of hidden ,sins--,manifestation and ,transformation #cba ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,new ,,wine ,,of ,,the ,,spirit4 ,soberness and ,excitement--,the heedful ,look--,evil ,days for the ,asian ,christians--,wisdom to know ,god's ,will--,wine and social ,pleasure--,the ,craving for ,excitement--,fulness of the ,spirit--,the ,rise of ,christian ,psalmody--,the ,music of the ,heart--,enthusiasm and ,order #ccf ,,on ,,family ,,life4 ,,chapter v4 #bb-vi4 #i4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,christian ,,marriage4 ,the ,divine ,character of ,marriage--,religious ,equality of the ,sexes--,the ,glory of the ,man--,women's ,rights--,christ's undivided ,headship--,masculine ,selfishness--,greek ,terms for ,love--,the ,husband and the ,priest--,the double ,self--,indelibility of ,wedlock #cec ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,bride4 ,marriage and the ,doctrine of the ,church--,the ,individual and the ,church--,the ,glory of the vicarious ,death--,christ the ,sanctifier of ,his ,church--,the ,signification of ,baptism--,the ,water and the ,word--,the ,bride made ready--,the ,church a ,christocracy--,adam's ,wedding-song--,the ,church inherent in ,christ #cff ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,christian ,,household4 ,children in the ,church--,the initial ,form of ,duty--,commandment and ,promise--,gentleness of fatherly ,rule--,spoilt ,children--,the ,lord's ,nurture--,greek and ,roman ,slaves--,the ,church and the ,slaves--,christ a ,pattern for ,slaves--,servants of ,society--,care1 ,honesty1 ,heartiness in ,work--,the heavenly ,master's ,reward--,responsibility of the earthly ,master #chj ,,on ,,the ,,approaching ,,conflict4 ,,chapter vi4 #aj-ah4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,foes ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,henceforth be strong6--,the two ,panoplies--,the ,personality of ,satan--,the ,devil and his ,angels--,paul's ,demonology--,the spiritual ,combat--,interior ,temptations--,persecution and ,heresy--,the ,region of the ,struggle--,the ,siege of the heavenly ,city #cig ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,the ,,divine ,,panoply4 ,the coming evil ,day--,comparison with ,revelation ii41 iii4--,the ,girdle of ,truth--,the ,breastplate of ,righteousness--,shoes of ,gospel ,readiness--,the great ,shield of ,faith--,fire-tipped ,darts--,the ,helmet of ,salvation--,the ,spirit's ,sword--,the ,weapon of ,all-prayer #daj ,,the ,,conclusion4 ,,chapter vi4 #ai-bd4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,request3 ,,commendation3 ,,benediction4 ,paul's ,need of the ,church's ,prayers--,christ's ,ambassador before the ,emperor--,speaking the ,word given--,good ,news for the ,asian ,churches--,character and ,services of ,tychicus--,peace to the ,brethren--,love with ,faith--,love toward ,christ and ,grace from ,god--,the ,love incorruptible #dbg ,,the ,,introduction ,,chapter i4 #a1 #b4 ,ou monon ,ephesou alla schedo pass ts ,asias ho ,paulos houtos peisas metestsen hikano ochlon 7,demetrius the ,silversmith74 ,,acts xix4 #bf4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,writer ,,and ,,readers4 ,paul1 an apostle of ,christ ,jesus through the will of ,god1 to the saints1 who are indeed faithful in ,christ ,jesus3 ,grace to you and peace from ,god our ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4#a--;,,eph4 i4 #a1 #b4 ,in passing from the ,galatian to the ,ephesian epistle we are conscious of entering a different atmosphere4 ,we leave the region of controversy for that of meditation4 ,from the battle-field we step into the hush and stillness of the temple4 ,verses #c-ad of this chapter constitute the most sustained and perfect act of praise that is found in the apostle's letters4 ,it is as though a door were suddenly opened in heaven2 it shuts behind us1 and earthly tumult dies away4 ,the contrast between these two writings1 following each other in the established order of the epistles1 is singular and in some ways extreme4 ,they are1 respectively1 the most combative and peaceful1 the most impassioned and unimpassioned1 the most concrete and abstract1 the most human and divine amongst the great apostle's writings4 ,yet there is a fundamental resemblance and identity of character4 ,the two letters are not the expression of different minds1 but of different phases of the same mind4 ,in the ,paul of ,galatians the ,paul of ,ephesians is latent2 the contemplative thinker1 the devout mystic behind the ardent missionary and the masterly debater4 ,those critics who recognize the genuine apostle only in the four previous epistles and reject whatever does not conform strictly to their type1 do not perceive how much is needed to make up a man like the apostle ,paul4 ,without the inwardness1 the brooding faculty1 the power of abstract and metaphysical thinking displayed in the epistles of this group1 he could never have wrought out the system of doctrine contained in those earlier writings1 nor grasped the principles which he there applies with such vigour and effect4 ,that so many serious and able scholars doubt1 or even deny1 ,st ,paul's authorship of this epistle on internal grounds and because of the contrast to which we have referred1 is one of those phenomena which in future histories of religious thought will be quoted as the curiosities of a hypercritical age4#b ,let us observe some of the ,pauline qualities that are stamped upon the face of this document4 ,there is1 in the first place1 the apostle's intellectual note1 what has been well called his passion for the absolute4 ,st ,paul's was one of those minds1 so discomposing to superficial and merely practical thinkers1 which cannot be content with half-way conclusions4 ,for every principle he seeks its ultimate basis2 every line of thought he pushes to its furthest limits4 ,his gospel1 if he is to rest in it1 must supply a principle of unity that will bind together all the elements of his mental world4 ,hence1 in contesting the ,jewish claim to religious superiority on the ground of circumcision and the ,abrahamic covenant1 ,st ,paul developed in the epistle to the ,galatians a religious philosophy of history2 he arrived at a view of the function of the law in the education of mankind which disposed not only of the question at issue1 but of all such questions4 ,he established for ever the principle of salvation by faith and of spiritual sonship to ,god4 ,what that former argument effects for the history of revelation1 is done here for the gospel in its relations to society and universal life4 ,the principle of ,christ's headship is carried to its largest results4 ,the centre of the ,church becomes the centre of the universe4 ,god's plan of the ages is disclosed1 ranging through eternity and embracing every form of being1 and gathering into one all things in the ,christ4 ,in ,galatians and ,romans the thought of salvation by ,christ breaks through ,jewish limits and spreads itself over the field of history2 in ,colossians and ,ephesians the idea of life in ,christ overleaps the barriers of time and human existence1 and brings things in heaven and things in earth and things beneath the earth under its sway4 ,the second1 historical note of original ,paulinism we recognize in the writer's attitude towards ,judaism4 ,we should be prepared to stake the genuineness of the epistle on this consideration alone4 ,the position and point of view of the ,jewish apostle to the ,gentiles are unique in history4 ,it is difficult to conceive how any one but ,paul himself1 at any other juncture1 could have represented the relation of ,jew and ,gentile to each other as it is put before us here4 ,the writer is a ,jew1 a man nourished on the hope of ,israel 7i4 #ab71 who had looked at his fellow-men across the middle wall of partition 7ii4 #ad74 ,in his view1 the covenant and the ,christ belong1 in the first instance and as by birthright1 to the men of ,israel4 ,they are the near1 who live hard by the city and house of ,god4 ,the blessedness of the ,gentile readers consists in the revelation that they are fellow-heirs and of the same body and joint-partakers with us of the promise in ,christ ,jesus 7iii4 #f74 ,what is this but to say1 as the apostle had done before1 that the branches of the naturally wild olive tree were against nature grafted into the good olive tree and allowed to partake of its root and fatness1 along with the natural branches1 the children of the stock of ,abraham who claimed it for their own2 that the men of faith are sons of ,abraham and ,abraham's blessing has come on the ,gentiles through faith8#c ,for our author this revelation has lost none of its novelty and surprise4 ,he is in the midst of the excitement it has produced1 and is himself its chief agent and mouthpiece 7iii4 #a-i74 ,this disclosure of ,god's secret plans for the world overwhelms him by its magnitude1 by the splendour with which it invests the ,divine character1 and the sense of his personal unworthiness to be entrusted with it4 ,we utterly disbelieve that any later ,christian writer could or would have personated the apostle and mimicked his tone and sentiments in regard to his vocation1 in the way that the critical hypothesis assumes4 ,the criterion of ,erasmus is decisive3 ,nemo potest ,paulinum pectus effingere4 ,st ,paul's doctrine of the cross is admittedly his specific theological note4 ,in the shameful sacrificial death of ,jesus ,christ he saw the instrument of man's release from the curse of the broken law2#d and through this knowledge the cross which was the scandal of ,saul the ,pharisee1 had become ,paul's glory and its proclamation the business of his life4 ,it is this doctrine1 in its original strength and fulness1 which lies behind such sentences as those of chapter i4 #g1 ii4 #ac1 and v4 #b3 ,we have redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of our trespasses--brought nigh in the blood of ,christ--an offering and sacrifice to ,god for an odour of sweet smell4 ,another mark of the apostle's hand1 his specific spiritual note1 we find in the mysticism that pervades the epistle and forms1 in fact1 its substance4 ,i live no longer3 ,christ lives in me4 ,he that is joined to the ,lord is one spirit4#e ,in these sentences of the earlier letters we discover the spring of ,st ,paul's theology1 lying in his own experience--the sense of personal union through the ,spirit with ,christ ,jesus4 ,this was the deepest fact of ,paul's consciousness4 ,here it meets us at every turn4 ,more than twenty times the phrase in ,christ or its equivalents recur1 applied to ,christian acts or states4 ,it is enough to refer to chapter iii4 #ag1 that the ,christ may make ,his dwelling in your hearts through faith1 to show how profoundly this mysterious relationship is realized in this letter4 ,no other ,new ,testament writer conceived the idea in ,paul's way1 nor has any subsequent writer of whom we know made the like constant and original use of it4 ,it was the habit of the apostle's mind1 the index of his innermost life4 ,kindred to this1 and hardly less conspicuous1 is his conception of ,god in ,christ 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ai7 saving and operating upon men1 who1 as we read here1 chose us in ,christ before the world's foundation--forgave us in ,him--made us in ,him to sit together in the heavenly places--formed us in ,christ ,jesus for good works4 ,the ethical note of the true ,paulinism is the conception of the new man in ,christ ,jesus1 whose sins were slain by ,his death1 and who shares ,his risen life unto ,god 7,rom4 vi474 ,from this idea1 as from a fountainhead1 the apostle in the parallel ,colossian epistle 7ch4 iii47 deduces the new ,christian morality4 ,the temper and disposition of the believer1 his conduct in all social duties and practical affairs are the expression of a life hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,it is the identical new man of ,romans and ,colossians who presents himself as our ideal here1 raised with ,christ from the dead and sitting with ,him in the heavenly places4 ,the newness of life in which he walks1 receives its impulse and direction from this exalted fellowship4 ,the characteristics of ,st ,paul's teaching which we have described--his logical thoroughness and finality1 his peculiar historical1 theological1 spiritual1 and ethical standpoint and manner of thought--are combined in the conception which is the specific note of this epistle1 viz41 its idea of the ,church as the body of ,christ1--or in other words1 of the new humanity created in ,him4 ,this forms the centre of the circle of thought in which the writer's mind moves2#f it is the meeting-point of the various lines of thought that we have already traced4 ,the doctrine of personal salvation wrought out in the great evangelical epistles terminates in that of social and collective salvation4 ,a new and precious title is conferred on ,christ3 ,he is ,saviour of the body 7v4 #bc71 i4e41 of the corporate ,christian community4 ,the ,son of ,god who loved me and gave up ,himself for me becomes the ,christ who loved the ,church and gave up ,himself for her4#g ,the new man is no longer the individual1 a mere transformed ego2 he is the type and beginning of a new mankind4 ,a perfect society of men1 all sons of ,god in ,christ1 is being constituted around the cross1 in which the old antagonisms are reconciled1 the ideal of creation is restored1 and a body is provided to contain the fulness of ,christ1 a holy temple which ,god inhabits in the ,spirit4 ,of this edifice1 with the cross for its centre and ,christ ,jesus for its corner-stone1 ,jew and ,gentile form the material--the ,jew first1 lying nearest to the site4#h ,the apostle ,paul necessarily conceived the reconstruction of humanity under the form of a reconciliation of ,israel and the ,gentiles4 ,the ,catholicism we have here is ,paul's ,catholicism of ,gentile engrafting--not ,clement's1 of churchly order and uniformity2 nor ,ignatius'1 of monepiscopal rule4 ,it is profoundly characteristic of this apostle1 that in the law which had been to his own experience the barrier and ground of quarrel between the soul and ,god1 the strength of sin1 he should come to see likewise the barrier between men and men1 and the strength of the sinful enmity which distracted the ,churches of his foundation 7ii4 #ad-af74 ,the representation of the ,church contained in this epistle is1 therefore1 by no means new in its elements4 ,such texts as #a ,corinthians iii4 #af1 #ag 7,ye are ,god's temple1 etc47 and xii4 #ab-bg 7concerning the one body and many members7 bring us near to its actual expression4 ,but the figures of the body and temple in these passages1 had they stood alone1 might be read as mere passing illustrations of the nature of ,christian fellowship4 ,now they become proper designations of the ,church1 and receive their full significance4 ,while in #a ,corinthians1 moreover1 these phrases do not look beyond the particular community addressed1 in ,ephesians they embrace the entire ,christian society4 ,this epistle signalizes a great step forwards in the development of the apostle's theology--perhaps we might say1 the last step4 ,the ,pastoral epistles serve to put the final apostolic seal upon the theological edifice that is now complete4 ,their care is with the guarding and furnishing of the great house#i which our epistle is engaged in building4 ,the idea of the ,church is not1 however1 independently developed4 ,ephesians and ,colossians are companion letters1--the complement and explanation of each other4 ,both speak with regard to ,christ and the ,church2 both reveal the ,divine glory in the ,church and in ,christ ,jesus4#aj ,the emphasis of ,ephesians falls on the former1 of ,colossians on the latter of these objects4 ,the doctrine of the ,person of ,christ and that of the nature of the ,church proceed with equal step4 ,the two epistles form one process of thought4 ,criticism has attempted to derive first one and then the other of the two from its fellow1--thus1 in effect1 stultifying itself4 ,finally ,dr4 ,holtzmann1 in his ,kritik der ,epheser-und ,kolosserbriefe1#aa undertook to show that each epistle was in turn dependent on the other4 ,there is1 ,holtzmann says1 a ,pauline nucleus hidden in ,colossians1 which he has himself extracted4 ,by its aid some ecclesiastic of genius in the second century composed the ,ephesian epistle4 ,he then returned to the brief ,colossian writing of ,st ,paul1 and worked it up1 with his own ,ephesian composition lying before him1 into our existing epistle to the ,colossians4 ,this complicated and too ingenious hypothesis has not satisfied any one except its author1 and need not detain us here4 ,but ,holtzmann has at any rate made good1 against his predecessors on the negative side1 the unity of origin of the two canonical epistles1 the fact that they proceed from one mint and coinage4 ,they are twin epistles1 the offspring of a single birth in the apostle's mind4 ,much of their subject-matter1 especially in the ethical section1 is common to both4 ,the glory of the ,christ and the greatness of the ,church are truths inseparable in the nature of things1 wedded to each other4 ,to the confession1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god1 ,his response ever is1 ,i will build my ,church4#ab ,the same correspondence exists between these two epistles in the dialectic movement of the apostle's thought4 ,at the same time1 there is a considerable difference between the two writings in point of style4 ,m4 ,renan1 who accepts ,colossians from ,paul's hand1 and who admits that among all the epistles bearing the name of ,paul the epistle to the ,ephesians is perhaps that which has been most anciently cited as a composition of the apostle of the ,gentiles1 yet speaks of this epistle as a verbose amplification of the other1 a commonplace letter1 diffuse and pointless1 loaded with useless words and repetitions1 entangled and overgrown with irrelevancies1 full of pleonasms and obscurities4#ac ,in this instance1 ,renan's literary sense has deserted him4 ,while ,colossians is quick in movement1 terse and pointed1 in some places so sparing of words as to be almost hopelessly obscure1#ad ,ephesians from beginning to end is measured and deliberate1 exuberant in language1 and obscure1 where it is so1 not from the brevity1 but from the length and involution of its periods4 ,it is occupied with a few great ideas1 which the author strives to set forth in all their amplitude and significance4 ,colossians is a letter of discussion2 ,ephesians of reflection4 ,the whole difference of style lies in this4 ,in the reflective passages of ,colossians1 as indeed in the earlier epistles1#ae we find the stateliness of movement and rhythmical fulness of expression which in this epistle are sustained throughout4 ,both epistles are marked by those unfinished sentences and anacolutha1 the grammatical inconsequence associated with close continuity of thought1 which is a main characteristic of ,st ,paul's style4#af ,the epistle to the ,colossians is like a mountain stream forcing its way through some rugged defile2 that to the ,ephesians is the smooth lake below1 in which its chafed waters restfully expand4 ,these sister epistles represent the moods of conflict and repose which alternated in ,st ,paul's mobile nature4 ,in general1 the writings of this group1 belonging to the time of the apostle's imprisonment and advancing age1#ag display less passion and energy1 but a more tranquil spirit than those of the ,jewish controversy4 ,they are prison letters1 the fruit of a time when the author's mind had been much thrown in upon itself4 ,they have been well styled the afternoon epistles1 being marked by the subdued and reflective temper natural to this period of life4 ,ephesians is1 in truth1 the typical representative of the third group of ,paul's epistles1 as ,galatians is of the second4 ,there is abundant reason to be satisfied that this letter came1 as it purports to do1 from ,paul1 an apostle of ,christ ,jesus through ,god's will4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but that it was addressed to the saints which are in ,ephesus is more difficult to believe4 ,the apostle has heard of the faith which prevails amongst his readers2 he presumes that they have heard of the ,christ1 and were taught in ,him according as truth is in ,jesus4#ah ,he hopes that by reading this epistle they will perceive his understanding in the mystery of ,christ 7iii4 #b-d74 ,he writes somewhat thus to the ,colossians and ,romans1 whom he had never seen2#ai but can we imagine ,paul addressing in this distant and uncertain fashion his children in the faith8 ,in ,ephesus he had laboured for the space of three whole years 7,acts xx4 #ca71 longer than in any other city of the ,gentile mission1 except ,antioch4 ,his speech to the ,ephesian elders at ,miletus1 delivered four years ago1 was surcharged with personal feeling1 full of pathetic reminiscence and the signs of interested acquaintance with the individual membership of the ,ephesian ,church4 ,in the epistle such signs are altogether wanting4 ,the absence of greetings and messages we could understand2 these ,tychicus might convey by word of mouth4 ,but how the man who wrote the epistles to the ,philippians and ,corinthians could have composed this long and careful letter to his own ,ephesian people without a single word of endearment or familiarity1#bj and without the least allusion to his past intercourse with them1 we cannot understand4 ,it is in the destination that the only serious difficulty lies touching the authorship4 ,nowhere do we see more of the apostle and less of the man in ,st ,paul2 nowhere more of the ,church1 and less of this or that particular church4 ,it agrees with these internal indications that the local designation is wanting in the oldest ,greek copies of the letter that are extant4 ,the two great manuscripts of the fourth century1 the ,vatican and ,sinaitic codices1 omit the words in ,ephesus4 ,basil in the fourth century did not accept them1 and says that the old copies were without them4 ,origen1 in the beginning of the third century1 seems to have known nothing of them4 ,and ,tertullian1 at the end of the second century1 while he condemns the heretic ,marcion 7who lived about fifty years earlier7 for entitling the epistle ,to the ,laodiceans1 quotes only the title against him1 and not the text of the address1 which he would presumably have done1 had he read it in the form familiar to us4 ,we are compelled to suppose1 with ,westcott and ,hort and the textual critics generally1 that these words form no part of the original address4 ,here the circular hypothesis of ,beza and ,ussher comes to our aid4 ,it is supposed that the letter was destined for a number of ,churches in ,asia ,minor1 which ,tychicus was directed to visit in the course of the journey which took him to ,colossae4#ba ,along with the letters for the ,colossians and ,philemon1 he was entrusted with this more general epistle1 intended for the ,gentile ,christian communities of the neighbouring region at large4 ,during ,st ,paul's ministry at ,ephesus1 we are told that all those that dwell in ,asia heard the word of the ,lord1 both ,jews and ,greeks 7,acts xix4 #aj74 ,in so large and populous an area1 amongst the ,churches founded at this time there were doubtless others beside those of the ,lycus valley which had not seen ,paul's face in the flesh1 some about which the apostle had less precise knowledge than he had of these through ,epaphras and ,onesimus1 but for whom he was no less desirous that their hearts should be comforted1 and brought into all the wealth of the full assurance of the understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of ,god 7,col4 ii4 #a1 #b74 ,to which or how many of the ,asian ,churches ,tychicus would be able to communicate the letter was1 presumably1 uncertain when it was written at ,rome2 and the designation was left open4 ,its conveyance by ,tychicus 7vi4 #ba1 #bb7 supplied the only limit to its distribution4 ,proconsular ,asia was the richest and most peaceful province of the ,empire1 so populous that it was called the province of five hundred cities4 ,ephesus was only the largest of many flourishing commercial and manufacturing towns4 ,at the close of his epistle to the ,colossians ,st ,paul directs this ,church to procure from ,laodicea1 in exchange for their own1 a letter which he is sending there 7iv4 #af74 ,is it possible that we have the lost ,laodicean document in the epistle before us8 ,so ,ussher suggested2 and though the assumption is not essential to his theory1 it falls in with it very aptly4 ,marcion may1 after all1 have preserved a reminiscence of the fact that ,laodicea1 as well as ,ephesus1 shared in this letter4 ,the conjecture is endorsed by ,lightfoot1 who says1 writing on ,colossians iv4 #af3 ,there are good reasons for the belief that ,st ,paul here alludes to the so-called epistle to the ,ephesians1 which was in fact a circular letter1 addressed to the principal ,churches of proconsular ,asia4 ,tychicus was obliged to pass through ,laodicea on his way to ,colossae1 and would leave a copy there before the ,colossian letter was delivered4#bb ,the two epistles admirably supplement each other4 ,the ,apocalyptic letter to the seven churches which are in ,asia1 ranging from ,ephesus to ,laodicea 7,rev4 ii41 iii471 shows how much the ,christian communities of this region had in common and how natural it would be to address them collectively4 ,for the same region1 with a yet wider scope1 the first catholic epistle of ,peter was destined1 a writing that has many points of contact with this4 ,ephesus being the metropolis of the ,asian ,churches1 and claiming a special interest in ,st ,paul1 came to regard the epistle as specially her own4 ,through ,ephesus1 moreover1 it was communicated to the ,church in other provinces4 ,hence it came to pass that when ,paul's epistles were gathered into a single volume and a title was needed for this along with the rest1 ,to the ,ephesians was written over it2 and this reference standing in the title1 in course of time found its way into the text of the address4 ,we propose to read this letter as the general epistle of ,paul to the ,churches of ,asia1 or to ,ephesus and its daughter ,churches4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but how are we to read the address1 with the local definition wanting8 ,there are two constructions open to us3--7#a7 ,we might suppose that a space was left blank in the original to be filled in afterwards by ,tychicus with the names of the particular ,churches to which he distributed copies1 or to be supplied by the voice of the reader4 ,but if that were so1 we should have expected to find some trace of this variety of designation in the ancient witnesses4 ,as it is1 the documents either give ,ephesus in the address1 or supply no local name at all4 ,nor is there1 so far as we are aware1 any analogy in ancient usage for the proceeding suggested4 ,moreover1 the order of the ,greek words#bc is against this supposition4--7#b7 ,we prefer1 therefore1 to follow ,origen#bd and ,basil1 with some modern exegetes1 in reading the sentence straight on1 as it stands in the ,sinaitic and ,vatican copies4 ,it then becomes3 ,to the saints1 who are indeed faithful in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the saints is the apostle's designation for ,christian believers generally1#be as men consecrated to ,god in ,christ 7#a ,cor4 i4 #b74 ,the qualifying phrase those who are indeed faithful in ,christ ,jesus1 is admonitory4 ,as ,lightfoot says with reference to the parallel qualification in ,colossians i4 #b1 ,this unusual addition is full of meaning4 ,some members of the ,asian ,churches were shaken in their allegiance1 even if they had not fallen from it4 ,the apostle therefore wishes it to be understood that1 when he speaks of the saints1 he means those who are true and steadfast members of the brotherhood4 ,in this way he obliquely hints at the defection4 ,by this further definition he does not directly exclude any1 but he indirectly warns all4 ,we are reminded that we are in the neighbourhood of the ,colossian heresy4 ,beneath the calm tenor of this epistle1 the ear catches an undertone of controversy4 ,in chapter iv4 #ad and vi4 #aj-bj this undertone becomes clearly audible4 ,we shall find the epistle end with the note of warning with which it begins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,salutation is according to ,st ,paul's established form of greeting4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the translation given in this volume is based upon the ,revised ,version1 but deviates from it in some particulars4 ,these deviations will be explained in the exposition4 #b ,the case against authenticity is ably stated in ,dr4 ,s4 ,davidson's ,introduction to the ,n4 ,t42 see also ,baur's ,paul1 ,pfleiderer's ,paulinism1 ,hilgenfeld's ,einleitung1 ,hatch's article on ,paul in the ,encyclopaedia ,britannica4 ,the case for the defence may be found in ,weiss'1 ,salmon's1 ,bleek's1 or ,dods' ,n4 ,t4 ,introduction--the last brief1 but to the point2 in ,reuss' ,history of the ,n4 ,t42 ,milligan's article on ,ephesians in ,encycl4 ,brit42 ,gloag's ,introduction to the ,pauline ,epp42 ,meyer's1 or ,beet's1 or ,eadie's ,commentary2 ,sabatier's ,the ,apostle ,paul4 #c ,rom4 xi4 #af-bd2 ,acts xiii4 #bf2 ,gal4 iii4 #g1 #ad4 #d ,gal4 iii4 #aj-ac2 #b ,cor4 v4 #bj1 #ba1 etc4 #e ,gal4 ii4 #bj2 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ag4 #f ,see ch4 i4 #i-ac1 ii4 #aa-bb1 iii4 #e-aa1 iv4 #a-af1 v4 #bc-cb4 #g ,gal ii4 #bj2 ,eph4 v4 #be4 #h ,rom4 i4 #af2 ,eph4 ii4 #ag-bj4 #i #a ,tim4 iii4 #ae1 #af2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #bj1 #ba4 #aj ,eph4 iii4 #ba1 v4 #cb4 #aa ,kritik d4 ,epheser-u4 ,kolosserbriefe auf ,grund einer ,analyse ihres ,verwandtschaftsverhltnisses 7,leipzig1 #ahgb74 ,a work more subtle and scientific1 more replete with learning1 and yet more unconvincing than this of ,holtzmann1 we do not know4 ,von ,soden1 the latest interpreter of this school and ,holtzmann's collaborateur in the new ,hand-,commentar1 accepts ,colossians in its integrity as the work of ,paul1 retracting previous doubts on the subject4 ,ephesians he believes to have been written by a ,jewish disciple of ,paul in his name1 about the end of the first century4 #ab ,matt4 xvi4 #ae-ah2 ,john xvii4 #aj3 ,i am glorified in them4 #ac ,see his ,saint ,paul1 ,introduction1 pp4 xii4-xxiii4 #ad ,see ,col4 ii4 #ae1 #ah1 #bj-bc4 #ae ,e4g41 in ,rom4 i4 #a-g1 viii4 #bh-cj1 xi4 #cc-cf1 xvi4 #be-bg4 #af ,see the ,winer-,moulton ,n4 ,t4 ,grammar1 p4 #gji3 ,it is in writers of great mental vivacity--more taken up with the thought than with the mode of its expression--that we may expect to find anacolutha most frequently4 ,hence they are especially numerous in the epistolary style of the apostle ,paul4 #ag ,eph4 iii4 #a2 ,phil4 i4 #ac2 ,philem4 #i4 #ah ,ch4 i4 #ae1 iv4 #bj1 #ba4 #ai ,col4 i4 #d1 ii4 #a2 ,rom4 xv4 #ae1 #af4 #bj ,my brethren in ch4 vi4 #aj is an insertion of the copyists4 ,even the closing benediction1 ch4 vi4 #bc1 #bd1 is in the third person--a thing unexampled in ,st ,paul's epistles4 #ba ,ch4 vi4 #ba1 #bb2 ,col4 iv4 #g-i4 #bb ,compare ,maclaren on ,colossians and ,philemon1 p4 #djf1 in this series4 #bc ,tois hagiois tois ousin 444 kai pistois en ,christ ,isou4 ,the interposition of the heterogeneous attributive between hagiois and pistois is harsh and improbable--not to say1 with ,hofmann1 quite incredible4 ,the two latest ,german commentaries to hand1 that of ,beck and of von ,soden 7in the ,hand-,commentar71 interpreters of opposite schools1 agree with ,hofmann in rejecting the local adjunct and regarding pistois as the complement of tois ousin4 #bd ,origen1 in his fanciful way1 makes of tois ousin a predicate by itself3 the saints who are1 who possess real being like ,god ,himself 7,exod4 iii4 #ad7--;called from non-existence into existence4 ,he compares #a ,cor4 i4 #bh4 #be ,see1 e4g41 ver4 #ah1 ii4 #ai1 iii4 #ah1 iv4 #ab1 v4 #c4 ,,praise ,,and ,,prayer4 ,,chapter i4 #c-ai4 ,hous proegn1 kai prorisen symmorphous ts eikonos tou huiou autou1 eis to einai auto prtotokon en pollois adelphois2 hous de prorisen1 toutous kai ekalesen2 kai hous ekalesen1 toutous kai edikaisen2 hous de edikaisen1 toutous kai edoxasen4 ,,rom4 viii4 #bi1 #cj4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,eternal ,,purpose4 ,we enter this epistle through a magnificent gateway4 ,the introductory ,act of ,praise1 extending from verse #c to #ad1 is one of the most sublime of inspired utterances1 an overture worthy of the composition that it introduces4 ,its first sentence compels us to feel the insufficiency of our powers for its due rendering4 ,the apostle surveys in this thanksgiving the entire course of the revelation of grace4 ,standing with the men of his day1 the new-born community of the sons of ,god in ,christ1 midway between the ages past and to come1#bf he looks backward to the source of man's salvation when it lay a silent thought in the mind of ,god1 and forward to the hour when it shall have accomplished its promise and achieved our redemption4 ,in this grand evolution of the ,divine plan three stages are marked by the refrain1 thrice repeated1 ,to the praise of ,his glory1 of the glory of ,his grace 7vv4 #f1 #ab1 #ad74 ,st ,paul's psalm is thus divided into three strophes1 or stanzas3 he sings the glory of redeeming love in its past designs1 its present bestowments1 and its future fruition4 ,the paragraph1 forming but one sentence and spun upon a single golden thread1 is a piece of thought-music1--a sort of fugue1 in which from eternity to eternity the counsel of love is pursued by ,paul's bold and exulting thought4 ,despite the grammatical involution of the style here carried to an extreme1 and underneath the apparatus of ,greek pronouns and participles1 there is a fine ,hebraistic lilt pervading the doxology4 ,the refrain is in the manner of ,psalms xlii4-xliii41 and xcix41 where in the former instance health of countenance1 and in the latter holy is ,he gives the key-note of the poet's melody and parts his song into three balanced stanzas4 ,in such poetry the strophes may be unequal in length1 each developing its own thought freely1 and yet there is harmony in their combination4 ,here the central idea1 that of ,god's actual bounty to believers1 fills a space equal to that of the other two4 ,but there is a pause within it1 at verse #aj1 which in effect resumes the idea of the first strophe and works it in as a motif to the second1 carrying on both in a full stream till they lose themselves in the third and culminating movement4 ,throughout the piece there runs in varying expression the phrase in ,christ--in the ,beloved--in ,him--in whom1 weaving the verses into subtle continuity4 ,the theme of the entire composition is given in verse #c1 which does not enter into the threefold division we have described1 but forms a prelude to it4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 who hath blessed us1 ,in every blessing of the spirit1 in the heavenly places1 in ,christ4 ,blessed be ,god6--,it is the song of the universe1 in which heaven and earth take responsive parts4 ,when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy1 this concert began1 and continues still through the travail of creation and the sorrow and sighing of men4 ,the work praises the ,master4 ,all sinless creatures1 by their order and harmony1 by the variety of their powers and beauty of their forms and delight of their existence1 declare their ,creator's glory4 ,that praise to the ,most ,high ,god which the lower creatures act instrumentally1 it is man's privilege to utter in discourse of reason and music of the heart4 ,man is ,nature's high priest2 and above other men1 the poet4 ,time will be1 as it has been1 when it shall be accounted the poet's honour and the crown of his art1 that he should take the high praises of ,god into his mouth1 making hymns to the glory of the ,supreme ,maker and giving voice to the dumb praise of inanimate nature and to the noblest thoughts of his fellows concerning the ,blessed ,god4 ,blessed be ,god6--,it is the perpetual strain of the ,old ,testament1 from ,melchizedek down to ,daniel1--of ,david in his triumph1 and ,job in his misery4 ,but not hitherto could men say1 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,he was the ,most ,high ,god1 the ,god of heaven1--,jehovah1 ,god of ,israel1 who only doeth wondrous things1--the ,shepherd and the ,rock of ,his people1--the true ,god1 the living ,god1 and an everlasting ,king2 and these are glorious titles1 which have raised men's thoughts to moods of highest reverence and trust4 ,but the name of ,father1 and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 surpasses and outshines them all4 ,with wondering love and joy unspeakable ,st ,paul pronounced this ,benedictus4 ,god was not less to him the ,almighty1 the ,high and ,holy ,one dwelling in eternity1 than in the days of his youthful ,jewish faith2 but the ,eternal and ,all-holy ,one was now his ,father in ,jesus ,christ4 ,blessed be ,his name3 and let the whole earth be filled with ,his glory6 ,the apostle's psalm is a psalm of thanksgiving to ,god blessing and blessed4 ,the second clause rhythmically answers to the first4 ,true1 our blessing of ,him is far different from ,his blessing of us3 ours in thought and words2 ,his in mighty deeds of salvation4 ,yet in the fruit of lips giving thanks to ,his name there is a revenue of blessing paid to ,god which ,he delights in1 and requires4 ,o ,thou that inhabitest the praises of ,israel1 grant us to bless ,thee while we live and to lift up our hands in ,thy name6 ,by three qualifying adjuncts the blessing which the ,father of ,christ bestowed upon us is defined3 in respect of its nature1 its sphere1 and its personal ground4 ,the blessings that prompt the apostle's praise are not such as those conspicuous in the ,old ,covenant3 ,blessed shalt thou be in the city1 and in the field2 in the fruit of thy body1 and the fruit of thy ground1 and the increase of thy kine2 blessed shall be thy basket1 and thy kneading-trough 7,deut4 xxviii4 #c-e74 ,the gospel pronounces beatitudes of another style3 ,blessed are the poor in spirit2 blessed the meek1 the merciful1 the pure in heart1 the persecuted4 ,st ,paul had small share indeed in the former class of blessings1--a childless1 landless1 homeless man4 ,yet what happiness and wealth are his6 ,out of his poverty he is making all the ages rich6 ,from the gloom of his prison he sheds a light that will guide and cheer the steps of multitudes of earth's sad wayfarers4 ,not certainly in the earthly places where he finds himself is ,paul the prisoner of ,christ ,jesus blessed2 but in spiritual blessing and in heavenly places how abundantly6 ,his own blessedness he claims for all who are in ,christ4 ,blessing spiritual in its nature is1 in ,st ,paul's conception of things1 blessing in and of the ,holy ,spirit4#bg ,in ,his quickening our spirit lives2 through ,his indwelling health1 blessedness1 eternal life are ours4 ,in this verse justly the theologians recognize the ,trinity of the ,father1 ,christ1 and the ,holy ,spirit4--,blessing in the heavenly places is not so much blessing coming from those places--from ,god the ,father who sits there--as it is blessing which lifts us into that supernal region1 giving to us a place and heritage in the world of ,god and of the angels4 ,two passages of the companion epistles interpret this phrase3 ,your life is hid with ,christ in ,god 7,col4 iii4 #c72 and again1 ,our citizenship is in heaven 7,phil4 iii4 #bj74--,the decisive note of ,st ,paul's blessedness lies in the words in ,christ4 ,for him all good is summed up there4 ,spiritual1 heavenly1 and ,christian3 these three are one4 ,in ,christ dying1 risen1 reigning1 ,god the ,father has raised believing men to a new heavenly life4 ,from the first inception of the work of grace to its consummation1 ,god thinks of men1 speaks to them and deals with them in ,christ4 ,to ,him1 therefore1 with the ,father be eternal praise6 ,as ,he chose us in ,him before the world's foundation1 ,that we should be holy and unblemished before ,him3 ,when in love ,he foreordained us ,to filial adoption through ,jesus ,christ for ,himself1 ,according to the good pleasure of ,his will1-- ,to the praise of the glory of ,his grace 7vv4 #d-f;a74 ,here is ,st ,paul's first chapter of ,genesis4 ,in the beginning was the election of grace4 ,there is nothing unprepared1 nothing unforeseen in ,god's dealings with mankind4 ,his wisdom and knowledge are as deep as ,his grace is wide 7,rom4 xi4 #cc74 ,speaking of his own vocation1 the apostle said3 ,it pleased ,god1 who set me apart from my mother's womb1 to reveal ,his ,son in me 7,gal4 i4 #ae1 #af74 ,he does but generalize this conception and carry it two steps further back--from the origin of the individual to the origin of the race1 and from the beginning of the race to the beginning of the world--when he asserts that the community of redeemed men was chosen in ,christ before the world's foundation4 ,the world is a work of time1 the slow structure of innumerable yet finite ages4 ,science affirms on its own grounds that the visible universe had a beginning1 as it has its changes and its certain end4 ,its structural plan1 its unity of aim and movement1 show it to be the creation of a vast ,intelligence4 ,harmony and law1 all that makes science possible is the product of thought4 ,reason extracts from nature what ,reason has first put there4 ,the longer1 the more intricate and grand the process1 the farther science pushes back the beginning in our thoughts1 the more sublime and certain the primitive truth becomes3 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth4 ,the world is a system2 it has a method and a plan1 therefore a foundation4 ,but before the foundation1 there was the ,founder4 ,and man was in ,his thoughts1 and the redeemed ,church of ,christ4 ,while yet the world was not and the immensity of space stretched lampless and unpeopled1 we were in the mind of ,god2 ,his thought rested with complacency upon ,his human sons1 whose name was written in the book of life from the foundation of the world4 ,this amazing statement is only the logical consequence of ,st ,paul's experience of ,divine grace1 joined to his conviction of the infinite wisdom and eternal being of ,god4 ,when he says that ,god chose us in ,christ before the foundation of the world--or before founding the world--this is not a mere mark of time4 ,it intimates that in laying ,his plans for the world the ,creator had the purpose of redeeming grace in view4 ,the kingdom which the blessed children of the ,father of ,christ inherit1 is the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world 7,matt4 xxv4 #cd74 ,salvation lies as deep as creation4 ,the provision for it is eternal4 ,for the universe of being was conceived1 fashioned1 and built up in ,christ4 ,the argument of ,colossians i4 #ac-bb lies behind these words4 ,the ,son of ,god's love1 in whom and for whom the worlds were made1 always was potentially the ,redeemer of men1 as ,he was the image of ,god 7,col4 i4 #ad1 #ae74 ,he looked forward to this mission from eternity1 and was in spirit the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world 7,rev4 xiii4 #h74 ,creation and redemption1 ,nature and the ,church1 are parts of one system2 and in the reconciliation of the cross all orders of being are concerned1 whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens4 ,evil existed before man appeared on the earth to be tempted and to fall4 ,through the geological record we hear the voice of creation groaning for long aeons in its pain4 ,dragons of the prime1 ,that tare each other in their slime1 grim prophets of man's brutal and murderous passions1 bear witness to a war in nature that goes back far towards the foundation of the world4 ,and this rent and discord in the frame of things it was ,his part to reconcile in whom and for whom all things were created4 ,this universal deliverance1 it seems1 is dependent upon ours4 ,the creation itself lifts up its head1 and is looking out for the revelation of the sons of ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #ai74 ,in founding the world1 foreseeing its bondage to corruption1 ,god prepared through ,his elect sons in ,christ a deliverance the glory of which will make its sufferings to seem but a light thing4 ,in thee1 said ,god to ,abraham1 shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed3 so in the final adoption1--to wit1 the redemption of our body 7,rom4 viii4 #bc71 all creatures shall exult2 and our mother earth1 still travailing in pain with us1 will remember her anguish no more4 ,the ,divine election of men in ,christ is further defined in the words of verse #e3 ,having in love predestined us1 and according to the good pleasure of ,his will4 ,election is selection2 it is the antecedent in the mind of ,god in ,christ of the preference which ,christ showed when ,he said to ,his disciples1 ,i have chosen you out of the world4 ,it is1 moreover1 a fore-ordination in love3 an expression which indicates on the one hand the disposition in ,god that prompted and sustains ,his choice1 and on the other the determination of the almighty ,will whereby the all-wise ,choice is put into operation and takes effect4 ,in this pre-ordaining control of human history ,god determined the fore-appointed seasons and the bounds of human habitation 7,acts xvii4 #bf74 ,the ,divine prescience--that depth of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god--as well as ,his absolute righteousness1 forbids the treasonable thought of anything arbitrary or unfair cleaving to this pre-determination--anything that should override our free-will and make our responsibility an illusion4 ,whom ,he did foreknow1 ,he also did predestinate 7,rom4 viii4 #bi74 ,he foresees everything1 and allows for everything4 ,the consistence of foreknowledge with free-will is an enigma which the apostle did not attempt to solve4 ,his reply to all questions touching the justice of ,god's administration in the elections of grace--questions painfully felt and keenly agitated then as they are now1 and that pressed upon himself in the case of his ,jewish kindred with a cruel force 7,rom4 ix4 #c7--;his answer to his own heart1 and to us1 lies in the last words of verse #e3 according to the good pleasure of ,his will4 ,it is what ,jesus said concerning the strange preferences of ,divine grace3 ,even so1 ,father1 for so it seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,what pleases ,him can only be wise and right4 ,what pleases ,him1 must content us4 ,impatience is unbelief4 ,let us wait to see the end of the ,lord4 ,in numberless instances--such as that of the choice between ,jacob and ,esau1 and that of ,paul and the believing remnant of ,israel as against their nation--,god's ways have justified themselves to after times2 so they will universally4 ,our little spark of intelligence glances upon one spot in a boundless ocean1 on the surface of immeasurable depths4 ,the purpose of this loving fore-ordination of believing men in ,christ is twofold2 it concerns at once their character and their state3 ,he chose us out--that we should be holy and without blemish in ,his sight1 and unto adoption as sons through ,jesus ,christ for ,himself4 ,these two purposes are one4 ,god's sons must be holy2 and holy men are ,his sons4 ,for this end we were elected of ,god in the beginning4 ,nay1 with this end in view the world was founded and the human race came into being1 to provide ,god with such sons#bh and that ,christ might be the firstborn among many brethren 7,rom4 viii4 #bh-cj74 ,that we should be holy--should be saints4 ,this the readers are already3 ,to the saints the apostle writes 7ver4 #a74 ,they are men devoted to ,god by their own choice and will1 meeting ,god's choice and will for them4 ,imperfect saints they may be1 by no means as yet without blemish2 but they are already1 and abidingly1 sanctified in ,christ ,jesus 7#a ,cor4 i4 #b7 and sealed for ,god's possession by the ,holy ,spirit 7vv4 #ac1 #ad74 ,in this fact lies their hope of moral perfection and the impulse and power to attain it4 ,their task is to perfect their existing holiness 7#b ,cor4 vii4 #a71 cleansing themselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit4 ,let no ,christian say1 ,i do not pretend to be a saint4 ,this is to renounce your calling4 ,you are a saint if you are a true believer in ,christ2 and you are to be an unblemished saint4 ,thus the ,church is at last to be presented1 and every man in his own order1 faultless before the presence of ,his glory1 with exceeding joy4#bi ,god could not invite us in ,his grace to anything inferior4 ,a blemished saint--a smeared picture1 a flawed marble--this is not like ,his work2 it is not like ,himself4 ,such saintship cannot approve itself before ,him4 ,he must carry out ,his ideal1 must fashion the new man as he was created in ,christ after ,his own faultless image1 and make human holiness a transcript of the ,divine 7#a ,peter i4 #af74 ,now1 this ,divine character is native to the sons of ,god4 ,the ideal which ,god had for men was always the same4 ,the father of the race was made in ,his image4 ,in the ,old ,testament ,israel receives the command3 ,you shall be holy1 for ,i1 ,jehovah your ,god1 am holy4 ,but it was in ,jesus ,christ that the breadth of this command was disclosed1 and the possibility of our personal obedience to it4 ,the law of ,christian sonship1 manifest only in shadow in the ,levitical sanctity1 is now pronounced by ,jesus3 ,you shall be perfect1 as your heavenly ,father is perfect4 ,verses #d and #e are therefore strictly parallel3 ,god elected us in ,christ to be perfect saints2 for ,he predestined us through ,jesus ,christ to be ,his sons4 ,sonship to ,himself is the ,christian status1 the rank and standing which ,god confers on those who believe in ,his ,son2 it accrues to them by the fact that they are in ,christ4#cj ,it is defined by the term adoption1 which ,st ,paul employs in this sense in ,romans viii4 #ae1 #bc1 as well as in ,galatians iv4 #e4 ,adoption was a peculiar institution of ,roman law1 familiar to ,paul as a citizen of ,rome2 and it aptly describes to ,gentile believers their relation to the family of ,god4 ,by adoption under the ,roman law an entire stranger in blood became a member of the family into which he was adopted1 exactly as if he had been born in it4 ,he assumed the family name1 partook in its system of sacrificial rites1 and became1 not on sufferance or at will1 but to all intents and purposes a member of the house of his adopter4444 ,this metaphor was ,st ,paul's translation into the language of ,gentile thought of ,christ's great doctrine of the ,new ,birth4 ,he exchanges the physical metaphor of regeneration for the legal metaphor of adoption4 ,the adopted becomes in the eye of the law a new creature4 ,he was born again into a new family4 ,by the aid of this figure the ,gentile convert was enabled to realize in a vivid manner the fatherhood of ,god1 the brotherhood of the faithful1 the obliteration of past penalties1 the right to the mystic inheritance4 ,he was enabled to realize that upon this spiritual act ',old things passed away and all things became new4'#ca ,this exalted status belonged to men in the purpose of ,god from eternity2 but as a matter of fact it was instituted through ,jesus ,christ1 the historical ,redeemer4 ,whether previously 7,jewish7 servants in ,god's house or 7,gentile7 aliens excluded from it 7ii4 #ab71 those who believed in ,jesus as the ,christ received a spirit of adoption and dared to call ,god ,father6 ,this unspeakable privilege had been preparing for them through the ages past in ,god's hidden wisdom4 ,throughout the wild course of human apostasy the ,father looked forward to the time when ,he might again through ,jesus ,christ make men ,his sons2 and ,his promises and preparations were directed to this one end4 ,the predestination having such an end1 how fitly it is said3 in love having foreordained us4 ,four times1 in these three verses1 with exulting emphasis1 the apostle claims this distinction for us4 ,who1 then1 are the objects of the primordial election of grace8 ,does ,st ,paul use the pronoun distributively1 thinking of individuals--you and me and so many others1 the personal recipients of saving grace8 or does he mean the ,church1 as that is collectively the family of ,god and the object of ,his loving ordination8 ,in this epistle1 the latter is surely the thought in the apostle's mind4#cb ,as ,hofmann says3 ,the body of ,christians is the object of this choice1 not as composed of a certain number of individuals--a sum of 'the elect' opposed to a sum of the non-elect--but as the ,church taken out of and separated from the world4 ,on the other hand1 we may not widen the pronoun further2 we cannot allow that the sonship here signified is man's natural relation to ,god1 that to which he was born by creation4 ,this robs the word adoption of its distinctive force4 ,the sonship in question1 while grounded in ,christ from eternity1 is conferred through the incarnate and crucified ,jesus ,christ2 it redounds to the praise of the glory of ,his grace4 ,now1 grace is ,god's redeeming love toward sinners4 ,god's purpose of grace toward mankind1 embedded1 as one may say1 in creation1 is realized in the body of redeemed men4 ,but this community1 we rejoice to believe1 is vastly larger than the visible aggregate of ,churches2 for how many who knew not ,his name1 have yet walked in the true light which lighteth every man4 ,there lies in the words in ,christ a principle of exclusion1 as well as of wide inclusion4 ,men cannot be in ,christ against their will1 who persistently put ,him1 ,his gospel and ,his laws1 away from them4 ,when we close with ,christ by faith1 we begin to enter into the purpose of our being4 ,we find the place prepared for us before the foundation of the world in the kingdom of ,divine love4 ,we live henceforth to the praise of the glory of ,his grace6 ,,footnotes3 #bf ,ch4 ii4 #g1 iii4 #e1 #ba2 ,col4 i4 #bf4 #bg ,vv4 #ac1 #ad2 ,rom4 viii4 #b-f1 #af2 #a ,cor4 ii4 #ab2 ,gal v4 #af1 #bb-be4 #bh eis auton1 for ,him2 not aut1 to ,him4 #bi ,ch4 v4 #be-bg2 ,col4 i4 #bg-bi2 ,jude #bd4 #cj ,on sonship1 see ,chapters ,,xv4-,,xvii4 and ,,xix4 in ,the ,epistle to the ,galatians 7,expositor's ,bible74 #ca ,from a valuable and suggestive paper by ,w4 ,e4 ,ball1 ,,ll4,d41 on ,st ,paul and the ,roman ,law1 in the ,contemporary ,review1 ,august #ahia4 #cb ,see vv4 #ab1 #ac1 where ,jews and ,gentiles1 collectively1 are distinguished2 and ch4 ii4 #aa1 #ab1 iii4 #b-f1 #ba1 iv4 #d1 #e1 v4 #be-bg4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,bestowment ,,of ,,grace4 ,which grace ,he bestowed on us1 in the ,beloved ,one3 ,in whom we have the redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of our trespasses1 ,according to the riches of ,his grace3 ,which ,he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence1 making known to us the mystery of ,his will1 ,according to ,his good pleasure3 ,which ,he purposed in ,him1 for dispensation in the fulness of the times1 ,purposing to gather into one body all things in the ,christ-- ,the things belonging to the heavens1 and the things upon the earth--yea1 in ,him1 ,in whom also we received our heritage1 as we had been foreordained1 ,according to purpose of ,him who worketh all things ,according to the counsel of ,his will1-- ,that we might be to the praise of ,his glory4#cc ,,eph4 i4 #f;b-#ab;a4 ,the blessedness of men in ,christ is not matter of purpose only1 but of reality and experience4 ,with the word grace in the middle of the sixth verse the apostle's thought begins a new movement4 ,we have seen ,grace hidden in the depths of eternity in the form of sovereign and fatherly election1 lodging its purpose in the foundation of the world4 ,from those mysterious depths we turn to the living world in our own breast4 ,there1 too1 ,grace dwells and reigns3 which grace ,he imparted to us1 in the ,beloved1--in whom we have redemption through ,his blood4 ,the leading word of this clause we can only paraphrase2 it has no ,english equivalent4 ,st ,paul perforce turns grace into a verb2 this verb occurs in the ,new ,testament but once besides1--in ,luke i4 #bh1 the angel's salutation to ,mary3 ,hail thou that art highly favoured 7made-an-object-of-grace74#cd ,if we could employ our verb to grace in a sense corresponding to that of the noun grace in the apostle's dialect and nearly the opposite of to disgrace1 then graced would signify what he means here1 viz41 treated with grace1 made its recipients4 ,god showed us grace in the ,beloved--or1 to render the phrase with full emphasis1 in that ,beloved ,one--even as ,he chose us in ,him before the world's foundation and in love predestined us for adoption4 ,the grace is conveyed upon the basis of our relationship to ,christ3 on that ground it was conceived in the counsels of eternity4 ,the ,voice from heaven which said at the baptism of ,jesus and again at the transfiguration1 ,this is my ,son1 the ,beloved1 uttered ,god's eternal thought regarding ,christ4 ,and that regard of ,god toward the ,son of ,his love is the fountain of ,his love and grace to men4 ,christ is the ,beloved not of the ,father alone1 but of the created universe4 ,all that know the ,lord ,jesus must needs love and adore ,him--unless their hearts are eaten out by sin4 ,not to love ,him is to be anathema4 ,if any man love me1 said ,jesus1 my ,father will love him4 ,nothing so much pleases ,god and brings us into fellowship with ,god so direct and joyous1 as our love to ,jesus ,christ4 ,about this at least heaven and earth may agree1 that ,he is the altogether lovely and love-worthy4 ,agreement in this will bring about agreement in everything4 ,the love of ,christ will tune the jarring universe into harmony4 #a4 ,of grace bestowed1 the first manifestation1 in the experience of ,paul and his readers1 was the forgiveness of their trespasses 7comp4 ii4 #ac-ah74 ,this is the redemption that we have4 ,and it comes through ,his blood4 ,the epistles to the ,galatians and ,romans#ce expound at length the apostle's doctrine touching the remission of sin and the relation of ,christ's death to human transgression4 ,to redemption we shall return in considering verse #ad1 where the word is used1 as again in chapter iv4 #cj1 in its further application4 ,in ,romans iii4 #bb-bf the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus is declared to be the means by which we are acquitted in the judgement of ,god from the guilt of past transgressions4 ,and this redemption consists in the propitiatory sacrifice which ,christ offered in shedding ,his blood--a sacrifice wherein we participate through faith4 ,the language of this verse contains by implication all that is affirmed there4 ,in this connexion1 and according to the full intent of the word1 redemption is release by ransom4 ,the life-blood of ,jesus ,christ was the price that ,he paid in order to secure our lawful release from the penalties entailed by our trespasses4#cf ,this ,jesus ,christ implied beforehand1 when ,he spoke of giving ,his life a ransom for many2 and when ,he said1 in handing to ,his disciples the cup of the ,last ,supper3 ,this is my blood1 the blood of the covenant1 which is shed for many for the remission of sins4 ,using another synonymous term1 ,st ,paul tells us that ,christ bought us out of the curse of the law2 and he bases on this expression a strong practical appeal3 ,you are not your own1 for you were bought with a price4#cg ,these sayings1 and others like them1 point unmistakably to the fact that our trespasses as men against ,god's inflexible law1 apart from ,christ's intervention1 must have issued in our eternal ruin4 ,by ,his death on the cross ,christ has made such amends to the law1 that the awful sentence is averted1 and our complete release from the power of sin is rendered possible4 ,on rising from the dead our ,saviour commissioned the apostles to proclaim in ,his name repentance and remission of sins to all nations 7,luke xxiv4 #dg74 ,it was thus ,he proposed to save the world4 ,this proclamation is the good news of the gospel4 ,the announcement meets the first need of the serious and awakened human spirit4 ,it answers the question which arises in the breast of every man who thinks earnestly about his personal relations to ,god and to the laws of his being4 ,we cannot wonder that ,st ,paul sets the remission of sins first amongst the bestowments of ,god's grace1 and makes it the foundation of all the rest4 ,does it occupy the like position in modern ,christian teaching8 ,do we realize the criminality of sin1 the fearfulness of ,god's displeasure1 the infinite worth of ,his forgiveness and the obligations under which it places us1 as ,st ,paul and his converts did8 or even as our fathers did a few generations ago8 ,it is my impression1 writes ,dr4 ,r4 ,w4 ,dale1#ch that both religious people and those who do not profess to be religious must be conscious that ,god's ,forgiveness1 if they ever think of it at all1 does not create any deep and strong emotion4444 ,the difference between the way in which we think of the ,divine ,forgiveness and the way in which it was thought of by ,david and ,isaiah1 by ,christ ,himself1 by ,peter1 ,paul1 and ,john2 by the saints of all ,christian ,churches in past times1 both in the ,east and in the ,west2 444 by the leaders of the ,evangelical ,revival in the last century--the difference1 ,i say1 between the way in which the ,forgiveness of sins was thought of by them1 and the way in which we think of it1 is very startling4 ,the difference is so great1 it affects so seriously the whole system of the religious thought and life1 that we may be said to have invented a new religion4444 ,the difference between our religion and the religion of other times is this--that we do not believe that ,god has any strong resentment against sin or against those who are guilty of sin4 ,and since ,his resentment has gone1 ,his mercy has gone with it4 ,we have not a ,god who is more merciful than the ,god of our fathers1 but a ,god who is less righteous2 and a ,god who is not righteous1 a ,god who does not glow with fiery indignation against sin1 is no ,god at all4 ,these are solemn words1 to be deeply pondered4 ,they come from one of the most sagacious observers and justly revered teachers of our time4 ,we have made a real advance in breadth and human sympathy2 and there has been throughout our ,churches a genuine and much needed awakening of philanthropic activity4 ,but if we are departing from the living ,god1 what will this avail us8 ,if the redemption through ,christ's blood1 the forgiveness of our trespasses1 is no longer to us the momentous and glorious fact that it was to the apostles1 then it is time to ask whether our ,god is in truth the same as theirs1 whether ,he is still the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ--whether we are not1 haply1 fabricating for ourselves another gospel4 ,without a piercing sense of the shame and ruin involved in human sin1 we shall not put its remission where ,st ,paul does1 at the foundation of ,god's benefits to men4 ,without this sentiment1 we can only wonder at the passionate gratitude with which he receives the atonement and measures by its completeness the riches of ,god's grace4 ,,ii4 ,along with this chief blessing of forgiveness1 there came another to the apostolic ,church4 ,with the heart the mind1 with the conscience the intellect was quickened and endowed3 which grace ,he shed abundantly upon us in all wisdom and intelligence4 ,this sequel to verse #g is somewhat of a surprise4 ,the reader is apt to slur over verse #h1 half sensible of some jar and incongruity between it and the context4 ,it scarcely occurs to us to associate wisdom and good sense with the pardon of sin1 as kindred bestowments of the gospel4 ,minds of the evangelical order are often supposed1 indeed1 to be wanting in intellectual excellencies and indifferent to their value4 ,is it not true that not many wise after the flesh were called8 ,do we not glory above everything in preaching a simple gospel8 ,but there is another side to all this4 ,christ was made of ,god unto us wisdom4 ,this attribute the apostle even sets first when he writes to the wisdom-seeking ,greeks1 mocked by their worn-out and confused philosophies 7#a ,cor4 i4 #cj74 ,to a close observer of the primitive ,christian societies few things must have been more noticeable than the powerful mental stimulus imparted by the new faith4 ,these epistles are a witness to the fact4 ,that such letters could be addressed to communities gathered mainly from the lower ranks of society--consisting of slaves1 common artizans1 poor women--shows that the moral regeneration effected in ,st ,paul's converts was accompanied by an extraordinary excitement and activity of thought4 ,in this the apostle recognised the work of the ,holy ,spirit1 a mark of ,god's special favour and blessing4 ,i give thanks always for you1 he writes to the ,corinthians1 for the grace of ,god that was given you in ,christ ,jesus1 that in everything you were enriched by ,him1 in all word and all knowledge4 ,the leaders of the apostolic ,church were the profoundest thinkers of their day2 though at the time the world held them for babblers1 because their dialect was not of its schools4 ,they drew from stores of wisdom and knowledge hidden in ,christ1 which none of the princes of this world knew4 ,of such wisdom our epistle is full1 and ,god has made it to abound to the readers in these inspired pages4 ,paul's understanding in the mystery of ,christ was always deepening4 ,in his lonely prison musings the length and breadth of the ,divine counsels are disclosed to him as never before4 ,he sees the course of the ages and the universe of being illuminated by the light of the knowledge of ,christ4 ,and what he sees1 all men are to see through him 7iii4 #i74 ,blessed be ,god who has given to ,his ,church through ,his apostles1 and through the great ,christian teachers of every age1 ,his precious gifts of wisdom and prudence1 and made ,his grace richly to overflow from the heart into the mind and understanding of men6 ,this intellectual gift is twofold3 phronesis as well as sophia1--the bestowment not only of deep spiritual thought1 but of moral sagacity1 good sense and thoughtfulness4 ,this is a choice charism--a mercy of the ,lord4 ,for want of it how sadly is the fruit of other graces spoilt and wasted4 ,how brightly it shines in ,st ,paul himself6 ,what luminous and wholesome views of life1 what a fund of practical sense there is in the teaching of this letter4 ,st ,paul rejoices in these gifts of the understanding and claims them for the ,church1 having in his view the false knowledge1 the philosophy and vain deceit that was making its appearance in the ,asian ,churches 7,col4 ii4 #d1 #h1 etc474 ,our safeguard against intellectual perils lies not in ignorance1 but in deeper heart-knowledge4 ,when the grace that bestows redemption through ,christ's blood adds its concomitant blessing of enlightenment1 when it elevates the mind as it cleanses the heart1 and abounds to us in all wisdom and prudence1 the winds of doctrine and the waves of speculation blow and beat in vain2 they can but bring health to a ,church thus established in its faith4 ,verses #i and #aj describe the object of this new knowledge4 ,they state the doctrine which gave this powerful mental impulse to the apostolic ,church1 disclosing to it a vast field of view1 and supplying the most fertile and vigorous principles of moral wisdom4 ,this impulse lay in the revelation of ,god's purpose to reconstitute the universe in ,christ4 ,the declaration of the mystery of ,his will comes in at this point episodically1 and by the way2 and we reserve it for consideration to the end of the present ,chapter4 ,but let us observe here that our wisdom and prudence lie in the knowledge of ,god's will4 ,truth is not to be found in any system of logical notions1 in schemes and syntheses of the laws of nature or of thought4 ,the human mind can never rest for long in abstractions4 ,it will not accept for its basis of thought that which is less real and positive than itself4 ,by its rational instincts it is compelled to seek a ,reason and a ,conscience at the centre of things1--a living ,god4 ,it craves to know the mystery of ,his will4 ,,iii4 ,verse #aa fills up the measure of the bestowment of grace on sinful men4 ,the present anticipates the future2 faith and love are lifted to a glorious hope4 ,in whom also--i4e41 in ,christ--we received our heritage1 predestinated to it1 according to ,his purpose who works all things according to the counsel of ,his will4 ,following ,meyer and other great interpreters1 we prefer in this passage the rendering of the ,english ,authorized ,version 7we obtained an inheritance7 to that of the ,revised 7we were made a heritage74#ci ,foreordained carries us back to verse #e--to the phrase foreordained to sonship4 ,the believer cannot be predestinated to sonship without being predestinated to an inheritance4#dj ,if children1 then heirs 7,rom4 viii4 #ag74 ,but while in the parallel passage we are designated heirs with ,christ1 we appear in this place1 according to the tenor of the context1 as heirs in ,him4 ,christ is ,himself the believer's wealth1 both in possession and hope3 all his desire is to gain ,christ 7,phil4 iii4 #h74 ,the apostle gives thanks here in the same strain as in ,colossians i4 #ab-ad1 to the ,father who qualified us by making us ,his sons to partake of the inheritance of the saints in the light4 ,in that thanksgiving we observe the same connexion as in this between our forgiveness 7ver4 #g7 and our enfeoffment1 or investment with the forfeited rights of sons of ,god 7vv4 #e1 #aa74da ,the heritage of the saints in ,christ is theirs already1 by actual investiture4 ,the liberty of sons of ,god1 access to the ,father1 the treasures of ,christ's wisdom and knowledge1 the sanctifying ,spirit and the moral strength and joy that ,he imparts1 these form a rich estate of which ancient saints had but foretastes and promises4 ,in the all-controlling counsel of ,his will1 ,god wrought throughout the course of history to convey this heritage to us4 ,we are children of the fulness of the times1 heirs of all the past4 ,for us ,god has been working from eternity4 ,on us the ends of the world have come4 ,thus from the summit of our exaltation in ,christ the apostle looks backward to the beginning of ,divine history4 ,from the same point his gaze sweeps onward to the end4 ,god's purpose embraces the ages to come with those that are past4 ,his working will not cease till the whole counsel is fulfilled4 ,what we have of our inheritance1 though rich and real1 holds in it the promise of infinitely more2 and the ,holy ,spirit is the earnest of our inheritance 7ver4 #ad74 ,god intends that we should be to the praise of ,his glory4 ,as things are1 ,his glory is but obscurely visible in ,his saints4 ,it doth not yet appear what we shall be1--and it will not appear until the unveiling of the sons of ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #ah-be74 ,one day ,god's glory in us will burst forth in its splendour4 ,all beholders in heaven and earth will then sing to the praise of ,his glory1 when it is seen in ,his redeemed and godlike sons4 99 99 99 99 99 ,verses #i and #aj 7which ,he purposed 444 upon the earth7 are1 as we have said1 a parenthesis or episode in the passage just reviewed4 ,neither in structure nor in sense would the paragraph be defective1 had this clause been wanting4 ,with the in ,him repeated at the end of verse #aj1 ,st ,paul resumes the main current of his thanksgiving1 arrested for a moment while he dwells on the mystery of ,god's will4 ,this last expression 7ver4 #i71 notwithstanding what he has said in verses #d and #e1 still needs elucidation4 ,he will pause for an instant to set forth once more the eternal purpose1 to the knowledge of which the ,church is now admitted4 ,the communication of this mystery is1 he says1 according to ,god's good pleasure which ,he purposed in ,christ comp4 ver4 #d1 for a dispensation of the fulness of the times1 intending to gather up again all things in the ,christ--the things in the heavens1 and the things upon the earth4 ,god formed in ,christ the purpose1 by the dispensation of ,his grace1 in due time to re-unite the universe under the headship of ,christ4 ,this mysterious design1 hitherto kept secret1 ,he has made known unto us4 ,its manifestation imparts a wisdom that surpasses all the wisdom of former ages4#db ,such is the drift of this profound deliverance4 ,the first clause of verse #aj supplies a datum for its interpretation4 ,the fulness of the times1 in ,st ,paul's dialect1 can only be the time of ,christ4#dc ,the dispensation which ,god designed of old is that in which the apostle himself is now engaged2#dd it is the dispensation1 or administration 7economy71 of the grace and truth that came by ,jesus ,christ1 whether ,god be conceived as ,himself the ,dispenser1 or through the stewards of ,his mysteries4 ,the ,messianic end was to ,paul's ,jewish thought the dnouement of antecedent history4 ,how long this age would continue1 into what epochs it might unfold itself1 he knew not2 but for him the fulness of the times had arrived4 ,the ,son of ,god was come2 the kingdom of ,god was amongst men4 ,it was the beginning of the end4 ,it is a mistake to relegate this text to the dim and distant future1 to some far-off consummation4 ,we are in the midst of the ,christian reconstruction of things1 and are taking part in it4 ,the decisive epoch fell when ,god sent forth ,his ,son4 ,all that has followed1 and will follow1 is the result of this mission4 ,christ is all things1 and in all2 and we are already complete in ,him4 ,what1 then1 signifies this gathering-into-one or summing-up of all things in the ,christ8 ,our recapitulate is the nearest equivalent of the ,greek verb1 in its etymological sense4 ,in ,romans xiii4 #h1 #i the same word is used1 where the several commands of the second table of the ,decalogue are said to be comprehended in this word1 namely1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,this summing up is not a generalization or compendious statement of the commands of ,god2 it signifies their reduction to a fundamental principle4 ,they are unified by the discovery of a law that underlies them all4 ,and while thus theoretically explained1 they are made practically effective3 ,for love is the fulfilling of the law4 ,similarly1 ,st ,paul finds in ,christ the fundamental principle of the creation4 ,for those who think with him1 ,god has by the ,christian revelation already brought all things to their unity4 ,this summing up--the ,christian inventory and recapitulation of the universe--the apostle has formally stated in ,colossians i4 #ae-bj3 ,christ is ,god's image and creation's firstborn4 ,in ,him1 through ,him1 for ,him all things were made4 ,he is before them all2 and in ,him they have their basis and uniting bond4 ,he is equally the ,head of the ,church and the new creation1 the firstborn out of the dead1 that ,he might hold a universal presidence--charged with all the fulness1 so that in ,him is the ground of the reconciliation no less than of the creation of all things in heaven and earth4 ,what can we desire more comprehensive than this8 ,it is the theory and programme of the world revealed to ,god's holy apostles and prophets4 ,the gathering into one of this text includes the reconciliation of ,colossians i4 #bj1 and more4 ,it signifies1 beside the removal of the enmities which are the effect of sin 7ii4 #ad-af71 the subjection of all powers in heaven and earth to the rule of ,christ 7vv4 #ba1 #bb71de the enlightenment of the angelic magnates as to ,god's dealings with men 7iii4 #i1 #aj71--;in fine1 the rectification and adjustment of the several parts of the great whole of things1 bringing them into full accord with each other and with their ,creator's will4 ,what ,st ,paul looks forward to is1 in a word1 the organization of the universe upon a ,christian basis4 ,this reconstitution of things is provided for and is being effected in the ,christ4 ,he is the rallying point of the forces of peace and blessing4 ,the organic principle1 the organizing ,head1 the creative nucleus of the new creation is there4 ,the potent germ of life eternal has been introduced into the world's chaos2 and its victory over the elements of disorder and death is assured4 ,observe that the apostle says in the ,christ4#df ,he is not speaking of ,christ in the abstract1 considered in ,his own ,person or as ,he dwells in heaven1 but in ,his relations to men and to time4 ,the ,christ manifest in ,jesus 7iv4 #bj1 #ba71 the ,christ of prophets and apostles1 the ,messiah of the ages1 the ,husband of the ,church 7v4 #bc71 is the author and finisher of this grand restoration4 ,christ's work is essentially a work of restoration4 ,we must insist1 with ,meyer1 upon the significance of the ,greek preposition in ,paul's compound verb 7ana-1 equal to re-in restore or resume74 ,the ,christ is not simply the climax of the past--the ,son of man and the recapitulation of humanity1 as man is of the creatures below him1 summing up human development and lifting it to a higher stage--though ,he is all that4 ,christ rehabilitates man and the world4 ,he re-asserts the original ground of our being1 as that exists in ,god4 ,he carries us and the world forward out of sin and death1 by carrying us back to ,god's ideal4 ,the new world is the old world repaired1 and in its reparation infinitely enhanced--rich in the memories of redemption1 in the fruit of penitence and the discipline of suffering1 in the lessons of the cross4 ,all things in heaven and earth it was ,god's good pleasure in the ,christ to gather again into one4 ,is this a general assertion concerning the universe as a whole1 or may we apply it with distributive exactness to each particular thing8 ,is there to be1 as we fain would hope1 no single exception to the all things--no wanderer lost1 no exile finally shut out from the ,holy ,city and the tree of life8 ,are all evil men and demons1 willing or against their will1 to be embraced somehow and at last--at last--in the universal peace of ,god8 ,it is impossible that the first readers should have so construed ,paul's words 7comp4 v4 #e74 ,he has not forgotten the unquenchable fire1 the eternal punishment2 nor dare we4 ,if anything is certain about the teaching of ,christ and ,his apostles1 it is that they warned men not to reject the ,divine mercy and so to incur irrevocable exile from ,god's presence and joy4 ,they assumed that some men would be guilty of this supreme crime1 and would be doomed to this supreme woe 7,dale74 ,there is nothing in this text to warrant any man in presuming on the mercy or the sovereignty of ,god1 nothing to justify us in supposing that1 deliberately refusing to be reconciled to ,god in ,christ1 we shall yet be reconciled in the end1 despite ourselves4 ,st ,paul assures us that ,god and the world will be reunited1 and that peace will reign through all realms and orders of existence4 ,he does not1 and he could not say that none will exclude themselves from the eternal kingdom4 ,making men free1 ,god has made it possible for them to contradict ,him1 so long as they have any being4 ,the apostle's words have their note of warning1 along with their boundless promise4 ,there is no place in the future order of things for aught that is out of ,christ4 ,there is no standing-ground anywhere for the unclean and the unjust1 for the irreconcilable rebel against ,god4 ,the ,son of man shall send forth ,his angels1 and they shall gather out of ,his kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity4 ,,footnotes3 #cc ,the arrangement above made of the lines of this intricate passage is designed to guide the eye to its elucidation4 ,our disposition of the verses has not been determined by any preconceived interpretation1 but by the parallelism of expression and cadences of phrase4 ,the rhythmical structure of the piece1 it seems to us1 supplies the key to its explanation1 and reduces to order its long-drawn and heaped-up relative and prepositional clauses1 which are grammatically so unmanageable4 #cd ,chaire1 kecharitmen4 ,it is impossible to reproduce in ,english the beautiful assonance--the play of sound and sense--in ,gabriel's greeting1 as ,st ,luke renders it4 #ce ,see ,rom4 i4 #af-ah1 iii4 #ai-v4 #ba1 vi4 #g1 vii4 #a-f1 viii4 #a-d1 #ca-cd1 x4 #f-i2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #c1 #d1 #ag1 #ef1 #eg2 #b ,cor4 v4 #ah-ba2 ,gal4 ii4 #ad-;iii4 #ad1 vi4 #ab-ad4 ,the latter passages the writer has endeavoured to expound in ,chapters ,x4 to ,,xii4 and ,,xxviii4 of his ,commentary on ,galatians in this series4 #cf ,it is an error to suppose1 as one sometimes hears it said1 that trespasses or transgressions are a light and comparatively trivial form of sin4 ,both words denote1 in the language of ,scripture1 definite offences against known law1 departures from known duty4 ,adam's sin was the typical transgression and trespass 7,rom4 v4 #ad1 #ae1 etc42 comp4 ii4 #bc2 ,gal4 iii4 #ai74 #cg ,gal4 iii4 #ac2 #a ,cor4 vi4 #ai1 #bj4 #ch ,see ,the ,evangelical ,revival1 and other ,sermons1 pp4 #adi-agj1 on ,the ,forgiveness of ,sins4 #ci ,bishop ,ellicott1 who advocates the latter rendering1 objects to ,meyer's interpretation that it is doubtful in point of usage4 ,pace tanti viri1 we must retort this objection upon the new translation4 ,to obtain by lot1 to have 7a thing7 allotted to one1 is the meaning regularly given to klrousthai in the classical dictionaries2 and in ,o4,t4 usage the lot 7klros7 becomes the inheritance 7the thing allotted74 ,the verb is repeatedly used by ,philo with the meaning to obtain1 or receive an inheritance2 whereas there seems to be no real parallel to the other rendering4 ,it is true that klrousthai in the sense of the ,a4,v4 requires an object2 but that is virtually supplied by en h3 we had our inheritance allotted in ,christ4 ,comp4 ,col4 i4 #ab1 the lot of the saints in the light1 which signifies not the locality1 but the nature and content of the saints' heritage4 #dj ,see ,gal4 iii4 #bb--;iv4 #g2 and ,chapters ,,xv4--,,xvii4 in the ,expositor's ,bible 7,galatians71 on ,sonship and ,inheritance in ,st ,paul4 #da ,compare ,acts xxvi4 #ah1 which also speaks to this association of ideas in ,st ,paul's mind1 with vers4 #d1 #e1 #g1 and #aa in this chapter4 #db ,vv4 #h1 #i1 ch4 iii4 #d1 #e2 comp4 ,col4 ii4 #b1 #c2 #a ,cor4 ii4 #f-i4 #dc ,the fulness of the time1 ,gal4 iv4 #d2 in due season1 ,rom4 v4 #f2 in its own times1 #a ,tim4 ii4 #f4 ,these are all synonymous expressions for the ,messianic era4 ,comp4 ,heb4 i4 #b1 ix4 #bf2 #a ,pet4 i4 #bj4 #dd ,ch4 iii4 #h1 #i2 ,col4 i4 #be2 #a ,cor4 iv4 #a2 #a ,tim4 i4 #d1 i4 #g2 #b ,tim4 i4 #i-aa2 and especially ,rom4 xvi4 #be1 #bf4 #de ,comp4 ch4 v4 #e2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #bd-bh2 ,phil4 ii4 #i-ab2 ,heb4 ii4 #h2 ,rev4 i4 #e1 xi4 #ae1 xvii4 #ad2 ,dan4 vii4 #ac1 #ad4 #df ,one wonders that our ,revisers1 so attentive to all points of ,greek idiom1 did not think it worth while to discriminate between ,christ and the ,christ in such passages as this4 ,in ,ephesians this distinction is especially conspicuous and significant4 ,see vv4 #ab1 #bj iii4 #ag1 iv4 #bj1 v4 #bc2 similarly in #a ,cor4 xv4 #bb2 ,rom4 xv4 #c4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,final ,,redemption4 ,that we might be to the praise of ,his glory3 ,we who had before hoped in the ,christ1 in whom also ye have hoped1 ,since ye heard the word of truth1 the gospel of your salvation1-- ,in whom indeed1 when ye believed1 ye were sealed with the ,holy ,spirit of the promise1 ,which is the earnest of our inheritance1 till the redemption of ,god's possession1-- ,to the praise of ,his glory4 ,,eph4 i4 #ab-ad4 ,when the apostle reaches the heritage conferred upon us in ,christ 7ver4 #aa71 he is on the boundary between the present and the future4 ,into that future he now presses forward1 gathering from it his crowning tribute to the praise of ,god's glory4 ,we shall find1 however1 that this heritage assumes a twofold character1 as did the conception of the inheritance of the ,lord in the ,old ,testament4 ,if the saints have their heritage in ,christ1 partly possessed and partly to be possessed1 ,god has likewise1 and antecedently1 ,his inheritance in them1 of which ,he too has still to take full possession4#dg ,opening upon this final prospect1 ,st ,paul touches on a subject of supreme interest to himself and that could not fail to find a place in his great ,act of ,praise--viz41 the admission of the ,gentiles to the spiritual property of ,israel4 ,the thought of the heirship of believers and of ,god's previous counsel respecting it 7ver4 #aa71 brought before his mind the distinction between ,jew and ,gentile and the part assigned to each in the ,divine plan4 ,hence he varies the general refrain in verse #ab by saying significantly1 that we might be to the praise of ,his glory4 ,this emphatic we is explained in the opening phrase of the last strophe3 that have beforehand fixed our hope on the ,christ1--the heirs of ,israel's hope in ,him of whom ,moses in the law and the prophets did write4 ,with this we of ,paul's ,jewish consciousness the ye also of verse #ac is set in contrast by his vocation as ,gentile apostle4 ,this second pronoun1 by one of ,paul's abrupt turns of thought1 is deprived of its predicating verb2 but that is given already by the hoped of the last clause4 ,the ,messianic hope1 ,israel's ancient heirloom1 in its fulfilment is yours as much as ours4 ,this hope of ,israel pointed ,israelite and ,gentile believer alike to the completion of the ,messianic era1 when the mystery of ,god should be finished and ,his universe redeemed from the bondage of corruption 7vv4 #aj1 #ad74 ,by the one hope of the ,christian calling the ,church is now made one4 ,from this point of view the apostle in chapter ii4 #ab describes the condition in which the gospel found his ,gentile readers as that of men cut off from ,christ1 strangers to the covenants of promise1--in a word1 having no hope2 while he and his ,jewish fellow-believers held the priority that belonged to those whose are the promises4 ,the apostle stands precisely at the juncture where the wild shoot of nature is grafted into the good olive tree4 ,a generation later no one would have thought of writing of the ,christ in whom you 7,gentiles7 also have found hope2 for then ,christ was the established possession of the ,gentile ,church4 ,to these ,christless heathen ,christ and ,his hope came1 when they heard the word of truth1 the gospel of their salvation4 ,a great light had sprung up for them that sat in darkness2 the good tidings of salvation came to the lost and despairing4 ,to the ,gentiles1 ,st ,paul declared1 addressing the obstinate ,jews of ,rome1 this salvation of ,god was sent3 they indeed will hear it 7,acts xxviii4 #bh74 ,such was his experience in ,ephesus and all the ,gentile cities4 ,there were hearing ears and open hearts1 souls longing for the word of truth and the message of hope4 ,the trespass of ,israel had become the riches of the world4 ,for this on his readers' behalf he gives joyful thanks1--that his message proved to be the gospel of your salvation4 ,salvation1 as ,st ,paul understands it1 includes our uttermost deliverance1 the end of death itself 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bf74 ,he renders praise to ,god for that ,he has sealed ,gentile equally with ,jewish believers with the stamp of ,his ,spirit1 which makes them ,his property and gives assurance of absolute redemption4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are three things to be considered in this statement3 the seal itself1 the conditions upon which1 and the purpose for which it is affixed4 ,i4 ,a seal is a token of proprietorship put by the owner upon his property2#dh or it is the authentication of some statement or engagement1 the official stamp that gives it validity2#di or it is the pledge of inviolability guarding a treasure from profane or injurious hands4#ej ,there is the protecting seal1 the ratifying seal1 and the proprietary seal4 ,the same seal may serve each or all of these purposes4 ,here the thought of possession predominates 7comp4 ver4 #d72 but it can scarcely be separated from the other two4 ,the witness of the ,holy ,spirit marks men out as ,god's purchased right in ,christ 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ai1 #bj74 ,in that very fact it guards them from evil and wrong 7iv4 #cj71 while it ratifies their ,divine sonship 7,gal4 iv4 #f7 and guarantees their personal share in the promises of ,god 7#b ,cor4 i4 #bj-bb74 ,it is a bond between ,god and men2 a sign at once of what we are and shall be to ,god1 and of what ,he is and will be to us4 ,it secures1 and it assures4 ,it stamps us for ,god's possession1 and ,his kingdom and glory as our possession4 ,this seal is constituted by the ,holy ,spirit of the promise1--in contrast with the material seal1 in the flesh1 wrought by hand1#ea which marked the children of the ,old ,covenant from ,abraham downwards1 previously to the fulfilment of the promise 7,gal4 iii4 #ad74 ,we bear it in the inmost part of our nature1 where we are nearest to ,god3 ,the ,spirit witnesseth to our spirit4 ,the ,israelites also were sealed1 but by circumcision1 like cattle and irrational animals4 ,we were sealed by the ,spirit1 as sons 7,chrysostom74 ,the stamp of ,god is on the consciousness of ,his children4 ,we know that ,christ abides in us1 writes ,st ,john1 from the ,spirit which ,he gave us 7#a ,ep4 iii4 #bd74 ,under this seal is conveyed the sum of blessing comprised in our salvation4 ,jesus promised1 ,your heavenly ,father will give ,his ,holy ,spirit to them that ask 7,luke xi4 #ac71 as if there were nothing else to ask4 ,giving us this1 ,god gives everything1 gives us ,himself6 ,in substance or anticipation1 this one bestowment contains all good things of ,god4 ,the apostle writes the ,spirit of the promise1 the ,holy ,spirit1 with emphasis on the word of quality2 for the testifying power of the seal lies in its character4 ,beloved1 believe not every spirit2 but try the spirits1 whether they are of ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #a74 ,there are false prophets1 deceiving and deceived2 there are promptings from the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience1 diabolical inspirations1 so plausible and astonishing that they may deceive the very elect4 ,it is a most perilous error to identify the supernatural with the ,divine1 to suppose mere miracles and communications from the invisible sphere a sign of the working of ,god4 ,antichrist can mimic ,christ by his lying wonders and deceit of unrighteousness 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #h-ab74 ,jesus never appealed to the power of ,his works in proof of ,his mission1 apart from their ethical quality4 ,god's ,spirit works after ,his kind1 and makes ours a holy spirit4 ,there is an objective and subjective witness--the obverse and reverse of the medal 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ai74 ,to be sealed by the ,holy ,spirit is1 in ,st ,paul's dialect1 the same thing as to be sanctified2 only1 the phrase of