The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 68

We have to be fashioned anew by God Rom. ii. 28, 29; Phil. iii. S; Col. ii. 11), before we oan do anything aright (see were called Circumcision; they had o name 2 C:or. v. 17). Anything right in us is not which denoted the very opposite of that the cause of grace, but its fruit. There given to God's people-snotlier illustmtion seems to be no special reason for the change of their appsrent distance from blessing; from the second to the first person. Created they revolved round the sun, as it were, not in Christ J'esus for good works. So little in the nearer orbits of planets wsrmed, inward capacity had we for such works, that brightened, o.nd beautified by the solar we required to be created in Christ Jesus beams, but in the outermost ring of sll- in order that we might do them. The like the cold, dark orbit of Umnua or Nep- inward new birth of the son! is indicated. tune, which the sunbesms hardly reach to Whe:i gooJ works were required, this gracioUB lighten or to warm. dis.nee had to be wrought to secure them. Ver. 12.-That st that time ye were The purp..-.se of the new crestion is to pro- without Christ. Very comprehensive de- duoo them. Christ" g:we himself for us, to 61:lription, having no knowledge of Christ, redeem us fr>..= all iniquity, and purify unto no interest in him, no life or blessing from himself a people of his mm, r.eslous of good him. Being sliens (or, alienated) from the works." It is not good wom first, and grace oommonwealth of Israel ; the ..-o>JT,I", or after; but graoe first, a.nd good works after citizenship condition, including II country, (see Titus ii 11, 14). Whillh God bath a constitution, 11 divinely sppointed and before ordained tllat we should walk in divinely administered economy, rich in them. A farther proof of the true origin blessing. And strsngers to the oovenants of good works. They are the subjects of a of the promise. The promise of Christ, of Divine decree. Before the foundation of which circumcision WIIB the see.I. The the world it wes ordained that whoever "oovensnts" (plural) substantially the should be saved by grace should walk in same, but renewed to various persons snd good works. The term " wa.lk." here de- at various times in which God promised, notes the habitual tenor of the life; it is to " I will bless him that bleseeth thee, and be spent in a.n atmosphere of good works. curse him that curseth thee ; e.nd in thee Here we have one of the Divine se.fegnRl'de and in thy seed she.11 all the families of the ~"8.inst the abuse of the doctrine of salvation earth be blessed." In respect of these they by gmce. When men hear of salvation irre- were strangers, not embraced in their pro- specii.e of works, they are apt to fancy that visions, not, therefore, in II state of encoursge- works are of little use, and do not need to ment to expect a great blessing. Hsving be carefnlly attended to. On the contrary, no hope; no ground for looking forwsrd to they are part of the Divine decree, and if better times, no reasonsble expectation cf we are not lin.ng II life of good works, we improvement in your religioUB condition. ha,e no reason to believe that we have been And without God in the world ; li9m, 68,ed by grace. atheists ; but not in the sctive sense of Vers. 11-22.--Co!iTRABT BB'l'WEEli THB denying God, rather in the passive sense PAST A..'-D TRE PRESENT. of unconuected with God: without any Ver. 11.-Wherefore remember, that onoe friendly and beneficisl relation to him, ye, the Gentiles in the :8.esh. The practical without any vital nexus thst would bring tenor of the apostle's t.eachingis indicated by into their soul the fulnees of God. The his" wherefores." He is alwsys gathering words "in the world" intensify " without up his views into some lesson. They sre U> God." It were bad enough to be without .. remember•• the chsnge between the pe.st God (without hie holy fellowship and blessed and the present-what they were by nature, influence) anywhere, but it is worse to be and what they had become by grace. This is without him in ths WOTld, in " this present most useful to all, even though the oontrest evil world" (Gsl. i. 4), in a world dominsted between the two be not so vivid se in the C888 by so subtle and evil a god (ver. 2 snd of Psul and the Ephesisns. The contrast 2 Cor. iv. 4). The fivefold negstive de- is indicated in varioUB psrticulare, both of scription of this verse has a cumulative outward condition and of inward privilege effect; the situation becomes grsver and and character. Fmt, the old condition. more terrible, and the lest clause is the Thty were "Gentiles in respect of the flesh" olimu:. -not karir.g on Oieir bodiea the mark of the Ver. 13.-Bnt now; antithesis to TO'l'i in Israel of God. therefore not. marked out for ver. 11, snd ..,; ""'P'P lKEll''f' in ver. 12. bhsi.Dg, not apparently near iL Who are Another of the very powerful "buts" of called U ncirc:11IUciaion by that whioh ii called this Epistle, completely reversing the pic- C'.rcumciaion in the :8.eah made by handa. ture going before (see ver. 4). In Cbrin Nicknamed, 1111 it were, Uncircumcieion by 1eens. 'l'his expression is the pivot of the those who in a fleshly or mechauical, but Epistle, denoting, not only that Christ Jesus not always ui the true epiritual 11811S8(comp. is the Source of bleaaing, bu~ also \hat wo CJB. II, 1-22.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.