is repeated from ver. 10. Ministers have not given themselves. [ The apostle, we might think, takes a wonderful leap in descend ing to these from the comprehensive subject of the whole universe, just now spoken of. He no doubt has regard to the body of Christ. In like manner, ch. i. 22 (after having just before spoken o£ principality, power, might, etc.) — V. g.] — anoffToXovg — irpo<pqra$ — suayygX/rfraj, x.r.X., apostles — prophets — evangelists, etc.) Inferior offices might be conjoined with the highest grades ; for example, the apostle John acted at the same time as a prophet when he wrote the Apocalypse, and as an evangelist in the Gospel ; but not the contrary [" vice versa," the highest offices joined with the lowest grades]. All the apostles had also at the same time the prophetic power. Only that the very high de gree of prophecy, by which the Apocalypse was written, was peculiar to John. But prophets and evangelists were not also at the same time apostles. The prophet takes precedence of the evangelist ; for the prophet testifies infallibly of the future, the evangelist infallibly of the past : the prophet derives all from the Spirit ; the evangelist puts on record a matter which has been perceived by the senses of sight and hearing, and yet he is fitted for an office of the highest importance, by a gift superior to that of pastors and teachers. Workers of miracles are not added here ; for their actions have now somewhat less reference to the perfecting, etc. And perhaps already, before the last days of the apostles, the gift of miracles was more rarely exercised ; comp. Heb. ii. 4. — ffoipsvas xai didatfxdXovg, pastors and teachers) The appellation of shepherd (pastor) is everywhere else given to the Lord alone. Pastors and teachers are here joined ; for they chiefly feed by teaching, as also by admonition, rebuke.
12. Upbg — eig — tig, to [ad, towards] — for — for [in, for the end, unto. Engl. Vers. renders all for]) To this refer, into, unto, unto [as respectively answering to the previous vpbc, s!$, ei$], in the following verse ; although to [npbs, ad, ' towards'], and into [tig, in, 'unto,' or 'into'], somewhat differ, Kom. xv. 2.1 The office of the ministry is denoted in this verse ; in the fol-
1 E/£ dyatQw irpos o/^oSo^t/, unto his good, towards edification. The for mer expressing the internal end in respect to God : the latter, the external end in respect to man. — ED.
f>2 EPHESIANS IV. 13.
lowing, the goal which the saints have in view ; in ver, 14, 15, 16, the way of growth ; and each of these has three parts, expressed in the same order. There are three paragraphs, divided severally into three parts. The first three parts have a mutual relation ; then the second three ; lastly, the third ; and all without a Chiasmus. — xaraprigftbv, perfecting [* aptationem,' the mutual adaptation']) This in the greatest degree has the effect of producing unity.
13. Msyspi, till) Not even the apostles thought themselves to have reached the goal, Phil. iii. ; much less the Church. They had always to go forward, not to stand still, much less to fall behind. And now the Church must not contemplate from behind the idea of its own excellence, but keep before its eyes that idea as a future one, which is yet to be attained. Attend to this, ye who do not so much follow antiquity as make it an excuse. — xaravrfaupsv, till we arrive at) This tense, following the past tense, is imperfect [He gave some apostles, etc,, till, and in order that, we all might arrive at]. This ought to have already taken place at the time when Paul wrote ; forfaith [which he speaks of, " the unity of the faith"] belongs to travellers.1 — c/ vdvrz^all, viz. the saints. — MC, — s/g — sl^unto — unto — unto) [Asyn deton] The repetition is without a connective particle. The natural age (life) grows up towards wisdom, strength, and stature. The things which correspond to these in the spiritual age (life), are, unity of faith, the mind strengthened [ver. 13, Ts\stov avfya, and ver. 16, answer to this], and the fulness of Christ. — svorriraij unity) This unity is placed in friendly opposition to the variety of gifts, and to the whole body [" \ve all"'] of the saints ; and the contrary of this unity is every wind, ver. 14. — r^g Kjffr&ug KOLI rrtg swyvuffsus, of faith and knowledge) These two words both agree and differ ; for knowledge means something more perfect than faith. — rt>5 r/oC rou ©sou, of the Son of God) The highest point in the knowledge of Christ is, that He is the Son of God. — ei$ avdpa rsXsiov, to a perfect man) The concrete for the abstract ; for unity and measure are abstract nouns :