this text brings out graphically the promissory aspect of sanctification1 its bearing on our final redemption4#eb ,when the sealing ,spirit is called the ,spirit of promise1 does the expression look backward or forward8 ,is the apostle thinking of the past promise now fulfilled1 or of some promise still to be fulfilled8 ,the former1 undoubtedly1 is true4 ,the promise 7the article is significant#ec7 is1 in the words of ,christ1 the promise of the ,father4 ,on the day of ,pentecost ,st ,peter pointed to the descent of the ,holy ,spirit as ,god's seal upon the ,messiahship of ,jesus1 fulfilling what was promised to ,israel for the last days4 ,when this miraculous effusion was repeated in the household of ,cornelius1 the ,jewish apostle saw its immense significance4 ,he asked1 ,can any one forbid water that these should be baptized1 who have received the ,holy ,spirit as well as we8 7,acts x4 #dg74 ,this was the predicted criterion of the ,messianic times4 ,now it was given1 and with an abundance beyond hope1--poured out1 in the full sense of ,joel's words1 upon all flesh4 ,now1 if ,god has done so much--for this is the implied argument of verses #ac1 #ad--;,he will surely accomplish the rest4 ,the attainment of past hope is the warrant of present hope4 ,he who gives us ,his own ,spirit1 will give us the fulness of eternal life4 ,the earnest implies the sum4 ,in the witness of the ,holy ,spirit there is for the ,christian man the power of an endless life1 a spring of courage and patience that can never fail4 ,,ii4 ,but there are very definite conditions1 upon which this assurance depends4 ,when you heard the word of truth1 the gospel of your salvation--there is the outward condition3 when you believed--there is the inward and subjective qualification for the affixing of the seal of ,god to the heart4 ,how characteristic is this antithesis of hearing and faith6#ed ,st ,paul delights to ring the changes upon these terms4 ,the gospel he carried about with him was a message from ,god to men1 the good news about ,jesus ,christ4 ,it needs1 on the one hand1 to be effectively uttered1 proclaimed so as to be heard with the understanding2 and1 on the other hand1 it must be trustfully received and obeyed4 ,then the due result follows4 ,there is salvation1--conscious1 full4 ,if they are to believe unto salvation1 men must be made to hear the word of truth4 ,unless the good news reaches their ears and their heart1 it is no good news to them4 ,how shall they believe in ,him of whom they have not heard8 how shall they hear without a preacher8 7,rom4 x4 #ad74 ,the light may be true1 and the eyes clear and open2 but there is no vision till both meet1 till the illuminating ray falls on the sensitive spot and touches the responsive nerve4 ,how many sit in darkness1 groping and wearying for the light1 ready for the message if there were any to speak it to them6 ,great would ,paul's guilt have been1 if when ,christ called him to preach to the heathen1 he had refused to go1 if he had withheld the gospel of salvation from the multitudes waiting to receive it at his lips4 ,great also is our fault and blame1 and heavy the reproach against the ,church to-day1 when with means in her hand to make ,christ known to almost the whole world1 she leaves vast numbers of men within her reach in ignorance of ,his message4 ,she is not the proprietor of the ,christian truth3 it is ,god's gospel2 and she holds it as ,god's trustee for mankind1--that through her the message might be fully preached1 and that all the nations might hear 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #ag74 ,she has ,st ,paul's programme in hand still to complete1 and loiters over it4 ,the nature of the message constitutes our duty to proclaim it4 ,it is the word of truth4 ,if there be any doubt upon this1 if our certainty of the ,christian truth is shaken and we can no longer announce it with full conviction1 our zeal for its propagation naturally declines4 ,scepticism chills and kills missionary fervour1 as the breath of the frost the young growth of spring4 ,at home and amongst our own people evangelistic agencies are supported by many who have no very decided personal faith1 from secondary motives1--with a view to their social and reformatory benefits1 out of philanthropic feeling and love to the brother whom we have seen4 ,the foreign missions of the ,church1 like the work of the ,gentile apostle1 gauge her real estimate of the gospel she believes and the ,master she serves4 ,but if we have no sure word of prophecy to speak1 we had better be silent4 ,men are not saved by illusion or speculation4 ,christianity did not begin by offering to mankind a legend for a gospel1 or win the ear of the world for a beautiful romance4 ,when the apostles preached ,jesus and the resurrection1 they declared what they knew4 ,to have spoken otherwise1 to have uttered cunningly devised fables or pious phantasies or conjectures of their own1 would have been1 in their view1 to bear false witness against ,god4 ,before the hostile scrutiny of their fellow-men1 and in prospect of the awful judgement of ,god1 they testified the facts about ,jesus ,christ1 the things that they had heard1 and seen with their eyes1 and which their hands had handled concerning the word of life4 ,they were as sure of these things as of their own being4 ,standing upon this ground and with this weapon of truth alone in their hands1 they denounced the wiles of error and the craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive 7iv4 #ad74 ,and they could always speak of this word of truth1 addressing whatsoever circle of hearers or of readers1 as the good news of your salvation4 ,the pronoun1 as we have seen1 is emphatic4 ,the glory of ,paul's apostolic mission was its universalism4 ,his message was to every man he met4 ,his latest writings glow with delight in the world-wide destination of his gospel4#ee ,it was his consolation that the ,gentiles in multitudes received the ,divine message to which his countrymen closed their ears4 ,and he rejoiced in this the more1 because he foresaw that ultimately the gospel would return to its native home1 and at last amid the fulness of the ,gentiles all ,israel would be saved 7,rom4 xi4 #ac-cb74 ,at present ,israel was not prepared to seek1 while the ,gentiles were seeking righteousness by the way of faith 7,rom4 ix4 #cj-cc74 ,for it is upon this question of faith that the whole issue turns4 ,hearing is much1 when one hears the word of truth and news of salvation4 ,but faith is the point at which salvation becomes ours--no longer a possibility1 an opportunity1 but a fact3 in whom indeed1 when you believed1 you were sealed with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,so characteristic is this act of the new life to which it admits1 that ,st ,paul is in the habit of calling ,christians1 without further qualification1 simply believers 7those who believe1 or who believed74 ,faith and the gift of the ,holy ,spirit are associated in his thoughts1 as closely as ,faith and ,justification4 ,did you receive the ,holy ,spirit when you believed8 was the question he put to the ,baptist's disciples whom he found at ,ephesus on first arriving there 7,acts xix4 #b74 ,this was the test of the adequacy of their faith4 ,he reminds the ,galatians that they received the ,spirit from the hearing of faith1 and tells them that in this way the blessing and the promise of ,abraham were theirs already 7,gal4 iii4 #b1 #g1 #ad74 ,faith in the word of ,christ admits the ,spirit of ,christ1 who is in the word waiting to enter4 ,faith is the trustful surrender and expectancy of the soul towards ,god2 it sets the heart's door open for ,christ's incoming through the ,spirit ,this was the order of things from the beginning of the new dispensation4 ,god gave to them1 says ,st ,peter of the first baptized ,gentiles1 the like gift as ,he did also unto us1 when we believed on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,holy ,ghost fell on them1 as on us at the beginning 7,acts xi4 #ae-ah74 ,upon our faith in ,jesus ,christ1 the ,holy ,spirit enters the soul and announces ,himself by ,his message of adoption1 crying in us to ,god1 ,abba1 ,father 7,gal4 iv4 #f1 #g74 ,in the chamber of our spirit1 while we abide in faith1 the ,spirit of the ,father and the ,son dwells with us1 witnessing to us of the love of ,god and leading us into all truth and duty and divine joy1 instilling a deep and restful peace1 breathing an energy that is a fire and fountain of life within the breast1 which pours out itself in prayer and labour for the kingdom of ,god4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is no mere gift to receive1 or comfort to enjoy2 ,he is an almighty ,force in the believing soul and the faithful ,church4 ,,iii4 ,the end for which the seal of ,god was affixed to ,paul's ,gentile readers1 along with their ,jewish brethren in ,christ1 appears in the last verse1 with which the ,act of ,praise terminates3 sealed1 he says1 with the ,holy ,spirit1 which is the earnest of our inheritance1 until the redemption of the possession4 ,the last of these words is the equivalent of the ,old ,testament phrase rendered in ,exodus xix4 #e1 and elsewhere1 a peculiar treasure unto me2 in ,deuteronomy vii4 #f1 etc41 a peculiar people 7i4e41 people of possession74 ,the same ,greek term is employed by the ,septuagint translators in ,malachi iii4 #ag1 where our ,revisers have substituted a peculiar treasure for the familiar1 but misleading jewels of the older ,version4 ,st ,peter in his first epistle 7ii4 #i1 #aj7 transfers the title from the ,jewish people to the new ,israel of ,god1 who are an elect race1 a royal priesthood1 a holy nation1 a people for ,god's own possession4 ,in that passage1 as in this1 the ,revisers have inserted the word ,god's in order to signify whose possession the term signifies in ,biblical use4 ,in the other places in the ,new ,testament where the same ,greek noun occurs1#ef it retains its primary active force1 and denotes obtaining of the glory1 etc41 saving of the soul4 ,the word signifies not the possessing so much as the acquiring or securing of its object4 ,the ,latin ,vulgate suitably renders this phrase1 in redemptionem acquisitions1--till the redemption of the acquisition4 ,god has redeemed unto ,himself a people2 ,he has bought us with a price4 ,his rights in us are both natural and acquired2 they are redemptional rights1 the recovered rights of the infinite love which in ,jesus ,christ saved mankind by extreme sacrifice from the doom of death eternal4 ,this redemption we have1 in the remission of our trespasses 7ver4 #g74 ,but this is only the beginning4 ,those whose sin is cancelled and on whom ,god now looks with favour in ,christ1 are thereby redeemed and saved 7ii4 #e1 #h74eg ,they are within the kingdom of grace2 they have passed out of death into life4 ,they have but to persist in the grace into which they have entered1 and all will be well4 ,now1 says the apostle to the ,romans1 you are made free from sin and made servants to ,god2 you have your fruit unto holiness1 and the end eternal life4 ,our salvation is come2 but1 after all1 it is still to come4 ,we find the apostle using the words save and redeem in this twofold sense1 applying them both to the commencement and the consummation of the new life4#eh ,the last act1 in ,romans viii4 #bc1 he calls the redemption of the body4 ,this will reinstate the man in the integrity of his twofold being as a son of ,god4 ,hence our bodily redemption is there called an adoption4 ,for as ,jesus ,christ by ,his resurrection was marked out or instated as ,son of ,god in power 7,rom4 i4 #d71 not otherwise will it be with ,his many brethren4 ,their reappearance in the new body of glory will be a revelation to the universe of the sons of ,god4 ,but this last redemption--or rather this last act of the one redemption--like the first1 is through the blood of the cross4 ,christ has borne for us in ,his death the entire penalty of sin2 the remission of that penalty comes to us in two distinct stages4 ,the shadow of death is lifted off from our spirits now1 in the moment of forgiveness4 ,but for reasons of discipline it remains resting upon our bodily frame4 ,death is a usurper and trespasser in the bounds of ,god's heritage4 ,virtually and in principle1 he is abolished2 but not in effect4 ,i will ransom them from the power of the grave1#ei the ,lord said of ,his ,israel1 with a meaning deeper than ,his prophet knew4 ,when that is done1 then ,god will have redeemed1 in point of fact1 those possessions in humanity which ,he so much prizes1 that for their recovery ,he spared not ,his ,son4 ,so long as mortality afflicts us1 ,god cannot be satisfied on our account4 ,his children are suffering and tortured2 ,his people mourn under the oppression of the enemy4 ,they sigh1 and creation with them1 under the burdensome and infirm tabernacle of the flesh1 this body of our humiliation for which the hungry grave clamours4 ,god's new estate in us is still encumbered with the liabilities in which the sin of the race involved us1 with the ills that flesh is heir to4 ,but this mortgage--that we call1 with a touching euphemism1 the debt of nature--will at last be discharged4 ,soon shall we be free for ever from the law of sin and death4 ,and the ransomed of the ,lord shall return and come with singing to ,zion1 and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads3 they shall obtain gladness and joy1 and sorrow and sighing shall flee away4 ,to ,god1 as ,he looks down upon men1 the seal of ,his ,spirit upon their hearts anticipates this full emancipation4 ,he sees already in the redeemed spirit of ,his children what will be manifest in their glorious heavenly form4 ,the same token is to ourselves as believing men the earnest of our inheritance4 ,note that at this point the apostle drops the you by which he has for several sentences distinguished between ,jewish and ,gentile brethren4 ,he identifies them with himself and speaks of our inheritance4 ,this sudden resumption of the first person1 the self-assertion of the filial consciousness in the writer breaking through the grammatical order1 is a fine trait of the ,pauline manner4#fj ,arrhabon1 the earnest 7fastening penny71 is a ,phoenician word of the market1 which passed into ,greek and ,latin1--a monument of the daring pioneers of ,mediterranean commerce4 ,it denotes the part of the price given by a purchaser in making a bargain1 or of the wages given by the hirer concluding a contract of service1 by way of assurance that the stipulated sum will be forthcoming4 ,such pledge of future payment is at the same time a bond between those concerned1 engaging each to his part in the transaction4 ,the earnest is the seal1 and something more4 ,it is an instalment1 a token in kind1 a foretaste of the feast to come4 ,in the parallel passage1 ,romans viii4 #bc1 the same earnest is called the firstfruit of the ,spirit4 ,what the earliest sheaf is to the harvest1 that the entrance of the ,spirit of ,god into a human soul is to the glory of its ultimate salvation4 ,the sanctity1 the joy1 the sense of recovered life is the same in kind then and now1 differing only in degree and expression4 ,of the earnest of the ,spirit ,st ,paul has spoken twice already1 in #b ,corinthians i4 #bb and v4 #e1 where he cites this inner witness to assure us1 in the first instance1 that ,god will fulfil to us ,his promises1 how many soever they be2 and in the second1 that our mortal nature shall be swallowed up of life--assimilated to the living spirit to which it belongs--and that ,god has wrought us for this very thing4 ,these earlier sayings explain the apostle's meaning here4 ,god has made us ,his sons1 in accordance with ,his purpose formed in the depths of eternity 7ver4 #e74 ,as sons1 we are ,his heirs in fellowship with ,christ1 and already have received rich blessings out of this heritage 7ver4 #aa74 ,but the richest part of it1 including that which concerns the bodily form of our life1 is still unredeemed1 notwithstanding that the price of its redemption is paid4 ,for this we wait till the time appointed of the ,father1--the time when ,he will reclaim ,his heritage in us1 and give us full possession of our heritage in ,christ4 ,we do not wait1 as did the saints of former ages1 ignorant of the ,father's purpose for our future lot4 ,life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel4 ,we see beyond the chasm of death4 ,we enjoy in the testimony of the ,holy ,spirit the foretaste of an eternal and glorious life for all the children of ,god--nay1 the pledge that the reign of evil and death shall end throughout the universe4 ,with this hope swelling their hearts1 the apostle's readers once more triumphantly join in the refrain3 ,,to ,,the ,,praise ,,of ,,his ,,glory4 ,,footnotes3 #dg ,exod4 xix4 #c-f2 ,deut4 iv4 #bj1 #ba2 #a ,kings viii4 #ea1 #ec2 ,ps4 lxxviii4 #ga1 etc4 ,with the above comp4 ,gen4 xv4 #h2 ,numb4 xviii4 #bj2 ,jos4 xiii4 #cc2 ,ps4 xvi4 #e4 #dh ,ch4 iv4 #cj4 ,the seal of #b ,tim4 ii4 #ai has both the first and third of these meanings4 #di ,rom4 iv4 #aa2 #a ,cor4 ix4 #b2 ,john iii4 #cc1 vi4 #bg4 #ej ,matt4 xxvii4 #ff2 ,rev4 v4 #a1 etc4 #ea ,ch4 ii4 #aa2 comp4 ,rom4 i4 #bh1 #bi2 ,gal4 v1 #e1 #f2 ,phil4 iii4 #b1 #c4 #eb ,comp4 ,rom4 viii4 #i-aa2 #b ,cor4 v4 #a-e4 #ec ,acts i4 #d1 ii4 #cc1 #ci1 xiii4 #cb1 xxvi4 #f2 ,rom4 iv4 #ac-bj2 ,gal4 iii4 #ad-bi4 #ed ,see ,rom4 x4 #ad-ah2 ,gal4 iii4 #b1 #e2 ,col4 i4 #f1 #bc2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #ac2 #b ,tim4 i4 #ac4 #ee #a ,tim4 ii4 #a-g1 iv4 #aj2 ,tit4 ii4 #aa4 #ef #a ,thess4 v4 #i2 #b ,thess4 ii4 #ad2 ,heb4 x4 #ci4 #eg ,comp4 ,chapter ,,viii4 #eh ,for the former usage see1 along with ver4 #g and ch4 ii4 #e1 #h2 ,rom4 iii1 #bd1 x4 #i2 ,titus iii4 #e2 #b ,tim4 i4 #i2 ,col4 i4 #ad2 ,heb4 ix4 #ae2 for the latter1 ch4 iv4 #cj2 ,luke xxi4 #bh2 ,rom4 v4 #i1 #aj1 viii4 #bc2 ,phil4 ii4 #ab2 #a ,thess4 v4 #h1 #i2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aj1 iv4 #ah4 ,it may be doubted whether ,st ,paul ever uses these terms to denote present salvation or redemption without the final issue being also in his thoughts4 ,perhaps he would have called the redemption of ver4 #g1 in contrast with that of ,rom4 viii4 #bc1 the redemption of the spirit4 #ei ,hosea xiii4 #ad2 ,isa4 xxv4 #h4 #fj ,the same incoherence occurs in ,gal4 iv4 #e-g3 that we might receive the adoption of sons4 ,and because ye are sons1 ,god sent forth the ,spirit of ,his ,son into our hearts4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,for ,,the ,,eyes ,,of ,,the ,,heart4 ,for this cause ,i also1 having heard of the faith in the ,lord ,jesus which is among you1 and which ye shew toward all the saints1 cease not to give thanks for you1 making mention of you in my prayers3 ,that the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,father of glory1 may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of ,him2 having the eyes of your heart enlightened1 that ye may know what is the hope of ,his calling1 what the riches of the glory of ,his inheritance in the saints1 and what the exceeding greatness of ,his power toward us who believe1 according to that working of the might of ,his strength1 which ,he wrought in the ,christ1 when ,he raised ,him from the dead1 and made ,him to sit at ,his right hand in the heavenly places4--,,eph4 i4 #ae-bj4 ,because of this3 because you have heard the glad tidings1 and believing it have been sealed with the ,holy ,spirit 7vv4 #ac1 #ad74 ,i too3 ,i your apostle1 with so great an interest in your salvation1 in return give thanks for you4 ,thus ,st ,paul1 having extolled to the uttermost ,god's counsel of redemption unfolded through the ages1 claims to offer especial thanksgiving for the faith of those who belong to his ,gentile province and are1 directly or indirectly1 the fruit of his own ministry 7iii4 #a-ac74 ,the intermediate clause of verse #ae1 describing the readers' faith1 is obscure4 ,this form of expression occurs nowhere else in ,st ,paul2 but the construction is used by ,st ,luke1--e4g41 in ,acts xxi4 #ba3 ,all the ,jews which are among the ,gentiles1 where it implies diffusion over a wide area4 ,this being a circular letter1 addressed to a number of ,churches scattered through the province of ,asia1 of whose faith in many cases ,st ,paul knew only by report1 we can understand how he writes3 having heard of the faith that is spread amongst you4--,the love1 completing faith in the ordinary text 7as in ,col4 i4 #d71 is relegated by the ,revisers to the margin1 upon evidence that seems conclusive4#fa ,the commentators1 however1 feel so strongly the harshness of this ellipsis that1 in spite of the ancient witnesses1 they read1 almost with one consent1#fb your love toward all the saints4 ,the variation of the former clause prepares us1 however1 for something peculiar in this4 ,in verse #ac we found ,st ,paul's thought fixed on the decisive fact of his readers' faith4 ,on this he still dwells lingeringly4 ,the grammatical link needed between faith and unto all the saints is supplied in the ,revised ,version by ye show1 after the analogy of ,philemon #e4 ,perhaps it might be supplied as grammatically1 and in a sense better suiting the situation1 by is come4 ,then the co-ordinate prepositional phrases qualifying faith have both alike a local reference1 and we paraphrase the clause thus3 since ,i heard of the faith in the ,lord ,jesus which is spread amongst you1 and whose report has reached all the saints4 ,we are reminded of the thanksgiving for the ,roman ,church1 that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world4#fc ,the success of the gospel in ,asia gave encouragement to believers in ,christ everywhere4 ,st ,paul loves in this way to link ,church to ,church1 to knit the bonds of faith between land and land3 in this letter most of all2 for it is his catholic epistle1 the epistle of the ,church oecumenical4 ,in verse #af we pass from praise to prayer4 ,god is invoked by a double title peculiar to this passage1 as the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,father of glory4 ,the former expression is in no way difficult4 ,the apostle often speaks1 as in verse #c1 of the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 intending to qualify the ,divine ,fatherhood by another epithet1 he writes for once simply of the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this reminds us of the dependence of the ,lord ,jesus upon the eternal ,father1 and accentuates the ,divine sovereignty so conspicuous in the foregoing ,act of ,praise4 ,christ's constant attitude towards the ,father was that of ,his cry of anguish on the cross1 ,my ,god1 my ,god6 ,yet ,he never speaks to men of our ,god4 ,to us ,god is the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 as ,he was to the men of old time the ,god of ,abraham and of ,isaac and of ,jacob4 ,the key to the designation ,father of glory is in ,romans vi4 #d3 ,christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the ,father4 ,in the light of this august manifestation of ,god's power to save ,his lost sons in ,christ1 we are called to see light 7vv4 #ai1 #bj74 ,its glory shines already about ,god's blessed name of ,father1 thrice glorified in the apostle's praise 7vv4 #c-ad74 ,the title is the counterpart of the ,father of compassions in #b ,corinthians i4 #c4 ,and now1 what has the apostle to ask of the ,father of men under these glorious appellations8 ,he asks a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full-knowledge#fd of ,him1--the eyes of your heart enlightened1 in order that you may know1 etc4 ,this recalls the emphasis with which in verses #h and #i he set wisdom and intelligence amongst the first blessings bestowed by ,divine grace upon the ,church4 ,it was the gift which the ,asian ,churches at the present juncture most needed2 this is just now the burden of the apostle's prayers for his people4 ,the spirit of wisdom and revelation desired will proceed from the ,holy ,spirit dwelling in these ,gentile believers 7ver4 #ac74 ,but it must belong to their own spirit and direct their personal mental activity1 the spirit of revelation becoming the spirit of their mind 7iv4 #bc74 ,when ,st ,paul asks for a spirit of wisdom and revelation1 he desires that his readers may have amongst themselves a fountain of inspiration and share in the prophetic gifts diffused through the ,church4#fe ,and the knowledge--the full1 deep knowledge of ,god is the sphere in which this richer inspiration and spiritual wisdom are exercised and nourished4 ,philosophy1 taking man for its centre1 says1 ,know thyself3 only the inspired word1 which proceeds from ,god1 has been able to say1 ,know ,god4#ff ,the connexion of the first clause of verse #ah with the last of verse #ag is not very clear in ,st ,paul's ,greek2 there is a characteristic incoherence of structure4 ,the continuity of thought is unmistakable4 ,he prays that through this inspired wisdom his readers may have their reason enlightened to see the grandeur and wealth of their religion4 ,this is a vision for the eyes of the heart4 ,it is disclosed to the eye behind the eye1 to the heart which is the true discerner4 ,the seeing eyes ,see best by the light in the heart that lies4 ,yonder is an ox grazing in the meadow on a bright summer's day4 ,round him is spread the fairest landscape1--a broad stretch of herbage embroidered with flowers1 the river gleaming in and out amongst the distant trees1 the hills on both sides bounding the quiet valley1 sunshine and shadows chasing each other as they leap from height to height4 ,but of all this what sees the grazing ox8 ,so much lush pasture and cool shade and clear water where his feet may plash when he has done feeding4 ,in the same meadow there stands a poet musing1 or a painter busy at his easel2 and on the soul of that gifted man there descends1 through eyes outwardly discerning no more than those of the beast at his side1 a vision of wonder and beauty which will make all time richer4 ,the eyes of the man's heart are opened1 and the spirit of wisdom and revelation is given him in the knowledge of ,god's work in nature4 ,like differences exist amongst men in regard to the things of religion4 ,so foolish was ,i and ignorant1 says the ,psalmist1 speaking of his former dejection and unbelief1 ,i was as a beast before ,thee6 ,there shall be two men sitting side by side in the same house of prayer1 at the same gate of heaven4 ,the one sees heaven opened2 he hears the eternal song2 his spirit is a temple filled with the glory of ,god4 ,the other sees the place and the aspect of his fellow-worshippers2 he hears the music of organ and choir1 and the sound of some preacher's voice4 ,but as for anything besides1 any influence from another world1 it is no more to him at that moment than is the music in the poet's soul or the colours on the painter's canvas to the ox that eateth grass4 ,it is not the strangeness and distance of ,divine things alone that cause insensibility2 their familiarity has the same effect4 ,we know all this gospel so well4 ,we have read it1 listened to it1 gone over its points of doctrine a hundred times4 ,it is trite and easy to us as a worn glove4 ,we discuss without a tremor of emotion truths the first whisper and dim promise of which once lifted men's souls into ecstasy1 or cast them down into depths of shame and bewilderment so that they forgot to eat their bread4 ,the awe of things eternal1 the mystery of our faith1 the ,spirit of glory and of ,god rest on us no longer4 ,so there come to be1 as one hears it said1 gospel-hardened hearers--and gospel-hardened preachers6 ,the eyes see--and see not2 the ears hear--and hear not2 the lips speak without feeling2 the heart is waxen fat4 ,this is the nemesis of grace abused4 ,it is the result that follows by an inevitable psychological law1 where outward contact with spiritual truth is not attended with an inward apprehension and response4 ,how do we need to pray1 in handling these dread themes1 for a true sense and savour of ,divine things1--that there may be given1 and ever given afresh to us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,three things the apostle desires that his readers may see with the heart's enlightened eyes3 the hope to which ,god calls them1 the wealth that ,he possesses in them1 and the power which ,he is prepared to exert upon them as believing men4 ,i4 ,what1 then1 is our hope in ,god8 ,what is the ideal of our faith8 ,for what purpose has ,god called us into the fellowship of ,his ,son8 ,what is our religion going to do for us and to make of us8 ,it will bring us safe home to heaven4 ,it will deliver us from the present evil world1 and preserve us unto ,christ's heavenly kingdom4 ,god forbid that we should make light of the hope laid up for us in the heavens1 or cast it aside4 ,it is an anchor of the soul1 both sure and steadfast4 ,but is it the hope of our calling8 ,is this what ,st ,paul here chiefly signifies8 ,we are very sure that it is not4 ,but it is the one thing which stands for the hope of the gospel in many minds4 ,we trust that our sins are forgiven3 we hope that we shall get to heaven6 ,the experience of how many ,christian believers begins and ends there4 ,we make of our religion a harbour of refuge1 a soothing anodyne1 an escape from the anguish of guilt and the fear of death2 not a life-vocation1 a grand pursuit4 ,the definition we have quoted may suffice for the beginning and the end2 but we need something to fill out that formula1 to give body and substance1 meaning and movement to the life of faith4 ,let the apostle tell us what he regarded1 for himself1 as the end of religion1 what was the object of his ambition and pursuit4 ,one thing ,i do1 he writes to the ,philippians1 opening to them all his heart1--,one thing ,i do4 ,i press towards the mark for the prize of my high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4 ,and what1 pray1 was that mark8--that ,i may gain ,christ and be found in ,him6--that ,i may know ,him1 and the power of ,his resurrection and the fellowship of ,his sufferings1 being conformed to ,his death1 if by any means ,i may attain unto the final resurrection from the dead4 ,yes1 ,paul hopes for heaven2 but he hopes for something else first1 and most4 ,it is through ,christ that he sees heaven4 ,to know ,christ1 to love ,christ1 to serve ,christ1 to follow ,christ1 to be like ,christ1 to be with ,christ for ever6--that is what ,st ,paul lived for4 ,whatever aim he pursues or affection he cherishes1 ,christ lies in it and reaches beyond it4 ,in doing or in suffering1 in his intellect and his heart1 in his thoughts for himself or for others1 ,christ is all things to him and in all4 ,when life is thus filled with ,christ1 heaven becomes1 as one may say1 a mere circumstance1 and death but an incident upon the way1--in the soul's everlasting pursuit of ,christ4 ,behold1 then1 brethren1 the hope of our calling4 ,god could not call us to any destiny less or lower than this4 ,it would have been unworthy of ,him1--and may we not say1 unworthy of ourselves1 if we are in truth ,his sons8 ,from eternity the ,father of spirits has predestined you and me to be holy and without blemish before ,him1--in a word1 to be conformed to the image of ,his ,son4 ,every other hope is dross compared to this4 ,,ii4 ,another vision for the heart's eyes1 still more amazing than that we have seen3 what is1 ,st ,paul writes1 the riches of the glory of ,god's inheritance in the saints4 ,we saw1 in considering the eleventh and fourteenth verses1 how the apostle1 in characteristic fashion1 plays upon the double aspect of the inheritance1 regarding it now as the heritage of the saints in ,god and again as ,his heritage in them4 ,the former side of this relationship was indicated in the hope of the ,divine calling1--which we live and strive for as it is promised us by ,god2 and the latter comes out1 by way of contrast1 in this second clause4 ,verse #ah repeats in another way the antithesis of verse #ad between our inheritance and ,god's acquisition4 ,we must understand that ,god sets great store by us ,his human children1 and counts ,himself rich in our affection and our service4 ,how deeply it must affect us to know this1 and to see the glory that in ,god's eyes belongs to ,his possession in believing men4 ,what presumption is all this1 some one says4 ,how preposterous to imagine that the ,maker of the worlds interests ,himself in atoms like ourselves1--in the ephemera of this insignificant planet6 ,but moral magnitudes are not to be measured by a foot-rule4 ,the mind which can traverse the immensities of space and hold them in its grasp1 transcends the things it counts and weighs4 ,as it is amongst earthly powers1 so the law may hold betwixt sphere and sphere in the system of worlds1 in the relations of bodies terrestrial and celestial to each other1 that ,god has chosen the weak things to put to shame the mighty1 and the things that are not to bring to nought the things that are4 ,through the ,church ,he is making known to the potentates in the heavenly places ,his manifold wisdom 7iii1 #aj74 ,the lowly can sing evermore with ,mary in the ,magnificat3 ,he that is mighty hath magnified me4 ,if it be true that ,god spared not ,his ,son for our salvation and has sealed us with the seal of ,his ,spirit1 if ,he chose us before the world's foundation to be ,his saints1 ,he must set upon those saints an infinite value4 ,we may despise ourselves2 but ,he thinks great things of us4 ,and is this1 after all1 so hard to understand8 ,if the alternative were put to some owner of wide lands and houses full of treasure3 ,now1 you must lose that fine estate1 or see your own son lost and ruined6 ,you must part with a hundred thousand pounds--or with your best friend6 there could be no doubt in such a case what the choice would be of a man of sense and worth1 one who sees with the eyes of the heart4 ,shall we think less nobly of ,god than of a right-minded man amongst ourselves8--,suppose1 again1 that one of our great cities were so full of wealth that the poorest were housed in palaces and fared sumptuously every day1 though its citizens were profligates and thieves and cowards6 ,what would its opulence and luxury be worth8 ,is it not evident that character is the only possession of intrinsic value1 and that this alone gives worth and weight to other properties8 ,the saints that are in the earth and the excellent are earth's riches4 ,so far as we can judge of ,his ways1 the great ,god who made us cares comparatively little about the upholstery and machinery of the universe2 but ,he cares immensely about men1 about the character and destiny of men4 ,there is nothing in all that physical science discloses for ,god to love1 nothing kindred to ,himself4 ,hast thou considered my servant ,job8 the ,hebrew poet pictures ,him saying before heaven and hell6--,hast thou considered my servant ,job8--a perfect man and upright3 there is none like him in the earth4 ,how proud ,god is of a man like that1 in a world like this4 ,who can tell the value that the ,father of glory sets upon the tried fidelity of ,his humblest servant here on earth2 the intensity with which ,he reciprocates the confidence of one timid1 trembling human heart1 or the simple reverence of one little child that lisps ,his awful name8 ,he taketh pleasure in them that fear ,him1 in those that hope in ,his mercy6 ,beneath ,his feet all the worlds lie spread in their starry splendour1 our sun with its train of planets no more than one glimmering spot of light amongst ten thousand4 ,but amidst this magnificence1 what is the sight that wins ,his tender fatherly regard8 ,to that man will ,i look1 that is poor and of a contrite spirit1 and that trembles at my word4 ,thus saith the ,high and ,lofty ,one that inhabiteth eternity4 ,the ,creator rejoices in ,his works as at the beginning1 the ,lord of heaven and earth in ,his dominion4 ,but these are not ,his inheritance4 ,that is in the love of ,his children1 in the character and number of ,his saints4 ,we are to be the praise of ,his glory4 ,let us learn1 then1 to respect ourselves4 ,let us not take the world's tinsel for wealth1 and spend our time1 like the man in ,bunyan's dream1 scraping with the muck-rake while the crown of life shines above our head4 ,the riches of a ,church--nay1 of any human community--lies not in its moneyed resources1 but in the men and women that compose it1 in their godlike attributes of mind and heart1 in their knowledge1 their zeal1 their love to ,god and man1 in the purity1 the gentleness1 the truthfulness and courage and fidelity that are found amongst them4 ,these are the qualities which give distinction to human life1 and are beautiful in the eyes of ,god and holy angels4 ,man that is in honour and understandeth not1 is like the beasts that perish4 ,,iii4 ,one thing more we need to understand1 or what we have seen already will be of little practical avail4 ,we may see glorious visions1 we may cherish high aspirations2 and they may prove to be but the dreams of vanity4 ,nay1 it is conceivable that ,god ,himself might have wealth invested in our nature1 a treasure beyond price1 shipwrecked and sunk irrecoverably through our sin4 ,what means exist for realizing this inheritance8 what power is there at work to recover these forfeited hopes1 and that glory of ,god of which we have come so miserably short8 ,the answer lies in the apostle's words3 ,that ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of ,his power toward us that believe1--a power measured by the energy of the might of ,his strength#fg which ,he wrought in the ,christ1 when ,he raised ,him from the dead and set ,him at ,his right hand in the heavenly places4 ,this is the power that we have to count upon1 the force that is yoked to the world's salvation and is at the service of our faith4 ,its energy has turned the tide and reversed the stream of nature--in the person of ,jesus ,christ and in the course of human history4 ,it has changed death to life4 ,above all1 it certifies the forgiveness of sin and releases us from its liabilities2 it transforms the law of sin and death into the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we preachers hear it said sometimes3 ,you live in a speculative world4 ,your doctrines are ideal and visionary1--altogether too high for men as they are and the world as we find it4 ,human nature and experience1 the coarse realities of life are all against you4 ,what would our objectors have said at the grave-side of ,jesus8 ,the beautiful dreamer1 the sublime idealist6 ,he was too good for a world such as ours4 ,it was sure to end like this4 ,his ideas of life were utterly impracticable4 ,so they would have moralized4 ,and the good prophet talked--strangest fanaticism of all--of rising again on the third day6 ,one thing at least we know1 that the dead are dead and gone from us4 ,no1 we shall never see ,jesus or ,his like again4 ,purity cannot live in this infected air4 ,the grave ends all hope for men4 ,but1 despite human nature and human experience1 ,he has risen again1 ,he lives for ever6 ,that is the apostle's message and testimony to the world4 ,for those who believe it1 all things are possible4 ,a life is within our reach that seemed far off as earth from heaven4 ,you may become a perfect saint4 ,from ,his open grave ,christ breathed on ,his disciples1 and through them on all mankind1 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this is the efficient cause of ,christianity1--the ,spirit that raised ,jesus our ,lord from the dead4 ,the limit to its efficacy lies in the defects of our faith1 in our failure to comprehend what ,god gave us in ,his ,son4 ,is anything now too hard for the ,lord8 ,shall anything be called impossible1 in the line of ,god's promise and man's spiritual need8 ,can we put an arrest upon the working of this mysterious force1 upon the ,spirit of the new life1 and say to it3 ,thus far shalt thou go1 and no farther8 ,look at ,jesus where ,he was--the poor1 tortured1 wounded body1 slain by our sins1 lying cold and still in ,joseph's grave3 then lift up your eyes and see ,him where ,he is1--enthroned in the worship and wonder of heaven6 ,measure by that distance1 by the sweep and lift of that almighty ,arm1 the strength of the forces engaged to your salvation1 the might of the powers at work through the ages for the redemption of humanity4 ,,footnotes3 #fa ,see ,westcott and ,hort's ,new ,testament in ,greek1 vol4 ii41 pp4 #abd1 #abe4 #fb ,dr4 ,beet abides by the critical text4 ,he solves the difficulty by giving pistis a double sense3 the faith among you in the ,lord ,jesus1 and the faithfulness towards all the saints4 ,see his ,commentary on ,ephesians1 etc41 pp4 #bhd-f4 #fc ,in #a ,thess4 i4 #g-i2 #b ,thess4 i4 #d1 the same thought enters into ,paul's thanksgiving2 comp4 #b ,cor4 ix4 #b4 #fd ,this is the emphatic epignsis1 so frequent in the later epistles4 ,see ,lightfoot's note on ,col4 i4 #i2 or ,cremer's ,lexicon to ,n4,t4 ,greek4 #fe ,see ch4 iii4 #c-e1 iv4 #aa2 and comp4 #a ,cor4 xiv4 #bf-dj1 etc4 #ff ,adolphe ,monod3 ,explication de l'ptre de ,s4 ,paul aux phsiens4 ,a deeply spiritual and suggestive ,commentary4 #fg ,in this amplitude of expression there is no idle heaping up of words4 ,the four synonyms for power have each a distinct force in the sentence4 ,dynamis is power in general1 as that which is able to effect some purpose2 energeia is energy1 power in effective action and operation2 kratos is might1 mastery1 sovereign power1--in the ,new ,testament used chiefly of the power of ,god2 ischys is force1 strength1 power resident in some person and belonging to him4 ,this is the order in which the words follow each other4 ,compare vi4 #aj in the ,greek4 ,,the ,,doctrine4 ,,chapter i4 #bj-;iii4 #ac4 ,hypsln sphodra gemei tn nomatn kai hyperonkn4 ,ha gar mdamou schedon ephthenxato1 tauta entautha phsin4 ,,john ,,chrysostom3 ,in epistolam ad ,ephesios4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,what ,,god ,,wrought ,,in ,,the ,,christ4 ,he raised ,him from the dead1 and made ,him to sit at ,his right hand in the heavenly places1 far above all rule1 and authority1 and power1 and dominion1 and every name that is named1 not only in this world1 but also in that which is to come3 and ,he put all things in subjection under ,his feet1 and ,him ,he gave--the head over all things--to the ,church which is ,his body1--the fulness of ,him that filleth all in all4--,,eph4 i4 #bj-bc4 ,the division that we make at verse #bj1 marking off at this point the commencement of the ,doctrine of the epistle1 may appear somewhat forced4 ,the great doxology of the first half of the chapter is intensely theological2 and the prayer which follows it1 like that of the letter to the ,colossians1 melts into doctrine imperceptibly4 ,the apostle teaches upon his knees4 ,the things he has to tell his readers1 and the things he has asked on their behalf from ,god1 are to a great extent the same4 ,still the writer's attitude in the second chapter is manifestly that of teaching2 and his doctrine there is so directly based upon the concluding sentences of his prayer1 that it is necessary for logical arrangement to place these verses within the doctrinal section of the epistle4 ,the resurrection of ,christ made men sensible that a new force of life had come into the world1 of incalculable potency4 ,this power was in existence before4 ,in prelusive ways1 it has wrought in the world from its foundation1 and since the fall of man4 ,by the incarnation of the ,son of ,god it took possession of human flesh2 by ,his sacrificial death it won its decisive triumph4 ,but the virtue of these acts of ,divine grace lay in their hiding of power1 in the self-abnegation of the ,son of ,god who emptied ,himself and took a servant's form1 and became obedient unto death4 ,with what a rebound did the energy of the might of ,god's strength put forth itself in ,him1 when once this sacrifice was accomplished6 ,even ,his disciples who had seen ,jesus still the tempest and feed the multitude from a handful of bread and call back the spirit to its mortal frame1 had not dreamed of the might of ,godhead latent in ,him1 until they beheld ,him risen from the dead4 ,he had promised this in words2 but they understood ,his words only when they saw the fact1 when ,he actually stood before them alive after ,his passion4 ,the scene of ,calvary--the cruel sufferings of their ,master1 ,his helpless ignominy and abandonment by ,god1 the malignant triumph of his enemies--gave to this revelation an effect beyond measure astonishing and profound in its impression4 ,from the stupor of grief and despair they were raised to a boundless hope1 as ,jesus rose from the death of the cross to glorious life and ,godhead4 ,of the same nature was the effect produced by ,his manifestation to ,paul himself4 ,the ,nazarene prophet known to ,saul by report as an attractive teacher and worker of miracles1 had made enormous pretensions1 blasphemous if they were not true4 ,he put ,himself forward as the ,messiah and the very ,son of ,god6 ,but when brought to the test1 ,his power utterly failed4 ,god disowned and forsook ,him2 and ,he was crucified of weakness4 ,his followers declared1 indeed1 that ,he had returned from the grave4 ,but who could believe them1 a handful of ,galilean enthusiasts1 desperately clinging to the name of their disgraced leader6 ,if ,he has risen1 why does ,he not show ,himself to others8 ,who can accept a crucified ,messiah8 ,the new faith is a madness1 and an insult to our common ,judaism6 ,such were ,saul's former thoughts of the ,christ4 ,but when his challenge was met and the ,risen ,one confronted him in the way to ,damascus1 when from that ,form of insufferable glory there came a voice saying1 ,i am ,jesus1 whom thou persecutest6 it was enough4 ,instantly the conviction penetrated his soul1 ,he liveth by the power of ,god4 ,saul's previous reasonings against the ,messiahship of ,jesus by the same rigorous logic were now turned into arguments for ,him4 ,it is the ,christ1 let us observe1 in whom ,god wrought raising ,him from the dead3 the ,christ of ,jewish hope 7ver4 #ab71 the centre and sum of the ,divine counsel for the world 7ver4 #aj71fh the ,christ whom in that moment never to be forgotten the humbled ,saul recognized in the crucified ,nazarene4 ,the demonstration of the power of ,christianity ,paul had found in the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the power which raised ,him from the dead is the working energy of our faith4 ,let us see what this mysterious power wrought in the ,redeemer ,himself2 and then we will consider how it bears upon us4 ,there are two steps indicated in ,christ's exaltation3 ,he was raised from the death of the cross to new life amongst men2 and again from the world of men ,he was raised to the throne of ,god in heaven4 ,in the enthronement of ,jesus ,christ at the ,father's right hand1 verses #bb1 #bc further distinguish two separate acts3 there was conferred on ,him a universal ,lordship2 and ,he was made specifically ,head of the ,church1 being given to her for her ,lord and ,life1 ,he who contains the fulness of the ,godhead4 ,such is the line of thought marked out for us4 ,i4 ,god raised the ,christ from the dead4 ,this assertion is the corner-stone of ,st ,paul's life and doctrine1 and of the existence of ,christendom4 ,did the event really take place8 ,there were ,christians at ,corinth who affirmed1 ,there is no resurrection of the dead4 ,and there are followers of ,jesus now who with deep sadness confess1 like the author of ,obermann once more3 ,now ,he is dead6 ,far hence ,he lies ,in the lorn ,syrian town2 ,and on ,his grave1 with shining eyes1 ,the ,syrian stars look down4 ,if we are driven to this surrender1 compelled to think that it was an apparition1 a creation of their own passionate longing and heated fancy that the disciples saw and conversed with during those forty days1 an apparition sprung from his fevered remorse that arrested ,saul on the ,damascus road--if we no longer believe in ,jesus and the resurrection1 it is in vain that we still call ourselves ,christians4 ,the foundation of the ,christian creed is struck away from under our feet4 ,its spell is broken2 its energy is gone4 ,individual men may and do continue to believe in ,christ1 with no faith in the supernatural1 men who are sceptics in regard to ,his resurrection and miracles4 ,they believe in ,himself1 they say1 not in ,his legendary wonders2 in ,his character and teaching1 in ,his beneficent influence--in the spiritual ,christ1 whom no physical marvel can exalt above ,his intrinsic greatness4 ,and such trust in ,him1 where it is sincere1 ,he accepts for all that it is worth1 from the believer's heart4 ,but this is not the faith that saved ,paul1 and built the ,church4 ,it is not the faith which will save the world4 ,it is the faith of compromise and transition1 the faith of those whose conscience and heart cling to ,christ while their reason gives its verdict against ,him4 ,such belief may hold good for the individuals who profess it2 but it must die with them4 ,no skill of reasoning or grace of sentiment will for long conceal its inconsistency4 ,the plain1 blunt sense of mankind will decide again1 as it has done already1 that ,jesus ,christ was either a blasphemer1 or ,he was the ,son of the eternal ,god2 either ,he rose from the dead in very truth1 or ,his religion is a fable4 ,christianity is not bound up with the infallibility of the ,church1 whether in ,pope or ,councils1 nor with the inerrancy of the letter of ,scripture3 it stands or falls with the reality of the facts of the gospel1 with the risen life of ,christ and ,his presence in the ,spirit amongst men4 ,the fact of ,christ's resurrection is one upon which modern science has nothing new to say4 ,the law of death is not a recent discovery4 ,men were as well aware of its universality in the first century as they are in the nineteenth1 and as little disposed as we are ourselves to believe in the return of the dead to bodily life4 ,the stark reality of death makes us all sceptics4 ,nothing is clearer from the narratives than the utter surprise of the friends of ,jesus at ,his reappearance1 and their complete unpreparedness for the event4 ,they were not eager1 but slow of heart to believe4 ,their very love to the ,master1 as in the case of ,thomas1 made them fearful of self-deception4 ,it is a shallow and an unjust criticism that dismisses the disciples as interested witnesses and predisposed to faith in the resurrection of their dead ,master4 ,should we be thus credulous in the case of our best-beloved dead8 ,the instinctive feeling that meets any thought of the kind1 after the fact of death is once certain1 is rather that of deprecation and aversion1 such as ,martha expressed when ,jesus went to call her brother from his grave4 ,in all the long record of human imposture and illusion1 no resurrection story has ever found general credence outside of the ,biblical revelation4 ,no system of faith except our own has ever been built on the allegation that a dead man rose from the grave4 ,christ's was not the only resurrection2 but it is the only final resurrection4 ,lazarus of ,bethany left his tomb at the word of ,jesus1 a living man2 but he was still a mortal man1 doomed to see corruption4 ,he returned from the grave on this side1 as he had entered it1 bound hand and foot with grave-clothes4 ,not so with the ,christ4 ,he passed through the region of death and issued on the immortal side1 escaped from the bondage of corruption4 ,therefore ,he is called the firstfruits and the firstborn out of the dead4#fi ,hence the alteration manifest in the risen form of ,jesus4 ,he was changed1 as ,st ,paul conceives those will be who await on earth their ,lord's return 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #ea74 ,the mortal in ,him was swallowed up of life4 ,the corpse that was laid in ,joseph's tomb was there no longer4 ,from it another body has issued1 recognized for the same person by look and voice and movement1 but indescribably transfigured4 ,visible and tangible as the body of the ,risen ,one was--,handle me1 and see1 ,he said--it was superior to material limitations2 it belonged to a state whose laws transcend the range of our experience1 in which the body is the pliant instrument of the animating spirit4 ,from the ,person of the risen ,saviour the apostle formed his conception of the spiritual body1 the house from heaven with which1 as he teaches1 each of the saints will be clothed--the wasted form that we lay down in the grave being transformed into the semblance of ,his body of glory1 according to the mighty working whereby ,he is able to subdue all things to ,himself 7,phil4 iii4 #bj1 #ba74 ,the resurrection of the ,christ inaugurated a new order of things4 ,it was like the appearance of the first living organism amidst dead matter1 or of the first rational consciousness in the unconscious world4 ,he is1 says the apostle1 the beginning1 first-begotten out of the dead 7,col4 i4 #ah74 ,with the harvest filling our granaries1 we cease to wonder at the firstfruits2 and in the new heavens and earth ,christ's resurrection will seem an entirely natural thing4 ,immortality will then be the normal condition of human existence4 ,that resurrection1 nevertheless1 did homage to the fundamental law of science and of reason1 that every occurrence1 ordinary or extraordinary1 shall have an adequate cause4 ,the event was not more singular and unique than the nature of ,him to whom it befell4 ,looking back over the ,divine life and deeds of ,jesus1 ,st ,peter said3 ,it was not possible that ,he should be holden of death4 ,how unfitting and repugnant to thought1 that the common death of all men should come upon ,jesus ,christ6 ,there was that in ,his ,person1 in its absolute purity and godlikeness1 which repelled the touch of corruption4 ,he was marked out1 writes our apostle1 as ,son of ,god1 according to ,his spirit of holiness1 by ,his resurrection from the dead 7,rom4 i4 #d74 ,these two signs of ,godhead agree in ,jesus2 and the second is no more superhuman than the first4 ,for ,him the supernatural was natural4 ,there was a mighty working of the being of ,god latent in ,him1 which transcended and subdued to itself the laws of our physical frame1 even more completely than they do the laws and conditions of the lower realms of nature4 ,,ii4 ,the power which raised ,jesus our ,lord from the dead could not leave ,him in the world of sin and death4 ,lifting ,him from hades to earth1 by another step it exalted the risen ,saviour above the clouds1 and seated ,him at ,god's right hand in the heavens4 ,the forty days were a halt by the way1 a condescending pause in the operation of the almighty power that raised ,him4 ,i ascend1 ,he said to the first that saw ,him1--,i ascend to my ,father and your ,father1 to my ,god and your ,god4 ,he must see ,his own in the world again2 ,he must show ,himself alive after ,his passion by infallible proofs1 that their hearts may be comforted and knit together in the assurance of faith1 that they may be prepared to receive ,his ,spirit and to bear their witness to the world4 ,then ,he will ascend up where ,he was before1 returning to the ,father's bosom4 ,it was impossible that a spiritual body should tarry in a mortal dwelling2 impossible that the familiar relations of discipleship should be resumed4 ,no new follower can now ask of ,him1 ,rabbi1 where dwellest ,thou1 under what roof amid the homes of men8 ,for ,he dwells with those that love ,him always and everywhere1 like the ,father 7,john xiv4 #bc74 ,from this time ,christ will not be known after the flesh1 but as the ,lord of the ,spirit 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #ah74 ,in the heavenlies now abides the ,risen ,one4 ,this expression1 so frequent in the epistle as to be characteristic of it1#gj denotes not locality so much as condition and sphere4 ,it speaks of the bright and deathless world of ,god and the angels1 of which the sky has always been to men the symbol4 ,thither ,christ ascended in the eyes of ,his apostles on the fortieth day from ,his rising4 ,once before ,his death its brightness for a moment had irradiated ,his form upon the ,mount of ,transfiguration4 ,clad in the like celestial splendour ,he showed ,himself to ,his future apostle ,paul1 as to one born out of due time1 to make him ,his minister and witness4 ,since then1 of all the multitudes that have loved ,his appearing1 no other has looked upon ,him with bodily eyes4 ,he dwells with the ,father in light unapproachable4 ,but rest and felicity are not enough for ,him4 ,christ sits at the right hand of power1 that ,he may rule4 ,in those heavenly places1 it seems1 there are thrones higher and lower1 names more or less eminent1 but ,his stands clear above them all4 ,in the realms of space1 in the epochs of eternity there is none to rival our ,lord ,jesus1 no power that does not owe ,him tribute4 ,god hath put all things under ,his feet4 ,the ,christ1 who died on the cross1 who rose in human form from the grave1 is exalted to share the ,father's glory and dominion1 is filled with ,god's own fulness1 and made without limitation or exception ,head over all things4 ,in his enumeration of the angelic orders in verse #ba1 the apostle follows the phraseology current at the time1 without giving any precise dogmatic sanction to it4 ,the epistle to the ,colossians furnishes a somewhat different list 7ch4 i4 #af72 and in #a ,corinthians xv4 #bd we find the principality1 dominion1 and power without the lordship4 ,as ,lightfoot says1#ga ,st ,paul brushes away all these speculations about the ranks and titles of the angels1 without inquiring how much or how little truth there may be in them4444 ,his language shows a spirit of impatience with this elaborate angelology4 ,there is1 perhaps1 a passing reproof conveyed by this sentence to the worshipping of the angels inculcated at the present time in ,colossae1 to which other ,asian ,churches may have been drawn4 ,paul's faith saw the ,risen and ,rising ,one passing through and beyond and above successive ranks of angelic powers1 until there was in heaven no grandeur which ,he had not left behind4 ,then1 after naming heavenly powers known to him1 he uses a universal phrase covering 'not only' those known by men living on earth 'in the' present 'age1 but also' those names which will be needed and used to describe men and angels throughout the eternal future 7,beet74 ,the apostle appropriates here two sentences of ,messianic prophecy1 from ,psalms cx4 and viii4 ,the former was addressed to the ,lord's ,anointed1 the ,king-,priest enthroned in ,zion3 ,sit thou on my right hand1 until ,i make thine enemies thy footstool6 ,the latter text describes man in his pristine glory1 as ,god formed him after ,his likeness and set him in command over ,his creation4 ,this saying ,st ,paul applies1 with an unbounded scope1 to the ,god-man raised from the dead1 ,founder of the new creation3 ,thou madest ,him to have dominion over the works of ,thy hands2 ,thou hast put all things under ,his feet4 ,to the former of these passages ,st ,paul repeatedly alludes2 indeed1 since our ,lord quoted it in this sense1 it became the standing designation of ,his heavenly dignity4#gb ,the words of ,psalm viii4 are brought in evidence again in ,hebrews ii4 #e-aj1 and expounded from a somewhat different standpoint4 ,as the writer of the other epistle shows1 this coronation belongs to the human race1 and it falls to the ,son of man to win it4 ,st ,paul in quoting the same ,psalm is not insensible of its human reference4 ,it was a prophecy for ,jesus and ,his brethren1 for ,christ and the ,church4 ,so it forms a natural transition from the thought of ,christ's dominion over the universe 7ver4 #ba7 to that of ,his union with the ,church 7ver4 #bb;b74 ,,iii4 ,the second clause of verse #bb begins with an emphasis upon the object which the ,english ,version fails to recognize3 and ,him ,he gave--the ,christ exalted to universal authority--,him ,god gave1 ,head over all things as ,he is1 to the ,church which is ,his body1--the fulness of ,him who fills all things in all4 ,at the topmost height of ,his glory1 with thrones and princedoms beneath ,his feet1 ,christ is given to the ,church6 ,the ,head over all things1 the ,lord of the created universe1 ,he--and none less or lower--is the ,head of redeemed humanity4 ,for the ,church is ,his body 7this clause is interjected by way of explanation73 she is the vessel of ,his ,spirit1 the organic instrument of ,his ,divine-human life4 ,as the spirit belongs to its body1 by the like fitness the ,christ in ,his surpassing glory is the possession of the community of believing men4 ,the body claims its head1 the wife her husband4 ,no matter where ,christ is1 however high in heaven1 ,he belongs to us4 ,though the ,bride is lowly and of poor estate1 ,he is hers6 and she knows it1 and holds fast ,his heart4 ,she recks little of the people's ignorance and scorn1 if their ,master is her affianced ,lord1 and she the best-beloved in ,his eyes4 ,how rich is this gift of the ,father to the ,church in the ,son of ,his love1 the concluding words of the paragraph declare3 ,him ,he gave 444 to the ,church 444 gave the fulness of ,him that fills all in all4 ,in the risen and enthroned ,christ ,god bestowed on men a gift in which the ,divine plenitude that fills creation is embraced4 ,for this last clause1 it is clear to us1 does not qualify the ,church which is ,his body1 and expositors have needlessly taxed their ingenuity with the incongruous apposition of body and fulness2 it belongs to the grand ,object of the foregoing description1 to the ,christ whom ,god raised from the dead and invested with ,his own prerogatives4 ,the two separate designations1 ,head over all things and ,fulness of the ,all-filler1 are parallel1 and alike point back to ,him who stands with a weight of gathered emphasis--heaped up from verse #ai onwards--at the front of this last sentence 7ver4 #bb;b74 ,there has been nothing to prepare the reader to ascribe the august title of the pleroma1 the ,divine fulness1 to the ,church--enough for her1 surely1 if she is ,his body and ,he ,god's gift to her--but there has been everything to prepare us to crown the ,lord ,jesus with this glory4 ,to that which ,god had wrought in ,him and bestowed on ,him1 as previously related1 verse #bc adds something more and greater still2 for it shows what ,god makes the ,christ to be1 not to the creatures1 to the angels1 to the ,church1 but to ,god ,himself6#gc ,our text is in strict agreement with the sayings about the fulness in ,colossians i4 #ae-bj and ii4 #i1 #aj2 as well as with the later references of this epistle1 in chapter iii4 #ai1 iv4 #ac2 and with ,john i4 #af4 ,this title belongs to ,christ as ,god is in ,him and communicates to ,him all ,divine powers4 ,it was1 in the apostle's view1 a new and distinct act by which the ,father bestowed on the incarnate ,son1 raised by ,his power from the dead1 the functions of ,deity4 ,of this glory ,christ had of ,his own accord emptied ,himself in becoming man for our salvation 7,phil4 ii4 #f1 #g74 ,therefore when the sacrifice was effected and the time of humiliation past1 it was the ,father's pleasure that all the fulness should make its dwelling in ,him 7,col4 i4 #ai74 ,at no point did ,christ exalt ,himself1 or arrogate the glory once renounced4 ,he prayed1 when the hour was come3 ,now1 ,father1 glorify ,thou me with ,thine own self1 with the glory which ,i had with ,thee before the world was4 ,it was for the ,father to say1 as ,he raised and enthroned ,him3 ,thou art my ,son2 ,i to-day have begotten ,thee6 7,acts xiii4 #cc74 ,again there was poured into the empty1 humbled and impoverished form of the ,son of ,god the brightness of the ,father's glory and the infinitude of the ,father's authority and power4 ,the majesty that ,he had foregone was restored to ,him in undiminished measure4 ,but how great a change meanwhile in ,him who received it6 ,this plenitude devolves not now on the eternal ,son in ,his pure ,godhead1 but on the ,christ1 the ,head and ,redeemer of mankind4 ,god who fills the universe with ,his presence1 with ,his cherishing love and sustaining power1 has conferred the fulness of all that ,he is upon our ,christ4 ,he has given ,him1 so replenished and perfected1 to the body of ,his saints1 that ,he may dwell and work in them for ever4 ,,footnotes3 #fh ,see the note upon this definite article on p4 #dg4 #fi ,prtotokos ek tn nekrn1 ,col4 i4 #ah3 comp4 ,rom4 vi4 #ac1 x4 #g1 for the force of the preposition4 ,hence the peculiar exanastasin t ek nekrn of ,phil4 iii4 #aj1 #aa1--the out-and-out resurrection1 which will utterly remove us from the sphere of death4 #gj ,ver4 #c1 ch4 ii4 #f1 iii4 #aj1 vi4 #ab2 nowhere else in the ,new ,testament4 ,comp41 however1 #a ,cor4 xv4 #dj1 #dh2 ,phil4 ii4 #aj2 ,heb4 viii4 #e1 ix4 #bc1 xi4 #af1 xii4 #bb1 where the adjective has the same kind of use4 #ga ,note on ,col4 i4 #af4 #gb ,matt4 xxii4 #da-df1 also in ,mark and ,luke2 ,acts ii4 #cd1 #ce2 ,rom4 viii4 #cd2 ,col4 iii4 #a2 ,heb4 i4 #ac2 #a ,peter iii4 #bb1 etc4 #gc ,the reader of the ,old ,testament1 unless otherwise advertized1 must inevitably have referred the words who filleth all things in all to the ,supreme ,god4 ,see ,jer4 xxiii4 #bd2 ,isai4 vi4 #a1 #c2 ,hag4 ii4 #g2 ,ps4 xxxiii4 #e1 etc42 ,exod4 xxxi4 #c4 ,that filleth all in all is an attribute belonging to the same ,god1 that worketh all in all 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #f74 ,comp4 iv4 #f4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,from ,,death ,,to ,,life4 ,and you did ,he quicken1 when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins1 wherein aforetime ye walked according to the course of this world1 according to the prince of the power of the air1 of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience2 among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh1 doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind1 and were by nature children of wrath1 even as the rest3--but ,god1 being rich in mercy1 for ,his great love wherewith ,he loved us1 even when we were dead through our trespasses1 quickened us together with the ,christ 7by grace have ye been saved71 and raised us up together and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4--,,eph4 ii4 #a-f4 ,we pass by a sudden transition1 just as in ,colossians i4 #ba1 #bb1 from the thought of that which ,god wrought in ,christ ,himself to that which ,he works through ,christ in believing men4 ,so ,god raised1 exalted1 and glorified ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ 7i4 #ai-bc7--;and you6 ,the finely woven threads of the apostle's thought are frequently severed1 and awkward chasms made in the highway of his argument by our chapter and verse divisions4 ,the words inserted in our ,version 7did ,he quicken7 are borrowed by anticipation from verse #e2 but they are more than supplied already in the foregoing context4 ,the same almighty ,hand that was laid upon the body of the dead ,christ and lifted ,him from ,joseph's grave to the highest seat in heaven1 is now laid upon your soul4 ,it has raised you from the grave and death of sin to share by faith ,his celestial life4 ,the apostle1 in verse #c1 pointedly includes amongst the dead in trespasses and sins himself and his ,jewish fellow-believers as they once lived1 when they obeyed the motions and volitions of the flesh1 and so were by birth not children of favour1 as ,jews presumed1 but children of anger1 even as the rest4#gd 99 99 99 99 99 ,this passage gives us a sublime view of the event of our conversion4 ,it associates that change in us with the stupendous miracle which took place in our ,redeemer4 ,the one act is a continuation of the other4 ,there is an acting over again in us of ,christ's crucifixion1 resurrection and ascension1 when we realize through faith that which was done for mankind in ,him4 ,at the same time1 the redemption which is in ,christ ,jesus is no mere legacy1 to be received or declined2 it is not something done once for all1 and left to be appropriated passively by our individual will4 ,it is a power of ,god unto salvation1 unceasingly operative and effective1 that works of faith and unto faith that summons men to faith1 challenging human confidence wherever its message travels and awakening the spiritual possibilities dormant in our nature4 ,it is a supernatural force1 then1 which is at work upon us in the word of ,christ4 ,it is a resurrection-power1 that turns death into life4 ,and it is a power instinct with love4 ,the love which went out towards the slain and buried ,jesus when the ,father stooped to raise ,him from the dead1 bends over us as we lie in the grave of our sins1 and exerts itself with a might no less transcendent1 that it may raise us from the dust of death to sit with ,him in the heavenly places 7vv4 #d-f74 ,let us look at the two sides of the change effected in men by the gospel--at the death they leave1 and the life into which they enter4 ,let us contemplate the task to which this unmatched power has set itself4 ,i4 ,you that were dead1 the apostle says4 ,jesus ,christ came into a dead world--,he the one living man1 alive in body1 soul1 and spirit--alive to ,god in the world4 ,he was1 like none besides1 aware of ,god and of ,god's love1 breathing in ,his ,spirit1 living not by bread alone1 but by every word that proceeded from ,his mouth4 ,this1 ,he said1 is life eternal4 ,if ,his definition was correct1 if it be life to know ,god1 then the world into which ,christ entered by ,his human birth1 the world of heathendom and ,judaism1 was veritably dying or dead--dead indeed unto ,god4 ,its condition was visible to discerning eyes4 ,it was a world rotting in its corruption1 mouldering in its decay1 and which to ,his pure sense had the moral aspect and odour of the charnel-house4 ,we realize very imperfectly the distress1 the inward nausea1 the conflict of disgust and pity which the fact of being in such a world as this and belonging to it caused in the nature of ,jesus ,christ1 in a soul that was in perfect sympathy with ,god4 ,never was there loneliness such as ,his1 the solitude of life in a region peopled with the dead4 ,the joy which ,christ had in ,his little flock1 in those whom the ,father had given ,him out of the world1 was proportionately great4 ,in them ,he found companionship1 teachableness1 signs of a heart awakening towards ,god--men to whom life was in some degree what it was to ,him4 ,he had come1 as the prophet in his vision1 into the valley full of dry bones1 and ,he prophesied to these slain1 that they might live4 ,what a comfort to see1 at ,his first words1 a shaking in the valley1--to see some who stirred at ,his voice1 who stood upon their feet and gathered round ,him--not yet a great army1 but a band of living men6 ,in their breasts1 inspired from ,his1 was the life of the future4 ,i am come1 ,he said1 that they might have life4 ,it was the work of ,jesus ,christ to breathe ,his vital spirit into the corpse of humanity1 to reanimate the world4 ,when ,st ,paul speaks of his readers in their heathen condition as dead1 it is not a figure of speech4 ,he does not mean that they were like dead men1 that their state resembled death2 nor only that they were in peril of death2 but he signifies a real and present death 7,calvin74 ,they were1 in the inmost sense and truth of things1 dead men4 ,we are twofold creatures1 two-lived1--spirits cased in flesh4 ,our human nature is capable1 therefore1 of strange duplicities4 ,it is possible for us to be alive and flourishing upon one side of our being1 while we are paralyzed or lifeless upon the other4 ,as our bodies live in commerce with the light and air1 in the environment of house and food and daily exercise of the limbs and senses under the economy of material nature1 so our spirits live by the breath of prayer1 by faith and love towards ,god1 by reverence and filial submission1 by communion with things unseen and eternal4 ,with ,thee1 says the ,psalmist to his ,god1 is the fountain of life3 in ,thy light we see light4 ,we must daily resort to that fountain and drink of its pure stream1 we must faithfully walk in that light1 or there is no such life for us4 ,the soul that wants a true faith in ,god1 wants the proper spring and principle of its being4 ,it sees not the light1 it bears not the voices1 it breathes not the air of that higher world where its origin and its destiny lie4 ,the man who walks the earth a sinner against ,god1 becomes by the act and fact of his transgression a dead man4 ,he has imbibed the fatal poison2 it runs in his veins4 ,the doom of sin lies on his unforgiven spirit4 ,he carries death and judgement about with him4 ,they lie down with him at night and wake with him in the morning2 they take part in his transactions2 they sit by his side in the feast of life4 ,his works are dead works2 his joys and hopes are all shadowed and tainted4 ,within his living frame he bears a coffined soul4 ,with the machinery of life1 with the faculties and possibilities of a spiritual being1 the man lies crushed under the activity of the senses1 wasted and decaying for want of the breath of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,in its coldness and powerlessness--too often in its visible corruption--his nature shows the symptoms of advancing death4 ,it is dead as the tree is dead1 cut off from its root2 as the fire is dead1 when the spark is gone out2 dead as a man is dead1 when the heart stops4 ,as it is with the departed saints sleeping in ,christ1--put to death1 indeed1 in the flesh1 but living in the spirit1--so by a terrible inversion with the wicked in this life4 ,they are put to death1 indeed1 in the spirit1 while they live in the flesh4 ,they may be and often are powerfully alive and active in their relations to the world of sense1 while on the unseen and ,godward side utterly paralyzed4 ,ask such a man about his business or family concerns2 touch on affairs of politics or trade1--and you deal with a living mind1 its powers and susceptibilities awake and alert4 ,but let the conversation pass to other themes2 sound him on questions of the inner life2 ask him what he thinks of ,christ1 how he stands towards ,god1 how he fares in the spiritual conflict1--and you strike a note to which there is no response4 ,you have taken him out of his element4 ,he is a practical man1 he tells you2 he does not live in the clouds1 or hunt after shadows2 he believes in hard facts1 in things that he can grasp and handle4 ,the natural man perceiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,they are foolishness to him4 ,they are pictures to the eye of the blind1 heavenly music to the stone-deaf4 ,and yet that hardened man of the world--starve and ignore his own spirit and shut up its mystic chambers as he will--cannot easily destroy himself4 ,he has not extirpated his religious nature1 nor crushed out1 though he has suppressed1 the craving for ,god in his breast4 ,and when the callous surface of his life is broken through1 under some unusual stress1 some heavy loss or the shock of a great bereavement1 one may catch a glimpse of the deeper world within of which the man himself was so little conscious4 ,and what is to be seen there8 ,haunting memories of past sin1 fears of a conscience fretted already by the undying worm1 forms of weird and ghostly dread flitting amid the gloom and dust of death through that closed house of the spirit1-- ,the bat and owl inhabit here3 ,the snake nests on the altar stone3 ,the sacred vessels moulder near3 ,the image of the ,god is gone6 ,in this condition of death the word of life comes to men4 ,it is the state not of heathendom alone2 but of those also1 favoured with the light of revelation1 who have not opened to it the eyes of the heart1 of all who are doing the desires of the flesh and the thoughts--who are governed by their own impulses and ideas and serve no will above the world of sense4#ge ,without distinction of birth or formal religious standing1 all who thus live and walk are dead while they live4 ,their trespasses and sins have killed them4 ,from first to last ,scripture testifies3 ,your sins have separated between you and your ,god4 ,we find a hundred excuses for our irreligion3 there is the cause4 ,there is nothing in the universe to separate any one of us from the love and fellowship of his ,maker but his own unforsaken sin4 ,it is true1 there are other hindrances to faith1 intellectual difficulties of great weight and seriousness1 that press upon many minds4 ,for such men ,christ has all possible sympathy and patience4 ,there is a real1 though hidden faith that lives in honest doubt4 ,some men have more faith than they suppose1 while others certainly have much less4 ,one has a name to live1 and yet is dead2 another1 perchance1 has a name to die1 and yet is alive to ,god through ,jesus ,christ4 ,there are endless complications1 self-contradictions1 and misunderstandings in human nature4 ,many are first in the ranks of religious profession and notoriety1 which shall be last1 and the last first4 ,we make the largest allowance for this element of uncertainty in the line that bounds faith from unfaith2 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are ,his4 ,no intellectual difficulty1 no mere misunderstanding1 will ultimately or for long separate between ,god and the soul that ,he has made4 ,it is antipathy that separates4 ,they did not like to retain ,god in their knowledge2 that is ,paul's explanation of the ungodliness and vice of the ancient world4 ,and it holds good still in countless instances4 ,numbers in this bad world talk loudly against religion in order to encourage each other in sin1 because they need encouragement4 ,they know that they ought to be other than they are2 but are glad to avail themselves of anything that looks like argument1 to overcome their consciences withal 7,newman74 ,the fashionable scepticism of the day too often conceals an inner revolt against the moral demands of the ,christian life2 it is the pretext of a carnal mind1 which is enmity against ,god1 because it is not subject to ,his law4 ,christ's sentence upon unbelief as ,he knew it was this3 ,light is come into the world2 and men love darkness rather than light1 because their deeds are evil4 ,so said the keenest and the kindest judge of men4 ,if we are refusing ,him our faith1 let us be very sure that this condemnation does not touch ourselves4 ,is there no passion that bribes and suborns the intellect8 no desire in the soul that dreads ,his entrance8 no evil deeds that shelter themselves from ,his accusing light8 ,when the apostle says of his ,gentile readers that they once walked in the way of the age1 according to the course of this world1#gf according to the prince of the power of the air1 the former part of his statement is clear enough4 ,the age in which he lived was godless to the last degree2 the stream of the world's life ran in turbid course toward moral ruin4 ,but the second clause is obscure4 ,the prince 7or ruler7 who guides the world along its career of rebellion is manifestly ,satan1 the spirit of darkness and hate whom ,st ,paul entitles the god of this world 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d71 and in whom ,jesus recognized1 under the name of the prince of the world1 ,his great antagonist 7,john xiv4 #cj74 ,but what has this spirit of evil to do with the air8 ,the ,jewish rabbis supposed that the terrestrial atmosphere was ,satan's abode1 that it was peopled by demons flitting about invisibly in the encompassing element4 ,but this is a notion foreign to ,scripture--certainly not contained in chapter vi4 #ab--;and1 in its bare physical sense1 without point or relevance to this passage4 ,there follows in immediate apposition to the domain of the air1 the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience4 ,surely1 the air here partakes 7if it be only here7 of the figurative significance of spirit 7i4e4 breath74 ,st ,paul refines the ,jewish idea of evil spirits dwelling in the surrounding atmosphere into an ethical conception of the atmosphere of the world1 as that from which the sons of disobedience draw their breath and receive the spirit that inspires them4 ,here lies1 in truth1 the dominion of ,satan4 ,in other words1 ,satan constituted the ,zeitgeist4 ,as ,beck profoundly remarks upon this text3#gg ,the ,power of the air is a fitting designation for the prevailing spirit of the times1 whose influence spreads itself like a miasma through the whole atmosphere of the world4 ,it manifests itself as a contagious nature-power2 and a spiritus rector works within it1 which takes possession of the world of men1 alike in individuals and in society1 and assumes the direction of it4 ,the form of expression here employed is based on the conception of evil peculiar to ,scripture4 ,in ,scripture1 evil and the principle of evil are not conceived in a purely spiritual way2 nor could this be the case in a world of fleshly constitution1 where the spiritual has the sensuous for its basis and its vehicle4 ,spiritual evil exists as a power immanent in cosmical nature4#gh ,concerning great tracts of the earth1 and large sections even of ,christianized communities1 we must still confess with ,st ,john3 ,the world lieth in the ,evil ,one4 ,the air is impregnated with the infection of sin2#gi its germs float about us constantly1 and wherever they find lodgement they set up their deadly fever4 ,sin is the malarial poison native to our soil2 it is an epidemic that runs its course through the entire age of this world4 ,above this feverous1 sin-laden atmosphere the apostle sees ,god's anger brooding in threatening clouds4 ,for our trespasses and sins are1 after all1 not forced on us by our environment4 ,those offences by which we provoke ,god1 lie in our nature2 they are no mere casual acts1 they belong to our bias and disposition4 ,sin is a constitutional malady4 ,there exists a bad element in our human nature1 which corresponds but too truly to the course and current of the world around us4 ,this the apostle acknowledges for himself and his law-honouring ,jewish kindred3 ,we were by nature children of wrath1 even as the rest4 ,so he wrote in the sad confession of ,romans vii4 #ad-bc3 ,i see a different law in my members1 warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members4 ,it is upon this other law1 the contradiction of ,his own1 upon the sinfulness beneath the sin1 that ,god's displeasure rests4 ,human law notes the overt act3 the ,lord looketh upon the heart4 ,there is nothing more bitter and humiliating to a conscientious man than the conviction of this penetrating ,divine insight1 this detection to himself of his incurable sin and the hollowness of his righteousness before ,god4 ,how it confounds the proud ,pharisee to learn that he is as other men are1--and even as this publican6 ,the sons of disobedience must needs be children of wrath4 ,all sin1 whether in nature or practice1 is the object of ,god's fixed displeasure4 ,it cannot be matter of indifference to our ,father in heaven that ,his human children are disobedient toward ,himself4 ,children of ,his favour or anger we are each one of us1 and at every moment4 ,we keep ,his commandments1 and abide in ,his love2 or we do not keep them1 and are excluded4 ,it is ,his smile or frown that makes the sunshine or the gloom of our inner life4 ,how strange that men should argue that ,god's love forbids ,his wrath6 ,it is1 in truth1 the cause of it4 ,i could neither love nor fear a ,god who did not care enough about me to be angry with me when ,i sin4 ,if my child does wilful wrong1 if by some act of greed or passion he imperils his moral future and destroys the peace and well-being of the house1 shall ,i not be grieved with him1 with an anger proportioned to the love ,i bear him8 ,how much more shall your heavenly ,father--how much more justly and wisely and mercifully6 ,st ,paul feels no contradiction between the words of verse #c and those that follow4 ,the same ,god whose wrath burns against the sons of disobedience while they so continue1 is rich in mercy and loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses6 ,he pities evil men1 and to save them spared not ,his ,son from death2 but ,almighty ,god1 the ,father of glory1 hates and loathes the evil that is in them1 and has determined that if they will not let it go they shall perish with it4 ,,ii4 ,such was the death in which ,paul and his readers once had lain4 ,but ,god in ,his great love has made them to live along with the ,christ4 ,how wonderful to have witnessed a resurrection3 to see the pale cheek of the little maid1 ,jairus' daughter1 flush again with the tints of life1 and the still frame begin to stir1 and the eyes softly open--and she looks upon the face of ,jesus6 or to watch ,lazarus1 four days dead1 coming out of his tomb1 slowly1 and as one dreaming1 with hands and feet bound in the grave-clothes4 ,still more marvellous to have beheld the ,prince of ,life at the dawn of the third day issue from ,joseph's grave1 bursting ,his prison-gates and stepping forth in new-risen glory as one refreshed from slumber4 ,but there are things no less divine1 had we eyes for their marvel1 that take place upon this earth day by day4 ,when a human soul awakes from its trespasses and sins1 when the love of ,god is poured into a heart that was cold and empty1 when the ,spirit of ,god breathes into a spirit lying powerless and buried in the flesh1 there is as true a rising from the dead as when ,jesus our ,lord came out from ,his sepulchre4 ,it was of this spiritual resurrection that ,he said3 ,the hour cometh1 and now is1 when the dead shall hear the voice of the ,son of ,god1 and they that hear shall live4 ,having said that1 ,he added1 concerning the bodily resurrection of mankind3 ,marvel not at this2 for the hour cometh1 in which all that are in the tombs shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth6 ,the second wonder only matches and consummates the first 7,john v4 #bd-bh74 ,this is life eternal1 to know ,god the ,father1--the life1 as the apostle elsewhere calls it1 that is life indeed4 ,it came to ,st ,paul by a new creation1 when1 as he describes it1 ,god who said1 ,light shall shine out of darkness1 shined in our hearts1 to give the light of the knowledge of ,his glory in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,we are born again--the ,god-consciousness is born within us3 an hour mysterious and decisive as that in which our personal consciousness first emerged and the soul knew itself4 ,now it knows ,god4 ,like ,jacob at ,peniel it says3 ,i have seen ,god face to face2 and my life is preserved4 ,god and the soul have met in ,christ--and are reconciled4 ,the words the apostle uses--gave us life--raised us up--seated us in the heavenly places--embrace the whole range of salvation4 ,those united with ,christ are through grace delivered from their state of death1 not only in the sense that the resurrection and exaltation of ,christ redound to their benefit as ,divinely imputed to them2 but by the life-giving energy of ,god they are brought out of their condition of death into a new and actual state of life4 ,the act of grace is an act of the ,divine power and might1 not a mere judicial declaration 7,beck74 ,this comprehensive action of the ,divine grace upon believing men takes place by a constant and constantly deepening union of the soul with ,christ4 ,this is well expressed by ,a4 ,monod3 ,the entire history of the ,son of man is reproduced in the man who believes in ,him1 not by a simple moral analogy1 but by a spiritual communication which is the true secret of our justification as well as of our sanctification1 and indeed of our whole salvation4 ,there is no repetition in the three verbs employed1 which are alike extended by the ,greek preposition with 7syn74 ,the first sentence 7raised us up with the ,christ7 virtually includes everything2 it shows us one with ,christ who lives evermore to ,god4 ,the second sentence gathers into its scope all believers--the you of verse #a and the we of verse #c3 ,he raised us up together1 and together made us sit in the heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,nothing is more characteristic of our epistle than this turn of thought4 ,to the conception of our union with ,christ in ,his celestial life1 it adds that of our union with each other in ,christ as sharers in common of that life4 ,christ reconciles us in one body unto ,god 7ver4 #af74 ,we sit not alone1 but together in the heavenly places4 ,this is the fulness of life2 this completes our salvation4 ,,footnotes3 #gd ,for the antithesis of you and we1 comp4 vv4 #aa-ah1 ch4 i1 #ab1 #ac2 also ,rom4 iii4 #ai1 #bc 7,for there is no distinction71 ,gal4 ii4 #ae4 #ge ,poiountes ta thelmata ts sarkos kai tn dianoin 7ver4 #c74 #gf ,perhaps this double rendering may bring out the force of kata to aina tou kosmou toutou4 #gg ,in the posthumous ,erklrung des ,briefes ,pauli an die ,epheser--a valuable exposition1 marked by ,beck's theological acumen and lucidity4 #gh ,the physei of verse #c thus corresponds to the exousia tou aeros of verse #b4 ,sin entered into the world 7kosmos71 ,rom4 v4 #ab1 which signifies more than the nature of individual men4 #gi ,i ,john iii4 #h2 comp4 ,john viii4 #da-dd4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,saved ,,for ,,an ,,end4 ,that in the ages to come ,he might show the exceeding riches of ,his grace in kindness toward us in ,christ ,jesus4 ,for by grace have ye been saved through faith2 and that not of yourselves1 it is the gift of ,god3 not of works1 that no man should glory4 ,for we are ,his workmanship1 created in ,christ ,jesus for good works1 which ,god afore prepared that we should walk in them4--,,eph4 ii4 #g-aj4 ,the plan which ,god has formed for men in ,christ is of great dimensions every way1--in its length no less than in its breadth and height4 ,he raised us up and seated us together ,gentiles with ,jews in the heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus1 that in the ages which are coming on ,he might show the surpassing riches of ,his grace4 ,all the races of mankind and all future ages are embraced in the redeeming purpose1 and are to share in its boundless wealth4 ,nor are the ages past excluded from its operations4 ,god afore prepared the good works in which ,he summons us to walk4 ,the highway of the new life has been in building since time began4 ,thus large and limitless is the range of the purpose and grace given us in ,christ ,jesus before times eternal 7#b ,tim4 i4 #i74 ,but what strikes us most in this passage is the exuberance of the grace itself4 ,twice over the apostle exclaims1 ,by grace you are saved3 once in verse #e1 in an eager1 almost jealous parenthesis1 where he hastens to assure the readers of their deliverance from the fearful condition just described 7vv4 #a-c1 #e74 ,again1 deliberately and with full definition he states the same fact1 in verse #h3 ,for by grace you are saved1 through faith2 and this is not of yourselves1 it is the gift of ,god4 ,it does not come of works1 to the end that none may boast4 ,these words place us on familiar ground4 ,we recognize the ,paul of ,galatians and ,romans1 the dialect and accent of the apostle of salvation by faith4 ,but scarcely anywhere do we find this wonder-working grace so affluently described4 ,god being rich in mercy1 for the great love wherewith ,he loved us--the exceeding riches of ,his grace1 shown in kindness toward us--the gift of ,god4 ,mercy1 love1 kindness1 grace1 gift3 what a constellation is here6 ,these terms present the character of ,god in the gospel under the most delightful aspects1 and in vivid contrast to the picture of our human state outlined in the beginning of the chapter4 ,mercy denotes the ,divine pitifulness towards feeble1 suffering men1 akin to those compassions of ,god to which the apostle repeatedly appeals4#hj ,it is a constant attribute of ,god in the ,old ,testament1 and fills much the same place there that grace does in the ,new4 ,of mercy and judgement do the ,psalmists sing--of mercy most4 ,out of the thunder and smoke of ,sinai ,he declared ,his name3 ,jehovah1 a ,god full of compassion and gracious1 slow to anger1 and plenteous in mercy and truth1 keeping mercy for thousands4 ,the dread of ,god's justice1 the sense of ,his dazzling holiness and almightiness threw ,his mercy into bright relief and gave to it an infinite preciousness4 ,it is the contrast which brings in mercy here1 in verse #d1 by antithesis to wrath 7ver4 #c74ha ,these qualities are complementary4 ,the sternest and strongest natures are the most compassionate4 ,god is rich in mercy4 ,the wealth of ,his ,being pours itself out in the exquisite tendernesses1 the unwearied forbearance and forgivingness of ,his compassion towards men4 ,the ,judge of all the earth1 whose hate of evil is the fire of hell1 is gentler than the softest-hearted mother1--rich in mercy as ,he is grand and terrible in wrath4 ,god's mercy regards us as we are weak and miserable3 ,his love regards us as we are1 in spite of trespass and offence1 ,his offspring1--objects of much love amid much displeasure1 even when we were dead through our trespasses4 ,what does the story of the prodigal son mean but this8 and what ,christ's great word to ,nicodemus 7,john iii4 #af78--;,grace and kindness are love's executive4 ,grace is love in administration1 love counteracting sin and seeking our salvation4 ,christ is the embodiment of grace2 the cross its supreme expression2 the gospel its message to mankind2 and ,paul himself its trophy and witness4#hb ,the overpassing riches of grace is that affluence of wealth in which through ,christ it superabounded to the apostolic age and has outdone the magnitude of sin 7,rom4 v4 #bj71 in such measure that ,st ,paul sees future ages gazing with wonder at its benefactions to himself and his fellow-believers4 ,shown in kindness toward us1 he says1--in a condescending fatherliness1 that forgets its anger and softens its old severity into comfort and endearment4 ,god's kindness is the touch of ,his hand1 the accent of ,his voice1 the cherishing breath of ,his ,spirit4 ,finally1 this generosity of the ,divine grace1 this infinite goodwill of ,god toward men1 takes expression in the gift--the gift of ,christ1 the gift of righteousness 7,rom4 v4 #ae-ah71 the gift of eternal life 7,rom4 vi4 #bc72 or--regarded1 as it is here1 in the light of experience and possession--the gift of salvation4 ,the opposition of gift and debt1 of gratuitous salvation through faith to salvation earned by works of law1 belongs to the marrow of ,st ,paul's divinity4 ,the teaching of the great evangelical epistles is condensed into the brief words of verses #h and #i4 ,the reason here assigned for ,god's dealing with men by way of gift and making them absolutely debtors--lest any one should boast--was forced upon the apostle's mind by the stubborn pride of legalism2 it is stated in terms identical with those of the earlier letters4 ,men will glory in their virtues before ,god2 they flaunt the rags of their own righteousness1 if any such pretext1 even the slightest1 remains to them4 ,we sinners are a proud race1 and our pride is oftentimes the worst of our sins4 ,therefore ,god humbles us by ,his compassion4 ,he makes to us a free gift of ,his righteousness1 and excludes every contribution from our store of merit2 for if we could supply anything1 we should inevitably boast as though all were our own4 ,we must be content to receive mercy1 love1 grace1 kindness--everything1 without deserving the least fraction of the immense sum4 ,how it strips our vanity2 how it crushes us to the dust--the weight of pardoning love6 ,concerning the office of faith in salvation we have already spoken in ,chapter ,,iv4#hc ,it is on the objective fact rather than the subjective means of salvation that the apostle lays stress in this passage4 ,his readers do not seem to have realized sufficiently what ,god has given them and the greatness of the salvation already accomplished4 ,they measured inadequately the power which had touched and changed their lives 7i4 #ai74 ,st ,paul has shown them the depth to which they were formerly sunk1 and the height to which they have been raised 7vv4 #a-f74 ,he can therefore assure them1 and he does it with redoubled emphasis3 ,you are saved2 ,by grace you are saved men6#hd ,not1 ,you will be saved2 nor1 ,you were saved2 nor1 ,you are in course of salvation1--for salvation has many moods and tenses1--but1 in the perfect passive tense1 he asserts the glorious accomplished fact4 ,with the same reassuring emphasis in chapter i4 #g he declared1 ,we have redemption in ,his blood1 the forgiveness of our trespasses4 ,here is ,st ,paul's doctrine of ,assurance4 ,it was laid down by ,christ ,himself when ,he said3 ,he that believeth on the ,son of ,god hath eternal life4 ,this sublime confidence is the ruling note of ,st ,john's great epistle3 ,we know that we are in ,him4444 ,we know that we have passed out of death into life4444 ,this is the victory that overcometh the world1 even our faith4 ,it was this confidence of present salvation that made the ,church irresistible4 ,with its foundation secure1 the house of life can be steadily and calmly built up4 ,under the shelter of the full assurance of faith1 in the sunshine of ,god's love felt in the heart1 all spiritual virtues bloom and flourish4 ,but with a faith hesitant1 distracted1 that is sure of no doctrine in the creed and cannot plant a firm foot anywhere1 nothing prospers in the soul or in the ,church4 ,oh for the clear accent1 the ringing1 joyous note of apostolic assurance6 ,we want a faith not loud1 but deep2 a faith not born of sentiment and human sympathy1 but that comes from the vision of the living ,god2 a faith whose rock and corner-stone is neither the ,church nor the ,bible1 but ,christ ,jesus ,himself4 ,greatly do we need1 like the ,asian disciples of ,paul and ,john1 to assure our hearts before ,god4 ,with death confronting us1 with the hideous evil of the world oppressing us2 when the air is laden with the contagion of sin2 when the faith of the strongest wears the cast of doubt2 when the word of promise shines dimly through the haze of an all-encompassing scepticism and a hundred voices say1 in mockery or grief1 ,where is now thy ,god8 when the world proclaims us lost1 our faith refuted1 our gospel obsolete and useless1--then is the time for the ,christian assurance to recover its first energy and to rise again in radiant strength from the heart of the ,church1 from the depths of its mystic life where it is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,you are saved6 cries the apostle2 not forgetting that his readers have their battle to fight1 and many hazards yet to run 7vi4 #aj-ac74 ,but they hold the earnest of victory1 the foretaste of life eternal4 ,in spirit they sit with ,christ in the heavenly places4 ,pain and death1 temptation1 persecution1 the vicissitudes of earthly history1 by these ,god means to perfect that which ,he has begun in ,his saints--if you continue in the faith1 grounded and firm 7,col4 i4 #bc74 ,that condition is expressed1 or implied1 in all assurance of final salvation4 ,it is a condition which excites to watchfulness1 but can never cause misgiving to a loyal heart4 ,god is for us6 ,he justifies us1 and counts us ,his elect4 ,christ ,jesus who died is risen and seated at the right hand of ,god1 and there intercedes for us4 ,quis separabit8#he 99 99 99 99 99 ,this is the epistle of the ,church and of humanity4 ,it dwells on the grand1 objective aspects of the truth1 rather than upon its subjective experiences4 ,it does not invite us to rest in the comforts and delights of grace1 but to lift up our eyes and see whither ,christ has translated us and what is the kingdom that we possess in ,him4 ,god quickened us together with the ,christ3 ,he raised us up1 ,he made us to sit in the heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,henceforth our citizenship is in heaven 7,phil4 iii4 #bj74 ,this is the inspiring thought of the third group of ,st ,paul's epistles2 we heard it in the first note of his song of praise 7i4 #c74 ,it supplies the principle from which ,st ,paul unfolds the beautiful conception of the ,christian life contained in the third chapter of the companion letter to the ,colossians3 ,your life is hid with the ,christ in ,god2 therefore seek the things that are above1 where ,he is4 ,we live in two worlds at once4 ,heaven lies about us in this new mystic childhood of our spirit4 ,there our names are written2 thither our thoughts and hopes resort4 ,our treasure is there2 our heart we have lodged there1 with ,christ in ,god4 ,he is there1 the ,lord of the ,spirit1 from whom we draw each moment the life that flows into ,his members4 ,in the greatness of ,his love conquering sin and death1 time and space1 ,he is with us to the world's end4 ,may we not say that we1 too1 are with ,him and shall be with ,him always8 ,so we reckon in the logic of our faith and at the height of our high calling1 though the soul creeps and drudges upon the lower levels4 ,with ,him we are gone up on high1 ,since ,he is ours and we are ,his2 ,with ,him we reign above the sky1 ,we walk upon our subject seas6 ,in his lofty flights of thought the apostle always has some practical and homely end in view4 ,the earthly and heavenly1 the mystical and the matter-of-fact were not distant and repugnant1 but interfused in his mind4 ,from the celestial heights of the life hidden with ,christ in ,god 7ver4 #f71 he brings us down in a moment and without any sense of discrepancy to the prosaic level of good works 7ver4 #aj74 ,the love which viewed us from eternity1 the counsels of ,him who works all things in all1 enter into the humblest daily duties4 ,grace1 moreover1 sets us great tasks4 ,there should be something to show in deed and life for the wealth of kindness spent upon us1 some visible and commensurate result of the vast preparations of the gospel plan4 ,of this result the apostle saw the earnest in the work of faith wrought by his ,gentile ,churches4 ,st ,paul was the last man in the world to undervalue human effort1 or disparage good work of any sort4 ,it is1 in his view1 the end aimed at in all that ,god bestows on ,his people1 in all that ,he ,himself works in them4 ,only let this end be sought in ,god's way and order4 ,man's doings must be the fruit and not the root of his salvation4 ,not of works1 but for good works were believers chosen4 ,this little word for says ,monod1 reconciles ,st ,paul and ,st ,james better than all the commentators4 ,god has not raised us up to sit idly in the heavenly places lost in contemplation1 or to be the useless pensioners of grace4 ,he sends us forth to walk in the works1 prepared for us1--equipped to fight ,christ's battles1 to till ,his fields1 to labour in the service of building ,his ,church4 ,the workmanship of our ,version suggests an idea foreign to the passage4 ,the apostle is not thinking of the ,divine art or skill displayed in man's creation2 but of the simple fact that ,god made man 7,gen4 i4 #bg74 ,we are ,his making1 created in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the preparation to which he refers in verse #aj leads us back to that primeval election of ,god's sons in ,christ for which we gave thanks at the outset 7i4 #c74 ,there are not two creations1 the second formed upon the ruin and failure of the first2 but one grand design throughout4 ,redemption is creation re-affirmed4 ,the new creation1 as we call it1 restores and consummates the old4 ,when ,god raised ,his ,son from the dead1 ,he vindicated ,his original purpose in raising man from the dust a living soul4 ,he has not forsaken the work of ,his hands nor forgone ,his original plan1 which took account of all our wilfulness and sin4 ,god in making us meant us to do good work in ,his world4 ,from the world's foundation down to the present moment ,he who worketh all in all has been working for this end--most of all in the revelation of ,his grace in ,jesus ,christ4 ,far backward in the past1 amid the secrets of creation1 lay the beginnings of ,god's grace to mankind4 ,far onward in the future shines its lustre revealed in the first ,christian age4 ,the apostle has gained some insight into those times and seasons which formerly were veiled from him4 ,in his earliest letters1 to the ,thessalonians and ,corinthians1 ,st ,paul echoes our ,lord's warning1 never out of season1 that we should watch1 for the hour is at hand4 ,maran atha is his watchword3 ,our ,lord cometh2 the time is short4 ,nor does that note cease to the end4 ,but when in this epistle he writes of the ages that are coming on1 and of all the generations of the age of the ages 7iii4 #ba71 there is manifestly some considerable period of duration before his eyes4 ,he sees something of the extent of the world's coming history1 something of the magnitude of the field that the future will afford for the unfolding of ,god's designs4 ,in those approaching aeons he foresees that the apostolic dispensation will play a conspicuous part4 ,unborn ages will be blessed in the blessing now descending upon ,jews and ,gentiles through ,christ ,jesus4 ,so marvellous is the display of ,god's kindness toward them1 that all the future will pay homage to it4 ,the overflowing wealth of blessing poured upon ,st ,paul and the first ,churches had an end in view that reached beyond themselves1 an end worthy of the ,giver1 worthy of the magnitude of ,his plans and of ,his measureless love4 ,if all this was theirs--this fulness of ,god exceeding the utmost they had asked or thought--it is because ,god means to convey it through them to multitudes besides6 ,there is no limit to the grace that ,god will impart to men and to ,churches who thus reason1 who receive ,his gifts in this generous and communicative spirit4 ,the apostolic ,church chants with ,mary at the ,annunciation3 ,for1 behold1 from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed6 ,never was any prediction better fulfilled4 ,this spot of history shines with a light before which every other shows pale and commonplace4 ,the companions of ,jesus1 the humble fraternities of the first ,christian century have been the object of reverent interest and intent research on the part of all centuries since4 ,their history is scrutinized from all sides with a zeal and industry which the most pressing subjects of the day hardly command4 ,for we feel that these men hold the secret of the world's life4 ,the key to the treasures we all long for is in their hands4 ,as time goes on and the stress of life deepens1 men will turn with yet fonder hope to the age of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and many nations will say3 ,come1 and let us go up to the mountain of the ,lord1 to the house of the ,god of ,jacob4 ,and ,he will teach us of ,his ways2 and we will walk in ,his paths4 ,the stream will remember its fountain2 the children of ,god will gather to their childhood's home4 ,the world will hear the gospel in the recovered accents of its prophets and apostles4 ,,footnotes3 #hj ,rom4 xii4 #a2 #b ,cor4 i4 #c2 ,phil4 i4 #h1 ii4 #a2 comp4 ,luke i4 #gh4 ,the oiktirmoi tou ,theou1 splanchna kai oiktirmoi1 rendered in our ,version mercies of ,god1 denotes something even more affecting1--,god's sense of the woefulness of human life1--the pitying tenderness ,divine4 #ha ,comp4 ,rom4 ix4 #bb1 #bc4 #hb ,on grace1 comp4 ,the ,epistle to the ,galatians 7,expositor's ,bible71 ,chapter ,x4 #hc ,compare also1 on ,faith1 ,the ,epistle to the ,galatians 7,expositor's ,bible71 ,chapters ,x4-,,xii4 and ,,xv4 #hd ,este sessmenoi3 for the peculiar emphasis of this form of the verb1 implying a settled fact1 an assured state1 compare ver4 #ab1 te 444 apllotrimenoi2 ,col4 ii4 #aj2 ,gal4 ii4 #aa1 iv4 #c2 #b ,cor4 iv4 #c1 etc4 #he ,rom4 viii4 #ca-ci2 comp4 vv4 #i-ag2 also #a ,thess4 v4 #bc1 #bd2 #b ,thess4 iii4 #c-e2 #a ,cor4 i4 #d-i2 ,phil4 i4 #f1 iii4 #ac1 #ad2 #b ,tim4 i4 #ab1 iv4 #ah1 for ,st ,paul's doctrine of ,assurance4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,far ,,and ,,near4 ,wherefore remember1 that aforetime ye1 the ,gentiles in the flesh1 who are called ,uncircumcision by that which is called ,circumcision in the flesh1 made by hands2 that ye were at that time separate from ,christ1 being aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel1 and strangers from the covenants of promise1 having no hope1 and without ,god in the world3 but now in ,christ ,jesus ye who sometime were far off are made nigh in the blood of ,christ4--,,eph4 ii4 #aa-ac4 ,the apostle's ,wherefore sums up for his readers the record of their salvation rehearsed in the previous verses4 ,you were buried in your sins1 sunk in their corruption1 ruined by their guilt1 living under ,god's displeasure and in the power of ,satan4 ,all this has passed away4 ,the almighty ,hand has raised you with ,christ into a heavenly life4 ,god has become your ,father2 ,his love is in your heart2 by the strength of ,his grace you are enabled to walk in the way marked out for you from your creation4 ,wherefore remember3 think of what you were1 and of what you are6 ,to such recollections we do well to summon ourselves4 ,the children of grace love to recall1 and on fit occasions recount for ,god's glory and the help of their fellows1 the way in which ,god led them to the knowledge of ,himself4 ,in some the great change came suddenly4 ,he made speed to save us4 ,it was a veritable resurrection1 as signal and unlooked for as the rising of ,christ from the dead4 ,by a swift passage we were translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of the ,son of ,his love4 ,once living without ,god in the world1 we were arrested by a strange providence--through some overthrow of fortune or shock of bereavement1 or by a trivial incident touching unaccountably a hidden spring in the mind--and the whole aspect of life was altered in a moment4 ,we saw revealed1 as by a lightning flash at night1 the emptiness of our own life1 the misery of our nature1 the folly of our unbelief1 the awful presence of ,god--,god whom we had forgotten and despised6 ,we sought1 and found ,his mercy4 ,from that hour the old things passed away3 we lived who had been dead1--made alive to ,god through ,jesus ,christ4 ,this instant conversion1 such as ,paul experienced1 this sharp and abrupt transition from darkness to light1 was common in the first generation of ,christians1 as it is wherever religious awakening takes place in a society that has been largely dead to ,god4 ,the advent of ,christianity in the ,gentile world was much after this fashion1--like a tropical sunrise1 in which day leaps on the earth full-born4 ,this experience gives a stamp of peculiar decision to the convictions and character of its subjects4 ,the change is patent and palpable2 no observer can fail to mark it4 ,and it burns itself into the memory with an ineffaceable impression4 ,the violent throes of such a spiritual birth cannot be forgotten4 ,but if our entrance into the life of ,god was gradual1 like the dawn of our own milder clime1 where the light steals by imperceptible advances upon the darkness--if the glory of the ,lord has thus risen upon us1 our certainty of its presence may be no less complete1 and our remembrance of its coming no less grateful and joyous4 ,one leaps into the new life by a single eager bound2 another reaches it by measured1 thoughtful steps3 but both are there1 standing side by side on the common ground of salvation in ,christ4 ,both walk in the same light of the ,lord1 that floods the sky from east to west4 ,the recollections which the latter has to cherish of the leading of ,god's kindly light--how ,he touched our childish thought1 and checked gently our boyish waywardness1 and mingled reproof with the first stirrings of passion and self-will1 and wakened the alarms of conscience and the fears of another world1 and the sense of the beauty of holiness and the shame of sin1-- ,shaping to truth the froward will ,along ,his narrow way1-- such remembrances are a priceless treasure1 that grows richer as we grow wiser4 ,it awakens a joy not so thrilling nor so prompt in utterance as that of the soul snatched like a brand from the burning1 but which passes understanding4 ,blessed are the children of the kingdom1 those who have never roamed far from the fold of ,christ and the commonwealth of ,israel1 whom the cross has beckoned onwards from their childhood4 ,but however it was--by whatever means1 at whatever time it pleased ,god to call you from darkness to ,his marvellous light1 remember4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but we must return to ,paul and his ,gentile readers4 ,the old death in life was to them a sombre reality1 keenly and painfully remembered4 ,in that condition of moral night out of which ,christ had rescued them1 ,gentile society around them still remained4 ,let us observe its features as they are delineated in contrast with the privileges long bestowed on ,israel4 ,the ,gentile world was ,christless1 hopeless1 godless4 ,it had no share in the ,divine polity framed for the chosen people2 the outward mark of its uncircumcision was a true symbol of its irreligion and debasement4 ,israel had a ,god4 ,besides1 there were only those who are called gods4 ,this was the first and cardinal distinction4 ,not their race1 not their secular calling1 their political or intellectual gifts1 but their faith formed the ,jews into a nation4 ,they were the people of ,god1 as no other people has been--of the ,god1 for theirs was the true and living ,god--,jehovah1 the ,i ,,am1 the ,one1 the ,alone4 ,the monotheistic belief was1 no doubt1 wavering and imperfect in the mass of the nation in early times2 but it was held by the ruling minds amongst them1 by the men who have shaped the destiny of ,israel and created its ,bible1 with increasing clearness and intensity of passion4 ,all the gods of the nations are idols--vapours1 phantoms1 nothings6--but ,jehovah made the heavens4 ,it was the ancestral faith that glowed in the breast of ,paul at ,athens1 amidst the fairest shrines of ,greece1 when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry--man's highest art and the toil and piety of ages lavished on things that were no gods2 and in the midst of the splendour of a hollow and decaying ,paganism he read the confession that ,god was unknown4 ,ephesus had her famous goddess1 worshipped in the most sumptuous pile of architecture that the ancient world contained4 ,behold the proud city1 temple-keeper of the great goddess ,artemis1 filled with wrath6 ,infuriate ,demos flashes fire from his thousand eyes1 and his brazen throat roars hoarse vengeance against the insulters of her magnificence1 whom all ,asia and the world worshippeth6 ,without ,god--atheists1 in fact1 the apostle calls this devout ,asian population2 and ,artemis of ,ephesus1 and ,athen1 and ,cybel of ,smyrna1 and ,zeus and ,asclepius of ,pergamum1 though all the world worship them1 are but creatures of art and man's device4 ,the ,pagans retorted this reproach4 ,away with the atheists6 they cried1 when ,christians were led to execution4 ,ninety years after this time the martyr ,polycarp was brought into the arena before the magistrates of ,asia and the populace gathered in ,smyrna at the great ,ionic festival4 ,the ,proconsul1 wishing to spare the venerable man1 said to him3 ,swear by the ,fortune of ,caesar2 and say1 ,away with the atheists6 ,but ,polycarp1 as the story continues1 with a grave look gazing on the crowd of lawless ,gentiles in the stadium and shaking his hand against them1 then groaning and looking up to heaven1 said1 ,away with the atheists6 ,pagan and ,christian were each godless in the eyes of the other4 ,if visible temples and images1 and the local worship of each tribe or city made a god1 then ,jews and ,christians had none3 if ,god was a ,spirit--,one1 ,holy1 ,almighty1 ,omnipresent--then polytheists were in truth atheists2 their many gods1 being many1 were no gods2 they were idols1--eidola1 illusive shows of the ,godhead4 ,the more thoughtful and pious among the heathen felt this already4 ,when the apostle denounced the idols and their pompous worship as these vanities1 his words found an echo in the ,gentile conscience4 ,the classical ,paganism held the multitude by the force of habit and local pride1 and by its sensuous and artistic charms2 but such religious power as it once had was gone4 ,in all directions it was undermined by mystic ,oriental and ,egyptian rites1 to which men resorted in search of a religion and sick of the old fables1 ever growing more debased1 that had pleased their fathers4 ,the majesty of ,rome in the person of the ,emperor1 the one visible supreme power1 was seized upon by the popular instinct1 even more than it was imposed by state policy1 and made to fill the vacuum2 and temples to ,augustus had already risen in ,asia1 side by side with those of the ancient gods4 ,in this despair of their ancestral religions many piously disposed ,gentiles turned to ,judaism for spiritual help2 and the synagogue was surrounded in the ,greek cities by a circle of earnest proselytes4 ,from their ranks ,st ,paul drew a large proportion of his hearers and converts4 ,when he writes1 ,remember that you were at that time without ,god1 he is within the recollection of his readers2 and they will bear him out in testifying that their heathen creed was dead and empty to the soul4 ,nor did philosophy construct a creed more satisfying4 ,its gods were the ,epicurean deities who dwell aloof and careless of men2 or the supreme ,reason and ,necessity of the ,stoics1 the anima mundi1 of which human souls are fleeting and fragmentary images4 ,deism finds ,god only in heaven2 ,pantheism1 only on earth2 ,christianity alone finds ,him both in heaven and on earth 7,harless74 ,the ,word made flesh reveals ,god in the world4 ,when the apostle says without ,god in the world1 this qualification is both reproachful and sorrowful4 ,to be without ,god in the world that ,he has made1 where ,his eternal power and ,godhead have been visible from creation1 argues a darkened and perverted heart4#hf ,to be without ,god in the world is to be in the wilderness1 without a guide2 on a stormy ocean1 without harbour or pilot2 in sickness of spirit1 without medicine or physician2 to be hungry without bread1 and weary without rest1 and dying with no light of life4 ,it is to be an orphaned child1 wandering in an empty1 ruined house4 ,in these words we have an echo of ,paul's preaching to the ,gentiles1 and an indication of the line of his appeals to the conscience of the enlightened pagans of his time4 ,the despair of the age was darker than the human mind has known before or since4 ,matthew ,arnold has painted it all in one verse of those lines1 entitled ,obermann once more1 in which he so perfectly expresses the better spirit of modern scepticism4 ,on that hard ,pagan world disgust ,and secret loathing fell2 ,deep weariness and sated lust ,made human life a hell4 ,the saying by which ,st ,paul reproved the ,corinthians1 ,let us eat and drink1 for to-morrow we die1 is the common sentiment of pagan epitaphs of the time4 ,here is an extant specimen of the kind3 ,let us drink and be merry2 for we shall have no more kissing and dancing in the kingdom of ,proserpine4 ,soon shall we fall asleep1 to wake no more4 ,such were the thoughts with which men came back from the grave-side4 ,it is needless to say how depraving was the effect of this hopelessness4 ,at ,athens1 in the more religious times of ,socrates1 it was even considered a decent and kindly thing to allow a criminal condemned to death to spend his last hours in gross sensual indulgence4 ,there is no reason to suppose that the extinction of the ,christian hope of immortality would prove less demoralizing4 ,we are saved by hope1 said ,st ,paul3 we are ruined by despair4 ,pessimism of creed for most men means pessimism of conduct4 ,our modern speech and literature and our habits of feeling have been for so many generations steeped in the influence of ,christ's teaching1 and it has thrown so many tender and hallowed thoughts around the state of our beloved dead1 that it is impossible even for those who are personally without hope in ,christ to realize what its general decay and disappearance would mean4 ,to have possessed such a treasure1 and then to lose it6 to have cherished anticipations so exalted and so dear1--and to find them turn out a mockery6 ,the age upon which this calamity fell would be of all ages the most miserable4 ,the hope of ,israel which ,paul preached to the ,gentiles was a hope for the world and for the nations1 as well as for the individual soul4 ,the commonwealth or polity of ,israel and the covenants of promise guaranteed the establishment of the ,messianic kingdom upon earth4 ,this expectation took amongst the mass of the ,jews a materialistic and even a revengeful shape2 but in one form or other it belonged1 and still belongs to every man of ,israel4 ,those noble lines of ,virgil in his fourth ,eclogue#hg--like the words of ,caiaphas1 an unintended ,christian prophecy--which predicted the return of justice and the spread of a golden age through the whole world under the rule of the coming heir of ,caesar1 had been signally belied by the imperial house in the century that had elapsed4 ,never were human prospects darker than when the apostle wrote as ,nero's prisoner in ,rome4 ,it was an age of crime and horror4 ,the political world and the system of pagan society seemed to be in the throes of dissolution4 ,only in the commonwealth of ,israel was there a light of hope and a foundation for the future of mankind2 and of this in its wisdom the world knew nothing4 ,the ,gentiles were alienated from the commonwealth of ,israel1--that is to say1 treated as aliens and made such by their exclusion4 ,by the very fact of ,israel's election1 the rest of mankind were shut out of the visible kingdom of ,god4 ,they became mere ,gentiles1 or nations1--a herd of men bound together only by natural affinity1 with no covenant of promise1 no religious constitution or destiny1 no definite relationship to ,god1 ,israel being alone the acknowledged and organized people of ,jehovah4 ,these distinctions were summed up in one word1 expressing all the pride of the ,jewish nature1 when the ,israelites styled themselves the ,circumcision4 ,the rest of the world--,philistines or ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 ,romans1 or ,barbarians1 it mattered not--were the ,uncircumcision4 ,how superficial this distinction was in point of fact1 and how false the assumption of moral superiority it implied in the existing condition of ,judaism1 ,st ,paul indicates by saying1 those who are called ,uncircumcision by that which is called ,circumcision1 in flesh1 wrought by human hands4 ,in the second and third chapters of his epistle to the ,romans he exposed the hollowness of ,jewish sanctity1 and brought his fellow-countrymen down to the level of those sinners of the ,gentiles whom they so bitterly despised4 ,the destitution of the ,gentile world is put into a single word1 when the apostle says3 ,you were at that time separate from ,christ--without a ,christ1 either come or coming4 ,they were deprived of the world's one treasure1--shut out1 as it appeared1 for ever#hh from any part in ,him who is to mankind all things and in all4--,once far off6 99 99 99 99 99 ,but now in ,christ ,jesus ye were made nigh4 ,what is it that has bridged the distance1 that has transported these ,gentiles from the wilderness of heathenism into the midst of the city of ,god8 ,it is the blood of ,christ4 ,the sacrificial death of ,jesus ,christ transformed the relations of ,god to mankind1 and of ,israel to the ,gentiles4 ,in ,him ,god reconciled not a nation1 but a world to ,himself 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ai74 ,the death of the ,son of man could not have reference to the sons of ,abraham alone4 ,if sin is universal and death is not a ,jewish but a human experience1 and if one blood flows in the veins of all our race1 then the death of ,jesus ,christ was a universal sacrifice2 it appeals to every man's conscience and heart1 and puts away for each the guilt which comes between his soul and ,god4 ,when the ,greeks in ,passion week desired to see ,him1 ,he exclaimed3 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up from the earth1 will draw all unto me4 ,the cross of ,jesus was to draw humanity around it1 by its infinite love and sorrow1 by the perfect apprehension there was in it of the world's guilt and need1 and the perfect submission to the sentence of ,god's law against man's sin4 ,so wherever the gospel was preached by ,st ,paul1 it won ,gentile hearts for ,christ4 ,greek and ,jew found themselves weeping together at the foot of the cross1 sharing one forgiveness and baptized into one ,spirit4 ,the union of ,caiaphas and ,pilate in the condemnation of ,jesus and the mingling of the ,jewish crowd with the ,roman soldiers at ,his execution were a tragic symbol of the new age that was coming4 ,israel and the ,gentiles were accomplices in the death of the ,messiah--the former of the two the more guilty partner in the counsel and deed4 ,if this ,jesus whom they slew and hanged on a tree was indeed the ,christ1 ,god's chosen1 then what availed their ,abrahamic sonship1 their covenants and law-keeping1 their proud religious eminence8 ,they had killed their ,christ2 they had forfeited their calling4 ,his blood was on them and on their children4 ,those who seemed nigh to ,god1 at the cross of ,christ were found far off1--that both together1 the far and the near1 might be reconciled and brought back to ,god4 ,he shut up all unto disobedience1 that ,he might have mercy upon all4 ,,footnotes3 #hf ,rom4 i4 #ai-bc2 comp4 ,john i4 #aj3 ,he the true ,light was in the world1 and the world knew ,him not4 #hg ,magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo4 ,jam redit et ,virgo1 redeunt ,saturnia regna2 ,jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto4 ,tu modo nascenti puero1 quo ferrea primum ,desinet1 ac toto surget gens aurea mundo1 ,casta1 fave1 ,lucina4 #hh ,observe the perfect participle apllotrimenoi1 which signifies an abiding fact or fixed condition4 ,similar is the turn of expression in ch4 iii4 #i1 and in ,col4 i4 #bf1 ,rom4 xvi4 #be1 ,matt4 xiii4 #ce4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,double ,,reconciliation4 ,for ,he is our peace1 who made both one1 and brake down the middle wall of partition1 having abolished in ,his flesh the enmity1 even the law of commandments contained in ordinances1 that ,he might create in ,himself of the twain one new man1 so making peace2 and might reconcile them both in one body unto ,god through the cross1 having slain the enmity thereby3 and ,he came and preached good tidings of peace to you that were far off1 and peace to them that were nigh3 for through ,him we both have our access in one ,spirit unto the ,father4--,,eph4 ii4 #ad-ah4 ,peace1 peace--to the far off1 and to the near6 ,such was ,god's promise to ,his scattered people in the times of the exile 7,isai4 lvii4 #ai74 ,st ,paul sees that peace of ,god extending over a yet wider field1 and terminating a longer and sadder banishment than the prophet had foreseen4 ,christ is our peace--not for the divided members of ,israel alone1 but for all the tribes of men4 ,he brings about a universal pacification4 ,there were two distinct1 but kindred enmities to be overcome by ,christ1 in preaching to the world ,his good tidings of peace 7ver4 #ag74 ,there was the hostility of ,jew and ,gentile1 which was removed in its cause and principle when ,christ in ,his flesh 7by ,his incarnate life and death7 abolished the law of commandments in decrees--i4e41 the law of ,moses as it constituted a body of external precepts determining the way of righteousness and life4 ,this abolition of the law by the evangelical principle dissolved the middle wall of partition4 ,the occasion of quarrel between ,israel and the world was destroyed2 the barrier disappeared that had for so long fenced off the privileged ground of the sons of ,abraham 7vv4 #ad1 #ae74 ,but behind this human enmity1 underneath the feud and rancour existing between the ,jews and the nations1 there lay the deeper quarrel of mankind with ,god4 ,both enmities centred in the law2 both were slain by one stroke1 in the reconciliation of the cross 7ver4 #af74 ,the ,jewish and ,gentile peoples formed two distinct types of humanity4 ,politically1 the ,jews were insignificant and had scarcely counted amongst the great powers of the world4 ,their religion alone gave them influence and importance4 ,bearing his inspired ,scriptures and his ,messianic hope1 the wandering ,israelite confronted the vast masses of heathenism and the splendid and fascinating classical civilization with the proudest sense of his superiority4 ,to his ,god he knew well that one day every knee would bow and every tongue confess4 ,the circumstances of the time deepened his isolation and aggravated to internecine hate his spite against his fellow-men1 the adversus omnes alios hostile odium stigmatized by the incisive pen of ,tacitus4 ,within three years of the writing of this letter the ,jewish war against ,rome broke out1 when the enmity culminated in the most appalling and fateful overthrow recorded in the pages of history4 ,now1 it is this enmity at its height--the most inveterate and desperate one can conceive--that the apostle proposes to reconcile2 nay1 that he sees already slain by the sacrifice of the cross1 and within the brotherhood of the ,christian ,church4 ,it was slain in the heart of ,saul of ,tarsus1 the proudest that beat in ,jewish breast4 ,in his earlier writings the apostle has been concerned chiefly to guard the position and rights of the two parties within the ,church4 ,he has abundantly maintained1 especially in the epistle to the ,galatians1 the claims of ,gentile believers in ,christ against ,judaic assumptions and impositions4 ,he has defended the just prerogative of the ,jew and his hereditary sentiments from the contempt to which they were sometimes exposed on the part of the ,gentile majority4#hi ,but now that this has been done1 and that ,gentile liberties and ,jewish dignity have been vindicated and safeguarded on both sides1 ,st ,paul advances a step further3 he seeks to amalgamate the ,jewish and ,gentile section of the ,church1 and to make of the twain one new man1 so making peace4 ,this1 he declares1 was the end of ,christ's mission2 this a chief purpose of ,his atoning death4 ,only by such union1 only through the burying of the old enmity slain on the cross1 could ,his ,church be built up to its completeness4 ,st ,paul would have ,gentile and ,jewish believers everywhere forget their differences1 efface their party lines1 and merge their independence in the oneness of the all-embracing and all-perfecting ,church of ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's habitation in the ,spirit4 ,instead of saying that a catholic ideal like this belongs to a later and post-apostolic age1 we maintain1 on the contrary1 that a catholic mind like ,st ,paul's1 under the conditions of his time1 could not fail to arrive at this conception4 ,it was his confidence in the victory of the cross over all strife and sin that sustained ,st ,paul through these years of captivity4 ,as he looks out from his ,roman prison1 under the shadow of ,nero's palace1 the future is invested with a radiance of hope that makes the heart of the chained apostle exult within him4 ,the world is lost1 to all outward seeming3 he knows it is saved6 ,jew and ,gentile are about to close in mortal conflict3 he proclaims peace between them1 assured of their reconcilement1 and knowing that in their reunion the salvation of human society is assured4 ,the enmity of ,jew and ,gentile was representative of all that divides mankind4 ,in it were concentrated most of the causes by which society is rent asunder4 ,along with religion1 race1 habits1 tastes and culture1 moral tendencies1 political aspirations1 interests of trade1 all helped to widen the breach4 ,the cleavage ran deep into the foundations of life2 the enmity was the growth of two thousand years4 ,it was not a case of local friction1 nor a quarrel arising from temporary causes4 ,the ,jew was ubiquitous1 and everywhere was an alien and an irritant to ,gentile society4 ,no antipathy was so hard to subdue4 ,the grace that conquers it1 can and will conquer all enmities4 ,st ,paul's view embraced1 in fact1 a world-wide reconcilement4 ,he contemplates1 as the ,hebrew prophets themselves did1 the fraternization of mankind under the rule of the ,christ4 ,after this scale he laid down the foundation of the ,church1 wise master-builder that he was4 ,it was destined to bear the weight of an edifice in which all the races of men should dwell together1 and every order of human faculty should find its place4 ,his thoughts were not confined within the ,judaic antithesis4 ,there is no ,jew and ,greek1 he says in another place2 yes1 and no barbarian1 ,scythian1 bondman1 freeman1 male or female4 ,ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus4#ij ,birth1 rank1 office in the ,church1 culture1 even sex are minor and subordinate distinctions1 merged in the unity of redeemed souls in ,christ4 ,that which ,he creates in ,himself of the twain is one new man--one incorporate humanity1 neither ,jew nor ,gentile1 ,englishman nor ,hindu1 priest nor layman1 male nor female2 but simply man1 and ,christian4 ,at the present time we are better able to enter into these views of the apostle than at any intervening period of history4 ,in his day almost the whole visible world1 lying round the ,mediterranean shores1 was brought under the government and laws of ,rome4 ,this fact made the establishment of one religious polity a thing quite conceivable4 ,the ,roman empire did not1 as it proved1 allow ,christianity to conquer it soon enough and to leaven it sufficiently to save it4 ,that huge construction1 the mightiest fabric of human polity1 fell and covered the earth with its ruins4 ,in its fall it reacted disastrously upon the ,church1 and has bequeathed to it the corrupt and despotic unity of ,papal ,rome4 ,now1 in these last days1 the whole world is opened to the ,church1 a world stretching far beyond the horizon of the first century4 ,science and ,commerce1 those two strong-winged angels and giant ministers of ,god1 are swiftly binding the continents together in material ties4 ,the peoples are beginning to realize their brotherhood1 and are feeling their way in many directions towards international union2 while in the ,churches a new1 federal catholicity is taking shape1 that must displace the false catholicism of external uniformity and the disastrous absolutism inherited from ,rome4 ,the spread of ,european empire and the marvellous expansion of our ,english race are carrying forward the world's unification with enormous strides1--towards some end or other4 ,what end is this to be8 ,is the kingdom of the world about to become the kingdom of our ,lord and ,his ,christ8 and are the nations preparing to be reconciled in one body unto ,god8 ,if ,christendom were worthy of her ,master and her name1 this question would be answered with no doubtful affirmative4 ,the ,church is well able1 if she were prepared1 to go up and possess the whole earth for her ,lord4 ,the way is open2 the means are in her hand4 ,nor is she ignorant1 nor wholly negligent of her opportunity and of the claims that the times impose upon her4 ,she is putting forth new strength and striving to overtake her work1 notwithstanding the weight of ignorance and sloth that burdens her4 ,soon the reconciling cross will be planted on every shore1 and the praises of the ,crucified sung in every human language4 ,but there are dark as well as bright auguries for the future4 ,the advance of commerce and emigration has been a curse and not a blessing to many heathen peoples4 ,who can read without shame and horror the story of ,european conquest in ,america8 ,and it is a chapter not yet closed4 ,greed and injustice still mark the dealings of the powerful and civilized with the weaker races4 ,england set a noble example in the abolition of negro slavery2 but she has since inflicted1 for purposes of gain1 the opium curse on ,china1 putting poison to the lips of its vast population4 ,under our ,christian flags fire-arms are imported1 and alcohol1 amongst tribes of men less able than children to resist their evils4 ,is this preaching peace to those far off8 ,it is likely that the commercial profits made in the destruction of savage races as yet exceed all that our missionary societies have spent in saving them4 ,one of these days ,almighty ,god may have a stern reckoning with modern ,europe about these things4 ,when ,he maketh inquisition for blood1 ,he will remember4 ,and what shall we say of ourselves at home1 in our relation to this great principle of the apostle8 ,the old middle wall of partition1 the temple-barrier that sundered ,jew and ,gentile1 is broken down1--visibly levelled by the hand of ,god when ,jerusalem fell1 as it had been virtually and in its principle destroyed by the work of ,christ4 ,but are there no other middle walls1 no barriers raised within the fold of ,christ8 ,the rich man's purse1 and the poor man's penury2 aristocratic pride1 democratic bitterness and jealousy2 knowledge and refinement on the one hand1 ignorance and rudeness on the other--how thick the veil of estrangement which these influences weave1 how high the party walls which they build in our various ,church communions6 ,it is the duty of the ,church1 as she values her existence1 with gentle but firm hands to pull down and to keep down all such partitions4 ,she cannot abolish the natural distinctions of life4 ,she cannot turn the ,jew into a ,gentile1 nor the ,gentile into a ,jew4 ,she will never make the poor man rich in this world1 nor the rich man altogether poor4 ,like her ,master1 she declines to be judge or divider of our secular inheritance4 ,but she can see to it that these outward distinctions make no difference in her treatment of the men as men4 ,she can combine in her fellowship all grades and orders1 and teach them to understand and respect each other4 ,she can soften the asperities and relieve many of the hardships which social differences create4 ,she can diffuse a healing and purifying influence upon the contentions of society around her4 ,let us labour unweariedly for this1 and let our meeting at the ,lord's table be a symbol of the unreserved communion of men of all classes and conditions in the brotherhood of the redeemed sons of ,god4 ,he is our peace2 and if ,he is in our hearts1 we must needs be sons of peace4 ,behold the secret of all true union6 ,it is not by others coming to us1 nor by our going over to them2 but it is by both them and ourselves coming to ,christ that peace is made 7,monod74 ,thus within and without the ,church the work of atonement will advance1 with ,christ ever for its preacher 7ver4 #ag74 ,he speaks through the words and the lives of ,his ten thousand messengers1--men of every order1 in every age and country of the earth4 ,the leaven of ,christ's peace will spread till the lump is leavened4 ,god will accomplish ,his purpose of the ages1 whether in our time1 or in another worthier of ,his calling4 ,his ,church is destined to be the home of the human family1 the universal liberator and instructor and reconciler of the nations4 ,and ,christ shall sit enthroned in the loyal worship of the federated peoples of the earth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but the question remains3 ,what is the foundation1 what the warrant of this grand idealism of the apostle ,paul8 ,many a great thinker1 many an ardent reformer before and since has dreamed of some such millennium as this4 ,and their enthusiastic plans have ended too often in conflict and destruction4 ,what surer ground of confidence have we in ,paul's undertaking than in those of so many gifted visionaries and philosophers8 ,the difference lies here3 his expectation rests on the word and character of ,god2 his instrument of reform is the cross of ,jesus ,christ4 ,god is the centre of ,his own universe4 ,any reconciliation that is to stand1 must include ,him first of all4 ,christ reconciled ,jew and ,gentile both in one body to ,god4 ,there is the meeting point1 the true focus of the orbit of human life1 that can alone control its movements and correct its wild aberrations4 ,under the shadow of ,his throne of justice1 in the arms of ,his fatherly love1 the kindreds of the earth will at last find reconciliation and peace4 ,humanitarian and secularist systems make the simple mistake of ignoring the supreme ,factor in the scheme of things2 they leave out the ,all in all4 ,be ye reconciled to ,god1 cries the apostle4 ,for ,almighty ,god has had a great quarrel with this world of ours4 ,the hatred of men towards each other is rooted in the carnal mind which is enmity against ,god4 ,the law of commandments contained in ordinances1 in whose possession the ,jew boasted over the lawless and profane ,gentile1 in reality branded both as culprits4 ,the secret disquiet and dread lurking in man's conscience1 the pangs endured in his body of humiliation1 the groaning frame of nature declare the world unhinged and out of course4 ,things have gone amiss1 somehow1 between man and his ,creator4 ,the face of the earth and the field of human history are scarred with the thunderbolts of ,his displeasure4 ,god1 the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and the ,king of the ages1 is not the amiable1 almighty ,sentimentalist that some pious people would make ,him out to be4 ,the men of the ,bible felt and realized1 if we do not1 the grave and tremendous import of the ,lord's controversy with all flesh4 ,he is unceasingly at war with the sins of men4 ,god is love--oh yes2 but then ,he is also a consuming fire6 ,there is no anger so crushing as the anger of love1 for there is none so just2 no wrath to be feared like the wrath of the ,lamb4 ,god is not a man1 weak and passionate1 whom a spark of anger might set all on fire1 burning out ,his justice and compassion4 ,in ,his wrath ,he remembers mercy4 ,within that infinite nature there is room for an absolute loathing and resentment towards sin1 in consistence with an immeasurable pity and yearning towards ,his sinful children4 ,hence the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,look at it from what side you will 7and it has many sides71 propound it in what terms you may 7and it translates itself anew into the dialect of every age71 you must not explain the cross of ,christ away nor cause its offence to cease4 ,the atonement has always been a scandal and a folly to those who did not receive it2 it has always contained something which to formal logic is false and to individualistic ethics immoral2 yet in that very element which has been branded as immoral and false1 has always lain the seal of its power and the secret of its truth4 ,the ,holy ,one of ,god1 the ,lamb without spot and blemish1 ,he died by ,his own consent a sinner's death4 ,that sacrifice1 undergone by the ,son of ,god and ,son of man dying as man for men1 in love to ,his race and in obedience to the ,divine will and law1 gave an infinite satisfaction to ,god in ,his relation to the world1 and there went up to the ,divine throne from the anguish of ,calvary a savour of sweet smell4 ,the moral glory of the act of ,jesus ,christ in dying for ,his guilty brethren outshone its horror and disgrace2 and it redeemed man's lost condition1 and clothed human nature with a new character and aspect in the eyes of ,god ,himself4 ,now therefore there is no more condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the mercy of ,god1 if we may so say1 is set free to act in forgiveness and restoration1 without any compromise of justice and inflexible law4 ,no peace without this3 no peace that did not satisfy ,god1 and satisfy that law1 deep as the deepest in ,god1 that binds suffering to wrong-doing and death to sin4 ,perhaps you say3 ,this is immoral1 surely1 that the just should suffer for the unjust2 that one commits the offence1 and another bears the penalty4--,stay a moment3 that is only half the truth4 ,we are more than individuals2 we are members of a race2 and vicarious suffering runs through life4 ,our sufferings and wrong-doings bind the human family together in an inextricable web4 ,we are communists in sin and death4 ,it is the law and lot of our existence4 ,and ,christ1 the ,lord and centre of the race1 has come within its scope4 ,he bound ,himself to our sinking fortunes4 ,he became co-partner in our lost estate1 and has redeemed it to ,god by ,his blood4 ,if ,he was true and perfect man1 if ,he was the creative ,head and ,mediator of the race1 the eternal ,firstborn of many brethren1 ,he could do no other4 ,he who alone had the right and the power1--,one died for all4 ,he took upon ,his ,divine heart the sin and curse of the world1 ,he fastened it to ,his shoulders with the cross2 and ,he bore it away from ,caiaphas' hall and ,pilate's judgement-seat1 away from guilty ,jerusalem2 ,he took away the sin of the world1 and expiated it once for all4 ,he quenched in ,his blood the fires of wrath and hate it kindled4 ,he slew the enmity thereby4 99 99 99 99 99 ,still1 we are individuals1 as you said1 not lost after all in the world's solidarity4 ,here your personal right and will must come in4 ,what ,christ has done for you is yours1 so far as you accept it4 ,he has died your death beforehand1 trusting that you would not repudiate ,his act1 that you would not let ,his blood be spilt in vain4 ,but ,he will never force ,his mediation upon you4 ,he respects your freedom and your manhood4 ,do you now endorse what ,jesus ,christ did on your behalf8 ,do you renounce the sin1 and accept the sacrifice8 ,then it is yours1 from this moment1 before the tribunal of ,god and of conscience4 ,by the witness of ,his ,spirit you are proclaimed a forgiven and reconciled man4 ,christ crucified is yours--if you will have ,him1 if you will identify your sinful self with the sinless ,mediator1 if as you see ,him lifted up on the cross you will let your heart cry out1 ,oh my ,god1 ,he dies for me6 ,coming in one ,spirit to the ,father1 the reconciled children join hands again with each other4 ,social barriers1 caste feelings1 family feuds1 personal quarrels1 national antipathies1 alike go down before the virtue of the blood of ,jesus4 ,neither passion nor pride ,his cross can abide1 ,but melt in the fountain that streams from ,his side6 ,beloved1 you will say to the man that hates or has wronged you most1--,beloved1 if ,god so loved us1 we ought also to love one another4 ,in these simple words of the apostle ,john lies the secret of universal peace1 the hope of the fraternization of mankind4 ,nations will have to say this one day1 as well as men4 ,,footnotes3 #hi ,see to this effect such passages as ,rom4 i4 #af 7to the ,jew first71 ix4 #d1 #e2 and especially xi4 #ac-cb4 #ij ,gal4 iii4 #bh2 ,col4 iii4 #aa4 ,comp4 ,john x4 #af1 xi4 #eb4 ,see ,the ,epistle to the ,galatians 7,expositor's ,bible71 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,god',s ,,temple ,,in ,,humanity4 ,so then ye are no more strangers and sojourners1 but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of ,god1 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets1 ,christ ,jesus ,himself being the chief corner stone2 in whom each several building1 fitly framed together1 groweth into a holy temple in the ,lord2 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of ,god in the ,spirit4--,,eph4 ii4 #ai-bb4 ,not unfrequently it is the last word or phrase of the paragraph that gives us the clue to ,st ,paul's meaning and discloses the point at which he has aimed all along4 ,so in this instance4 ,for a habitation of ,god in the ,spirit3 behold the goal of ,god's ways with mankind6 ,for this end the ,divine grace has wrought through countless ages and has made its great sacrifice4 ,for this end ,jew and ,gentile are being gathered into one and compacted into a new humanity4 ,i4 ,the ,church is a house built for an ,occupant4 ,its quality and size1 and the mode of its construction are determined by its destination4 ,it is built to suit the great ,inhabitant1 who says concerning the new ,zion as ,he said of the old in figure3 ,this is my rest for ever6 ,here will ,i dwell1 for ,i have desired it4 ,god1 who is spirit1 cannot be satisfied with the fabric of material nature for ,his temple1 nor does the ,most ,high dwell in houses made by men's hands4 ,he seeks our spirit for ,his abode1 and ,doth prefer ,before all temples the upright heart and pure4 ,in the collective life and spirit of humanity ,god claims to reside1 that ,he may fill it with ,his glory and ,his love4 ,know you not1 cries the apostle to the once debased ,corinthians1 that you are ,god's temple1 and that the ,spirit of ,god dwells in you8 ,nothing that is bestowed upon man terminates in himself4 ,the deliverance of ,jewish and ,gentile believers from their personal sins1 their re-instatement into the broken unity of mankind and the destruction in them of their old enmities1 of the antipathies generated by their common rebellion against ,god--these great results of ,christ's sacrifice were means to a further end4 ,hallowed be ,thy name is our first petition to the ,father in heaven2 ,glory to ,god in the highest is the key-note of the angels' song1 that runs through all the harmonies of peace on earth1 through every strain of the melody of life4 ,religion is the mistress1 not the handmaid in human affairs4 ,she will never consent to become a mere ethical discipline1 an instrument and subordinate stage in social evolution1 a ladder held for men to climb up into their self-sufficiency4 ,the old temptation of the ,garden1 ,ye shall be as gods1 has come upon our age in a new and fascinating form1 ,you shall be as gods1 it is whispered3 nay1 you are ,god1 and there is no other4 ,the supernatural is a dream4 ,the ,christian story is a fable4 ,there is none to fear or adore above yourselves6 ,man is to worship his collective self1 his own humanity4 ,i am the ,lord thy ,god1 the great idol says1 that brought thee up out of animalism and savagery1 and me only shalt thou serve6--,love and faithful service to one's kind1 a holy passion for the welfare of the race1 for the relief of human ignorance and poverty and pain1 this is the true religion2 and you need no other4 ,its obligation is instinctive1 its benefits immediate and palpable2 and it gives a consecration to individual life that dignifies and chastens1 while it calls into exercise all our faculties4 ,yes1 we willingly admit1 such human service is religion pure and undefiled1 before our ,god and ,father4 ,if service is rendered to our kind as worship to the ,father of men2 if we reverence in each man the image of ,god and the shrine of ,his ,spirit2 if we are seeking to cleanse and adorn in men the temple where the ,most ,high shall dwell1 the humblest work done for our fellows' good is done for ,him4 ,the best human charity is rendered for the love of ,god4 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 mind1 soul1 and strength4 ,this1 said ,jesus1 is the first and great commandment4 ,and the second is like unto it3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets4 ,on these two hangs the welfare of men and nations4 ,but the first commandment must come first4 ,the second law of ,jesus never has been or will be kept to purpose without the first4 ,humanitarian sentiments1 dreams of universal brotherhood1 projects of social reform1 may seem for the moment to gain by their independence of religion a certain zest and emphasis2 but they are without root and vitality4 ,their energy fails1 or spends itself in revolt2 their glow declines1 their purity is stained4 ,the leaders and first enthusiasts trained in the school of ,christ1 whose spirit1 in vain repudiated1 lives on in them1 find themselves betrayed and alone4 ,the coarse selfishness and materialism of the human heart win an easy triumph over a visionary altruism4 ,without me1 says ,jesus ,christ1 ye can do nothing4 ,in the light of ,god's glory man learns to reverence his nature and understand the vocation of his race4 ,the love of ,god touches the deep and enduring springs of human action4 ,the kingdom of ,christ and of ,god commands an absolute devotion2 its service inspires unfaltering courage and invincible patience4 ,there is a grandeur and a certainty1 of which the noblest secular aims fall short1 in the hopes of those who are striving together for the faith of the gospel1 and who work to build human life into a dwelling-place for ,god4 ,,ii4 ,god's temple in the ,church of ,jesus ,christ1 while it is one1 is also manifold4 ,in whom each several building or every part of the building#ia1 while it is compacted together1 grows into a holy temple in the ,lord4 ,the image is that of an extensive pile of buildings1 such as the ancient temples commonly were1 in process of construction at different points over a wide area4 ,the builders work in concert1 upon a common plan4 ,the several parts of the work are adjusted to each other2 and the various operations in process are so harmonized1 that the entire construction preserves the unity of the architect's design4 ,such an edifice was the apostolic ,church--one1 but of many parts--in its diverse gifts and multiplied activities animated by one ,spirit and directed towards one ,divine purpose4 ,jerusalem1 ,antioch1 ,ephesus1 ,corinth1 ,rome--what a various scene of activity these centres of ,christian life presented6 ,the ,churches founded in these great cities must have differed in many features4 ,even in the communities of his own province the apostle did not1 so far as we can judge1 impose a uniform administration4 ,st ,peter and ,st ,paul carried out their plans independently1 only maintaining a general understanding with each other4 ,the apostolic founders1 inspired by one and the self-same ,spirit1 could labour at a distance1 upon material and by methods extremely various1 with entire confidence in each other and with an assurance of the unity of result which their teaching and administration would exhibit4 ,the many buildings rested on the one foundation of the apostles4 ,whether it were ,i or they1 says our apostle1 so we preach1 and so you believed4 ,where there is the same ,spirit and the same ,lord1 men do not need to be scrupulous about visible conformity4 ,elasticity and individual initiative admit of entire harmony of principle4 ,the hand may do its work without irritating and obstructing the eye2 and the foot run on its errands without mistrusting the ear4 ,such was the catholicism of the apostolic age4 ,the true reading of verse #ba1 as it is restored by the ,revisers1 is an incidental witness to the date of the epistle4 ,a churchman of the second century1 writing under ,paul's name in the interests of catholic unity as it was then understood1 would scarcely have penned such a sentence without attaching to the subject the definite article3 he must have written all the building1 as the copyists from whom the received text proceeds very naturally have done4 ,from that time onwards1 as the system of the ecclesiastical hierarchy was developed1 external unity was more and more strictly imposed4 ,the original diversity of operations became a rigid uniformity4 ,the ,church swallowed up the ,churches4 ,finally1 the spiritual bureaucracy of ,rome gathered all ecclesiastical power into one centre1 and placed the direction of ,western ,christendom in the hands of a single priest1 whom it declared to be the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ and endowed with the ,divine attribute of infallibility4 ,had not ,jerusalem been overthrown and its ,church destroyed1 the hierarchical movement would probably have made that city1 rather than ,rome1 its centre4 ,this was in fact the tendency1 if not the express purpose of the ,judaistic party in the ,church4 ,st ,paul had vindicated in his earlier epistles the freedom of the ,gentile ,christian communities1 and their right of non-conformity to ,jewish usage4 ,in the words each several building1 fitly framed together1 there is an echo of this controversy4 ,the ,churches of his mission claim a standing side by side with those founded by other apostles4 ,for himself and his ,gentile brethren he seems to say1 in the presence of the primitive ,church and its leaders3 ,as they are ,christ's1 so also are we4 ,the co-operation of the different parts of the body of ,christ is essential to their collective growth4 ,let all ,churches beware of crushing dissent4 ,blows aimed at our ,christian neighbours recoil upon ourselves4 ,undermining their foundation1 we shake our own4 ,next to positive corruption of doctrine and life1 nothing hinders so greatly the progress of the kingdom of ,god as the claim to exclusive legitimacy made on behalf of ancient ,church organizations4 ,their representatives would have every part of ,god's temple framed upon one pattern4 ,they refuse a place on the apostolic foundation to all ,churches1 however numerous1 however rich in faith and good works1 however strong the historical justification for their existence1 however clear the marks they bear of the ,spirit's seal1 which do not conform to the rule they themselves have received4 ,their rites and ministry1 they assert1 are those alone approved by ,christ and authorized by ,his apostles1 within a given area4 ,they refuse the right hand of fellowship to men who are doing ,christ's work by their side2 they isolate their flocks1 as far as possible1 from intercourse with the ,christian communities around them4 ,this policy on the part of any ,christian ,church1 or ,church party1 is contrary to the mind of ,christ and to the example of ,his apostles4 ,those who hold aloof from the comity of the ,churches and prevent the many buildings of ,god's temple being fitly framed together1 must bear their judgement1 whosoever they be4 ,they prefer conquest to peace1 but that conquest they will never win2 it would be fatal to themselves4 ,let the elder sister frankly allow the birthright of the younger sisters of ,christ's house in these lands1 and be our example in justice and in charity4 ,great will be her honour2 great the glory won for our common ,lord4 ,every building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the ,lord4 ,the subject is distributive2 the predicate collective4 ,the parts give place to the whole in the writer's mind4 ,as each several piece of the structure1 each cell or chapel in the temple1 spreads out to join its companion buildings and adjusts itself to the parts around it1 the edifice grows into a richer completeness and becomes more fit for its sacred purpose4 ,the separate buildings1 distant in place or historical character1 approximate by extension1 as they spread over the unoccupied ground between them and as the connecting links are multiplied4 ,at last a point is reached at which they will become continuous4 ,growing into each other step by step and forming across the diminishing distance a web of mutual attachment constantly thickening1 they will insensibly1 by a natural and vital growth1 become one in visible communion as they are one in their underlying faith4 ,when each organ of the body in its own degree is perfect and holds its place in keeping with the rest1 we think no longer of their individual perfection1 of the charm of this feature or of that2 they are forgotten in the beauty of the perfect frame4 ,so it will be in the body of ,christ1 when its several communions1 cleansed and filled with ,his ,spirit1 each honouring the vocation of the others1 shall in freedom and in love by a spontaneous movement be gathered into one4 ,their strength will then be no longer weakened and their spirit chafed by internal conflict4 ,with united forces and irresistible energy1 they will assail the kingdom of darkness and subjugate the world to ,christ4 ,for this consummation our ,saviour prayed in the last hours before ,his death3 that they all may be one1 as ,thou1 ,father1 art in me and ,i in ,thee1 that they also may be in us1 that the world may believe that ,thou didst send me 7,john xvii4 #ba74 ,did ,he fear that ,his little flock of the ,twelve would be parted by dissensions8 ,or did ,he not look onward to the future1 and see the offences that must come1 the alienations and fierce conflicts that would arise amongst ,his people1 and the blood that would be shed in ,his name8 ,yet beyond these divisions1 on the horizon of the end of the age1 ,he foresaw the day when the wounds of ,his ,church would be healed1 when the sword that ,he had brought on the earth would be sheathed1 and through the unity of faith and love in ,his people all mankind would at last come to acknowledge ,him and the ,father who had sent ,him4 ,,iii4 ,to appearance1 we are many rather than one who bear the name of ,christ4 ,but we are one notwithstanding1 if below the variety of superstructure our faith rests upon the witness of the apostles1 and the several buildings have ,christ ,jesus ,himself for chief corner-stone4 ,the one foundation and the one ,spirit constitute the unity of ,god's temple in the ,church4 ,the apostles and prophets are named as a single body1 the prophets being doubtless1 in this passage and in chapters iii4 #e and iv4 #aa1 the existing prophets of the apostolic ,church1 whose inspired teaching supplemented that of the apostles and helped to lay down the foundation of revealed truth4 ,that foundation has been1 through the providence of ,god1 preserved for later ages in the ,scriptures of the ,new ,testament1 on which the faith of ,christians has rested ever since4 ,such a prophet ,barnabas was in the first days 7,acts xiii4 #a71 and such was the unknown1 but deeply inspired writer of the epistle to the ,hebrews2 such prophets1 again1 were ,,ss4 ,mark and ,luke1 the ,evangelists4 ,prophecy was not a stated gift of office4 ,just as there were teachers in the early ,church whose knowledge and eloquence did not entitle them to bear rule1 so prophecy was frequently exercised by private persons and carried with it no such official authority as belonged in the highest degree to the apostles4 ,it is thought surprising that ,st ,paul should write thus1 in so general and distant a fashion1 of the order to which he belonged 7comp4 iii4 #e74 ,this1 it is said1 is the language of a later generation1 which looks back with reverence to the inspired ,founders4 ,but this letter is written1 as we observed at the outset1 from a peculiarly objective and impersonal standpoint4 ,it differs in this respect from other epistles of ,st ,paul4 ,he is addressing a number of ,churches1 with some of which his personal relations were slight and distant4 ,he is contemplating the ,church in its most general character4 ,he is not the only founder of ,churches2 he is one of a band of colleagues1 working in different regions4 ,it is natural that he should use the plural here4 ,he sets his successors an example of the recognition due to fellow-labourers whose work bears the seal of ,christ's ,spirit4 ,these men have laid the foundation--,peter and ,paul1 ,john and ,james1 ,barnabas and ,silas1 and the rest4 ,they are our spiritual progenitors1 the fathers of our faith4 ,we see ,jesus ,christ through their eyes2 we read ,his teaching1 and catch ,his ,spirit in their words4 ,their testimony1 in its essential facts1 stands secure in the confidence of mankind4 ,nor was it their word alone1 but the men themselves--their character1 their life and work--laid for the ,church its historical foundation4 ,this glorious company of the apostles formed the first course in the new building1 on whose firmness and strength the stability of the entire structure depends4 ,their virtues and their sufferings1 as well as the revelations made through them1 have guided the thoughts and shaped the life of countless multitudes of men1 of the best and wisest men in all ages since4 ,they have fixed the standard of ,christian doctrine and the type of ,christian character4 ,at our best1 we are but imitators of them as they were of ,christ4 ,in regard to the chief part of their teaching1 both as to its meaning and authority1 the great bulk of ,christians in all communions are agreed4 ,the keen disputes which engage us upon certain points1 testify to the cardinal importance which is felt on all hands to attach to the words of ,christ's chosen apostles4 ,their living witness is in our midst4 ,the self-same ,spirit that wrought in them1 works amongst men and dwells in the communion of saints4 ,he still reveals the things of ,christ1 and guides into truth the willing and obedient4 ,so the firm foundation of ,god standeth2 though men1 shaken themselves1 seem to see it tremble4 ,on that basis we may labour confidently and loyally1 with those amongst whom the ,master has placed us4 ,some of our fellow-workmen disown and would hinder us3 that shall not prevent us from rejoicing in their good work1 and admiring the gold and precious stones that they contribute to the fabric4 ,the ,lord of the temple will know how to use the labour of ,his many servants4 ,he will forgive and compose their strife1 who are jealous for ,his name4 ,he will shape their narrow aims to ,his larger purposes4 ,out of their discords ,he will draw a finer harmony4 ,as the great house grows to its dimensions1 as the workmen by the extension of their labours come nearer to each other and their sectional plans merge in ,christ's great purpose1 reproaches will cease and misunderstandings vanish4 ,over many who followed not with us and whom we counted but as strangers and sojourners1 as men whose place within the walls of ,zion was doubtful and unauthorized1 we shall hereafter rejoice with a joy not unmixed with self-upbraiding1 to find them in the fullest right our fellow-citizens amongst the saints and of the household of ,god4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is the supreme ,builder of the ,church1 as ,he is the supreme witness to ,jesus ,christ 7,john xv4 #bf1 #bg74 ,the words in the ,spirit1 closing the verse with solemn emphasis1 denote not the mode of ,god's habitation--that is self-evident--but the agency engaged in building this new house of ,god4 ,with one chief corner-stone to rest upon and one ,spirit to inspire and control them1 the apostles and prophets laid their foundation and the ,church was builded together for a habitation of ,god4 ,hence its unity4 ,but for this sovereign influence the primitive founders of ,christianity1 like later ,church leaders1 would have fallen into fatal discord4 ,modern critics1 reasoning upon natural grounds and not understanding the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 assume that they did thus quarrel and contend4 ,had this been so1 no foundation could ever have been laid2 the ,church would have fallen to pieces at the very beginning4 ,in the hands of these faithful and wise stewards of ,god's dispensation1 the stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner4 ,their work has been tried by fire and by flood2 and it abides4 ,the rock of ,zion stands unworn by time1 unshaken by the conflict of ages1--amidst the movements of history and the shifting currents of thought the one foundation for the peace and true welfare of mankind4 ,,footnotes3 #ia ,pasa oikodom1 according to the well-established critical reading4 ,for pas without the article1 implying a various whole1 compare pass ktises in ,col4 i4 #ae2 pasa graph1 #b ,tim4 iii4 #af2 en pas anastroph1 #a ,peter i4 #ae2 and ,theos pass charitos1 #a ,peter v4 #aj4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,secret ,,of ,,the ,,ages4 ,for this cause ,i ,paul1 the prisoner of ,christ ,jesus in behalf of you ,gentiles1--if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of ,god which was given me toward you2 how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery 7as ,i wrote afore in few words1 whereby1 when ye read1 ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of ,christ71 which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men1 as it hath now been revealed unto ,his holy apostles and prophets in the ,spirit2 to wit1 that the ,gentiles are fellow-heirs1 and fellow-members of the body1 and fellow-partakers of the promise in ,christ ,jesus through the gospel1 whereof ,i was made a minister1 according to the gift of that grace of ,god which was given me according to the working of ,his power4 ,unto me1 who am less than the least of all saints1 was this grace given1 to preach unto the ,gentiles the unsearchable riches of ,christ2 and to bring to light what is the dispensation of the mystery which from all ages hath been hid in ,god who created all things4--,,eph4 iii4 #a-i4 ,verses #b-ac are in form a parenthesis4 ,they interrupt the prayer which appears to be commencing in the first verse and is not resumed until verse #ad4 ,this intervening period is parenthetical1 however1 in appearance more than in reality4 ,the matter it contains is so weighty and so essential to the argument and structure of the epistle1 that it is impossible to treat it as a mere aside4 ,the writer intends1 at the pause which occurs after the paragraph just concluded 7ii4 #bb71 to interpose a few words of prayer before passing on to the next topic4 ,but in the act of doing so1 this subject of which his mind is full--viz41 that of his own relation to ,god's great purpose for mankind--forces itself upon him2 and the prayer that was on his lips is pent up for a few moments longer1 until it flows forth again1 in richer measure1 in verses #ad-ai4 ,like chapter i4 #c-ad1 this passage is an extreme instance of ,st ,paul's amorphous style4 ,his sentences are not composed2 they are spun in a continuous thread1 an endless chain of prepositional1 participial1 and relative adjuncts4 ,they grow under our eyes like living things1 putting forth new processes every moment1 now in this and now in that direction4 ,within the main parenthesis we soon come upon another parenthesis including verses #c;b and #d 7as ,i wrote afore1 etc472 and at several points the grammatical connexion is uncertain4 ,in its general scope1 this intricate sentence resolves itself into a statement of what ,god has wrought in the apostle toward the accomplishment of ,his great plan4 ,it thus completes the exposition given already of that which ,god wrought in ,christ for the ,church1 and that which ,he has wrought through ,christ in ,gentile believers in fulfilment of the same end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,verses #a-i speak 7#a7 of the mystery itself--,god's gracious intention toward the human race1 unknown in earlier times2 and 7#b7 of the man to whom1 above others1 it was given to make known the secret4 ,i4 ,the mystery is defined twice over4 ,first1 it consists in the fact that in ,christ ,jesus through the gospel the ,gentiles are co-heirs and co-incorporate and co-partners in the promise 7ver4 #f72 and secondly1 it is the unsearchable riches of ,christ 7ver4 #h74 ,the latter phrase gathers to a point what is diversely expressed in the former4 ,christ is1 to ,st ,paul1 the centre and the sum of the mysteries of ,divine truth1 of the whole enigma of existence4 ,in the parallel epistle he calls ,him the mystery of ,god--in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden 7,col4 ii4 #b1 #c3 ,r4,v474 ,the mystery of ,god1 discovered in ,christ1 was hidden out of the sight and reach of previous times4 ,now1 by the preaching of the gospel1 it is made the common property of mankind 7,col4 i4 #be-bh74 ,in close connexion with these statements1 ,st ,paul speaks there1 as he does here1 of his own heavy sufferings endured on this account and the joy they gave him4 ,he is the instrument of a glorious purpose worthy of ,god2 he is the mouthpiece of a revelation waiting to be spoken since the world began1 that is addressed to all mankind and interests heaven along with earth4 ,the greatness of his office is commensurate with the greatness of the truth given him to announce4 ,the mystery1 as we have said1 consists in ,christ4 ,this we learned from chapter i4 #d1 #e1 and #i1 #aj4 ,in ,christ the ,eternal lodged ,his purpose and laid ,his plans for the world4 ,it is ,his fulness that the fulness of the times dispenses4 ,the ,old ,testament1 the reservoir of previous revelation1 had ,him for its close-kept secret1 held in silence through eternal times 7,rom4 xvi4 #be-bg74 ,the drift of its prophecies1 the focus of its converging lights1 the veiled magnet towards which its spiritual indications pointed1 was ,christ4 ,he was the spiritual rock that followed ,israel in its wanderings1 from whose springs the people drank1 as it answered to the touch of one and now another of the holy men of old4 ,the revelation of ,jesus ,christ gives unity1 substance1 and meaning to the history of ,israel1 which is otherwise a pathway without goal1 a problem without solution4 ,priest and prophet1 law and sacrifice2 the kingly ,son of ,david1 and the suffering ,servant of ,jehovah2 the ,seed of the woman with bruised foot bruising the serpent's head2 the ,lord whom ,his people seek1 suddenly coming to ,his temple2 the ,stone hewn from the mountains without hands1 that grows till it fills the earth--the manifold representations of ,israel's ideal1 centre in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the lines of the great figure drawn on the canvas of prophecy--disconnected as they seemed and without a plan1 giving rise to a thousand dreams and speculations--are filled out and drawn into shape and take life and substance in ,him4 ,they are found to be parts of a consistent whole1 sketches and studies of this fragment or of that belonging to the consummate ,person and the comprehensive plan manifest in the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,but while ,christ gathers into ,himself the accumulated wealth of former revelation1 ,his fulness is not measured thereby or exhausted4 ,he solves the problems of the past2 ,he unseals the ancient mysteries4 ,but ,he creates new and deeper problems1 some explained in the continued teaching of ,his ,spirit and ,his providence1 others that remain1 or emerge from time to time to tax the faith and understanding of ,his ,church4 ,there are the mysteries surrounding ,his own ,person1 with which the ,greek ,church struggled long--,his eternal ,sonship1 ,his pre-incarnate relation to mankind and the creatures1 the final outcome of the mediatorial reign and its subordination to the absolute sovereignty of ,god4 ,these depths ,st ,paul sounded with his plummet2 but he found them unfathomable4 ,theological science has explored and defined them1 and illuminated them on many sides1 but cannot reach to their inmost mystery4 ,then there is the problem of the atonement1 with all the cognate difficulties touching the origin of sin1 its heredity and its personal guilt1 touching the adjustment of law and grace1 the method of justification1 the extent and efficacy of ,christ's redeeming work1 touching the future destiny and eternal state of souls4 ,another class of questions largely occupies the minds of thoughtful men to-day4 ,they are studying the relation of ,christ and ,his ,church to nature and the outward world1 the bearings of ,christian truth upon social conditions1 the working of the ,spirit of ,god in communities1 and the place of man's collective life in the progress and upbuilding of the kingdom of ,christ4 ,for such inquiries the ,spirit of wisdom and revelation is given to those who humbly seek ,his light4 ,he is given afresh in every age4 ,out of ,christ's unsearchable riches ever-new resources are forthcoming at ,his ,church's need1 new treasures lying hidden in the old for him who can extract them4 ,but ,his riches1 however far they are investigated1 remain unsearchable1 and inexhaustible however largely drawn upon4 ,god's ways may be tracked further and further in each generation2 they will remain to the end1 as they were to the mind of ,paul at the limit of his bold researches1 past finding out4 ,the inspired apostle confesses himself a child in ,divine learning3 ,we know in part1 he says1 we prophesy in part4 ,oh the depths of hidden wisdom unimagined now1 that are in store for us in ,christ1 foreordained before the worlds unto our glory6 ,the particular aspect of the mystery of ,christ with which the apostle is concerned1 is that of ,his relationship to the ,gentile world4 ,the grace of ,god1 he says in verse #b1 was given me for you4 ,such is the dispensation in which ,god is now engaged4 ,upon this lavish and undreamed-of scale ,he is dealing forth salvation to men4 ,st ,paul describes this revelation of ,god's goodness to the ,gentiles by three parallel but distinct terms in verse #f4 ,they are fellow-heirs--a word that carries us back to chapter i4 #aa-ac1 and assures the ,gentile readers of their final redemption and heavenly glory4#ib ,they are of the same body--which sums up all that we have learnt from chapter ii4 #aa-bb4 ,and they are fellow-partakers of the promise--receiving upon a footing of equal privilege with ,jewish believers the gift of the ,spirit and the blessings promised to ,israel in the ,messianic kingdom4 ,in virtue of the dispensation committed to him1 ,st ,paul formally proclaims the incorporation of the ,gentiles into the body of ,christ1 their investiture with the franchise of faith4 ,the forgiveness of sins is theirs1 the light of ,god's smile1 the breath of ,his ,spirit1 the worship and fellowship of ,his ,church1 the tasks and honours of ,his service4 ,the incarnation of ,christ is theirs2 ,his life1 teaching1 and miracles2 ,his cross is theirs1 ,his resurrection and ascension1 and ,his second coming1 and the glories of ,his heavenly kingdom--all made their own on the bare condition of a penitent and obedient faith4 ,the past is theirs--is ours1 along with the present and the future4 ,the ,god of ,israel is our ,god4 ,abraham is our father1 though his sons after the flesh acknowledge us not4 ,their prophets prophesied of the grace that should come unto us4 ,their poets sing the songs of ,zion to ,gentile peoples in a hundred tongues4 ,they lead our prayers and praises4 ,in their words we find expression for our heart-griefs and joys4 ,at the wedding-feast or by the grave-side1 amidst the multitude that keep holy day and in dry lands where the soul thirsts for ,god's ordinances1 we carry the ,psalmists with us and the teachers of ,israel4 ,what a boundless wealth we ,gentiles1 taught by ,jesus ,christ1 have discovered in the ,jewish ,bible6 ,when will the ,jewish people understand that their greatness is in ,him1 that the light which lightens the ,gentiles is their true glory8 ,when will they accept their part in the riches of which they have made all the world partakers8 ,the mystery of our participation in their ,christ has now been revealed to the sons of men long enough4 ,is it not time that they themselves should see it1 that the veil should be lifted from the heart of ,israel8 ,the disclosure was in the first instance so astounding1 so contrary to their cherished expectations1 that one can scarcely wonder if it was at first rejected4 ,but ,god the ,king of the ages has been asserting and re-asserting the fact in the course of history ever since4 ,how vain to fight against ,him6 how useless to deny the victory of the ,nazarene6 ,,ii4 ,but there was in ,israel an election of grace1--men of unveiled heart to whom the mystery of ages was disclosed4 ,the secret of ,jehovah is with them that fear ,him1 and ,he will show them ,his covenant4 ,such is the rule of revelation4 ,to the like effect ,christ said3 ,the pure in heart shall see ,god4 ,he that willeth to do ,his will shall know of the doctrine4 ,the light of ,god's universal love had come into the world2 but where it fell on cold or impure hearts1 it shone in vain4 ,the mystery was made manifest to ,his saints1 writes the apostle in ,colossians i4 #bf4 ,so in this passage3 revealed to ,his holy apostles and prophets in the ,spirit4 ,the pure eye sees the true light4 ,this was the condition which made it possible for ,paul himself and his partners in the gospel to be the bearers of this august revelation4 ,it needed sincere and devoted men1 willing to be taught of ,god1 willing to surrender every prejudice and the preconceptions of flesh and blood1 in order to receive and convey to the world thoughts of ,god so much larger and loftier than the thoughts of men4 ,to such men--true disciples1 loyal at all costs to ,god and truth1 holy and humble of heart--,jesus ,christ gave ,his great commission and bade them go and make disciples of all the nations4 ,the secret was further disclosed to ,peter1 when he was taught at the house of ,cornelius not to call any man common or unclean4 ,he saw1 and the ,church of ,jerusalem saw and confessed that ,god gave the like gift to uncircumcised ,gentiles as to themselves and had purified their hearts by faith4 ,many prophetic voices1 unrecorded1 confirmed this revelation4 ,of all this ,paul is thinking here4 ,it is to his predecessors in the knowledge of the truth rather than to himself that he refers when he speaks of holy apostles and prophets in verse #e4 ,his readers would naturally turn to them in coming to this plural expression4 ,the original apostles of ,jesus and witnesses of ,his truth first attested the doctrine of universal grace2 and that they did so was a fact of vital importance to ,paul and the ,gentile ,church4 ,the significance of this fact is shown by the stress which is laid upon it and the prominence given to it in the narrative of the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,the apostle frequently alludes to revelations made to himself2 he never claims that this chief matter was revealed personally to himself4 ,it was an open secret when ,saul entered the ,church4 ,whereof1 he says1 in verse #g1 ,i became minister2 again1 to me was this grace given1 to preach to the ,gentiles ,christ's unsearchable riches4 ,the leaders of the ,jewish ,christian ,church knew well that their message was meant for all the world4 ,but the abstract knowledge of a truth is one thing2 the practical power to realize it is another4 ,until the new apostle came upon the field1 there was no man ready for this great task and equal to it4 ,it was at this crisis that ,paul was raised up4 ,then it pleased ,god to reveal ,his ,son in him1 that he might preach ,him among the ,gentiles4 ,the effect of this summons upon ,paul himself was overwhelming1 and continued to be so till the end of life4 ,the immense favour humbles him to the dust4 ,he strains language1 heaping comparative upon superlative1 to describe his astonishment as the import of his mission unfolds itself3 ,to me1 less than the least of all the saints1 was this grace given4 ,that ,saul the ,pharisee and the persecutor1 the most unworthy and most unlikely of men1 should be the chosen vessel to bear ,christ's riches to the ,gentile world1 how shall he sufficiently give thanks for this6 how express his wonder at the unfathomable wisdom and goodness that the choice displays in the mind of ,god6 ,but we can see well that this choice was precisely the fittest4 ,a ,hebrew of the ,hebrews1 steeped in ,jewish traditions and glorying in his sacred ancestry1 none knew better than the apostle ,paul how rich were the treasures stored in the house of ,abraham that he had to make over to the ,gentiles4 ,a true son of that house1 he was the fittest to lead in the aliens1 to show them its precious things and make them at home within its walls4 ,to himself the office was an unceasing delight4 ,the universalism of the gospel--a commonplace of our modern rhetoric--had burst upon his mind in its unspoilt freshness and undimmed splendour4 ,he is sailing out into an undiscovered ocean1 with a boundless horizon4 ,a new heaven and earth are opened to him in the revelation that the ,gentiles are partakers of the promise in ,christ ,jesus4 ,he is entranced1 as he writes1 with the largeness of the ,divine purpose1 with the magnificent sweep and scope of the designs of grace4 ,these verses give us the warm and genuine impression made upon the hearts of its first recipients by the disclosure of the universal destination of the gospel of ,christ4 ,st ,paul's work1 in carrying out the dispensation of this mystery1 was twofold4 ,it was both external and internal4 ,he was a herald and apostle2 he was also teacher of the ,gentiles in faith and truth 7#a ,tim4 ii4 #g74 ,he had in the former capacity to carry the good tidings from one end to the other of the ,roman empire1 to spread it abroad as far as his feet could travel and his voice reach1 and thus to fulfil the gospel of ,christ4 ,but there was another1 mental task1 as necessary and still more difficult1 which likewise fell to his lot4 ,he had to think out the gospel4 ,it was his office to unfold and apply it to the wants of a new world1 to solve by its aid the problems that confronted him as evangelist and pastor1--questions that contained the seed and beginning of the intellectual difficulties of the ,church in future times4 ,he had to free the gospel from the swaddling-bands of ,judaism1 to emancipate the spirit from the letter of a mechanical and legal interpretation4 ,on the other hand1 he had equally to guard the truth as it is in ,jesus from the dissolving influences of ,gentile scepticism and theosophy4 ,fighting his way through fierce and incessant opposition on both sides1 the apostle ,paul led the mind of the ,church onwards and guides it still in the faith and knowledge of the ,son of ,god4 ,these noble epistles are the fruit and record of ,st ,paul's theological work4 ,through them he has left a deeper mark on the conscience of the world than any one man besides1 except the ,master of truth who was more than man4 ,the apostle was not unaware of the vast influence he now possessed1 and that must accrue to him in the future from the transcendent interest of the doctrines committed to his charge4 ,there is no false modesty about this splendidly gifted man4 ,it is his not only to preach to the ,gentiles the good news of ,christ's unsearchable riches2 but more than that1 to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery that has been hidden away from the ages in ,god who created all things4 ,the great secret was out while ,saul of ,tarsus was still a persecutor and blasphemer4 ,but as to the management and dispensation of the mystery1 the practical handling of it1 as to the mode and way in which ,god would convey and apply it to the world at large1 and as to the bearings and consequences of this momentous truth1--the apostle ,paul1 and no one but he1 had all this to expound and set in order4 ,he was1 in fact1 the architect of ,christian doctrine4 ,theologically1 ,peter and ,john himself were ,paul's debtors2 and are included amongst the all men of verse #i 7if this reading of the text is correct74 ,st ,john had1 it is true1 a more direct intuition into the mind of ,christ and rose to an even loftier height of contemplation2 but the labours and the logic of ,st ,paul provided the field into which he entered in his ripe old age spent at ,ephesus4 ,john1 who absorbed and assimilated everything that belonged to ,christ and found for everything its principle and centre in the ,master of his youth--the way1 the truth1 and the life--passed through the school of ,paul4 ,with the rest1 he learnt through the new apostle to see more perfectly what is the dispensation of the mystery hidden from the ages in ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,well persuaded is our apostle that all readers of this letter in the ,asian towns1 if they have not known it before1 will now perceive his understanding in the mystery of ,christ4 ,all ages have discerned it since4 ,and the ages to come will measure its value better than we can do now4 ,,footnotes3 #ib ,see ,gal4 iii4 #g1 v4 #e2 ,rom4 viii4 #ad-be2 #a ,peter i4 #d1 #e4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,earth ,,teaching ,,heaven4 ,to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the ,church the manifold wisdom of ,god1 according to the purpose of the ages which ,he formed in the ,christ1 even ,jesus our ,lord3 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in ,him4 ,wherefore ,i ask that ye faint not at my tribulations for you1 which are your glory4--,,eph4 iii4 #aj-ac4 ,the mystery hidden since the ages began1 in ,god who created all things3 so the last paragraph concluded4 ,the added phrase through ,jesus ,christ is a comment of the pious reader1 that has been incorporated in the received text2 but it is wanting in the oldest copies1 and is out of place4 ,the apostle is not concerned with the prerogatives of ,christ1 but with the scope of the ,christian economy4 ,he is displaying the breadth and grandeur of the dispensation of grace1 the infinite range of the ,divine plans and operations of which it forms the centre4 ,its secret was cherished in the ,eternal ,mind4 ,its foundations are laid in the very basis of the world4 ,and the disclosure of it now being made brings new light and wisdom to the powers of the celestial realms4 ,there is nothing covered1 said ,jesus1 which shall not be revealed1 and hidden which shall not be known4 ,the mysteries which ,god sets before ,his intelligent creatures1 are promises of knowledge2 they are drafts1 to be honoured in due time1 upon the treasures of wisdom hidden in ,christ4 ,so this great secret of the destiny of the ,gentile world was from all ages hidden1 in order that now through the ,church it might be made known1 and by its means ,god's wisdom1 to these sublime intelligences4 ,this intention was a part of the plan of the ages formed in ,christ 7ver4 #aa74 ,god designed by our redemption to bless higher races along with our own4 ,the elder sons of ,god1 those morning stars of creation1 are schooled and instructed by what is transpiring here upon earth4 ,to some this will appear to be mere extravagance4 ,they see in such expressions the marks of an unrestrained enthusiasm1 of theological speculation pushed beyond its limits and unchecked by any just knowledge of the physical universe4 ,this censure would be plausible and it might seem that the apostle had extended the mission of the gospel beyond its province1 were it not for what he says in verse #aa3 ,this purpose of the ages ,god made in the ,christ1 even ,jesus our ,lord4 ,jesus ,christ links together angels and men4 ,he draws after ,him to earth the eyes of heaven4 ,christ's coming to this world and identification with it unite to it enduringly the great worlds above us4 ,the scenes enacted upon this planet and the events of its religious history have sent their shock through the universe4 ,the incarnation of the ,son of ,god gives to human life a boundless interest and significance4 ,it is idle to oppose to this conviction the fact of the littleness of the terrestrial globe4 ,spiritual and physical magnitudes are incommensurable4 ,you cannot measure a man's soul by the size of his dwelling-house4 ,science teaches us that the most powerful forces may exist and operate within the narrowest space4 ,a microscopic cell may contain the potential life of a world4 ,if our earth is but a grain of sand to the astronomer1 it has been the home of ,godhead4 ,it is the world for which ,god spared not to give ,his own ,son6 ,here1 then1 lies the centre of the apostle's thoughts in this paragraph3 ,god's all-comprehending purpose in ,christ4 ,the magnitude and completeness of this plan are indicated by the fact that it embraces in its purview the angelic powers and their enlightenment4 ,so understanding it1 our human faith gains confidence and courage 7vv4 #ab1 #ac74 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the textual critics restore the definite article which later copyists had dropped before the word ,christ in verse #aa4 ,we have already remarked the frequency of the ,christ in this epistle4#ic ,once besides this peculiar combination of the names of our ,saviour occurs--in ,colossians ii4 #f1 where ,lightfoot renders it the ,christ1 even ,jesus the ,lord4 ,so it should be rendered in this place4 ,st ,paul sets forth the purpose of ,god who created all things4 ,he is looking back through the ages during which the ,divine plan was kept secret4 ,god was all the time designing ,his work of mercy1 pointing meanwhile the hopes of men by token and promise to the ,coming ,one4 ,the ,messiah was the burden of those prophetic ages4 ,that inscrutable ,christ of the ,old ,testament1 the veiled mystery of ,jewish hope1 stands manifested before us and challenges our faith in the glorious person of ,jesus our ,lord4 ,this singular turn of expression identifies the ideal and the real1 the promise and fulfilment1 the dream of ,old ,testament prophecy and the fact of ,new ,testament history4 ,for ,jesus our ,lord is the very ,christ to whom the generations before ,his coming looked forward out of their twilight with wistful expectancy4 ,not without meaning is ,he called ,jesus our ,lord4 ,the principalities and powers of the heavenly places are in our view 7ver4 #aj74 ,these potentates some of the ,asian ,christians were fain to worship4 ,see ye do it not1 ,paul seems to say4 ,jesus1 the ,christ of ,god1 is alone our ,lord2 not these4 ,he is our ,lord and theirs 7i4 #ba1 #bb74 ,as our ,lord ,he commands their homage1 and gives them lessons through ,his ,church in ,god's deep counsels4 ,everything that the apostle says tends to exalt our ,redeemer and to enhance our confidence in ,him4 ,his position is central and supreme1 in regard alike to the ages of time and the powers of the universe4 ,in ,his hand is the key to all mysteries4 ,he is the ,alpha and ,omega1 the beginning1 middle1 and end of ,god's ways4 ,he is the centre of ,israel1 ,israel of the world and the human ages2 while the world of men is bound through ,him to the higher spheres of being1 over which ,he too presides4 ,there is a splendid intellectual courage1 an incredible boldness and reach of thought in ,st ,paul's conception of the sovereignty of ,christ4 ,remember that ,he of whom these things are said1 but thirty years before died a felon's death in the sight of the ,jewish people4 ,it is not our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 whose name is hallowed by the lips of millions and glorified by the triumphs of centuries upon centuries past1 but the ,nazarene with the obscurity of ,his life and the cruel shame of ,calvary fresh in the recollection of all men4 ,with what immense force had the facts of ,his glorification wrought upon men's minds--,his resurrection and ascension1 the witness of ,his ,spirit and the virtue of ,his gospel--for it to be possible to speak of ,him thus1 within a generation of ,his death6 ,while the foolishness of preaching such a ,christ and the weakness in which ,he was crucified were patent to all eyes1 unrelieved by the influence of time and the glamour of success1 how was it that the first believers raised ,jesus to this limitless glory and dominion8 ,it was through the conviction1 certified by outward fact and inward experience1 that ,he liveth by the power of ,god4 ,thus ,peter on the day of ,pentecost3 ,by the right hand of ,god exalted1 ,he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear4 ,the resurrection from the dead1 the demonstration of the ,spirit proved ,jesus ,christ to be that which ,he had claimed to be1 the ,saviour of men and the eternal ,son of ,god4 ,the supremacy here assigned to ,christ is a consequence of the exaltation described at the close of the first chapter4 ,there we see the height1 here the breadth and length of ,his dominion4 ,if ,he is raised from the grave so high that all created powers and names are beneath ,his feet1 we cannot wonder that the past ages were employed in preparing ,his way1 that the basis of ,his throne lies in the foundation of the world4 ,,ii4 ,the universe is one4 ,there is a solidarity of rational and moral interests amongst all intelligences4 ,granting the existence of such beings as the angels of ,scripture1 we should expect them to be profoundly concerned in the redeeming work of ,christ4 ,they are the watchers and holy ones spoken of by the later ,isaiah and ,daniel1 whom the ,lord has set upon the walls of ,jerusalem and who survey the affairs of nations4 ,such was the angel who talked with ,zechariah in his vision1 and whom the prophet overheard pleading for ,jerusalem4 ,in the ,apocalypse1 again1 we find the angels acting as ,god's unseen executive4 ,we decline to believe that these superhuman creatures are nothing more than apocalyptic machinery1 that they are creations of fancy employed to give a livelier aspect to spiritual truth4 ,cannot ,i pray to my ,father1 and ,he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels8 ,so ,jesus said1 in the most solemn hour of ,his life4 ,and who can forget ,his tender words concerning the little children1 whose angels do always behold the face of my ,father who is in heaven8 ,the apostle ,paul1 who denounces worship of the angels in the fellow epistle to this1 earnestly believed in their existence and their interest in human affairs4 ,if he did not write the words of ,hebrews i4 #ad1 he certainly held that they are ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation4 ,most clearly is their relationship to the ,church affirmed by the words of the revealing angel to the apostle ,john3 ,i am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets1 and with them that keep the words of this book4 ,christ's service is the high school of wisdom for the universe4 ,these princes of heaven win by their ministry to ,christ and ,his ,church a great reward4 ,their intelligence1 however lofty its range1 is finite4 ,their keen and burning intuition could not penetrate the mystery of ,god's intentions toward this world4 ,the revelations of the latter days--the incarnation1 the cross1 the publication of the gospel1 the outpouring of the ,spirit--were full of surprises to the heavenly watchers4 ,they sang at ,bethlehem2 they hid their faces and shrouded heaven in blackness at the sight of ,calvary4 ,they bent down with eager observation and searching thought desiring to look into the things made known to men 7#a ,peter i4 #ab71--;close and sympathetic students of the ,church's history4 ,the apostle felt that there were other eyes bent upon him than those of his fellow-men1 and that he was acting in a grander arena than the visible world4 ,we are a spectacle1 he says1 to angels and to men4 ,so he enjoins faithfulness on ,timothy1 and with ,timothy on all who bear the charge of the gospel1 before ,god and ,christ ,jesus1 and the elect angels4 ,what is public opinion1 what the applause or derision of the crowd1 to him who lives and acts in the presence of these august spectators8 ,through the ,church1 we are told1 the angels of ,god are now having ,his manifold wisdom made known to them4 ,it is not from the abstract scheme of salvation1 from the theory or theology of the ,church that they get this education1 but through the living ,church herself4 ,the ,saviour's mission to earth created a problem for them1 the development of which they follow with the most intense and sympathetic interest4 ,with what solicitude they watch the conflict between good and evil and the varying progress of ,christ's kingdom amongst men6 ,many things1 doubtless1 that engage our attention and fill a large space in our ,church records1 are of little account with them2 and much that passes in obscurity1 names and deeds unchronicled by fame1 are written in heaven and pondered in other spheres4 ,no brave and true blow is struck in ,christ's battle1 but it has the admiration of these high spectators4 ,no advance is made in character and habit1 in ,christian intelligence and efficiency and the application of the gospel to human need1 but they notice and approve4 ,when the cause of the ,church and the salvation of mankind go forward1 when righteousness and peace triumph1 the morning stars sing together and the sons of ,god shout for joy4 ,the joy that there is in the presence of the angels of ,god over the repenting sinner1 is not the joy of sympathy or pity only2 it is the delight of growing wisdom1 of deepening insight into the ways of ,god1 into the heart of the ,father and the love that passes knowledge4 ,one would suppose from what the apostle hints1 that our world presents a problem unique in the kingdom of ,god1 one which raises questions more complicated and crucial than have elsewhere arisen4 ,the heavenly princedoms are learning through the ,church the manifold wisdom of ,god4 ,his love1 in its pure essence1 those happy and godlike beings know4 ,they have lived for ages in its unclouded light4 ,his power and skill they may see displayed in proportions immensely grander than this puny globe of ours presents4 ,god's justice1 it may be1 and the thunders of ,his law have issued forth in other regions clothed with a splendour of which the scenes of ,sinai were but a faint emblem4 ,it is in the combination of the manifold principles of the ,divine government that the peculiarity of the human problem appears to lie4 ,the delicate and continuous balancing of forces in ,god's plan of dealing with this world1 the reconciliation of seeming incompatibilities1 the issue found from positions of hopeless contradiction1 the accord of goodness with severity1 of inflexible rectitude and truth with fatherly compassion1 afford to the greatest minds of heaven a spectacle and a study altogether wonderful4 ,so amongst ourselves the child of a noble house1 reared in cultured ease and shielded from moral peril1 in visiting the homes of poverty in the crowded city finds a new world opened to him1 that can teach him ,divine lessons if he has the heart to learn4 ,his mind is awakened1 his sympathies enriched4 ,he hears the world's true voice1 the still1 sad music of humanity4 ,he measures the heights and depths of man's nature4 ,a host of questions are thrust upon him1 whose urgency he had scarcely guessed2 and wide ranges of truth are lighted up for him1 which before were distant and unreal4 ,the highest have ever to learn from the lowest in ,christ's school1 the seeming-wise from the simple2 even the pure and good1 from contact with the fallen whom they seek to save4 ,and the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places are1 it seems1 willing to learn from those below them4 ,as they traced the course of human history in those eternal times during which the mystery lay wrapped in silence1 the angel watchers were too wise to play the sceptic1 too cautious to criticize an unfinished plan and arraign a justice they could not yet understand4 ,with a dignified patience they waited the uplifting of the curtain and the unravelling of the entangled plot4 ,they looked for the coming of the ,promised ,one4 ,so in due time they witnessed and1 for their reward1 assisted in ,his manifestation4 ,with the same docility these high sharers of our theological inquiries still wait to see the end of the ,lord and to take their part in the dnouement of the time-drama1 in the revelation of the sons of ,god4 ,let us copy their long patience4 ,god has not made us to mock us4 ,what thou knowest not now1 said the great ,revealer1 the ,master of all mysteries1 to ,his disciple1 thou shalt know hereafter4 ,these wise elder brothers of ours1 rich in the lore of eternity1 foresee the things to come as we cannot do4 ,they are far above the smoke and dust of the earthly conflict4 ,the doubts that shake the strongest souls amongst us1 the cries of the hour which confuse and deceive us1 do not trouble them4 ,they behold us in our weakness1 our fears and our divisions2 but they also look on ,him who sits expecting till ,his enemies are made ,his footstool4 ,they see how calmly ,he sits1 how patiently expectant1 while the sound of clashing arms and the rage and tumult of the peoples go up from the earth4 ,they mark the steadiness with which through century after century1 in spite of refluent waves1 the tide of mercy rises1 and still rises on the shores of earth4 ,thrones1 systems1 civilizations have gone down2 one after another of the powers that strove to crush or to corrupt ,christ's ,church has disappeared2 and still the name of ,jesus lives and spreads4 ,it has traversed every continent and sea2 it stands at the head of the living and moving forces of the world4 ,those who come nearest to the angelic point of view1 and judge of the progress of things not by the froth upon the surface but by the trend of the deeper currents1 are the most confident for the future of our race4 ,the kingdom of ,satan will not fall without a struggle--a last struggle1 perhaps more furious than any in the past--but it is doomed1 and waning to its end4 ,so far has the kingdom of ,christ advanced1 so mightily does the word of ,god grow and prevail in the earth1 that faith may well assure itself of the promised triumph4 ,soon we shall shout3 ,alleluia6 ,the ,lord ,god ,omnipotent reigneth6 ,,iii4 ,suddenly1 according to his wont1 the apostle drops down from the heights of contemplation to the level of ordinary fact4 ,he descends in verse #ab from the thought of the eternal purpose and the education of the angels to the struggling ,church4 ,the assurance of its life in the ,spirit corresponds to the grandeur of that ,divine order to which it belongs4 ,in whom1 he says--in this ,christ1 the revealed mystery of ages past1 the ,teacher of angels and archangels--we have our freedom and confident access to ,god through faith in ,him4 ,if it be ,jesus our ,lord to whom these attributes belong1 and ,he is not ashamed of us1 well may we draw near with confidence to the ,father1 unashamed in the presence of ,his holy angels4 ,we have no need to be abashed1 if we approach the ,divine ,majesty with a true faith in ,christ4 ,his name gives the sinner access to the holiest place4 ,the cherubim sheathe their swords of flame4 ,the heavenly warders at this passport open the golden gates4 ,we come unto ,mount ,sion1 the city of the living ,god1 and to an innumerable company of angels4 ,not one of these mightinesses and ancient peers of heaven1 not ,gabriel or ,michael himself1 would wish or dare to bar our entrance4 ,we have boldness and access1 says the apostle1 as in chapter i4 #g3 ,we have redemption in ,his blood4 ,he insists upon the conscious fact4 ,this freedom of approach to ,god1 this sonship of faith1 is no hope or dream of what may be2 it is a present reality1 a filial cry heard in a multitude both of ,gentile and ,jewish hearts 7comp4 ii4 #ah74 ,this sentence exhibits the richness of synonyms characteristic of the epistle4 ,there is boldness and access1 confidence as well as faith4 ,the three former terms ,bengel nicely distinguishes3 libertatem oris in orando1 and admissionem in fiducia in re1 et corde--freedom of speech 7in prayer71 of status1 and of feeling4 ,the second word 7as in chapter ii4 #ah and ,romans v4 #b7 appears to be active rather than passive in its force1 denoting admittance rather than access4 ,so that while the former of the parallel terms 7boldness7 describes the liberty with which the new-born ,church of the redeemed address themselves to ,god the ,father and the unchecked freedom of their petitions1 the latter 7admittance7 takes us back to the act of ,christ by which ,he introduced us to the ,father's presence and gave us the place of sons in the house4 ,being thus admitted1 we may come with confidence of heart1 though we be less than the least of saints4 ,accepted in the ,beloved1 we are within our right if we say to the ,father3-- ,yet in ,thy ,son divinely great1 ,we claim ,thy providential care4 ,boldly we stand before ,thy seat2 ,our ,advocate hath placed us there6 ,wherefore1 concludes the imprisoned apostle1 ,i beg you not to lose heart at my afflictions for you4 ,assuredly ,paul did not pray that he should not lose heart1 as some interpret his meaning4 ,but he knew how his friends were fretting and wearying over his long captivity4 ,hence he writes to the ,philippians3 ,i would have you know that the things which have happened to me have turned out rather to the furtherance of the gospel4 ,hence1 too1 he assures the ,colossians earnestly of his joy in suffering for their sake 7ch4 i4 #bd74 ,the ,church was fearful for ,paul's life and distressed by his prolonged sufferings4 ,it missed his cheering presence and the inspiration of his voice4 ,but if the ,church is so dear to ,god as the pages of this letter show1 and grounded in ,his eternal purposes1 then let all friends of ,christ take courage4 ,the ark freighted with such fortunes cannot sink4 ,st ,paul is a martyr for ,christ1 and for ,gentile ,christendom6 ,every stroke that falls upon him1 every day added to the months of his imprisonment helps to show the worth of the cause he has espoused and gives to it increased lustre3 my afflictions for you1 which are your glory4 ,those that love him should boast rather than grieve over his afflictions4 ,we make our boast in you amongst the ,churches of ,god1 he wrote to the distressed ,thessalonians 7#b ,ep4 i4 #d71 for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and afflictions2 so he would have the ,churches think of him4 ,when good men suffer in a good cause1 it is not matter for pity and dread1 but rather for a holy pride4 ,,footnotes3 #ic ,see note on p4 #dg2 also pp4 #hc1 #ahi4 ,,prayer ,,and ,,praise4 ,,chapter iii4 #ad-ba4 ,to hyperechon ts gnses ,christou ,isou tou ,kyriou mou4--,,phil4 iii4 #h4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,comprehension ,,of ,,christ4 ,for this cause ,i bow my knees unto the ,father1 from whom every family in heaven and upon earth is named1 that ,he would grant you1 according to the riches of ,his glory1 that ye may be strengthened with power through ,his ,spirit in the inward man2 that the ,christ may dwell in your hearts through faith2 to the end that ye1 being rooted and grounded in love1 may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth4--,,eph4 iii4 #ad-ah4 ,in verse #ad the prayer is resumed which the apostle was about to offer at the beginning of the chapter1 when the current of his thoughts carried him away4 ,the supplication is offered for this cause 7vv4 #a1 #ad71--;it arises out of the teaching of the preceding pages4 ,thinking of all that ,god has wrought in the ,christ1 and has accomplished by means of ,his gospel in multitudes of ,gentiles as well as ,jews1 reconciling them to ,himself in one body and forming them together into a temple for ,his ,spirit1 the apostle bows his knees before ,god on their behalf4 ,so much he had in mind1 when at the end of the second chapter he was in act to pray for the ,asian ,christians that they might be enabled to enter into this far-reaching purpose4 ,other aspects of the great design of ,god rose upon the writer's mind before his prayer could find expression4 ,he has told us of his own part in disclosing it to the world1 and of the interest it excites amongst the dwellers in heavenly places1--thoughts full of comfort for the ,gentile believers troubled by his imprisonment and continued sufferings4 ,these further reflections add new meaning to the ,for this cause repeated from verse #a4 ,the prayer which he offers here is no less remarkable and unique in his epistles than the act of praise in chapter i4 ,addressing himself to ,god as the ,father of angels and of men1 the apostle asks that ,he will endow the readers in a manner corresponding to the wealth of ,his glory--in other words1 that the gifts ,he bestows may be worthy of the universal ,father1 worthy of the august character in which ,god has now revealed ,himself to mankind4 ,according to this measure1 ,st ,paul beseeches for the ,church1 in the first instance1 two gifts1 which after all are one1--viz41 the inward strength of the ,holy ,spirit 7ver4 #af71 and the permanent indwelling of ,christ 7ver4 #ag74 ,these gifts he asks on his readers' behalf with a view to their gaining two further blessings1 which are also one1--viz41 the power to understand the ,divine plan 7ver4 #ah7 as it has been expounded in this letter1 and so to know the love of ,christ 7ver4 #ai74 ,still1 beyond these there rises in the distance a further end for man and the ,church3 the reception of the entire fulness of ,god4 ,human desire and thought thus reach their limit2 they grasp at the infinite4 ,in this ,chapter we will strive to follow the apostle's prayer to the end of the eighteenth verse1 where it arrives at its chief aim and touches the main thought of the epistle1 expressing the desire that all believers may have power to realize the full scope of the salvation of ,christ in which they participate4 ,let us pause for a moment to join in ,st ,paul's invocation3 ,i bow my knees to the ,father1 of whom not the whole family1 but every family in heaven and upon earth is named4 ,the point of ,st ,paul's original phrase is somewhat lost in translation4 ,the ,greek word for family 7patria7 is based on that for father 7pater74 ,a distinguished father anciently gave his name to his descendants2 and this paternal name became the bond of family or tribal union1 and the title which ennobled the race4 ,so we have the sons of ,israel1 the sons of ,aaron or of ,korah2 and in ,greek history1 the ,atridae1 the ,alcmaeonidae1 who form a family of many kindred households--a clan1 or gens1 designated by their ancestral head4 ,thus ,joseph 7in ,luke ii4 #d7 is described as being of the house and family patria of ,david2 and ,jesus is the ,son of ,david4 ,now ,scripture speaks also of sons of ,god2 and these of two chief orders4 ,there are those in heaven1 who form a race distinct from ourselves in origin--divided1 it may be1 amongst themselves into various orders and dwelling in their several homes in the heavenly places4 ,of these are the sons of ,god whom the ,book of ,job pictures appearing in the ,divine court and forming a family in heaven4 ,when ,christ promises 7,luke xx4 #cf7 that ,his disciples in their immortal state will be equal to the angels1 because they are sons of ,god1 it is implied that the angels are already and by birthright sons of ,god4 ,hence in ,hebrews xii4 #bb1 #bc the angels are described as the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven4 ,we1 the sons of ,adam1 with our many tribes and kindreds1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,elder ,brother constitute a new family of ,god4 ,god becomes our ,name-father1 and permits us also to call ourselves ,his sons through faith4 ,thus the ,church of believers in the ,son of ,god constitutes the family on earth named from the same ,father who gave ,his name to the holy angels1 our wise and strong and brilliant elder brothers4 ,they and we are alike ,god's offspring4 ,heaven and earth are kindred spheres4 ,this passage gives to ,god's ,fatherhood the same extension that chapter i4 #ba has given to ,christ's ,lordship4 ,every order of creaturely intelligence acknowledges ,god for the ,author of its being1 and bows to ,christ as its sovereign ,lord4 ,in ,god's name of ,father the entire wealth of love that streams forth from ,him through endless ages and unmeasured worlds is hidden2 and in the name of sons of ,god there is contained the blessedness of all creatures that can bear ,his image4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,what1 therefore1 shall the universal ,father be asked to give to ,his needy children upon earth8 ,they have newly learnt ,his name2 they are barely recovered from the malady of their sin1 fearful of trial1 weak to meet temptation4 ,strength is their first necessity3 ,i bow my knees to the ,father of heaven and earth1 praying that ,he may grant you1 according to the riches of ,his glory1 to be strengthened by the entering of the ,spirit into your inward man4 ,the apostle asked them in verse #ac1 in view of the greatness of his own calling1 to be of good courage on his account2 now he entreats ,god so to reveal to them ,his glory and to pour into their hearts ,his ,spirit1 that no weakness and fear may remain in them4 ,the strengthening of which he speaks is the opposite of the faintness of heart1 the failure of courage deprecated in verse #ac4 ,using the same word1 the apostle bids the ,corinthians ,quit themselves like men1 be strong 7#a ,ep4 xvi4 #ac74 ,he desires for the ,asian believers a manful heart1 the strength that meets battle and danger without quailing4 ,the source of this strength is not in ourselves4 ,we are to be strengthened with or by power1--by the power of ,god working in us 7ver4 #bj71 the very same power1 exceeding great1 that raised ,jesus our ,lord from the dead 7i4 #ai74 ,this superhuman might of ,god operating in men is always referred to the ,holy ,spirit3 by power made strong1 he says1 through the ,spirit4 ,nothing is more familiar in ,scripture than the conception of the indwelling ,spirit of ,god as the source of moral strength4 ,the special power that belongs to the gospel ,christ ascribes altogether to this cause4 ,ye shall receive power1 ,he said to ,his disciples1 after that the ,holy ,spirit is come upon you4 ,hence is derived the vigour of a strong faith1 the valour of the good soldier of ,christ ,jesus1 the courage of the martyrs1 the cheerful and indomitable patience of multitudes of obscure sufferers for righteousness' sake4 ,there is a great truth expressed when we describe a brave and enterprising man as a man of spirit4 ,all high and commanding qualities of soul come from this invisible source4 ,they are inspirations4 ,in the human will1 with its vis vivida1 its elasticity and buoyancy1 its steadfastness and resolved purpose1 is the highest type of force and the image of the almighty ,will4 ,when that will is animated and filled with the ,spirit1 the man so possessed is the embodiment of an inconceivable power4 ,firm principle1 hope and constancy1 self-mastery1 superiority to pleasure and pain1--all the elements of a noble courage are proper to the man of the ,spirit4 ,such power is not neutralized by our infirmities2 it asserts itself under their limiting conditions and makes them its contributories4 ,my grace is sufficient for thee1 said ,christ to ,his disabled servant2 for power is perfected in weakness4 ,in privation and loneliness1 in old age and bodily decay1 the strength of ,god in the human spirit shines with its purest lustre4 ,never did ,st ,paul rise to such a height of moral ascendency as at the time when he was smitten down and all but destroyed by persecution and affliction4 ,that the excellency of the power1 he says1 may be of ,god1 and not from ourselves 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #g-aa74 ,the apostle points to the inner man as the seat of this invigoration1 thinking perhaps of its secrecy4 ,while the world buffets and dismays the ,christian1 new vigour and joy are infused into his soul4 ,the surface waters and summer brooks of comfort fail2 but there opens in the heart a spring fed by the river of life proceeding from the throne of ,god4 ,beneath the toil-worn frame1 the mean attire and friendless condition of the prisoner ,paul--a mark for the world's scorn--there lives a strength of thought and will mightier than the empire of the ,caesars1 a power of the ,spirit that is to dominate the centuries to come4 ,of this omnipotent power dwelling in the ,church of ,god1 the apostle prays that every one of his readers may partake4 ,,ii4 ,parallel to the first petition1 and in substance identical with it1 is the second3 that the ,christ may make ,his dwelling through faith in your hearts4 ,such1 it seems to us1 is the relation of verses #af and #ag4 ,christ's residence in the heart is to be viewed neither as the result1 nor the antecedent of the strength given by the ,spirit to the inward man3 the two are simultaneous2 they are the same things seen in a varying light4 ,we observe in this prayer the same vein of ,trinitarian thought which marks the doxology of chapter i41 and other leading passages in this epistle4#id ,the ,father1 the ,spirit1 and the ,christ are unitedly the object of the apostle's devout supplication4 ,as in the previous clause1 the verb of verse #ag bears emphasis and conveys the point of ,st ,paul's entreaty2 he asks that the ,christ may take up ,his abode1--may settle in your hearts4 ,the word signifies to set up one's house or make one's home in a place1 by way of contrast with a temporary and uncertain sojourn 7comp4 ii4 #ai74 ,the same verb in ,colossians ii4 #i asserts that in ,christ dwells all the fulness of the ,godhead2 and in ,colossians i4 #ai it declares1 used in the same tense as here1 how it was ,god's pleasure that all the fulness should make its dwelling in ,him now raised from the dead1 who had emptied and humbled ,himself to fulfil the purpose of the ,father's love4 ,so it is desired that ,christ should take ,his seat within us4 ,he is never again to stand at the door and knock1 nor to have a doubtful and disputed footing in the house4 ,let the ,master come in1 and claim ,his own4 ,let ,him become the heart's fixed tenant and full occupier4 ,let ,him1 if ,he will thus condescend1 make ,himself at home within us and there rest in ,his love4 ,for ,he promised3 ,if any man love me1 my ,father will love him2 and we will come unto him1 and make our abode with him4 ,and the ,christ1 not ,christ alone4 ,why does the apostle say this8 ,there is a reason for the definite article1 as we have found elsewhere4#ie ,the apostle is asking for his ,asian brethren something beyond that possession of ,christ which belongs to every true ,christian1--more even than the permanence and certainty of this indwelling indicated by the verb4 ,the ,christ is ,christ in the significance of ,his name4 ,it is ,christ not only possessed1 but understood1--,christ realized in the import of ,his work1 in the light of ,his relationship to the ,father and the ,spirit1 and to men4 ,it is the ,christ of the ,church and the ages--known and accepted for all this--that ,st ,paul would fain have dwelling in the heart of each of his ,gentile disciples4 ,he is endeavouring to raise them to an adequate comprehension of the greatness of the ,redeemer's person and offices2 he longs to have their minds possessed by his own views of ,christ ,jesus the ,lord4 ,the heart1 in the language of the ,bible1 never denotes the emotional nature by itself4 ,the antithesis of heart and head1 the divorce of feeling and understanding in our modern speech is foreign to ,scripture4 ,the heart is our interior1 conscious self--thought1 feeling1 will in their personal unity4 ,it needs the whole ,christ to fill and rule the whole heart1--a ,christ who is the ,lord of the intellect1 the ,light of the reason1 no less than the ,master of the feelings and desires4 ,the difference in significance between ,christ or ,christ ,jesus and the ,christ in such a sentence as this1 is not unlike the difference between ,queen ,victoria and the ,queen4 ,the latter phrase brings ,her ,majesty before us in the grandeur and splendour of her ,queenship4 ,we think of her vast dominion1 of her line of royal and famous ancestry1 of her beneficent and memorable reign4 ,so1 to know the ,christ is to apprehend ,him in the height of ,his ,godhead1 in the breadth of ,his humanity1 in the plenitude of ,his nature and ,his powers4 ,and this is the object to which the teaching and the prayers of ,st ,paul for the ,churches at the present time are directed4 ,understanding in this larger sense the indwelling of the ,christ for which he prays1 we see how naturally his supplication expands into the height and depth of the ensuing verse4 ,but however large the mental conception of ,christ that ,st ,paul desires to impart to us1 it is to be grasped through faith4 ,all real understanding and appropriation of ,christ1 the simplest and the most advanced1 come by this channel1--through the faith of the heart in which knowledge1 will and feeling blend in that one act of trustful apprehension of the truth concerning ,jesus ,christ by which the soul commits itself to ,him4 ,how much is contained in this petition of the apostle that we need to ask for ourselves1 ,christ ,jesus dwells now as then in the hearts of all who love ,him4 ,but how little do we know our heavenly ,guest6 how poor a ,christ is ours1 compared to the ,christ of ,paul's experience6 how slight and empty a word is ,his name to multitudes of those who bear it6 ,if men have once attained a sense of ,his salvation1 and are satisfied of their interest in ,his atonement and their right to hope for eternal life through ,him1 their minds are at rest4 ,they have accepted ,christ and received what ,he has to give them2 they turn their attention to other things4 ,they do not love ,christ enough to study ,him4 ,they have other mental interests1--scientific1 literary1 political or industrial2 but the knowledge of ,christ has no intellectual attraction for them4 ,with ,st ,paul's passionate ardour1 the ceaseless craving of his mind to know ,him1 these complacent believers have no sympathy whatever4 ,this1 they think1 belongs only to a few1 to men of metaphysical bias or of religious genius like the great apostle4 ,theology is regarded as a subject for specialists4 ,the laity1 with a lamentable and disastrous neglect1 leave the study of ,christian doctrine to the ministry4 ,the ,christ cannot take ,his due place in ,his people's heart1 ,he will not reveal to them the wealth of ,his glory1 while they know so little and care to know so little of ,him4 ,how many can be found1 outside the ranks of the ordained1 that make a sacrifice of other favourite pursuits to meditate on ,christ8 what prosperous merchant1 what active man of affairs is there who will spare an hour each day from his other gains for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus my ,lord8--,if at the present time the religious life of the ,church is languid1 and if in its enterprises there is little of audacity and vehemence1 a partial explanation is to be found in that decline of intellectual interest in the contents of the ,christian ,faith which has characterized the last hundred or hundred and fifty years of our history4#if ,it is a knowledge that when pursued grows upon the mind without limit4 ,st ,paul1 who knew so much1 for that reason felt that all he had attained was but in the bud and beginning4 ,the ,christ is a subject infinite as nature1 large and wide as history4 ,with our enlarged apprehension of ,him1 the heart enlarges in capacity and moral power4 ,not unfrequently1 the study of ,christ in ,scripture and experience gives to unlettered men1 to men whose mind before their conversion was dull and uninformed1 an intellectual quality1 a power of discernment and apprehension that trained scholars might envy4 ,by such thoughtful1 constant fellowship with ,him the vigour of spirit and courage in affliction are sustained1 that the apostle first asked from ,god on behalf of his anxious ,gentile friends4 ,,iii4 ,the prayers now offered might suffice1 if ,st ,paul were concerned only for the individual needs of those to whom he writes and their personal advancement in the new life4 ,but it is otherwise4 ,the ,church fills his mind4 ,its lofty claims at every turn he has pressed on our attention4 ,this is ,god's holy temple and the habitation of ,his ,spirit2 it is the body in which ,christ dwells1 the bride that ,he has chosen4 ,the ,church is the object that draws the eyes of heaven2 through it the angelic powers are learning undreamed-of lessons of ,god's wisdom4 ,round this centre the apostle's intercession must needs revolve4 ,when he asks for his readers added strength of heart and a richer fellowship with ,christ1 it is in order that they may be the better able to enter into the ,church's life and to apprehend ,god's great designs for mankind4 ,this object so much absorbs the writer's thoughts and has been so constantly in view from the outset1 that it does not occur to him1 in verse #ah1 to say precisely what that is whose breadth and length and height and depth the readers are to measure4 ,the vast building stands before us and needs not to be named2 we have only not to look away from it1 not to forget what we have been reading all this time4 ,it is ,god's plan for the world in ,christ2 it is the purpose of the ages realized in the building of ,his ,church4 ,this conception was so impressive to the original readers and has held their attention so closely since the apostle unfolded it in the course of the second chapter1 that they would have no difficulty in supplying the ellipsis which has given so much trouble to the commentators since4 ,if we are asked to interpret the four several magnitudes that are assigned to this building of ,god1 we may say with ,hofmann#ig3 ,it stretches wide over all the world of the nations1 east and west4 ,in its length1 it reaches through all time unto the end of things4 ,in depth1 it penetrates to the region where the faithful sleep in death comp4 iv4 #i4 ,and it rises to heaven's height1 where ,christ lives4 ,in the like strain ,bernardine ,piconio1 most genial and spiritual of ,romanist interpreters3 ,wide as the furthest limits of the inhabited world1 long as the ages of eternity through which ,god's love to ,his people will endure1 deep as the abyss of misery and ruin from which ,he has raised us1 high as the throne of ,christ in the heavens where ,he has placed us4 ,such is the commonwealth to which we belong1 such the dimensions of this city of ,god built on the foundation of the apostles1--that lieth four-square4 ,do we not need to be strong--to gain full strength1 as the apostle prays1 in order to grasp in its substance and import this immense revelation and to handle it with practical effect8 ,narrowness is feebleness4 ,the greatness of the ,church1 as ,god designed it1 matches the greatness of the ,christ ,himself4 ,it needs a firm spiritual faith1 a far-seeing intelligence1 and a charity broad as the love of ,christ to comprehend this mystery4 ,from many believing eyes it is still hidden4 ,alas for our cold hearts1 our weak and partial judgements6 alas for the materialism that infects our ,church theories1 and that limits ,god's free grace and the sovereign action of ,his ,spirit to visible channels and ministrations wrought by hand4 ,those who call themselves ,churchmen and ,catholics contradict the titles they boast when they bar out their loyal ,christian brethren from the covenant rights of faith1 when they deny churchly standing to communities with a love to ,christ as warm and fruitful in good works1 a gospel as pure and saving1 a discipline at least as faithful as their own4 ,who are we that we dare to forbid those who are doing mighty works in the name of ,christ1 because they follow not with us8 ,when we are fain to pull down every building of ,god that does not square with our own ecclesiastical plans1 we do not apprehend what is the breadth6 ,we draw close about us the walls of ,christ's wide house1 as if to confine ,him in our single chamber4 ,we call our particular communion the ,church1 and the rest the sects2 and disfranchise1 so far as our word and judgement go1 a multitude of ,christ's freemen and ,god's elect1 our fellow-citizens in the ,new ,jerusalem--saints1 some of them1 whose feet we well might deem ourselves unworthy to wash4 ,a ,church theory that leads to such results as these1 that condemns ,nonconformists to be strangers in the ,house of ,god1 is self-condemned4 ,it will perish of its own chillness and formalism4 ,happily1 many of those who hold the doctrine of exclusive ,roman or ,anglican1 or ,baptist or ,presbyterian legitimacy1 are in feeling and practice more catholic than in their creed4 ,with all the saints the ,asian ,christians are called to enter into ,st ,paul's wider view of ,god's work in the world4 ,for this is a collective idea1 to be shared by many minds and that should sway all ,christian hearts at once4 ,it is the collective aim of ,christianity that ,st ,paul wants his readers to understand1 its mission to save humanity and to reconstruct the world for a temple of ,god4 ,this is a calling for all the saints2 but only for saints1--for men devoted to ,god and renewed by ,his ,spirit4 ,it was revealed to ,his holy apostles and prophets 7ver4 #e72 and it needs men of the same quality for its bearers and interpreters4 ,but the first condition for this largeness of sympathy and aim is that stated at the beginning of the verse1 thrown forward there with an emphasis that almost does violence to grammar3 in love being fast rooted and grounded4 ,where ,christ dwells abidingly in the heart1 love enters with ,him and becomes the ground of our nature1 the basis on which our thought and action rest1 the soil in which our purposes grow4 ,love is the mark of the true ,broad ,churchman in all ,churches1 the man to whom ,christ is all things and in all1 and who1 wherever he sees a ,christlike man1 loves him and counts him a brother4 ,when such love to ,christ fills all our hearts and penetrates to their depths1 we shall have strength to shake off our prejudices1 strength to master our intellectual difficulties and limitations4 ,we shall have the courage to adopt ,christ's simple rule of fellowship3 ,whosoever shall do the will of my ,father who is in heaven1 he is my brother1 and sister1 and mother4 ,,footnotes3 #id ,see ch4 i4 #ag1 ii4 #ah1 #bb1 and especially ch4 iv4 #d-f4 #ie ,see pp4 #dg1 #hc1 #afi4 #if ,lectures on ,ephesians1 pp4 #bce-h4 ,no one who has read ,dr4 ,r4 ,w4 ,dale's noble ,lectures on this epistle1 can write upon the same subject without being deeply in his debt4 #ig ,der ,brief ,pauli an die ,epheser1 p4 #ach4 ,hofmann is one of those writers from whom one constantly learns1 although one must as often differ from him as agree with him4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,knowing ,,the ,,unknowable4 ,i pray that ye1 being rooted and grounded in love1 may be strong to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth1 and to know the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge1 that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of ,god4--,,eph4 iii4 #ag-ai4 ,we were compelled to pause before reaching the end of the apostle's comprehensive prayer4 ,but we must not let slip the thread of its connexion4 ,verse #ai is the necessary sequel and counterpart of verse #ah4 ,the catholic love which embraces all the saints and comprehends in its wide dimensions the extent of the ,redeemer's kingdom1 admits us to a deeper knowledge of ,christ's own love4 ,the breadth and length1 the height and depth of the work of ,christ in men and the ages give us a worthier conception of the love that inspired and sustains it4 ,in the ,church at once and in ,christ ,jesus ,god's glory is revealed4 ,our ,church views react upon our views of ,christ and our sense of ,his love4 ,bigotry and exclusiveness towards ,his brethren chill the heart towards ,himself4 ,our sectarianism stints and narrows our apprehensions of the ,divine grace4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,st ,paul prays that we may know not comprehend the love of ,christ2 for it passes knowledge4 ,amongst the ,greek words denoting mental activity1 that here employed signifies knowledge in the acquisition rather than possession--getting to know4 ,hence it is rightly1 and often used of things ,divine that we know in part1 our knowledge of which falls short of the reality while it is growing up to it4 ,thus understood1 the contradiction of the apostle's wish disappears4 ,we know the unknowable1 just as we clearly see the invisible things of ,god 7,rom4 i4 #bj74 ,the idea is conveyed of an object that invites our observation and pursuit1 but which at every step outreaches apprehension1 each discovery revealing depths within it unperceived before4 ,such was the knowledge of ,christ to the soul of ,st ,paul4 ,to the ,philippians the aged apostle writes3 ,i do not reckon myself to have apprehended ,him4 ,i am in pursuit6 ,i forget the past2 ,i press on eagerly to the goal4 ,i have but one object in view and sacrifice everything for it1--that ,i may win ,christ6 ,in all the mystery of ,christ1 there is nothing more wonderful and past finding out than ,his love4 ,for nigh thirty years ,paul has been living in daily fellowship with the love of ,christ1 his heart full of it and all the powers of his mind bent upon its comprehension3 he cannot understand it yet6 ,at this moment it amazes him more than ever4 ,great as the ,christian community is1 and large as the place and part assigned to it by this epistle1 that is still finite and a creation of time4 ,the apostle's doctrine of the ,church is not beyond the comprehension of a mind sufficiently loving and enlightened4 ,but though we had followed him so far and had well and truly apprehended the mystery he has revealed to us1 the love of ,christ is still beyond us4 ,our principles of judgement and standards of comparison fail us when applied to this subject4 ,human love has in many instances displayed heroic qualities2 it can rise to a divine height of purity and tenderness2 but its noblest sacrifices will not bear to be put by the side of the cross of ,christ4 ,no picture of that love but shows poor and dull compared with the reality2 no eloquence lavished upon it but lowers the theme4 ,our logical framework of doctrine fails to enclose and hold it2 the love of ,christ defies analysis and escapes from all our definitions4 ,those who know the world best1 who have ranged through history and philosophy and the life of living men and have measured most generously the possibilities of human nature1 are filled with a wondering reverence when they come to know the love of ,christ4 ,never man spake like this man1 said one2 but verily never man loved like ,jesus ,christ4 ,he expects to be loved more than father or mother2 for ,his love surpasses theirs4 ,we cannot describe ,his love1 nor delineate its features as ,paul saw them when he wrote these lines4 ,go to the ,gospels1 and behold it as it lived and wrought for men4 ,stand and watch at the cross4 ,then if the eyes of your heart are open1 you will see the great sight--the love that passeth knowledge4 ,when1 turning from ,christ ,himself in ,his own person and presence1 before whom praise is speechless1 we contemplate the manifestations of ,his love to mankind2 when we consider that its fountain lies in the bosom of the ,eternal2 when we trace its footsteps prepared from the world's foundation1 and perceive it choosing a people for its own and making its promises and raising up its heralds and forerunners2 when at last it can hide and refrain itself no longer1 but comes forth incarnate with lowly heart to take our infirmities and carry our diseases--yea1 to put away our sin by the sacrifice of itself2 when we behold that same ,love which the hands of men had slain1 setting up its cross for the sign of its covenant of peace with mankind1 and enthroned in the majesty of heaven waiting even as a bridegroom joyously for the time when its ransomed shall be brought home1 redeemed from iniquity and gathered unto itself from all the kindreds of the earth2 and when we see how this mystery of love1 in its sufferings and glories and its deep-laid plans for all the creatures1 engages the ardent study and sympathy of the heavenly principalities1--in view of these things1 who can but feel himself unworthy to know the love of ,christ or to speak one word on its behalf8 ,are we not ready to say like ,peter1 ,depart from me1 for ,i am a sinful man1 ,o ,lord8 ,this is a revelation that searches every man's soul who looks into it4 ,what is there so confounding to our reason and our human self-complacency as the discovery3 ,he loved me2 ,he gave ,himself up for me--that ,he should do it1 and should need to do it6 ,it was this that went to ,saul's heart1 that gave the mortal blow to the ,jewish pride in him1 strong as it was with the growth of centuries4 ,the bearer of this grace and the ambassador of ,christ's love to the ,gentiles1 he feels himself to be less than the least of all the saints4 ,we carry in our hands to show to men a heavenly light1 which throws our own unloveliness into dark relief4 ,,ii4 ,the love of ,christ connects together1 in the apostle's thoughts1 the greatness of the ,church and the fulness of ,god4 ,the two former conceptions--,christ's love and the ,church's greatness--go together in our minds2 knowing them1 we are led onwards to the realization of the last4 ,the fulness pleroma of ,god1 and the filling 7or completing7 of believers in ,christ are ideas characteristic of this group of epistles4 ,the first of these expressions we have discussed already in its connexion with ,christ1 in chapter i4 #bc2 we shall meet with it again as the fulness of ,christ in chapter iv4 #ac4 ,the phrase before us is1 in substance1 identical with that of the latter text4 ,christ contains the ,divine plenitude2 ,he embodies it in ,his person1 and conveys it to the world by ,his redemption4 ,st ,paul desires for the ,asian ,christians that they may receive it2 it is the ultimate mark of his prayer4 ,he wishes them to gain the total sum of all that ,god communicates to men4 ,he would have them filled--their nature made complete both in its individual and social relations1 their powers of mind and heart brought into full exercise1 their spiritual capacities developed and replenished--filled unto all the plenitude of ,god4 ,this is no humanistic or humanitarian ideal4 ,the mark of ,christian completeness is on a different and higher plane than any that is set up by culture4 ,the ideal ,christian is a greater man than the ideal citizen or artist or philosopher3 he may include within himself any or all of these characters1 but he transcends them4 ,he may conform to none of these types1 and yet be a perfect man in ,christ ,jesus4 ,our race cannot rest in any perfection that stops short of the fulness of ,god4 ,when we have received all that ,god has to give in ,christ1 when the community of men is once more a family of ,god and the ,father's will is done on earth as in heaven1 then and not before will our life be complete4 ,that is the goal of humanity2 and the civilization that does not lead to it is a wandering from the way4 ,you are complete in ,christ1 says the apostle4 ,the progress of the ages since confirms the saying4 ,the apostle prays that his readers may know the love of ,christ4 ,this is a part of the ,divine plenitude2 nor is there anything in it deeper4 ,but there is more to know4 ,when he asks for all the fulness1 he thinks of other elements of revelation in which we are to participate4 ,god's wisdom1 ,his truth1 ,his righteousness1 along with ,his love in its manifold forms1--all the qualities that1 in one word1 go to make up ,his holiness1 are communicable and belong to the image stamped by the ,holy ,spirit on the nature of ,god's children4 ,ye shall be holy1 for ,i am holy is ,god's standing command to ,his sons4 ,so ,jesus bids ,his disciples1 ,be perfect1 as your ,father in heaven is perfect4 ,st ,paul's prayer is but another way of expressing the continuous aspiration and effort after holiness which is enjoined in our ,lord's precept 7,lightfoot74 ,while the holiness of ,god gathers up into one stream of white radiance the revelation of ,his character1 the fulness of ,god spreads it abroad in its many-coloured richness and variety4 ,the term accords with the affluence of thought that marks this supplication4 ,the might of the ,spirit that strengthens weak human hearts1 the greatness of the ,christ who is the guest of our faith1 ,his wide-spreading kingdom and the vast interests it embraces and ,his own love surpassing all1--these objects of the soul's desire issue from the fulness of ,god2 and they lead us in pursuing them1 like streams pouring into the ocean1 back to the eternal ,godhead4 ,the mediatorial kingdom has its end2 ,christ1 when ,he has put down all rule and authority1 will at last yield it up to ,his ,god and ,father2 and the ,son ,himself will be subjected to ,him that put all things under ,him1 that ,god may be all in all 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #bd-bh74 ,this is the crown of the ,redeemer's mission1 the end which ,his love to the ,father seeks4 ,but when that end is reached1 and the soul with immediate vision beholds the ,father's glory1 the ,plenitude will be still new and unexhausted2 the soul will then begin its deepest lessons in the knowledge of ,god which is life eternal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,st ,paul is conscious of the extreme boldness of the prayer he has just uttered4 ,but he protests that1 instead of going beyond ,god's purposes1 it falls short of them4 ,this assurance rises1 in verses #bj and #ba1 into a rapture of praise4 ,it is a cry of exultation1 a true song of triumph1 that breaks from the apostle's lips3-- ,now unto ,him that is able to do above all things1-- ,yea1 far exceedingly beyond what we ask or think1-- ,according to the power that worketh in us3 ,to ,him be glory in the ,church and in ,christ ,jesus1 ,unto all generations of the age of the ages4--,amen6 7vv4 #bj1 #ba74 ,praise soars higher than prayer4 ,when ,st ,paul has reached in supplication the summit of his desires1 he sees the plenitude of ,god's gifts still by a whole heaven outreaching him4 ,but it is only from these mountain-tops hardly won in the exercise of prayer1 in their still air and tranquil light1 that the boundless realms of promise are visible4 ,god's giving surpasses immeasurably our thought and asking2 but there must be the asking and the thinking for it to surpass4 ,he puts always more into our hand and better things than we expected--when the expectant hand is reached out to ,him4 ,man's desires will never overtake ,god's bounty4 ,hearing the prayer just offered1 unbelief will say3 ,you have asked too much4 ,it is preposterous to expect that raw ,gentile converts1 scarcely raised above their heathen debasement1 should enter into these exalted notions of yours about ,christ and the ,church and should be filled with the fulness of ,god6 ,prayer must be rational and within the bounds of possibility1 offered 'with the understanding' as well as 'with the spirit1' or it becomes mere extravagance4--,the apostle gives a twofold answer to this kind of scepticism4 ,he appeals to the ,divine omnipotence4 ,with men1 you say1 this is impossible4 ,humanly speaking1 ,st ,paul's ,gentile disciples were incapable of any high spiritual culture2 they were unpromising material1 with not many wise or many noble amongst them1 some of them before their conversion stained with infamous vices4 ,who is to make saints and godlike men out of such human refuse as this6 ,but with ,god1 as ,jesus said1 all things are possible4 ,faex urbis1 lux orbis3 the scum of the city is made the light of the world6 ,the force at work upon the minds of these degraded pagans--slaves1 thieves1 prostitutes1 as some of them had been--is the love of ,christ2 it is the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 the might of the strength which raises the dead to life eternal4 ,let us therefore praise ,him who is able to do beyond all things--beyond the best that ,his best servants have wished and striven for4 ,had men ever asked or thought of such a gift to the world as ,jesus ,christ8 ,had the prophets foreseen one tenth part of ,his greatness8 ,in their boldest dreams did the disciples anticipate the wonders of the day of ,pentecost and of the later miracles of grace accomplished by their preaching8 ,how far exceedingly had these things already surpassed the utmost that the ,church asked or thought4 ,st ,paul's reliance is not upon the ability alone1 upon the abstract omnipotence of ,god4 ,the force upon which he counts is lodged in the ,church1 and is in visible and constant operation4 ,according to the power that worketh in us he expects these vast results to be achieved4 ,this power is the same as that he invoked in verse #af1--the might of the ,spirit of ,god in the inward man4 ,it is the spring of courage and joy1 the source of religious intelligence 7i4 #ag1 #ah7 and personal holiness1 the very power that raised the dead body of ,jesus to life1 as it will raise hereafter all the holy dead to share ,his immortality 7,rom4 viii4 #aa74 ,st ,paul was conscious at this time in a remarkable degree of the supernatural energy working within his own mind4 ,it is of this that he speaks to the ,colossians1 in language very similar to that of our text1 when he says3 ,i toil hard1 striving according to ,his energy that works in me in power4 ,as he labours for the ,church in writing that epistle1 he is sensible of another ,power acting within his spirit and distinguished from it by his consciousness1 which tasks his faculties to the utmost to follow its dictates and express its meaning4 ,the presence of this mysterious power of the ,spirit ,st ,paul constantly felt when engaged in prayer1--,the ,spirit helpeth our infirmities2 ,he makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered 7,rom4 viii4 #bf1 #bg74 ,on this point the experience of earnest ,christian believers in all ages confirms that of ,st ,paul4 ,the sublime prayer to which he has just given utterance1 is not his own4 ,there is more in it than the mere ,paul1 a weak man1 would have dared to ask or think4 ,he who inspires the prayer will fulfil it4 ,the ,searcher of hearts knows better than the man who conceived it1 infinitely better than we who are trying for our own help to interpret it1 all that this intercession means4 ,god will hear the pleading of ,his ,spirit4 ,the ,power that prompts our prayers1 and the ,power that grants their answer are the same4 ,the former is limited in its action by human infirmity2 the latter knows no limit4 ,its only measure is the fulness of ,god4 ,to ,him who works in us all good desires1 and works far beyond us to bring our good desires to good effect1 be the glory of all for ever6 ,in such measure1 then1 shall glory be to ,god in the ,church and in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we see how the ,church takes up the foreground of ,paul's horizon4 ,this epistle has taught us that ,god desires far more than our individual salvation1 however complete that might be4 ,christ came not to save men only1 but mankind4 ,it is in the ,church that ,god's consummate glory will be seen4 ,no man in his fragmentary self-hood1 no number of men in their separate capacity can conceivably attain unto the fulness of ,god4 ,it will need all humanity for that1--to reflect the full-orbed splendour of ,divine revelation4 ,isolated and divided from each other1 we render to ,god a dimmed and partial glory4 ,with one accord1 with one mouth we are called to glorify the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,wherefore the apostle bids us receive one another1 as ,christ also received us1 to the glory of ,god 7,rom4 xv4 #f1 #g74 ,the ,church1 being the creation of ,god's love in ,christ and the receptacle of ,his communicative fulness1 is the vessel formed for ,his praise4 ,her worship is a daily tribute to the ,divine majesty and bounty4 ,the life of her people in the world1 her witness for ,christ and warfare against sin1 her ceaseless ministries to human sorrow and need proclaim the ,divine goodness1 righteousness and truth4 ,from the heavenly places where she dwells with ,christ1 she reflects the light of ,god's glory and makes it shine into the depths of evil at her feet4 ,it was the ,church's voice that ,st ,john heard in heaven as the voice of a great multitude1 and as the voice of many waters1 and as the voice of mighty thunders1 saying1 ,hallelujah3 for the ,lord our ,god1 the ,almighty reigneth6 ,each soul new-born into the fellowship of faith adds another note to make up the multitudinous harmony of the ,church's praise to ,god4 ,nor does the ,church by herself alone render this praise and honour unto ,god4 ,the display of ,god's manifold wisdom in ,his dealings with mankind is drawing admiration1 as ,st ,paul believed1 from the celestial spheres 7ver4 #aj74 ,the story of earth's redemption is the theme of endless songs in heaven4 ,all creation joins in concert with the redeemed from the earth1 and swells the chorus of their triumph4 ,i heard1 says ,john in another place1 a voice of many angels round about the throne1 and the living creatures1 and the elders1 saying with a great voice1 ,worthy is the ,lamb that hath been slain6 ,and every created thing which is in the heaven1 and on the earth1 and under the earth1 and on the sea1 and all things that are in them1 heard ,i saying3 ,unto ,him that sitteth upon the throne1 and unto the ,lamb1 ,be blessing and honour and glory and dominion-- ,for ever and ever4 ,but the ,church is the centre of this tribute of the universe to ,god and to ,his ,christ4 ,the ,church and ,christ ,jesus are wedded in this doxology1 even as they were in the foregoing supplication 7vv4 #ah1 #ai74 ,in the ,bride and the ,bridegroom1 in the ,redeemed and the ,redeemer1 in the many brethren and in the ,firstborn is this perfect glory to be paid to ,god4 ,in the midst of the congregation ,christ the ,son of man sings evermore the ,father's praise 7,heb4 ii4 #ab74 ,no glory is paid to ,god by men which is not due to ,him2 nor does ,he render to the ,father any tribute in which ,his people are without a share4 ,the glory which thou hast given me ,i have given them1 said ,jesus to the ,father praying for ,his ,church1 that they may be one1 even as we are one 7,john xvii4 #bb74 ,our union with each other in ,christ is perfected by our union with ,him in realizing the ,father's glory1 in receiving and manifesting the fulness of ,god4 ,the duration of the glory to be paid to ,god by ,christ and ,his ,church is expressed by a cumulative phrase in keeping with the tenor of the passage to which it belongs3 unto all generations of the age of the ages4 ,it reminds us of the ages to come through which the apostle in chapter ii4 #g foresaw that ,god's mercy to his own age would be celebrated4 ,it carries our thoughts along the vista of the future1 till time melts into eternity4 ,when the apostle desires that ,god's praise may resound in the ,church unto all generations1 he no longer supposes that the mystery of ,god may be finished speedily as men count years4 ,the history of mankind stretches before his gaze into its dim futurity4 ,the successive generations gather themselves into that one consummate age of the kingdom of ,god1 the grand cycle in which all the ages are contained4 ,with its completion time itself is no more4 ,its swelling current1 laden with the tribute of all the worlds and all their histories1 reaches the eternal ocean4 ,the end comes3 ,god is all in all4 ,at this furthest horizon of thought1 ,christ and ,his own are seen together rendering to ,god unceasing glory4 ,,the ,,exhortation4 ,,chapter iv4 #a--vi4 #bj4 ,,on ,,church ,,life4 ,,chapter iv4 #a-af4 ,it is good we return unto the ancient bond of unity in the ,church of ,god1 which was one faith1 one baptism1 and not one hierarchy1 one discipline2 and that we observe the league of ,christians1 as it was penned by our ,saviour ,christ1 which is in substance of doctrine this3 ,he that is not with us is against us2 and in things indifferent and but of circumstance this3 ,he that is not against us is with us4--,,lord ,,bacon3 ,certain ,considerations touching the better ,pacification and ,edification of the ,church of ,england1 addressed to ,king ,james ,i4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,fundamental ,,unities4 ,i therefore1 the prisoner in the ,lord1 beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called1 with all lowliness and meekness1 with longsuffering1 forbearing one another in love2 giving diligence to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 ,there is one body1 and one ,spirit1 ,even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling2 ,one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism1 ,one ,god and ,father of all1 ,who is over all1 and through all1 and in all4 ,,eph4 iv4 #a-f4 ,this ,encyclical of ,st ,paul to the ,churches of ,asia is the most formal and deliberate of his writings since the great epistle to the ,romans4 ,in entering upon its hortatory and practical part we are reminded of the transition from doctrine to exhortation in that epistle4 ,here as in ,romans xi41 xii4 the apostle's theological teaching1 brought with measured steps to its conclusion1 has been followed by an act of worship expressing the profound and holy joy which fills his spirit as he views the purposes of ,god thus displayed in the gospel and the ,church4 ,in this exalted mood1 as one sitting in heavenly places with ,christ ,jesus1 ,st ,paul surveys the condition of his readers and addresses himself to their duties and necessities4 ,his homily1 like his argument1 is inwoven with the golden thread of devotion2 and the smooth flow of the epistle breaks ever and again into the music of thanksgiving4 ,the apostle resumes the words of self-description dropped in chapter iii4 #a4 ,he appeals to his readers with pathetic dignity3 ,i the prisoner in the ,lord2 and the expression gathers new solemnity from that which he has told us in the last chapter of the mystery and grandeur of his office4 ,he is the prisoner--the one whose bonds were known through all the ,churches and manifest even in the imperial palace 7,phil4 i4 #ab-ad74 ,it was in the ,lord that he wore this heavy chain1 brought upon him in ,christ's service and borne joyfully for ,his people's sake4 ,he is now a martyr apostle4 ,if his confinement detained him from his ,gentile flock1 at least it should add sacred force to the message he was able to convey4 ,the tone of the apostle's letters at this time shows that he was sensible of the increased consideration which the afflictions of the last few years had given to him in the eyes of the ,church4 ,he is thankful for this influence1 and makes good use of it4 ,his first and main appeal to the ,asian brethren1 as we should expect from the previous tenor of the letter1 is an exhortation to unity4 ,it is an obvious conclusion from the doctrine of the ,church that he has taught them4 ,the oneness of the ,spirit which they must earnestly endeavour to preserve1 is the unity which their possession of the ,holy ,spirit of itself implies4 ,having access in one ,spirit to the ,father1 the antipathetic ,jewish and ,gentile factors of the ,church are reconciled2 in the ,spirit they are builded together for a habitation of ,god 7ii4 #ah-bb74 ,this unity when ,st ,paul wrote was an actual and visible fact1 despite the violent efforts of the ,judaizers to destroy it4 ,the right hands of fellowship exchanged between himself and ,james1 ,peter1 and ,john at the conference of ,jerusalem were a witness thereto 7,gal4 ii4 #g-aj74 ,but it was a union that needed for its maintenance the efforts of right-thinking men and sons of peace everywhere4 ,st ,paul bids all who read his letter help to keep ,christ's peace in the ,churches4 ,the conditions for such pursuing and preserving of peace in the fold of ,christ are briefly indicated in verses #a and #b4 ,there must be-- 7#a7 ,a due sense of the dignity of our ,christian calling3 ,walk worthily1 he says1 of the calling where with you were called4 ,this exhortation1 of course1 includes much besides in its scope2 it is the preface to all the exhortations of the three following chapters1 the basis1 in fact1 of every worthy appeal to ,christian men2 but it bears in the first instance1 and pointedly1 upon ,church unity4 ,levity of temper1 low and poor conceptions of religion militate against the catholic spirit2 they create an atmosphere rife with causes of contention4 ,whereas there is among you jealousy and strife1 are ye not carnal and walk as men8 7#b7 ,next to low-mindedness amongst the foes of unity comes ambition3 ,walk with all lowliness of mind and meekness1 he continues4 ,between the low-minded and the lowly-minded there is a total difference4 ,the man of lowly mind habitually feels his dependence as a creature and his unworthiness as a sinner before ,god4 ,this spirit nourishes in him a wholesome self-distrust1 and watchfulness over his temper and motives4--,the meek man thinks as little of his personal claims1 as the humble man of his personal merits4 ,he is willing to give place to others where higher interests will not suffer1 content to take the lowest room and to be in men's eyes of no account4 ,how many seeds of strife and roots of bitterness would be destroyed1 if this mind were in us all4 ,self-importance1 the love of office and power and the craving for applause must be put away1 if we are to recover and keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 7#c7 ,when ,st ,paul adds with longsuffering1 forbearing one another in love1 he is opposing a cause of division quite different from the last1--to wit1 impatience and resentfulness4 ,a high ,christian ideal and a strict self-judgement will render us more sensitive to wrong-doing in the world around us4 ,unless tempered with abundant charity1 they may lead to harsh and one-sided censure4 ,gentle natures1 reluctant to condemn1 are sometimes slow and difficult in forgiveness4 ,humbleness and meekness are choice graces of the ,spirit4 ,but they are self-regarding virtues at the best1 and may be found in a cold nature that has little of the patience which bears with men's infirmities1 of the sympathetic insight that discovers the good often lying close to their faults4 ,above all things--above kindness1 meekness1 longsuffering1 forgivingness--put on love1 which is the bond of perfectness 7,col4 iii4 #ad74 ,love is the last word of ,st ,paul's definition of the ,christian temper in verse #b2 it is the sum and essence of all that makes for ,christian unity4 ,in it lies a charm which can overcome both the lighter provocations and the grave offences of human intercourse1--offences that must needs arise in the purest society composed of infirm and sinful men4 ,bind thyself to thy brother4 ,those who are bound together in love1 bear all burdens lightly4 ,bind thyself to him1 and him to thee4 ,both are in thy power2 for whomsoever ,i will1 ,i may easily make my friend 7,chrysostom74 ,verses #a-c exhibit the temper in which the unity of the ,church is to be maintained4 ,verses #d-f set forth the basis upon which it rests4 ,this passage is a brief summary of ,christian doctrine4 ,it defines the foundation of the apostles and prophets asserted in chapter ii4 #bj1--the groundwork of every building in ,god's holy temple1 the foundation upon which ,paul's ,gentile readers1 along with the ,jewish saints1 were growing into one holy temple in the ,lord4 ,seven elements of unity ,st ,paul enumerates3 one body1 ,spirit1 hope2 one ,lord1 faith and baptism2 one ,god and ,father of all4 ,they form a chain stretching from the ,church on earth to the throne and being of the universal ,father in heaven4 ,closely considered1 we find that the seven unities resolve themselves into three1 centring in the names of the ,divine ,trinity--the ,spirit1 the ,lord1 and the ,father4 ,the ,spirit and the ,lord are each accompanied by two kindred uniting elements2 while the one ,god and ,father1 placed alone1 in ,himself forms a threefold bond to ,his creatures--by ,his sovereign power1 pervasive action1 and immanent presence3 ,who is over all1 and through all1 and in all 7comp4 i4 #bc74 ,the rhythm of expression in these verses suggests that they belonged to some apostolic ,christian song4 ,other passages in ,paul's later epistles betray the same character2#ih and we know from chapter v4 #ai and ,colossians iii4 #af that the ,pauline ,church was already rich in psalmody4 ,this epistle shows that ,st ,paul was touched with the poetic as well as the prophetical afflatus4 ,he expected his people to sing2 and we see no reason why he should not1 like ,luther and the ,wesleys afterwards1 have taught them to do so by giving voice to the joy of the new-found faith in hymns and spiritual songs4 ,these lines1 we could fancy1 belonged to some chant sung in the ,christian assemblies2 they form a brief metrical creed1 the confession of the ,church then and in all ages4 ,i4 ,one body there is1 and one ,spirit4 ,the former was a patent fact4 ,believers in ,jesus ,christ formed a single body1 the same in all essentials of religion1 sharply distinguished from their ,jewish and their ,pagan neighbours4 ,although the distinctions now existing amongst ,christians are vastly greater and more numerous1 and the boundaries between the ,church and the world at many points are much less visible1 yet there is a true unity that binds together those who profess and call themselves ,christians throughout the world4 ,as against the multitudes of heathen and idolaters2 as against ,jewish and ,mohammedan rejecters of our ,christ2 as against atheists and agnostics and all deniers of the ,lord1 we are one body1 and should feel and act as one4 ,in missionary fields1 confronting the overwhelming forces and horrible evils of ,paganism1 the servants of ,christ intensely realize their unity2 they see how trifling in comparison are the things that separate the ,churches1 and how precious and deep are the things that ,christians hold in common4 ,it may need the pressure of some threatening outward force1 the sense of a great peril hanging over ,christendom to silence our contentions and compel the soldiers of ,christ to fall into line and present to the enemy a united front4 ,if the unity of believers in ,christ--their oneness of worship and creed1 of moral ideal and discipline--is hard to discern through the variety of human forms and systems and the confusion of tongues that prevails1 yet the unity is there to be discerned2 and it grows clearer to us as we look for it4 ,it is visible in the universal acceptance of ,scripture and the primitive creeds1 in the large measure of correspondence between the different ,church standards of the ,protestant communions1 in our common ,christian literature1 in the numerous alliances and combinations1 local and general1 that exist for philanthropic and missionary objects1 in the increasing and auspicious comity of the ,churches4 ,the nearer we get to the essentials of truth and to the experience of living ,christian men1 the more we realize the existence of one body in the scattered limbs and innumerable sects of ,christendom4 ,there is one body and one ,spirit3 one body because1 and so far as there is one ,spirit4 ,what is it constitutes the unity of our physical frame8 ,outward attachment1 mechanical juxtaposition go for nothing4 ,what ,i grasp in my hand or put between my lips is no part of me1 any more than if it were in another planet4 ,the clothes ,i wear take the body's shape2 they partake of its warmth and movement2 they give its outward presentment4 ,they are not of the body for all this4 ,but the fingers that clasp1 the lips that touch1 the limbs that move and glow beneath the raiment1--these are the body itself2 and everything belongs to it1 however slight in substance1 or uncomely or unserviceable1 nay1 however diseased and burdensome1 that is vitally connected with it4 ,the life that thrills through nerve and artery1 the spirit that animates with one will and being the whole framework and governs its ten thousand delicate springs and interlacing cords1--it is this that makes one body of an otherwise inert and decaying heap of matter4 ,let the spirit depart1 it is a body no more1 but a corpse4 ,so with the body of ,christ1 and its members in particular4 ,am ,i a living1 integral part of the ,church1 quickened by its ,spirit8 or do ,i belong only to the raiment and the furniture that are about it8 ,if any man have not the ,spirit of ,christ1 he is none of ,his4 ,he who has the ,spirit of ,christ1 will find a place within ,his body4 ,the ,spirit of ,jesus ,christ is a communicative1 sociable spirit4 ,the child of ,god seeks out his brethren2 like is drawn to like1 bone to bone and sinew to its sinew in the building up of the risen body4 ,by an instinct of its life1 the new-born soul forms bonds of attachment for itself to the ,christian souls nearest to it1 to those amongst whom it is placed in ,god's dispensation of grace4 ,the ministry1 the community through which it received spiritual life and that travailed for its birth claim it by a parental right that may not be disowned1 nor at any time renounced without loss and peril4 ,where the ,spirit of ,christ dwells as a vitalizing1 formative principle1 it finds or makes for itself a body4 ,let no man say3 ,i have the spirit of religion2 ,i can dispense with forms4 ,i need no fellowship with men2 ,i prefer to walk with ,god4--,god will not walk with men who do not care to walk with ,his people4 ,he loved the world2 and we must love it1 or we displease ,him4 ,this commandment have we from ,him1 that he who loves ,god love his brother also4 ,the oneness of communion amongst the people of ,christ is governed by a unity of aim3 ,even as also you were called in one hope of your calling4 ,our fellowship has an object to realize1 our calling a prize to win4 ,all ,christian organization is directed to a practical end4 ,the old ,pagan world fell to pieces because it was without hope2 its golden age was in the past4 ,no society can endure that lives upon its memories1 or that contents itself with cherishing its privileges4 ,nothing holds men together like work and hope4 ,this gives energy1 purpose1 progress to the fellowship of ,christian believers4 ,in this imperfect and unsatisfying world1 with the majority of our race still in bondage to evil1 it is idle for us to combine for any purpose that does not bear on human improvement and salvation4 ,the ,church of ,christ is a society for the abolition of sin and death4 ,that this will be accomplished1 that ,god's will shall be done on earth as in heaven1 is the hope of our calling4 ,to this hope we were called by the first summons of the gospel4 ,repent1 it cried1 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand6 ,for ourselves1 in our personal quality1 ,christianity holds out a splendid crown of life4 ,it promises our complete restoration to the image of ,god1 the redemption of the body with the spirit from death1 and our entrance upon an eternal fellowship with ,christ in heaven4 ,this hope1 shared by us in common and affecting all the interests and relationships of daily life1 is the ground of our communion4 ,the ,christian hope supplies to men1 more truly and constantly than ,nature in her most exalted forms1 ,the anchor of their purest thoughts1 the nurse1 ,the guide1 the guardian of their heart1 and soul ,of all their moral being4 ,happy are the wife and husband1 happy the master and servants1 happy the circle of friends who live and work together as joint-heirs of the grace of life4 ,well says ,calvin here3 ,if this thought were fixed in our minds1 this law laid upon us1 that the sons of ,god may no more quarrel than the kingdom of heaven can be divided1 how much more careful we should be in cultivating brotherly goodwill6 ,what a dread we should have of dissensions1 if we considered1 as we ought to do1 that those who separate from their brethren1 exile themselves from the kingdom of ,god4 ,but the hope of our calling is a hope for mankind1--nay1 for the entire universe4 ,we labour for the regeneration of humanity4 ,we look for a new heavens and earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness2 for the actual gathering into one in ,christ of all things in all worlds1 as they are already gathered in ,god's eternal plan4 ,now if it were merely a personal salvation that we had to seek1 ,christian communion might appear to be an optional thing1 and the ,church no more than a society for mutual spiritual benefit4 ,but seen in this larger light1 ,church membership is of the essence of our calling4 ,as children of the household of faith1 we are heirs to its duties with its possessions4 ,we cannot escape the obligations of our spiritual any more than of our natural birth4 ,one ,spirit dwelling in each1 one sublime ideal inspiring us and guiding all our efforts1 how shall we not be one body in the fellowship of ,christ8 ,this hope of our calling it is our calling to breathe into the dead world4 ,its virtue alone can dispel the gloom and discord of the age4 ,from the fountain of ,god's love in ,christ springing up in the heart of the ,church1 there shall pour forth ,one common wave of thought and joy1 ,lifting mankind again6 ,,ii4 ,the first group of unities leads us to the second4 ,if one ,spirit dwells within us1 it is one ,lord who reigns over us4 ,we have one hope to work for2 it is because we have one faith to live by4 ,a common fellowship implies a common creed4 ,thus ,christ ,jesus the ,lord takes ,his place fourth in this list of unities1 between hope and faith1 between the ,spirit and the ,father4 ,he is the centre of centres1 the ,lamb in the midst of the throne1 the ,christ in the midst of the ages4 ,united with ,christ1 we are at unity with ,god and with our fellow-men4 ,we find in ,him the fulcrum of the forces that are raising the world1 the corner-stone of the temple of humanity4 ,but let us mark that it is the one ,lord in whom we find our unity4 ,to think of ,him as ,saviour only is to treat ,him as a means to an end4 ,it is to make ourselves the centre1 not ,christ4 ,this is the secret of much of the isolation and sectarianism of modern ,churches4 ,individualism is the negation of ,church life4 ,men value ,christ for what they can get from ,him for themselves4 ,they do not follow ,him and yield themselves up to ,him1 for the sake of what ,he is4 ,come unto me1 all ye that are burdened1 and ,i will give you rest3 they listen willingly so far4 ,but when ,he goes on to say ,take my yoke upon you1 their ears are deaf4 ,there is a subtle self-seeking and self-pleasing even in the way of salvation4 ,from this springs the disloyalty1 the want of affection for the ,church1 the indifference to all ,christian interests beyond the personal and local1 which is worse than strife2 for it is death to the body of ,christ4 ,the name of the one ,lord silences party clamours and rebukes the voices that cry1 ,i am of ,apollos1 ,i of ,cephas4 ,it recalls loiterers and stragglers to the ranks4 ,it bids each of us1 in his own station of life and his own place in the ,church1 serve the common cause without sloth and without ambition4 ,christ's ,lordship over us for life and death is signified by our baptism in ,his name4 ,we have received1 most of us in infancy through our parents' reverent care1 the token of allegiance to the ,lord ,christ4 ,the baptismal water that ,he bade all nations receive from ,his apostles1 has been sprinkled upon you4 ,shall this be in vain8 ,or do you now1 by the faith of your heart in ,christ ,jesus the ,lord1 endorse the faith of your parents and the ,church exercised on your behalf8 ,if so1 your faith saves you4 ,your obedience is at once accepted by the ,lord to whom it is tendered2 and the sign of ,god's redemption of the race which greeted you at your entrance into life1 assumes for you all its significance and worth4 ,it is the seal upon your brow1 now stamped upon your heart1 of your eternal covenant with ,christ4 ,but it is the seal of a corporate life in ,him4 ,christian baptism is no private transaction2 it attests no mere secret vow passing between the soul and its ,saviour4 ,for in one ,spirit we were all baptized into one body1 whether ,jews or ,greeks1 whether bond or free2 and were all made to drink of one ,spirit 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #ac74 ,our baptism is the sign of a common faith and hope1 and binds us at once to ,christ and to ,his ,church4 ,one baptism there has been through all the ages since the ascending ,lord said to ,his disciples3 ,go1 make disciples of all the nations1 baptizing them into the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ordinance has been administered in different ways and under varying regulations2 but with few exceptions1 it has been observed from the beginning by every ,christian community in fulfilment of the word of ,christ1 and in acknowledgement of ,his dominion4 ,those who insist on the sole validity of this or that mode or channel of administration1 recognize at least the intention of ,churches baptizing otherwise than themselves to honour the one ,lord in thus confessing ,his name2 and so far admit that there is in truth one baptism4 ,wherever ,christ's sacraments are observed with a true faith1 they serve as visible tokens of ,his rule4 ,in this rule lies the ultimate ground of union for men1 and for all creatures4 ,our fellowship in the faith of ,christ is deep as the nature of ,god2 its blessedness rich as ,his love2 its bonds strong and eternal as ,his power4 ,,iii4 ,the last and greatest of the unities still remains4 ,add to our fellowship in the one ,spirit and confession of the one ,lord1 our adoption by the one ,god and ,father of all4 ,to the ,gentile converts of the ,asian cities this was a new and marvellous thought4 ,great is ,artemis of the ,ephesians1 they had been used to shout2 or haply1 ,great is ,aphrodit of the ,pergamenes1 or ,bacchus of the ,philadelphians4 ,great they knew was ,jupiter ,best and ,greatest of conquering ,rome2 and great the numen of the ,caesar1 to which everywhere in this rich and servile province shrines were rising4 ,each city and tribe1 each grove or fountain or sheltering hill had its local genius or daimon1 requiring worship and sacrificial honours4 ,every office and occupation1 every function in life--navigation1 midwifery1 even thieving--was under the patronage of its special deity4 ,these petty godships by their number and rivalries distracted the pious heathen with continual fear lest one or other of them might not have received due observance4 ,with what a grand simplicity the ,christian conception of the one ,god and ,father rose above this vulgar pantheon1 this swarm of motley deities--some gay and wanton1 some dark and cruel1 some of supposed beneficence1 all infected with human passion and baseness--which filled the imagination of the ,graeco-,asiatic pagans4 ,what rest there was for the mind1 what peace and freedom for the spirit in turning from such deities to the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,here is no jealous ,monarch regarding men as tribute-payers1 and needing to be served by human hands4 ,he is the ,father of men1 pitying us as ,his children and giving us all things richly to enjoy4 ,our ,god is no local divinity1 to be honoured here but not there1 tied to ,his temple and images and priestly mediators2 but the one ,god and ,father of all1 who is above all1 and through all1 and in all4 ,this was the very ,god whom the logic of ,greek thought and the practical instincts of ,roman law and empire blindly sought4 ,through ages ,he had revealed ,himself to the people of ,israel1 who were now dispersed amongst the nations to bear ,his light4 ,at last ,he declared ,his full name and purpose to the world in ,jesus ,christ4 ,so the gods many and lords many have had their day4 ,by ,his manifestation the idols are utterly abolished4 ,the proclamation of one ,god and ,father signifies the gathering of men into one family of ,god4 ,the one religion supplies the basis for one life in all the world4 ,god is over all1 gathering all worlds and beings under the shadow of ,his beneficent dominion4 ,he is through all1 and in all3 an ,omnipresence of love1 righteousness and wisdom1 actuating the powers of nature and of grace1 inhabiting the ,church and the heart of men4 ,you need not go far to seek ,him2 if you believe in ,him1 you are yourself ,his temple4 ,,footnotes3 #ih ,see ch4 v4 #ad2 #a ,tim4 i4 #ag1 ii4 #e1 #f1 vi4 #ae1 #af2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aa-ac4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,measure ,,of ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,christ4 ,but unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,wherefore ,he saith3 ',when ,he ascended on high1 ,he led captivity captive1 and gave gifts unto men4' ,now this1 ',he ascended1' what is it but that ,he also descended into the lower parts of the earth8 ,he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens1 that ,he might fill all things4 ,and ,he gave some to be apostles2 and some1 prophets2 and some evangelists2 and some1 pastors and teachers2 for the perfecting of the saints for work of ministration1 for the building up of the body of ,christ4--,,eph4 iv4 #g-ab4 ,in verse #g the apostle passes from the unities of the ,church to its diversities1 from the common foundation of the ,christian life to the variety presented in its superstructure4 ,to each single one of us was the grace given4 ,the great gift of ,god in ,christ is manifold in its distribution4 ,its manifestations are as various and fresh as the idiosyncrasies of human personality4 ,there is no capacity of our nature1 no element of human society which the gospel of ,christ cannot sanctify and turn to good account4 ,all this the apostle keeps in view and allows for in his doctrine of the ,church4 ,he does not merge man in humanity1 nor sacrifice the individual to the community4 ,he claims for each believer direct fellowship with ,christ and access to ,god4 ,the earnestness with which in his earlier epistles ,st ,paul insisted on the responsibilities of conscience and on the personal experience of salvation1 leads him now to press the claims of the ,church with equal vigour4 ,he understands well that the person has no existence apart from the community1 that our moral nature is essentially social and the religious life essentially fraternal4 ,its vital element is the communion of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,hence1 to gather the real drift of this passage we must combine the first words of verse #g with the last of verse #ab3 ,to each single one of us was the grace given--in order to build up the body of ,christ4 ,god's grace is not bestowed upon us to diffuse and lose itself in our separate individualities2 but that it may minister to one life and work towards one end and build up one great body in us all4 ,the diversity subserves a higher unity4 ,through ten thousand channels1 in ten thousand varied forms of personal influence and action1 the stream of the grace of ,god flows on to the accomplishment of the eternal purpose4 ,like a wise master in his household and sovereign in his kingdom1 the ,lord of the ,church distributes ,his manifold gifts4 ,his bestowments and appointments are made with an eye to the furtherance of the state and house that ,he has in charge4 ,as ,god dispenses ,his wisdom1 so ,christ ,his gifts according to plan 7iii4 #aa74 ,the purpose of the ages1 ,god's great plan for mankind1 determines the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,now1 it is to illustrate this measure1 to set forth the style and scale of ,christ's bestowments within ,his ,church1 that the apostle brings in evidence the words of ,psalm lxviii4 #ah4 ,he interprets this ancient verse as he cites it1 and weaves it into the texture of his argument4 ,in the original it reads thus3 ,thou hast ascended on high1 ,thou hast led ,thy captivity captive1 ,thou hast received gifts among men1-- ,yea1 among the rebellious also1 that the ,,lord ,god might dwell with them4 7,r4,v47 ,let us go back for a moment to the occasion of the old ,hebrew song4 ,psalm lxviii1 is1 as ,ewald says1 the greatest1 most splendid and artistic of the temple-songs of ,restored ,jerusalem4 ,it celebrates ,jehovah's entry into ,zion4 ,this culminating verse records1 as the crowning event of ,israel's history1 the capture of ,zion from the rebel ,jebusites and the ,lord's ascension in the person of ,his chosen to take ,his seat upon this holy hill4 ,the previous verses1 in which fragments of earlier songs are embedded1 describe the course of the ,divine ,leader of ,israel through former ages4 ,in the beat and rhythm of the ,hebrew lines one hears the footfall of the ,conqueror's march1 as ,he arises and ,his enemies are scattered and kings of armies flee apace1 while nature trembles at ,his step and bends her wild powers to serve ,his congregation4 ,the sojourn in the wilderness1 the scenes of ,sinai1 the occupancy of ,canaan1 the wars of the ,judges were so many stages in the progress of ,jehovah1 which had ,zion always for its goal4 ,to ,zion1 the new and more glorious sanctuary1 ,sinai must now give place4 ,bashan and all mountains towering in their pride in vain look askance at the hill which ,god has desired for ,his abode1 where ,jehovah will dwell for ever4 ,so the day of the ,lord's desire has come6 ,from the ,kidron valley ,david leads ,jehovah's triumph up the steep slopes of ,mount ,zion4 ,a train of captives defiles before the ,lord's anointed1 who sits down on the throne that ,god gives him and receives in ,his name the submission of the heathen4 ,the vanquished chiefs cast their spoil at his feet2 it is laid up in treasure to build the future temple2 while1 upon this happy day of peace1 the rebellious also share in ,jehovah's grace and become ,his subjects4 ,in this conquest ,david gave to men rather than received--gave even to his stubborn enemies 7witness his subsequent transaction with ,araunah the ,jebusite for the site of the temple72 for that which he took from them served to build amongst them ,god's habitation3 that1 as the ,psalmist sings1 the ,lord ,god might dwell with them4 ,st ,paul's adaptation of the verse is both bold and true4 ,if he departs from the letter1 he unfolds the spirit of the prophetic words4 ,that ,david's giving signified a higher receiving1 ,jewish interpreters themselves seem to have felt1 for this paraphrase was current also amongst them4 ,the author of this ,hebrew song has in no way exaggerated the importance of ,david's victory4 ,the summits of the elect nation's history shine with a supernatural and prophetic light4 ,the spirit of the ,christ in the unknown singer testified beforehand of the glory that should follow ,his warfare and sufferings4 ,from this victorious height1 so hardly won1 the ,psalmist's verse flashes the light of promise across the space of a thousand years2 and ,st4 ,paul has caught the light1 and sends it on to us shining with a new and more spiritual brightness4 ,david's going up on high was1 to the apostle's mind1 a picture of the ascent of ,christ1 his ,son and ,lord4 ,david rose from deep humiliation to a high dominion2 his exaltation brought blessing and enrichment to his people2 and the spoil that he won with it went to build ,god's house amongst rebellious men4 ,all this was true in parable of the dispensation of grace to mankind through ,jesus ,christ2 and ,his ascension disclosed the deeper import of the words of the ancient ,scripture4 ,wherefore ,god saith 7and ,st ,paul takes the liberty of putting in his own words what ,he saith7--wherefore ,he saith3 ,he ascended on high2 ,he led captivity captive2 ,he gave gifts to men4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the three short clauses of the citation supply1 in effect1 a threefold measure of the gifts of ,christ to ,his ,church4 ,they are gifts of the ascended ,saviour4 ,they are gifts bestowed from the fruit of ,his victory4 ,and they are gifts to men4 ,measure them1 first1 by the height to which ,he has risen--from what a depth6 ,measure them1 again1 by the spoils ,he has already won4 ,measure them1 once more1 by the wants of mankind1 by the need ,he has undertaken to supply4--,as ,he is1 so ,he gives2 as ,he has1 so ,he gives2 as ,he has given1 so ,he will give till we are filled unto all the fulness of ,god4 ,i4 ,think first1 then1 of ,him4 ,think of what1 and where ,he is6 ,consider what is the height of ,his exaltation2 and then say1 if you can1 what is the breadth of ,his munificence4 ,we know well how ,he gave as a poor and suffering man upon earth--gave1 with what affluence1 pity and delight1 bread to the hungry thousands1 wine to the wedding-feast1 health to the sick1 sight to the blind1 pardon to the sinful1 sometimes life to the dead6 ,has ,his elevation altered ,him8 ,too often it is so with vain and weak men like ourselves4 ,their wealth increases1 but their hearts contract4 ,the more they have to give1 the less they love to give4 ,they go up on high as men count it1 and climb to places of power and eminence2 and they forget the friends of youth and the ranks from which they sprang--low-minded men4 ,not so with our exalted ,friend4 ,it is not one that went down1 and another that went up1 says ,theodoret4 ,he that descended1 it is ,he also that ascended up far above all the heavens6 7ver4 #aj74 ,jesus of ,nazareth is on the throne of ,god1--the same yesterday and to-day6 ,but now the resources of the universe are at ,his disposal4 ,out of that treasure ,he can choose the best gifts for you and me4 ,mere authority1 even ,omnipotence1 could not suffice to save and bless moral beings like ourselves2 nor even the best will joined to ,omnipotence4 ,christ gained by ,his humiliation1 in some sense1 a new fulness added to the fulness of the ,godhead4 ,this gain of ,his sufferings is implied in what the apostle writes in ,colossians i4 #ai concerning the risen and exalted ,redeemer3 ,it was well-pleasing that all the fulness should make its dwelling in ,him4 ,his plenitude is that of the ,ascended ,one who had descended4 ,if ,he ascended1 what does it mean but that ,he also descended into the under regions of the earth8 7ver4 #i74 ,if ,he went up1 why then ,he had been down6--down to the ,virgin's womb and the manger cradle1 wrapping ,his ,godhead within the frame and the brain of a little child2 down to the home and the bench of the village carpenter2 down to the contradiction of sinners and the level of their scorn2 down to the death of the cross1--to the nether abyss1 to that dim populous underworld into which we look shuddering over the grave's edge6 ,and from that lower gulf ,he mounted up again to the solid earth and the light of day and the world of breathing men2 and up1 and up again1 through the rent clouds and the ranks of shouting angels1 and under the lifted heads of the everlasting doors1 until ,he took ,his seat at the right hand of the ,majesty in the heavens4 ,think of the regions ,he has traversed1 the range of being through which the ,lord ,jesus passed in descending and ascending1 that ,he might fill all things4 ,heaven1 earth1 hades--hades1 earth1 heaven again are ,his2 not in mere sovereignty of power1 but in experience and communion of life4 ,each ,he has annexed to ,his dominion by inhabitation and the right of self-devoting love1 as from sphere to sphere ,he travelled in the greatness of ,his power1 mighty to save4 ,he is ,lord of angels2 but still more of men1--,lord of the living1 and of the dead4 ,to them that sleep in the dust ,he has proclaimed ,his accomplished sacrifice and the right of universal judgement given ,him by the ,father4 ,nor did ,abraham alone and ,moses and ,elijah have the joy of seeing ,his day1 but all the holy men of old1 who had embraced its promise and died in faith1 who looked forward through their imperfect sacrifices which could never quite take away sins to the better thing which ,god provided for us1 and for their perfection along with us4#ii ,on the two side-posts of the gate of death our great ,high ,priest sprinkled ,his atoning blood4 ,he turned the abode of corruption into a sweet and quiet sleeping chamber for ,his saints4 ,then at ,his touch those cruel doors swung back upon their hinges1 and ,he issued forth the ,prince of life1 with the keys of death and hades hanging from ,his girdle4 ,from the depths of the grave to the heaven of heavens ,his ,mastership extends4 ,with the perfume of ,his presence and the rich incense of ,his sacrifice ,jesus ,christ has filled all things4 ,the universe is made for us one realm of redeeming grace1 the kingdom of the ,son of ,god's love4 ,so there crowns ,him the topmost1 ineffablest1 uttermost crown2 ,and ,his love fills infinitude wholly1 nor leaves up nor down ,one spot for the creature to stand in6#ajj ,so ,christ is all things1 and in all4 ,and we are nothing2 but we have everything in ,him4 ,how1 pray1 will ,he give who has thus given ,himself1--who has thus endured and achieved on our behalf8 ,let our hearts consider2 let our faith and our need be bold to ask4 ,one promise from ,his lips is enough3 ,if ye shall ask anything in my name1 ,i will do it4 ,,ii4 ,a second estimate of the gifts to be looked for from ,christ1 we derive from ,his conquests already won4 ,david as he entered ,zion's gates led captivity captive1--led1 that is in ,hebrew phrase1 a great1 a notable captivity4 ,out of the gifts thus received he enriched his people4 ,the resources that victory placed at his disposal1 furnished the store from which to build ,god's house4 ,in like fashion ,christ builds ,his ,church1 and blesses the human race4 ,with the spoils of ,his battle ,he adorns ,his bride4 ,the prey taken from the mighty becomes the strength and beauty of ,his sanctuary4 ,the prisoners of ,his love ,he makes the servants of mankind4 ,this captivity implies a warfare1 even as the ascent of ,christ a previous descending4 ,the ,son of ,god came not into ,his earthly kingdom as kings are said to have come sometimes disguised amongst their subjects1 that they might learn better of their state and hear their true mind2 nor as the ,greeks fabled of their gods1 who wandered unknown on earth seeking adventure and wearied haply of the cloying felicities of heaven1 suffering contempt and doing to men hard service4 ,he came1 the ,good ,shepherd1 to seek lost sheep4 ,he came1 the ,mighty ,one of ,god1 to destroy the works of the devil1 to drive out the strong one armed who held the fortress of man's soul4 ,he had a war to wage with the usurping prince of the world4 ,in the temptations of the wilderness1 in the strife with disease and demoniac powers1 in the debate with ,scribes and ,pharisees1 in the anguish of ,gethsemane and ,calvary that conflict was fought out2 and by death ,he abolished him who holds the power of death1 by ,his blood ,he bought us for ,god4 ,but with the spoils of victory1 ,he bears the scars of battle1--tokens glorious for ,him1 humbling indeed to us1 which will tell for ever how they pierced ,his hands and feet6 ,for ,him pain and conflict are gone by4 ,it remains to gather in the spoil of ,his victory of love1 the harvest sown in ,his tears and ,his blood4 ,and what are the trophies of the ,captain of our salvation8 what the fruit of ,his dread passion8 ,for one1 there was the dying thief1 whom with ,his nailed hands the ,lord ,jesus snatched from a felon's doom and bore from ,calvary to ,paradise4 ,there was ,mary the ,magdalene1 out of whom ,he had cast seven demons1 the first to greet ,him risen4 ,there were the three thousand whom on one day1 in the might of ,his ,spirit1 the ascended ,lord and ,christ took captive in rebel ,jerusalem1 lifted from the earth that ,he might draw all men unto ,him4 ,and there was the writer of this letter1 once ,his blasphemer and persecutor4 ,by a look1 by a word1 ,jesus arrested ,saul at the height of his murderous enmity1 and changed him from a ,pharisee into an apostle to the ,gentiles1 from the destroyer into the wise master-builder of ,his ,church4 ,st ,paul's own case suggested1 surely1 the application he makes of this ancient text of the ,psalter and lighted up its ,messianic import4 ,in the glory of ,his triumph ,jesus ,christ had appeared to make him captive1 and put him at once to service4 ,from that hour ,paul was led along enthralled1 the willing bond-slave of the ,lord ,jesus and celebrant of ,his victory4 ,thanks be unto ,god1 he cries1 who ever triumphs over us in the ,christ1 and makes manifest through us the savour of ,his knowledge in every place4#aja ,such1 and of such sort are the prisoners of the war of ,jesus2 such the gifts that through sinners pardoned and subdued ,he bestows upon mankind1--patterns to those who should hereafter believe4 ,time would fail to follow the train of the captives of the love of ,christ1 which stretches unbroken and ever multiplying through the centuries to this day4 ,we1 too1 in our turn have laid our rebel selves at ,his feet2 and all that we surrender to ,him1 by right of conquest ,he gives over to the service of mankind4 ,his love the conquest more than wins2 ,to all ,i shall proclaim3 ,jesus the ,king1 the ,conqueror reigns2 ,bow down to ,jesu's name6 ,he gives out of the spoil of ,his war with evil1--gives what ,he receives4 ,yet ,he gives not as ,he receives4 ,everything laid in ,his hands is changed by their touch4 ,publicans and ,pharisees become apostles4 ,magdalenes are made queens and mothers in ,his ,israel4 ,from the dregs of our streets ,he raises up a host of sons to ,abraham4 ,from the ranks of scepticism and anti-,christian hate the ,lord ,christ wins new champions and captains for ,his cause4 ,he coins earth's basest metal into heaven's fine gold4 ,he takes weak things of the earth and foolish1 to strike the mightiest blows of battle4 ,what may we not expect from ,him who has led captive such a captivity6 ,what surprises of blessing and miracles of grace there are awaiting us1 that shall fill our mouth with laughter and our tongue with singing--gifts and succours coming to the ,church from unlooked-for quarters and reinforcements from the ranks of the enemy4 ,and what discomfitures and captivities are preparing for the haters of the ,lord1--if1 at least1 the future is to be as the past2 and if we may judge from the apostle's word1 and from his example1 of the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,a third line of measurement is supplied in the last word of verse #h1 and is drawn out in verses #aa and #ab4 ,he gave gifts to men--,he gave some apostles1 some prophets1 some evangelists1 some pastors and teachers1 with a view to the full equipment of the saints for work of ministration1 for building up of the body of ,christ4 ,yes1 and some martyrs1 some missionaries1 some ,church rulers and ,christian statesmen1 some poets1 some deep thinkers and theologians1 some leaders of philanthropy and helpers of the poor2 all given for the same end--to minister to the life of ,his ,church1 to furnish it with the means for carrying on its mission1 and to enable every saint to contribute his part to the commonwealth of ,christ according to the measure of ,christ's gift to each4 ,comparison with verse #af that follows and with verse #g that precedes1 seems to us to make it clear that we should read1 without a comma1 the second and third clauses of verse #ab as continuations of the first4 ,the work of ministering and the building up of the body of ,christ are not assigned to special orders of ministry as their exclusive calling4 ,such honour have all ,his saints4 ,it is the office of the clergy to see that the laity do their duty1 of the ministry to make each saint a minister of ,christ1 to guide1 instruct and animate the entire membership of ,christ's body in the work ,he has laid upon it4 ,upon this plan the ,christian fellowship was organized and officered in the apostolic times4 ,church government is a means to an end4 ,its primitive form was that best suited to the age2 and even then varied under different circumstances4 ,it was not precisely the same at ,jerusalem and at ,corinth2 at ,corinth in #eh1 and at ,ephesus in #ff ,a4,d4 ,that is the best ,church system1 under any given conditions1 which serves best to conserve and develope the spiritual energy of the body of ,christ4 ,the distribution of ,church office indicated in verse #aa corresponds closely to what we find in the ,pastoral epistles4 ,the apostle does not profess to enumerate all grades of ministry4 ,the deacons are wanting2 although we know from ,philippians i4 #a that this order already existed in ,pauline ,churches4 ,pastors 7shepherds7--a title only employed here by the apostle--is a fitting synonym for the bishops 7i4e41 overseers7 of whom he speaks in ,acts xx4 #bh1 ,philippians i4 #a1 and largely in the epistles to ,timothy and ,titus1 whose functions were spiritual and disciplinary as well as administrative4 ,addressing the ,ephesian elders at ,miletus four years before1 ,st ,paul bade them shepherd the ,church of ,god4 ,in #a ,peter v4 #a1 #b the same charge is laid by the ,jewish apostle upon his fellow-elders1 that they should shepherd the flock of ,god1 making themselves examples to it2 ,christ ,himself he has previously called ,shepherd and ,bishop of souls 7#a ,pet4 ii4 #be74 ,the expression is derived from the words of ,jesus recorded in ,john x41 concerning the true and false shepherd of ,god's flock1 and ,himself the ,good ,shepherd1--words familiar and dear to ,his disciples4 ,the office of teaching1 as in #a ,timothy v4 #ag1 is conjoined with that of shepherding4 ,from that passage we infer that the freedom of teaching so conspicuous in the ,corinthian ,church 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bf1 etc47 was still recognized4 ,teaching and ruling are not made identical1 nor inseparable functions1 any more than in ,romans xii4 #g1 #h2 but they were frequently associated1 and hence are coupled together here4--,of apostolic evangelists we have examples in ,timothy and the second ,philip2#ajb men outside the rank of the apostles1 but who1 like them1 preached the gospel from place to place4 ,the name apostles 7equivalent to our missionaries7 served1 in its wider sense1 to include ministers of this class along with those directly commissioned by the ,lord ,jesus4#ajc ,the prophets1#ajd like the apostles and evangelists1 belonged to the ,church at large1 rather than to one locality4 ,but their gift of inspiration did not carry with it the claim to rule in the ,church4 ,this was the function of the apostles generally1 and of the pastor-bishops1 or elders1 locally appointed4 ,the first three orders 7apostles1 prophets1 evangelists7 linked ,church to ,church and served the entire body2 the last two 7pastors and teachers7 had charge of local and congregational affairs4 ,the apostles 7the ,twelve and ,paul71 with the prophets1 were the founders of the ,church4 ,their distinctive functions ceased when the foundation was laid and the deposit of revealed truth was complete4 ,the evangelistic and pastoral callings remain2 and out of them have sprung all the variety of ,christian ministries since exercised4 ,evangelists1 with apostles or missionaries1 bring new souls to ,christ and carry ,his message into new lands4 ,pastors and teachers follow in their train1 tending the ingathered sheep1 and labouring to make each flock that they shepherd and every single man perfect in ,christ ,jesus4 ,marvellous were ,christ's gifts for men bestowed in the apostolic ministry4 ,what a gift to the ,christian community1 for example1 was ,paul himself6 ,in his natural endowments1 so rich and finely blended1 in his training and early experience1 in the supernatural mode of his conversion1 everything wrought together to give to men in the apostle ,paul a man supremely fitted to be ,christ's ambassador to the ,pagan world1 and for all ages the teacher of the ,gentiles in faith and truth4 ,a chosen vessel unto me1 said the ,lord ,jesus1 to bear my name4 ,such a gift to the world was ,st ,augustine3 a man of the most powerful intellect and will1 master of the thought and life of his time4 ,long an alien from the household of faith1 he was saved at last as by miracle1 and utterly subdued to the will of ,christ4 ,in the awful crisis of the fifth century1 when the ,roman empire was breaking up and the very foundations of life seemed to be dissolved1 it was the work of this heroic man to reassert the sovereignty of grace and to re-establish faith in the ,divine order of the world4 ,such another gift to men was ,martin ,luther1 the captive of justifying grace1 won from the monastery and the bondage of ,rome to set ,germany and ,europe free4 ,what a soul of fire1 what a voice of power was his6 to whose lips our ,lord ,christ set the great trumpet of the ,reformation2 and he blew a blast that waked the sleeping peoples of the ,north1 and made the walls of ,babylon rock again to their foundation4 ,such a gift to ,scotland was ,john ,knox1 who from his own soul breathed the spirit of religion into the life of a nation1 and gave it a body and organic form in which to dwell and work for centuries4 ,such a gift to ,england was ,john ,wesley4 ,can we conceive a richer boon conferred by the ,head of the ,church upon the ,english race than the raising up of this great evangelist and pastor and teacher1 at such a time as that of his appearance8 ,standing at the distance of a hundred years1 we are able to measure in some degree the magnitude of this bestowment4 ,in none of the leaders and commanders whom ,christ has given to ,his people was there more signally manifest that combination of faculties1 that concurrence of providences and adjustment to circumstances1 and that transforming and attempering influence of grace in all--the effectual working in the measure of each single part of the man and his history1 which marks those special gifts that ,christ is wont to bestow upon ,his people in seasons of special emergency and need4 ,we are passing into a new age1 such as none of these great men dreamed of1 an age as exigent and perilous as any that have gone before it4 ,the ascendency of physical science1 the political enfranchisement of the masses1 the universal spread of education1 the emancipation of critical thought1 the gigantic growth of the press1 the enormous increase and aggregation of wealth1 the multiplication of large cities1 the world-wide facilities of intercourse1--these and other causes more subtle are rapidly transforming human society4 ,old barriers have disappeared2 while new difficulties are being created1 of a magnitude to overtask the faith of the strongest4 ,the ,church is confronted with problems larger far in their dimensions than those our fathers knew4 ,demands are being made on her resources such as she has never had to meet before4 ,shall we be equal to the needs of the coming times8--,nay1 that is not the question2 but will ,he8 ,there is nothing new or surprising to the ,lord ,jesus in the progress of our times and the developments of modern thought1 nothing for which ,he is not perfectly prepared4 ,he has taken their measure long ere this1 and holds them within ,his grasp4 ,the government is upon ,his shoulders--the weight of all this unintelligible world--and ,he can bear it well4 ,he has gifts in store for the twentieth century1 when it arrives1 as adequate as those ,he bestowed upon the first or fifth1 upon the sixteenth or the eighteenth of our era4 ,there are ,augustines and ,wesleys yet to come4 ,hidden in the ,almighty's quiver are shafts as polished and as keen as any ,he has used1 which ,he will launch forth in the war of the ages at the appointed hour4 ,the need1 the peril1 the greatness of the time will be the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,there is a danger1 however1 in waiting for great leaders and in looking for signal displays of ,christ's power amongst men4 ,his kingdom comes not with observation1 so that men should say1 ,lo here6 or ,lo there6 ,it steals upon us unforeseen2 it is amongst us before we know4 ,we looked1 says ,rutherford1 that ,he should take the higher way along the mountains2 and lo1 ,he came by the lower way of the valleys6 ,while men listen to the earthquake and the wind rending the mountains1 a still1 small voice speaks the message of ,god to prepared hearts4 ,rarely can we measure at the first the worth of ,christ's best gifts4 ,when the fruit appears1 after long patience1 the world will haply discover when and how the seed was sown4 ,but not always then4 ,the sower1 passing onward1 was not known2 ,and all men reaped the harvest as their own4 ,those who are most ready to appraise their fellows are constantly at fault4 ,our last may prove ,christ's first2 our first ,his last6 ,each of us shall give account of himself to ,god3 each must answer for his own stewardship1 and the grace that was given to each4 ,let us not therefore judge one another any more4 ,but let every man see to it that his part in the building of ,god's temple is well and faithfully done4 ,soon the fire will try every man's work1 of what sort it is4 ,,footnotes3 #ii ,comp4 ,hebrews x4 #a1 #b1 #aj-ad with xi4 #ac-af1 #ci1 #dj1 xii4 #bc1 #bd2 also vi4 #ab4 #ajj ,the words of ,david in ,browning's ,saul1 turned from the future tense into the present4 #aja #b ,cor4 ii4 #ad2 comp4 ,eph4 ii4 #f1 #g4 #ajb #b ,tim4 iv4 #e2 ,acts viii4 #bf-dj1 xxi4 #h4 #ajc ,in ,acts xiv4 #d1 #ad1 ,barnabas and ,paul are apostles2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #f1 ,paul and ,silas and ,timothy4 ,comp4 ,rom4 xvi4 #g2 #b ,cor4 viii4 #bc1 xi4 #ac2 ,phil4 ii4 #be2 ,rev4 ii4 #b4 #ajd ,comp4 ch4 ii4 #bj1 iii4 #e for the association of prophets with apostles4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge of the ,son of ,god1 unto a full-grown man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ3 that we may be no more children1 tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine in the sport of men1 in craftiness1 unto the scheme of error2 but dealing truly1 in love may grow up in all things into ,him1 which is the head1 even ,christ2 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together1 through that which every juncture supplieth1 according to the working in due measure of each several part1 maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love4--,,eph4 iv4 #ac-af4 ,we must spend a few moments in unravelling this knotty paragraph and determining the relation of its involved clauses to each other1 before we can expound it4 ,this passage is enough to prove ,st ,paul's hand in the letter4 ,no writer of equal power was ever so little of a literary craftsman4 ,his epistles read1 as ,m4 ,renan says1 like a rapid conversation stenographed4 ,sometimes1 as in several places in ,colossians ii41 his ideas are shot out in disjointed clauses1 hardly more continuous than shorthand notes2 often1 as in this epistle1 they pour in a full stream1 sentence hurrying after sentence and phrase heaped upon phrase with an exuberance that bewilders us4 ,in his spoken address the interpretation of tone and gesture1 doubtless1 supplied the syntactical adjustments so often wanting in ,paul's written composition4 ,the gifts pertaining to special office in the ,church were bestowed to promote its corporate efficiency and to further its general growth 7vv4 #aa1 #ab74 ,now1 the purpose of these endowments sets a limit to their use4 ,christ gave apostles1 prophets1 and the rest--till we all arrive at our perfect manhood and reach the stature of ,his fulness4 ,such is the connexion of verse #ac with the foregoing context4 ,the aim of the ,christian ministry is to make itself superfluous1 to raise men beyond its need4 ,knowledge and prophesyings1 apostolates and pastorates1 the missions of the evangelist and the schools of the teacher will one day cease2 their work will be done1 their end gained1 when all believers are brought to the unity of faith1 to the full knowledge of the ,son of ,god4 ,the work of ,christ's servants can have no grander aim1 no further goal lying beyond this4 ,verse #ad1 therefore1 does not disclose an ulterior purpose arising out of that affirmed in the previous sentence2 it restates the same purpose4 ,to make men of us 7ver4 #ac7 and to prevent our being children 7ver4 #ad7 is the identical object for which apostles1 prophets1 pastors1 teachers are called to office4 ,the goal marked out for all believers in the knowledge and the moral likeness of ,christ 7ver4 #ac71 is set up that it may direct the ,church's course through dangers shunned and enemies vanquished 7ver4 #ad7 to the attainment of her corporate perfection 7vv4 #ae1 #af74 ,the whole thought of this section turns upon the idea of the perfecting of the saints in verse #ab4 ,verse #af looks backward to this2 verse #g looked forward to it4 ,so much for the general construction of the period4 ,as to its particular words and phrases1 we must observe3-- 7#a7 ,the perfect full-grown man of verse #ac is the individual1 not the generic man1 not the one collective new man of chapter ii4 #ae4 ,the ,greek words for man in these two places differ4#aje ,the apostle proposes to the ,christian ministry the end that he was himself pursuing1 viz41 to present every man perfect in ,christ4#ajf 7#b7 ,sleight of men 7,a4,v4 and ,r4,v47 does not seem to us to express the precise meaning of the word so translated in verse #ad4 ,kubeia 7from kubos1 a cube1 or die7 occurs only here in the ,new ,testament2 in classical ,greek it appears in its literal sense of dice-play1 gambling4 ,the interpreters have drawn from this the idea of trickery1 cheating--the common accompaniment of gambling4 ,but the kindred verb 7to play dice1 to gamble7 has another well-established use in ,greek1 namely1 to hazard3 this supplies for ,st ,paul's noun the signification of sport or hazarding1 preferred by ,beza among the older expositors and by von ,soden amongst the newest4 ,in the sport of men1 says von ,soden3 conduct wanting in every kind of earnestness and clear purpose4 ,these men play with religion1 and with the welfare of ,christian souls4 ,this metaphor accords admirably with that of the restless waves and uncertain winds#ajg just preceding it2 while it leads fittingly to the further qualification in craftiness1 which is almost an idle synonym after sleight4 7#c7 ,another rare word is found in this verse1 not very precisely rendered as wiles--a translation suiting it better in chapter vi4 #aa4 ,here the noun is singular in number3 methodeia4 ,it signifies methodizing1 reducing to a plan2 and then1 in a bad sense1 scheming1 plotting4 ,error is thus personified3 it schemes1 just as in #b ,thessalonians ii4 #g it works4 ,amid the restless speculations and the unscrupulous perversions of the gospel now disturbing the infant faith of the ,asian ,churches1 the apostle saw the outline of a great system of error shaping itself4 ,there was a method in this madness4 ,unto the scheme of error--into the meshes of its net--those were being driven who yielded to the prevailing tendencies of speculative thought4 ,with all its cross currents and capricious movements1 it was bearing steadily in one direction4 ,reckless pilots steered ignorant souls this way and that over the wind-swept seas of religious doubt2 but they brought them at last to the same rocks and quicksands4 7#d7 ,as the contrast between manhood and childhood links verses #ac and #ad1 so it is by the contrast of error and craftiness with truth that we pass from verse #ad to verse #ae4 ,speaking truth insufficiently renders the opening word of the latter verse4 ,the dealing truly of the ,revised margin is preferable4 ,in ,galatians iv4 #af the apostle employs the same verb1 signifying not truth of speech alone1 but of deed and life 7comp4 ,eph4 v4 #i74 ,the expression resembles that of #a ,john iii4 #ai3 ,we are of the truth1 and shall assure our hearts before ,him1 where truth and love are found in the like union4 7#e7 ,the last difficulty of this kind we have to deal with1 lies in the connexion of the clauses of verse #af4 ,through every joint of supply is an incongruous adjunct to the previous clause1 fitly framed and knit together1 although the rendering joint gives this connexion a superficial aptness4 ,the apostle's word means juncture rather than joint4#ajh ,the points of contact between the members of ,christ's body form the channels of supply through which the entire frame receives nourishment4 ,the clause through every juncture of the supply--an expression somewhat obscure at the best--points forwards1 not backwards4 ,it describes the means by which the ,church of ,christ1 compacted in its general framework by those larger ligatures which its ministry furnishes 7vv4 #aa1 #ab71 builds up its inward life1--through a communion wherein each single part of the body shares1 and every tie that binds one ,christian soul to another serves to nourish the common life of grace4 ,we may paraphrase the sentence thus3 ,drawing its life from ,christ1 the entire body knit together in a well-compacted frame1 makes use of every link that unites its members and of each particular member in his place to contribute to its sustenance1 thus building itself up in love evermore4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these difficult verses unfold to us three main conceptions3 ,the goal of the ,church's life 7ver4 #ac71 the malady which arrests its development 7ver4 #ad71 and the means and conditions of its growth 7vv4 #ae1 #af74 ,i4 ,the mark at which the ,church has to arrive is set forth1 in harmony with the tenor of the epistle1 in a twofold way1--in its collective and its individual aspects4 ,we must all unitedly attain the oneness of the faith and the knowledge of the ,son of ,god2 and we must attain1 each of us1 a perfect manhood1 the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ4 ,the one faith of the ,church's foundation 7ver4 #e7 is1 at the same time1 its end and goal4 ,the final unity will be the unfolding of the primal unity2 the implicit will become explicit2 the germ will be reproduced in the developed organism4 ,the faith is still1 in ,st ,paul1 the fides qua credimus1 not quam credimus2 it is the living faith of all hearts in the same ,christ and gospel4#aji ,when we all believe heartily and understandingly in the word of truth1 the gospel of our salvation1 the goal will be in sight4 ,all our defects are1 at the bottom1 deficiencies of faith4 ,we fail to apprehend and appropriate the fulness of ,god in ,christ4 ,faith is the essence of the heart's life3 it forms the common consciousness of the body of ,christ4 ,while faith is the central organ of the ,church's life1 the ,son of ,god is its central object4 ,the dangers assailing the ,church and the divisions threatening its unity1 touched ,his ,person2 and whatever touches the ,head1 vitally affects the health of the body and the well-being of every member in it4 ,many had believed in ,jesus as the ,christ and received blessing from ,him1 whose knowledge of ,him as the ,son of ,god was defective4 ,this ignorance exposed their faith to perversion by the plausible errors circulating in the ,churches of ,asia ,minor4#aaj ,the haze of speculation dimmed ,his glory and distorted ,his image4 ,dazzled by the philosophy and empty deceit of specious talkers1 these half-instructed believers formed erroneous or uncertain views of ,christ4 ,and a divided ,christ makes a divided ,church4 ,we may hold divergent opinions upon many points of doctrine--in regard to ,church order and the ,sacraments1 in regard to the nature of the future judgement1 in regard to the mode and limits of inspiration1 in regard to the dialect and expression of our spiritual life--and yet retain1 notwithstanding1 a large measure of cordial unity and find ourselves able to co-operate with each other for many ,christian purposes4 ,but when our difference concerns the ,person of ,christ1 it is felt at once to be fundamental4 ,there is a gulf between those who worship and those who do not worship the ,son of ,god4 ,whosoever shall confess that ,jesus is the ,son of ,god1 ,god abideth in him and he in ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #ae74 ,this is the touchstone of catholic truth that the apostles have laid down2 and by this we must hold fast4 ,the kingship of the ,lord ,jesus is the rallying-point of ,christendom4 ,in ,his name we set up our banners4 ,there are a thousand differences we can afford to sink and quarrels we may well forget1 if our hearts are one towards ,him4 ,let me meet a man of any sect or country1 who loves and worships my ,lord ,christ with all his mind and strength1 he is my brother2 and who shall forbid us with one mind and one mouth to glorify the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ8 ,it is nothing but our ignorance of ,him1 and of each other1 that prevents us doing this already4 ,let us set ourselves again to the study of ,christ4 ,let us strive all of us to attain to the full knowledge of the ,son of ,god2 it is the way to reunion4 ,as we approach the central revelation1 and the glory of ,christ who is the image of ,god shines in its original brightness upon our hearts1 prejudices will melt away2 the opinions and interests and sentiments that divide us will be lost in the transcendent and absorbing vision of the one ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,names and sects and parties fall3 ,thou1 ,o ,christ1 art all in all6 ,the second and third unto of verse #ac are parallel with the first1 and with each other4 ,a truer faith and better knowledge of ,christ uniting believers to each other1 at the same time develope in each of them a riper character4 ,jesus ,christ was the perfect man4 ,in ,him our nature attained1 without the least flaw or failure1 its true end1--which is to glorify ,god4 ,in ,his fulness the plenitude of ,god is embodied2 it is made human1 and attainable to faith4 ,in ,jesus ,christ humanity rose to its ideal stature2 and we see what is the proper level of our nature1 the dignity and worth to which we have to rise4 ,we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of ,god's ,son4 ,all the many brethren of ,jesus measure themselves against the stature of the ,firstborn2 and they will have to say to the end with ,st ,paul3 ,not as though ,i had attained1 either were already perfect4 ,i follow after2 ,i press towards the mark4 ,a true heart that has seen perfection1 will never rest short of it4 ,till we arrive--till we all arrive at this1 the work of the ,christian ministry is incomplete4 ,teachers must still school us1 pastors shepherd us1 evangelists mission us4 ,there is work enough and to spare for them all--and will be1 to all appearance1 for many a generation to come4 ,the goal of the regenerate life is never absolutely won2 it is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,but there is to be a constant approximation to it1 both in the individual believer and in the body of ,christ's people4 ,and a time is coming when that goal will be practically attained1 so far as earthly conditions allow4 ,the ,church after long strife will be reunited1 after long trial will be perfected2 and ,christ will present her to ,himself a bride worthy of her ,lord1 without spot or wrinkle or any such thing4 ,then this world will have had its use1 and will give place to the new heavens and earth4 ,,ii4 ,the goal that the apostle marked out1 did not appear to him to be in immediate prospect4 ,the childishness of so many ,christian believers stood in the way of its attainment4 ,in this condition they were exposed to the seductions of error1 and ready to be driven this way and that by the evil influences active in the world of thought around them4 ,so long as the ,church contains a number of unstable souls1 so long she will remain subject to strife and corruption4 ,when he says in verse #ad1 that we may be no longer children tossed to and fro1 etc41 this implies that many ,christian believers at that time were of this childish sort1 and were being so distracted and misled4 ,the apostle writes on purpose to instruct these babes and to raise them to a more manly style of ,christian thought and life4#aaa ,it is a grievous thing to a minister of ,christ to see those who for the time ought to be teachers1 fit for the ,church's strong meat and the harder tasks of her service1 remaining still infantile in their condition1 needing to be nursed and humoured1 narrow in their views of truth1 petty and personal in their aims1 wanting in all generous feeling and exalted thought4 ,some men1 like ,st ,paul himself1 advance from the beginning to a settled faith1 to a large intelligence and a full and manly consecration to ,god4 ,others remain babes in ,christ to the end4 ,their souls live1 but never thrive4 ,they suffer from every change in the moral atmosphere1 from every new wind of doctrine4 ,these invalids are objects full of interest to the moral pathologist2 they are marked not unfrequently by fine and delicate qualities4 ,but they are a constant anxiety to the ,church4 ,till they grow into something more robust they must remain to crowd the ,church's nursery1 instead of taking part in her battle like brave and strenuous men4 ,the appearance of false doctrine in the ,asian ,churches made their undeveloped condition a matter for peculiar apprehension to the apostle4 ,the ,colossian heresy1 for example1 with which he is dealing at this present moment1 would have no attraction for ripe and settled ,christians4 ,but such a scheme of error was exactly suited to catch men with a certain tincture of philosophy and in general sympathy with current thought1 who had embraced ,christianity under some vague sense of its satisfaction for their spiritual needs1 but without an intelligent grasp of its principles or a thorough experience of its power4 ,st ,paul speaks of every wind of the doctrine1 having in his mind a more or less definite form of erroneous teaching1 a certain plan of error4 ,reading this verse in the light of the companion letter to ,colossae and the letters addressed to ,timothy when at ,ephesus a few years later1 we can understand its significance4 ,we can watch the storm that was rising in the ,graeco-,asiatic ,churches4 ,the characteristics of early ,gnosticism are well defined in the miniature picture of verse #ad4 ,we note1 in the first place1 its protean and capricious form1 half ,judaistic1 half philosophical--ascetic in one direction1 libertine in another3 tossed by the waves1 and carried about with every wind4 ,in the next place1 its intellectual spirit1--that of a loose and reckless speculation3 in the hazarding of men1--not in the abiding truth of ,god4 ,morally1 it was vitiated by craftiness4 ,and in its issue and result1 this new teaching was leading to the scheme of error which the apostle four years ago had sorrowfully predicted1 in bidding farewell to the ,ephesian elders at ,miletus 7,acts xx474 ,this scheme was no other than the gigantic ,gnostic system1 which devastated the ,eastern ,churches and inflicted deep and lasting wounds upon them4 ,the struggle with legalism was now over and past1 at least in its critical phase4 ,the apostle of the ,gentiles had won the battle with ,judaism and saved the ,church in its first great conflict4 ,but another strife is impending 7comp4 vi4 #aj72 a most pernicious error has made its appearance within the ,church itself4 ,st ,paul was not to see more than the commencement of the new movement1 which took two generations to gather its full force2 but he had a true prophetic insight1 and he saw that the strength of the ,church in the coming day of trial lay in the depth and reality of her knowledge of the ,son of ,god4 ,at every crisis in human thought there emerges some prevailing method of truth1 or of error1 the resultant of current tendencies1 which unites the suffrages of a large body of thinkers and claims to embody the spirit of the age4 ,such a method of error our own age has produced as the outcome of the anti-,christian speculation of modern times1 in the doctrines current under the names of ,positivism1 ,secularism1 or ,agnosticism4 ,while the ,gnosticism of the early ages asserted the infinite distance of ,god from the world and the intrinsic evil of matter1 modern ,agnosticism removes ,god still further from us1 beyond the reach of thought1 and leaves us with material nature as the one positive and accessible reality1 as the basis of life and law4 ,faith and knowledge of the ,son of ,god it banishes as dreams of our childhood4 ,the supernatural1 it tells us1 is an illusion2 and we must resign ourselves to be once more without ,god in the world and without hope beyond death4 ,this materialistic philosophy gathers to a head the unbelief of the century4 ,it is the living antagonist of ,divine revelation4 ,it supplies the appointed trial of faith for educated men of our generation1 and the test of the intellectual vigour and manhood of the ,church4 ,,iii4 ,in the midst of the changing perils and long delays of her history1 the ,church is called evermore to press towards the mark of her calling4 ,the conditions on which her progress depends are summed up in verses #ae and #af4 ,to the craft of false teachers ,st ,paul would have his ,churches oppose the weapons only of truth and love4 ,holding the truth in love1 they will grow up in all things into ,christ4 ,sincere believers1 heartily devoted to ,christ1 will not fall into fatal error4 ,a healthy life instinctively repels disease4 ,they have an anointing from the ,holy ,one which is their protection 7#a ,john ii4 #bj-bi74 ,in all that belongs to godliness and a noble manhood1 such natures will expand2 temptation and the assaults of error stimulate rather than arrest their growth4 ,and with the growth and ripening in her fellowship of such men of ,god1 the whole ,church grows4 ,next to the moral condition lies the spiritual condition of advancement1--viz41 the full recognition of the supremacy and sufficiency of ,christ4 ,christ assumes here two opposite relations to the members of ,his body4 ,he is the ,head into 7or unto7 which we grow in all things2 but at the same time1 from whom all the body derives its increase 7ver4 #af74 ,he is the perfect ideal for us each2 ,he is the common source of life and progress for us all4 ,in our individual efforts after holiness and knowledge1 in our personal aspirations and struggles1 ,jesus ,christ is our model1 our constant aim3 we grow into ,him 7ver4 #ae74 ,but as we learn to live for others1 as we merge our own aims in the life of the ,church and of humanity we feel1 even more deeply than our personal needs had made us do1 our dependence upon ,him4 ,we see that the forces which are at work to raise mankind1 to stay the strifes and heal the wounds of humanity1 emanate from the living ,christ 7ver4 #af74 ,he is the head of the ,church and the heart of the world4 ,the third1 practical condition of ,church growth is brought out by the closing words of the paragraph4 ,it is organization3 all the body fitly framed comp4 ii4 #ba and knit together4 ,each local ecclesia1 or assembly of saints1 will have its stated officers1 its regulated and seemly order in worship and in work4 ,and within this fit frame1 there must be the warm union of hearts1 the frank exchange of thought and feeling1 the brotherly counsel in all things touching the kingdom of ,god1 by which ,christian men in each place of their assembling are knit together4 ,from these local and congregational centres1 the ,christian fellowship spreads out its arms to embrace all that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,a building or a machine is fitted together by the adjustment of its parts4 ,a body needs1 besides this mechanical construction1 a pervasive life1 a sympathetic force knitting it together3 knit together in love1 the apostle says in ,colossians ii4 #b2 and so it is in love that this body builds up itself4 ,the tense of the participles in the first part of verse #af is present 7continuous72 we see a body in process of incorporation1 whose several organs1 imperfectly developed and imperfectly co-operant1 are increasingly drawn to each other and bound more firmly in one as each becomes more complete in itself4 ,the perfect ,christian and the perfect ,church are taking shape at once4 ,each of them requires the other for its due realization4 ,the rest of the sentence1 following the comma that we place at knit together1 has its parallel in ,colossians ii4 #ai3 ,all the body1 through its junctures and bands being supplied and knit together1 increaseth with the increase of ,god4 ,according to ,st ,paul's physiology1 the bands knit the body together1 but the junctures are its means of supply4 ,each point of contact is a means of nourishment to the frame4 ,in touch with each other1 ,christians communicate the life flowing from the common ,head4 ,the apostle would make ,christian intercourse a universal means of grace4 ,no two ,christian men should meet anywhere1 upon any business1 without themselves and the whole ,church being the better for it4 ,wherever two or three are met together in my name1 said ,jesus1 there am ,i in the midst4 ,in the multitude of these obscure and humble meetings of brethren who love each other for ,christ's sake1 is the grace supplied1 the love diffused abroad1 by which the ,church lives and thrives4 ,the vitality of the ,church of ,christ does not depend so much upon the large and visible features of its construction--upon ,synods and ,conferences1 upon ,bishops and ,presbyteries and the like1 influential and venerable as these authorities may be2 but upon the spiritual intercourse that goes on amongst the body of its people4 ,each several part of ,christ's great body1 according to the measure of its capacity1 is required to receive and to transmit the common grace4 ,however defective in other points of organization1 the society in which this takes place fulfils the office of an ecclesiastical body4 ,it will grow into the fulness of ,christ2 it builds up itself in love4 ,the primary condition of ,church health and progress is that there shall be an unobstructed flow of the life of grace from point to point through the tissues and substance of the entire frame4 ,,footnotes3 #aje ,eis hena kaino anthrpon 7homo71 ch4 ii4 #ae2 similarly in iv4 #bb1 #bd2 ,rom4 vi4 #f2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #de1 #dg1 etc4 ,here eis andra teleion 7vir72 comp4 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #aa2 ,james iii4 #b4 ,to call the ,church anr would be highly incongruous1 in view of ch4 v4 #bc1 etc42 comp4 #b ,cor4 xi4 #b4 #ajf ,col4 i4 #bb1 #bh1 #bi2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #aj4 #ajg ,for this association of metaphor1 comp4 ,shakespeare3 ,julius ,caesar1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #a3-- ,blow1 wind2 swell1 billow2 and swim1 bark6 ,the storm is up2 and all is on the hazard6 #ajh ,vulgate3 per omnem juncturam ministrationis4 ,st ,paul's word here is dia pass haphs1 through every touching4 ,see ,lightfoot's valuable note on the medical and philosophical use of the word by ,greek authors1 in his ,commentary on ,colossians 7ii4 #ai74 #aji ,comp4 ch4 i4 #ac3 in whom you also ,gentiles1 along with us ,jews found hope2 also ,rom4 iii4 #bi1 #cj2 ,tit4 i4 #d1 my true child according to a common faith4 #aaj ,see the connexion of thought in ,col4 ii4 #h-aj1 #ah1 #ai4 #aaa ,compare #a ,cor4 ii4 #f1 iii4 #a-c1 xiv4 #bj1 xvi4 #ac2 ,gal4 iv4 #ai2 ,heb4 v4 #aa-ad4 ,,on ,,christian ,,morals4 ,,chapter iv4 #ag--v4 #ba4 ,en kainotti zs peripatsmen4--,,rom4 vi4 #d4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,walk ,,of ,,the ,,gentiles4 ,this ,i say1 therefore1 and testify in the ,lord1 that ye no longer walk as the ,gentiles also walk1 in the vanity of their mind1 being darkened in their understanding1 alienated from the life of ,god because of the ignorance that is in them1 because of the hardening of their heart2 who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness1 to work all uncleanness with greediness4--,,eph4 iv4 #ag-ai4 ,christ has called into existence and formed around ,him already a new world4 ,those who are members of ,his body1 are brought into another order of being from that to which they had formerly belonged4 ,they have therefore to walk in quite another way--no longer as the ,gentiles4 ,st ,paul does not say as the other ,gentiles 7,a4,v472 for his readers1 though ,gentiles by birth 7ii4 #aa71 are now of the household of faith and the city of ,god4 ,they hold the franchise of the commonwealth of ,israel4 ,as at a later time the apostle ,john in his ,gospel1 though a born ,jew1 yet from the standpoint of the new ,israel writes of the ,jews as a distant and alien people1 so ,st ,paul distinguishes his readers from the ,gentiles who were their natural kindred4 ,when he testifies1 with a pointed emphasis1 that you no longer walk as do indeed the ,gentiles1 and when in verse #bj he exclaims1 ,but you did not thus learn the ,christ1 it appears that there were those bearing ,christ's name and professing to have learnt of ,him who did thus walk4 ,this1 indeed1 he expressly asserts in writing to the ,philippians 7ch4 iii4 #ah1 #ai73 ,many walk1 of whom ,i told you oftentimes1 and now tell you even weeping1--the enemies of the cross of ,christ2 whose god is their belly1 and their glory in their shame1 who mind earthly things4 ,we cannot but associate this warning with the apprehension expressed in verse #ad above4 ,the reckless and unscrupulous teachers against whose seductions the apostle guards the infant ,churches of ,asia ,minor1 tampered with the morals as well as with the faith of their disciples1 and were drawing them back insidiously to their former habits of life4#aab ,the connexion between the foregoing part of this chapter and that on which we now enter1 lies in the relation of the new life of the ,christian believer to the new community which he has entered4 ,the old world of ,gentile society had formed the old man as he then existed1 the product of centuries of debasing idolatry4 ,but in ,christ that world is abolished1 and a new man is born4 ,the world in which the ,asian ,christians once lived as ,gentiles in the flesh1 is dead to them4#aac ,they are partakers of the regenerate humanity constituted in ,jesus ,christ4 ,from this idea the apostle deduces the ethical doctrine of the following paragraphs4 ,his ideal new man is no mere ego1 devoted to his personal perfection2 he is part and parcel of the redeemed society of men2 his virtues are those of a member of the ,christian order and commonwealth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the representation given of ,gentile life in the three verses before us is highly condensed and pungent4 ,it is from the same hand as the lurid picture of ,romans i4 #ah-cb4 ,while this delineation is comparatively brief and cursory1 it carries the analysis in some respects deeper than does that memorable passage4 ,we may distinguish the main features of the description1 as they bring into view in turn the mental1 spiritual1 and moral characteristics of the existing ,paganism4 ,man's intellect was confounded2 religion was dead2 profligacy was flagrant and shameless4 ,i4 ,the ,gentiles walk1 the apostle says1 in vanity of their mind--with reason frustrate and impotent2 being darkened in their understanding--with no clear or settled principles1 no sound theory of life4 ,similarly1 he wrote in ,romans i4 #ba3 ,they were frustrated in their reasonings1 and their senseless heart was darkened4 ,but here he seems to trace the futility further back1 beneath the reasonings to the reason 7nous7 itself4 ,the ,gentile mind was deranged at its foundation4 ,reason seemed to have suffered a paralysis4 ,man has forfeited his claim to be a rational creature1 when he worships objects so degraded as the heathen gods1 when he practises vices so detestable and ruinous4 ,the men of intellect1 who held themselves aloof from popular beliefs1 for the most part confessed that their philosophies were speculative and futile1 that certainty in the greatest and most serious matters was unattainable4 ,pilate's question1 ,what is truth8--no jesting question surely--passed from lip to lip and from one school of thought to another1 without an answer4 ,five centuries before this time the human intellect had a marvellous awakening4 ,the art and philosophy of ,greece sprang into their glorious life1 like ,athen born from the head of ,zeus1 full-grown and in shining armour4 ,with such leaders as ,pericles and ,phidias1 as ,sophocles and ,plato1 it seemed as though nothing was impossible to the mind of man4 ,at last the genius of our race had blossomed2 rich and golden fruit would surely follow1 to be gathered from the tree of life4 ,but the blossoms fell1 and the fruit proved as rottenness4 ,grecian art had sunk into a meretricious skill2 poetry was little more than a trick of words2 philosophy1 a wrangling of the schools4 ,rome towered in the majesty of her arms and laws above the faded glory of ,greece4 ,she promised a more practical and sober ideal1 a rule of world-wide justice and peace and material plenty4 ,but this dream vanished1 like the other4 ,the age of the ,caesars was an age of disillusion4 ,scepticism and cynicism1 disbelief in goodness1 despair of the future possessed men's minds4 ,stoics and ,epicureans1 old and new ,academics1 ,peripatetics and ,pythagoreans disputed the palm of wisdom in mere strife of words4 ,few of them possessed any earnest faith in their own systems4 ,the one craving of ,athens and the learned was to hear some new thing1 for of the old things all thinking men were weary4 ,only rhetoric and scepticism flourished4 ,reason had built up her noblest constructions as if in sport1 to pull them down again4 ,on the whole1 this last period of ,greek philosophy1 extending into the ,christian era1 bore the marks of intellectual exhaustion and impoverishment1 and of despair in the solution of its high problem 7,dllinger74 ,the world itself admitted the apostle's reproach that by wisdom it knew not ,god4 ,it knew nothing1 therefore1 to sure purpose1 nothing that availed to satisfy or save it4 ,our own age1 it may be said1 possesses a philosophic method unknown to the ancient world4 ,the old metaphysical systems failed2 but we have relaid the foundations of life and thought upon the solid ground of nature4 ,modern culture rests upon a basis of positive and demonstrated knowledge1 whose value is independent of religious belief4 ,scientific discovery has put us in command of material forces that secure the race against any such relapse as that which took place in the overthrow of the ,graeco-,roman civilization4 ,pessimism answers these pretensions made for physical science by her idolaters4 ,pessimism is the nemesis of irreligious thought4 ,it creeps like a slow palsy over the highest and ablest minds that reject the ,christian hope4 ,what avails it to yoke steam to our chariot1 if black care still sits behind the rider8 to wing our thoughts with the lightning1 if those thoughts are no happier or worthier than before8 ,civilization contains within itself the elements of a fresh servitude4 ,man conquers the powers of nature1 and becomes in turn their slave 7,f4 ,w4 ,robertson74 ,poverty grows gaunt and desperate by the side of lavish wealth4 ,a new barbarism is bred in what science grimly calls the proletariate1 a barbarism more vicious and dangerous than the old1 that is generated by the inhuman conditions of life under the existing regime of industrial science4 ,education gives man quickness of wit and new capacity for evil or good2 culture makes him more sensitive2 refinement more delicate in his virtues or his vices4 ,but there is no tendency in these forces as we see them now in operation1 any more than in the classical discipline1 to make nobler or better men4 ,secular knowledge supplies nothing to bind society together1 no force to tame the selfish passions1 to guard the moral interests of mankind4 ,science has given an immense impetus to the forces acting on civilized men2 it cannot change or elevate their character4 ,it puts new and potent instruments into our hands2 but whether those instruments shall be tools to build the city of ,god or weapons for its destruction1 is determined by the spirit of the wielders4 ,in the midst of his splendid machinery1 master of the planet's wealth and lord of nature's forces1 the civilized man at the end of this boastful century stands with a dull and empty heart--without ,god4 ,poor creature1 he wants to know whether life is worth living6 ,he has gained the world1 but lost his soul4 ,in vanity of mind and darkness of reasoning men stumble onwards to the end of life1 to the end of time4 ,the world's wisdom and the lessons of its history give no hope of any real advance from darkness to light until1 as ,plato said1 ,we are able more safely and securely to make our journey1 borne on some firmer vehicle1 on some ,divine word4#aad ,such a vehicle those who believe in ,christ have found in ,his teaching4 ,the moral progress of the ,christian ages is due to its guidance4 ,and that moral progress has created the conditions and given the stimulus to which our material and scientific progress is due4 ,spiritual life gives permanence and value to all man's acquisitions4 ,both of this world and of that to come godliness holds the promise4 ,we are only beginning to learn how much was meant when ,jesus ,christ announced ,himself as the light of the world4 ,he brought into the world a light which was to shine through all the realms of human life4 ,,ii4 ,the delusion of mind in which the nations walked1 resulted in a settled state of estrangement from ,god4 ,they were alienated from the life of ,god4 ,alienated from the commonwealth of ,israel1 ,st ,paul said in chapter ii4 #ab1aae using1 as he does here1 the ,greek perfect participle1 which denotes an abiding fact4 ,these two alienations generally coincide4 ,outside the religious community1 we are outside the religious life4 ,this expression gathers to a point what was said in verses #aa1 #ab of chapter ii41 and further back in verses #a-c2 it discloses the spring of the soul's malady and decay in its separation from the living ,god4 ,when shall we learn that in ,god only is our life8 ,we may exist without ,god1 as a tree cast out in the desert1 or a body wasting in the grave2 but that is not life4 ,everywhere the apostle moved amongst men who seemed to him dead--joyless1 empty-hearted1 weary of an idle learning or lost in sullen ignorance1 caring only to eat and drink till they should die like the beasts4 ,their so-called gods were phantasms of the ,divine1 in which the wiser of them scarcely even pretended to believe4 ,the ancient natural pieties--not wholly untouched by the ,spirit of ,god1 despite their idolatry--that peopled with fair fancies the ,grecian shores and skies1 and taught the sturdy ,roman his manfulness and hallowed his love of home and city1 were all but extinguished4 ,death was at the heart of ,pagan religion2 corruption in its breath4 ,few indeed were those who believed in the existence of a wise and righteous ,power behind the veil of sense4 ,the ,roman augurs laughed at their own auspices2 the priests made a traffic of their temple ceremonies4 ,sorcery of all kinds was rife1 as rife as scepticism4 ,the most fashionable rites of the day were the gloomy and revolting mysteries imported from ,egypt and ,syria4 ,a hundred years before1 the ,roman poet ,lucretius expressed1 with his burning indignation1 the disposition of earnest and high-minded men towards the creeds of the later classic times3-- ,humana ante oculos foede cum vita jaceret1 ,in terris oppressa gravi sub religione1 ,quae caput e coeli regionibus ostendebat ,horribili super aspectu mortalibus instans1 ,primum ,graius homo mortalis tollere contra ,est oculos ausus primusque obsistere contra4#aaf ,de ,rerum ,natura3 ,bk4 ,i41 #fb-fg4 ,how alienated from the life of ,god were those who conceived such sentiments1 and those whose creed excited this repugnance4 ,and when amongst ourselves1 as it occurs in some unhappy instances1 a similar bitterness is cherished1 it is matter of double sorrow1--of grief at once for the alienation prompting thoughts so dark and unjust towards our ,god and ,father1 and for the misshapen guise in which our holy religion has been presented to make this aversion possible4 ,the phrase alienated from the life of ,god denotes an objective position rather than a subjective disposition1 the state and place of the man who is far from ,god and and his true life4 ,god exiles sinners from ,his presence4 ,by a necessary law1 their sin acts as a sentence of deprivation4 ,under its ban they go forth1 like ,cain1 from the presence of the ,lord4 ,they can no longer partake of the light of life which streams forth evermore from ,god and fills the souls that abide in ,his love4 ,and this banishment was due to the cause already described1--to the radical perversion of the ,gentile mind1 which is re-affirmed in the double prepositional clause of verse #ah3 because of the ignorance that is in them1 because of the hardening of their heart4 ,the repeated preposition 7because of7 attaches the two parallel clauses to the same predicate4 ,together they serve to explain this sad estrangement from the ,divine life2 the second because supplements the first4 ,it is the ingrained ignorance of men that excludes them from the life of ,god2 and this ignorance is no misfortune or unavoidable fate1 it is due to a positive hardening of the heart4 ,ignorance is not the mother of devotion1 but of indevotion4 ,if men knew ,god1 they would certainly love and serve ,him4 ,st ,paul agreed with ,socrates and ,plato in holding that virtue is knowledge4 ,the debasement of the heathen world1 he declares again and again1 was due to the fact that it knew not ,god4#aag ,the ,corinthian ,church was corrupted and its ,christian life imperilled by the presence in it of some who had not the knowledge of ,god 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #cc1 #cd74 ,at ,athens1 the centre of heathen wisdom1 he spoke of the ,pagan ages as the times of ignorance 7,acts xvii4 #cj72 and found in this want of knowledge a measure of excuse4 ,but the ignorance he censures is not of the understanding alone2 nor is it curable by philosophy and science4 ,it has an intrinsic ground1--existing in them4 ,since the world's creation1 the apostle says1 ,god's unseen presence has been clearly visible 7,rom4 i4 #bj74 ,yet multitudes of men have always held false and corrupting views of the ,divine nature4 ,at this present time1 in the full light of ,christianity1 men of high intellect and wide knowledge of nature are found proclaiming in the most positive terms that ,god1 if ,he exists1 is unknowable4 ,this ignorance it is not for us to censure2 every man must give account of himself to ,god4 ,there may be in individual cases1 amongst the enlightened deniers of ,god in our own days1 causes of misunderstanding beyond the will1 obstructing and darkening circumstances1 on the ground of which in ,his merciful and wise judgement ,god may overlook that ignorance1 even as ,he did the ignorance of earlier ages4 ,but it is manifest that while this veil remains1 those on whose heart it lies cannot partake in the life of ,god4 ,living in unbelief1 they walk in darkness to the end1 knowing not whither they go4 ,the ,gentile ignorance of ,god was attended1 as ,st ,paul saw it1 with an induration of heart1 of which it was at once the cause and the effect4 ,there is a wilful stupidity1 a studied misconstruction of ,god's will1 which has played a large part in the history of unbelief4 ,the ,israelitish people presented at this time a terrible example of such guilty callousness 7,rom4 xi4 #g-aj1 #be74 ,they professed a mighty zeal for ,god2 but it was a passion for the deity of their partial and corrupt imagination1 which turned to hatred of the true ,god and ,father of men when ,he appeared in the person of ,his ,son4 ,behind their pride of knowledge lay the ignorance of a hard and impenitent heart4 ,in the case of the heathen1 hardness of heart and religious ignorance plainly went together4 ,the knowledge of ,god was not altogether wanting amongst them2 ,he left ,himself not without witness1 as the apostle told them 7,acts xiv4 #ag74 ,where there is1 amid whatever darkness1 a mind seeking after truth and right1 some ray of light is given1 some gleam of a better hope by which the soul may draw nigh to ,god1--coming whence or how perhaps none can tell4 ,the gospel of ,christ finds in every new land souls waiting for ,god's salvation4 ,such a preparation for the ,lord1 in hearts touched and softened by the preventings of grace1 its first messengers discovered everywhere1--a remnant in ,israel and a great multitude amongst the heathen4 ,but the ,jewish nation as a whole1 and the mass of the pagans1 remained at present obstinately disbelieving4 ,they had no perception of the life of ,god1 and felt no need of it2 and when offered1 they thrust it from them4 ,theirs was another god1 the god of this world1 who blinds the minds of the unbelieving 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #c1 #d74 ,and their ungodliness and unrighteousness were not to be pitied more than blamed4 ,they might have known better2 they were holding down the truth in unrighteousness1 putting out the light that was in them and contradicting their better instincts4 ,the wickedness of that generation was the outcome of a hardening of heart and blinding of conscience that had been going on for generations past4 ,,iii4 ,by two conspicuous features the decaying ,paganism of the ,christian era was distinguished1--its unbelief and its licentiousness4 ,in his letter to the ,romans ,st ,paul declares that the second of these deplorable characteristics was the consequence of the former1 and a punishment for it inflicted by ,god4 ,here he points to it as a manifestation of the hardening of heart which caused their ignorance of ,god3 ,having lost all feeling1 they gave themselves up to lasciviousness1 so as to commit every kind of uncleanness in greediness4 ,upon that brilliant classic civilization there lies a shocking stain of impurity4 ,st ,paul stamps upon it the burning word ,aselgeia 7lasciviousness71 like a brand on the harlot's brow4 ,the habits of daily life1 the literature and art of the ,greek world1 the atmosphere of society in the great cities was laden with corruption4 ,sexual vice was no longer counted vice4 ,it was provided for by public law2 it was incorporated into the worship of the gods4 ,it was cultivated in every luxurious and monstrous excess4 ,it was eating out the manhood of the ,greek and ,latin races4 ,from the imperial ,caesar down to the horde of slaves1 it seemed as though every class of society had abandoned itself to the horrid practices of lust4 ,the greediness with which debauchery was then pursued1 is at the bottom self-idolatry1 self-deification2 it is the absorption of the ,god-given passion and will of man's nature in the gratification of his appetites4 ,here lies the reservoir and spring of sin1 the burning deep within the soul of him who knows no ,god but his own will1 no law above his own desire4 ,he plunges into sensual indulgence1 or he grasps covetously at wealth or office2 he wrecks the purity1 or tramples on the rights of others2 he robs the weak1 he corrupts the innocent1 he deceives and mocks the simple--to feed the gluttonous idol of self that sits upon ,god's seat within him4 ,the military hero wading to a throne through seas of blood1 the politician who wins power and office by the sleights of a supple tongue1 the dealer on the exchange who supplants every competitor by his shrewd foresight and unscrupulous daring1 and absorbs the fruit of the labour of thousands of his fellow-men1 the sensualist devising some new and more voluptuous refinement of vice1--these are all the miserable slaves of their own lust1 driven on by the insatiate craving of the false god that they carry within their breast4 ,for the light-hearted ,greeks1 lovers of beauty and of laughter1 self was deified as ,aphrodit1 goddess of fleshly desire1 who was turned by their worship into ,aselgeia1--she of whom of old it was said1 ,her house is the way to ,sheol4 ,not such as the chaste wife and house-keeping mother of ,hebrew praise1 but ,las with her venal charms was the subject of ,greek song and art4 ,pure ideals of womanhood the classic nations had once known--or never would those nations have become great and famous--a ,greek ,alcestis and ,antigon1 ,roman ,cornelias and ,lucretias1 noble maids and matrons4 ,but these1 in the dissolution of manners1 had given place to other models4 ,the wives and daughters of the ,greek citizens were shut up to contempt and ignorance1 while the priestesses of vice--hetaerae they were called1 or companions of men--queened it in their voluptuous beauty1 until their bloom faded and poison or madness ended their fatal days4 ,amongst the ,jews whom our ,lord addressed1 the choice lay between ,god and ,mammon2 in ,corinth and ,ephesus1 it was ,christ or ,belial4 ,these ancient gods of the world--mud-gods1 as ,thomas ,carlyle called them--are set up in the high places of our populous cities4 ,to the slavery of business and the pride of wealth men sacrifice health and leisure1 improvement of mind1 religion1 charity1 love of country1 family affection4 ,how many of the evils of ,english society come from this root of all evil6 ,hard by the temple of ,mammon stands that of ,belial4 ,their votaries mingle in the crowded amusements of the day and rub shoulders with each other4 ,aselgeia flaunts herself1 wise observers tell us1 with increasing boldness in the ,european capitals4 ,theatre and picture-gallery and novel pander to the desire of the eye and the lust of the flesh4 ,the daily newspapers retail cases of divorce and hideous criminal trials with greater exactness than the debates of ,parliament2 and the appetite for this garbage grows by what it feeds upon4 ,it is plain to see whereunto the decay of public decency and the revival of the animalism of pagan art and manners will grow1 if it be not checked by a deepened ,christian faith and feeling4 ,past feeling says the apostle of the brazen impudicity of his time4 ,the loss of the religious sense blunted all moral sensibility4 ,the ,greeks1 by an early instinct of their language1 had one word for modesty and reverence1 for self-respect and awe before the ,divine4 ,there is nothing more terrible than the loss of shame4 ,when immodesty is no longer felt as an affront1 when there fails to rise in the blood and burn upon the cheek the hot resentment of a wholesome nature against things that are foul1 when we grow tolerant and familiar with their presence1 we are far down the slopes of hell4 ,it needs only the kindling of passion1 or the removal of the checks of circumstance1 to complete the descent4 ,the pain that the sight of evil gives is a divine shield against it4 ,wearing this shield1 the sinless ,christ fought our battle1 and bore the anguish of our sin4 ,,footnotes3 #aab ,the persons here denounced1 says ,lightfoot on ,phil4 iii4 #ah1 are not the ,judaizing teachers1 but the antinomian reactionists4444 ,the stress of ,paul's grief lies in the fact that they degraded the true doctrine of liberty1 so as to minister to their profligate and worldly living4 ,comp4 #a ,peter iv4 #c1 #d2 #b ,peter ii4 #ah-bb4 #aac ,comp4 ,col4 ii4 #bj-;iii4 #d2 ,gal4 vi4 #ad1 #ae4 #aad ,phaeao3 xxxv4 #aae ,see p4 #abi4 #aaf ,when human life to view lay foully prostrate upon earth1 crushed down under the weight of religion1 who showed her head from the quarters of heaven with hideous aspect lowering upon mortals1 a man of ,greece ventured first to lift up his mortal eyes to her face and first to withstand her to her face 7,munro74 #aag #a ,thess4 iv4 #e2 #b ,thess4 i4 #h2 ,gal4 iv4 #h1 #i4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,two ,,human ,,types4 ,but ye did not so learn the ,christ2 if so be that ye heard ,him1 and were taught in ,him1 even as truth is in ,jesus3 that ye put away1 as concerning your former manner of life1 the old man1 which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit2 and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind1 and put on the new man1 which after ,god hath been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth4--,,eph4 iv4 #bj-bd4 ,but as for you6--,the apostle points us from heathendom to ,christendom4 ,from the men of blinded understanding and impure life he turns to the cleansed and instructed4 ,not thus did you learn the ,christ--not to remain in the darkness and filth of your ,gentile state4 ,the phrase is highly condensed4 ,the apostle1 in this letter so exuberant in expression1 yet on occasion is as concise as in ,galatians4 ,one is tempted1 as ,beza suggested#aah and ,hofmann insists1 to put a stop at this point and to read3 ,but with you it is not so3#aai you learned the ,christ6 ,in spite of its abruptness1 this construction would be necessary1 if it were only the ,gentiles of verse #ag with whose walk ,st ,paul means to contrast that of his readers4 ,but1 as we have seen1 he has before his eye a third class of men1 unprincipled ,christian teachers 7ver4 #ad71 men who had in some sense learnt of ,christ and yet walked in ,gentile ways and were leading others back to them4#abj ,verse #bj1 after all1 forms a coherent clause4 ,it points an antithesis of solemn import4 ,there are genuine1 and there are supposed conversions2 there are true and false ways of learning ,christ4 ,strictly speaking1 it is not ,christ1 but the ,christ whom ,st ,paul presumes his readers to have duly learnt4#aba ,the words imply a comprehending faith1 that knows who and what ,christ is and what believing in ,him means1 that has mastered ,his great lessons4 ,to such a faith1 which views ,christ in the scope and breadth of ,his redemption1 this epistle throughout appeals2 for its impartation and increase ,st ,paul prayed the wonderful prayer of the third chapter4 ,when he writes not simply1 ,you have believed in ,christ1 but ,you have learned the ,christ1 he puts their faith upon a high level2 it is the faith of approved disciples in ,christ's school4 ,for such men the philosophy and vain deceit of ,colossae and the plausibilities of the new scheme of error will have no charm4 ,they have found the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in ,christ4 ,the apostle's confidence in the ,christian knowledge of his readers is1 however1 qualified in verse #ba in a somewhat remarkable way3 ,if verily it is ,he whom you heard1 and in ,him that you were taught1 as truth is in ,jesus4 ,we noted at the outset the bearing of this sentence on the destination of the letter4 ,it would never occur to ,st ,paul to question whether the ,ephesian ,christians were taught ,christ's true doctrine4 ,if there were any believers in the world who1 beyond a doubt1 had heard the truth as in ,jesus in its certainty and fulness1 it was those amongst whom the apostle had taught publicly and from house to house1 not shunning to declare all the counsel of ,god and for three years night and day unceasingly with tears admonishing each single one 7,acts xx4 #ah-ce74 ,to suppose these words written in irony1 or in a modest affectation1 is to credit ,st ,paul with something like an ineptitude4 ,doubt was really possible as to whether all his readers had heard of ,christ aright1 and understood the obligations of their faith4 ,supposing1 as we have done1 that the epistle was designed for the ,christians of the province of ,asia generally1 this qualification is natural and intelligible4 ,there are several considerations which help to account for it4 ,when ,st ,paul first arrived at ,ephesus1 eight years before this time1 he found certain disciples there who had been baptized into ,john's baptism1 but had not received the ,holy ,spirit nor even heard of such a thing 7,acts xix4 #a-g74 ,apollos formerly belonged to this company1 having preached and taught carefully the things about ,jesus1 while he knew only the baptism of ,john 7,acts xviii4 #be74 ,one very much desires to know more about this ,church of the ,baptist's disciples in ,asia ,minor4 ,its existence so far away from ,palestine testifies to the power of ,john's ministry and the deep impression that his witness to the ,messiahship of ,jesus made on his disciples4 ,the ready reception of ,paul's fuller gospel by this little circle indicates that their knowledge of ,jesus ,christ erred only by defect2 they had received it from ,judaea by a source dating earlier than the day of ,pentecost4 ,the partial knowledge of ,jesus current for so long at ,ephesus1 may have extended to other parts of the province1 where ,st ,paul had not been able to correct it as he had done in the metropolis4 ,judaistic ,christians1 such as those who at ,rome preached ,christ of envy and strife1 were also disseminating an imperfect ,christian doctrine4 ,they limited the rights of uncircumcised believers2 they misrepresented the ,gentile apostle and undermined his influence4 ,a third and still more lamentable cause of uncertainty in regard to the ,christian belief of ,asian ,churches1 was introduced by the rise of ,gnosticizing error in this quarter4 ,some who read the epistle had1 it might be1 received their first knowledge of ,christ through channels tainted with error similar to that which was propagated at ,colossae4 ,with the seed of the kingdom the enemy was mingling vicious tares4 ,the apostle has reason to fear that there were those within the wide circle to which his letter is addressed1 who had in one form or other heard a different gospel and a ,christ other than the true ,christ of apostolic teaching4 ,where does he find the test and touchstone of the true ,christian doctrine8--,in the historical ,jesus3 as there is truth in ,jesus4 ,not often1 nor without distinct meaning1 does ,st ,paul use the birth-name of the ,saviour by itself4 ,where he does1 it is most significant4 ,he has in mind the facts of the gospel history2 he speaks of the ,jesus#abb of ,nazareth and ,calvary4 ,the ,christ whom ,st ,paul feared that some of his readers might have heard of was not the veritable ,jesus ,christ1 but a shadowy and notional ,christ1 lost amongst the crowd of angels1 such as was now being taught to the ,colossians4 ,this ,christ was neither the image of ,god1 nor the true ,son of man4 ,he supplied no sufficient redemption from sin1 no ideal of character1 no sure guidance and authority to direct the daily walk4 ,those who followed such a ,christ would fall back unchecked into ,gentile vice4 ,instead of the light of life shining in the character and words of ,jesus1 they must resort to the doctrines and commandments of men 7,col4 ii4 #h-bc74 ,amongst the ,gnostics of the second century there was held a distinction between the human 7fleshly and imperfect7 ,jesus and the ,divine ,christ1 who were regarded as distinct beings1 united to each other from the time of the baptism of ,jesus to ,his death4 ,the critics who assert the late and non-,pauline authorship of the epistle1 assert that this peculiar doctrine is aimed at in the words before us1 and that the identification of ,christ with ,jesus has a polemical reference to this advanced ,gnostic error4 ,the verses that follow show that the writer has a different and entirely practical aim4 ,the apostle points us to our true ideal1 to the ,christ of all revelation manifest in the ,jesus of the gospel4 ,here we see the new man created after ,god1 whose nature we must embody in ourselves4 ,the counteractive of a false spiritualism is found in the incarnate life of the ,son of ,god4 ,the dualism which separated ,god from the world and man's spirit from his flesh1 had its refutation in the ,jesus of ,paul's preaching1 whom we see in the ,four ,gospels4 ,those who persisted in the attempt to graft the dualistic theosophy upon the ,christian faith1 were in the end compelled to divide and destroy the ,christ ,himself4 ,they broke up into ,jesus and ,christ the unity of ,his incarnate ,person4 ,it is an entire mistake to suppose that the apostle ,paul was indifferent to the historical tradition of ,jesus2 that the ,christ he taught was a product of his personal inspiration1 of his inward experience and theological reflection4 ,this preaching of an abstract ,christ1 distinct from the actual ,jesus1 is the very thing that he condemns4 ,although his explicit references in the epistles to the teaching of ,jesus and the events of ,his earthly life are not numerous1 they are such as to prove that the ,churches ,st ,paul taught were well instructed in that history4 ,from the beginning the apostle made himself well acquainted with the facts concerning ,jesus1 and had become possessor of all that the earlier witnesses could relate4 ,his conception of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is living and realistic in the highest degree4 ,its germ was in the visible appearance of the glorified ,jesus to himself on the ,damascus road2 but that expanding germ struck down its roots into the rich soil of the ,church's recollections of the incarnate ,redeemer as ,he lived and taught and laboured1 as ,he died and rose again amongst men4 ,paul's ,christ was the ,jesus of ,peter and of ,john and of our own ,evangelists2 there was no other4 ,he warns the ,church against all unhistorical1 subjective ,christs1 the product of human speculation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,asian ,christians who held a true faith1 had received ,jesus as the ,christ4 ,so accepting ,him1 they accepted a fixed standard and ideal of life for themselves4 ,with ,jesus ,christ evidently set forth before their eyes1 let them look back upon their past life2 let them contrast what they had been with what they are to be4 ,let them consider what things they must put off and what put on1 so that they may be found in ,him4 ,strangely did the image of ,jesus confront the pagan world2 keenly its light smote on that gross darkness4 ,there stood the ,word made flesh--purity immaculate1 love in its very self--shaped forth in no dream of fancy or philosophy1 but in the veritable man ,christ ,jesus1 born of ,mary1 crucified under ,pontius ,pilate1--truth expressed ,in loveliness of perfect deeds1 ,more strong than all poetic thought4 ,and this life of ,jesus1 living in those who loved ,him 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #aa71 ended not when ,he passed from earth2 it passed from land to land1 speaking many tongues1 raising up new witnesses at every step as it moved along4 ,it was not a new system1 a new creed1 but new men that it gave the world in ,christ's disciples1 men redeemed from all iniquity1 noble and pure as sons of ,god4 ,it was the sight of ,jesus1 and of men like ,jesus1 that shamed the old world1 so corrupt and false and hardened in its sin4 ,in vain she summoned the gates of death to silence the witnesses of ,jesus4 ,at last ,she veiled her eagles1 snapped her sword1 ,and laid her sceptre down2 ,her stately purple she abhorred1 ,and her imperial crown4 ,she broke her flutes1 she stopped her sports1 ,her artists could not please2 ,she tore her books1 she shut her courts1 ,she fled her palaces2 ,lust of the eye and pride of life-- ,she left it all behind1 ,and hurried1 torn with inward strife1 ,the wilderness to find 7,obermann once more74 ,the ,galilean conquered6 ,the new man was destined to convict and destroy the old4 ,god sending ,his ,son in the likeness of sinful flesh1 and for sin1 condemned sin in the flesh 7,rom4 viii4 #c74 ,when ,jesus lived1 died1 and rose again1 an inconceivable revolution in human affairs had been effected4 ,the cross was planted on the territory of the god of this world2 its victory was inevitable4 ,the grain of wheat fell into the ground to die3 there might be still a long1 cruel winter2 many a storm and blight would delay its growth2 but the harvest was secure4 ,jesus ,christ was the type and the head of a new moral order1 destined to control the universe4 ,to see the new and the old man side by side was enough to assure one that the future lay with ,jesus4 ,corruption and decrepitude marked every feature of ,gentile life4 ,it was gangrened with vice1--wasting away in its deceitful lusts4 ,st ,paul had before his eyes1 as he wrote1 a conspicuous type of the decaying ,pagan order4 ,he had appealed as a citizen of the empire to ,caesar as his judge4 ,he was in durance as ,nero's prisoner1 and was acquainted with the life of the palace 7,phil4 i4 #ac74 ,never1 perhaps1 has any line of rulers dominated mankind so absolutely or held in their single hand so completely the resources of the world as did the ,caesars of ,st ,paul's time4 ,their name has ever since served to mark the summit of autocratic power4 ,it was1 surely1 the vision of ,tiberius sitting at ,rome that ,jesus saw in the wilderness1 when the devil showed ,him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory2 and said1 ,all this hath been delivered to me1 and to whomsoever ,i will ,i give it4 ,the ,emperor was the topstone of the splendid edifice of ,pagan civilization1 that had been rearing for so many ages4 ,and ,nero was the final product and paragon of the ,caesarean house6 ,at this epoch1 writes ,m4 ,renan1#abc ,nero and ,jesus1 ,christ and ,antichrist1 stand opposed1 confronting each other1 if ,i may dare to say so1 like heaven and hell4444 ,in face of ,jesus there presents itself a monster1 who is the ideal of evil as ,jesus of goodness4444 ,nero's was an evil nature1 hypocritical1 vain1 frivolous1 prodigiously given to declamation and display2 a blending of false intellect1 profound wickedness1 cruel and artful egotism carried to an incredible degree of refinement and subtlety4444 ,he is a monster who has no second in history1 and whose equal we can only find in the pathological annals of the scaffold4444 ,the school of crime in which he had grown up1 the execrable influence of his mother1 the stroke of parricide forced upon him1 as one might say1 by this abominable woman1 by which he had entered on the stage of public life1 made the world take to his eyes the form of a horrible comedy1 with himself for the chief actor in it4 ,at the moment we have now reached when ,st ,paul entered ,rome1 ,nero had detached himself completely from the philosophers who had been his tutors4 ,he had killed nearly all his relations4 ,he had made the most shameful follies the common fashion4 ,a large part of ,roman society1 following his example1 had descended to the lowest level of debasement4 ,the cruelty of the ancient world had reached its consummation4444 ,the world had touched the bottom of the abyss of evil2 it could only reascend4 ,such was the man who occupied at this time the summit of human power and glory1--the man who lighted the torch of ,christian martyrdom and at whose sentence ,st ,paul's head was destined to fall1 the ,wild ,beast of ,john's awful vision4 ,nero of ,rome1 the son of ,agrippina1 embodied the triumph of ,satan as the god of this world4 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,son of ,mary1 reigned only in a few loving and pure hearts4 ,future history1 as the scroll of the ,apocalypse unfolded it1 was to be the battle-field of these confronting powers1 the war of ,christ with ,antichrist4 ,could it be doubtful1 to any one who had measured the rival forces1 on which side victory must fall8 ,st ,paul pronounces the fate of the whole kingdom of evil in this world1 when he declares that the old man is perishing1 according to the lusts of deceit4 ,it is an application of the maxim he gave us in ,galatians vi4 #h3 ,he that soweth to his own flesh1 shall of the flesh reap corruption4 ,in its mad sensuality and prodigal lusts1 the vile ,roman world he saw around him was speeding to its ruin4 ,that ruin was delayed2 there were moral forces left in the fabric of the ,roman ,state1 which in the following generations re-asserted themselves and held back for a time the tide of disaster2 but in the end ,rome fell1 as the ancient world-empires of the ,east had fallen1 through her own corruption1 and by the wrath which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men4 ,for the solitary man1 for the household1 for the body politic and the family of nations the rule is the same4 ,sin1 when it is finished1 bringeth forth death4 ,the passions which carry men and nations to their ruin are lusts of deceit4 ,the tempter is the liar4 ,sin is an enormous fraud4 ,you shall not die1 said the serpent in the garden2 ,your eyes will be opened1 and you will be as ,god6 ,so forbidden desire was born1 and the woman being deceived fell into transgression4 ,so glistered the dire ,snake1 and into fraud ,led ,eve1 our credulous mother1 to the tree ,of prohibition1 root of all our woe4 ,by its baits of sensuous pleasure1 and still more by its show of freedom and power to stir our pride1 sin cheats us of our manhood2 it sows life with misery1 and makes us self-despising slaves4 ,it knows how to use ,god's law as an incitement to transgression1 turning the very prohibition into a challenge to our bold desires4 ,sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me1 and by it slew me4 ,over the pit of destruction play the same dancing lights that have lured countless generations1--the glitter of gold2 the purple robe and jewelled coronet2 the wine moving in the cup2 fair1 soft faces lit with laughter4 ,the straying foot and hot desires give chase1 till the inevitable moment comes when the treacherous soil yields1 and the pursuer plunges beyond escape into sin's reeking gulfs4 ,then the illusion is over4 ,the gay faces grow foul2 the glittering prize proves dust2 the sweet fruit turns to ashes2 the cup of pleasure burns with the fire of hell4 ,and the sinner knows at last that his greed has cheated him1 that he is as foolish as he is wicked4 ,let us remember that there is but one way of escape from the all-encompassing deceit of sin4 ,it is in learning ,christ4 ,not in learning about ,christ1 but in learning ,him4 ,it is a common artifice of the great deceit to wash the outside of cup and platter4 ,the old man is improved and civilized2 he is baptized in infancy and called a ,christian4 ,he puts off many of his old ways1 he dresses himself in a decorous garb and style2 and so deceives himself into thinking that he is new1 while his heart is unchanged4 ,he may turn ascetic1 and deny this or that to himself2 and yet never deny himself4 ,he observes religious forms and makes charitable benefactions1 as though he would compound with ,god for his unforsaken sin4 ,but all this is only a plausible and hateful manifestation of the lusts of deceit4 ,to learn the ,christ1 is to learn the way of the cross4 ,take my yoke upon you1 and learn of me1 ,he bids us2 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart4 ,till we have done this1 we are not even at the beginning of our lesson4 ,from the perishing old man the apostle turns1 in verses #bc1 #bd1 to the new4 ,these two clauses differ in their form of expression more than the ,english rendering indicates4#abd ,when he writes1 that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind1 it is a continual rejuvenation that he describes2 the verb is present in tense1 and the newness implied is that of recency and youth1 newness in point of age4 ,but the new man to be put on 7ver4 #bd7 is of a new kind and order2 and in this instance the verb is of the aorist tense signifying an event1 not a continuous act4 ,the new man is put on when the ,christian way of life is adopted1 when we enter personally into the new humanity founded in ,christ4 ,we put on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7,rom4 xiii4 #ad71 who covers and absorbs the old self1 even as those who await in the flesh ,his second advent will put on the house from heaven1 when the mortal in them will be swallowed up of life 7#b ,cor4 v4 #b-d74 ,thus two distinct conceptions of the life of faith are placed before our minds4 ,it consists1 on the one hand1 of a quickening1 constantly renewed1 in the springs of our individual thought and will2 and it is at the same time the assumption of another nature1 the investiture of the soul with the ,divine character and form of its being4 ,borne on the stream of his evil passions1 we saw the old man in his former manner of life1 hastening to the gulf of ruin4 ,for the man renewed in ,christ the stream of life flows steadily in the opposite direction1 and with a swelling tide moves upward to ,god4 ,his knowledge and love are always growing in depth1 in refinement1 in energy and joy4 ,thus it was with the apostle in his advancing age4 ,the fresh impulses of the ,holy ,spirit1 the unfolding to his spirit of the mystery of ,god1 the fellowship of ,christian brethren and the interests of the work of the ,church renewed ,paul's youth like the eagle's4 ,if in years and toil he is old1 his soul is full of ardour1 his intellect keen and eager2 the outward man decays1 but the inward man is renewed day by day4 ,this new nature had a new birth4 ,the soul reanimating itself perpetually from the fresh springs that are in ,god1 had in ,god the beginning of its renovated life4 ,we have not to create or fashion for ourselves the perfect life1 but to adopt it1--to realize the ,christian ideal 7ver4 #bd74 ,we are called to put on the new type of manhood as completely as we renounce the old 7ver4 #bb74 ,the new man is there before our eyes1 manifest in the person of ,jesus ,christ1 in whom we live henceforth4 ,when we learn the ,christ1 when we have become ,his true disciples1 we put on ,his nature and walk in ,him4 ,the inward reception of ,his ,spirit is attended by the outward assumption of ,his character as our calling amongst men4 ,now1 the character of ,jesus is human nature as ,god first formed it4 ,it existed in ,his thoughts from eternity4 ,if it be asked whether ,st ,paul refers1 in verse #bd1 to the creation of ,adam in ,god's likeness1 or to the image of ,god appearing in ,jesus ,christ1 or to the ,christian nature formed in the regenerate1 we should say that1 to the apostle's mind1 the first and last of these creations are merged in the second4 ,the ,son of ,god's love is ,his primeval image4 ,the race of ,adam was created in ,christ 7,col4 i4 #ae1 #af74 ,the first model of that image1 in the natural father of mankind1 was marred by sin and has become the old man corrupt and perishing4 ,the new pattern replacing this broken type is the original ideal1 displayed in the likeness of sinful flesh--wearing no longer the charm of childish innocence1 but the glory of sin vanquished and sacrifice endured--in the ,son of ,god made perfect through suffering4 ,through all there has been only one image of ,god1 one ideal humanity4 ,the ,adam of ,paradise was1 within his limits1 what the ,image of ,god had been in perfectness from eternity4 ,and ,jesus in ,his human personality represented1 under the changed circumstances brought about by sin1 what ,adam might have grown to be as a complete and disciplined man4 ,the qualities which the apostle insists upon in the new man are two3 righteousness and holiness or piety of the truth4 ,this is the ,old ,testament conception of a perfect life1 whose realization the devout ,zacharias anticipates when he sings how ,god has shown mercy to our fathers1 in remembrance of ,his holy covenant1 444 that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies1 might serve ,him without fear1 in holiness and righteousness before ,him all the days of our life4 ,enchanting vision1 still to be fulfilled6 ,righteousness is the sum of all that should be in a man's relations towards ,god's law2 holiness is a right disposition and bearing towards ,god ,himself4 ,this is not ,st ,paul's ordinary word for holiness 7sanctification1 sanctity71 which he puts so often at the head of his letters1 addressing his readers as saints in ,christ ,jesus4 ,that other term designates ,christian believers as devoted persons1 claimed by ,god for ,his own2#abe it signifies holiness as a calling4 ,the word of our text denotes specifically the holiness of temper and behaviour--that becometh saints4 ,the two words differ very much as devotedness from devoutness4#abf ,a religious temper1 a reverent mind marks the true child of grace4 ,his soul is full of the loving fear of ,god4 ,in the new humanity1 in the type of man that will prevail in the latter days when the truth as in ,jesus has been learnt by mankind1 justice and piety will hold a balanced sway4 ,the man of the coming times will not be atheistic or agnostic3 he will be devout4 ,he will not be narrow and self-seeking2 he will not be pharisaic and pretentious1 practising the world's ethics with the ,christian's creed3 he will be upright and generous1 manly and godlike4 ,,footnotes3 #aah ,quid si post houts distinctionem ascribas8 ,vos autem non ita 7subaudi facere convenit71 qui didicistis1 etc4 #aai ,comp4 ,numb4 xii4 #g2 ,ps4 i4 #d2 ,luke xxii4 #bf1 for this ,hebraistic turn of expression4 #abj ,comp4 ,phil4 iii4 #b1 #ah2 ,titus i4 #af4 #aba ,see pp4 #dg1 #hc1 #afi1 #ahi4 #abb ,esti altheia en t ,isou4 ,the article with the proper name is most significant4 ,it points to the definite image of ,jesus1 in ,his actual person1 that was made familiar by the preaching of ,paul and the other apostles4 #abc ,l',antchrist1 pp4 i4 ii4 #a1 #b4 ,this is a powerful and impressive work1 of whose value those who know only the ,vie de ,jsus can have little conception4 ,renan's faults are many and deplorable2 but he is a writer of genius and of candour4 ,his rationalism teems with precious inconsistencies4 ,one hears in him always the ,church bells ringing under the sea1 the witness of a faith buried in the heart and never silenced1 to which he confesses touchingly in the ,preface to his ,souvenirs4 #abd ananeousthai de t pneumati tou noos hymn1 kai endysasthai to kainon anthrpon1 to kata ,theo ktisthenta4 #abe ,comp4 pp4 #bi1 #cj4 #abf ,it is important to distinguish the ,greek adjectives hagios and hosios1 with their derivatives4 ,see ,cremer's ,n4 ,t4 ,lexicon on these words1 and ,trench's ,n4 ,t4 ,synonyms1 lxxxviii4 ,of the latter word1 #a ,thess4 ii4 #aj2 #a ,tim4 i4 #i1 ii4 #h2 #b ,tim4 iii4 #c2 ,tit4 i4 #h are the only examples in ,st ,paul4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,discarded ,,vices4 ,wherefore1 having put away falsehood1 'speak ye truth each one with his neighbour'3 for we are members one of another4 ',be ye angry1 and sin not'3 let not the sun go down upon your provocation3 neither give place to the devil4 ,let him that stole steal no more2 but rather let him labour1 working with his hands the thing that is good1 that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need4 ,let no worthless speech proceed out of your mouth1 but such as is good for edifying as the need may be1 that it may give grace to them that hear4 ,and grieve not the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption4 ,let all bitterness1 and wrath1 and anger1 and clamour1 and railing be put away from you1 with all malice3 and be ye kind one to another1 tenderhearted1 forgiving each other1 even as ,god also in ,christ forgave you4 ,be ye therefore imitators of ,god1 as beloved children2 and walk in love1 even as the ,christ also loved you1 and gave ,himself up for us1 an offering and a sacrifice to ,god for an odour of a sweet smell4 ,but fornication1 and all uncleanness1 or covetousness1 let it not even be named among you1 as becometh saints2 nor filthiness1 nor foolish talking1 nor jesting1 which are not befitting3 but rather giving of thanks4 ,for this ye know of a surety1 that no fornicator1 nor unclean person1 nor covetous man1 which is an idolater1 hath any inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ and ,god4 ,let no man deceive you with empty words3 for because of these things cometh the wrath of ,god upon the sons of disobedience4--,,eph4 iv4 #be--v4 #f4 ,the transformation described in the last paragraph 7vv4 #ag-bd7 has now to be carried into detail4 ,the vices of the old heathen self must be each of them replaced by the corresponding graces of the new man in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the peculiarity of the instructions given by the apostle for this purpose does not lie in the virtues enjoined1 but in the light in which they are set and the motives by which they are inculcated4 ,the common conscience condemns lying and theft1 malice and uncleanness2 they were denounced with eloquence by heathen moralists4 ,but the ethics of the ,new ,testament differed in many respects from the best moral philosophy3 in its direct appeal to the conscience1 in its vigour and decision1 in the clearness with which it traced our maladies to the heart's alienation from ,god2 but most of all1 in the remedy which it applied1 the new principle of faith in ,christ4 ,the surgeon's knife lays bare the root of the disease2 and the physician's hand pours in the healing balm4 ,let us observe at the outset that ,st ,paul deals with the actual and pressing temptations of his readers4 ,he recalls what they had been1 and forbids them to be such again4 ,the associations and habits of former life1 the hereditary force of evil1 the atmosphere of ,gentile society1 and added to all this1 as we discover from chapter v4 #f1 the persuasions of the sophistical teachers now beginning to infest the ,church1 tended to draw the ,asian ,christians back to ,gentile ways and to break down the moral distinctions that separated them from the pagan world4 ,amongst the discarded vices of the forsaken ,gentile life1 the following are here distinguished3 lying1 theft1 anger1 idle speech1 malice1 impurity1 greed4 ,these may be reduced to sins of temper1 of word1 and of act4 ,let us discuss them in the order in which they are brought before us4 #a4 ,the falsehood#abg of verse #be is the antithesis of the truth from which righteousness and holiness spring 7ver4 #bd74 ,in accepting the one1 ,paul's ,gentile readers had put off the other4 ,when these heathen converts became ,christians1 they renounced the great lie of idolatry1 the system of error and deceit on which their lives were built4 ,they have passed from the realm of illusion to that of truth4 ,now1 the apostle says1 let your daily speech accord with this fact3 you have bidden farewell to falsehood2 speak truth each with his neighbour4 ,the true religion breeds truthful men2 a sound faith makes an honest tongue4 ,hence there is no vice more hateful than jesuitry1 nothing more shocking than the conduct of those who defend what they call the truth by disingenuous arts1 by tricks of rhetoric and the shifts of an unscrupulous partizanship4 ,will you speak unrighteously for ,god1 and talk deceitfully for ,him8 ,as ,christ's truth is in me cries the apostle1 when he would give the strongest possible assurance of the fact he wishes to assert4#abh ,the social conventions and make-believes1 the countless simulations and dissimulations by which the game of life is carried on belong to the old man with his lusts of deceit1 to the universal lie that runs through all ungodliness and unrighteousness1 which is in the last analysis the denial of ,god4 ,st ,paul applies here the words of ,zechariah viii4 #af1 in which the prophet promises to restored ,israel better days on the condition that they should speak truth each with his neighbour1 and judge truth and the judgement of peace in their gates4 ,and let none of you1 he continues1 imagine evil in his heart against his neighbour2 and love no false oath4 ,for all these things do ,i hate1 saith the ,lord4 ,such is the law of the ,new ,covenant life4 ,no doubt1 ,st ,paul is thinking of the intercourse of ,christians with each other when he quotes this command and adds the reason1 ,for we are members one of another4 ,but the word neighbour1 as ,jesus showed1 has in the ,christian vocabulary no limited import2 it includes the ,samaritan1 the heathen man and publican4 ,when the apostle bids his converts ,follow what is good towards one another1 and towards all 7#a ,thess4 v4 #ae71 he certainly presumes the neighbourly obligation of truthfulness to be no less comprehensive4 ,believers in ,christ represent a communion which in principle embraces all men4 ,the human race is one family in ,christ4 ,for any man to lie to his fellow is1 virtually1 to lie to himself4 ,it is as if the eye should conspire to cheat the hand1 or the one hand play false to the other4 ,truth is the right which each man claims instinctively from his neighbour2 it is the tacit compact that binds together all intelligences4 ,without neighbourly and brotherly love perfect truthfulness is scarcely possible4 ,self-respect will never destroy self-seeking1 which will always find in self-interest a side accessible to the temptations of falsehood 7,harless74 #b4 ,like the first precept1 the second is borrowed from the ,old ,testament and shaped to the uses of the ,new4 ,be ye angry1 and sin not3 so the words of ,psalm iv4 #d stand in the ,greek version and in the margin of our ,revised ,bible1 where we commonly read1 ,stand in awe1 and sin not4 ,commune with your own heart upon your bed1 and be still4 ,the apostle's further injunction1 that anger should be stayed before nightfall1 accords with the ,psalmist's words2 the calming effect of the night's quiet the apostle anticipates in the approach of evening4 ,as the day's heat cools and its strain is relaxed1 the fires of anger should die down4 ,with the ,jews1 it will be remembered1 the new day began at evening4 ,plutarch1 the excellent heathen moralist contemporary with ,st ,paul1 gives this as an ancient rule of the ,pythagoreans3 ,if at any time they happened to be provoked by anger to abusive language1 before the sun set they would take each other's hands and embracing make up their quarrel4 ,if ,paul had heard of this admirable prescription1 he would be delighted to recognize and quote it as one of those many facts of ,gentile life which show the work of the law written in their hearts 7,rom4 ii4 #ae74 ,the passion which outlives the day1 on which the angry man sleeps and that wakes with him in the morning1 takes root in his breast2 it becomes a settled rancour1 prompting ill thoughts and deeds4 ,there is no surer way of tempting the devil to tempt us than to brood over our wrongs4 ,every cherished grudge is a place given to the tempter1 a new entrenchment for the ,evil ,one in his war against the soul1 from which he may shoot his fire-tipped darts 7vi4 #af74 ,let us dismiss with each day the day's vexations1 commending as evening falls our cares and griefs to the ,divine compassion and seeking1 as for ourselves1 so for those who may have done us wrong forgiveness and a better mind4 ,we shall rise with the coming light armed with new patience and charity1 to bring into the world's turmoil a calm and generous wisdom that will earn for us the blessing of the peacemakers1 who shall be called sons of ,god4 ,still the apostle says3 ,be angry1 and sin not4 ,he does not condemn anger in itself1 nor wholly forbid it a place within the breast of the saint4 ,wrath is a glorious attribute of ,god1--perilous1 indeed1 for the best of men2 but he who cannot be angry has no strength for good4 ,the apostle knew this holy passion1 the flame of ,jehovah that burns unceasingly against the false and foul and cruel4 ,but he knew its dangers--how easily an ardent soul kindled to exasperation forgets the bounds of wisdom and love2 how strong and jealous a curb the temper needs1 lest just indignation turn to sin1 and ,satan gain over us a double advantage1 first by the wicked provocation and then by the uncontrolled resentment it excites4 #c4 ,from anger we pass to theft4 ,the eighth commandment is put here in a form indicating that some of the apostle's readers had been habitual sinners against it4 ,literally his words read3 ,let him that steals play the thief no more4 ,the ,greek present participle does not1 however1 necessarily imply a pursuit now going on1 but an habitual or characteristic pursuit1 that by which the agent was known and designated3 ,let the thief no longer steal6 ,from the lowest dregs of the ,greek cities--from its profligate and criminal classes--the gospel had drawn its converts 7comp4 #a ,cor4 vi4 #i-aa74 ,in the ,ephesian ,church there were converted thieves2 and ,christianity had to make of them honest workmen4 ,the words of verse #bh1 addressed to a company of thieves1 vividly show the transforming effect of the gospel of ,christ3 ,let him toil1 working with his hands what is good1 that he may have wherewith to give to him that is in need4 ,the apostle brings the loftiest motives to bear instantly upon the basest natures1 and is sure of a response4 ,he makes no appeal to self-interest1 he says nothing of the fear of punishment1 nothing even of the pride of honest labour4 ,pity for their fellows1 the spirit of self-sacrifice and generosity is to set those pilfering and violent hands to unaccustomed toil4 ,the appeal was as wise as it was bold4 ,utilitarianism will never raise the morally degraded4 ,preach to them thrift and self-improvement1 show them the pleasures of an ordered home and the advantages of respectability1 they will still feel that their own way of life pleases and suits them best4 ,but let the divine spark of charity be kindled in their breast--let the man have love and pity and not self to work for1 and he is a new creature4 ,his indolence is conquered2 his meanness changed to the noble sense of a common manhood4 ,love never faileth4 #d4 ,we have passed from speech to temper1 and from temper to act2 in the warning of verses #bi1 #cj we come back to speech again4 ,we doubt whether corrupt talk is here intended4 ,that comes in for condemnation in verses #b and #c of the next chapter4 ,the ,greek adjective is the same that is used of the worthless fruit of the worthless good-for-nothing tree in ,matthew xii4 #cc2 and again of the bad fish of ,matthew xiii4 #dh1 which the fisherman throws away not because they are corrupt or offensive1 but because they are useless for food4 ,so it is against inane1 inept and useless talk that ,st ,paul sets his face4 ,jesus said that for every idle word men must give account to ,god 7,matt4 xii4 #cf74 ,jesus ,christ laid great stress upon the exercise of the gift of speech4 ,by thy words1 ,he said to ,his disciples1 thou shalt be justified1 and by thy words condemned4 ,the possession of a human tongue is an immense responsibility4 ,infinite good or mischief lies in its power4 7,with the tongue we should include the pen1 as being the tongue's deputy47 ,who shall say how great is the sum of injury1 the waste of time1 the irritation1 the enfeeblement of mind and dissipation of spirit1 the destruction of ,christian fellowship that is due to thoughtless speech and writing8 ,the apostle does not simply forbid injurious words1 he puts an embargo on all that is not positively useful4 ,it is not enough to say3 ,my chatter does nobody harm2 if there is no good in it1 there is no evil4 ,he replies3 ,if you cannot speak to profit1 be silent till you can4 ,not that ,st ,paul requires all ,christian speech to be grave and serious4 ,many a true word is spoken in jest2 and grace may be given to the hearers by words clothed in the grace of a genial fancy and playful wit1 as well as in the direct enforcement of solemn themes4 ,it is the mere talk1 whether frivolous or pompous--spoken from the pulpit or the easy chair--the incontinence of tongue1 the flux of senseless1 graceless1 unprofitable utterance that ,st ,paul desires to arrest3 let it not proceed out of your mouth4 ,such speech must not escape the fence of the teeth4 ,it is an oppression to every serious listener2 it is an injury to the utterer himself4 ,above all1 it grieves the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the witness of the ,holy ,spirit is the seal of ,god's possession in us2#abi it is the assurance to ourselves that we are ,his sons in ,christ and heirs of life eternal4 ,from the day it is affixed to the heart1 this seal need never be broken nor the witness withheld1 until the day of redemption4 ,dwelling within the ,church as the guard of its communion1 and loving us with the love of ,god1 the ,spirit of grace is hurt and grieved by foolish words coming from lips that ,he has sanctified4 ,as ,israel in its ancient rebellions vexed ,his ,holy ,spirit 7,isai4 lxiii4 #aj71 so do those who burden ,christian fellowship and who enervate their own inward life by speech without worth and purpose4 ,as ,his fire is quenched by distrust 7#a ,thess4 v4 #ai71 so ,his love is vexed by folly4 ,his witness grows faint and silent2 the soul loses its joyous assurance1 its sense of the peace of ,god4 ,when our inward life thus declines1 the cause lies not unfrequently in our own heedless speech4 ,or we have listened willingly and without reproof to words that may do hurt1 words of foolish jesting or idle gossip1 of mischief and backbiting4 ,the ,spirit of truth retires affronted from ,his desecrated temple1 not to return until the iniquity of the lips is purged and the wilful tongue bends to the yoke of ,christ4 ,let us grieve before the ,holy ,spirit1 that ,he be not grieved with us for such offences4 ,let us pray evermore3 ,set a watch1 ,o ,jehovah1 before my mouth2 keep the door of my lips4 #e4 ,in his previous reproofs the apostle has glanced in various ways at love as the remedy of our moral disorders and defects4 ,falsehood1 anger1 theft1 misuse of the tongue involve disregard of the welfare of others2 if they do not spring from positive ill-will1 they foster and aggravate it4 ,it is now time to deal directly with this evil that assumes so many forms1 the most various of our sins and companion to every other3 ,let all bitterness1 and wrath1 and anger1 and clamour1 and railing be put away from you1 with all malice4 ,the last of these terms is the most typical4 ,malice is badness of disposition1 the aptness to envy and hatred1 which apart from any special occasion is always ready to break out in bitterness and wrath4 ,bitterness is malice sharpened to a point and directed against the exasperating object4 ,wrath and anger are synonymous1 the former being the passionate outburst of resentment in rage1 the latter the settled indignation of the aggrieved soul3 this passion was put under restraint already in verses #bf1 #bg4 ,clamour and railing give audible expression to these and their kindred tempers4 ,clamour is the loud self-assertion of the angry man1 who will make every one hear his grievance2 while the railer carries the war of the tongue into his enemy's camp1 and vents his displeasure in abuse and insult4 ,these sins of speech were rife in heathen society2 and there were some amongst ,paul's readers1 doubtless1 who found it hard to forgo their indulgence4 ,especially difficult was this when ,christians suffered all manner of evil from their heathen neighbours and former friends2 it cost a severe struggle to be silent and keep the mouth as with a bridle under fierce and malicious taunts4 ,never to return evil for evil and railing for railing1 but contrariwise blessing1--this was one of the lessons most difficult to flesh and blood4 ,kindness in act1 tenderheartedness of feeling are to take the place of malice with its brood of bitter passions4 ,where injury used to be met with reviling and insult retorted in worse insult1 the men of the new life will be found forgiving one another1 even as ,god in ,christ forgave them4 ,here we touch the spring of ,christian virtue1 the master motive in the apostle's theory of life4 ,the cross of ,jesus ,christ is the centre of ,pauline ethics1 as of ,pauline theology4 ,the sacrifice of ,calvary1 while it is the ground of our salvation1 supplies the standard and incentive of moral attainment4 ,it makes life an imitation of ,god4 ,the commencement of the new chapter at this point makes an unfortunate division2 for its first two verses are in close consecution with the last verse of chapter iv4 ,by kindness and pitifulness of heart1 by readiness to forgive1 ,god's beloved children will show themselves imitators of their ,father4 ,the apostle echoes the saying of his ,master1 in which the law of ,his kingdom was laid down3 ,love your enemies1 and do good1 and lend never despairing2 and your reward shall be great1 and you shall be called children of the ,highest3 for ,he is kind to the thankless and evil4 ,be ye therefore pitiful1 as your ,father is pitiful 7,luke vi4 #ce1 #cf74 ,before the cross of ,jesus was set up1 men could not know how much ,god loved the world and how far ,he was ready to go in the way of forgiveness4 ,yet ,christ ,himself saw the same love displayed in the ,father's daily providence4 ,he bids us imitate ,him who makes ,his sun shine and ,his rain fall on the just and unjust1 on the evil and the good4 ,to the insight of ,jesus1 nature's impartial bounties in which unbelief sees only moral indifference1 spoke of ,god's compassion2 they proceed from the same love that gave ,his ,son to taste death for every man4 ,in chapter iv4 #cb-v4 #b the ,father's love and the ,son's self-sacrifice are spoken of in terms precisely parallel4 ,they are altogether one in quality4 ,christ does not by ,his sacrifice persuade an angry ,father to love ,his children2 it is the ,divine compassion in ,christ that dictates and carries into effect the sacrifice4 ,at the same time it was an offering and a sacrifice to ,god4 ,god is love2 but love is not everything in ,god4 ,justice is also ,divine1 and absolute in its own realm4 ,law can no more forgo its rights than love forget its compassions4 ,love must fulfil all righteousness2 it must suffer law to mark out its path of obedience1 or it remains an effusive1 ineffectual sentiment1 helpless to bless and save4 ,christ's feet followed the stern and strait path of self-devotion2 ,he humbled ,himself and became obedient1 ,he was born under law4 ,and the law of ,god imposing death as the penalty for sin1 which shaped ,christ's sacrifice1 made it acceptable to ,god4 ,thus it was an odour of a sweet smell4 ,hence the love which follows ,christ's example1 is love wedded with duty4 ,it finds in an ordered devotion to the good of men the means to fulfil the all-holy ,will and to present in turn its offering to ,god4 ,such love will be above the mere pleasing of men1 above sentimentalism and indulgence2 it will aim higher than secular ideals and temporal contentment4 ,it regards men in their kinship to ,god and obligation to ,his law1 and seeks to make them worthy of their calling4 ,all human duties1 for those who love ,god1 are subordinate to this2 all commands are summed up in one3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,the apostle pronounced the first and last word of his teaching when he said3 ,walk in love1 as the ,christ also loved us4 #f4 ,above all others1 one sin stamped the ,gentile world of that time with infamy1--its uncleanness4 ,st ,paul has stigmatized this already in the burning words of verse #ai4 ,there we saw this vice in its intrinsic loathsomeness2 here it is set in the light of ,christ's love on the one hand 7ver4 #b71 and of the final judgement on the other 7vv4 #e1 #f74 ,thus it is banished from the ,christian fellowship in every form--even in the lightest1 where it glances from the lips in words of jest3 ,fornication and all uncleanness1 let it not even be named among you4 ,along with filthiness1 foolish talk and jesting are to be heard no more4 ,passing from verse #b to verse #c by the contrastive ,but1 one feels how repugnant are these things to the love of ,christ4 ,the perfume of the sacrifice of ,calvary1 so pleasing in heaven1 sweetens our life on earth2 its grace drives wanton and selfish passions from the heart1 and destroys the pestilence of evil in the social atmosphere4 ,lust cannot breathe in the sight of the cross4 ,the good-for-nothing speech of chapter iv4 #bi comes up once more for condemnation in the foolish speech and jesting of this passage4 ,the former is the idle talk of a stupid1 the latter of a clever man4 ,both1 under the conditions of heathen society1 were tainted with foulness4 ,loose speech easily becomes low speech4 ,wit1 unchastened by reverence1 finds a tempting field for its exercise in the delicate relations of life1 and displays its skill in veiled indecencies and jests that desecrate the purer feelings1 while they avoid open grossness4 ,st ,paul's word for jesting is one of the singular terms of this epistle4 ,by etymology it denotes a well-turned style of expression1 the versatile speech of one who can touch lightly on many themes and aptly blend the grave and gay4 ,this social gift was prized amongst the polished ,greeks4 ,but it was a faculty so commonly abused1 that the word describing it fell into bad odour3 it came to signify banter and persiflage2 and then1 still worse1 the kind of talk here indicated1--the wit whose zest lies in its flavour of impurity4 ,the very profligate old man in the ,miles ,gloriosus of ,plautus 7iii4 ,i4 #db-eb71 who prides himself1 and not without reason1 upon his wit1 his elegance and refinement cavillator lepidus1 facetus1 is exactly the eutrapelos4 ,and keeping in mind that eutrapelia1 being only once expressly and by name forbidden in ,scripture1 is forbidden to ,ephesians1 it is not a little notable to find him urging that all this was to be expected from him1 being as he was an ,ephesian by birth3-- ,post ,ephesi sum natus2 non enim in ,apulia1 non ,animulae4#acj ,in place of senseless prating and wanton jests--things unbefitting to a rational creature1 much more to a saint--the ,asian ,greeks are to find in thanksgiving employment for their ready tongue4 ,st ,paul's rule is not one of mere prohibition4 ,the versatile tongue that disported itself in unhallowed and frivolous utterance1 may be turned into a precious instrument for ,god's service4 ,let the fire of ,divine love touch the jester's lips1 and that mouth will show forth ,his praise which once poured out dishonour to its ,maker and shame to ,his image in man4 #g4 ,at the end of the ,ephesian catalogue of vices1 as at the beginning 7iv4 #ai71 uncleanness is joined with covetousness1 or greed4 ,this1 too1 is not even to be named amongst you1 as becometh saints4 ,money6 property6 these are the words dearest and most familiar in the mouths of a large class of men of the world1 the only themes on which they speak with lively interest4 ,but ,christian lips are cleansed from the service both of ,belial and of ,mammon4 ,when his business follows the trader from the shop to the fireside and the social circle1 and even into the ,church1 when it becomes the staple subject of his conversation1 it is clear that he has fallen into the low vice of covetousness4 ,he is becoming1 instead of a man1 a money-making machine1 an idolater of ,mammon1 the least erected spirit that fell ,from heaven4 ,the apostle classes the covetous man with the fornicator and the unclean1 amongst those who by their worship of the shameful idols of the god of this world exclude themselves from their inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ and of ,god4 ,a serious warning this for all who handle the world's wealth4 ,they have a perilous war to wage1 and an enemy who lurks for them at every step in their path4 ,will they prove themselves masters of their business1 or its slaves8 ,will they escape the golden leprosy1--the passion for accumulation1 the lust of property8 ,none are found more dead to the claims of humanity and kindred1 none further from the kingdom of ,christ and ,god1 none more closely wrapped within their sensual fleece than rich men who have prospered by the idolatry of gain4 ,dives has chosen and won his kingdom4 ,he receives in his lifetime his good things2 afterwards he must look for torments4 ,,footnotes3 #abg ,dio apothemenoi to pseudos4 ,despite the commentators1 we must hold to it that the lie1 the falsehood is objective and concrete2 not lying1 or falsehood as a subjective act1 habit1 or quality1--which would have been rather pseudologia 7comp4 mrologia1 v4 #d2 and #a ,tim4 iv4 #b1 pseudologn71 or to pseudes4 ,so in ,rom4 i4 #be1 to pseudos is the one great lie which runs through all idolatry2 and in #b ,thess4 ii4 #aa it denotes the lie which ,antichrist imposes on those ready to believe it1--viz41 that he himself is ,god4 ,accordingly1 we take the participle apothemenoi to signify not what the readers are to do1 but what they had done in renouncing heathenism4 ,the apostle requires consistency3 ,since you are now of the truth1 be truth-speaking men4 #abh #b ,cor4 i4 #ah1 #ai1 xi4 #aj4 #abi ,see ch4 i4 #ac1 #ad1 and #ah 7last clause74 #acj ,trench3 ,n4 ,t4 ,synonyms1 xxxiv4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,doctrine ,,and ,,ethics4 ,we are members one of another4444 ,let the thief labour 444 that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need4444 ,grieve not the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption4444 ,forgive each other1 even as ,god also in ,christ forgave you4 ,be ye imitators of ,god1 as beloved children1 and walk in love1 even as the ,christ also loved you1 and gave ,himself up for us1 an offering and a sacrifice to ,god4444 ,no fornicator1 nor unclean person1 nor covetous man1 which is an idolater1 hath any inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ and ,god4--,,eph4 iv4 #be-v4 #f4 ,the homily that we have briefly reviewed in the last ,chapter demands further consideration4 ,it affords a striking and instructive example of ,st ,paul's method as a teacher of morals1 and makes an important contribution to evangelical ethics4 ,the common vices are here prohibited on specifically ,christian grounds4 ,the new nature formed in ,christ casts them off as alien and dead things2 they are the sloughed skin of the old life1 the discarded dress of the old man who was slain by the cross of ,christ and lies buried in ,his grave4 ,the apostle does not condemn these sins as being contrary to ,god's law3 that is taken for granted4 ,but the legal condemnation was ineffectual 7,rom4 viii4 #c74 ,the wrath revealed from heaven against man's unrighteousness had left that unrighteousness unchastened and defiant4 ,the revelation of law1 approved and echoed by conscience1 taught man his guilt2 it could do no more4 ,all this ,st ,paul assumes2 he builds on the ground of law and its acknowledged findings4 ,nor does the apostle make use of the principles of philosophical ethics1 which in their general form were familiar to him as to all educated men of the day4 ,he says nothing of the rule of nature and right reason1 of the intrinsic fitness1 the harmony and beauty of virtue2 nothing of expediency as the guide of life1 of the inward contentment that comes from well-doing1 of the wise calculation by which happiness is determined and the lower is subordinated to the higher good4 ,st ,paul nowhere discountenances motives and sanctions of this sort2 he contravenes none of the lines of argument by which reason is brought to the aid of duty1 and conscience vindicates itself against passion and false self-interest4 ,indeed1 there are maxims in his teaching which remind us of each of the two great schools of ethics1 and that make room in the ,christian theory of life both for the philosophy of experience and that of intuition4 ,the true theory recognizes1 indeed1 the experimental and evolutional as well as the fixed and intrinsic in morality1 and supplies their synthesis4 ,but it is not the apostle's business to adjust his position to that of ,stoics and ,epicureans1 or to unfold a new philosophy2 but to teach the way of the new life4 ,his ,gentile disciples had been untruthful1 passionate in temper1 covetous1 licentious3 the gospel which he preached had turned them from these sins to ,god2 from the same gospel he draws the motives and convictions which are to shape their future life and to give to the new spirit within them its fit expression4 ,st ,paul has no quarrel with ethical science1 much less with the inspired law of his fathers2 but both had proved ineffectual to keep men from iniquity1 or to redeem them fallen into it4 ,above them both1 above all theories and all external rules he sets the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ4 ,the originality of ,christian ethics1 we repeat1 does not lie in its detailed precepts4 ,there is not one1 it may be1 even of the noblest maxims of ,jesus that had not been uttered by some previous moralist4 ,with the ,new ,testament in our hands1 it may be possible to collect from non-,christian sources--from ,greek philosophers1 from the ,jewish ,talmud1 from ,egyptian sages and ,hindoo poets1 from ,buddha and ,confucius--a moral anthology which thus sifted out of the refuse of antiquity1 like particles of iron drawn by the magnet1 may bear comparison with the ethics of ,christianity4 ,if ,christ is indeed the ,son of man1 we should expect ,him to gather into one all that is highest in the thoughts and aspirations of mankind4 ,addressing the ,athenians on ,mars' ,hill1 the apostle could appeal to certain of your own poets in support of his doctrine of the ,fatherhood of ,god4 ,the noblest minds in all ages witness to ,jesus ,christ and prove themselves to be1 in some sort1 of ,his kindred4 ,they are but broken lights of ,thee2 ,and ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 art more than they6 ,it is ,christ in us1 it is the personal fellowship of the soul with ,him and with the living ,god through ,him1 that forms the vital and constitutive factor of ,christianity4 ,here is the secret of its moral efficacy4 ,the ,christ is the centre root and of the race2 ,he is the image of ,god in which we were made4 ,the life-blood of mankind flowed in ,him as in its heart1 and poured forth from ,him as from its fountain in sacrifice for the common sin4 ,jesus gathered into ,himself and restored the virtue of humanity broken into a thousand fragments2 but ,he did much more than this4 ,while ,he re-created in ,his personal character our lost manhood1 by ,his death and resurrection ,he has gained for that ideal a transcendent power that seizes upon men and regenerates and transforms them4 ,with unveiled face beholding in the mirror the glory of the ,lord1 we are changed into the same image1 receiving the glory that we see as from the ,lord of the ,spirit 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #ah74 ,there is1 therefore1 an evangelical ethics1 a ,christian science of life4 ,the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus has a system and method of its own4 ,it has a rational solution and explanation to render for our moral problems4 ,but its solution is given1 as ,st ,paul and as his ,master loved to give it1 in practice1 not in theory4 ,it teaches the art of living to multitudes to whom the names of ethics and moral science are unknown4 ,those who understand the method of ,christ best are commonly too busy in its practice to theorize about it4 ,they are physicians tending the sick and the dying1 not professors in some school of medicine4 ,yet professors have their use1 as well as practitioners4 ,the task of developing a ,christian science of life1 of exhibiting the truth of revelation in its theoretical bearings and its relations to the thought of the age1 forms a part of the practical duties of the ,church and touches deeply the welfare of souls4 ,for other times this work has been nobly accomplished by ,christian thinkers4 ,shall we not pray the ,lord of the harvest that ,he will thrust forth into this field fit labourers2 that ,he will raise up men mighty through ,god to overthrow every high thing that exalts itself against ,his knowledge1 and wise to build up to the level of the times the great fabric of ,christian ethics and discipline8 99 99 99 99 99 ,there emerge in this exhortation four distinct principles1 which lay at the basis of ,st ,paul's views of life and conduct4 ,i4 ,in the first place1 the fundamental truth of the ,fatherhood of ,god1 ,be imitators of ,god1 he writes1 as beloved children4 ,and in chapter iv4 #bd3 ,put on the new man1 which was created after ,god4 ,man's life has its law1 for it has its source1 in the nature of the ,eternal4 ,behind our race-instincts and the laws imposed on us in the long struggle for existence1 behind those imperatives of practical reason involved in the structure of our intelligence1 is the presence and the active will of ,almighty ,god our heavenly ,father4 ,his image we see in the ,son of man4 ,here is the fountainhead of truth1 from which the two great streams of philosophical thought upon morals have diverged4 ,if man is the child of a ,being absolutely good1 then moral goodness belongs to the essence of his nature2 it is discoverable in the instincts of his reason and will4 ,were not our nature warped by sin1 such reasoning must have commanded immediate assent and led to consistent and self-evident results4 ,again1 if man is the child of ,god1 the finite of the ,infinite1 his moral character must1 presumably1 have been in the beginning germinal rather than complete1 needing--even apart from sin and its malformations--development and education1 the discipline of a fatherly providence1 inculcating the lessons and forming the habits which belong to his ripe manhood and full-grown stature4 ,intuitional morals bear witness to the ,god of creation2 experimental morals to the ,god of providence and history4 ,the ,divine ,fatherhood is the keystone of the arch in which they meet4 ,the command to be imitators of ,god makes personality the sovereign element in life4 ,if consciousness is a finite and passing phenomenon1 if ,god be but a name for the sum of the impersonal laws that regulate the universe1 for the stream of tendency in the worlds1 ,father and love are meaningless terms applied to the ,supreme and religion dissolves into an impalpable mist4 ,is the universe governed by personal will1 or by impersonal force8 ,is reason1 or is gravitation the index to the nature of the ,absolute8 ,this is the vital question of modern thought4 ,the latter is the answer given by a large1 if not a preponderant body of philosophical opinion in our own day1--as it was given1 virtually1 by the natural philosophers of ,greece in the dawn of science4 ,man's triumphs over nature and the splendour of his discoveries in the physical realm bewilder his reason4 ,the scientists1 like other conquerors1 have been intoxicated with victory4 ,the universe1 it seemed1 was about to yield to them its last secrets2 they were prepared to analyze the human soul and resolve the conception of ,god into its material elements4 ,religion and conscience1 however1 prove to be intractable subjects in the physical laboratory2 they are coming out of the crucible unchanged and refined4 ,we are able by this time to take a more sober measure of the possibilities of the scientific method1 and to see what inductive logic and natural selection can do for us1 and what they cannot do4 ,we can walk in the light of the new revelation1 without being dazzled by it4 ,things are less altered than we thought4 ,the old boundaries reappear4 ,the spirit resumes its place1 and rules a wider realm than before4 ,reason refuses to be the victim of its own success1 and to immolate itself for the deification of material law4 ,forasmuch as we are ,god's offspring1 we ought not to think1 and we will not think that the ,godhead is like to blind forces and reasonless properties of matter4 ,love1 thought1 will in us raise our being above the realm of the impersonal2 and these faculties point us upward to ,him from whom they came1 the ,father of the spirits of all flesh4 ,the great tide of joy1 the victorious energy which the sense of ,god's love brings into the life of a ,christian1 is evidence of its reality4 ,the believer is a child walking in the light of his ,father's smile--dependent1 ignorant1 but the object of an ,almighty love4 ,a thousand tokens speak to him of the ,divine care2 his tasks and trials are sweetened by the confidence that they are appointed for wise ends beyond his present knowledge4 ,to another in that same house there is no heavenly ,father1 no unseen hand that guides1 no gleam of a brighter and purer day lighting up its dull chambers4 ,there are human companions1 weak1 erring and wearying like oneself4 ,there is work to do1 with the night coming swiftly2 and the brave heart girds itself to duty1 finding in the service of man its motive and employment--but1 alas1 with how poor success and how faint a hope6 ,it is not the loss of strength for human service1 nor the dying out of joy which unbelief entails1 that is its chief calamity2 but the unbelief itself4 ,the sun in the soul's heaven is put out4 ,the personal relationship to the ,supreme which gave dignity and worth to our individual being1 which imparted sacredness and enduring power to all other ties1 is destroyed4 ,the heart is orphaned2 the temple of the spirit desolate4 ,the mainspring of life is broken4 ,make haste to answer me1 ,o ,jehovah2 my spirit faileth6 ,hide not ,thy face from me1 ,lest ,i be like unto them that go down into the pit6 ,,ii4 ,the solidarity of mankind in ,christ furnishes the apostle with a powerful lever for raising the ethical standard of his readers4 ,the thought that we are members one of another forbids deceit4 ,that he may have whereof to give to the needy is the purpose that provokes the thief to industry4 ,the desire to give grace to the hearers and to build them up in truth and goodness imparts seriousness and elevation to social intercourse4 ,the irritations and injuries we inflict on each other1 with or without purpose1 furnish occasion for us to be kind one to another1 good-hearted1 forgiving yourselves--for this is the expression the apostle uses in chapter iv4 #cb1 and in ,colossians iii4 #ac4 ,self is so merged in the community1 that in dealing censure or forgiveness to an offending brother the ,christian man feels as though he were dealing with himself--as though it were the hand that forgave the foot for tripping1 or the ear that pardoned some blunder of the eye4 ,showing-grace is what the apostle literally says here1 speaking both of human and ,divine forgiveness4#aca ,in this lies the charm and power of true forgiveness4 ,the forgiver after the order of grace does not pardon like a judge moved by magnanimity or pity for transgressors1 but in love to his own kind and desire for their amendment4 ,he identifies himself with the wrong-doer1 weighs his temptation and all that drew him into error4 ,such forgiveness1 while it never ignores the wrong1 admits every qualifying circumstance and just extenuation4 ,this is the kind of pardon that touches the sinner's heart2 for it goes to the heart of the sin1 isolating it from all other feelings and conditions that are not sin2 it takes the wrong upon itself in understanding and perception2 it puts its finger upon the aching1 festering spot where the criminality lies and applies to that its healing balm4 ,even as ,god in ,christ forgave you4 ,and how did ,god forgive8 ,not by a grand imperial decree1 as of some monarch too exalted to resent the injuries of men or to inquire into their futile proceedings4 ,had such forgiveness been possible to ,divine justice1 it could have wrought in us no real salvation4 ,our forgiveness is that of ,god in ,christ4 ,the ,forgiver has sat down by the prisoner's side1 has felt his misery and the force of his temptations1 and in everything but the actual sin has made ,himself one with the sinner1 even to bearing the extreme penalty of his guilt4 ,in the act of making sacrifice1 ,jesus prayed for those that slew ,him3 ,father1 forgive them2 they know not what they do6 ,this intercession breathed the spirit of the new forgiveness4 ,there is a real remission of sins1 a release granted justly and upon due satisfaction2 but it is the act of justice charged with love1 of a justice as tender and considerate as it is strong1 and which eagerly takes account of all that bespeaks in the offender a possibility of better things4 ,it is a forgiveness that does justice to the humanity as well as the criminality in the sinner4 ,to proclaim by word and deed this forgiveness of ,god to the sinful world is the vocation of the ,church4 ,and where she does thus declare it1 by whatever means or ministry1 ,christ's promise to her is verified3 ,whose-soever sins ye remit1 they are remitted to them4 ,we may so reconcile men to ourselves1 as to bring them back to ,god4 ,has some one done you a wrong8 there is your opportunity of saving a soul from death and hiding a multitude of sins4 ,thus ,christ used the great wrong we all did ,him4 ,it is your privilege to show the wrong-doer that you and he are made one by the blood of ,christ4 ,walk in love1 ,st ,paul says1 as the ,christ also loved us and gave up ,himself for us a sacrifice4 ,when the apostle writes the ,christ1 he points us along the whole line of the revelation of the cross4#acb ,we think of the ,christhood of ,jesus1 of the ,christliness of such love as this4 ,christ's was a representative and exemplary love1 with its forerunners and its followers all walking in one path4 ,the ,christ loved and gave2 for love that does not give1 that prompts to no effort and puts itself to no sacrifice1 is but a luxury of the heart1--useless and even selfish4 ,and ,he gave up ,himself--the only gift that could suffice4 ,the rich who bestow many gifts in furtherance of humanitarian and religious work and still do not bestow themselves1 their sympathetic thought1 their presence and personal aid1 are withholding the best thing1 the one thing required to make their bounties efficacious4 ,in what we give and forgive1 it is the accent of sympathy1 the giving of the heart with it that adds grace to the act4 ,though ,i dole out all my goods1 though ,i give my body to be burned1 and have not love1 it profiteth me nothing4 ,we do a thousand things to serve and benefit our fellow-men1 and yet evade the real sacrifice1--which is simply to love them4 ,in studying this epistle1 we have felt increasingly that the ,church is the centre of humanity4 ,the love born and nourished in the household of faith goes out into the world with a universal mission4 ,the solidarity of moral interests that is realized there1 embraces all the kindreds of the earth4 ,the incarnation of ,christ knits all flesh into one redeemed family4 ,the continents and races of mankind are members one of another1 with ,jesus ,christ for head4 ,we are brothers and sisters of humanity3 ,he our elder brother1 and ,god our common ,father in heaven1--,his ,father and ours4 ,auguste ,comte writes in his ,system of ,positive ,polity3 ,the promises of supernatural religion appealed exclusively to man's selfish instincts4444 ,the sympathetic instincts found no place in the theological synthesis4#acc ,it would be impossible to affirm anything more completely at variance with the truth1 anything more absolutely opposed to the doctrine of ,christ and the theological synthesis of the apostles4 ,and yet it was upon this ground that the great ,french thinker renounced ,christianity1 proposing his new religion of humanity as a substitute for a selfish and effete supernaturalism6 ,why did he not go to the ,new ,testament itself to find out what ,christianity means8 ,to combine permanently concert with independence1 ,comte excellently says1 is the capital problem of society1 a problem which religion alone can solve1 by love primarily1 then by faith on a basis of love4#acd ,precisely so2 and this is the solution offered by ,jesus ,christ4 ,his self-sacrificing love is the basis on which our faith rests2 and that faith works by love in all those who truly possess it4 ,this is the evangelical theory4 ,the morale of the ,church1 it is true1 has fallen shamefully below its doctrine2 but this doctrine is1 after all1 the one fruitful and progressive moral force in the world2 and it is certain to be carried into effect4 ,in the darkest hour of ,israel's oppression and of international hate1 one of her great prophets thus described the triumph of supernatural religion3 ,in that day shall ,israel be the third with ,egypt and ,assyria1 a blessing in the midst of the earth2 for that the ,,lord of hosts hath blessed them1 saying1 ,blessed be ,egypt my people1 and ,assyria the work of my hands1 and ,israel my inheritance 7,isai4 xix4 #bd1 #be74 ,this is our programme still4 ,,iii4 ,another of ,st ,paul's ruling ideas lying at the basis of ,christian ethics1 is his conception of man's future destiny4 ,the apostle warns his readers that they grieve not the ,holy ,spirit1 in whom they were sealed till the day of redemption4 ,he tells them that the impure and the covetous have no inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ and ,god4 ,there is thus disclosed a world beyond the world1 a life growing out of life1 an eternal and invisible kingdom of whose possession the ,spirit that lives in ,christian men is the earnest and firstfruits4 ,this kingdom is the joint inheritance of the sons of ,god1 brethren with ,christ and in ,christ1 who are conformed to ,his image and found worthy to stand before the ,son of man4 ,those are excluded from the inheritance1 who by their moral nature are alien to it3 ,without are dogs1 sorcerers1 whoremongers1 idolaters1 and every one that loveth and maketh a lie4 ,this revelation has had a most powerful influence on the progress of ethics4 ,it has given a momentous importance to individual conduct1 a new grandeur to the moral issues of the present life4 ,man's life1 viewed in the light of the ,christian gospel1 has duties that are alone great1 that go up to ,heaven1 and down to ,hell4 ,the tangled skein is at last to be unravelled1 the mysterious problem of mortal life will have its solution at the judgement-seat of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is true that the wicked flourish and spread themselves like green trees in the sunshine2 and the covetous boast of their hearts' desire4 ,to see this was the trial of ancient faith2 and the good man had to charge himself constantly that he should not fret because of evil-doers4 ,it required an heroic faith to believe in ,god's kingdom and righteousness1 when the visible course of things made all against them1 and there was no clear light beyond4 ,god's saints had to learn first that ,god is ,himself the sufficient good1 and must be trusted to do right4 ,but this was the faith of defence rather than of victory1--of endurance1 not enthusiasm4 ,in the knowledge of ,christ's victory over death and entrance on our behalf into the heavenly world1 in hope of life eternal which ,god who cannot lie hath promised1 men have fought against their own sins1 have struggled for the right and spent themselves to save their fellows with a vigour and success never witnessed before1 and in numbers far exceeding those that all other creeds and systems have enlisted in the holy cause of humanity4 ,human reason had guessed and hope had dreamed of the soul's immortality4 ,christianity gives this hope certainty1 and adds to it the assurance of the resurrection of the body4 ,man's entire nature is thus redeemed4 ,chastity takes its due place amongst the virtues1 and becomes the mark of a ,christian as distinguished from a pagan life4 ,the body is not for fornication1 but for the ,lord1 and the ,lord for the body4 ,god who raised up the ,lord ,jesus1 will raise us also through ,his power4 ,your bodies are limbs of ,christ1 444 a temple of the ,holy ,spirit which you have from ,god4444 ,glorify ,god in your body4 ,so ,st ,paul exhorts the ,christians of ,corinth 7#a ,ep4 vi471 living in the centre and shrine of heathen vice4 ,this doctrine of the sanctity of the body has been the salvation of the family4 ,it has saved civilization from perishing through sexual corruption1 and is still our chief defence against this fearful evil4 ,our bodily dress1 we now learn1 is one with the spirit that it infolds4 ,we shall lay it aside only to resume it1--transfigured1 but with a form and impress continuous with its present being4 ,this identical self1 the same both in its outward and inward personality1 will appear before the tribunal of ,christ1 that it may receive the things done in the body4 ,this announcement gives reasonableness and distinctness to the expectation of future judgement4 ,the judgement assumes1 with its solemn grandeur1 a matter-of-fact reality1 an immediate bearing on the daily conduct of life1 which lends a powerful reinforcement to the conscience1 while it supplies a fitting and glorious conclusion to our course as moral beings4 ,,iv4 ,finally1 the atonement of the cross stamps its own character and spirit on the entire ethics of ,christianity4 ,the ,fatherhood of ,god1 the unity and solidarity of mankind1 the issues of eternal life or death awaiting us in the unseen world--all the great factors and fundamentals of revealed religion gather about the cross of ,christ2 they lend to it their august significance1 and gain from it new import and impressiveness4 ,the fact that ,christ gave ,himself up for us an offering and sacrifice to ,god--gave ,himself1 as it is put elsewhere1 for our sins--throws an awful light upon the nature of human transgression4 ,the blood spilt in the strife with our sin and shed to wash out its stain1 reveals its foulness and malignity4 ,all that inspired men had taught1 that good men had believed and felt and penitent men confessed in regard to the evil of human sin1 is more than verified by the sacrifice which the ,holy ,one of ,god has undergone in order to put it away4 ,it was felt that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins1 that the sacrifices man could offer for himself1 or the creatures on his behalf1 were ineffectual2 the guilt was too real to be expiated in this fashion1 the wound too deep to be healed by those poor appliances4 ,but who had suspected that such a remedy as this was needed1 and forthcoming8 ,how deep the resentment of eternal ,justice against the transgressions of men1 if the blood of ,god's own ,son alone could make propitiation6 ,how rank the offence against the ,divine holiness1 if to purge its abomination the vessel containing the most sweet fragrance of ,his sinless nature must be broken6 ,what tears of contrition1 what cleansing fires of hate against our own sins1 what scorn of their baseness1 what stern resolves against them are awakened by the sight of the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,this negative side of the ethical bearing of ,christ's sacrifice is implied in the words of the apostle in the second verse1 and in the contrast indicated between its sweet savour and those unclean things whose very names it should banish from our midst 7ver4 #c74 ,on its positive effects--the love and self-devotion it inspires1 the conformity of our lives to its example--we have dwelt already4 ,let us add1 however1 that the sacrifice of ,christ demands from us1 above all1 devotion to ,christ ,himself4 ,our first duty as ,christians is to love ,christ1 to serve and follow ,christ4 ,he died for all1 says the apostle1 that the living should live no longer to themselves1 but to ,him that died for them and rose again4 ,when ,mary of ,bethany poured on the ,saviour's head her box of precious ointment1 the ,master accepted the tribute and approved the act2 and the poor have been gainers by it a thousand times the pence which ,judas deemed wasted on the head he was watching to betray4 ,there is no conflict between the claims of ,christ and those of philanthropy1 between the needs of ,his worship and the needs of the destitute and suffering in our streets4 ,every new subject won to the kingdom of ,christ is another helper won for ,his poor4 ,every act of love rendered to ,him deepens the channel of sympathy by which relief and blessing come to sorrowful humanity4 ,let the gospel of ,christ's kingdom be preached in word and deed to all nations1 let the love of ,christ be brought to bear upon the great masses of mankind1 and the time of the world's salvation will be come4 ,its sin will be hated1 forsaken1 forgiven4 ,its social evils will be banished2 its weapons of war turned to ploughshares and pruning hooks4 ,its scattered races and nations will be reunited in the obedience of faith1 and formed into one ,christian confederacy and commonwealth of the peoples1 a peaceful kingdom of the ,son of ,god's love4 ,,footnotes3 #aca ,charizomenoi eautois1 kaths kai ho ,theos en ,christ echarisato hymin4 ,so in ,col4 ii4 #ac1 iii4 #ac2 ,rom4 viii4 #cb2 #b ,cor4 ii4 #g1 #aj2 ,luke vii4 #db1 #dc4 #acb ,comp4 pp4 #dg1 #hc1 #afi1 #ahi4 #acc ,vol4 iv41 pp4 #bb1 #da 7,eng4 ,trans474 #acd ,comte1 vol4 iv41 p4 #cj4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,the ,,light4 ,be not ye therefore partakers with them2 for ye were once darkness1 but are now light in the ,lord2 walk as children of light 7for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth71 proving what is well-pleasing unto the ,lord2 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness1 but rather even reprove them4 ,for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of2 but all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light3 for everything that is made manifest is light4 ,wherefore ,he saith3-- ',awake1 thou that sleepest1 and arise from the dead2 ,and the ,christ shall shine upon thee4' ,,eph4 v4 #g-ad4 ,the contrast between the ,christian and heathen way of life is now1 finally1 to be set forth under ,st ,paul's familiar figure of the light and the darkness4 ,he bids his ,gentile readers not to be joint-partakers with them--with the sons of disobedience upon whom ,god's wrath is coming 7ver4 #f7--;for he has hailed them already1 in chapter iii4 #f1 as joint-partakers of the promise in ,christ ,jesus through the gospel4 ,once indeed they shared in the lot of the disobedient2 but for them the darkness has past1 and the true light now shineth4 ,in wrath or promise1 in hope of life eternal or in the fearful looking for of judgement they1 and we1 must partake4 ,this future participation depends upon present character4 ,do not1 the apostle entreats1 cast in your lot again with the unclean and covetous4 ,their ways you have renounced1 and their doom you have exchanged for the heritage of the saints4 ,let no vain words deceive you into supposing that you may keep your new inheritance1 and yet return to your old sins4 ,show yourselves worthy of your calling4 ,walk as children of the light1 and you will possess the eternal kingdom4 ,each man carries with him into the next state of being the entail of his past life4 ,that heritage depends on his own choice2 yet not upon his individual will working by itself1 but on the grace and will of ,god working with him1 as that grace is accepted or rejected4 ,he has light3 he must walk in it2 and he will reach the realm of light4 ,thus the apostle1 in verses #g and #h1 concludes his warning against relapse into heathen sin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,verses #i and #aj delineate the character of the children of the light3 verses #aa-ad set forth their influence upon the surrounding darkness4 ,into these two divisions the exposition of this paragraph naturally falls4 ,i4 ,the fruit of the light 7not of the ,spirit7 is the true text of verse #i1 as it stands in the older ,greek copies1 ,versions1 and ,fathers4 ,calvin showed his judgement and independence in preferring this reading to that of the received ,greek text4 ,similarly ,bengel1#ace and most of the later critics4 ,the sentence is parenthetical1 and contains a singular and instructive figure4 ,it is one of those sparks from the anvil1 in which great writers not unfrequently give us their finest utterances1--sentences that get a peculiar point from the eagerness with which they are struck off in the heat and clash of thought1 as the mind reaches forward to some thought lying beyond4 ,the clause is an epitome1 in five words1 of ,christian virtue1 whose qualities1 origin and method are all defined4 ,it sums up exquisitely the moral teaching of the epistle4 ,galatians v4 #bb1 #bc 7the fruit of the ,spirit7 and ,philippians iv4 #h 7,whatsoever things are true1 etc47 are parallel to this passage1 as ,pauline definitions1 equally perfect1 of the virtues of a ,christian man4 ,this has the advantage of the others in brevity and epigrammatic point4 ,you are light in the ,lord1 the apostle said2 walk as children of the light4 ,but his readers might ask3 ,what does this mean8 ,it is poetry3 let us have it translated into plain prose4 ,how shall we walk as children of the light8 ,show us the path4--,i will tell you1 the apostle answers3 the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth4 ,walk in these ways2 let your life bear this fruit2 and you will be true children of the light of ,god4 ,so living1 you will find out what it is that pleases ,god1 and how joyful a thing it is to please ,him 7ver4 #aj74 ,your life will then be free from all complicity with the works of darkness4 ,it will shine with a brightness clear and penetrating1 that will put to shame the works of darkness and transform the darkness itself4 ,it will speak with a voice that all must hear1 bidding them awake from the sleep of sin to see in ,christ their light of life4 ,such is the setting in which this delightful definition stands4 ,but it is more than a definition4 ,while this sentence declares what ,christian virtue is1 it signifies also whence it comes1 how it is generated and maintained4 ,it asserts the connexion that exists between ,christian character and ,christian faith4 ,the fruit cannot be grown without the tree1 any more than the tree can grow soundly without yielding its proper fruit4 ,right is the fruit of light4 ,the principle that religion is the basis of moral virtue1 is one that many moralists disputed in ,st ,paul's time2 and it has fallen into some discredit in our own4 ,in philosophical theory1 and to a large extent in popular maxim and belief1 it is assumed that faith and morals1 character and creed1 are not only distinct but independent things and that there is no necessary connexion between the two4 ,christians are themselves to blame for this fallacy1 through the discrepancy not seldom visible between their creed and life4 ,our narrowness of view and the harshness of our ethical judgements have helped to foster this grave error4 ,great ,christian teachers have spoken of the virtues of the heathen as splendid sins4 ,but ,christ and ,his apostles never said so4 ,he said3 ,other sheep ,i have1 which are not of this fold4 ,and they said3 ,in every nation he that feareth ,god and worketh righteousness1 is accepted of ,him4 ,the ,christian creed has no jealousy in regard to human excellence4 ,whatsoever things are true and honourable and just and pure1 wherever and in whomsoever they are found1 our faith honours and delights in them1 and accepts them to the utmost of their worth4 ,but then it claims them all for its own1--as the fruit of the one true light which lighteth every man4 ,wherever this fruit appears1 we know that that light has been1 though its ways are past finding out4 ,through secret crevices1 by subtle refractions and multiplied reflections1 the true light reaches many a life lying far outside its visible course4 ,all goodness has one source2 for1 said ,jesus1 there is none good but one1 that is ,god4 ,the channels may be tortuous1 obstructed and obscure3 the stream is always one4 ,there is nothing more touching1 and nothing more encouraging to our faith in ,god's universal love and ,his will that all men should be saved1 than to see1 as we do sometimes under conditions most adverse and in spots the most unlikely1 features of moral beauty and ,christlike goodness appearing like springs in the desert or flowers blooming in ,alpine snows1--signs of the universal light1 ,which yet in the absolutest drench of dark ,ne'er wants its witness1 some stray beauty-beam ,to the despair of hell6 ,the action of ,god's grace in ,christ is by no means limited to the sphere of its recognized working4 ,all the more earnestly on this account do we vindicate this grace against those who deny its necessity or the permanence of its moral influence4 ,the fruit1 in the main1 they approve4 ,but they would cut down the plant from which it came2 they seek to quench the light under which it grew4 ,they are like men who should take you to some lofty tree that has flourished for ages rooted in the rock1 and who should say3 ,see how wide its branches and how stout its stem1 how firmly it stands upon its native soil6 ,let us cut it loose from those dark and ugly roots--that mysterious theology1 those superstitions of the past4 ,the human mind has outgrown them4 ,virtue can support itself on its own proper basis4 ,it is time to assert the dignity of man1 and to proclaim the independence of morality4 ,if these men have their way1 and if ,european society renounces the authority of ,god1 how quickly will that tree of the ,lord's planting1 the vast growth of ,christian virtue and beneficence1 wither to its topmost bough2 and the next storm will bring it to the ground1 with all its stately strength and summer beauty4 ,unbelief in ,god lays the axe at the root of human society4 ,our life--the life of individuals1 of families and nations--is rooted in the unseen and hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,thence it draws its vitality and virtue1 through those spiritual fibres by which we are linked to ,god and lay hold on eternal life4 ,since ,christ ,jesus our forerunner entered the heavenly places1 the anchor of human hopes has been cast within the veil2 if that anchor drags1 there is no other that will hold4 ,the rocks are plain to see on which our richly freighted ship of life will founder4 ,without the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 our civilization is not worth a hundred years' purchase4 ,moral effects do not follow upon their causes as rapidly as physical effects3 they follow as certainly4 ,we live largely upon the accumulated ethical capital of our forefathers4 ,when that is spent1 we are left to our intrinsic poverty of soul1 to our faithlessness and feebleness4 ,the scepticism of one generation bears fruit in the immorality of the next1 or the next after that2 the unbelief and cynicism of the teacher in the vice of his disciple4 ,such fruit of blasting and mildew the decay of faith has never failed to bear4 ,the corresponding truth will be at once acknowledged4 ,there is no real religion without virtue4 ,if the godly man is not a good man1 if he is not a sincere and pure-hearted man1 that man's religion is vain3 no matter what his professions or his emotions1 no matter what his services to the ,church4 ,he is one of those to whom ,jesus ,christ will say3 ,i know you not2 depart from me1 all ye that work iniquity4 ,there is a flaw in him somewhere1 a rift within the lute that spoils all its music4 ,a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit4 ,in ,christ's garden there forms in clustered beauty and perfectness the ripe growth of virtue1 which in the sunshine of ,his love and under the freshening breath of ,his ,spirit sends forth its spices and yieldeth its fruit every month4 ,in it there abide goodness1 righteousness1 truth--these three2 and who shall say which of them is greatest8 ,i4 ,goodness stands first1 as the most visible and obvious form of ,christian excellence1--that which every one looks for in a religious man1 and which every one admires when it is to be seen4 ,righteousness1 regarded by itself1 is not so readily appreciated4 ,there is something austere and forbidding in it4 ,for a righteous man scarcely would one die--you respect1 even revere him2 but you do not love him3 but for the good man peradventure1 one would even dare to die4 ,christian goodness is the sanctification of the heart and its affections1 renewed and governed by the love of ,god in ,christ4 ,it is1 notwithstanding1 but seldom inculcated in the ,new ,testament2#acf because it is referred to its spring and principle in love4 ,goodness is love embodied4 ,now love1 as the ,christian knows it1 is of ,god4 ,we love1 says the apostle ,john1 because ,he first loved us4444 ,he loved us1 and sent ,his ,son to be the propitiation for our sins4 ,this is the faith that makes good men1--the best the world has ever known1 the best that it holds now4 ,vanity1 selfishness1 evil temper and desire are shamed and burnt out of the soul by the holy fire of the love of ,god in ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,in the warm1 tender light of the cross the heart is softened and cleansed1 and expanded to the widest charity4 ,it becomes the home of all generous instincts and pure affections4 ,so the fruit of the light is in all goodness4 #b4 ,and righteousness4 ,this second and central definition applies a searching test to all spurious forms of goodness1 superficial or sentimental1--to the goodness of mere good manners1 or good nature4 ,the principle of righteousness1 fully understood1 includes everything in moral worth1 and is often used to denote in one word the entire fruit of ,god's grace in man4 ,for righteousness is the sanctification of the conscience4 ,it is loyalty to ,god's holy and perfect law4 ,it is no mere outward keeping of formal rules1 such as the legal righteousness of ,judaism1 no submission to necessity or calculation of advantages3 it is a love of the law in a man's inmost spirit2 it is the quality of a heart one with that law1 reconciled to it as it is reconciled to ,god ,himself in ,jesus ,christ4 ,at the bottom1 therefore1 righteousness and goodness are one4 ,each is the counterface and complement of the other4 ,righteousness is to goodness as the strong backbone of principle1 the firm hand and the vigorous grasp of duty1 the steadfast foot that plants itself on the eternal ground of the right and true and stands against a world's assault4 ,goodness without righteousness is a weak and fitful sentiment3 righteousness without goodness is a dead formality4 ,he cannot love ,god or his neighbour truly1 who does not love ,god's law2 and he knows nothing aright of that law1 who does not know that it is the law of love4 ,this also1 this above all is the fruit of the light4 ,two watchwords we have from the lips of ,jesus1 two mottoes of ,his own life and mission1--the one given at the end1 the other at the beginning of ,his course3 ,greater love hath none than this1 that one lay down his life for his friends2 and1 ,thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness4 ,by a double flame was ,he consumed a sacrifice upon the cross1--by the passion of ,his zeal for ,god's righteousness1 and by the passion of ,his pity for mankind4 ,in that twofold light we see light1 and become light in the ,lord4 ,therefore the fruit of the light1 the moral product of a true faith in the gospel1 is in all goodness and righteousness4 ,there is a danger of merging the latter in the former of these attributes4 ,evangelical piety is credited with an excess of the sentimental and emotional disposition1 cultivated at the expense of the more sterling elements of character4 ,high principle1 scrupulous honour1 stern fidelity to duty are no less essential to the image of ,christ in the soul than are warm feeling and zealous devotion to ,his service4 ,jesus ,christ the righteous1 as ,his apostles loved to call ,him1 is the pattern of a manly faith1 up to which we must grow in all things4 ,he is the propitiation for our sins4 ,never was there an act of such unswerving integrity and absolute loyalty to the law of right as the sacrifice of ,calvary4 ,god forbid that we should magnify love at the expense of law1 or make good feeling a substitute for duty4 #c4 ,truth comes last in this enumeration1 for it signifies the inward reality and depth of the other two4 ,truth does not mean veracity alone1 the mere truth of the lips4 ,heathen honesty goes as far as this4 ,men of the world expect as much from each other1 and brand the liar with their contempt4 ,truth of words requires a reality behind itself4 ,the acted falsehood is excluded1 the hinted and intended lie no less than that expressly uttered4 ,beyond all this1 it is the truth of the man that ,god requires--speech1 action1 thought1 all consistent1 harmonious and transparent1 with the light of ,god's truth shining through them4 ,truth is the harmony of the inward and the outward1 the correspondence of what the man is in himself with that which he appears and wishes to appear to be4 ,now1 it is only children of the light1 only men thoroughly good and upright who can1 in this strict sense1 be men of truth4 ,so long as any malice or iniquity is left in our nature1 we have something to conceal4 ,we cannot afford to be sincere4 ,we are compelled to pay1 by very shame1 the degrading tribute which vice renders to virtue1 the homage of hypocrisy4 ,but find a man whose intellect1 whose heart and will1 tried at whatever point1 ring sound and true1 in whom there is no affectation1 no make-believe1 no pretence or exaggeration1 no discrepancy1 no discord in the music of his life and thought1 an ,israelite indeed1 in whom is no guile--there is a saint for you1 and a man of ,god2 there is one whom you may grapple to your soul with hoops of steel4 ,truth is the hall-mark of entire sanctification2 it is the highest and rarest attainment of the ,christian life4 ,it is equally the charm of an innocent1 unspoilt childhood1 and of a ripe and purified old age4 ,the apostle ,john1 the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 is the most perfect embodiment1 after his ,master1 of this consummating grace4 ,in him righteousness and love were blended in the translucence of an utter simplicity and truth4 ,we must beware of giving a subjective and merely personal aspect to this divine quality4 ,while truth is the unity of the outward and inward1 of heart and act and word in the man1 it is at the same time the agreement of the man with the reality of things as they exist in ,god4 ,the former kind of truth rests upon the latter2 the subjective upon the objective order4 ,the truth of ,god makes us true4 ,we magnify our own sincerity1 until it becomes vitiated and pretentious4 ,in our eagerness to realize and express our own convictions1 we give too little pains to form them upon a sound basis2 we make a great virtue of speaking out what is in our hearts1 but take small heed of what comes in to the heart1 and speak out of a loose self-confidence and idolatry of our own opinions4 ,so the ,pharisees were true1 who called ,christ an impostor4 ,so every careless slanderer1 and scandalmonger credulous of evil1 who believes the lies he propagates4 ,imagination has pictured to itself a domain in which every one who enters should be compelled to speak only what he thought1 and pleased itself by calling such domain the ,palace of ,truth4 ,a palace of veracity1 if you will2 but no temple of the truth4 ,a place where each one would be at liberty to utter his own crude unrealities1 to bring forth his delusions1 mistakes1 half-formed1 hasty judgements2 where the depraved ear would reckon discord harmony1 and the depraved eye mistake colour2 the depraved moral taste take ,herod or ,tiberius for a king1 and shout beneath the ,redeemer's cross1 ',himself ,he cannot save6' ,a temple of the truth8 ,nay1 only a palace echoing with veracious falsehoods1 a ,babel of confused sounds1 in which egotism would rival egotism1 and truth would be each man's own lie4#acg ,in the pride of our veracity1 we miss the verity of things2 we are true only to our blind self1 false to the light of ,god4 ,every one that is of the truth heareth my voice3 so said ,he who was ,truth incarnate1 making ,his word a law for all true men4 ,in all goodness and righteousness and truth1 says the apostle4 ,let us seek them all4 ,we are apt to become specialists in virtue1 as in other departments of life4 ,men will endeavour even to compensate by extreme efforts in one direction for deficiencies in some other direction1 which they scarcely desire to make good4 ,so they grow out of shape1 into oddities and moral malformations4 ,there is a want of balance and of finish about a multitude of ,christian lives1 even of those who have long and steadily pursued the way of faith4 ,we have sweetness without strength1 and strength without gentleness1 and truth spoken without love1 and words of passionate zeal without accuracy and heedfulness4 ,all this is infinitely sad1 and infinitely damaging to the cause of our religion4 ,it is the little rift within the lute ,that by-and-by will make the music mute1 ,and ever widening slowly silence all2 ,the little rift within the lover's lute1 ,or little pitted speck in garnered fruit1 ,that rotting inward slowly moulders all4 ,let us judge ourselves1 that we be not judged by the ,lord4 ,let us count no wrong a trifle4 ,let us never imagine that our defects in one kind will be atoned for by excellencies in another4 ,our friends may say this1 in charity1 for us2 it is a fatal thing when a man begins to say so to himself4 ,may the ,god of peace sanctify you fully4 ,may your whole spirit1 soul1 and body in blameless integrity be preserved to the coming of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,thess4 v4 #bc74 ,,ii4 ,the effect upon surrounding darkness of the light of ,god in ,christian lives is described in verses #aa-ad1 in words which it remains for us briefly to examine4 ,verse #ab distinguishes the things secretly done by the ,gentiles1 of which it is a shame even to speak1 from the open and manifest forms of evil in which they invite their ,christian neighbours to join 7ver4 #aa74 ,instead of doing this and having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness1 they must rather reprove them4 ,silent absence1 or abstinence is not enough4 ,where sin is open to rebuke1 it should at all hazards be rebuked4 ,on the other hand1 ,st ,paul does not warrant ,christians in prying into the hidden sins of the world around them and playing the moral detective4 ,publicity is not a remedy for all evils1 but a great aggravation of some1 and the surest means of disseminating them4 ,it is a shame--a disgrace to our common nature1 and a grievous peril to the young and innocent--to fill the public prints with the nauseous details of crime and to taint the air with its putridities4 ,but all things1 the apostle says--whether it be those open works of darkness1 profitless of good1 which expose themselves to direct conviction1 or the depths of ,satan that hide their infamy from the light of day--all things being reproved by the light1 are made manifest 7ver4 #ac74 ,the fruit of the light convicts the unfruitful works of darkness4 ,the daily life of a ,christian man amongst men of the world is a perpetual reproof1 that tells against secret sins of which no word is spoken1 of which the reprover never guesses1 as well as against open and unblushing vices4 ,this is the condemnation1 said ,jesus1 that light is come into the world4 ,and this condemnation every one who walks in ,christ's steps1 and breathes ,his ,spirit amid the corruptions of the world1 is carrying on1 more frequently in silence than by spoken argument4 ,our unconscious and spontaneous influence is the most real and effective part of it4 ,life is the light of men--words only as the index of the life from which they spring4 ,just so far as our lives touch the conscience of others and reveal the difference between darkness and light1 so far do we hold forth the word of life and carry on the ,holy ,spirit's work in convincing the world of sin4 ,let your light so shine4 ,this manifestation leads to a transformation3 ,for everything that is made manifest is light 7ver4 #ac74 ,you are light in the ,lord1 ,st ,paul says to his converted ,gentile readers1--you who were once darkness1 once wandering in the lusts and pleasures of the heathen around you1 without hope and without ,god4 ,the light of the gospel disclosed1 and then dispelled the darkness of that former time2 and so it may be with your still heathen kindred1 through the light you bring to them4 ,so it will be with the night of sin that is spread over the world4 ,the light which shines upon sin-laden and sorrowful hearts1 shines on them to change them into its own nature4 ,the manifested is light3 in other words1 if men can be made to see the true nature of their sin1 they will forsake it4 ,if the light can but penetrate their conscience1 it will save them4 ,wherefore ,he saith3-- ,awake1 ,o sleeper2 and arise from out of the dead6 ,and the ,christ shall dawn upon thee6 ,the speaker of this verse can be no other than ,god1 or the ,spirit of ,god in ,scripture4 ,the sentence is no mere quotation4 ,it re-utters1 in the style of ,mary's or ,zechariah's song1 the promise of the ,old ,covenant from the lips of the ,new4 ,it gathers up the import of the prophecies concerning the salvation of ,christ1 as they sounded in the apostle's ears and as he conveyed them to the world4 ,isaiah lx4 #a-c supplies the basis of our passage1 where the prophet awakens ,zion from the sleep of the ,exile and bids her shine once more in the glory of her ,god and show forth ,his light to the nations3 ,arise1 he cries1 shine1 for thy light is come6 ,there are echoes in the verse1 besides1 of ,isaiah li4 #ag1 xxvi4 #ai2 perhaps even of ,jonah i4 #f3 ,what meanest thou1 ,o sleeper8 arise1 and call upon thy ,god6 ,we seem to have here1 as in chapter iv4 #d-f1 a snatch of the earliest ,christian hymns4 ,the lines are a free paraphrase from the ,old ,testament1 formed by weaving together ,messianic passages--belonging to such a hymn as might be sung at baptisms in the ,pauline ,churches4 ,certainly those ,churches did not wait until the second century to compose their hymns and spiritual songs 7comp4 ver4 #ai74 ,our ,lord's sublime announcement 7,john v4 #be71 already verified1 that the hour had come when the dead should hear the voice of the ,son of ,god1 and they that heard should live1 gave the key to the prophetic sayings which promised through ,israel the light of life to all nations4 ,with this song on her lips the ,church went forth1 clad in the armour of light1 strong in the joy of salvation2 and darkness and the works of darkness fled before her4 ,,footnotes3 #ace ,mr4 ,wesley adopted this and other emendations from ,bengel1 that great light of the ,christian world1 in the translation accompanying his ,explanatory ,notes upon the ,new ,testament4 ,he there supplied the ,methodist preachers with many of the most valuable improvements made in the ,revised ,version1 a hundred years before the time4 #acf ,the word belongs to ,paul's vocabulary2 it is found besides in #b ,thess4 i4 #aa2 ,rom4 xv4 #ad2 and ,gal4 v4 #bb4 ,see the ,commentary on this last epistle in the ,expositor's ,bible1 pp4 #chd1 #che4 #acg ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson3 ,sermons 7,first ,series71 xix41 on ,the ,kingdom of the ,truth4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,new ,,wine ,,of ,,the ,,spirit4 ,look therefore carefully how ye walk1 not as unwise1 but as wise2 redeeming the time1 because the days are evil4 ,wherefore be ye not foolish1 but understand what the will of the ,lord is4 ,and be not drunken with wine1 wherein is riot1 but be filled with the ,spirit2 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing and making melody with your heart to the ,lord2 giving thanks always for all things in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ to ,god1 even the ,father2 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of ,christ4--,,eph4 v4 #ae-ba4 ,very solemnly did the moral homily to the ,asian ,christians begin in chapter iv4 #ag3 ,this therefore ,i say and testify in the ,lord1 that you must no longer walk as the ,gentiles walk4 ,so much has now been said and testified in the intervening paragraphs1 by way both of dehortation and exhortation4 ,here the apostle pauses2 and casting his eye over the whole pathway of life he has marked out in this discourse1 he bids his readers3 ,look then carefully how you walk4 ,show that you are not fools1 but wise to observe your steps and to seize your opportunities in these evil times1--days so perilous that you need your best wisdom and knowledge of ,god's will to save you from fatal stumbling4 ,so far ,st ,paul's renewed exhortation1 in verses #ae-ag1 inculcates care and wary discretion1--the skill that in the strategy of life finds its vantage in unequal ground1 that makes opposing winds help forward the seafarer4 ,in this sober wisdom it is likely the ,asian ,christians were deficient4 ,in many ways1 both directly and indirectly1 the need of increased thoughtfulness on the readers' part has been indicated4 ,but there is another side to the ,christian nature3 it has its moods of exhilaration1 as well as of caution and reflection2 ardent emotion1 eager speech and exultant song are things proper to a high religious life4 ,for these the apostle makes room in verses #ah-bj1 while the three foregoing verses enjoin the circumspection and vigilance that become the good soldier of ,christ ,jesus4 ,a striking contrast thus arises between the sobriety and the excitement that mark the life of grace4 ,we see with what strictness we must watch over ourselves1 and guard the character and interests of the ,church2 and with what joyousness and holy freedom we may take our part in its communion4 ,temperament and constitution modify these injunctions in their personal application4 ,the ,holy ,spirit does not enable us all to speak with equal fervour and freedom1 nor to sing with the same tunefulness4 ,his power operates in the limbs of ,christ's body according to the measure of each single part4 ,but the self-same ,spirit works in both these contrasted ways1--in the sanguine and the melancholic disposition1 in the demonstrative and in the reserved1 in the quick play of fancy and the brightness and impulsiveness of youth no less than in the sober gait and solid sense of riper age4 ,let us see how the two opposite aspects of ,christian experience are set out in the apostle's words4 ,i4 ,first of all1 upon the one side1 heedfulness is enjoined4 ,the children of light must use the light to see their way4 ,to stumble at noonday is a proof of folly or blindness4 ,so misusing our light1 we shall quickly lose it and return to the paths of darkness4 ,according to the preferable 7,revised7 order of the words1 the qualifying adverb carefully belongs to the look1 not to the walk4 ,the circumspect look precedes the wise step4 ,the spot is marked on which the foot is to be planted2 the eye ranges right and left and takes in the bearings of the new position1 forecasting its possibilities4 ,look before you leap1 our sage proverb says4 ,according to the carefulness of the look1 the success of the leap is likely to be4 ,there is no word in the epistle more apposite than this to our day ,of haste1 half-work1 and disarray4 ,we are too restless to think1 too impatient to learn4 ,everything is sacrificed to speed4 ,the telegraph and the daily newspaper symbolize the age4 ,the public ear loves to be caught quickly and with new sensations3 a premium is set on carelessness and hurry4 ,earnest men1 eager for the triumph of a good cause1 push forward with unsifted statements and unweighed denunciations1 that discredit ,christian advocacy and wound the cause of truth and charity4 ,time1 thus wronged and driven beyond her pace1 has her revenge2 she deals hardly with these light judgements of the hour4 ,they are as the chaff which the wind carrieth away4 ,after all1 it is still truth that lives2 thorough work that lasts2 accuracy that hits the mark4 ,and the time-servers are unwise1 both intellectually and morally4 ,they are most unwise who think to succeed in life's high calling without self-distrust1 and without scrupulous care and pains in all work they do for the kingdom of ,god4 ,in the evil of his own times ,st ,paul sees a special reason for heedfulness3 ,walk not as unwise1 but as wise1 buying up the opportunity1 because the days are evil4 ,in ,colossians iv4 #e the parallel sentence shows that in giving this caution he is thinking of the relation of ,christians to the world outside3 ,walk in wisdom toward those without1 buying up the opportunity4 ,evil days they were1 when ,paul lay in ,nero's prison2 when that wild beast was raging against everything that resisted his mad will or reproved his monstrous vices4 ,with supreme power in the hands of such a creature of ,satan1 who could tell what fires of persecution were kindling for the people of ,christ1 or what terrible revelation of ,god's anger against the present evil world might be impending4 ,at ,ephesus the spirit of heathenism had shown itself peculiarly menacing4 ,here1 too1 in the rich and cultivated province of ,asia where the currents of ,eastern and ,western thought met1 heresy and its corruptions made their first decided appearance in the ,churches of the ,gentiles4 ,conflicts are approaching which will try to the uttermost the strength of the ,christian faith and the temper of its weapons 7vi4 #aj-af74 ,as wise men1 reading thoughtfully the signs of the times1 the ,asian ,christians will redeem the present season4 ,they will use to the utmost the light given them4 ,they will employ every means to increase their knowledge of ,christ1 to confirm their faith and the habits of their spiritual life4 ,they are like men expecting a siege1 who strengthen their fortifications and furbish their weapons and practise their drill and lay up store of supplies1 that they may stand in the evil day4 ,such wisdom ,ecclesiastes preaches to the young man3 ,remember now thy ,creator in the days of thy youth1 or ever the evil days come4 ,within a year after this epistle was penned1 ,rome was burnt and the crime of its burning washed out1 at ,nero's caprice1 in ,christian blood4 ,in four years more ,st ,paul and ,st ,peter had died a martyr's death at ,rome2 and ,nero had fallen by the assassin's hand4 ,at once the ,empire was convulsed with civil war2 and the year #fh-fi was known as that of the ,four ,emperors4 ,amid the storms threatening the ruin of the ,roman ,state1 the ,jewish war against ,rome was carried on1 ending in the year #gj with the capture of ,jerusalem and the destruction of the ,jewish temple and nationality4 ,these were the days of tribulation of which our ,lord spoke1 such as had not been since the beginning of the world 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ba1 #bb74 ,the entire fabric of life was shaken2 and in the midst of earthquake and tempest1 blood and fire1 ,israel met its day of judgement and the former age passed away4 ,in the year #fc1 when the apostle wrote1 the sky was everywhere red and lowering with signs of coming storm4 ,none knew where or how the tempest might break1 or what would be its issue4 ,when men amid evil days and portents of danger must be told not to be foolish nor drunken with wine1 one is disposed to tax them with levity4 ,it was difficult for these ,asian ,greeks to take life seriously1 and to realize the gravity of their situation4 ,st ,paul appeals to them by their duty1 still more than by their danger3 ,be not foolish1 but understand what the will of the ,lord is4 ,as he bade the ,thessalonians consider that chastity was not matter of choice and of their own advantage only1 it was ,god's will 7#a ,ep4 iv4 #c71 so the ,ephesians must understand that ,christ is no mere adviser1 nor the ,christian life an optional system that men may adopt when and so far as it suits them4 ,he is our ,lord2 and it is our business to understand1 in order that we may execute1 ,his designs4 ,for this ,christ's servants require a watchful eye and an alert intelligence4 ,they must be no dullards nor simpletons1 who would enter into the ,divine ,master's plans2 no triflers1 no creatures of sentiment and impulse1 who are to be the agents of ,his will4 ,he can and does employ every sincere heart that gives itself in love to ,him4 ,but ,his nobler tasks are for the wise taught by ,his ,spirit1 for those who can understand1 with penetrating sympathy and breadth of comprehension1 what the will of the ,lord is4 ,hence the distinction of ,st ,paul himself1 and of ,john the beloved disciple1 amongst ,his ministers and witnesses1--men great in mind as they were in heart1 whose thoughts about ,christ were as grand as their love to ,him was fervent4 ,nowhere does the apostle say so much of the will of ,god in regard to the dispensation of grace as he does in this epistle4#ach ,for he sees life and salvation here in their largest bearings and proportions4 ,he prayed at the outset that the ,gentile readers might realize the value that ,god puts upon them1 and the mighty forces ,he has set at work for their salvation 7i4 #ah-bj72 and again1 that they might comprehend the vast dimensions of ,his plan for the building of the ,church 7iii4 #ah74 ,now that he has shown the relation of this eternal purpose to the character and everyday life of the converted ,gentiles1 the will of ,god becomes matter of immediate import2 it is revealed in its bearing upon conduct1 upon the affairs of business and society4 ,it is not the purpose1 the promises1 the doctrine of the ,lord alone1 but the will of the ,lord that they have to understand1 as it touches their spirit and behaviour day by day4 ,they must realize the practical demands of their religion1--how it is to make them truthful1 gracious1 pure and wise4 ,they must translate creed into life and act4 ,such is the wisdom which their apostle strives to instil into the ,asian ,christians4 ,their first need was spiritual enlightenment2 their second need was moral intelligence4 ,might they only have sense to understand and loyalty to obey the will of ,christ4--,and oh may we6 ,,ii4 ,there were converted thieves in the ,ephesian ,church1 who still needed to be warned against their old propensities 7iv4 #bh72 there were men who had been sorcerers and fortune-tellers 7,acts xix4 #ah1 #ai74 ,it appears that there were in this circle converted drunkards also1 men to whom the apostle is obliged to say3 ,be not drunk with wine1 wherein is riot4 ,in view of the following context 7vv4 #ai-ba71 and remembering how the ,lord's table was defiled by excess at ,corinth 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #ag-cd71 it seems to us probable that the warning of verse #ah had special reference to the ,christian assemblies4 ,the institution of the common meal1 the ,agap or ,lovefeast accompanying the ,lord's ,supper1 suited the manners of the early ,christians1 and was long continued4 ,the cities of ,asia ,minor were full of trade-guilds and clubs for various social and religious purposes1 in which the common supper1 or club-feast1 furnished usually by each member bringing his contribution to the table1 was a familiar bond of fellowship4 ,this afforded to the ,church a natural and pleasant means of intercourse2 but it must be purified from sensual indulgence4 ,wine was its chief danger4 ,the eastern coast of the ,aegean is an ancient home of the vine4 ,and the ,greeks of the ,asian towns1 on those bright shores and under their genial sky1 were a light-hearted1 sociable race4 ,they sought the wine-cup not for animal indulgence1 but as a zest to good-fellowship and to give a freer flow to social joys4 ,this was the influence that ruled their feasts1 that loosened their tongues and inspired their gaiety4 ,hence their wit was prone to become ribaldry 7ver4 #d72 and their songs were the opposite of the spiritual songs that gladden the feasts of the ,church 7ver4 #ai74 ,the quick imagination and the social instincts of the ,ionian ,greeks1 the aptness for speech and song native to the land of ,homer and ,sappho1 were gifts not to be repressed but sanctified4 ,the lyre is to be tuned to other strains2 and poetry must draw its inspiration from a higher source4 ,dionysus and his reeling ,fauns give place to the pure ,spirit of ,jesus and the ,father4 ,the ,aonian mount must now pay tribute to ,sion hill2 and the fountain of ,castalia yields its honours to ,siloa's brook that flowed ,fast by the oracle of ,god4 ,our nature craves excitement1--some stimulus that shall set the pulses dancing and thrill the jaded frame1 and lift the spirit above the taskwork of life and the dreary and hard conditions which make up the daily lot of multitudes4 ,it is this craving that gives to strong drink its cruel fascination4 ,alcohol is a mighty magician4 ,the tired labouring man1 the household drudge shut up in city courts refreshed by no pleasant sight or cheering voice1 by its aid can leave fretted nerves and aching limbs and dull care behind1 and taste1 if it be only for a feverish moment1 of the joy of bounding life4 ,can such cravings be hindered from seeking their relief8 ,the removal of temptation will accomplish little1 unless higher tastes are formed and springs of purer pleasure opened to the masses for whom our civilization makes life so drab and colourless4 ,one finds traces of the primitive greatness of our nature even in its most deplorable errors4 ,just as impurity proceeds at the bottom from an abuse of the craving for love1 so drunkenness betrays a certain demand for ardour and enthusiasm1 which in itself is natural and even noble4444 ,man loves to feel himself alive2 he would fain live twice his life at once2 and he would rather draw excitement from horrible things than have no excitement at all 7,monod74 ,for the drunkards of ,ephesus the apostle finds a cure in the joys of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the mightiest and most moving spring of feeling is in the spirit of man kindred to ,god4 ,there is a deep excitement and refreshment1 a joy that human thought transcends1 in the love of ,god shed abroad in the heart and the communion of true saints1 which makes sensuous delights cheap and poor4 ,toil and care are forgotten1 sickness and trouble seem as nothing2 we can glory in tribulation and laugh in the face of death1 when the strong wine of ,god's consolations is poured into the soul4 ,be filled with the ,spirit1 says the apostle--or more strictly1 filled in the ,spirit2 since the ,holy ,spirit of ,god is the element of the believer's life1 surrounding while it penetrates his nature3 it is the atmosphere that he breathes1 the ocean in which he is immersed4 ,as a flood fills up the river-banks1 as the drunkard is filled with the wine that he drains without limit1 so the apostle would have his readers yield themselves to the tide of the ,spirit's coming and steep their nature in ,his influence4 ,the ,greek imperative1 moreover1 is present1 and describes this influence as ever going forth from the ,spirit 7,beet74 ,this is to be a continual replenishment4 ,paul has prayed that we may be filled unto all the fulness of ,god 7iii4 #ai71 and has bidden us grow to the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ 7iv4 #ac7 in whom we are made full 7,col4 ii4 #i73 in the replenishment of the ,spirit the fulness of ,god in ,christ is sensibly imparted4 ,god's fulness is the hidden and eternal spring of all that can fill our nature2 ,christ's fulness is its revelation and renewed communication to the race2 the ,holy ,spirit's fulness is its abiding energy within the soul and within the ,church4 ,thus possessed1 the ,church is truly the body of ,christ 7iv4 #d71 and the habitation of ,god 7ii4 #ba1 #bb74 ,the words of verses #ai1 #bj show that ,st ,paul is thinking of that presence of the ,spirit in the ,christian community1 which is the spring of its affections and activities4 ,the ,spirit of ,jesus1 the ,son of man1 is a kindly and gracious ,spirit1 the guardian of brotherhood and friendship1 the inspirer of pure social joys and genial converse4 ,the joy in the ,holy ,ghost that in its warmth and freshness filled the hearts of the first ,christians1 soared upward on the wings of song4 ,their very talk was music3 they spoke to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing and making melody with their heart to the ,lord4 ,love loves to sing4 ,its joys from out our hearts arise1 ,and speak and sparkle in our eyes1 ,and vibrate on our tongue4 ,all exalted sentiment tends to rhythmical expression4 ,there is a mystical alliance1 which is amongst the most significant facts in our constitution1 between emotion and art4 ,the rudest natures1 touched by high feeling1 will shape themselves to some sort of beauty1 to some grace and refinement of expression4 ,each new stirring of the pulse of man's common life has been marked by a re-birth of poetry and art4 ,the songs of ,mary and ,zechariah were the parents and patterns of a multitude of holy canticles4 ,in the ,psalms of ,scripture the ,new ,testament ,church found already an instrument of wide compass strung and tuned for her use4 ,we can imagine the delight with which the ,gentile ,christians would take up the ,psalter and draw out one and another of its pearls1 and would in turn recite them at their meetings1 and adapt them to their native measures and modes of song4 ,after a while1 they began to mix with the praise-songs of ,israel newer strains--hymns to the glory of ,christ and the ,father1 such as that with which this epistle opens1 needing but little change in form to make it a true poem1 and such as those which break in upon the dread visions of the ,apocalypse2 and added to these1 spiritual songs of a more personal and incidental character1 like ,simeon's ,nunc dimittis or ,paul's swan-song in his last letter to ,timothy4 ,in verse #ad above we detected1 as we thought1 an early ,church paraphrase of the ,old ,testament4 ,in later epistles addressed to ,ephesus1 there are fragments of just such artless chants as the ,asian ,christians1 exhorted and taught by their apostle1 were wont to sing in their assemblies3 see #a ,timothy iii4 #af1 and #b ,timothy ii4 #aa-ac4 ,upon this congenial soil1 we trace the beginnings of ,christian psalmody4 ,the parallel text of ,colossians 7iii4 #af7 discloses in the songs of the ,pauline ,churches a didactic as well as a lyric character4 ,the apostle bids his readers teach and admonish one another by psalms1 hymns1 spiritual songs4 ,the form of the sentence of chapter iv4 #d-f in this letter1 and of #a ,timothy iii4 #af1 suggests that these passages were destined for use as a chanted rehearsal of ,christian belief4 ,thus the word of ,christ dwelling richly in the heart1 poured itself freely from the lips1 and added to its grave discourse the charms of gladdening and spirit-stirring song4 ,as in their heathen days they were used to speak to each other1 in festive or solemn hours1 with hymns to ,artemis of the ,ephesians1 or ,dionysus giver of the vine1 or to ,persephon sad queen of the dead--in songs merry and gay1 too often loose and wanton2 in songs of the dark underworld and the grim ,furies and inexorable ,fate1 that told how life fleets fast and we must pluck its pleasures while we may2--so now the ,christians of ,ephesus and ,colossae1 of ,pergamum and of ,smyrna would sing of the universal ,father whose presence fills earth and sky1 of the ,son of ,his love1 ,his image amongst men1 who died in sacrifice for their sins and asked grace for ,his murderers1 of the joys of forgiveness and the cleansed heart1 of life eternal and the treasure laid up for the just in the heavenly places1 of ,christ's return in glory and the judgement of the nations and the world quickly to dissolve and perish1 of a brotherhood dearer than earthly kindred1 of the saints who sleep in ,jesus and in peace await ,his coming1 of the ,good ,shepherd who feeds ,his sheep and leads them to fountains of living water calling each by his name1 of creation redeemed and glorified by ,his love1 of pain and sorrow sanctified and the trials that make perfect in ,christ's discipline1 of the joy that fills the heart in suffering for ,him1 and the vision of ,his face awaiting us beyond the grave4 ,so reciting and chanting--now in single voice1 now in full chorus--singing the ,psalms of ,david to their ,greek music1 or hymns composed by their leaders1 or sometimes improvised in the rapture of the moment1 the ,churches of ,ephesus and of the ,asian cities lauded and glorified the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and the counsels of redeeming love4 ,so their worship and fellowship were filled with gladness4 ,thus in their great ,church meetings1 and in smaller companies1 many a joyous hour passed2 and all hearts were cheered and strengthened in the ,lord4 ,singing and playing1 says the apostle4 ,for music aided song2 voice and instrument blended in ,his praise whose glory claims the tribute of all creatures4 ,but it was with the heart1 even more than with voice or tuneful strings1 that melody was made4 ,for this inward music the ,lord listens4 ,where other skill is wanting and neither voice nor hand can take its part in the concert of praise1 ,he hears the silent gratitude1 the humble joy that wells upward when the lips are still or the full heart cannot find expression4 ,but the ,spirit who dwelt in the praises of the new ,israel1 was not confined to its public assemblings4 ,the people of ,christ should be always giving thanks1 for all things1 in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is one of ,st ,paul's commonest injunctions4 ,in everything give thanks1 he wrote to the ,thessalonians in his earliest extant letter 7#a ,ep4 v4 #ah74 ,for all things1 he says to the ,ephesians1--though fallen on evil days4 ,do we not know that to them that love ,god all things work together for good--evil days as well as good days8 ,nothing comes altogether amiss to the child of ,god4 ,in the heaviest loss1 the severest pain1 the sharpest sting of injury--in everything the ingenuity of love and the sweetness of patience will find some token of mercy4 ,if the evil is to our eyes all evil and we can see in it no reason for thanksgiving1 then faith will give thanks for that which we know not now1 but shall know hereafter4 ,always1 the apostle says1--for all things6 ,no room for a moment's discontent4 ,in this perfecting of praise he had himself undergone a long schooling in his four years' imprisonment4 ,now1 he tells us1 he has learnt the secret of contentment1 in whatsoever state 7,phil4 iv4 #ab74 ,let us try to learn it from him4 ,these words1 which we treat1 almost unconsciously1 as the exaggeration of homiletical appeal1 state no more than the sober possibility1 the experience attained by many a ,christian in circumstances of the greatest suffering and deprivation4 ,the love of ,god in ,jesus ,christ our ,lord suffices for the life and joy of man's spirit4 ,the twenty-first verse1 which seems to belong to a different line of thought1 in reality completes the foregoing paragraph4 ,in the ,corinthian ,church1 as we remember1 with its affluence of spiritual gifts1 there were so many ready to prophesy1 so many to sing and recite1 that confusion arose and the ,church meetings fell into disedifying uproar 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bf-cd74 ,the apostle would not have such scenes occur again4 ,hence when he urges the ,asian ,christians to seek the full inspiration of the ,spirit and to give free utterance in song to the impulses of their new life1 he adds this word of caution3 being subject to one another in fear of ,christ4 ,he reminds them that ,god is not the author of confusion4 ,his ,spirit is a spirit of seemliness and reverence4 ,in fear of ,christ1 the unseen witness and president of its assemblies1 the ,church will comport herself with the decorum that befits ,his bride4 ,the spirits of the prophets will be subject to the prophets4 ,the voices of the singers and the hands of them that play upon the strings of the harp or the keys of the organ1 will keep tune with the worship of ,christ's congregation4 ,each must consider that it is his part to serve and not rule in the service of ,god's house4 ,in our common work and worship1 in all the offices of life this is the ,christian law4 ,no man within ,christ's ,church1 however commanding his powers1 may set himself above the duty of submitting his judgement and will to that of his fellows4 ,in mutual subjection lies our freedom1 with our strength and peace4 ,,footnotes3 #ach ,see ch4 i4 #e-aa1 ii4 #ba1 iii4 #aa1 v4 #aj1 vi4 #f2 comp4 ,col4 i4 #i1 #bg1 iv4 #ab2 ,phil4 ii4 #ac1--;epistles of the same group4 ,,on ,,family ,,life4 ,,chapter v4 #bb-vi4 #i4 ,thel de hymas eidenai hoti pantos andros h kephal ho ,christos estin1 kephal de gynaikos ho anr1 kephal de tou ,christou ho ,theos4--#a ,,cor4 xi4 #c4 ,and pure ,religion breathing household laws4 ,w4 ,,wordsworth4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,christian ,,marriage4 ,wives1 be in subjection to your own husbands1 as unto the ,lord4 ,for the husband is the head of the wife1 as the ,christ also is the head of the ,church1 being ,himself the saviour of the body4 ,but as the ,church is subject to the ,christ1 so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything4 ,husbands1 love your wives1 even as the ,christ also loved the ,church1 and gave ,himself up for her2 that ,he might sanctify her1 having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word1 that ,he might present the ,church to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing2 but that she should be holy and without blemish4 ,even so ought husbands also to love their wives as their own bodies4 ,he that loveth his wife loveth himself3 for no man ever hated his own flesh2 but nourisheth and cherisheth it1 even as the ,christ also the ,church2 because we are members of ,his body4 ',for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife2 and the twain shall become one flesh4' ,this mystery is great3 but ,i speak in regard of ,christ and of the ,church4 ,nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself2 and let the wife see that she fear her husband4--,,eph4 v4 #bb-cc4 ,in mutual subjection the ,christian spirit has its sharpest trials and attains its finest temper4 ,be subject one to another1 was the last word of the apostle's instructions respecting the walk of the ,asian ,churches4 ,by its order and subjection the gifts of all the members of ,christ's body are made available for the upbuilding of ,god's temple4 ,the inward fellowship of the ,spirit becomes a constructive and organizing force1 reconstituting human life and framing the world into the kingdom of ,christ and ,god4 ,in fear of ,christ the loyal ,christian man submits himself to the community2 not from the dread of human displeasure1 but knowing that he must give account to the ,head of the ,church and the ,judge of the last day1 if his self-will should weaken the ,church's strength and interrupt her holy work4 ,for the ,lord's sake ,his freemen submit to every ordinance of men4 ,this is such a fear as the servant has of a good master 7vi4 #e71 or the true wife for a loving husband 7ver4 #cc71--not that which perfect love casts out1 but which it deepens and sanctifies4 99 99 99 99 99 ,of this subjection to ,christ the relationship of marriage furnishes an example and a mirror4 ,st ,paul passes on to the new topic without any grammatical pause1 verse #bb being simply an extension of the participial clause that forms verse #ba3 ,being in subjection to one another in fear of ,christ--ye wives to your own husbands1 as to the ,lord4 ,the relation of the two verses is not that of the particular to the general1 so much as that of image and object1 of type and antitype4 ,submission to ,christ in the ,church suggests by analogy that of the wife to her husband in the house4 ,both have their origin in ,christ1 in whom all things were created1 the ,lord of life in its natural as well as in its spiritual and regenerate sphere 7,col4 i4 #ae-ag74 ,the bond that links husband and wife1 lying at the basis of collective human existence1 has in turn its ground in the relation of ,christ to humanity4 ,the race springs not from a unit1 but from a united pair4 ,the history of mankind began in wedlock4 ,the family is the first institution of society1 and the mother of all the rest4 ,it is the life-basis1 the primitive cell of the aggregate of cities and bodies politic4 ,in the health and purity of household life lies the moral wealth1 the vigour and durability of all civil institutions4 ,the mighty upgrowth of nations and the great achievements of history germinated in the nursery of home and at the mother's breast4 ,christian marriage is not an expedient--the last of many that have been tried--for the satisfaction of desire and the continuance of the human species4 ,the ,institutor of human life laid down its principle in the first frame of things4 ,its establishment was a great prophetic mystery 7ver4 #cb74 ,its law stands registered in the eternal statutes4 ,and the ,almighty ,father watches over its observance with an awful jealousy4 ,is it not written3 ,fornicators and adulterers ,god will judge2 and again1 ,the ,lord is an avenger concerning all these things8 ,st ,paul rightly gives to this subject a conspicuous place in this epistle of ,christ and the ,church4 ,the corner-stone of the new social order which the gospel was to establish in the world lies here4 ,the entire influence of the ,church upon society depends upon right views on the relationship of man and woman and on the ethics of marriage4 ,in wedlock there are blended most completely the two principles of association amongst moral beings1--viz41 authority and love1 submission and self-surrender4 ,i4 ,on the one side1 submission to authority4 ,wives1 be in subjection1 as to the ,lord1--as is fitting in the ,lord 7,col4 iii4 #ah74 ,again1 in #a ,timothy ii4 #aa1 #ab1 the apostle writes3 ,i suffer not a woman to teach1 nor to have dominion1 or 7as the word may rather signify7 to act independently of the man4 ,were these directions temporary and occasional8 ,were they due1 as one hears it suggested1 to the uneducated and undeveloped condition of women in the apostle's time8 ,or do they not affirm a law that is deeply seated in nature and in the feminine constitution8 ,the words of #a ,corinthians xi4 #b-ae show that1 in the apostle's view of life1 this subordination is fundamental4 ,the head of woman is the man1 as the head of every man is the ,christ and the head of ,christ is ,god4 ,the woman1 he says1 is of the man1 and was created because of the man4 ,whether these sentences square with our modern conceptions or not1 there they stand1 and their import is unmistakable4#aci ,they teach that in the ,divine order of things it is the man's part to lead and rule1 and the woman's part to be ruled4 ,but the ,christian woman will not feel that there is any loss or hardship in this4 ,for in the ,christian order1 ambition is sin4 ,to obey is better than to rule4 ,she remembers who has said3 ,i am amongst you as he that serveth4 ,the children of the world strive for place and power2 but it shall not be so amongst you4 ,such subordination implies no inferiority1 rather the opposite4 ,a free and sympathetic obedience--which is the true submission--can only subsist between equals4 ,the apostle writes3 ,children1 obey2 444 ,servants1 obey 7vi4 #a1 #e72 but ,wives1 submit yourselves to your own husbands1 as to the ,lord4 ,the same word denotes submission within the ,church1 and within the house4 ,it is here that ,christianity1 in contrast with ,paganism1 and notably with ,mohammedanism1 raises the weaker sex to honour4 ,in soul and destiny it declares the woman to be man1 endowed with all rights and powers inherent in humanity4 ,in ,christ ,jesus there is no male and female1 any more than there is ,jew and ,greek or bond and free4 ,the same sentence which broke down the barriers of ,jewish caste1 and in course of time abolished slavery1 condemned the odious assumptions of masculine pride4 ,it is one of the glories of our faith that it has enfranchised our sisters1 and raises them in spiritual calling to the full level of their brothers and husbands4 ,both sexes are children of ,god by the same birthright2 both receive the same ,holy ,spirit1 according to the prediction quoted by ,st ,peter on the day of ,pentecost3 ,your sons and your daughters shall prophesy4444 ,yea1 on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days will ,i pour out of my ,spirit1 saith the ,lord 7,acts ii4 #ag1 #ah74 ,this one point of headship1 of public authority and guidance1 is reserved4 ,it is the point on which ,christ forbids emulation amongst ,his people4 ,christian courtesy treats the woman as the glory of the man2 it surrounds her from girlhood to old age with protection and deference4 ,this homage1 duly rendered1 is a full equivalent for the honour of visible command4 ,when1 as it happens not seldom in the partnership of life1 the superior wisdom dwells with the weaker vessel1 the golden gift of persuasion is not wanting1 by which the official ruler is guided1 to his own advantage1 and his adviser accomplishes more than she could do by any overt leadership4 ,the chivalry of the ,middle ,ages1 from which the refinement of ,european society takes its rise1 was a product of ,christianity grafted on the ,teutonic nature4 ,notwithstanding the folly and excess that was mixed with it1 there was a beautiful reverence in the old knightly service and championship of women4 ,it humanized the ferocity of barbarous times4 ,it tamed the brute strength of warlike races and taught them honour and gentleness4 ,its prevalence marked a permanent advance in civilization4 ,shall we say that this law of ,st ,paul is that laid down specifically for ,christian women8 is it not rather a law of nature--the intrinsic propriety of sex1 whose dictates are reinforced by the ,christian revelation8 ,the apostle takes us back to the creation of mankind for the basis of his principles in dealing with this subject 7ver4 #ca74 ,the new commandments are the old which were in the world from the beginning1 though concealed and overgrown with corruption4 ,notwithstanding the debasement of marriage under the non-,christian systems1 the instincts of natural religion taught the wife her place in the house and gave rise to many a graceful and appropriate custom expressive of the honour due from one sex to the other4 ,so the apostle regarded the man's bared and cropped head and the woman's flowing tresses as symbols of their relative place in the ,divine order 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #ac-ae74 ,these and such distinctions--between the dignities of strength and of beauty--no artificial sentiment and no capricious revolt can set aside1 while the world stands4 ,st ,paul appeals to the common sense of mankind1 to that which nature itself teaches1 in censuring the forwardness of some ,corinthian women who appeared to think that the liberty of the gospel released them from the limitations of their nature4 ,some earnest promoters of women's rights have fallen into the error that ,christianity1 to which they owe all that is best in their present status1 is the obstacle in the way of their further progress4 ,it is an obstacle to claims that are against nature and against the law of ,god1--claims only tolerable so long as they are exceptional4 ,but the barriers imposed by ,christianity1 against which these people fret1 are their main protection4 ,the moment ,christianity disappears1 the law of strength revives2 and under that law women can have no hope except that their slavery may be mild and pleasant4 ,to escape from the bondage of ,christian law means to go back to the bondage of paganism4 ,as unto the ,lord gives the pattern and the principle of the ,christian wife's submission4 ,not that1 as ,meyer seems to put it1 the husband in virtue of marriage represents ,christ to the wife4 ,her relation to the ,lord is as full1 direct1 and personal as his4 ,indeed1 the clause inserted at the end of verse #bc seems expressly designed to guard against this exaggeration4 ,the qualification that ,christ is ,himself ,saviour of the body1 thrown in between the two sentences comparing the marital headship to that which ,christ holds towards the ,church1 has the effect of limiting the former4#adj ,the subjection of the ,christian wife to her husband reserves for ,christ the first place in the heart and the undiminished rights of ,saviourship4 ,st ,paul indicates a real1 and not unfrequent danger4 ,the husband may eclipse ,christ in the wife's soul1 and be counted as her all in all4 ,her absorption in him may be too complete4 ,hence the brief guarding clause3 ,he ,himself and no other ,saviour of the body to which all believers alike belong4 ,as the ,saviour of the ,church1 ,christ holds an unrivalled and unqualified lordship over every member of the same4 ,nevertheless1 as the ,church is subject to the ,christ1 so also wives should be to their husbands in everything 7ver4 #bd74 ,again1 in verse #cc3 ,let the wife see that she fear her husband--with the reverent and confiding fear which love makes sweet4 ,as the ,christian wife obeys the ,lord ,christ in the spiritual sphere1 in the sphere of marriage she is subject to her husband4 ,the ties that bind her to ,christ1 bind her more closely to the duties of home4 ,these duties illustrate for her the submissive love that ,christ's people1 and herself as one of them1 owe to their ,divine ,head4 ,her service in the ,church1 in turn1 will send her home with a quickened sense of the sacredness of her domestic calling4 ,it will lighten the yoke of obedience2 it will check the discontent that masculine exactions provoke2 and will teach her to win by patience and gentleness the power within the house that is her queenly crown4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle alludes to submission as the wife's duty2 for she might1 possibly1 be tempted to think this superseded by the liberty of the children of ,god4 ,love he need not enjoin upon her2 but he writes3 ,husbands1 love your wives1 even as the ,christ also loved the ,church and gave up ,himself for her 7comp4 ,col4 iii4 #ah1 #ai74 ,the danger of selfishness lies on the masculine side4 ,the man's nature is more exacting2 and the self-forgetfulness and solicitous affection of the woman may blind him to his own want of the truest love4 ,full of business and with a hundred cares and attractions lying outside the domestic circle1 he too readily forms habits of self-absorption and learns to make his wife and home a convenience1 from which he takes as his right the comfort they have to give1 imparting little of devotion and confidence in return4 ,this lack of love denies the higher rights of marriage2 it makes the wife's submission a joyless constraint4 ,along with this selfishness and the uneasy conscience attending it1 there supervenes sometimes an irritability of temper that chafes over domestic troubles and makes a grievance of the most trifling mishap or inadvertence1 ignoring the wife's patient affection and anxiety to please4 ,too often in this way husbands grow insensibly into family tyrants1 forgetting the days of youth and the kindness of their espousals4 ,there are many1 says ,bengel 7on this point unusually caustic71 who out of doors are civil and kind to all2 when at home1 toward their wives and children1 whom they have no need to fear1 they freely practise secret bitterness4 ,love your wives1 even as the ,christ loved the ,church4 ,what a glory this confers upon the husband's part in marriage6 ,his devotion pictures1 as no other love can1 the devotion of ,christ to ,his redeemed people4 ,his love must therefore be a spiritual passion1 the love of soul to soul1 that partakes of ,god and of eternity4 ,of the three ,greek words for love1--eros1 familiar in ,greek poetry and mythology1 denoting the flame of sexual passion1 is not named in the ,new ,testament2 philia1 the love of friendship1 is tolerably frequent1 in its verb at least2 but agap absorbs the former and transcends both4 ,this exquisite word denotes love in its spiritual purity and depth1 the love of ,god and of ,christ1 and of souls to each other in ,god4 ,this is the specific ,christian affection4 ,it is the attribute of ,god who loved the world and gave ,his ,son the ,only-begotten1 of the ,christ who loved the ,church and gave up ,himself for her4 ,self-devotion1 not self-satisfaction1 is its note4 ,its strength and authority it uses as material for sacrifice and instruments of service1 not as prerogatives of pride or titles to enjoyment4 ,let this mind be in you1 ,o husband1 toward your wife1 which was also in ,christ ,jesus1 who was meek and lowly in heart1 counting it ,his honour to serve and ,his reward to save and bless4 ,from verse #bf we gather that ,christ is the husband's model1 not only in the rule of self-devotion1 but in the end toward which that devotion is directed3 that ,he might sanctify the ,church1--that ,he might present her to ,himself a glorious ,church without spot or wrinkle1--that she might be holy and without blemish4 ,the perfection of the wife's character will be to the religious husband one of the dearest objects in life4 ,he will desire for her that which is highest and best1 as for himself4 ,he is put in charge of a soul more precious to him than any other1 over which he has an influence incomparably great4 ,this care he cannot delegate to any priest or father-confessor4 ,the peril of such delegation and the grievous mischiefs that arise when there is no spiritual confidence between husband and wife1 when through unbelief or superstition the head of the house hands over his priesthood to another man1 are painfully shown by the experience of ,roman ,catholic countries4 ,the irreligion of laymen1 the carelessness and unworthiness of fathers and husbands are responsible for the baneful influences of the confessional4 ,the apostle bade the ,corinthian wives1 who were eager for religious knowledge1 to ask their husbands at home 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #ce74 ,christian husbands should take more account of their office than they do2 they should not be strangers to the spiritual trials and experiences of the heart so near to them4 ,it might lead them to walk more worthily and to seek higher religious attainments1 if they considered that the shepherding of at least one soul devolves upon themselves1 that they are unworthy of the name of husband without such care for the welfare of the soul linked to their own as ,christ bears toward ,his bride the ,church4 ,those who have no father or husband to look to1 or who look in vain to this quarter for spiritual help1 ,st ,paul refers1 beside the light and comfort of ,scripture and the public ministry and fellowship of the ,church1 to the aged women who are the natural guides and exemplars of the younger in their own sex 7,titus ii4 #c-e74 ,the selfishness of the stronger sex1 supported by the force of habit and social usage1 was hard to subdue in the ,greek ,christian ,churches4 ,through some eight verses ,st ,paul labours this one point4 ,in verse #bh he adduces another reason1 added to the example of ,christ1 for the love enjoined4 ,so ought men indeed to love their wives as their own bodies4 ,he that loveth his wife loveth himself4 ,the ,so gathers its force from the previous example4 ,in loving us ,christ does not love something foreign and1 as it were1 outside of ,himself4 ,we are members of ,his body 7ver4 #cj74 ,it is the love of the ,head to the members1 of the ,son of man to the sons of men1 whose race-life is founded in ,him4 ,jesus ,christ laid it down as the highest law1 under that of love to ,god3 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,his love to us followed this rule4 ,his life was wrapped up in ours4 ,by such community of life self-love is transfigured1 and exalted into the purest self-forgetting4 ,thus it is with true marriage4 ,the wedding of a human pair makes each the other's property4 ,they are one flesh 7ver4 #ca72 and so long as the flesh endures there remains this consciousness of union1 whose violation is deadly sin4 ,as the ,church is not her own1 nor ,christ ,his own since ,he became man with men1 so the husband and wife are no longer independent and self-complete personalities1 but incorporated into a new existence common to both4 ,their love must correspond to this fact4 ,if the man loves himself1 if he values his own limbs and tends and guards from injury his bodily frame 7ver4 #bi71 he must do the same equally by his wife2 for her life and limbs are as a part of his own4 ,this the apostle lays down as an obvious duty4 ,nature teaches the obligation1 by every manly instinct4 ,the saying the apostle quotes in verse #ca dates from the origin of the human family2 it is taken from the lips of the first husband and father of the race1 while as yet unstained by sin 7,gen4 ii4 #bc1 #bd74 ,christ infers from it the singleness and indelibility of the marriage covenant4 ,but this doctrine1 natural as it is1 was not inferred by natural religion4 ,the cultivated ,greek took a wife for the production of children4 ,her rights put no restriction upon his appetite4 ,love was not in the marriage contract4 ,if she received the maintenance due to her rank and the mistress-ship of the house1 and was the mother of his lawful children1 she had all that a free-born woman could demand4 ,the slave-woman had no rights4 ,her body was at her owner's disposal4 ,nothing in ,christianity appeared more novel and more severe1 in comparison with the dissolute morals of the time1 than the ,christian view of marriage4 ,even ,christ's ,jewish disciples seemed to think the state of wedlock intolerable under the condition ,he imposed4 ,this want of reverence and constancy between the sexes was a main cause of the degeneracy of the age4 ,all virtues disappear with this one4 ,roman manliness and uprightness1 ,greek courtesy and courage1 filial piety1 civic worth1 loyalty in friendship--the qualities that once in a high degree adorned the classic nations1 were now rare amongst men4 ,in the most exalted ranks infamous vices flourished2 and purity of life was a cause for odium and suspicion4 ,amidst this seething mass of corruption the ,spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus created new hearts and new homes4 ,it kindled a pure fire on the desecrated hearth4 ,it taught man and woman a chaste love2 and their alliances were formed in sanctification and honour1 not in the passion of lust as it is with the ,gentiles who know not ,god 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #c-f74 ,every ,christian house1 thus based on an honourable and religious union1 became the centre of a leaven that wrought upon the corrupt society around4 ,it held forth an example of wedded loyalty and domestic joy beautiful and strange in that loveless ,pagan world4 ,children grew up trained in pure and gentle manners4 ,from that hour the hope of a better day began4 ,the influence of the new ideal1 filtrating everywhere into the surrounding heathenism and assimilating even before it converted the hostile world1 raised society1 though gradually and with many relapses1 from the extreme debasement of the age of the ,caesars4 ,never subsequently have the morals of civilized mankind sunk to a level quite so low4 ,the ,christian conception of love and marriage opened a new era for mankind4 ,,footnotes3 #aci ,see ,dr4 ,maclaren's admirable words on this subject in ,colossians and ,philemon 7,expositor's ,bible71 pp4 #ccf-dj2 and ,dr4 ,dale's ,lectures on ,ephesians1 ,lect4 xix41 ,wives and ,husbands4 #adj ,in verse #bd ,st ,paul resumes with alla1 the but of opposition and not mere contrast1 indicating a case where the claims of husband and ,saviour may1 conceivably1 be in competition4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,bride4 ,the ,christ is the head of the ,church1 being ,himself the ,saviour of the body4444 ,the ,church is subject to the ,christ in everything4444 ,the ,christ loved the ,church1 and gave ,himself up for her2 that ,he might sanctify her1 having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word1 that ,he might present the ,church to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing2 but that she should be holy and without blemish4444 ,the ,christ nourisheth and cherisheth the ,church2 because we are members of ,his body4 ',for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall cleave to his wife2 and the twain shall become one flesh4' ,this mystery is great3 but ,i speak in regard of ,christ and of the ,church4--,,eph4 v4 #bc-cb4 ,we have extracted from the apostle's homily upon marriage the sentences referring to ,christ and ,his ,church1 in order to gather up their collective import4 ,the main topic of the epistle here again asserts itself2 and under the figure of marriage ,st ,paul brings to its conclusion his doctrine on the subject of the ,church4 ,this passage answers1 theologically1 a purpose similar to that of the allegory of ,hagar and ,sarah in the epistle to the ,galatians3 it lights up for the imagination the teaching and argument of the former part of the epistle2 it shows how the doctrine of ,christ and the ,church has its counterpart in nature1 as the struggle between the legal and evangelical spirit had its counterpart in the patriarchal history4 ,the three detached paragraphs present us three considerations1 of which we shall treat the second first in order of exposition3 ,christ's love to the ,church2 ,his authority over the ,church2 and the mystery of the ,church's origin in ,him4 ,i4 ,husbands1 love your wives1 even as the ,christ also loved the ,church1 and gave up ,himself for her4 ,this is parallel to the declaration of ,galatians ii4 #bj3 ,he loved me2 ,he gave up ,himself for me4 ,the sacrifice of the cross has at once its personal and its collective purpose4 ,both are to be kept in mind4 ,on the one hand1 we must value infinitely and joyfully assert our individual part in the redeeming love of the ,son of ,god2 but we must equally admit the sovereign rights of the ,church in the ,redeemer's passion4 ,our souls bow down before the glory of the love with which ,he has from eternity sought her for ,his own4 ,there is in some ,christians an absorption in the work of grace within their own hearts1 an individualistic salvation-seeking that1 like all selfishness1 defeats its end2 for it narrows and impoverishes the inner life thus sedulously cherished4 ,the ,church does not exist simply for the benefit of individual souls2 it is an eternal institution1 with an affiance to ,christ1 a calling and destiny of its own2 within that universal sphere our personal destiny holds its particular place4 ,it is the ,christ who stands1 throughout this context 7vv4 #bc-bi71 over against the ,church as her ,lover and ,husband2 whereas in the context of ,galatians ii4 #bj we read ,christ--the bare personal name--repeated again and again without the distinguishing article4 ,christ is the ,person whom the soul knows and loves1 with whom it holds communion in the ,spirit4 ,the ,christ is the same regarded in the wide scope of ,his nature and office1--the ,christ of humanity and of the ages4 ,the ,christ of this epistle expands the ,saviour's title to its boundless significance1 and gives breadth and length to that which in ,christ is gathered up into a single point4#ada ,this ,christ gave ,himself up for the ,church1--yielded ,himself to the death which the sins of ,his people merited and brought upon ,him4 ,under the same verb1 the apostle says in ,romans iv4 #be3 ,he was delivered because of our trespasses1 and raised up because of our justification--the sacrifice being there regarded on its passive side4 ,here1 as in ,galatians ii4 #bj1 the act is made ,his own1--a voluntary surrender4 ,no man taketh my life from me1 ,he said 7,john x4 #ah74 ,in ,his case alone amongst the sons of men1 death was neither natural nor inevitable4 ,his surrender of life was an absolute sacrifice4 ,he laid down ,his life for ,his friends1 as no other friend of man could do--the ,one who died for all4 ,the love measured by this sacrifice is proportionately great4 ,the sayings of verses #be-bg set the glory of the vicarious death in a vivid light4 ,of such worth was the person of the ,christ1 of such significance and moral value ,his sacrificial death1 that it weighed against the trespass1 not of a man--,paul or any other--but of a world of men4 ,he purchased through ,his own blood1 said ,paul to the ,ephesian elders1 the ,church of ,god 7,acts xx4 #bh7--the whole flock that feeds in the pastures of the ,great ,shepherd1 that has passed or will pass through the gates of ,his fold4 ,great was the honour and glory with which he was crowned1 when led as victim to the altar of the world's atonement 7,heb4 ii4 #i74 ,who will not say1 as the meek ,son of man treads so willingly ,his mournful path to ,calvary1 ,worthy is the ,lamb6 ,is not the heavenly ,bridegroom worthy of the bride1 that ,he consents to win by the sacrifice of ,himself6 ,he is worthy2 and she must be made worthy4 ,he gave up ,himself1 that ,he might sanctify her1--that ,he might ,himself present to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind1--that she may be holy and without blemish4 ,the sanctification of the ,church is the grand purpose of redeeming grace4 ,this was the design of ,god for ,his sons in ,christ before the world's foundation1 that we should be holy and unblemished before ,him 7i4 #d74 ,this1 therefore1 was the end of ,christ's mission upon earth2 this was the intention of ,his sacrificial death4 ,for their sakes1 said ,jesus concerning ,his disciples1 ,i sanctify myself1 that they also may be sanctified in truth 7,john xvii4 #ai74 ,his purchase of the ,church is no selfish act4 ,to ,god ,his ,father ,christ devotes every spirit of man that is yielded to ,him4 ,as the ,priest of mankind it was ,his office thus to consecrate humanity1 which is already in purpose and in essence sanctified through the offering of the body of ,jesus ,christ once for all 7,heb4 x4 #aj74 ,only in this passage1 where the apostle is thinking of the preparation of the ,church for its perfect union with its ,head1 does he name ,christ as our ,sanctifier2 in #a ,corinthians i4 #b he comes near this expression1 addressing his readers as men sanctified in ,christ ,jesus4 ,in the epistle to the ,hebrews this character is largely ascribed to ,him1 being the function of ,his priesthood4 ,one in nature with the sanctified1 ,jesus our great ,priest sanctifies us through ,his own blood1 so that with cleansed consciences we may draw near to the living ,god4#adb ,as ,christ the ,priest stands towards ,his people1 so ,christ the ,husband towards ,his ,church4 ,he devotes her with ,himself to ,god4 ,he cleanses her that she may dwell with ,him for ever1 a spotless bride1 dead unto sin and living unto ,god through ,him4 ,that ,he might sanctify her1 having cleansed her in the laver of water by the word4 ,the ,church's purification is antecedent in thought to her sanctification through the sacrifice of ,christ2 and it is a means thereto4 ,ye were washed1 ye were sanctified1 writes the apostle in #a ,corinthians vi4 #aa1 putting the two things in the same order4 ,it is the order of doctrine which he has laid down in the epistle to the ,romans1 where sanctification is built on the foundation laid in justification through the blood of ,christ4 ,through the virtue of the sacrificial death the ,church in all her members was washed from the defilements of sin1 that she might enter upon ,god's service4 ,of the same initial purification of the heart ,st ,john writes in his first epistle 7i4 #g-i73 ,the blood of ,jesus1 ,god's ,son1 cleanses us from all sin4444 ,he is faithful and just1 that ,he should forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 ,this is the redemption through ,christ's blood1 for which ,st ,paul in his first words of praise called upon us to bless ,god 7i4 #g74 ,it is the special distinction of the ,new ,covenant1 which renders possible its other gifts of grace1 that the worshippers once cleansed need have no further consciousness of sins 7,heb4 x4 #b1 #ad-ah74 ,in the theological use here made of the idea of cleansing1 ,st ,paul comes into line with ,st ,john and the epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,the purification is nothing else than that which he has elsewhere styled justification4 ,he employs the terms synonymously in the later epistle to ,titus 7ii4 #ad2 iii4 #g74 ,having cleansed is a phrase congruous with the figure of the laver1 or bath 7comp4 again ,tit4 iii4 #e-g71--;an image suggested1 as one would think1 by the bride-bath of the wedding-day in the ancient marriage customs4 ,to this ,st ,paul sees a counterpart in baptism1 the laver of water in the word4 ,the cleansing and withal refreshing virtues of water made it an obvious symbol of regeneration4 ,the emblem is twofold2 it pictures at once the removal of guilt1 and the imparting of new strength4 ,one goes into the bath exhausted1 and covered with dust2 one comes out clean and fresh4 ,hence the baptism of the new believer in ,christ had1 in ,st ,paul's view1 a double aspect4#adc ,it looked backward to the old life of sin abandoned1 and forward to the new life of holiness commenced4 ,thus it corresponded to the burial of ,jesus 7,rom4 vi4 #d71 the point of juncture between death and resurrection4 ,baptism served as the visible and formal expression of the soul's passage through the gate of forgiveness into the sanctified life4 ,along with this older teaching1 a further and kindred significance is now given to the baptismal rite4 ,it denotes the soul's affiance to its ,lord4 ,as the maiden's bath on the morning of her marriage betokened the purity in which she united herself to her betrothed1 so the baptismal laver summons the ,church to present herself a chaste virgin unto ,christ 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #b74 ,it signifies and seals her forgiveness1 and pledges her in all her members to await the ,bridegroom in garments unspotted from the world1 with the pure and faithful love which will not be ashamed before ,him at ,his coming4 ,for this end ,christ set up the baptismal laver4 ,upon our construction of the text1 the words that ,he might sanctify her express a purpose complete in itself--viz41 that of the ,church's consecration to ,god4 ,then follow the means to this sanctification3 having cleansed her in the water-bath through the word1--which washing1 at the same time1 has its purpose on the part of the ,lord who appointed it--viz41 that ,he might present her to ,himself a glorious and spotless ,church4 ,at the end of verse #bg the sentence doubles back upon itself1 in ,paul's characteristic fashion4 ,the twofold aim of ,christ's sacrifice of love on the ,church's behalf--viz41 her consecration to ,god1 and her spotless purity fitting her for perfect union with her ,lord--is restated in the final clause1 by way of contrast with the spots and wrinkles and such-like things that are washed out3 but that she may be holy and without blemish4 ,we passed by1 for the moment1 the concluding phrase of verse #bf1 with which the apostle qualifies his reference to the baptismal cleansing2 we are by no means forgetting it4 ,having cleansed her1 he writes1 by the laver of water in the word4 ,this adjunct is deeply significant4 ,it impresses on baptism a spiritual character1 and excludes every theurgic conception of the rite1 every doctrine that gives to it in the least degree a mechanical efficacy4 ,without the word the sacrament could only influence man by magic1 outward or inward 7,dorner74 ,the word of which the apostle speaks1#add is that of chapter vi4 #ag1 ,god's word--the ,spirit's sword2 of ,romans x4 #h1 the word of faith which we proclaim2 of ,luke i4 #cg1 the word from ,god which shall not be powerless2 of ,john xvii4 #h1 etc41 the words that the ,father had given to the ,son1 and the ,son in turn to men4 ,it is the ,divine utterance1 spoken and believed4 ,in this accompaniment lies the power of the laver4 ,the baptismal affusion is the outward seal of an inward transaction1 that takes place in the spirit of believing utterers and hearers of the gospel word4 ,this saving word receives in baptism its concrete expression2 it becomes the verbum visibile4 ,the word in question is defined in ,romans x4 #h1 #i3 ,if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the ,lord ,jesus1 and believe in thy heart that ,god raised ,him from the dead1 thou shalt be saved6 ,let the hearer respond1 ,i do so confess and believe1 on the strength of this confession he is baptized1 and in the conjoint act of faith and baptism--in the obedience of faith signified by his baptism--he is saved from his past sins and made an heir of life eternal4 ,the rite is the simplest and most universal in application one can conceive4 ,in heathen countries baptism recovers its primitive significance1 as the decisive act of rupture with idolatry and acceptance of ,christ as ,lord1 which in our usage is often overlaid and forgotten4 ,this interpretation gives a key to the obscure text of ,st ,peter upon the same subject 7#a ,ep4 iii4 #ba73 ,baptism saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the questioning with regard to ,god of a good conscience1 through the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the vital constituent of the rite is not the application of water to the body1 but the challenge which the word makes therein to the conscience respecting the things of ,god1--the inquiry thus conveyed1 to which a sincere believer in the resurrection of ,christ makes joyful and ready answer4 ,it is1 in fine1 the appeal to faith contained in baptism that gives to the latter its saving worth4 ,the word that makes ,christian ordinances valid1 is not the past utterance of ,god alone1 which may remain a dead letter1 preserved in the oracles of ,scripture or the official forms of the ,church1 but that word alive and active1 re-spoken and transmitted from soul to soul by the breath of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,without this animating word of faith1 baptism is but the pouring or sprinkling of so much water on the body2 the ,lord's ,supper is only the consumption of so much bread and wine4 ,all the nations will at last1 in obedience to ,christ's command1 be baptized into the thrice-holy ,name2 and the work of baptism will be complete4 ,then the ,church will issue from her bath1 cleansed more effectually than the old world that emerged with ,noah from the deluge4 ,every spot and wrinkle will pass from her face3 the worldly passions that stained her features1 the fears and anxieties that knit her brow or furrowed her cheek1 will vanish away4 ,in her radiant beauty1 in her chaste and spotless love1 ,christ will lead forth ,his ,church before ,his ,father and the holy angels1 as a bride adorned for her husband4 ,from eternity ,he set ,his love upon her2 on the cross ,he won her back from her infidelity at the price of ,his blood4 ,through the ages ,he has been wooing her to ,himself1 and schooling her in wise and manifold ways that she might be fit for her heavenly calling4 ,now the end of this long task of redemption has arrived4 ,the message goes forth to ,christ's friends in all the worlds3 ,come1 gather yourselves to the great supper of ,god6 ,the marriage of the ,lamb is come1 and ,his wife hath made herself ready6 ,he hath given her fine linen bright and pure1 that she may array herself4 ,let us rejoice and exult1 and give to ,him the glory6 ,through what cleansing fires1 through what baptisms even of blood she has still to pass ere the consummation is reached1 ,he only knows who loved her and gave ,himself for her4 ,he will spare to ,his ,church nothing1 either of bounty or of trial1 that her perfection needs4 ,,ii4 ,concerning ,christ's lordly authority over ,his ,church we have had occasion to speak already in other places4 ,a word or two may be added here4 ,we acknowledge the ,church to be subject to ,christ in everything4 ,we proclaim ourselves1 like the apostle1 slaves of ,christ ,jesus4 ,but this subjection is too often a form rather than a fact4 ,in protesting our independence of ,popish and priestly lords of ,god's heritage1 we are sometimes in danger of ignoring our dependence upon ,him1 and of dethroning1 in effect1 the one ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,christian communities act and speak too much in the style of political republics4 ,they assume the attitude of self-directing and self-responsible bodies4 ,the ,church is no democracy1 any more than it is an aristocracy or a sacerdotal absolutism3 it is a ,christocracy4 ,the people are not rulers in the house of ,god2 they are the ruled1 laity and ministers alike4 ,one is your ,master1 even the ,christ2 and all ye are brethren4 ,we acknowledge this in theory2 but our language and spirit would oftentimes be other than they are1 if we were penetrated by the sense of the continual presence and majesty of the ,lord ,christ in our assemblies4 ,royalties and nobilities1 and the holders of popular power--all whose names are named in this world1 along with the principalities in heavenly places1 when they come into the precincts of the ,church must lay aside their robes and forget their titles1 and speak humbly as in the ,master's presence4 ,what is it to the glorious ,church of ,jesus ,christ that ,lord ,so-and-so wears a coronet and owns half a county8 or that ,midas can fill her coffers1 if he is pleased and humoured8 or that this or that orator guides at his will the fierce democracy8 ,he is no more than a man who will die1 and appear before the judgement-seat of ,christ4 ,the ,church's protection from human tyranny1 from schemes of ambition1 from the intrusion of political methods and designs1 lies in her sense of the splendour and reality of ,christ's dominion1 and of her own eternal life in ,him4 ,,iii4 ,we come now to the profound mystery disclosed1 or half-disclosed at the end of this section1 that of the origination of the ,church from ,christ1 which accounts for ,his love to the ,church and ,his authority over her4 ,he nourishes and cherishes the ,church1 we are told in verses #bi1 #cj1 because we are members of ,his body4 ,now1 this membership is1 in its origin1 as old as creation4 ,god chose us in ,christ before the world's foundation 7i4 #d74 ,we were created in the ,son of ,god's love1 antecedently to our redemption by ,him4 ,such is the teaching of this and the companion epistle 7,col4 i4 #ad-ah74 ,christ recovers through the cross that which pertains inherently to ,him1 which belonged to ,him by nature and is as a part of ,himself4 ,from this standpoint the connexion of verses #cj and #ca becomes intelligible4#ade ,it is not1 strictly speaking1 on account of this2 but in correspondence with this#adf says the apostle1 suiting the original phrase to his purpose4 ,the derivation of ,eve from the body of ,adam1 as that is affirmed in the mysterious words of ,genesis1 is analogous to the derivation of the ,church from ,christ4 ,the latter relationship existed in its ideal1 and as conceived in the purpose of ,god1 prior to the appearance of the human race4 ,in ,st ,paul's theory1 the origin of woman in man which forms the basis of marriage in ,scripture1 looked further back to the origin of humanity in ,christ ,himself4 ,the train of thought that the apostle resumes here he followed in #a ,corinthians xi4 #c-ab3 ,i would have you know that the head of every man is the ,christ1 and the head of the woman is the man1 and the head of ,christ is ,god4444 ,man is the image and glory of ,god3 but the woman is the glory of the man4 ,for the man is not of the woman2 but the woman of the man4 ,so it is with ,christ and ,his bride the ,church4 ,the ,,lord ,god caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man1 and he slept2 and ,he took one of his ribs1 and closed up the flesh instead thereof3 and the rib which the ,,lord ,god had taken from the man1 made ,he a woman1 and brought her to the man4 ,and the man said1 ,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh3 ,she shall be called ,woman ,isshah1 because she was taken out of ,man ,ish4 ,therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother1 and shall cleave unto his wife3 ,and they shall be one flesh 7,gen4 ii4 #ba-bd74 ,thus the first father of our race prophesied1 and sang his wedding song4 ,in some mystical1 but real sense1 marriage is a reunion1 the reincorporation of what had been sundered4 ,seeking his other self1 the complement of his nature1 the man breaks the ties of birth and founds a new home4 ,so the inspired author of the passage in ,genesis explains the origin of marriage1 and the instinct which draws the bridegroom to his bride4 ,but our apostle sees within this declaration a deeper truth1 kept secret from the foundation of the world4 ,when he speaks of this great mystery1 he means thereby not marriage itself1 but the saying of ,adam about it4 ,this text was a standing problem to the ,jewish interpreters4 ,but for my part1 says the apostle1 ,i refer it to ,christ and to the ,church4 ,st ,paul1 who has so often before drawn the parallel between ,adam and ,christ1 by the light of this analogy perceives a new and rich meaning in the old dark sentence4 ,it helps him to see how believers in ,christ1 forming collectively ,his body1 are not only grafted into ,him 7as he puts it in the epistle to the ,romans71 but were derived from ,him and formed in the very mould of ,his nature4 ,what is affirmed in ,colossians i4 #af1 #ag concerning the universe in general1 is true in its perfect degree of redeemed humanity3 ,in ,him were created all things1 as well as through ,him and for ,him4 ,eve was created in ,adam2 and ,adam in ,christ4 ,we are partakers of a ,divine nature1 by our spiritual origin in ,him who is the image of ,god and the root of humanity4 ,the union of the first human pair and every true marriage since1 being in effect1 as ,adam puts it1 a restoration and redintegration1 symbolizes the fellowship of ,christ with mankind4 ,this intention was in the mind of ,god at the institution of human life2 it took expression in the prophetic words of the ,book of ,genesis1 whose deeper sense ,st ,paul is now able for the first time to unfold4 ,in our union through grace and faith with ,christ crucified1 we realize again the original design of our being4 ,christ has purchased by ,his blood no new or foreign bride1 but her who was ,his from eternity1--the child who had wandered from the ,father's house1 the betrothed who had left her ,lord and ,spouse4 ,in regard to this mystery of our coherence in ,christ1 ,richard ,hooker says1 in words that suggest many aspects of this doctrine3 ,the ,church is in ,christ1 as ,eve was in ,adam4 ,yea1 by grace we are every one of us in ,christ and in ,his ,church1 as by nature we are in our first parents4 ,god made ,eve of the rib of ,adam4 ,and ,his ,church ,he frameth out of the very flesh1 the very wounded and bleeding side of the ,son of man4 ,his body crucified and ,his blood shed for the life of the world are the true elements of that heavenly being which maketh us such as ,himself is of whom we come4 ,for which cause the words of ,adam may be fitly the words of ,christ concerning ,his ,church1 'flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones--a true native extract out of mine own body1' ,so that in ,him1 even according to ,his manhood1 we according to our heavenly being are as branches in that root out of which they grow4#adg ,,footnotes3 #ada ,compare pp4 #dg1 #hc1 #afi1 #ahi4 #adb ,heb4 ii4 #i-ab1 ix4 #ad1 #ae1 x4 #e-bb1 xiii4 #ab4 #adc ,see ,rom4 vi4 #a-aa2 ,col4 ii4 #aa1 #ab2 #a ,cor4 x4 #b1 xii4 #ac4 #add ,en rhmati4 ,logos is word as expressive of thought4 ,rhma1 the utterance of a living voice1--a sentence1 pronouncement1 message2 it is the ,greek term employed in all the passages here cited4 #ade ,the words of ,his flesh and of ,his bones1 following members of ,his body in the ,a4,v41 appear to be an ancient gloss adopted by the ,greek copyists1 which was suggested by ,gen4 ii4 #bc4 ,they are unsuitable to the idea of a spiritual union1 and interrupt rather than help the apostle's exposition4 #adf ,st ,paul changes the ,heneken toutou of the original to ,anti toutou1 which conveys the idea that marriage has its counterpart in the fact that we are members of ,christ4 #adg ,ecclesiastical ,polity2 v4 #ef #g4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,christian ,,household4 ,children1 obey your parents in the ,lord3 for this is right4 ',honour thy father and mother1' which is a first commandment1 given in promise1--'that it may be well with thee1 and thou mayest live long on the earth4' ,and1 ye fathers1 provoke not your children to wrath3 but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the ,lord4 ,servants1 be obedient to them that according to the flesh are your lords1 with fear and trembling1 in singleness of your heart1 as unto the ,christ2 not in the way of eye-service1 as men-pleasers2 but as servants of ,christ1 doing the will of ,god from the soul2 with good will doing service1 as unto the ,lord1 and not unto men3 knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth1 the same shall he receive again from the ,lord1 whether he be bond or free4 ,and1 ye lords1 do the same things unto them1 and forbear threatening3 knowing that both their ,lord and yours is in heaven1 and there is no respect of persons with ,him4--,,eph4 vi4 #a-i4 ,the ,christian family is the cradle and the fortress of the ,christian faith4 ,here its virtues shine most brightly2 and by this channel its influence spreads through society and the course of generations4 ,marriage has been placed under the guardianship of ,god2 it is made single1 chaste and enduring1 according to the law of creation and the pattern of ,christ's union with ,his ,church4 ,with parents thus united1 family honour is secure2 and a basis is laid for reverence and discipline within the house4 ,i4 ,thus the apostle turns1 in the opening words of chapter vi41 from the husband and wife to the children of the household4 ,he addresses them as present in the assembly where his letter is read4 ,st ,paul accounted the children holy1 if but one parent belonged to the ,church 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #ad74 ,they were baptized1 as we presume1 with their fathers or mothers1 and admitted1 under due precautions1#adh to the fellowship of the ,church so far as their age allowed4 ,we cannot limit this exhortation to children of adult age4 ,the discipline and admonition of the ,lord prescribed in verse #d1 belong to children of tender years and under parental control4 ,obedience is the law of childhood4 ,it is1 in great part1 the child's religion1 to be practised in the ,lord4 ,the reverence and love1 full of a sweet mystery1 which the ,christian child feels towards its ,saviour and heavenly ,king1 add new sacredness to the claims of father and mother4 ,jesus ,christ1 the ,head over all things1 is the orderer of the life of boys and girls4 ,his love and ,his might guard the little one in the tendance of its parents4 ,the wonderful love of parents to their offspring1 and the awful authority with which they are invested1 come from the source of human life in ,god4 ,the ,latin pietas impressed a religious character upon filial duty4 ,this word signified at once dutifulness towards the gods1 and towards parents and kindred4 ,in the strength of its family ties and its deep filial reverence lay the secret of the moral vigour and the unmatched discipline of the ,roman commonwealth4 ,the history of ancient ,rome affords a splendid illustration of the fifth commandment4 ,for this is right1 says the apostle1 appealing to the instincts of natural religion4 ,the child's conscience begins here4 ,filial obedience is the primary form of duty4 ,the loyalties of after life take their colour from the lessons learnt at home1 in the time of dawning reason and incipient will4 ,hard indeed is the evil to remove1 where in the plastic years of childhood obedience has been associated with base fear1 with distrust or deceit1 where it has grown sullen or obsequious in habit4 ,from this root of bitterness there spring rank growths of hatred toward authority1 jealousies1 treacheries1 and stubbornness4 ,obedience rendered in the ,lord will be frank and willing1 careful and constant1 such as that which ,jesus rendered to the ,father4 ,st ,paul reminds the children of the law of the ,ten ,words1 taught to them in their earliest lessons from ,scripture4 ,he calls the command in question a first or chief commandment--just as the great rule1 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god1 is the first commandment2 for this is no secondary rule or minor precept1 but one on which the continuance of the ,church and the welfare of society depend4 ,it is a law fundamental as birth itself1 written not on the statute-book alone but on the tables of the heart4 ,moreover1 it is a command in promise--that takes the form of promise1 and holds out to obedience a bright future4 ,the two predicates--first and in promise--as we take it1 are distinct4 ,to merge them into one blunts their meaning4 ,this commandment is primary in its importance1 and promissory in its import4 ,the promise is quoted from ,exodus xx4 #ab1 as it stands in the ,septuagint1 where the ,greek ,christian children would read it4 ,but the last clause is abbreviated2 ,st ,paul writes upon the earth in place of the good land which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee4 ,this blessing is the heritage of dutiful children in every land4 ,those who have watched the history of godly families of their acquaintance1 will have seen the promise verified4 ,the obedience of childhood and youth rendered to a wise ,christian rule1 forms in the young nature the habits of self-control and self-respect1 of diligence and promptitude and faithfulness and kindliness of heart1 which are the best guarantees for happiness and success in life4 ,through parental nurture godliness secures its promise of the life that now is4 ,children are exhorted to submission3 fathers to gentleness4 ,do not1 the apostle says1 anger your children2 in the corresponding place in ,colossians1 ,do not irritate your children1 lest they be disheartened 7ch4 iii4 #ba74 ,in these parallel texts two distinct verbs are rendered by the one ,english word provoke4 ,the ,colossian passage warns against the chafing effect of parental exactions and fretfulness1 that tend to break the child's spirit and spoil its temper4 ,our text warns the father against angering his child by unfair or oppressive treatment4 ,from this verb comes the noun wrath 7or provocation7 used in chapter iv4 #bf1 denoting that stirring of anger which gives peculiar occasion to the devil4 ,not that the father is forbidden to cross his child's wishes1 or to do anything or refuse anything that may excite its anger4 ,nothing is worse for a child than to find that parents fear its displeasure1 and that it will gain its ends by passion4 ,but the father must not be exasperating1 must not needlessly thwart the child's inclinations and excite in order to subdue its anger1 as some will do even of set purpose1 thinking that in this way obedience is learnt4 ,this policy may secure submission2 but it is gained at the cost of a rankling sense of injustice4 ,household rule should be equally firm and kind1 neither provoking nor avoiding the displeasure of its subjects1 inflicting no severity for severity's sake1 but shrinking from none that fidelity demands4 ,with much parental fondness1 there is sometimes in family government a want of seriousness and steady principle1 an absence in father or mother of the sense that they are dealing with moral and responsible beings in their little ones1 and not with toys1 which is reflected in the caprice and self-indulgence of the children's maturer life4 ,such parents will give account hereafter of their stewardship with an inconsolable grief4 ,it is almost superfluous to insist on the apostle's exhortation to treat children kindly4 ,for them these are days of ,paradise1 compared with times not far distant4 ,never were the wants and the fancies of these small mortals catered for as they are now4 ,in some households the danger lies at the opposite extreme from that of over-strictness4 ,the children are idolized4 ,not their comfort and welfare only1 but their humours and caprices become the law of the house4 ,they are nourished indeed1 but not in the discipline and admonition of the ,lord4 ,it is a great unkindness to treat our children so that they shall be strangers to hardship and restriction1 so that they shall not know what real obedience means1 and have no reverence for age1 no habits of deference and self-denial4 ,it is the way to breed monsters of selfishness1 pampered creatures who will be useless and miserable in adult life4 ,discipline and admonition are distinguished as positive and negative terms4 ,the first is the training up of the child in the way that he should go2 the second checks and holds him back from the ways in which he should not go4 ,the former word 7paideia7--denoting primarily treating-as-a-boy--signifies very often chastisement2#adi but it has a wider sense1 embracing instruction besides4#aej ,it includes the whole course of training by which the boy is reared into a man4--,admonition is a still more familiar word with ,st ,paul4#aea ,it may be reproof bearing upon errors in the past2 or it may be warning1 that points out dangers lying in the future4 ,both these services parents owe to their children4 ,admonition implies faults in the nature of the child1 and wisdom in the father to see and correct them4 ,foolishness1 says the ,hebrew proverb1 is bound up in the heart of a child4 ,in the ,old ,testament discipline there was something over-stern4 ,the hardness of heart censured by the ,lord ,jesus1 which allowed of two mothers in the house1 put barriers between the father and his offspring that rendered the rod of correction more needful than it is under the rule of ,christ4 ,but correction1 in gentler or severer sort1 there must be1 so long as children spring from sinful parents4 ,the child's conscience responds to the kindly and searching word of reproof1 to the admonition of love4 ,this faithful dealing with his children wins for the father in the end a deep gratitude1 and makes his memory a guard in days of temptation and an object of tender reverence4 ,the child's obedience in the ,lord is its response to the discipline and admonition of the ,lord exercised by its parents4 ,the discipline which wise ,christian fathers give their children1 is the ,lord's discipline applied through them4 ,correction and instruction should proceed from the ,lord and be directed by the ,spirit of the ,lord1 in such a way that it is not so much the father who corrects his children and teaches them1 as the ,lord through him 7,monod74 ,thus the ,father of whom every family on earth is named1 within each ,christian house works all in all4 ,thus the chief ,shepherd1 through ,his under-shepherds1 guides and feeds the lambs of ,his flock4 ,by the gate of ,his fold fathers and mothers themselves have entered2 and the little ones follow with them4 ,in the pastures of ,his word they nourish them1 and rule them with ,his rod and staff4 ,to their offspring they become an image of the ,good ,shepherd and the ,father in heaven4 ,their office teaches them more of ,god's fatherly ways with themselves4 ,from their children's humbleness and confidence1 from their simple wisdom1 their hopes and fears and ignorances1 the elders learn deep and affecting lessons concerning their own relations to the heavenly ,father4 ,st ,paul's instruction to fathers applies to all who have the charge of children3 to schoolmasters of every degree1 whose work1 secular as it may be called1 touches the springs of moral life and character2 to teachers in the ,sunday school1 successors to the work that ,christ assigned to ,peter1 of shepherding ,his lambs4 ,these instructors supply the ,lord's nurture to multitudes of children1 in whose homes ,christian faith and example are wanting4 ,the ideas which children form of ,christ and ,his religion1 are gathered from what they see and hear in the school4 ,many a child receives its bias for life from the influence of the teacher before whom it sits on ,sunday4 ,the love and meekness of wisdom1 or the coldness or carelessness of the one who thus stands between ,christ and the infant soul1 will make or mar its spiritual future4 ,,ii4 ,from the children of the house the apostle proceeds to address the servants--slaves as they were1 until the gospel unbound their chains4 ,the juxtaposition of children and slaves is full of significance2 it is a tacit prophecy of emancipation4 ,it brings the slave within the household1 and gives a new dignity to domestic service4#aeb ,the ,greek philosophers regarded slavery as a fundamental institution1 indispensable to the existence of civilized society4 ,that the few might enjoy freedom and culture1 the many were doomed to bondage4 ,aristotle defines the slave as an animated tool1 and the tool as an inanimate slave4 ,two or three facts will suffice to show how utterly slaves were deprived of human rights in the brilliant times of the classic humanism4 ,in ,athens it was the legal rule to admit the evidence of a slave only upon torture1 as that of a freeman was received upon oath4 ,amongst the ,romans1 if a master had been murdered in his house1 the whole of his domestic servants1 amounting sometimes to hundreds1 were put to death without inquiry4 ,it was a common mark of hospitality to assign to a guest a female slave for the night1 like any other convenience4 ,let it be remembered that the slave population outnumbered the free citizens of the ,roman and ,greek cities by many times2 that they were frequently of the same race1 and might be even superior in education to their masters4 ,indeed1 it was a lucrative trade to rear young slaves and train them in literary and other accomplishments1 and then to let them out in these capacities for hire4 ,let any one consider the condition of society which all this involved1 and he will have some conception of the degradation in which the masses of mankind were plunged1 and of the crushing tyranny that the world laboured under in the boasted days of republican liberty and ,hellenic art4 ,no wonder that the new religion was welcome to the slaves of the ,pagan cities1 and that they flocked into the ,church4 ,welcome to them was the voice that said3 ,come unto me1 all ye that are burdened and heavy laden2 welcome the proclamation that made them ,christ's freedmen1 brethren beloved where they had been animated tools 7,philem4 #af74 ,in the light of such teaching1 slavery was doomed4 ,its re-adoption by ,christian nations1 and the imposition of its yoke on the negro race1 is amongst the great crimes of history1--a crime for which the white man has had to pay rivers of his blood4 ,the social fabric1 as it then existed1 was so entirely based upon slavery1 that for ,christ and the apostles to have proclaimed its abolition would have meant universal anarchy4 ,in writing to ,philemon about his converted slave ,onesimus1 the apostle does not say1 ,release him1 though the word seems to be trembling on his lips4 ,in #a ,corinthians vii4 #bj-bd he even advises the slave who has the chance of manumission to remain where he is1 content to be the ,lord's freedman4 ,to the ,christian slave what mattered it who ruled over his perishing body6 his spirit was free1 death would be his discharge and enfranchisement4 ,no decree is issued to abolish bond-service between man and man2 but it was destroyed in its essence by the spirit of ,christian brotherhood4 ,it melted away in the spread of the gospel1 as snow and winter melt before the face of spring4 ,ye slaves1 obey your lords according to the flesh4 ,the apostle does not disguise the slave's subservience2 nor does he speak in the language of pity or of condescension4 ,he appeals as a man to men and equals1 on the ground of a common faith and service to ,christ4 ,he awakens in these degraded tools of society the sense of spiritual manhood1 of conscience and loyalty1 of love and faith and hope4 ,as in ,colossians iii4 #bb-;iv4 #a1 the apostle designates the earthly master not by his common title 7despotes71 but by the very word 7kyrios7 that is the title of the ,lord ,christ1 giving the slave in this way to understand that he has1 in common with his master 7ver4 #i71 a higher ,lord in the spirit4 ,ye are slaves to the ,lord ,christ6 7,col4 iii4 #bd74 ,st ,paul is accustomed to call himself a slave of ,christ ,jesus4#aec ,nay1 it is even said1 in ,philippians ii4 #g1 that ,christ ,jesus took the form of a slave6 ,how much there was1 then1 to console the ,christian bondman for his lot4 ,in self-abnegation1 in the willing forfeiture of personal rights1 in his menial and unrequited tasks1 in submission to insult and injustice1 he found a holy joy4 ,his was a path in which he might closely follow the steps of the great ,servant of mankind4 ,his position enabled him to adorn the ,saviour's doctrine above other men 7,tit4 ii4 #i1 #aj74 ,affectionate1 gentle1 bearing injury with joyful courage1 the ,christian slave held up to that hardened and jaded ,pagan age the example which it most required4 ,god chose the base things of the world to bring to nought the mighty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the relations of servant and master will endure1 in one shape or other1 while the world stands4 ,and the apostle's injunctions bear upon servants of every order4 ,we are all1 in our various capacities1 servants of the community4 ,the moral worth of our service and its blessing to ourselves depend on the conditions that are here laid down4 #a4 ,there must be a genuine care for our work4 ,obey1 he says1 with fear and trembling1 in singleness of your heart1 as unto the ,christ4 ,the fear enjoined is no dread of human displeasure1 of the master's whip or tongue4 ,it is the same fear and trembling with which we are bidden to work out our own salvation 7,phil4 ii4 #ab74 ,the inward work of the soul's salvation and the outward work of the busy hands labouring in the mine or at the loom1 or in the lowliest domestic duties1--all alike are to be performed under a solemn responsibility to ,god and in the presence of ,christ1 the ,lord of nature and of men1 who understands every sort of work1 and will render to each of ,his servants a just and exact reward4 ,no man1 whether he be minister of state or stable-groom1 will dare to do heedless work1 who lives and acts in that august ,presence1-- ,as ever in the great ,task-master's eye4 #b4 ,the sense of ,christ's ,lordship ensures honesty in work4 ,so the apostle continues3 ,not with eye-service1 as men-pleasers4 ,both these are rare compound words1--the former indeed occurring only here and in the companion letter1 being coined1 probably1 by the writer for this use4 ,it is the common fault and temptation of servants in all degrees to observe the master's eye1 and to work busily or slackly as they are watched or not4 ,such workmen act as they do1 because they look to men and not to ,god4 ,their work is without conscience and self-respect4 ,the visible master says ,well done6 ,but there is another ,master looking on1 who says ,ill done6 to all pretentious doings and works of eye-service1--who sees not as man sees1 but judges with the act the motive and intent4 ,not on the vulgar mass ,called 'work' must sentence pass1 ,things done1 which took the eye and had the price4 ,in ,his book of accounts there is a stern reckoning in store for deceitful dealers and the makers-up of unsound goods1 in whatever handicraft or headcraft they are engaged4 ,let us all adopt ,st ,paul's maxim2 it will be an immense economy4 ,what armies of overlookers and inspectors we shall be able to dismiss1 when every servant works as well behind his master's back as to his face1 when every manufacturer and shopkeeper puts himself in the purchaser's place and deals as he would have others deal with him4 ,it was for the ,christian slaves of the ,greek trading cities to rebuke the ,greek spirit of fraud and trickery1 by which the common dealings of life in all directions were vitiated4 #c4 ,to the carefulness and honesty of the slave's daily labour he must even add heartiness3 as slaves of ,christ doing the will of ,god from the soul1 with good will doing service1 as to the ,lord and not to men4 ,they must do the will of ,god in the service of men1 as ,jesus ,christ ,himself did it1--and with ,his meekness and fortitude and unwearied love4 ,their work will thus be rendered from inner principle1 with thought and affection and resolution spent upon it4 ,that alone is the work of a man1 whether he preaches or ploughs1 which comes from the soul behind the hands and the tongue1 into which the workman puts as much of his soul1 of himself1 as the work is capable of holding4 #d4 ,add to all this1 the servant's anticipation of the final reward4 ,in each case1 whatsoever one may do that is good1 this he will receive from the ,lord1 whether he be a bondman or a freeman4 ,the complementary truth is given in the ,colossian letter3 ,he who does wrong1 will receive back the wrong that he did4 ,the doctrine of equal retribution at the judgement-seat of ,christ matches that of equal salvation at the cross of ,christ4 ,how trifling and evanescent the differences of earthly rank appear1 in view of these sublime realities4 ,there is a ,lord in heaven1 alike for servant and for master1 with whom is no respect of persons 7ver4 #i74 ,this grand conviction beats down all caste-pride4 ,it teaches justice to the mighty and the proud2 it exalts the humble1 and assures the down-trodden of redress4 ,no bribery or privilege1 no sophistry or legal cunning will avail1 no concealment or distortion of the facts will be possible in that ,court of final appeal4 ,the servant and the master1 the monarch and his meanest subject will stand before the bar of ,jesus ,christ upon the same footing4 ,and the poor slave1 wonderful to think1 who was faithful in the few things of his drudging earthly lot1 will receive the many things of a son of ,god and a joint-heir with ,christ6 99 99 99 99 99 ,and1 ye lords1 do the same things towards them--be as good to your slaves as they are required to be towards you4 ,a bold application this of ,christ's great rule3 ,what you would that men should do to you1 do even so to them4 ,in many instances this rule suggested liberation1 where the slave was prepared for freedom4 ,in any case1 the master is to put himself in his dependant's place1 and to act by him as he would desire himself to be treated if their positions were reversed4 ,slaves were held to be scarcely human4 ,deceit and sensuality were regarded as their chief characteristics4 ,they must be ruled1 the moralists said1 by the fear of punishment4 ,this was the only way to keep them in their place4 ,the ,christian master adopts a different policy4 ,he desists from threatening2 he treats his servants with even-handed justice1 with fit courtesy and consideration4 ,the recollection is ever present to his mind1 that he must give account of his charge over each one of them to his ,lord and theirs4 ,so he will make1 as far as in him lies1 his own domain an image of the kingdom of ,christ4 ,,footnotes3 #adh ,we cannot absolutely prove infant baptism from the ,new ,testament texts adduced on its behalf2 but they afford a strong presumption in its favour1 which is confirmed on the one hand by the analogy of circumcision1 and on the other by the immemorial usage of the early ,church4 ,titus i4 #f shows that stress was laid on the faith of children1 and that discrimination was used in their recognition as ,church members4 #adi #a ,cor4 xi4 #cb2 ,heb4 xii4 #e1 #aa1 etc4 #aej ,acts vii4 #bb1 xxii4 #c2 ,rom4 ii4 #bj2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #be1 iii4 #ad4 #aea #a ,cor4 x4 #aa2 ,col4 i4 #bh1 iii4 #af2 #a ,thess4 v4 #ad1 etc4 #aeb ,the word family 7,latin familia7 denoted originally the servants of the establishment1 the domestic slaves4 ,its modern usage is an index to the elevating influence of ,christianity upon social relations4 #aec ,rom4 i4 #a2 #b ,cor4 iv4 #e2 ,gal4 i4 #aj1 etc4 ,,on ,,the ,,approaching ,,conflict4 ,,chapter vi4 #aj-bj4 ,idou ho ,satanas extsato hymas1 tou siniasai hs to siton4 ,,luke xxii4 #ca4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,foes ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,from henceforth be strong in the ,lord1 and in the might of ,his strength4 ,put on the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil4 ,for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood1 but against the principalities1 against the powers1 against the world-rulers of this darkness1 against the spiritual hosts of wickedness1 in the heavenly places4--,,eph4 vi4 #aj-ab4 ,we follow the ,revised reading of the opening word of this paragraph1 and the preferable rendering given by the ,revisers in their margin4 ,the adverb is the same that is found in ,galatians vi4 #ag 7,henceforth let no man trouble me72 not that used in ,philippians iii4 #a and elsewhere 7,finally1 my brethren1 etc474 ,the copyists have conformed our text1 seemingly1 to the latter passage4 ,we are recalled to the circumstances and occasion of the epistle4 ,high as ,st ,paul soars in meditation1 he does not forget the situation of his readers4 ,the words of chapter iv4 #ad showed us how well aware he is of the dangers looming before the ,asian ,churches4 ,the epistle to the ,colossians is altogether a letter of conflict 7see ch4 ii4 #a ff474 ,in writing that letter ,st ,paul was wrestling with spiritual powers1 mighty for evil1 which had commenced their attack upon this outlying post of the ,ephesian province4 ,he sees in the sky the cloud portending a desolating storm4 ,the clash of hostile arms is heard approaching4 ,this is no time for sloth or fear1 for a faith half-hearted or half-equipped4 ,you have need of your best manhood and of all the weapons of the spiritual armoury1 to hold your ground in the conflict that is coming upon you4 ,henceforth be strong in the ,lord1 and in the might of ,his strength4 ,it is the apostle's call to arms6--,be strengthened in the ,lord1 he says 7to render the imperative literally3 so in #b ,timothy ii4 ,i74 ,make ,his strength your own4 ,the strength he bids them assume is power1 ability1 strength adequate to its end4#aed ,the might of ,his strength repeats the combination of terms we found in chapter i4 #ai4 ,that sovereign power of the ,almighty which raised ,jesus our ,lord from the dead1 belongs to the ,lord ,christ ,himself4 ,from its resources ,he will clothe and arm ,his people4 ,in the ,lord1 says ,israel evermore1 is righteousness and strength4 ,the rock of my salvation and my refuge is in ,god4 ,the ,church's strength lies in the almightiness of her risen ,lord1 the ,captain of her warfare4 ,the panoply of ,god 7ver4 ,,ii7 reminds us of the saying of ,jesus in reference to ,his casting out of demons1 recorded in ,luke xi4 #ba1 #bb--the only other instance in the ,new ,testament of this somewhat rare ,greek word4 ,the ,lord ,jesus describes ,himself in conflict with ,satan1 who as the strong one armed keeps his possessions in peace1--until there come upon him the stronger than he1 who conquers him and takes away his panoply wherein he trusted1 and divides his spoils4 ,in this text the situation is reversed2 and the full armour belongs to ,christ's servants1 who are equipped to meet the counter-attack of ,satan and the powers of evil4 ,there is a ,divine and a ,satanic panoply--arms tempered in heaven and in hell1 to be wielded by the sons of light and of darkness respectively 7comp4 ,rom4 xiii4 #ab74 ,the weapons of warfare on the two sides are even as the two leaders that furnish them--the strong one armed and the ,stronger than he4 ,mightier are faith and love than unbelief and hate2 greater is ,he that is in you than he that is in the world4 ,let us review the forces marshalled against us1--their nature1 their mode of assault1 and the arena of the contest4 #a4 ,the ,asian ,christians had to stand against the wiles schemes1 or methods#aee of the devil4 ,unquestionably1 the ,new ,testament assumes the personality of ,satan4 ,this belief runs counter to modern thought1 governed as it is by the tendency to depersonalize existence4 ,the conception of evil spirits given us in the ,bible is treated as an obsolete superstition2 and the name of the ,evil ,one with multitudes serves only to point a profane or careless jest4 ,to ,jesus ,christ1 it is very certain1 ,satan was no figure of speech2 but a thinking and active being1 of whose presence and influence ,he saw tokens everywhere in this evil world 7comp4 ii4 #b74 ,if the ,lord ,jesus speaks what ,he knows1 and testifies what ,he has seen concerning the mysteries of the other world1 there can be no question of the existence of a personal devil4 ,if in any matter ,he was bound1 as a teacher of spiritual truth1 to disavow ,jewish superstition1 surely ,christ was so bound in this matter4 ,yet instead of repudiating the current belief in ,satan and the demons1 ,he earnestly accepts it2 and it entered into ,his own deepest experiences4 ,in the visible forms of sin ,jesus saw the shadow of ,his great antagonist4 ,from the ,evil ,one ,he taught ,his disciples to pray that they might be delivered4 ,the victims of disease and madness whom ,he healed1 were so many captives rescued from the malignant power of ,satan4 ,and when ,jesus went to meet ,his death1 ,he viewed it as the supreme conflict with the usurper and oppressor who claimed to be the prince of this world4#aef ,satan is the consummate form of depraved and untruthful intellect4 ,we read of his thoughts1 his schemes1 his subtlety and deceit and impostures2#aeg of his slanders against ,god and man1#aeh from which1 indeed1 the name devil 7diabolus7 is given him4 ,falsehood and hatred are his chief qualities4 ,hence ,jesus called him the manslayer and the father of falsehood 7,john viii4 #dd74 ,he was the first sinner1 and the fountain of sin 7#a ,john iii4 #h74 ,all who do unrighteousness or hate their brethren are1 so far1 his offspring 7#a ,john iii4 #aj74 ,with a realm so wide1 ,satan might well be called not only the prince1 but the very god of this world 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d74 ,plausibly he said to ,jesus1 in showing ,him the kingdoms of the world1 at the time when ,tiberius ,caesar occupied the imperial throne3 ,all this authority and glory are delivered unto me4 ,to whomsoever ,i will1 ,i give it4 ,his power is exercised with an intelligence perhaps as great as any can be that is morally corrupt2 but it is limited on all sides4 ,in dealing with ,jesus ,christ he showed conspicuous ignorance4 ,chief amongst the wiles of the devil at this time was the scheme of error1 the cunningly woven net of the ,gnostical delusion1 in which the apostle feared that the ,asian ,churches would be entangled4 ,satan's empire is ruled with a settled policy1 and his warfare carried on with a system of strategy which takes advantage of every opening for attack4#aei ,the manifold combinations of error1 the various arts of seduction and temptation1 the ten thousand forms of the deceit of unrighteousness constitute the wiles of the devil4 ,such is the gigantic opponent with whom ,christ and the ,church have been in conflict through all ages4 ,but ,satan does not stand alone4 ,in verse #ab there is called up before us an imposing array of spiritual powers4 ,they are the angels of the devil1 whom ,jesus set in contrast with the angels of ,god that surround and serve the ,son of man 7,matt4 xxv4 #da74 ,these unhappy beings are1 again1 identified with the demons1 or unclean spirits1 having ,satan for their prince1 whom our ,lord expelled wherever ,he found them infesting the bodies of men4#afj ,they are represented in the ,new ,testament as fallen beings1 expelled from a principality and habitation of their own 7,jude #f7 which they once enjoyed1 and reserved for the dreadful punishment which ,christ calls the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels4 ,they are here entitled principalities and powers 7or dominions71 after the same style as the angels of ,god1 to whose ranks1 as we are almost compelled to suppose1 these apostates once belonged4 ,in contrast with the angels of light 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #ad7 and ministering spirits of the kingdom of ,god 7,heb4 i4 #ad71 the angels of ,satan have constituted themselves the world-rulers of this darkness4 ,we find the compound expression cosmo-krator 7world-ruler7 in later rabbinical usage1 borrowed from the ,greek and applied to the angel of death1 before whom all mortal things must bow4 ,possibly1 ,st ,paul brought the term with him from the school of ,gamaliel4 ,satan being the god of this world and swaying the dominion of darkness1#afa according to the same vocabulary his angels are the rulers of the world's darkness2 and the provinces of the empire of evil fall under their direction4 ,the darkness surrounding the apostle in ,rome and the ,churches in ,asia--this darkness1 he says--was dense and foul4 ,with ,nero and his satellites the masters of empire1 the world seemed to be ruled by demons rather than by men4 ,the frightful wish of one of the ,psalmists was fulfilled for the heathen world3 ,set a wicked man over him1 and let ,satan stand at his right hand4 ,the last of ,st ,paul's synonyms for the satanic forces1 the spiritual powers of wickedness1 may have served to warn the ,church against reading a political sense into the passage and regarding the civil constitution of society and the visible world-rulers as objects for their hatred4 ,pilate was a specimen1 by no means amongst the worst1 of the men in power4 ,jesus regarded him with pity4 ,his real antagonist lurked behind these human instruments4 ,the above phrase1 spirituals of wickedness1 is ,hebraistic1 like judge and steward of unrighteousness1#afb and is equivalent to wicked spirits4 ,the adjective spiritual1 which does duty for a substantive--the spiritual forces1 or elements of wickedness#afc--;brings out the collective character of these hostile powers4 ,st ,paul's demonology#afd is identical with that of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the two doctrines stand or fall together4 ,the advent of ,christ appears to have stirred to extraordinary activity the satanic powers4 ,they asserted themselves in ,palestine at this particular time in the most open and terrifying manner4 ,in an age of scepticism and science like our own1 it belongs to the wiles of the devil to work obscurely4 ,this is dictated by obvious policy4 ,moreover1 his power is greatly reduced4 ,satan is no longer the god of this world1 since ,christianity rose to its ascendant4 ,the manifestations of demonism are1 at least in ,christian lands1 vastly less conspicuous than in the first age of the ,church4 ,but those are more bold than wise who deny their existence1 and who profess to explain all occult phenomena and phrenetic moral aberrations by physical causes4 ,the popular idolatries of his own day1 with their horrible rites and inhuman orgies1 ,st ,paul ascribed to devilry4 ,he declared that those who sat at the feast of the idol and gave sanction to its worship1 were partaking of the cup and the table of demons 7#a ,cor4 x4 #bj1 #ba74 ,heathen idolatries at the present time are1 in many instances1 equally diabolical2 and those who witness them cannot easily doubt the truth of the representations of ,scripture upon this subject4 ,,ii4 ,the conflict against these spiritual enemies is essentially a spiritual conflict4 ,our struggle is not against blood and flesh4 ,they are not human antagonists whom the ,church has to fear1--mortal men whom we can look in the face and meet with equal courage1 in the contest where hot blood and straining muscle do their part4 ,the fight needs mettle of another kind4 ,the foes of our faith are untouched by carnal weapons4 ,they come upon us without sound or footfall4 ,they assail the will and conscience2 they follow us into the regions of spiritual thought1 of prayer and meditation4 ,hence the weapons of our warfare1 like those which the apostle wielded 7#b ,cor4 x4 #b-e71 are not carnal1 but spiritual and mighty toward ,god4 ,it is true that the ,asian ,churches had visible enemies arrayed against them4 ,there were the wild beasts with whom ,st ,paul fought at ,ephesus1 the heathen mob of the city1 sworn foes of every despiser of their great goddess ,artemis4 ,there was ,alexander the coppersmith1 ready to do the apostle evil1 and the ,jews from ,asia1 a party of whom all but murdered him in ,jerusalem 7,acts xxi4 #bg-cf72 there was ,demetrius the silversmith1 instigator of the tumult which drove him from ,ephesus1 and the craftsmen of like occupation1 whose trade was damaged by the progress of the new religion4 ,these were formidable opponents1 strong in everything that brings terror to flesh and blood4 ,but after all1 these were of small account in ,st ,paul's view2 and the ,church need never dread material antagonism4 ,the centre of the struggle lies elsewhere4 ,the apostle looks beyond the ranks of his earthly foes to the power of ,satan by which they are animated and directed1--impotent pieces of the game he plays4 ,from this hidden region he sees impending an attack more perilous than all the violence of persecution1 a conflict urged with weapons of finer proof than the sharp steel of sword and axe1 and with darts tipped with a fiercer fire than that which burns the flesh or devours the goods4 ,even in outward struggles against worldly power1 our wrestling is not simply against blood and flesh4 ,calvin makes a bold application of the passage when he says3 ,this sentence we should remember so often as we are tempted to revengefulness1 under the smart of injuries from men4 ,for when nature prompts us to fling ourselves upon them with all our might1 this unreasonable passion will be checked and reined in suddenly1 when we consider that these men who trouble us are nothing more than darts cast by the hand of ,satan2 and that while we stoop to pick up these1 we shall expose ourselves to the full force of his blows4 ,vasa sunt1 says ,augustine of human troublers1 alius utitur2 organa sunt1 alius tangit4 ,the crucial assaults of evil1 in many instances1 come in no outward and palpable guise4 ,there are sinister influences that affect the spirit more directly1 fires that search its inmost fibres1 a darkness that sweeps down upon the very light that is in us threatening its extinction4 ,doubts1 the spectres of the mind1 haunt it2 clouds brood over the interior sky and fierce storms sweep down on the soul1 that rise from beyond the seen horizon4 ,jesus was led of the ,spirit into the wilderness1 to be tempted of the devil4 ,away from the tracks of men and the seductions of flesh and blood the choicest spirits have been tested and schooled4 ,so they are tempered in the spiritual furnace to a fineness which turns the edge of the sharpest weapons the world may use against them4 ,some men are constitutionally more exposed than others to these interior assaults4 ,there are conditions of the brain and nerves1 tendencies lying deep in the organism1 that give points of vantage to the enemy of souls4 ,these are the opportunities of the tempter2 they do not constitute the temptation itself1 which comes from a hidden and objective source4 ,similarly in the trials of the ,church1 in the great assaults made upon her vital truths1 historical conditions and the external movements of the age furnish the material for the conflicts through which it has to pass2 but the spring and moving agent1 the master will that dominates these hostile forces is that of ,satan4 ,the ,church was engaged in a double conflict--of the flesh and of the spirit4 ,on the one hand1 it was assailed by the material seductions of heathenism and the terrors of ruthless persecution4 ,on the other hand1 it underwent a severe intellectual conflict with the systems of error that were rooted in the mind of the age4 ,these forces opposed the ,christian truth from without2 but they became much more dangerous when they found their way within the ,church1 vitiating her teaching and practice1 and growing like tares among the wheat4 ,it is of heresy more than persecution that the apostle is thinking1 when he writes these ominous words4 ,not blood and flesh1 but the mind and spirit of the ,asian believers will bear the brunt of the attack that the craft of the devil is preparing for the apostolic ,church4 ,,iii4 ,the last clause of verse #ab1 in the heavenly places1 refuses to combine with the above description of the powers hostile to the ,church4 ,the heavenly places are the abode of ,god and the blessed angels4 ,this is the region where the ,father has blessed us in ,christ 7i4 #c72 where ,he seated the ,christ at ,his own right hand 7i4 #bj71 and has in some sense seated us with ,christ 7ii4 #f72 and where the angelic princedoms dwell who follow with keen and studious sympathy the ,church's fortunes 7iii4 #aj74 ,to locate the devil and his angels there seems to us highly incongruous2 the juxtaposition is out of the question with ,st ,paul4 ,chapter ii4 #b gives no real support to this view3 supposing the air to be literally intended in that passage1 it belongs to earth and not to heaven4#afe ,nor do the parallels from other ,scriptures adduced supply any but the most precarious basis for an interpretation against which the use of the exalted phrase in our epistle revolts4 ,no2 ,satan and his hosts do not dwell with ,christ and the holy angels in the heavenly places4 ,but the ,church dwells there already1 by her faith2 and it is in the heavenly places of her faith and hope that she is assailed by the powers of hell4 ,this final prepositional clause should be separated by a comma from the words immediately foregoing2 it forms a distinct predicate to the sentence contained in verse #ab4 ,it specifies the locality of the struggle2 it marks out the battle-field4 ,our wrestling is 444 in the heavenly places4#aff ,so we construe the sentence1 following the ancient ,greek commentators4 ,the life of the ,church is hid with the ,christ in ,god2 her treasure is laid up in heaven4 ,she is assailed by a philosophy and vain deceit that perverts her highest doctrines1 that clouds her vision of ,christ and limits ,his glory1 and threatens to drag her down from the high places where she sits with her ascended ,lord4#afg ,such was1 in effect1 the aim of the ,colossian heresy1 and of the great ,gnostical movement to which this speculation was a prelude1 that for a century and more entangled ,christian faith in its metaphysical subtleties and false mysticism4 ,the epistles to the ,colossians and ,ephesians strike the leading note of the controversies of the ,church in this region during its first ages4 ,their character was thoroughly transcendental4 ,the heavenly things were the subject-matter of the great conflicts of this epoch4 ,the questions of religious controversy characteristic of our own times1 though not identical with those of ,colossae or ,ephesus1 concern matters equally high and vital4 ,it is not this or that doctrine that is now at stake--the nature or extent of the atonement1 the procession of the ,holy ,spirit from the ,son with the ,father1 the verbal or plenary inspiration of ,scripture2 but the personal being of ,god1 the historical truth of ,christianity1 the reality of the supernatural1--these and the like questions1 which formed the accepted basis and the common assumptions of former theological discussions1 are now brought into dispute4 ,religion has to justify its very existence4 ,christianity must answer for its life1 as at the beginning4 ,god is denied4 ,worship is openly renounced4 ,our treasures in heaven are proclaimed to be worthless and illusive4 ,the entire spiritual and celestial order of things is relegated to the region of obsolete fable and fairy tales4 ,the difficulties of modern religious thought lie at the foundation of things1 and touch the core of the spiritual life4 ,unbelief appears1 in some quarters1 to be more serious and earnest than faith4 ,while we quarrel over rubrics and ritual1 thoughtful men are despairing of ,god and immortality4 ,the ,churches are engaged in trivial contentions with each other1 while the enemy pushes his way through our broken ranks to seize the citadel4 ,the apostle incites the readers1 says ,chrysostom1 by the thought of the prize at stake4 ,when he has said that our enemies are powerful1 he adds thereto that these are great possessions which they seek to wrest from us4 ,when he says in the heavenly places1 this implies for the heavenly things4 ,how it must rouse and sober us to know that the hazard is for great things1 and great will be the prize of victory4 ,our foe strives to take heaven from us4 ,let the ,church be stripped of all her temporalities1 and driven naked as at first into the wilderness4 ,she carries with her the crown jewels2 and her treasure is unimpaired1 so long as faith in ,christ and the hope of heaven remain firm in her heart4 ,but let these be lost2 let heaven and the ,father in heaven fade with our childhood's dreams2 let ,christ go back to ,his grave--then we are utterly undone4 ,we have lost our all in all6 ,,footnotes3 #aed ,endynamousthe from dynamis en ,kyri kai en t kratei ts ischyos autou4 ,see the note on these synonyms1 on p4 #gf4 ,comp41 for this verb1 ,col4 i4 ,,ii2 #b ,tim4 iv4 #ag2 ,phil4 iv4 #ac3 ,panta ischy en t endynamounti me1--,i have strength for everything in ,him that enables me4 #aee ,comp4 remark on methodeia 7iv4 #ad71 p4 #bdg4 #aef ,john xii4 #ca1 xiv4 #cj1 xvi4 #aa3 comp4 ,luke iv4 #e-g2 ,heb4 ii4 #ad4 #aeg #b ,cor4 ii4 #aa1 xi4 #c2 #b ,thess4 ii4 #i1 #aj2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #bf1 etc4 #aeh ,rev4 xii1 #g-aj2 ,gen4 iii4 #d1 #e2 ,zech4 iii4 #a2 ,job i4 #aei ,ch4 iv4 #bg2 #b ,cor4 ii4 #aa2 ,luke xxii4 #ca4 #afj ,luke x4 #ag-bj1 xi4 #ad-bf4 #afa ,col4 i4 #ac3 comp4 ,acts xxvi4 #ah1 etc4 #afb ,luke xvi4 #h1 xviii4 #f4 #afc ,ta pneumatika ts ponrias4 #afd ,mr4 ,moule aptly observes1 in his excellent and most useful ,commentary on ,ephesians in the ,cambridge ,bible for ,schools and ,colleges3 ,st ,paul's testimony to the real and objective existence of evil spirits gains in strength when it is remembered that the epistle was addressed 7at least1 among other designations7 to ,ephesus1 and that ,ephesus 7see ,acts xix47 was a peculiarly active scene of asserted magical and other dealings with the unseen darkness4 ,supposing that the right line to take in dealing with such beliefs and practices had been to say that the whole basis of them was a fiction of the human mind1 not only would such a verse as this vi4 #ab not have been written1 but1 we may well assume1 something would have been written strongly contradictory to the thought of it 7p4 #agf74 #afe ,see p4 #ajc4 #aff ,the objection against the common rendering taken from the absence of the ,greek article 7ta7 before the phrase en tois epouraniois1 required to link it to ta pneumatika ts ponrias1 is not decisive4 #afg ,col4 ii4 #h-aj1 iii4 #a-d2 ,phil4 iii4 #bj1 #ba3 comp4 ,eph4 i4 #c1 ii4 #f1 #ah1 iv4 #aj1 #ae2 ,heb4 vi4 #ai1 #bj1 etc4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,the ,,divine ,,panoply4 ,wherefore take up the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day1 and1 having conquered all1 to stand4 ,stand therefore1 having girded your loins with truth1 and having put on the breastplate of righteousness1 and having shod your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace2 withal taking up the shield of faith1 wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one4 ,and take the helmet of salvation1 and the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word of ,god3 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the ,spirit1 and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints4--,,eph4 vi4 #ac-ah4 ,stand is the watchword for this battle1 the apostle's order of the day3 that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil1 444 that you may be able to withstand in the evil day1 and mastering all your enemies#afh to stand4444 ,stand therefore1 girding your loins about with truth4 ,the apostle is fond of this martial style1 and such appeals are frequent in the letters of this period4#afi ,the ,gentile believers are raised to the heavenly places of fellowship with ,christ1 and invested with the lofty character of sons and heirs of ,god3 let them hold their ground2 let them maintain the honour of their calling and the wealth of their high estate1 standing fast in the grace that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,pro aris et focis the patriot draws his sword1 and manfully repels the invader4 ,even so the good soldier of ,christ ,jesus contends for his heavenly city and the household of faith4 ,he defends the dearest interests and hopes of human life4 ,this defence is needed1 for an evil day is at hand6 ,this emphatic reference points to something more definite than the general day of temptation that is co-extensive with our earthly life4 ,st ,paul foresaw a crisis of extreme danger impending over the young ,church of ,christ4 ,the prophecies of ,jesus taught ,his disciples1 from the first1 that ,his kingdom could only prevail by means of a severe conflict1 and that some desperate struggle would precede the final ,messianic triumph4 ,this prospect looms before the minds of the ,new ,testament writers1 as the day of ,jehovah dominated the imagination of the ,hebrew prophets4 ,paul's apocalypse in #a and #b ,thessalonians is full of reminiscences of ,christ's visions of judgement4 ,it culminates in the prediction of the evil day of ,antichrist1 which is to usher in the second1 glorious coming of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,the consummation1 as the apostle was then inclined to think1 might arrive within that generation 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #ae1 #ag71 although he declares its times and seasons wholly unknown4 ,in his later epistles1 and in this especially1 it is clear that he anticipated a longer duration for the existing order of things2 and the evil day for which the ,asian ,churches are to prepare can scarcely have denoted1 to the apostle's mind1 the final day of ,antichrist1 though it may well be an epoch of similar nature and a token and shadow of the last things4 ,in point of fact1 a great secular crisis was now approaching4 ,the six years 7#fd-gj after ,christ7 extending from the fire of ,rome to the fall of ,jerusalem1 were amongst the most fateful and calamitous recorded in history4 ,this period was1 in a very real sense1 the day of judgement for ,israel and the ancient world4 ,it was a foretaste of the ultimate doom of the kingdom of evil amongst men2 and through it ,christ appears to have looked forward to the end of the world4 ,already the days are evil 7v4 #af72 and the evil day is at hand--a time of terror and despair for all who have not a firm faith in the kingdom of ,god4 ,two chief characteristics marked this crisis1 as it affected the people of ,christ3 persecution from without1 and apostasy within the ,church 7,matt4 xxiv4 #e1 #h-ab74 ,to the latter feature ,st ,paul refers elsewhere4#agj ,of persecution he took less account1 for this was indeed his ordinary lot1 and had already visited his ,churches2 but it was afterwards to assume a more violent and appalling form4 ,when we turn to the epistle to the ,seven ,churches 7,rev4 ii41 iii47 written in the next ensuing period1 we find a fierce battle raging1 resembling that for which this letter warns the ,asian ,churches to prepare4 ,the storm which our apostle foresees1 had then burst4 ,the message addressed to each ,church concludes with a promise to him that overcometh4 ,to the faithful it is said3 ,i know thy endurance4 ,the angel of the ,church of ,pergamum dwells where is the throne of ,satan1 and where ,antipas the faithful martyr was killed4 ,there also1 says the ,lord ,jesus1 are those who hold the teaching of ,balaam1 and the teaching of the ,nicolaitans1 with whom ,i will make war with the sword of my mouth 7comp4 ,eph4 vi4 #ag74 ,laodicea has shrunk from the trial1 and grown rich by the world's friendship4 ,thyatira suffers the woman ,jezebel1 who calls herself a prophetess1 to teach and to seduce the servants of ,christ4 ,sardis has but a few names that have not defiled their garments4 ,even ,ephesus1 though she had tried the false teachers and found them wanting 7surely ,paul's epistles to ,timothy had helped her in this examination71 has yet left her first love4 ,the day of trial has proved an evil day to these ,churches4 ,satan has been allowed to sift them2 and while some good wheat remains1 much of the faith of the numerous and prosperous communities of the province of ,asia has turned out to be faulty and vain4 ,the presentiments that weighed on ,st ,paul's mind when four years ago he took leave of the ,ephesian elders at ,miletus1 and which reappear in this passage1 were only too well justified by the course of events4 ,indeed1 the history of the ,church in this region has been altogether mournful and admonitory4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it is time to look at the armour in which ,st ,paul bids his readers equip themselves against the evil day4 ,it consists of seven weapons1 offensive or defensive--if we count prayer amongst them3 the girdle of truth1 the breastplate of righteousness1 the shoes of readiness to bear the message of peace1 the shield of faith1 the helmet of salvation1 the sword of the word1 and the continual cry of prayer4 #a4 ,in girding himself for the field1 the first thing the soldier does is to fasten round his waist the military belt4 ,with this he binds in his under-garments1 that there may be nothing loose or trailing about him1 and braces up his limbs for action4 ,peace admits of relaxation4 ,the girdle is unclasped2 the muscles are unstrung4 ,but everything about the warrior is tense and firm2 his dress1 his figure and movements speak of decision and concentrated energy4 ,he stands before us an image of resolute conviction1 of a mind made up4 ,such a picture the words girt about with truth convey to us4 ,the epistle is pervaded by the sense of the ,church's need of intellectual conviction4 ,many of the ,asian believers were children1 half-enlightened and irresolute1 ready to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine 7iv4 #ad74 ,they had heard the truth as it is in ,jesus1 but had an imperfect comprehension of its meaning4#aga ,they required to add to their faith knowledge1--the knowledge won by searching thought respecting the great truths of religion1 by a thorough mental appropriation of the things revealed to us in ,christ4 ,only by such a process can truth brace the mind and knit its powers together in the full assurance of the understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of ,god1 which is ,christ 7,col4 ii1 #b1 #c74 ,such is the faith needed by the ,church1 now as then1 the faith of an intelligent1 firm and manly assurance4 ,there is in such faith a security and a vigour of action that the faith of mere sentiment and emotional impression1 with its nerveless grasp1 its hectic and impulsive fervours1 cannot impart4 ,the luxury of agnosticism1 the languors of doubt1 the vague sympathies and hesitant eclecticism in which delicate and cultured minds are apt to indulge2 the lofty critical attitude1 as of some intellectual god sitting above the strife of creeds1 which others find congenial--these are conditions of mind unfit for the soldier of ,christ ,jesus4 ,he must have sure knowledge1 definite and decided purposes--a soul girdled with truth4 #b4 ,having girt his loins1 the soldier next fastens on his breastplate1 or cuirass4 ,this is the chief piece of his defensive armour2 it protects the vital organs4 ,in the picture drawn in #a ,thessalonians v4 #h1 the breastplate is made of faith and love4 ,in this more detailed representation1 faith becomes the outlying defensive shield1 while righteousness serves for the innermost defence1 the rampart of the heart4 ,but1 in truth1 the ,christian righteousness is compounded of faith and love4 ,this attribute must be understood in its full ,pauline meaning4 ,it is the state of one who is right with ,god and with ,god's law4 ,it is the righteousness both of standing and of character1 of imputation and of impartation1 which begins with justification and continues in the new1 obedient life of the believer4 ,these are never separate1 in the true doctrine of grace4 ,the righteousness that is of ,god by faith1 is the soul's main defence against the shafts of ,satan4 ,it wards off deadly blows1 both from this side and from that4 ,does the enemy bring up against me my old sins8 ,i can say3 ,it is ,god that justifieth2 who is he that condemneth8--,am ,i tempted to presume on my forgiveness1 and to fall into transgression once more8 ,from this breastplate the arrow of temptation falls pointless1 as it resounds3 ,he that doeth righteousness is righteous4 ,he that is born of ,god doth not commit sin4 ,the completeness of pardon for past offence and the integrity of character that belong to the justified life1 are woven together into an impenetrable mail4 #c4 ,now the soldier1 having girt his loins and guarded his breast1 must look well to his feet4 ,there are lying ready for him shoes of wondrous make4 ,what is the quality most needed in the soldier's shoes8 ,some say1 it is firmness2 and they so translate the ,greek word employed by the apostle1 occurring only here in the ,new ,testament1 which in certain passages of the ,septuagint seems to acquire this sense1 under the influence of ,hebrew idiom4#agb ,but firmness was embodied in the girdle4 ,expedition belongs to the shoes4 ,the soldier is so shod that he may move with alertness over all sorts of ground4 ,thus shod with speed and willingness were the beautiful feet of those that brought over desert and mountain the good tidings of peace1 the news of ,israel's return to ,zion 7,isai4 lii4 #g-i74 ,with such swift strength were the feet of our apostle shod1 when from ,jerusalem round about unto ,illyricum he had fulfilled the gospel of ,christ1 and is ready1 as he says1 to preach the glad tidings to you also that are in ,rome 7,rom4 i4 #ae74 ,this readiness belonged to ,his own holy feet1 who came and preached peace to the far off and the near 7ii4 #ag71--when1 for example1 sitting a weary traveller by the well-side at ,sychar1 ,he found refreshment in revealing to the woman of ,samaria the fountain of living water4 ,such readiness befits ,his servants1 who have heard from ,him the message of salvation and are sent to proclaim it everywhere4 ,the girdle and breastplate look to one's own safety4 ,they must be supplemented by the evangelic zeal inseparable from the spirit of ,christ4 ,this is1 moreover1 a safeguard of ,church life4 ,von ,hofmann says admirably upon this point3 ,the objection brought against the above interpretation that the apostle is addressing the faithful at large1 who are not all of them called to preach the gospel1 is mistaken4 ,every believer should be prepared to witness for ,christ so often as opportunity affords1 and needs a readiness thereto4 ,the knowledge of ,christ's peace qualifies him to convey its message4 ,he brings it with him into the strife of the world4 ,and it is the consciousness that he possesses himself such peace and has it to communicate to others1 which enables him to walk firmly and with sure step in the way of faith4 ,when we are bidden to stand in the evil day1 that does not mean to stand idle or content to hold our ground4 ,attack is often the best mode of defence4 ,we keep our faith by spreading it4 ,we defend ourselves from our opponents by converting them to the gospel1 which breathes everywhere reconciliation and fraternity4 ,our ,foreign ,missions are our grand modern apologetic2 and ,god's peacemakers are ,his mightiest warriors4 #d4 ,with his body girt and fenced and his feet clad with the gospel shoes1 the soldier reaches out his left hand to take up withal the shield1 while his right hand grasps first the helmet which he places on his head1 and then the sword that is offered to him in the word of ,god4 ,the shield signified is not the small round buckler1 or target1 of the light-armed man2 but the door-like shield1#agc measuring four feet by two-and-a-half and rounded to the shape of the body1 that the ,greek hoplite and the ,roman legionary carried4 ,joined together1 these large shields formed a wall1 behind which a body of troops could hide themselves from the rain of the enemy's missiles4 ,such is the office of faith in the conflicts of life3 it is the soldier's main defence1 the common bulwark of the ,church4 ,like the city's outer wall1 faith bears the brunt and onset of all hostility4 ,on this shield of faith the darts of ,satan are caught1 their point broken and their fire quenched4 ,these military shields were made of wood1 covered on the outside with thick leather1 which not only deadened the shock of the missile1 but protected the frame of the shield from the fire-tipped darts that were used in the artillery of the ancients4 ,these flaming arrows1 armed with some quickly burning and light combustible1 if they failed to pierce the warrior's shield1 fell in a moment extinguished at his feet4 ,st ,paul can scarcely mean by his fiery darts incitements to passion in ourselves1 inflammatory temptations that seek to rouse the inward fires of anger or lust4 ,for these missiles are fire-pointed darts of the ,evil ,one4 ,the fire belongs to the enemy who shoots the dart4 ,it signifies the malignant hate with which ,satan hurls slanders and threats against the people of ,god through his human instruments4 ,a bold faith wards off and quenches this fire even at a distance1 so that the soul never feels its heat4 ,the heart's confidence is unmoved and the ,church's songs of praise are undisturbed1 while persecution rages and the enemies of ,christ gnash their teeth against her4 ,such a shield to him was the faith of ,stephen the proto-martyr4 ,i heard the defaming of many2 there was terror on every side4 ,but ,i trusted in ,thee1 ,o ,jehovah3 ,i said1 ,thou art my ,god6 ,to take up the shield of faith1 is it not1 like the ,psalmist1 to meet injuries and threats1 the boasts of unbelief and of worldly power1 the poisoned arrows of the deceitful and the bitter words of unjust reproach1 with faith's quiet counter-assertion8 ,who shall separate us from the love of ,christ8 says the apostle in the midst of tribulation4 ,god is my witness1 whom ,i serve in the gospel of ,his ,son1 he answers when his fidelity is questioned4 ,no shaft of malice1 no arrow of fear can pierce the soul that holds such a shield4 #e4 ,at this point 7ver4 #ag71 when the sentence beginning at verse #ad has drawn itself out to such length1 and the relative clause of verse #af;b makes a break and eddy in the current of thought1 the writer pauses for a moment4 ,he resumes the exhortation in a form slightly changed and with rising emphasis1 passing from the participle to the finite verb3 ,and take the helmet of salvation4 ,the word take1 in the original1 differs from the taking up of verses #ac and #af4 ,it signifies the accepting of something offered by the hand of another4 ,so the ,thessalonians accepted the word brought them by ,st ,paul 7#a ,thess4 i4 #f7 and ,titus accepted the consolation given him by the ,corinthians 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #ag7--;in each case a welcome gift4 ,god's hand is stretched out to bestow on ,his chosen warrior the helmet of salvation and the sword of ,his word1 to complete his equipment for the perilous field4 ,we accept these gifts with devout gratitude1 knowing from what source they come and where the heavenly arms were fashioned4 ,the helmet of salvation is worn by the ,lord ,himself1 as ,he is depicted by the prophet coming to the succour of ,his people 7,isai4 lix4 #ag74 ,this helmet1 on the head of ,jehovah1 is the crest and badge of their ,divine champion4 ,given to the human warrior1 it becomes the sign of his protection by ,god4 ,the apostle does not call it the hope of salvation1 as he does in #a ,thessalonians v4 #h1 thinking of the believer's assurance of victory in the last struggle4 ,nor is it the sense and assurance of past salvation that here guards the ,christian soldier4 ,the presence of his ,saviour and ,god in itself constitutes his highest safeguard4 ,o ,jehovah my ,lord1 the strength of my salvation1 ,thou hast covered my head in the day of battle4 ,the warrior's head rising above his shield was frequently open to attack4 ,the arrow might shoot over the shield's edge1 and inflict a mortal blow4 ,our faith1 at the best1 has its deficiencies and its limits2 but ,god's salvation reaches beyond our highest confidence in ,him4 ,his overshadowing presence is the crown of our salvation1 ,his love its shining crest4 ,thus the equipment of ,christ's soldier is complete2 and he is arrayed in the full armour of light4 ,his loins girt with truth1 his breast clad with righteousness1 his feet shod with zeal1 his head crowned with safety1 while faith's all-encompassing shield is cast about him1 he steps forth to do battle with the powers of darkness1 strong in the ,lord1 and in the might of ,his strength4 #f4 ,it only remains that the sword of the ,spirit be put into his right hand1 while his lips are open in continual prayer to the ,god of his strength4 ,the cleansing word of chapter v4 #bf1 by whose virtue we passed through the gate of baptism into the flock of ,christ1 now becomes the guarding and smiting word1 to be used in conflict with our spiritual foes4 ,of the ,messiah it was said1 in language quoted by the apostle against ,antichrist 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #h73 ,he shall smite the earth with the rod of ,his mouth1 and with the breath of ,his lips shall ,he slay the wicked 7,isai4 xi4 #d74 ,similarly1 in ,hosea the ,lord tells how ,he has hewed the unfaithful by ,his prophets1 and slain them by the words of ,his mouth 7,hos4 vi4 #e74 ,from such sayings of the ,old ,testament the idea of the sword of the ,divine word is derived4 ,we find it again in ,hebrews iv4 #ab3 ,the word of ,god1 living and active1 sharper than any two-edged sword2 and in the sword1 two-edged1 sharp1 which ,john in the ,revelation saw coming out of the mouth of the ,son of man3 it belongs to ,him whose name is the word of ,god1 and with it ,he shall smite the nations4#agd ,this sword of the inspired word ,paul himself wielded with supernatural effect1 as when he rebuked ,elymas the sorcerer1 or when he defended his gospel against the ,judaizers of ,galatia and ,corinth4 ,in his hand it was even as ,the sword ,of ,michael1 from the armoury of ,god1 444 tempered so that neither keen ,nor solid might resist that edge4 ,with what piercing reproofs1 what keen thrusts of argument1 what double-edged irony and dexterous sword-play did this mighty combatant smite the enemies of the cross of ,christ6 ,in times of conflict never may such leaders be wanting to the ,church1 men using weapons of warfare not carnal1 but mighty to cast down strongholds1 to bring down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of ,god and make captive every thought to ,christ's obedience4 ,in her struggle with the world's gigantic lusts and tyrannies1 the ,israel of ,god must be armed with this lofty and lightning-like power1 with the flaming sword of the ,spirit4 ,no less in the secret1 internal conflicts of the religious life1 the sword of the word is the decisive weapon4 ,the ,son of man put it to proof in ,his combat in the wilderness4 ,satan himself sought to wrest this instrument to his purpose4 ,with pious texts in his mouth he addressed our ,lord1 like an angel of light1 fain to deceive ,him by the very ,scripture ,he had ,himself inspired6 until1 with the last thrust of quotation1 ,jesus unmasked the tempter and drove him from the field1 saying1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan6 #g4 ,we have surveyed the ,christian soldier with his harness on4 ,from head to foot he is clothed in arms supernatural4 ,no weapon of defence or offence is lacking1 that the spiritual combat needs4 ,nothing seems to be wanting3 yet everything is wanting1 if this be all4 ,our text began3 ,be strong in the ,lord4 ,it is prayer that links the believer with the strength of ,god4 ,what avails ,michael's sword1 if the hand that holds it is slack and listless8 what the panoply of ,god1 if behind it beats a craven heart8 ,he is but a soldier in semblance who wears arms without the courage and the strength to use them4 ,the life that is to animate that armed figure1 to beat with high resolve beneath the corslet1 to nerve the arm as it lifts the strong shield and plies the sharp sword1 to set the swift feet moving on their gospel errands1 to weld the ,church together into one army of the living ,god1 comes from the inspiration of ,god's ,spirit received in answer to believing prayer4 ,so the apostle adds3 ,with all prayer and supplication praying at every time in the ,spirit4 ,there is here no needless repetition4 ,prayer is the universal word for reverent address to ,god2 and supplication the entreaty for such help as on every occasion--at each turn of the battle1 in each emergency of life--we find ourselves to need4 ,and ,christian prayer is always in the ,spirit1--being offered in the grace and power of the ,holy ,spirit1 who is the element of the believer's life in ,christ1 who helps our infirmities and1 virtually1 intercedes for us 7,rom4 viii4 #bf1 #bg74 ,when the apostle continues1 watching or keeping awake thereunto1 he reminds us1 as perhaps he was thinking himself1 of our ,lord's warning to the disciples sleeping in ,gethsemane3 ,watch and pray1 lest ye enter into temptation4 ,the perseverance he requires in this wakeful attention to prayer1 is the resolute persistence of the suppliant1 who will neither be daunted by opposition nor wearied by delay4#age ,the word supplication is resumed at the end of verse #ah1 in order to enlist the prayers of the readers for the service of the ,church at large3 with wakeful heed thereto1 in all persistence and supplication for all the saints4 ,prayer for ourselves must broaden out into a catholic intercession for all the servants of our ,master1 for all the children of the household of faith4 ,by the bands of prayer we are knit together1--a vast multitude of saints throughout the earth1 unknown by face or name to our fellows1 but one in the love of ,christ and in our heavenly calling1 and all engaged in the same perilous conflict4 ,all the saints1 ,st ,paul said 7i4 #ae71 were interested in the faith of the ,asian believers2 they were called with all the saints to share in the comprehension of the immense designs of ,god's kingdom 7iii4 #ah74 ,the dangers and temptations of the ,church are equally far-reaching2 they have a common origin and character in all ,christian communities4 ,let our prayers1 at least1 be catholic4 ,at the throne of grace1 let us forget our sectarian divisions4 ,having access in one ,spirit to the ,father1 let us realize in ,his presence our communion with all ,his children4 ,,footnotes3 #afh ,comp4 ,rom4 viii4 #cg1 xvi4 #bj4 ,to bring down1 overpower1 conquer is the military sense of katergazomai1--not found elsewhere in the ,new ,testament1 but1 as it seems to us1 unmistakable here4 ,it occurs in ,ezek4 xxxiv4 #d 7,,lxx71 and #a ,esdr4 iv4 #d4 #afi ,col4 i4 #bc1 ii4 #e2 ,phil4 i4 #bg-cj1 iv4 #a3 comp4 #a ,thess4 v4 #h2 ,rom4 xiii4 #aa-ad2 #a ,cor4 xvi4 #ac2 #b ,cor4 x4 #c-f4 #agj #b ,thess4 ii4 #c2 ,acts xx4 #bi1 #cj2 #a ,tim4 iv4 #a2 #b ,tim4 iii4 #a4 #aga ,ch4 #a4 #ag-bc1 iii4 #af-ai1 iv4 #ac-ae1 #bj-bd4 #agb ,hetoimasia is adopted by the ,greek translators as the equivalent of the ,hebrew word for foundation1 or base1 in ,ps4 lxxxix4 #ad2 ,ezra ii4 #fh1 iii4 #c2 ,dan4 xi4 #g1 #bj1 #ba4 ,see1 however1 the note of ,meyer1 who thinks that they misunderstood the ,hebrew4 #agc ,thyreos3 ,latin scutum2 only here in ,n4,t4 #agd ,rev4 i4 #af1 ii4 #ab1 xix4 #ac-ae4 #age ,en pas proskartersei3 in every kind of persistence1--a perseverance that tries all arts and holds its ground at every point4 ,the verb proskartere appears in the parallel passages3 ,col4 iv4 #b2 ,rom4 xii4 #ab2 also in ,acts i4 #ad4 ,,the ,,conclusion4 ,,chapter vi4 #ai-bd4 ,pepeismai gar hoti oute thanatos oute z oute angeloi oute archai oute enestta oute mellonta oute dynameis oute hypsma oute bathos oute tis ktisis hetera dynsetai hmas chrisai apo ts agaps tou ,theou ts en ,christ ,isou t ,kyri hmn--,,rom4 viii4 #ch1 #ci4 ,love for ,christ is immortal4--,r4 ,w4 ,,dale4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,request3 ,,commendation3 ,,benediction4 ,and pray on my behalf1 that the word may be given unto me in opening my mouth1 to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel1 for which ,i am an ambassador in chains2 that in it ,i may speak boldly1 as ,i ought to speak4 ,but that ye also may know my affairs1 how ,i do1 ,tychicus1 the beloved brother and faithful minister in the ,lord1 shall make known to you all things3 whom ,i have sent unto you for this very purpose1 that ye may know our state1 and that he may comfort your hearts4--,,eph4 vi4 #ai-bb4 ,the apostle has bidden his readers apply themselves with wakeful and incessant earnestness to prayer 7ver4 #ah74 ,for this is1 after all1 the chief arm of the spiritual combat4 ,by this means the soul draws reinforcements of mercy and hope from the eternal sources 7ver4 #aj74 ,by this means the ,asian ,christians will be able not only to carry on their own conflict with vigour1 but to help all the saints 7ver4 #ah72 and through their aid the whole ,church of ,god will be sustained in its war with the prince of this world4 ,the apostle ,paul himself stood in the forefront of this battle4 ,he was suffering for the cause of common ,christendom2 he was a mark for the attack of the enemies of the gospel4#agf ,on him1 more than on any other man1 the safety and progress of the ,church depended 7,phil4 i4 #be74 ,in this position he naturally says3 ,watching unto prayer in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--and for me4 ,if his heart should fail him1 or his mouth be closed1 if the word of inspiration ceased to be given him and the great teacher of the ,gentiles in faith and truth no longer spoke as he ought to speak1 it would be a heavy blow and sore discouragement to the friends of ,christ throughout the world4 ,my afflictions are your glory 7iii4 #ac74 ,my unworthy testimony to ,christ is showing forth ,his praise to all men and angels4#agg ,pray for me then1 that ,i may speak and act in this hour of trial in a manner worthy of the dispensation given to me4 ,strong and confident as the apostle ,paul was1 he felt himself to be nothing without prayer4 ,it is his habit to expect the support of the intercessions of all who love him in ,christ4#agh ,he knew that he was helped by this means1 on numberless occasions and in wonderful ways4 ,he asks his present readers to entreat that the word#agi may be given me when ,i open my mouth1 so that ,i may freely make known the mystery of the gospel1 on which behalf ,i serve as ambassador in bonds1 that in it ,i may speak freely1 as ,i ought to speak4 ,this sentence hangs upon the verb may-be-given4 ,jesus said to ,his apostles3 ,it shall be given you in that hour what you shall speak1 when brought before rulers and kings 7,matt x4 #ah-bj74 ,the apostle stands now before the ,roman world4 ,he has appealed to ,caesar1 and awaits his trial4 ,if he has not yet appeared at the ,emperor's tribunal1 he will shortly have to do so4 ,christ's ambassador is about to plead in chains before the highest of human courts4 ,it is not his own life or freedom that he is concerned about2 the ambassador has only to consider how he shall represent his ,sovereign's interests4 ,the importance which ,paul attached to this occasion1 is manifest from the words written to ,timothy 7#b ,ep4 iv4 #ag7 referring to his later trial4 ,st ,paul has this special need in his thoughts1 in addition to the help from above continually required in the discharge of his ministry1 under the hampering conditions of his imprisonment 7comp4 ,col4 iv4 #c1 #d74 ,the ,church must entreat on ,paul's behalf that the word he utters may be ,god's1 and not his own4 ,it is in vain to open the mouth1 unless there is this higher prompting and through the gates of speech there issues a ,divine message1 unless the speaker is the mouthpiece of the ,holy ,spirit rather than of his individual thought and will4 ,the words that ,i speak unto you1 ,jesus said1 ,i speak not of myself4 ,the bold apostle intends to open his mouth2 but he must have the true word given him to say4 ,we should pray for ,christ's ambassadors1 and especially for the more public and eloquent pleaders of the ,christian cause1 that it may be thus with them4 ,rash and vain words1 that bear the stamp of the mere man who utters them and not of the ,spirit of his ,master1 do a hurt to the cause of the gospel proportioned to the blessing that comes from such lips when they speak the word given to them4 ,such inspiration would enable the apostle to make known the mystery of the gospel with freedom and confidence of speech3 the expression rendered with boldness#ahj means all this4 ,before the emperor ,nero1 or the slave ,onesimus1 he will be able with the same aptness and dignity and self-command to declare his message and to vindicate his ,master's name4 ,the mystery of the gospel is no other secret than that which this epistle unfolds 7iii4 #c-i71 the great fact that ,jesus ,christ is the ,saviour and the ,lord of the whole world4 ,jesus proclaimed ,himself to ,pilate1 who represented at ,jerusalem the imperial rule1 as the ,king of all who are of the truth2 and the apostle ,paul has the like message to convey to the head of the ,empire4 ,it needed the greatest boldness and the greatest wisdom in the ambassador of the ,messianic ,king to play his part at ,rome2 an unwise word might make his own life forfeit1 and bring incalculable dangers on the ,church4 ,st ,paul's trial1 we suppose1 passed off successfully1 as he at this time anticipated4#aha ,the ,roman government was perfectly aware that the political charge against their prisoner was frivolous2 and ,nero1 if he personally gave ,paul a hearing on this earlier trial1 in all probability viewed his spiritual pretensions on his ,master's behalf with contemptuous tolerance4 ,if he did so1 the toleration was not due to any want of courage or clearness on the defendant's part4 ,it is possible even that the courage and address of the advocate of the new superstition pleased the tyrant1 who was not without his moments of good humour nor without the instincts of a man of taste4 ,the apostle1 we may well believe1 made an impression on the supreme court at ,rome similar to that made on his judges in ,caesarea4 ,st ,paul's bonds in ,christ have now become widely manifest in ,rome 7,phil4 i4 #ac74 ,he pleads in circumstances of disgrace4 ,but ,god brings good for ,his servants out of evil4 ,as he said at a later time1 so he could say now3 ,they have bound me2 but they cannot bind the word of ,god4#ahb ,he was not ashamed of the gospel in the prospect of coming to ,rome years before 7,rom4 i4 #af72 and he is not ashamed now1 though he has come in chains as an evil-doer4 ,through the intercessions of ,christ's people all these injuries of ,satan are turning to his salvation and to the furtherance of the gospel2 and ,paul rejoices and triumphs in them1 well assured that ,christ will be magnified whether by his life or death1 whether by his freedom or his chains 7,phil4 i4 #ab-bf74 ,the prayers which the imprisoned apostle asks from the ,church were fulfilled4 ,for we read in the last verses of the ,acts of the ,apostles1 which put into a sentence the history of this period3 ,he received all that came to him1 preaching the kingdom and teaching the things concerning the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 with all boldness1 none forbidding him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the paragraph relating to ,tychicus is almost identical with that of ,colossians iv4 #g1 #h4 ,it begins with a ,but connecting what follows with the statement the apostle has just made respecting his position at ,rome4 ,as much as to say3 ,i want your prayers1 set as ,i am for the defence of the gospel and in circumstances of difficulty and peril4 ,but ,tychicus will tell you more about me than ,i can convey by letter4 ,i am sending him1 in fact1 for this very purpose4 ,st ,paul knew the great anxiety of the ,christians of ,asia on his account4 ,epaphras of ,colossae had shown him the love in the ,spirit that was felt towards him even by those in this region who had never seen him in the flesh 7,col4 i4 #h74 ,the tender heart of the apostle is touched by this assurance4 ,so he sends ,tychicus to visit as many of the ,asian ,churches as he may be able to reach1 bringing news that will cheer their hearts and relieve their discouragement 7iii4 #ac74ahc ,the note sent at this time to ,philemon indicates the hopeful tidings that ,tychicus was able to convey to ,paul's friends in the ,east3 ,i trust that through your prayers ,i shall be given to you 7,philem4 #bb74 ,to the ,philippians he writes1 perhaps a little later1 in the same strain3 ,i trust in the ,lord that ,i myself shall come shortly 7,phil4 ii4 #bd74 ,he anticipates1 with some confidence1 his speedy acquital and release3 it is not likely that this expectation1 on the part of such a man as ,st ,paul1 was disappointed4 ,the good news went round the ,asian and ,macedonian ,churches3 ,paul is likely soon to be free1 and we shall see and hear him again6 ,in the parallel epistle he writes1 that you may know 7,col4 iv4 #h72 here it is1 that you also may know my affairs4 ,the added word is significant4 ,the writer is imagining his letter read in the various assemblies which it will reach4 ,he has the other epistle in his mind1 and remembering that he there introduced ,tychicus in similar terms1 he says to this wider circle of ,asian disciples3 ,that you also1 as well as the ,churches of the ,lycus valley1 may know how things are with me1 ,i send ,tychicus to give you a full report4 ,it is not necessary1 however1 to look beyond the last two verses for the reference of the also of verse #ba3 ,i have asked your prayers on my behalf2 and ,i wish you in turn to know how things go with me4 ,possibly1 there were some matters connected with ,st ,paul's trial at ,rome that could not be fitly or safely communicated by letter4 ,hence he adds3 ,he shall make known unto you all things4 ,when he writes that ye may know my affairs1 how ,i do1 we gather that ,tychicus was to communicate to those he visited everything about the beloved apostle that would be of interest to his ,asian brethren4 ,the apostle commends ,tychicus in language identical in the two letters1 except that in ,colossians fellow-servant is added to the honourable designations of beloved brother and faithful minister1 under which he is here introduced4 ,we find him first associated with ,st ,paul in ,acts xx4 #d1 where ,tychicus and ,trophimus represent ,asia in the number of those who accompanied the apostle on his voyage to ,jerusalem1 when he carried the contributions of his ,gentile ,churches to the relief of the ,christian poor in ,jerusalem4 ,trophimus1 his companion1 is called a ,greek and an ,ephesian 7,acts xxi4 #bh1 #bi74 ,whether ,tychicus belonged to the same city or not1 we cannot tell4 ,he was almost certainly a ,greek4 ,the ,pastoral epistles show ,tychicus still in the apostle's service in his last years4 ,he appears to have joined ,st ,paul's staff and remained with him from the time that he accompanied him to ,jerusalem in the year #ei4 ,from #b ,timothy iv #i-ab we gather that ,tychicus was sent to ,ephesus to relieve ,timothy1 when ,st ,paul desired the presence of the latter at ,rome4 ,it is evident that he was a man greatly valued by the apostle and endeared to him4 ,tychicus was well known in the ,asian ,churches1 and suitable therefore to be sent upon this errand4 ,and the commendation given to him would be very welcome to the circle to which he belonged4 ,the apostle has great tact in these personal matters1 the tact which belongs to delicate feeling and a generous mind4 ,he calls his messenger the beloved brother in his relation to the ,church in general1 and faithful minister in the ,lord in his special relation to himself4 ,so he describes ,epaphroditus to the ,philippians as your apostle and minister of my need4 ,in conveying these letters and messages1 this worthy man was ,paul's apostle and minister of his need in regard to the ,asian ,churches4 ,he is a minister in the ,lord1 inasmuch as this office lies within the range of his service to the ,lord ,christ4 ,we observe that in writing to the ,colossians the apostle applies to ,onesimus1 the converted slave1 the honourable epithets applied here to this long-tried friend3 the faithful and beloved brother 7,col4 iv4 #i74 ,every ,christian believer should be in the eyes of his fellows a beloved brother4 ,and every true servant of ,christ and ,his people is a faithful minister in the ,lord1 be his rank high or low1 and whether official hands have been laid upon his head or not4 ,we are apt1 by a trick of words1 to limit to the order which we suitably call the ministry expressions that the ,new ,testament applies to the common ministry of ,christ's saints 7comp4 iv4 #ab74 ,this devoted servant of ,christ is employed just now as a newsman and letter-carrier4 ,but what a high responsibility it was1 to be the bearer to the ,asian cities1 and to the ,church for all time1 of the epistles of ,paul the apostle to the ,ephesians1 ,colossians and ,philemon4 ,had ,tychicus been careless or dishonest1 had he lost these precious documents or tampered with them1 how great the loss to mankind6 ,we cannot read them without feeling our debt to this beloved brother and faithful servant of the ,church4 ,those who travel upon ,christ's business1 who link distant communities to each other and convey from one to another the ,holy ,spirit's fellowship and grace1 are the messengers of the ,churches and the glory of ,christ 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #bc74 ,,the ,,benediction4 ,peace be to the brethren1 and love with faith1 ,from ,god the ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,grace be with all them that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,in incorruption 7vv4 #bc1 #bd74 ,grace and ,peace were the first words of the epistle1--the apostle's salutation to all his ,churches4 ,in ,peace and ,grace he breathes out his final blessing4 ,the benediction is fuller than in most of the epistles1 and exhibits several peculiar features4 ,to the ,thessalonians 7#b ,ep4 iii4 #af7 ,st ,paul wished3 ,peace continually1 in all ways1 from the ,lord of peace ,himself2 and he commends the ,romans twice to the ,god of peace 7ch4 xv4 #cc1 xvi4 #bj73 the ,corinthians he bids to live in peace1 so that the ,god of love and peace may be with them 7#b ,cor4 xiii4 #aa74 ,there is nothing in the least degree strange or un-,pauline in the wishes here expressed1 except the fact that they are put in the third person--,peace to the brethren1 etc4--instead of being addressed directly to the readers in the second person1 as in all other of the apostle's extant closing benedictions4 ,this peculiarity1 as we observed in the first ,chapter1 is in accordance with the encyclical and impersonal stamp of the epistle4#ahd ,it is ,paul's most catholic benediction1 his blessing upon all the ,israel of ,god 7comp4 ,gal4 vi4 #af74 ,with faith1 that love is desired whereby1 according to the ,pauline ethics of salvation1 faith works 7,gal4 v4 #f71 the love which as a vitalizing organic force creates the new man1 formed in all his doings and dispositions after the image of ,jesus ,christ4 ,from chapter iv4 #a-c we have learnt how peace and love attend each other4 ,love is the source of the forbearance1 the mutual consideration and self-sacrifice1 without which there is no peace within the ,church4 ,peace springs from love3 love waits on faith4 ,amongst brethren in ,christ1 members of the same household of faith1 peace and love have their home4 ,these are the sons of peace3 with good will and good hope1 entering or quitting their abode1 we say1 ,peace be to this house6 ,the peace that the apostle looks for amongst ,christian brethren is the fruit of peace with ,god through ,christ4 ,such peace guarding the thoughts and heart of each ,christian man1 nothing contrary thereto will arise amongst them4 ,calm and quiet hearts make a peaceful ,church4 ,there are no clashing interests1 no selfish competitions1 no strife as to who shall be greatest4 ,differences of opinion and taste are kept within the bounds of mutual submission4 ,the awe of ,god's presence with ,his people1 the remembrance of the dear price at which ,his ,church was purchased1 the sense of ,christ's ,lordship in the ,spirit and of the sacredness of our brotherhood in ,him1 check all turbulence and rivalry and teach us to seek the things that make for peace4 ,peace and love1 the apostle desires4 ,love includes peace1 and more2 for it labours not to prevent contention only1 but to help and enrich in all ways the body of ,christ4 ,by such toil of love faith is made complete4 ,we are bidden indeed1 in certain matters1 to have faith to ourselves before ,god 7,rom4 xiv4 #bb74 ,this maxim holds where one has a special faith in regard to such things as eating flesh or drinking wine1 in which any one of us may without offence differ from his brethren4 ,but it is a poor faith that dwells upon questions of this nature1 and makes its religion of them4 ,the essentials of faith1 as we saw them delineated in chapter iv4 #a-f1 are things that unite and not distinguish us4 ,as faith grows and deepens1 it makes new channels in which love may flow4 ,we are bound to thank ,god always for you1 writes ,st ,paul to the ,thessalonians 7#b ,ep4 i4 #c71 for that your faith groweth exceedingly1 and the love of each one of you all toward one another multiplieth4 ,this is the sound and true growth of faith4 ,where an intenser faith makes men disputatious and exclusive2 where it fails to breed meekness and courtesy1 we cannot but suspect its quality4 ,such faith may be sincere2 but it is mixed with a lamentable ignorance1 and a resistance to the ,holy ,spirit that is likely to end in grave offence4 ,contending earnestly for the faith does not mean contending angrily1 with the weapons of satire and censoriousness4 ,it is well to remember that we are not the judges of our brethren4 ,there are many questions raised and discussed amongst us1 which we may safely leave to the judgement of the last day4 ,it is too easy to fill the air with matters of contention1 and to excite a sore and suspicious temper destructive of peace1 and in which nothing but fault-finding will flourish4 ,if we must contend1 we may surely debate quietly on secondary matters1 while we are one in ,christ4 ,if we have not love with faith1 our faith is worthless 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #b74 ,deep beneath the peace that dwells in the ,church and the love that fills each believer's heart1 is the eternal fountain of grace4 ,grace be with all those who love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 says the apostle4 ,grace is theirs already2 and they desire nothing so much as its increase4 ,their love to ,christ is the fruit of the grace of ,god that is with them4 ,this wish includes all good wishes2 it surpasses both our deservings and desires4 ,all that ,god prepared for us in ,his eternal counsels1 and that ,christ purchased by ,his redeeming love1 all of good that our nature can receive now and for ever1 is embraced in this one word3 ,grace be with you4 ,with all them that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,paul says2 for it is to lovers of ,christ that ,god gives the continuance of ,his grace4 ,if our love to ,christ fails1 grace leaves us4 ,god cannot look with favour upon the man who has no love to ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,in giving his blessing to the ,corinthians1 ,st ,paul was compelled to write with his own hand3 ,if any man love not the ,lord1 let him be anathema4 ,the blessing involves the anathema4 ,god's love is not a love of indifference1 an indiscriminate1 immoral affection4 ,it is a love of choice and predilection--,if any man love me1 said ,jesus1 my ,father will love him4 ,is not the condition reasonable1--and the inference inevitable8 ,the ,father cannot grant ,his grace to those who have seen and hated ,him in ,his ,son and image4 ,by that hatred they refuse ,his grace1 and cast it from them4 ,on the other hand1 a sincere love to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ opens the heart to all the rich and purifying influences of ,divine grace4 ,the sinful woman1 stained with false and foul love1 who washed the ,saviour's feet with her tears1 attained in that act to a height of purity undreamed of by the virtuous ,pharisee4 ,this new and holy flame burns out impure passion from the soul3 it kindles lofty thoughts2 it makes crooked natures straight1 and timid and weak natures brave and strong4 ,to them that love ,god1 we know1 all things work together for good4 ,to them that love ,christ1 all things contribute blessing2 all conditions and events of life become means of grace4 ,if we love ,christ1 we shall love ,his people1--the ,church1 the bride of ,christ from whom ,he will never be parted in our thoughts4 ,if we love ,christ1 we shall love the work ,he has laid upon us1 and the word ,he has taught us1 and the sacramental pledges ,he has given us in remembrance of ,him and assurance of ,his coming4 ,if we love ,him1 we shall keep ,his commandments1 and ,he will keep ,his promise to send us the other ,helper1 to be with us for ever1 even the ,spirit of truth4 ,the gift of the ,holy ,spirit is the all-sufficiency of grace4#ahe ,here is the innermost sanctuary of our religion1 the fountain and beginning of the soul's eternal life1--in the love which joins it to the ,lord in one spirit4 ,in incorruption is the last and sealing word of this letter1 which we have been so long studying together4 ,it stands as the crown and climax of this glorious epistle 7,alford74 ,like so many other words of the epistle1 at first sight its interpretation is not clear4 ,the apostle has used the term in several other passages1 as synonymous with immortality#ahf and denoting the state of the blessed after the resurrection1 when they will stand before ,god complete in body and in spirit1 with all that is mortal in them swallowed up of life--raised in incorruption4 ,but there is nothing in this context to lead up to the idea of personal1 bodily immortality4 ,those who construe the apostle's words in this sense1 place a comma before the final clause and treat it as a qualification of the main predicate of the sentence3 ,grace be with all them that love our ,lord1--grace culminating in incorruption--or in other words1 grace crowned with glory6 ,but it must be admitted that this is somewhat strained4 ,the rendering of our ordinary version1 in sincerity 7in the ,revised rendering1 uncorruptness71 gives an ethical sense to the word that is scarcely borne out by usage4 ,it is a different1 though kindred expression that ,st ,paul employs to express uncorruptness in ,titus ii4 #g4ahg ,it appears to us that the term incorruption1 in its ordinary significance1 applies fitly to the believer's love for the ,lord1 when the word is read in accordance with the symbolism of the epistle4 ,this love is the life of the body of ,christ4 ,in it lies the ,church's immortality4 ,the gates of death prevail not against her1 rooted and grounded as she is in love to the risen and immortal ,christ4 ,may that love be maintained1 the apostle says1 in its deathless power4 ,let it be an unspoilt and unwasting love4 ,of earthly love we often say with sadness3-- ,space is against thee3 it can part6 ,time is against thee3 it can chill6 ,not so with the love of ,christ4 ,neither death nor life parts the soul from ,him4 ,our love to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ seats us with ,him in the heavenly places1--above the realm of decay1 above this wasting flesh and perishing world4 ,,footnotes3 #agf ,col4 i4 #bd--;ii4 #a2 ,phil4 i4 #af4 #agg ,ch4 ii4 #g1 iii4 #aj2 ,phil4 i4 #bj2 #b ,tim4 iv4 #ag4 #agh ,i ,thess4 v4 #be2 #b ,thess4 iii4 #a2 ,rom4 xv4 #cj-cb2 ,col4 iv4 #c1 etc4 #agi ,out of the instances in which the ,english ,version renders logos in ,st ,paul by utterance1 the ,revisers have substituted word for utterance only in ,col4 iv4 #c4 ,one wishes they had done so throughout4 ,for logos surely implies the content1 the import of what is said4 ,this passage reminds us of ,john xvii4 #ad3 ,i have given them ,thy word2 and xiv4 #bd3 ,the word which ye hear is not mine1 but ,his4 #ahj ,en parrsia3 comp4 iii4 #ab2 ,phil4 i4 #bj2 ,philem4 #h2 #b ,cor4 vii4 #d2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #b1 etc4 #aha ,phil4 i4 #be1 #bf1 ii4 #bc1 #bd2 ,philem4 #bb4 #ahb #b ,tim4 i4 #g-ab1 ii4 #c-aj4 #ahc ,comp4 ,phil4 i4 #bd-bf4 #ahd ,see pp4 #ac-ag4 #ahe ,ch4 i4 #ad1 iv4 #cj4 ,see ,chapter ,,iv41 above4 #ahf ,rom4 ii4 #g2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #db1 #ej1 #ec1 #ed2 #b ,tim4 i4 #aj4 ,see ,alford's excellent note on this passage4 #ahg ,aphthoria3 aphtharsia is deleted in the critical texts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,works ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,galatians 7,expositor's ,bible74 ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 ,,commentary ,,on ,,colossians 7,pulpit ,commentary74 ,,commentary ,,on ,i4 ,,ii4 ,,thessalonians 7,cambridge ,bible for ,schools and ,colleges74 ,,an ,,essay ,,on ,,the ,,pastoral ,,epistles 7,,sabatier',s ,the ,apostle ,paul74 ,,the ,,epistles ,,of ,,paul ,,the ,,apostle3 a ,sketch of their ,origin and ,contents4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4 each vol4 ,,first ,,series1 #ahhg-h4 ,colossians4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,st4 ,mark4 ,by ,right ,rev4 the ,bishop of ,derry4 ,genesis4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 #a ,samuel4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 #b ,samuel4 ,by the same ,author4 ,hebrews4 ,by ,principal ,t4 ,c4 ,,edwards1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,series1 #ahhh-i4 ,galatians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,pastoral ,epistles4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,isaiah ,i4--,,xxxix4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,book of ,revelation4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,,milligan1 ,d4,d4 #a ,corinthians4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,most ,rev4 the ,archbishop of ,armagh4 ,,third ,,series1 #ahhi-ij4 ,judges and ,ruth4 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,jeremiah4 ,by ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,,ball1 ,m4,a4 ,isaiah ,,xl4--,,lxvi4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,st4 ,matthew4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,d4,d4 ,exodus4 ,by ,right ,rev4 the ,bishop of ,derry4 ,st4 ,luke4 ,by ,rev4 ,h4 ,,burton1 ,m4,a4 ,,fourth ,,series1 #ahij-a4 ,ecclesiastes4 ,by ,rev4 ,,samuel ,,cox1 ,d4,d4 ,st4 ,james and ,st4 ,jude4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,proverbs4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,d4,d4 ,leviticus4 ,by ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,fifth ,,series1 #ahia-b4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 #a and #b ,thessalonians4 ,by ,,james ,,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,book of ,job4 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,ephesians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,sixth ,,series1 #ahib-c4 #a ,kings4 ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,philippians4 ,by ,principal ,,rainy1 ,d4,d4 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 ,esther4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,joshua4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,peter4 ,by ,prof4 ,,rawson ,,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,,seventh ,,series1 #ahic-d4 #b ,kings4 ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,romans4 ,by ,h4 ,c4 ,g4 ,,moule1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,books of ,chronicles4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,m4,a4 #b ,corinthians4 ,by ,,james ,,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,numbers4 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,eighth ,,series1 #ahie-f4 ,daniel4 ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,the ,book of ,jeremiah4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,m4,a4 ,deuteronomy4 ,by ,prof4 ,,andrew ,,harper1 ,b4,d4 ,the ,song of ,solomon and ,lamentations4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,ezekiel4 ,by ,prof4 ,,john ,,skinner1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,book of the ,twelve ,prophets4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,d4,d4 ,two ,vols4